42 Suns: Mixed Spirits And Concerned Mothers

--- Jon ---

Waiting on a park bench at their usual meeting place, he pulled out his book on Arcane Shamanism to read as he waited for Ying who lived a little further out from it than him.

Continuing from his previous place, he found that while the majority of greater spirits were created via a mix of anima and belief, this didn’t change the fact that a number of lesser spirits tended to form from the passive anima in an environment, with more anima resulting in more spirits.

(Meaning while there might not be too many spirits in the city compared to say Blackwell, that doesn’t change the fact that there are spirits here.) He’d admittedly been a little worried about actually finding a spirit given how important they were to Shamanism, but if they were readily available anywhere with enough Anima then that was something he could figure out easily enough.

What’s more, while the greater spirits were what allowed a Shaman to perform their greater feats, these lesser spirits were responsible for the more commonly used abilities of Arcane Shamanism. Such as convincing the spirits of an area passively perform a given task over time, and while this usually meant getting water spirits to clean drinking water, or earth spirits to rejuvenate soil for crops, (I’m pretty sure with a bit of creativity they could do more, even if it probably won’t be as impressive as say Pix’s nature manipulation… Well, unless I manage to find a greater spirit somewhere.)

He glanced to his side as a frustrated looking Ying took a seat next to him. “Everything alright?”

“Yes, it’s just my mother.” The draconic teen sighed, before turning to him. “Now what was so important that you couldn’t talk about it over the phone?”

Scene Consequences

-Gained 2XP to Arcane Shamanism.

--Currently: Lv. 2 (5/6)

---

“Well, that explains a few things.” Ying admitted after he’d given her a summary of the Arcane Meeting and this whole ‘Halloween Haunt’ thing.

“How so?”

The draconic teen ran a hand down her face. “If I recall correctly, you mentioned you and mother didn’t move here until last November, correct?”

He nodded. “Ma, didn’t get moved to this station until around then.”

“Then you likely aren’t aware of the teenage and child curfews that the city keeps active during the week of Halloween. The excuse being to help prevent an increase in crime during that week, and to help keep children safe, seeing as this time of the year has the largest number of murders and missing persons.” Ying explained. “Both of which become a lot more understandable when you take this information into account.”

“I guess that is the best they can do without outright admitting that there’s a demonic invasion each year.” He agreed thoughtfully. “Especially if it turns out fear and panic increase its power, which just makes sense for a Halloween Demon.”

“Quite.” Ying grimaced. “It also explains my mother’s behavior I suppose.”

“What do you mean?” He frowned.

“While my mother and I reached something of an accord, where she’d grant me more free time in exchange for keeping quiet about my Deviant nature, she’s been trying to increase my workload for these next few weeks.” The draconic teen answered before giving him a look. “Just the next few weeks.”

“Ah.” He grimaced now. “You said your mom was involved in politics or something, didn't you?”

Ying sighed. “Meaning, if she helps cover this up to keep the city population happy and profitable…”

“She likely knows about this and is trying to keep you uninvolved.” He finished so she wouldn’t have to.

“Quite…”

They both sat there in silence for a moment, before he tried to cheer her up by pointing out that, “If she’s trying to keep you uninvolved maybe this is her way of trying to protect you from these things?”

“Maybe…” Ying agreed in a way that said she doubted it. “I just wish whatever she was planning didn’t leave me in a gilded cage for the next few weeks.”

Scene Consequences

-Grown a bit closer to Ying.

-Ying Assists have been reduced to 1 until the 55th Turn.

---

“So you doing okay kid?”

“Um, I guess?” He answered a little unsurely as he deflected one of his ma’s blows before aiming his own at her solar plexus.

His Ma caught his hand by the wrist and moved it to the side as she slid a leg between his and threw an elbow at his face while trying to hook his ankle. “No, it’s just the other day you had that run in with those kidnappers and I know they pulled a gun on you, so…”

“Ah.” He nodded in understanding before spinning his captured hand around to grab her wrist and use it as leverage to keep his balance on one foot as he leaned back. “It honestly wasn’t that big of a deal, guy had barely grabbed his gun by the time I got to him.”

He twisted his in the air leg around and hooked his Ma’s leg before throwing his entire weight towards the ground, sending the two of them tumbling across the ground as he put his arm to her throat. “Really poor reaction time that.”

His Ma’s eyes narrowed as she grabbed his pinning wrist with one hand and put her other to his throat at which point she performed an odd pushing and pulling maneuver before flipping him over and putting him into an arm and head lock as she also hooked one of her legs around his torso locking him in place while the other dug into his kidney.

“Still, given how he was the only one with a gun, you probably should’ve scouted the situation better if you were going to get involved.” His Ma told him, as he tried to figure a way to get free. “After all, you eliminate the biggest threat first, especially when there’s a life on the line.”

“Yeah, I know I rushed in.” He admitted through grit teeth as he gripped his mother’s bicep to keep her from choking him out. “But I saw the kid, and didn’t want them getting into the van.”

Getting just enough space he twisted his neck towards his Ma and let go taking the blow to the side of his neck as he snaked his arm around and made a grab for her windpipe. “Surprise attack seemed like the best idea, and let me catch the three off guard rather than rushing the one.”

“Fair, but-” His Ma acknowledged before pulling off of his neck and grabbing his hand as she pulled it towards his already locked arm, putting enough pressure on his shoulder that he could feel his arm beginning to dislocate. “-still reckless.”

He made a brief effort to free his locked arm, only hurting his shoulder and digging the knee deeper into his kidney before finally sighing. “Yeah, I’m out.”

Nodding his Ma let him go before they detangled themselves and sprawled out on the ground.

“I’m not trying to be mean here, it’s just if that guy hadn’t had poor reaction time you could’ve been shot or worse.” His Ma tried to explain as she ran a hand through her hair. “And then where would you be?”

(Dead.) The darker part of himself figured.

(Not if Pix healed me first.) He argued despite knowing that wasn’t a real answer if the kidnapper had gotten a headshot, especially since-

(-it’s not like this is the first time he’s died.”)

He couldn’t help the shiver down his spine.

“Yeah, that.” His Ma sighed, before giving him a concerned look. “I get that you’re probably going to keep running into trouble, especially since you’re a Whitaker, but can you at least promise me that when trouble finds you you’ll use everything I’ve taught you and be as safe as you can.”

He considered everything going on, everything he’d already been through, all of the danger that he’d never told his Ma about and had zero intention of worrying her about, before nodding.

“I promise I will do everything I can to stay as safe as I can, Ma.”

Scene Consequences

-Gained 2XP to Combat

--Currently: Lv. 7 (6/16)

-Grown a bit closer to Ma.