Heyo, sorta double chapter here cause it has been a month and I also finished editing my way back through Vivian Prologue to update the prose. So look at this as a bit of a special chapter.
Word count is like 4400+
Anyway, please join my discord if you wanna talk about this or make suggestions: https://discord.gg/aV9cGRYAtH
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Charlie's pov:
I used Telekinesis to fling a rock through a window. 'Sorry about this..'
The window shattered in across the floor of the bedroom, and pieces of glass got everywhere.
I tried to lift them all up and gather them into a neat pile outside, before pulling out the last shards stuck in the frame. 'Ok.. I'll just fly in and grab some clothes..' I hovered up and shimmied through the window frame, falling onto the floor unceremoniously once making it through.
The room wasn't all that special, a bed, desk, closet, and dresser. Though the bed was large enough for several people.
I got up and walked over to the closet, rummaging around. I grabbed a large long-sleeve shirt, and a cloak. Along with some overalls that looked to be for a teenage boy. 'Looks like all of the family has their clothes in here..'
I put on the shirt to cover up the torso of my springlock suit, and the overalls to cover up the legs, then finally the cloak to cover up anything else. Then looked at myself with magic sense.
It looked like I was just wearing a security puppet mask, a pair of black gloves, and a pair of black shoes.
I pulled my hair out of the cloak's hood to make sure I looked just a bit more humans. 'That should be good enough..'
I got ready to jump back out of the window.
The door swished open behind me, a lady stepped through, not seeming to notice me yet.
I tried to stay perfectly still. 'She won't see me, right?.'
The lady looked my way, and audibly gasped. "What are you doing in here?!" She got into a defensive stance.
I turned to her, 'How do I?.. It was the thing that dragon did..' I tried to ask Wisened One, the skill informed me of Thought Communication.
So I stretched out my aura just the tiniest bit, not wanting to risk hurt the woman then used Thought Communication. 'I.. Sorry..'
"Huh? A skill? Why would you communicate through a skill? Can you not speak?" The lady crossed her arms, and raised her eyebrow. "What is your name?"
'Charlie. My name is Charlie. I am mute.' I tried my best to disguise my worry, and came up with something convincing, then thought to myself. 'Not sure revealing what I am would be a good idea..'
"Hm.. Well, 'Charlie.' You broke my window, So I'd like for you to pay for that. I used to be an adventurer, so I think I have a good idea what might be going on. Are you an otherworlder?" The woman pulled a small knife from her sleeve, and a little card dangled on a string connected to it.
'Adventurer?. Otherworlder? Like.. Uh, from another planet? I am from earth.. If that helps..' I thought back, confusion leaking through my thoughts. I tilted my head while trying to wrap my head around it.
(AN: Charlie died in the late seventies or early Eighties.)
"Well. That settles it honestly, if you don't know what an adventurer is and you say you are from earth? That is one of the common ones we were told to look out for by the guild." The woman sighed, and pulled up the card so I could see it.
Name: Sarah Smith/Bachlor
Rank: B
The card also had an ID code on it, and a picture of Sarah in her younger years.
'Free Guild? What is that for?..' I tilted my head the other direction, and sat on the floor cross-legged. I felt at least somewhat safe now.
"Used to be the Adventurer's Guild, name changed shortly before I got this new card.. Well, I guess it isn't so new no more, huh?" She scratched the back of her head and laughed. "Anyway, us adventurers are told to look out for otherworlders when they show up, helps find you guys easier. I'll take you to the guild later, but considering you needed to steal clothes.. I think you'll want food too?"
I didn't, but I nodded anyway.
"Alright then, cut that skill by the way. I don't mind, but you might creep out my kids when they get back." She smiled before walking over and ruffling my hood. After that she walked back out of the bedroom.
I nodded and cut Thought Communication, pulling back in my aura completely. Shuddering a bit at the pain of holding it all the way in again.
"You gonna follow me? I'll need some help." Sarah peaked back into the room.
'Ah! ok..' I stood up and followed along with her, making sure to fasten the hood in place tightly.
She turned and walked along the hall, coming out into what seemed to be a communal room for both living, cooking, and heating. "I'll need some help cooking, do you think you can? You can just help carrying things around if you like."
I looked down to the hands of my springlock suit, 'Not sure I can really cook.. I think I can just carry things around though.. Would it be ok to use my skills?' I shook my head, then nodded.
"Alright, that is fine. If you wanna try your hand at it, go ahead, but you don't need to. Now, if you have any skills you think will help, go ahead and try them. Usually otherworlders get a few." She turned and started picking out pots, and pans.
'Yes!' I nodded, and used telekinesis to take the pots from her and hold them in the air. 'I can avoid trying to use these gloves to cook, and get practice..'
"Huh, I haven't seen a skill like that before. It does seem really useful. Thanks, dear." Sarah looked over everything she took out, and nodded. Then walked to the edge of the counter and pulled up a large box.
I tried to peak over it to see what she was doing, but I was a bit too short.
"Alright, here we have a chicken, and plenty of vegetables. We'll need to cut up the potatoes and leeks to put in the stew with the chicken, and we will use the corn to make some bread." She explained as she set things out.
I tried to gag a bit at seeing a headless chicken with all its feathers still on it. 'I didn't think she meant that..'
"Here are some potatoes, just cut them into chunks and set the skins aside, we can put those in the feeding bin later. You can use the first few to practice." She set some potatoes aside for me and a wooden board, the pulled a knife from under the counter. "Use this."
I nodded again, and pulled the knife over to the cutting board, before pulling a potato to the middle.
It took me a few attempts to actually cut into the skin while holding them both with Telekinesis.
I smiled when I finally got it.
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Cassidy's pov:
I cut off the piece of me inside the pizza-plex, leaving it behind in the princess quest machines, incase they really did need it. Then I just, let go.
The pizzeria I made to torment the monster on the flipside rapidly fell apart and merged back into myself, and the space shrunk back into a small black void.
I held out my hand in front of myself and watched as it suddenly turned to a dust. 'Where-ever you are, I'll find you. I'll.. Find.. You..'
...
{Notice: non-standard soul structure detected.}
'You, voice. Tell me where I am.'
{Notice: Would you like a body befitting of your soul designed?}
{Y/N}
'Yes, now tell me where I am. I need to get revenge on whatever took Charlie.'
{Notice: Will recognized, acquiring Unique Skill Vengeance.. Successful.}
'That will probably be helpful, but TELL ME WHERE I AM!'
{Notice: Will recognized, acquiring Unique Skill Absolute Mapping.. Successful.}
'Ugh! I don't have time for this.. Just give me everything I need to find Charlie and Afton!'
...
'Finally.. I felt as if that voice would never stop talking...'
A sheet of clear-ish ice was in front of me, through it vaguely humanoid shapes moved around outside.
Trying to move, I was stuck. Not even an inch could I move forward. 'Damn it.. Another roadblock!' I focused and tried to channel my agony to increase my strength.
No matter how much I tried though, the ice around me never broke. It felt as hard as diamond.
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Velzard's pov:
"You are certain it won't get out?" The annoying red demon spoke, and examined the Ice Prison again.
"Absolutely, it is using all of its magicules in its attempts." I sighed and looked at the bizare creature once more, with Dragon Eye.
Its soul was clearly visible in the physical matter of its body, it appeared to be mechanical in some way. However there was also a human-like doll inside, and the soul looked human-like. Horribly warped, but still recognizably human.
"What was it humans called them again.. Bears. It is in a bear costume, right?" The annoying demon seemed to ask the most useless questions consistently.
"A golden bear costume, but that isn't important. You can see it as well, right? That horribly warped soul. I've never seen anything like it, in all my travels to other worlds." I pressed my hand to the face of the Ice Prison.
"Oh, yeah. Now that you mention it. Its soul is all screwed up. Spiritual body is in the physical world too.. Why does it even have a spiritual body? That soul looks real human-ish to me." The bastard finally caught on, and scratched the back of his head. "You said it just, appeared in your room? Right next to you? Out of your aura?"
"It simply started forming here, and I imprisoned it before it became conscious. Like I do with all the magic-born that form out of my aura." I put a barrier around the Ice Prison to ensure the creature didn't use Spatial skills or magic. "Should I attempt to communicate? It may be intelligent."
"It must have one hell of a story to have a soul like that, go ahead."
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Cassidy's pov:
'Little one, can you hear me?' A motherly voice rang out in my head, and a piercing pain racketed me.
'YES! Ow! Ow! Fuck! Your voice is nice, but hell does it hurt!' I tried to think back.
There was a hand pressed to the surface of the sheet of ice in front of me.
'I apologize, I am using a large amount of my aura. I can see it is causing you damage. Please cease your resistance, so you may build a barrier around yourself.' The voice gave instructions.
'What the hell do you mean by a barrier?' I stopped trying to break the ice around myself, and relaxed my agony. 'Do you mean with my agony? How the hell do you even do that?'
'Agony? Are you referring to magicules? Regardless, the particles you used to enhance your strength, wrap them around yourself and hold them tightly together.'
I followed the instructions, and it brought immediate relief.
{Notice: Conditions met, would you like to acquire Extra Skill, Multilayer Barrier?}
{Y/N}
'Sure, why not?' The moment I accepted the new skill, the barrier became several times easier to maintain.
'Did you just acquire a new skill? It seems you acquired the advanced version immediately. Your soul is quite powerful.' The voice spoke again, it seemed like there was some deep thought hidden between the lines.
'Who put me here? I need to get out of here and find Charlie, and Afton. Then I need to get revenge on whoever stole her.'
'I put you in a prison of ice, as I do all magic born formed in my aura. It is a precaution..' The voice seemed to drift off.
Suddenly there was another voice. 'Hey, sentient magic born in Velzard's aura aren't really a thing that happens. Explain, kid.'
'I am no kid! I am probably older than you! I'm over a hundred!'
'... You really don't know who we are, do you?' The new voice seemed a little shaken for a moment.
'Probably my parents or whatever! I don't care. I heard about reincarnation from a friend back in school, but I didn't think it was real back then. Then I became a golden animatronic bear cause of a crazy psycho asshole.'
'Could you explain that story? It may be the most interesting thing that we've encountered in some thousand years.' The original voice spoke.
'Don't just move on from a thousand years! What?! That is an insanely long time.. Ok, maybe you are both older than me.' I shuddered internally at the thought.
I decided there wasn't really anything wrong with explaining the story to who were probably my parents anyway. 'Anyway, that psycho asshole I was talkin about, he found out about the energy of souls, and how it could be harvested by killing someone and stuffin their dead body into an inanimate object, Remnant he called it. Went on a killing spree trying to harness it for immortality to stop his family from dying, cause he lost his son. Evan, I knew him. He was in the golden bear with me.'
'A human discovered how to harvest the energy of souls? Without any skills?' The newer voice seemed very invested in that.
'Yeah, it wasn't really uh.. It didn't really work out though. He killed a dozen of us before he actually got the remnant right... Then he injected himself with it. That bastard literally harvested the souls of the poor kids he caught in those later locations! Good thing I caught him for it though! Made sure to torture him for as long as I could, almost sixty years. Would've been longer if he didn't just up and disappear a couple weeks ago!'
'So.. These inanimate objects, they are robotic, yes? Your physical body seems to have modeled itself off some mixture of robotic suit and a human-like doll.'
'Oh uh.. Yeah. Like I said, animatronics. Robots made to entertain kids.. That is kinda how he tricked kids into following him to kill them. He lured me to some room without security cameras in some bunny costume. That bastard even got his own daughter killed accidentally with one of those death traps he designed to capture and kill kids.'
'This man sounds unpleasant, by human standards.' The more motherly voice spoke.
'By human standards? You aren't human? What are you?'
'I am the second Eldest of the True Dragons, Velzard.'
'You said I formed out of your aura or whatever right? So are you my mother then? Am I a dragon now or whatever?'
'No. You are simply a magic born which used my magicules to manifest. While it could be considered a form of parental relationship, that can only be affirmed by naming you with the intent to affirm it.'
'Why would naming me make it any different?' I started attempting to escape again.
'In this world, naming a monster both increases its strength, and changes its nature to be more in line with the vision the namer holds of it.' The dragon explained.
'Stronger? Hm.. If you did name me, would you let me out?'
'Accepting you as my child would come with stipulations. I would need to ensure you behave suitably at all times, and prove yourself worthy. Naming you as such would likely have a greater effect, however.'
'So, I'd be stronger?'
'Yes.'
I stewed on it for several moments. 'I'll need all the strength I can get, I think. So I'll do whatever I need!'
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Sarah's pov:
'Something isn't right about this Charlie girl. She holds herself far too maturely but doesn't seem to know anything someone that mental age should know.' I stewed on it while watching her.
She was attempting to mash carrots, but she clearly had no idea which utensil was used to do that. She attempted to do it with the dull edge of the knife first, then just tried a mallet.
I sighed, and pulled out my potato masher. "Here, dear."
Charlie jumped a bit before levitating it over to herself and examining it. Her brown eyes spoke a pain, as she figured out how to use it. Finally she pulled over a carrot and mashed it after a few attempts.
"Alright, go ahead and do that to that half. We'll mix them into the sauce." I turned and walked out of the kitchen, before making my way to the well outside. 'Ok, I think she can be trusted with the kids, but I'll need to keep a close eye on her. What the hell has she been through?'
"Sarah." A familiar voice spoke next to me.
I glanced over my shoulder.
Henry stood there quietly for a moment. "That masked girl, in our house. You think she is an otherworlder, right?"
"Yes. Almost sure, just not sure if I trust her yet. She isn't exactly as pathetic as you were, with those powerful skills of hers." I explained myself.
"Hey! Eagle Eye isn't pathetic." Henry huffed.
"You are lying to yourself dear, an otherworlder shouldn't be weaker than his wife." I laughed for a moment before lowering the bucket into the well.
"Says you.. You are stronger than plenty of otherworlders." He sighed audibly, "So, you'll introduce her to the kids, then take her to the guild in the morning?"
"Yes. I'm sure she'll refuse to take off that hood though, she was defensive about it when I asked. I can tell she is disfigured in some way under the mask, she is mute." I lifted the bucket with the crank.
"Mute huh? Does she got some skill to help out with that? You said you knew her name."
"Pretty sure it is some way to tell others her thoughts. Possibly a majin, since she did have a little pressure when she first spoke to me. That might be a little forward though, could just be a demihuman of some kind." I checked the water to make sure it was clean, then started walking back to the house.
"I wanna meet her then." Henry started following behind me. "Also, don't go calling her a majin so fast. Might just be one of them hero types the A-ranks talk about."
"That is why I said it was too forward." I opened up the door to the kitchen, and set the bucket on the counter. "How is it going, Charlie?" I glanced over to her.
She turned to me and nodded, all the carrots she had were mashed. Her eyes twitched and seemed to go wide when she looked behind me.
"Hello, My name is Henry-"
At the name she rushed over to him and pulled on his coat. 'D-Dad?!' Her voice sounded in my head.
I glanced over to Henry to see his reaction with a raised eyebrow. 'You said you'd never known a woman, Henry dear..'
Henry looked confused and raised an eyebrow of his own. "Maybe I look like him, but no. I don't think I know you. Sorry to disappoint. My name and face are a bit hard to spot in a crowd, so I get it all the time."
Charlie seemed to just stare at him, for a long, long while. Several entire minutes. Then she just, sulked. 'Sorry.' She walked back over to the bench at the table and sat down.
I breathed a sigh of relief, finally moving again after that moment.
Henry on the other hand was shivering a bit lightly. He walked up behind me and whispered, "It felt like her eyes were gazing into my very soul.."
"Well, she was convinced you were her father, when she first saw you. So that isn't exactly surprising." I whispered back, then took out a pot to pour the water in.
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Charlie's pov:
"Hello, My name is Henry-"
Brown Hair, Brown eyes, Sharp jaw. It had to be Dad. I ran up to him and pulled on his coat, before activating my skill again. 'DAD!?'
The man just raised an eyebrow and looked into my eyes with an air of confusion. "Maybe I look like him, but no. I don't think I know you. Sorry to disappoint. My name and face are a bit hard to spot in a crowd, so I get it all the time."
'That can't be true!' I thought to myself, before staring the man down. I inspected everything about him I could.
Everything about his appearance was spot on for Dad when I was still alive. When I looked closer though, his remnant, It wasn't the same.
I stuck on it. 'I was so sure.. He just. Looks like Dad.. Of course he couldn't be.. Father was just a normal man, he moved on.. Maybe he told me he was proud before he did.. But he was still just..'
'Sorry.' I thought to them. I looked to the ground and walked back to the bench, sitting there while deactivating my skill and sealing up my aura completely again.
I looked down to my hand, and flexed the fingers of the doll. The suit's glove moved along with my fingers, my metal fingers. 'Damnit.. I'm not like them.. I shouldn't be here..'
"Charlie, do you still wanna help? I know you are disappointed, so it is fine if you don't want to." Sarah spoke to me from the other side of the room.
I shook my head no, 'I don't think I should. I'll stay here to be nice..'
"Alright, dear." Sarah started moving really fast. Preparing everything in a few minutes, as if it was no trouble in the first place.
'Was she.. Pretending to be weaker than she actually is?' I stayed still at the realization. 'Well.. She has every right not to trust me..'
...
An hour passed while I just played with two little rocks to practice my telekinesis.
Suddenly a pair of boys slammed the door open, "Mom! Tommy broke the door to the chicken-coop!"
"No! Earl broke it!"
It took a moment for them to devolve into punching eachother and rolling around on the ground.
I would have giggled if I could have. 'So innocent..' I pulled them apart with telekinesis, to help Sarah.
Both of them looked at me in an instant.
"Mom! There is a psychic girl in our dining room wearing a clown mask!" The younger boy, Tommy jumped to his feet.
"Yes, Charlie will eat dinner with us, and stay the night. She is like your Dad." Sarah explained immediately, without looking away from her place at the stove.
"She is an otherworlder?!" Earl jumped to his feet as well, before walking over to me and sitting across from me. "Where are you from?"
I just, stared back.
"She is mute, Earl." Luckily Henry spoke up, he had been sharpening a few blades in the corner of the room up until now."
"Mute? So, she can't talk?"
"She can, but you kids would probably find it creepy. She uses a skill to talk in your head." Henry held up an axe and examined it carefully. "Earl, do you wanna help me chop up fire wood for the winter in the morning?"
"Yes!" The boy smiled excitedly.
"Good-lad."
The door slammed open again, this time it was a pair of girls.
"We're back! The textile shop closed early, so we were able to get back early." The older girl explained their situation.
"That's great Sammy." Sarah Finally turned back away from the stove, she choked the fire to get it to die out.
"Jane got a cough, but she is still alright." Sammy went on to explain further.
"Don't go pushing yourself too hard, Janie. You won't be able to go with Sammy if you get sick." Henry set down his sharpening stone and walked over to pick the small girl up.
Jane laughed and giggled.
'That really does.. Oh. Why are little kids so cute?' I gushed internally.
Sammy looked over to me, "Is she staying the night? I can get some blankets out. She seems sorta attached to Dad's coat."
"Yes. She will be, we are just letting her keep the coat though. I doubt I could convince her to take it off." Sarah explained while setting out plates on the table.
"Alright then." Sammy seemed to accept it, before sitting next to me. She leaned close to me, "What exactly are you?" She whispered quickly.
I shivered immediately, and just didn't respond.
Sammy sighed into her fist. "I'll talk to you tonight then." She leaned away again.
...
Over dinner I ended up needing to use spatial manipulation to teleport the food somewhere else, to act as if I was eating it. Can't exactly eat without a mouth. 'Nothing new I guess. The puppet didn't really have a mouth either.'
Sammy was sitting outside after dinner, right in front of the door. "So, you did come out, huh?"
I nodded and sat in front of her. 'I don't wanna be dishonest completely..' I reached out with Thought Communication.
"I know you are a monster, of some kind. I can see it. I got magic sight." Sammy explained, before motioning to me. "You glow real bright, Charlie."
'Glow? I tried to hide my aura.. Guess it isn't perfect.. You won't-'
"I won't tell anyone, you don't seem to wanna hurt us. I just wanted to know what you are. I can't tell exactly."
'I am like.. A doll. That is the best way to explain it, a doll with a soul inside it. Then dressed up in a fancy suit.' I leaned on full honesty.
"Alright then, doll girl. Your secret is safe with me, so long as you don't hurt anyone. There is someone else like you in town, a little kobold girl at the Free Guild building. Fox-kobold I think, she glows the same way you do, not so bright though." Sammy smiled, and pulled out a little notebook. "Can I take some notes?"
'Wait wait.. Fox girl? Glows like me? I wonder who..' I activated my Find Familiar skill, and it did draw me in the direction of the city in the distance.
"Hey, notes." Sammy insisted.
'Ah... Uh. alright? What are you taking notes for?' I pointed to the little book.
"I wanna write a beastiary, so I'll take notes on any interesting monsters I find. You are just about the most interesting one I've seen." Sammy showed off the book, and flipped through the pages. Mostly drawings and notes on small monsters.
'That.. Huh.'
"Yeah. Lots of new monsters ended up running out of the forest, runnin from something over the last few days. So lots of these are new. You wouldn't happen to know about that, would you?" Sammy raised an eyebrow and smiled a bit wider.
I waved my hands in front of myself. 'NO IDEA!' If I could have blushed I would have.
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--4494 words--
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Five Nights In Tensura?
FanfictionCharlie wakes up in a strange cave, with a new mask to wear.
