ic The Magic of Reading (IC)

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There is nothing quite like a good book. A good story, with well developed characters and an enticing premise. You learn to love and relate to the protagonist and learn to hate and despise the villain. Yes, there isn't anything quite like a good book and many people can easily find themselves lost in the world of the pages. Sometimes though a good book is too hard to put down... Calling @Zeitgeist Blue and @Exaccus

Edited January 24, 2018 by Vorik

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It looked to be like today would be a relaxing day for Alexander Lloydd otherwise known as Facsimile. Not much trouble was happening and the trouble that was happening was already covered by a dozen heroes over. It looks like this would be one of those rarer moments of a hero's life where he could just relax. Before he could get around to thinking on how best to spend his day off there was a loud knock on his bedroom door followed by 3 rapid fire knocks.

[Exaccus]

Free time had often proved to be when he was most busy, not having any prior engagements was something of an invitation for his friends, family and neighbours to ask after him in pursuit of small favors of chores they needed doing but didn't have the time to personally see too and whilst he might grumble under his breath about it he was usually honestly happy to help.

 

For now however he was relaxing, lying on his back ontop of his bed and looking at the various bits and pieces he'd decorated his room with, posters of heroes he admired, bands he liked and banners of claremonts various sports teams covering what wall wasn't occupied with shelves laden with trinkets, some were innocent enough, knick knacks and souvineers from his travels out of state, others were very minor trophies he'd taken from his extra-curricular activities.

 

So the knocking came as no suprise to him when the knocking came....well a knocking on his door, from the sound of it it was important "Hey, gimme a sec ill be right with you....cait i think!" he yelled back at his unannounced visitor swinging his legs over the side of his bed and jumping to his feet, and walking across his room to the door, eager to see if he'd guessed right as he was curious about what they might want.

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Even with your request for patience as he made his way over he in turn heard 2 more rapid fire knocks. Opening the door showed that it wasn't Cait but actually your younger brother Richard who was sporting a rather large grin while hiding something behind his back. You have the sneaking suspicion that this isn't going to be good. 

 

"Bro, you are never going to guess what I just got! I stumbled upon a cool shop downtown and they sold me this." *He  reveals a purple tome with ridged edges with signs of water damage along the bottom frame. The title is in bold golden letters that seem to constantly shimmer reading "Avalon". He shakes the book excitedly in your face. "Now I can be cool too, just like you! Once I learn a few spells I can go out with you. Isn't that great?"

[Exaccus]

"oh sweet looking book." Alex began before richard flew off on the tangent about spells and super heroics and weird shops down town, his first instincts were to warn his brother against using such a book from an unreputable source, he should've taken it right there and then.

 

He Did not, he allowed his weakness to win over him, he wanted to mend the rift that his powers had created between them and so he simply smiled and nodded "Sure! just like be careful yeah? Magic is some tricky business, make sure you read the whole thing first, cause from what i've been told, they put the warnings after the spells." he says humourlessly "and it always has a price" he adds a vain attempt to assuage the feelings of guilt rising in his chest.

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He gives a smile at your approval. "Oh don't worry, no silly magic can fool me! Soon I will be even better than you at being a superhero, just wait and see once I start shooting fireballs and lighting." At this he mimics shooting fireballs and lighting while making explosion sounds. "I can't wait to open this baby up! I think my hero name will be Mister Amazing. And with that he rushes out going down the hall closing his door. You still can't shake this bad feeling you have from when you looked at the tome. Something about it just seems...off. As you consider this you hear a loud warp sound as the house creaks and moans. Thankfully your parents and sister are all out shopping to avoid this whole thing.

[Exaccus]

Wasting no time at all facsimile belts down the hallways to check on richard, face pale with worry and regret even as his hand slips to his ever trusty belt buckle  and his flesh and blood body disappears into shining silver steel "Yo Rick! you ok? he asks as he nervously peers out of the landing window, confirming his surroundings was as important as checking on the people in a potentially hazardous situation.

 

Gosh darn magic!

 

He doesn't give Richard much time to answer before guilt propels him into the room to check up on him physically

Edited January 25, 2018 by Exaccus

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The door is forced in letting out a stressed groan as its frame is warped. Inside looks like it was hit by a tornado with school books and paper scattered everywhere. There is no sign of your brother but you do find the book sitting on his desk...You feel drawn to it.

[Exaccus]

"aah....damn it." he says to himself as he looks around the room, barely aware of his feet moving as he closes towards the book and runs his fingers over the cover a little bit, looking down at the book with suspicion he hesitates only for the briefest fraction of a second before opening the book and bracing for whatever might happen next

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The world around you fades as you are blinded by a violet light that overtakes all your senses. For a few brief seconds you feel weightless and can sense and feel nothing before it slowly fades revealing that you are no longer in your house but instead on a mound of hay in what looks like a small village of sorts. The houses are made up of stone masonry with straw roofing. The smell of toiled earth and ripe vegetables fill the air. Off in the distance you can hear the sounds of footfalls and people chattering as they go about their daily routine however you don't see anyone from your mound. It takes a few moments for you to regain control of your body.

[Exaccus]

"uwoooogh" alex groans a little bit, flat on his back in the haypile, still made of steel even if it felt more like lead now as he felt his control returning he opted to drop his steel form and return to flesh and blood before climbing out of the haystack, both to avoid alarming anyone and to make his returned mobility a little bit easier on him.

 

Quietly creeping towards the nearest exit and attempting to peer around the doorway and out at the world beyond.

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You deftly move about. Peaking around the doorway you see what looks to be your typical peasants with this cloth brown tunics milling about what looks like a market carrying various produce. Stall merchants work at a somewhat hurried pace serving trays of cooked bread and meat. You cant seem to shake how this reminds you of some sort of story but you have trouble thinking on it. As you continue scoping out the market you hear a loud voice come from the sky! 

 

"And so our tale begins with the Hero setting out on his quest to save his lost brother. Not being sure where they are and having only the clothes on their back they find themselves hard pressed of what do to but being the hero they are they proceed on regardless of the challenges in front of them." The voice sounded liked what you'd expect from an old timey British gentleman you'd have a cup of tea with.

[Exaccus]

"Uuuh..." he says aloud to himself as he pulls himself away from his hiding place and regards the picturesque peasents going about their day to day life, if this was a book and he was in it maybe they'd just act as the book dictated and not get all freaked out and angry about his futuristic thunder-monkey ideas and outlooks.

 

Emerging fully from the stable and out into the dirt roads of the community he found himself in, first thing you usually did in something like this is head to the tavern to ask about rumours right? seemed a fair guess to him at least, but finding the tavern might be something of a challenge.

 

Approaching one of the street vendors with a friendly smile and feigned intrest in the wares he asks after a few prices and after a bit of umming and ahhing, the occasional thoughtful nod of his head as the merchant attempts to sell him such things he asks a more direct question "On that note, I don't suppose you could help me? I am not from these parts and i am looking for my brother who came ahead of me have you seen anyone dressed similarly to myself? somewhat younger and all that entails, if not, do you know who might know?"

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The merchant looks momentarily confused that you'd think of something other than all his amazing wares. "Hrnn,  A boy you say? Well there are plenty of children running amok over by the church. The pastor keeps them outta trouble he does. Beyond that though I don't recall any boy outta the ordinary running around these parts." The merchant eyes slightly narrow as his posture becomes more straight as he folds his arms. "I think its best you get going and leave me to sell my wares."

[Exaccus]

"Right you are boss." he says, giving a small salute and wandering off in the direction indicated, if nothing else the pastor would be another source of free information or possibly some kind of lead in the books story, if the book followed some kind of internal logic, it was all guess work but for now it was better than the alternative; Doing nothing.

 

Gonna have to convince Richard to let me take care of this thing....Magic is super weird.

 

Humming unassumingly as he walks and casually glancing around, both familiarizing himself with his environment and looking for signs of Richard's,  more than likely, less than subtle passing through.

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"The clever hero using his clever words managed to convince the townsfolk to point him to his next clue." The thunderous Brit said.

 

The church sits on top of a hill covered in bright green grass.  A cow happily moo's at you as it grazes. Reaching the cobblestone pathway leading towards the church you see that it has stone masonry looking more like a miniature castle than a church. There is a bell tower rising from the top casting an ominous shadow over the hill. Getting closer to the large wooden door you hear the sound of an elderly man preaching the gospel to a bunch of wide eyed kiddies.

 

"And so the Great Sorcerer slew the foul dragon and became our king, using its dragon hoard to build your very homes! Do remember children that everything you have is due to the Great  Sorcerer." Thats all you manage to understand through the door before the Pastor's voice is drowned out by various children making noises of confirmation.

[Exaccus]

Oh great, a fantasy banana republic....better watch my clever words or they'll really make me smart.

 

Waiting for a few moments before opening the doors and wandering into the church  with a smile on his face as he announces himself "Good day, Father, Im sorry to interrupt but i wondered if i might speak with you? I was sent your way by one of the local merchants." he begins, taking a seat on a nearby unoccupied pew.

 

"Forgive me, i've been walking for quite some time....as you might've guessed im not from around here." he says with a simple smile "I wish i could say my journey was for pleasent reasons but in truth i am looking for my brother, he went missing some time ago from our homeland and i have followed in his trail, a trail which grows cold in your beautiful homeland." on that he was sincere, the place was picturesque by design.

 

"I don't suppose you may have seen or heard of a man, slightly younger than myself appearing quite suddenly, as if from nowhere? powerful magic it was that whisked him away from our home."

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The Pastor waves his hands in a shooing display releasing the kids to go about their business. He gives you one long stare before finally giving a half smile and sitting down in a neighboring pew with a long sign. He looks to be in his mid 50's with the classic fyre hairstyle exposing his scalp.  Sporting a 3 day old beard and sunken eyes he looks more than haggard.

 

"Sorry to hear that my son. Its hard to lose family, even more so to lose a brother...Sadly I'm afraid I havn't heard anything about a boy recently but there was this girl who appeared a day or two ago. Poor lass seemed confused about where she was and seemed to be spouting witchcraft on things like "Electricity" and "Cell Phones". She seemed to think nothing here was real...Poor girl. I'm afraid if your brother did show up here they would of attracted unwanted attention most likely. Not sure how much you know about this land but this sadly isn't a good place for a boy to be alone in. He has most likely been captured by the Great Sorcerer and his Black Guard. If that's the case then I'm sorry to tell you he is already lost. I've lost plenty a child to the Black Guard recruitment drives never to see them again. I only hope they are alright. Its best if you go back to where you came from my child." 

 

The Pastor looks at you with an expression of crestfallen as he places a unsteady hand on your shoulder giving a light squeeze. Outside you can hear the kids laughing as they play a game of Knights and Dragons.

[Exaccus]

He feels a pang of sympathy for the pastor as he relates his tale, looking tired and exhausted, spirit broken by the harshness of his reality, feeling a bit bad honestly for dismissing these people are simple constructs of a magical book intended to mess with its readers and whilst this might still be the case he should've erred on the side of empathy for thinking, feeling beings.

 

"I see, it is unfortunate that such times are upon us." he sighs sadly "Though i am rather intrigued by his young woman you mentioned, would you happen to know where i might find her father?" he asked hopeful that someone from the outside might be able to help him discover what had become of his brother, though he felt like he already knew.

 

"I cannot give up on my brother, not untill i am certain of his fate." he says, as much to himself as the pastor "and i feel like so many travellers being in one place at the same time is the workings of a greater power than our own, the stirrings of fate perhaps."

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"Perhaps fate is casting its hand but only God knows." He gives a soft smile. "Last I've heard about the girl was that she was asking about windmills and watermills all the while mentioning "Electricity" like it had something to do with them. There is only 1 granary nearby that's on the outskirts of town. Not sure if she would be there or is even still around the village. It has been a few days. I wish you the best of luck on finding your brother. Pray you don't have to deal with the Black Guards. Blessings upon you."

 

He gives a slight bow of the head before giving you one last long look and departing outside to gather the children. You feel something strange going on but you cant seem to figure it out. Nothing seems out of the ordinary from what you seem but you just have this feeling something is different. 

 

"And so the compassionate hero ventured forth on the knowledge of the Old Holy-man. Little did he know time was of the essence if he was to meet this mysterious girl!"

Edited January 28, 2018 by Vorik

[Exaccus]

"thanks." he whisphered to the preist and the voice that had made him aware of the time limit as he made his way out of the church and towards the grannary at a light pace, touching his hand once more to his belt buckle and putting the increased speed of springy steel legs to work, hurtling across the countryside at his top speed, the too bright, too happy world around him seeming to have infected him a little was worrying but he was certain their was little he could do about it other than try to resolve things before it could have adverse effects on him.

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As you barrel down the countryside farmers toiling their fields look in confusion and shock at the sight of seeing a metal man moving faster than a horse. Some kiddies give off shocks of excitement shouting "Hero, look Ma a Hero!" As you get further from the fairytale esque village the world seems to fade on contrast a bit and for the first time you see grey clouds. and a slight shiver from the winds.

 

As you cross the horizon you lay sights on the Windmill. A old worn out building with some of the roofing missing and one of the arms of the fan broken off from disrepair. You notice ropes running around the building as the fan spins at a adequate pace.  There doesn't seem to be any sight of her outside.

Edited January 28, 2018 by Vorik

[Exaccus]

its always pleasing to hear people calling him a hero, even if he doesn't particularly deserve it right now, having let his brother fall into a magical book trap for selfish reasons of trying to mend their strained relationship by letting him come into some form of mystic powers to assuage the jealousy his brother felt and the guilt that such made him feel.

 

Examining the windmill he humms softly in pondering as he looks at the ropes surrounding the structure, he pondered what he should do next only briefly, if there was another person from the outside here then they would either be someone who could help him or someone who needed his help.

 

it was a simple thing really, once more taking to his top speeds and dashing through the fields on his towards the windmill, he loved the feeling of momentum and acceleration his steel body gave him when he ran full out like this. heavy footfalls smashing into the earth beneath him

 

There was of course no need to go breaking down the door just yet and he opted to instead knock gently upon its frame, the building didn't appear to be in the best condition as it was but he was fairly certain he wouldn't knock it down unintentionally.

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Salvo after her days of work has managed to reinvent  electricity and only a few hours ago has started the long process of recharging her phone. Feeling content with her achievement despite the lack of tools and the fact that the Brit hasn't harassed her with "And so the Heroine laid about doing seemingly nothing while the Great Sorcerer plotted..." in a few hours helped her mood as well. Hearing loud footsteps outside she saw the approach of what looked like a metal man with his steely eyes focused right on her windmill! With a knock on her door she thought about what to do.

[Zeitgeist Blue]

This was odd but Nicole was used to odd. From the very existence of this world, to the cliches written under every fairy-tale tree branch and prancing knight, to that disembodied voice in her head narrating her every step. Well, it wasn't just nothing, she wanted to say while preening from the capital 'H' title bestowed on her. The proper functioning of her phone was very important to her well-being. Thank you very much.

 

She wanted to say, or think, but there was little indication it reached the voice.

 

It was nothing like conversing with her dad inside her armor.

 

She stood up, now used to the feeling of her legs after a few days, pulling at the hem of her dress-shirt and climbed down the wooden stairs to the ground floor almost daintily. She was turning into a princess. That was a thing apparently. Light makeup and fingers manicured. Turning shorter and slimmer. Her eyes regaining perfect vision, she did not need her glasses to see well anymore. Her shirt turned into a blouse then lengthening to just above her knees like a summer dress.

 

There was a branch sitting by the door and she took it, holding it behind her back as she turned the doorknob.

 

She didn't need the distraction. Not know.

 

"What is it?"