ic Amygdala

[Shofet]

GM

 

Ms. Johansen blinked, and her eyes glowed for a moment as she listened to Leroy speak. <"Executions? Um... No. No executions, sweetheart. Your mother is coming to take you trick or treating, like all the other boys and girls,"> she replied in English, her voice overlaid with a psychic hum of Atlantean that translated her. Then, she looked over at Dio. "Yes, Dio, you can see with Lulu," she said sunnily. "Now, both of you! Get your cute little butts in the circle." She seemed entirely unaware of Astrid's outburst, instead focused on the two boys.

 

She rose up from her crouching position, and walked over to Davyd. "That means you too, Mr. Man," she said, before leaning down. "You can finish your little construction project later." She wrapped her arms around him, and moved to try and hoist him up onto her hip.

Edited October 25, 2019 by Shofet

[Dr Archeville]

Lil' Davyd hadn't really had a plan when he'd started building.  He just liked playing with the colorful blocks, putting them in different combinations, seeing what could be made.  A shark with octopus legs?  A long cat with bird wings?  A flying saucer with bear arms?  And he wasn't bothering anyone while he did it, not drawing attention to himself, he was just doing his own thing.

 

Until he wasn't.  Until Ms. Johansen tried to pick him up.  Tried to take him away from his blocks, his creations.

 

His body shifted and flowed, turning into a crimson blob that slid out of the teacher's grasp and settled back onto the building blocks.  It wiggled a bit, noting the sensations of the blocks over and within its gelatinous form, and let out a tiny sound of pleasure that sounded more like farting putty.

[Cubismo]

"But!" Astrid began before clapping her mouth down into a frustrated grimace. Mia was right. Probably. None of them were in the right mode to be fighting even if Astrid desperately wanted to be. She hated this. Waiting and having to play coy when the baddie was just right there waiting for a righteous clobbering.   

 

Astrid tried to settle her battle fever by taking in another calming breath. It worked. Kind of. She was still angry as all Hel but she at least was confident that she wasn't going to lose it and try to start slamming Ms. I'm-Totally-That-Creepy-Witch-In-Disguise-Johansen with Porrklubba. Not that her warclub would be of much help. It had been turned into a worthless plastic toy cudgel that was embarrassing to even look at. 

 

Feeling like she finally calm enough talk again, Astrid turned to speak to Mia only to realize that she had teleported to Lulu's side. Astrid's brow rose in realization. So they at least still had their powers in this "room." Astrid turned her gaze to a heavy looking toy chest in the corner of the playroom as her face began to form a mischievous grin.

 

She mentally apologized to Mia as he started to crawl towards it. Maybe they could take to fight to Ms. I'm-Totally-That-Creepy-Witch-In-Disguise-Johansen after all...

 

 

[Shofet]

GM

 

The toy chest remained inviting as Astrid crossed the room. Once she got there, it showed no signs of being booby-trapped or anything else. Yet when she reached inside, the chest seemed to close at exactly at the right time to smash down on her tiny little fingers. While not heavy enough to do any sort of lasting damage, it definitely hurt. A lot.

 

Normally, it was the amount of pain that would make an adult curse for a minute or two, but something in Astrid's little body had been tripped. It was enough to cause a cascade of tears. 

Ms. Johansen looked up from the mess up goop that was Davyd at the right time, and immediately started racing over, knowing what was about to come next. 

[Cubismo]

Nope. She wasn't going to cry. The treasure chest crashing down on her fingers may have been excruciatingly painful, but Astrid wasn't going to allow her self to cry while in the admist of a hostile environment and hidden foes. Nope. Definitely not going to happen. She was way to strong of a warrioress to allow something that humiliating to happen to her. 

 

"Wwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"  Astrid's screams went on and on and on as the pain in her fingers seemed to travel up her arms and across her tiny body. She tried to mentally block out the pain but she found it possible to do that or even concentrate on anything that wasn't her agonizing red fingers. It was so bad that she didn't even mind when someone rushed to calm her. Anything was better than enduring the pain a moment longer. 

Edited October 26, 2019 by Cubismo

[Ari]

Leroy and Dio glanced at each other anxiously when Ava Johansen rushed to Astrid, but their contented attitude never wavered. With a happy giggle, the boy rolled across the floor in his stone swaddling clothes to the circle of other children. Awkwardly levitating upright, the deep rumble of his powers thrumming the air, he looked curiously around at the others.

 

<"Hello!"> he said brightly, his sunny face at stark odds with the pained wailing of Astrid in the background, <"Why are we in a circle?">

 

Flapping and scrabbling and hopping up the bookcase next to Louise, Dio glanced down nervously at Ava. Tail lashing furiously, the tiny wyrmling scurried closer, saying aloud "Hrg, R'luurulu, k'mon down to thssss, the serkel!" Eyes flicking back and forth, he whispered a word. 

 

The light in front of her eyes changed, filtering to reveal a simple, blunt message: 

 

'CAN YOU READ AVA'S MIND?'

[Electra]

Danica wasn't fast, but she was close, close enough that she managed to pick up the shrieking Astrid before Mrs. Johansen reached them. "Hey, what a bummer" she murmured sympathetically, "you got an ouch! Can I see?" She turned her body to place herself between small Astrid and the teacher. "I know it hurts," she whispered under the whimpering, "but try to concentrate a second. I think I need to get you guys out of here. I'm gonna take off my shell and put it in the corner here. Can you get the others to go into it?" Even as she spoke, she was wriggling free of her shell, a very odd looking motion as the otherwise rigid front plates shifted and moved to allow her to step out. Being free of the shell made holding children a lot easier, so it even made some sense. Louder, she went on "I think you'll be okay, you just need a good hug for quick healing!" 

 

She squeezed Astrid, intending just a quick performance to throw off the "teacher," but froze for a moment as the world took a sudden, dizzying shift. Danica nearly stumbled, but her grip on the little girl never faltered for a moment. "Quickly, baby," she encouraged in a whisper. "Into the shell, get Mia too."

 

Setting the girl down, Danica turned back to Mrs. Johansen, coincidentally stepping right into her path and blocking her way. "All good now!" she said with a bright, fake smile. "Circle time!" 

[Heritage]

Baby Lulu was a little mad at Mia for snatching her off the ceiling, but they were friendsies, so it was okay. However at the mention of Adam, her face scrunched up in thought. "Adam? He's not in our class, is he? He's in...Blue Squad..." Her eyes began to clear a bit as she blinked a few times. "How are we-" 

 

And then sweet Baby Dio humbled over, and Lulu almost gave in to childish fits of laughter until she saw the words.

 

- Oh! That's right! - The words suddenly appeared in Mia's and then Dio's head. Then the tiny telepath closed her and tried to peer in the teacher's mind A few seconds later, Lulu shook her head, and her 'voice' returned to both of them.

 

- As far as she thinks, she's the real deal. So either she's a victim caught up in it, too, or she's behind it, but rewrites her own brain to fit the story. Creepy either way! -

Edited October 27, 2019 by Heritage

[Cubismo]

Astrid didn't understand what her mother was talking about. Concentrate? She didn't even understand what that word meant. And she definitely couldn't make sense of her mother wanting them to leaving now. It wasn't pickup time for her and her sister Mia. Of course, that begged the question for why Mommy Dianca was here at Nicholson so much earlier than usual. Not that Astrid was in the right state of mind to think about such inconsistencies. She was still in pain and wanted nothing more than a hug from her turtle mom. 

 

Fortunately for her, Astrid did in fact get her hug, which made it all the more easier for her to be nicely slotted into Danica's shell without much fuss. The pain in her fingers was slowly but surely fading away and she was safe in her mother's oh so familiar turtle shell. Everything was fine and normal, no matter what the strange angry voice in her head was screaming to the contrary. 

[Shofet]

Soliton

 

"Oh thank God," Mia said as she hugged Lulu closely to her. "You're back."

 

Dio running over made her feel even better. So they weren't in the minority. That was good. Lulu's psychic powers were indispensable, and Dio had one of the greatest powers of all: common sense. Combined with her teleporting and Astrid's wanton violence, she figured they might just be able to fix things and get out of this dumb room and onto the next. The information that Ms. Johansen believed in all this was troubling, though. No matter.

 

"Kay, I got it," she said. "Lulu, you need to go snap Davyd out of it too. Dio, try and do the same with Leroy. I am gonna go get Danica and Astrid so we can make our plan. Okay? Okay. Go!"

 

She wasted no time in hustling over to Danica and Astrid, not even realizing what had just happened to them. Right now, she was just focused on succeeding.

 

"Hey! Okay, I got Lulu back to her senses and I am really sorry about your fingers, Astrid, but we need to rally here. Danica, you're still an adult so you are gonna hafta do a lot of the heavy lifting, here!"

[Shofet]

GM

 

Ms. Johansen sighed, rubbing her temples. The kids were cute, but they did not like to follow instructions. Which was mostly understandable, they hadn't been speaking full sentences for all that long, all things considered. Thankfully, Danica seemed to have at least one aspect under control. While she didn't want to capitulate, she realized that it was probably time to just go along with things.

 

Using her mental powers, she levitated the blocks up and out of Davyd's grasp, and up on top of the shelf where it would be difficult for him to reach. "I'm sorry, Davie, but it is time for the circle. Also, if you grow wings to fly up there, I will tell your mother. So, come on, it's time for the circle."

 

She moved towards the centre, taking a seat. "Alright, everybody! Today's Halloween, and I'm seeing some nice costumes! Your parents are going to be taking you out trick-or-treating tonight, but before then, I'd like to read everyone a story. How does that sound?" she said, as she pulled out a book. The more 'normal kids' rocked on their bottoms, looking excited. "It's about a square pumpkin!"

[Electra]

Danica blew out a relieved breath and stepped away from her shell. Astrid was safe in the shell, now she just needed the other ones in there too, the sooner the better. Her plan got fuzzy after that, but she'd think of something. Her brain moved a lot faster than her legs, fortunately. When Mia came over, Danica crouched down and put her hands on her tiny roommate's shoulders. "I'm going to take care of this, I promise," she murmured, just loud enough for Mia to hear. "I need you to be very brave right now and help me get the others into my shell. You'll all be safe there and I can get you out of here. Everything will be okay." 

[Ari]

<"Teacher, teacher!"> Unable to wave his arms, Leroy had to make do with vigorously rocking side to side, his chubby little face scrunched up in a serious look that Ava had learned to dread. 

 

<"Why do all the stories have to end the same way each time? Would it not help us better to experience uncertainty?"> He bounced in place, big golden eyes frowning a little <"Also...does the square pumpkin live happily ever after?">

 

This is bad Dio's inner voice was a lot shakier than his outside voice tended to be if there's a bigger enemy at work, able to just wipe and rewrite people, we can't afford to get separated or draw special attention. We have to maximize the chance our minds stay our own. I'll try to get me and Leroy into Ch-Dancia's shell-space, can you handle sidling to her by yourself, or do we need a group incident? I think I might be able to jump all three of us, but...landing in the domain of another god, that's risky stuff.

[Dr Archeville]

Lil' Davyd began stretching some pseudopods towards the blocks.  But when Ms. Johansen threatened to tell his mother, the 'pods drooped, some sad farting putty noises escaped him, and he slowly oozed towards The Circle.  Don't wanna make mama mad.  Gotta be a good boy.

 

He settled in next to Leroy and Dio, sliding a bit closer to the dragon.  He liked the way Dio's scales felt, dry and sharp, but not too sharp.  Not like the smooth skin everyone else had!  He slowly shifted from a crimson blob to a copy of Lil' Dio, though the talk of pumpkins distracted him, so he wound up becoming an orange and black Dio.  He rolled on his back and wallowed on the carpet a bit, then looked to their teacher.  "Msss. Johansssen, isss there dragonsss in the ssstory?"

[Cubismo]

One second Astrid's child mind was thinking about what treat Mother Danica would give her and Sister Mia, and in the next the Asgardian's mind was snapped back into reality. Well, perhaps not "reality," but she was definitely aware of where she was, and more importantly, who she truly was. "Hva i helvete?" Astrid whispered to herself in Danica's shell. Her was mind still buzzing in confusion, but it did not take her long to remember most of what had happened to her. When she did she was decidedly not pleased. 

 

Suddenly, a litany of Norwegian curses were quietly being muttered in Danica's shell. To anyone not familiar with the language, the noise would sound like the incomprehensible and rapid-fire babbling of an agitated child. For those who did though, they'd probably be taken aback (or perhaps impressed) by the almost lyrical way in which Astrid made her curses. 

 

After her tirade of curses and cries of vengeance were done, Astrid rushed out of Danica's shell, which was rather difficult given her her child form's lack of agility, but anger and outrage powered her through the task and soon a very angry Astrid was back on the kindergarten floor. She shoot Miss Johansen a furious glare but didn't make a move.  The Black House, the Witch or whatever malicious force behind everything they had been afflicted with didn't seem to responded well with Astrid's temper, and even the hotblooded Asgardian could tell that directly attacking its minions wasn't effective. 

 

Astrid turned her back to Miss Johanson and made her way to Lulu. "Lulu," she whispered. "Do you think you can read the House or something? There has to be something doing all of this and it has to have a mind. And if it has a mind than you can read it, right?" 

 

Astrid was totally speculating at this point. She didn't know whether her theory was even close to right or logical, and if she was being honest, she didn't really understand the limits or mechanics of Lulu's powers. But if hitting things wasn't an option than Astrid figured that someone with a different skillset was the answer, which made Lulu her best bet. 

[Shofet]

Soliton

 

Mia stared up at Danica in confusion. Why was she talking to her like she was actually a little kid? Still, the plan was sound enough. Danica's shell was a pocket dimension in and of itself, which meant it might mess with whatever this room was. If it was an illusion, it could break connection to their brains. If it wasn't, and was some sort of dimensional hocus pocus, then maybe going into Danica's own dimension would triumph over whatever the house was doing to them. If it didn't work... well, she didn't know what she would do.

 

"Okay," Mia said, sounding determined as she furrowed her little brow.

 

She turned to the others, and rushed over on her little legs, only to be caught by Ms. Johansen's mind powers. She pumped her little legs furiously, but she was soon sat down on her butt in the circle.

 

"Now, now," Ms. Johansen chided. "You can run around after story-time, okay?"

 

Mia sighed. "Fine, whatever," she said poutily, folding her arms. She really didn't want to have to stick around for the story-time. She had no real patience for whatever passed for toddler entertainment, and she wanted to get through this room and the rest as fast as possible. Alright, Lulu, if you can hear me, we've got a game plan. We gotta get into Danica's shell, she thought, hoping the telepath was listening. Then, a devilish thought occurred to her. She reached into her own pocket dimension, trying to grab the party punch she had stored earlier.

 

What she got was instead a cup with a lid and a straw on top of it. She frowned. "Aw, come on." There was a niggling part of her that suggested maybe this had broader implications, but right now she was too frustrated to care.

[Electra]

Danica surreptitiously motioned to Astrid, trying to encourage her back into the shell before she, too, got caught in the mind control web. Honestly Danica wasn't sure if being in a pocket dimension would provide protection against mental powers (and how did she know Mrs. Johansen was a psychic when she felt like she hadn't a few minutes ago? That was strange...) but it was the best idea she had. She absolutely needed to get Mia, but not while the teacher's attention was on her. Instead, she focused on Leroy. "Hey buddy, I see you squirming," she told him with quiet cheer, "let's hit the potty." 

 

Tugging him to his feet, she pulled him a little ways from the circle, out of the teacher's direct line of sight. "You guys need to get in my shell, all right?" she whispered. "Go all the way in, through the door, and close it behind you. The others will come soon." 

[Heritage]

There was a lot of weirdness going on, and Lulu was struggling to keep it all straight in her head; the one thing everyone seemed to agree on was the room was bad, and they should probably leave. One school of thought was that Daniac's shell might be safer than anywhere else, so the tiny redhead reached out a pudgy hand, grabbed Roly-Poly Pumpkin Davyd with her mind, and slid him across the floor towards the entrance of the extradimensional shell. Even as she did it, she felt oddly jealous, because the Slip N Slide style of movement looked awfully fun.

 

"In you go!"

 

   

[Ari]

<"Hullo, Ms. Black Turtle of the South!"> Leroy's cherubic little face peered up at Danica's own <"I do indeed need to relieve myself, how wise and courteous of you! When the Chimaera returns I will ask her to find a place for you in Stormbreach.">

 

The little bundle of rock-entombed toddler offered absolutely no resistance to the sudden change of venue, dropping without another word into the void of Chelone's divine mark.

 

Dio, seeing everyone else well in hand, began cautiously scuttling his way around the room for Danica. Tensing himself, the tiny dragon launched through the air, aiming to glide right into Danica's shell.

[Dr Archeville]

Lil' Dio!Davyd tried to cling to the carpet with his claws as soon as he felt the tug, but Lulu's mental powers -- even diminished by the House's transformations -- proved greater.  Tears started to well up in his eyes and his lower lip trembled -- his was so unfair!  He was just about to hear a story from Ms. Johansen!  But then he noticed the feeling of sliding around on his scales, the whoosh of wind about him, the rapid movement -- this was fun!

 

"Wheee!"

 

Once he crossed the threshold of Danica's shell, another feeling washed over him.  He remembered being in here before, many times, with the other kids, but he also remembered being here and being... bigger?  Older?  This was becoming a very confusing day.

[Cubismo]

Astrid noticed Danica's looks and returned them with a face of disbelief. Why the Hel would she go back into that shell after all she did to get out of it in the first place? The demigoddess figured that Danica was still under the control of the Black House's mind control, but reconsidered when she saw that everyone was getting in there as well. Maybe Danica had some plan that required them all bunkering up there as weird as that sounded? 

 

Danica flat out just telling her to get in the darn thing was the clincher, and even the though the idea still seemed mad to her, Astrid found herself  using her toddiefied version of Porrklubba to flying up into the turtle shell.