Magic 8 Ball

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Character Sheet

Origin Story

Edited December 1, 2023 by BitCook

[BitCook]

Magic 8 Ball Origin Story
Link to TOC

 

Sunday April 12th, 2020, Knightsbridge, United Kingdom

Vicki sat on the edge of her bed, feet dangling just above the floor, looking at the three outfits laying on her dresser.   All of them were nice, as was everything in her beautifully appointed bedroom.  All around her was classic Victorian era furniture all meticulously maintained and priceless.  Yet there were plenty of feminine touches in the 12 year old girl’s bedroom; from the Jonas Brothers posters to the festive pink and white wallpaper.

 

She tugged at the hem of the oversized night shirt she was wearing, debating on what to wear tomorrow.

 

‘It’s not every day you turn 13…` she thought to herself, locked in the eternal clothes debate.  

 

It was getting late, nearly midnight, not that her parents would care at all what their daughter was doing.  Her father was downtown London at a fundraiser and her mother was with some socialites.  If it wasn’t for her Nanny, she would have had nearly an unfettered run of their large and lavish Knightsbridge home.  Well… other than four or five maids and cooks who were likely already in bed.

 

Tomorrow, on her birthday she was going to Le Gavroche, one of London’s most prestigious restaurants.  It would be the first time she had seen her parents in over a week and she wanted to look her best.  Besides, some of London’s other socialites would be there and it never hurt to try and make a good impression.  She never wanted to be the laughingstock of London’s Elite, but fate rarely gave people what they wanted.

This would be a good chance to be seen and perhaps make up for some of her ‘childish’ issues.  Of course, what all of those judgmental girls and families didn’t know was that Vicki’s tendencies to talk to imaginary people and hallucinate things which weren’t there was not some undiagnosed schizophrenic condition, but rather the gift, or curse depending on your viewpoint, of second sight.  

 

It was something that she had since her ill timed birth on Friday the 13th.  This gift granted her unbidden visions of things which were and things which had yet to be.  Of course, they came at the worst times.  Of course, she had a hard time discerning that reality had shifted around her so while she was interacting with the visions, everyone else saw her talking to nothing.  While it might have made cosmic sense… tween Vicki hated every moment of it.

 

So this choice of outfit.  It had to be perfect.  To be accepted and to make her parents proud, that would be a huge weight off her shoulders.  Normally, things like brands and the latest fashion didn’t really matter to the young girl, but it had been impressed on her that this was a chance to make a new impression.  This dinner would open social doors and peel back years of negative social interactions with her peers.  At least according to her parents and the few friends that weren’t just friends with her out of sympathy for the crazy girl.

 

Her reverie was interrupted by a gong sound which echoed through the palatial home.  Someone was at the door, which at this hour could not be a good thing.  It was nearly midnight!  However, she only gave it a moment’s thought.  The guards and staff would take care of it, which left her to ruminate over her decision further.

 

She was deep in thought and scanning her phone for the latest styles when there was a knock on the door.

“Miss Adams?” came the voice of Alice, her nanny, breaking her out of her deep contemplation.

She made sure that she was decent, which, her oversized night shirt, which came down to mid thigh did a reasonable job of, before replying, “yes?”

 

“There was a package left for you at the door.”

Well that was strange, “a package?”

“Yes Miss, would you like me to bring it in?  The note on it was very specific.  It was a birthday present for you and only to be opened by you.  Although security did a scan and verified that it had no chemical or biological threats.  I’m sorry, they were quite insistent,” Alice replied through the closed door.

“Yes please.  I’m sorry, you just surprised me,” she said.

 

As the door opened, a woman in her early thirties, fit, attractive, and completely professional, walked in.  Even at midnight, she still looked like she had just spent several hours getting ready for the day, which was a skill that Vicki envied.  The tall leggy blonde woman held a small present, ornately wrapped with colorful paper and beautiful ribbon and bows, in her hands.

“Happy birthday Miss Adams,” Alice said as she handed the small gift over.  “It appears you have an anonymous admirer.  They rang and left the gift at the door.  Strangely enough, security did not catch it on camera, although every scan of the gift has returned that it is benign.”

Then she winked at Vick and gave her a small smile, “so should we be expecting a young gentleman calling with more frequency now that you are officially a teen?”

 

Vicki giggled and blushed, taking the offered gift with a smile, “no!  Or if there is, I certainly don’t know about them.”

 

“Also, you should wear the maxi from Free People,” Alice said, nodding to one of the dresses Vicki had been contemplating.  “It’s trendy, stylish and something your parents will approve of.”

Of course.  The answer had been staring right at her and Alice’s simple explanation made her hours of deliberation seem silly.  She sighed before looking over to her Nanny, really more mother than her own parents, “thanks Alice.”

“You’re very welcome young lady.  Now are you going to open that up or not?  I am still betting on it being a profession of love and request for courtship from a gentleman.”
 

Vicki laughed, folding her legs underneath her and scooting to the side so her nanny could sit on the bed with her.  Alice gracefully sat down, and waited as Vicki started to pick at the beautiful wrapping.

“It certainly is pretty,” Vicki said as she carefully undid the gilded ribbon.

 

Alice nodded in agreement as stunning paper came off revealing a very carefully made wooden box.  There was no visible way to open it and the polished sides revealed nothing of what might be inside.

 

“Huh… do you think that it’s just a very cleverly made box?” Vicki asked, turning it around in her hands.

“No,” Alice said tilting her head in curiosity, “I don’t… although I can’t say that I can fathom a purpose for it either.”

“Oh well,” Vicki said with a smile, “at least someone remembered my birthday, so that’s ni…”

 

The words died in her throat as the box suddenly started to open.  Perhaps she had touched something, or solved whatever enigmatic puzzle the plain wooden structure had concealed.  But a panel slid open revealing the oddest thing; a plain, cheap looking plastic Hasbro Magic 8 Ball.  While she had some various cheap toys, most of the things which graced the Adam's home were artisan products and certainly not the sort of cheap manufactured things often gracing the shelves of Tesco.  Of course, Vicki did immediately wonder if someone had recognized that she had visions and was taunting her.

Vicki looked at it, then to Alice, who simply shrugged that she had no input on the situation. 

“Well… I mean, strange and confusing, but never look a gift horse in the mouth, right?” she asked, pulling out the toy.  “What should I ask it?”

 

Alice crossed one of her long legs over the other, then tapped her chin before saying, “ask it if you will find happiness and longevity.”

Vicki giggled, “that’s a good start.  Well ball, will I find happiness and longevity?”

She shook the plastic toy which took a second before the cheap plastic widget in the liquid revealed its disappointing answer, “outlook uncertain, ask again later.”

“Well that was disappointing, but she still smiled before asking, “okay… am I due for an adventure?”

She shook the toy again, waiting patiently for its simple answers.  As the widget pressed against the glass, Vicki felt a little chill, “Yes.”

Alice grinned, “well that’s exciting.  Even if it’s strange, whoever gave that to you apparently wanted you to have a little bit of a laugh.  Anyway, get some sleep, tomor… no, today will be a big day.  Would you like anything before I leave Miss Adams?”

“No thank you Alice, have a good night.”

Monday April 13th, 2020, London, United Kingdom

Vicki fidgeted in the seat of the Bentley, although it was not due to the beautiful dress that Alice had suggested she wear.  Instead, it was the strange morning which had placed the 13 year old girl into a state of near panic.

 

It had first been a series of strange events; her visions, of which she had a very prolonged and confusing one.  Then while taking a shower, she found after dropping the soap, that it had floated back to her hand.  But worst was that whatever that stupid 8 Ball was, no matter what she did, the thing insisted on being close to her.

Which, for a toy, was seriously freaky behavior.

Alice had dutifully locked it in a closet, and yet, a few minutes later, it had shown up next to her on a table.  Even now, it was hidden in her handbag, which was just the strangest thing.  However, as long as it stayed with or near her, the thing didn’t seem to have any adverse effects.

“So,” her father asked, “you seem nervous.  I know a night at Le Gavroche is a bit nerve wracking, but you’ll do well.  I haven’t paid for all those years of private school for you to fail at social events.  Had this been a couple of hundred years ago, you would have had a coming of age event at court where you would have been presented to the nobility.”

“Wonderful dad,” Vicki said with a resigned sigh.

 

“Dear, don’t make her more nervous than she already is.  We wouldn’t want one of her episodes to come on, now would we?”

 

“Fine, fine.  Just trying to make small talk with my daughter,” her stepfather replied.

 

Vicki remained quiet, acutely aware of the ball in her purse and not wanting to ruin the evening, knowing how important it was.

 

As the car stopped, a valet opened the door and helped her out of the beautifully appointed car.

 

“Welcome to La Gavroche Miss Adams,” he said without missing a beat before helping out her mother and stepfather.  “Mr. Adams, your table is already prepared.  It’s very good to see you again.”

 

“Yes, of course,” Robert replied as the family walked into one of Britain’s finest restaurants. 
 

Inside, the intimate but richly decorated restaurant was filled with a few dozen of London’s who’s who.  There was a pause in the conversation as patrons assessed the newcomers and recognized the popular right wing firebrand Member of Parliament, went back to their food and conversations.

That is other than the half dozen or so girls of Vicki’s age who were scattered throughout the eatery.  She could feel their eyes judging the clothes she wore, her hair, the way she walked and everything.  While she personally didn’t care that much, she didn’t want to disappoint her father and if she were being honest, it really would be nice to be accepted.

 

After sitting down at their table without incident, Mr and Mrs Adams went about talking about their social events from the prior night; the discussion more akin to a general determining how to deploy troops than any discussion of the events themselves.  It was all about advantages and who could be counted on for social or political favor.  Vicki hated it.

 

So she wasn’t paying very much attention when a poised and beautiful girl stepped up to their table, “Vicki, it’s good to see you.  It’s been a while… what… oh, since your last episode.  I hope your treatment is going well.”

Vicki turned to see Abigail Cadogan, the daughter of the Earl of the same name.  She was a social climber and had been at Vicki’s last school.  She was measuring Vicki again, of that there was no doubt.

“It’s wonderful to see you Abigail.  There was no treatment, but I am doing well thank you,” Vicki said politely, trying not to engage the girl as per her fathers extensive orders.

 

“No?  We were all sure you were heading that way.  Well I hope that life in Westminster School isn’t on par with Benedictine order that founded it,” she said with a trilling laugh.

 

Vicki did not rise to the bait, “no no, but I do love the grounds and it’s so perfectly situated to be around London.”

 

Out of the corner of her eye, Vicki could tell her stepfather was listening to every word and every hidden slight and insult.

 

“Well that’s true.  You should take advantage of that sometime.  We so rarely see you at any of London’s events,” Abigail replied.  “Still I suppose you have all of your imaginary friends, so it can’t be that lonely.”

The last comment hurt.  It was also a statement which basically said, ‘you will never be accepted as one of us’.  The night was already a failure.

She felt a buzzing coming from her handbag and dared not look down at it.

“Perhaps I will,” Vicki replied, trying to recover any sense of dignity.  “I understand that Bethany has a party coming up next week.”

 

Abigail looked at her for a moment, assessing the conversational calculus like a master tactician reviewing their troops, “you heard about Bethany’s party?”

Vicki nodded, “she invited me to come along.”

There was another pause as the nasty socialite assessed this piece of information.  All the while the sensation coming from her handbag started to actually get physically uncomfortable.  

 

“Oh, that’s very nice of her.  I didn’t know the two of you were friends.  Bethany’s parties are the best aren’t they?  Naturally, we had talked in depth about the guest list.  She trusts me with everything and of course I had to push for your inclusion.  I’m glad she saw my way of thinking.”

That was a bald faced lie and Vicki knew it.  Just as she could read the mixture of shock and envy which boiled off the pretty girl who had been taunting her moments before.  Between her unbidden reading of Abigail's mind and the compulsion coming from her handbag, she was nearly physically ill.

 

“That was so nice of you,” Vicki graciously replied.  “I’ll have to thank you properly some time in the future.  Perhaps I could take you for Italian Ice or something?”

Abigail nodded, appearing mollified that Vicki had not thrown the lie back in her face.  Yet the negative emotions sliced off the socialite like sewage water; jealousy, anger, contempt along with the clear intention of doing something ill.  Never before had Vicki been able to read emotions so clearly.  She would have been surprised if she wasn’t fighting the burning push to do something.

“Well I will leave you with your family, it’s lovely to see you out in public again, I hope that’s not as short lived as your stay at King’s College,” Abigail said, turning to leave.

 

Then it snapped.  That sensation and need to do something.  Vicki’s mind surged and she could practically feel everything in the restaurant.  It was then that she noticed Abigail was sticking her foot just in the path of the waiter walking by, the intention clear to have them trip and spill the contents of their dish all over Vicki.

 

Noticing and doing something though were two different things.  The waiter, not looking down, tripped on Abigail’s Prada pumps and started to pitch forward.  Time seemed to slow as Vicki saw him falling forward towards her.

 

Her mind pushed instinctively, there was a warm glowing sensation from her handbag and for the briefest second, she was holding the waiter, his tray, and every item on it with her mind.  A gentle nudge and both he and his meals were back upright and in place.  The waiter blinked in surprise, paused just a second in shock, but shook his head and continued on his mission.

Abigail looked puzzled and irritated.  However, she knew better than to make any scene over her failed sabotage.  Without another word, she turned back to her table and strode away.

 

As suddenly as it came on, the strange feeling vanished.  However, Vicki’s knowledge of what happened did not.  She had prevented that catastrophe with her mind and her parents had not even noticed.  Something had changed for sure, and Vicki knew that she would never be the same again.

 

While she had always had strange visions and intuition, never had they been so clear… nor had she ever had any ability to do anything about it.  Now, apparently she did and it would take some thought as to what she should do with this new found gift.