Skip Navigation
Fratricide
▲
"High-schoolers paint color into their hair, elementary-schoolers paint mud onto their faces." |
Scientific Witchery Kaleidoscope
|
Post by Kaeru on Feb 25, 2016 21:04:24 GMT -5
Lockwood pocketed the small charm inside his suit pocket and tapped it in place, followed by the lich breathing in the fresh air. "Well lad, anyone with the knowledge to raise undead monsters such as this fellow here, are hard to come by in this day and age," he adjusted his hat as he stared at the fire with a plain look, pondering in thought as the continued, "Either this beast came by chance, or someone must really want your head on a platter, a very crummy one at that." He floated away from the fire, twitching only slightly, he coughed again for a few more times with the coughs being light this time.
Thoughts of potential necromancers that might be still living out in the world were listed in Lockwood's mind. If anything, they might of discovered Lockwood's revival into lichdom, as he was a proclaimed professional in his heyday. He wouldn't be surprised if he had any fans in the underground necromancy world, and if that's the case, then is this possibly a scout? Testing the waters? No, Lockwood rejected the idea. If they had found out, they wouldn't take any risks of letting him know, unless they it was a scout, but if so, then they wouldn't send such a half ass charm, it would be insulting if they did, and Lockwood didn't like that. So either it must be one Lockwood has never heard about, and a newly established one at that, and if so, then he need more information to go on; Lockwood will not stand for such intrusion to this fine academy!
With that, Lockwood turned around and saw Miller, which then sparked new thought processes. What if this boy is attracting their attention? He did seem like someone who might make some enemies, even if he's... seemingly gentle enough besides the giant blade attached to his limb, and from the faces he's making and all the mumbling he's been indulging with himself. There may be more to the student then Lockwood previously thought. Interest was starting to culminate his head, and when Miller asked about his blade, Lockwood took his time admiring the object.
"Oooh, your arm? What about your arm? It's yours, is it not? Keep it around, you may never know if more of these things may pop up somewhere when you least expect it!" Lockwood exclaimed loudly, followed by some more slight coughs. In truth, Miller was now in Lockwood's slights, if only with a leg in. Now, Lockwood wants to see how this boy will do in the future, he may have a new source of entertainment from now on. "If you were planning to get rid of this wonderful sculpture, then you, my lad, are silly, foolish, and maybe a little selfish-ish," Lockwood floats aimlessly for a little bit, "So what if others think other wise, we're all freaks in this here little island, if you couldn't tell already," he looked down at the empty air between him and the ground, he chuckled.
|
|
|
Post by Redgrim on Feb 26, 2016 13:41:18 GMT -5
Miller cringed heavily as the man suggested that the demonic beast was targeting down him. It seemed unlikely since the creature clearly had its sights on Lockwood and didn’t chase after the bladed man when he steered off for the staff. That didn’t quell Miller’s suspicions though since he was inclined to believe the teacher. There were too many enemies of his to count and he’d be foolish to think that this was a coincidental incident.
That being said though, who of his enemies would have done it? The scientists merely wished to capture Miller, or that’s as far as he knew, they wouldn’t send a being like that to tear him to shreds, not to mention he had a hard time wrapping his head around his creators making deals with necromancers. They weren’t the kind to get involved with the gifted community to begin with. The mistress? Again unlikely since her goals would be similar to the scientists, wanting to use him as a weapon, killing him wouldn’t get her anywhere. As he thought on that subject though, his mind pondered on the possibility of it being a student that might’ve done it. Lockwood said it was the work of an amateur. Perhaps during that whole indoctrinated arena arc he murdered someone’s sibling and he was back for revenge? It made the most sense. That was just what Miller needed, more enemies.
‘Preposterous, there’s a necromancer standing right in front of you. We don’t know any others. He could’ve set this all up himself to fool you into trusting him, even now he’s making you believe that someone’s out there to get us. He summoned the beast and used an amateur charm so that it couldn’t be traced back to him. Why trust anything he says?’ Miller again brushed off the harsh words of his inner voice, attempting to steer clear of their influence, but overall he couldn’t deny anything he spoke.
Miller decided to play off his own hunch, rather than the one provided by his other self. “Would you know if there were any students within the school with such abilities? If so, do you know if any of them were involved in the… farm incident?” he questioned rather meekly, the thought of that criminally organized blood bath still haunting him like it happened yesterday.
It was that very event that caused a stir in him and was the leading issue that brought him out to the meadows in the first place. The very reason he sought to chop his own arm off. Lockwood advised otherwise, which Miller had a sneaking suspicion that he might. He didn’t give the reason he thought the teacher would though. From anyone else, he would’ve expected to hear something along the lines of speaking professional help in order to surgically remove it in a clean procedure, which Miller would not find favourable in the slightest. If he could avoid being put in a hospital bed or lab slab he would.
No, Lockwood promoted his arm anomaly as though it was an unfortunate birthmark or other such physical deformity. Like it was something he should be proud of. He was slightly taken aback by the praise of it, not quite having the same appeal to it as the teacher clearly had. He peered down at the sharp construct on his arm, but still he couldn’t see it as anything other than a deadly weapon mashed onto his arm. “My issues aren’t solely on appearance. I always have to watch where I’m going, be cautious of where it is at all times. Some people see it as a challenge and want to fight me, others use mental manipulation in order to use it against their enemies… Sometimes against themselves… I don’t feel safe with it attached to my body” he retorted in a tone that clearly displayed how unsure he was. He was inclined to agree with his superior, but there was too much abuse tied to his blade that he couldn’t just overlook. In fact, in most of the situations he was put within, had he not had his blade there wouldn’t have been any conflict to begin with. That being said though, it saved his life more times than he could count, even outside of just straight up combat.
|
|
▲
"High-schoolers paint color into their hair, elementary-schoolers paint mud onto their faces." |
Scientific Witchery Kaleidoscope
|
Post by Kaeru on Feb 29, 2016 16:58:23 GMT -5
"I don't believe there is anyone on this island that knows any sort of Necromancy, I would've known by now, I keep check on all the bodies I litter all over the place," Lockwood froze, trying to remember if he had missed any places where he stashes his bodies for his pursuits. They are mostly hard to find, usually away from common treading areas in the forest. Even so, certain safeguards that Lockwood placed around the stashes would've alerted him. But no, so either the enemy is well-hidden on the island, or the beast was sent here almost instantly, maybe by some box or shot off from a ship. Whatever the reason, it was an outside source, Lockwood was completely sure about that. "I wouldn't worry about that... incident, I already cleaned the place, by myself." Lockwood playfully winked, he didn't take the bodies mind you... well, not ALL the bodies.
"In any rate, I'll have to track down this charm's owner. It will take a while, but I assure you, I will not tolerate this kind of attack on this academy! Mark my word!" Lockwood shook his fist in the air, making the air know of his determination, but all it did was wobble the lich from side-to-side. He tapped the ground with his staff, and the skeleton carcass of the Spinebitter slowly sunk down back into the dirt. "About your bladed arm, I understand that may complicate somethings in life, okay maybe a lot, but... hmm..." This was a problem case, Lockwood didn't want Miller to remove his arm, or at least not until he witnessed what it could do in action. From what he was saying, it seems that the lad has suffered a lot with the blade, and at the same time, must of saved his life multiple times. Lockwood stared at Miller for awhile, then awhile more, then awhile again.
Then, Lockwood had an idea.
"Let's say you did remove the blade from your arm. What happens next? You don't know, do you?"
|
|
|
Post by Redgrim on Mar 1, 2016 21:47:42 GMT -5
Lockwood had put Miller’s previous theory to rest when he opened his mouth. While his word would be of the highest value on the situation, it didn’t mean that it was stone cold fact. It definitely meant that there weren’t any students practicing the dark art though, unless they were hiding it that well. That basically put Miller back to square one, and not knowing who his possible pursuer was did not put him on easy ground. He already had to contend with a mysterious figure following him around school, which may or may not be the culprit of summoning the Spinebiter. If so, who was… wait, what did the professor say about bodies? It was a sudden revelation that disturbed Miller’s mind for a brief moment, though he wasn’t completely certain if he heard him correctly since his mind was latched onto three other things at once.
Regardless of that, there was nothing more he could really learn on that subject, so he supposed he should rather move on with more pressing matters at the moment, that being his blade. The flickering flames had died down quite a bit since he started the bonfire, so he only had a brief window of time in which he could still cauterize his arm when it was removed. Mr. Drummond did see reason in why he probably should go through with the operation, but it seemed as though he had to think up an excuse to make sure he kept it. Miller’s eyes grew a curious yet worried expression when trying to think of a reason why the teacher would avoid agreeing with him. While it was probably his job to ensure that student’s don’t mutilate themselves in a dangerous manner, he didn’t make that point nor suggest that he seek professional help, so it was odd that he was trying to skate around that and convince him that his blade was worth keeping. Did he have goals of his own? Was his other voice’s theory about this all being a setup becoming more viable? Miller was becoming a bit more suspicious of it himself.
The Theatre teacher then posed his question, one that stumped Miller for a brief second. The severing of his arm was the end goal, it wasn’t like he was doing it to complete a step in some other plan he had. Then again, Miller wasn’t the type of person to plan anything too far in advance, there were too many variables that worried him in order to do so. That being said though. It wasn’t something that he would question all that long about. “I don’t know. I suppose I would continue on with life the same way, just without the blade. It would be no different if I were like some other student who was missing an arm. Other students seem to get by without a sword arm just fine…” he stated in a rather unsure manner. He wasn’t one hundred percent certain that he answered the question in the way that the teacher wanted him to. It was a rather odd inquiry to begin with.
|
|
▲
"High-schoolers paint color into their hair, elementary-schoolers paint mud onto their faces." |
Scientific Witchery Kaleidoscope
|
Post by Kaeru on Mar 7, 2016 21:59:51 GMT -5
The lich rubbed his chin, having a face of pleasant amusement that hides ulterior motives underneath. "Yet, will all the problems be halted just like that? No no no no no no, if you honestly think that just tearing off that big ol' knife of yours will solve most of your problems with, eh, social life, then you obviously aren't trying hard enough lad. I mean, if you notice anyone else besides you," Lockwood spun around with his arms out, "we have some of the admittedly, more students and staffs that are either hideously subjected into horrific forms that makes your blade look like a toothpick."
Lockwood reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a slightly dented pocket-watch that got slightly banged up from the earlier fall. From the face that was forming as the stared into the clock, he was oddly surprised at the time, he didn't expect this much time to pass. Well, all the fun steals away time, Lockwood guessed. "Say how about, if you will, we continue this conversation at a later date. I expect the commotion would bring an unruly crowd that I, surprisingly, do not want to perform my presence to. In fact, I believe I could hear the wind telling me so." Lockwood strained a ear south of the meadow, where a few shouts could be heard as the wind carried the noise towards the both of them.
|
|
|
Post by Redgrim on Mar 10, 2016 20:56:35 GMT -5
Miller scratched the back of his head, lost in thought. There were a lot of things he had to consider before lopping his arm off, Lockwood only reinforced that, even though his rhetoric wasn’t all that convincing. Miller’s concerns weren’t merely just social aspects, as the teacher seemed to be under the impression of. In every way having a blade on his arm was counterproductive to his personality and character as a whole. Miller knew very well that chopping off his arm wouldn’t solve all his problems, but it would help fix a ton of them. It would definitely help him blend in with crowds and make him feel less like there’s a spotlight on him. Then again, his paranoia might not let go that easily.
Perhaps the professor had a point though, other people around school probably had worse going for them in terms of their powers, but saying his blade hadn’t made him suffer would be an extreme understatement. He was certain that any of those other handicapped students had the chance they would be rid of their attributes as well. How exactly did other people’s suffering have to do anything with Miller’s though? Was the teacher suggesting that he had higher privilege than most? If that was so, he really didn’t want to see how bad the lives of the lower privileged students were. Was his problems really that minor in comparison?
The bladed boy looked at his feet for an extended period of time, not exactly sure about how he should answer Lockwood. Miller hadn’t met that many students, at least not enough to surmise their suffering in comparison to his own. He was a teacher, so he had to know better, shouldn’t he? Before he could launch his own rebuttal, the lich turned Miller’s attention toward the oncoming party in the distance. Regardless of his ultimate decision, he couldn’t complete the procedure tonight, there were too many variables that could lead to unfavorable results. The sword wielding student muffled the flames with a hefty armful of snow and swiftly withdrew the ax from its stump. “…I’d rather not answer to whoever they are either” the boy added as he looked off into the distance. Last time he had to answer questions he was shipped off to court and he’d prefer not to repeat that process any time soon. “Until then, I suppose” the student bid farewell before sprinting off in a skulking manner into the distant.
‘If he wanted the blade so badly, we could’ve granted him that wish. That man of magic is hiding something from us’
“Shut up.”
|
|
▲
"High-schoolers paint color into their hair, elementary-schoolers paint mud onto their faces." |
Scientific Witchery Kaleidoscope
|
Post by Kaeru on Mar 15, 2016 20:39:00 GMT -5
Lockwood watched Miller being devoured by the darkness of the trees, fading away from his sight. He almost tried to call out for him, telling him to meet up with him later to discuss his arm. However, with his condition, it was probably for the best if he left the area as fast as he could. As for Lockwood. he would rather prefer not to deal with such a commotion in his sorry state. He definitely doesn't want to let anyone know about what has transpired here, nor let everyone aware of a rouge necromancer possibly hiding away on this very island. Lockwood quickly let the carcass of the Spinebitter sink back into the ground, as he's going to be back for later studies.
As he heard the yelling coming closer, Lockwood quickly adjusted his hat, then in a cloud of miasma, floated speedily away into the trees. He was going to get to work imminently if he's going to get to the bottom of his mystery, and for Miller...
He thought about the bladed boy's condition, it was more of the best to just keep an eye on him. He could be a useful asset in the future, as he handled himself very well against the beast. If he refined and honed his skills, then the boy could be a powerful student to have as his side. The only problem about him is his conflicting morality, as he doesn't seem like the violent type to go start fight, and from what Lockwood gathered from their conversation, he actively avoids fighting whenever he can. Not that Lockwood had a problem with that, as having a good sense to be positively moral is a hard trait to come by in today's world, but if push comes to shove it the near future, then he's going to have to make some choices. Yes, Lockwood was going to monitor him closely, as least for Miller's own safety as he doesn't want the boy to actually chop off his own limb. Or if he did, Lockwood was going to swipe it away for himself. The image of the event made him giggle as he continued to hover in the direction of the academy.
Another problem then arose, and that is how is he going to explain this to the faculty members and the students about his injuries and dismemberment? While the amusing idea of seeing the reactions of his missing lower body would be a slap on the knee, which would write its own context, Lockwood doesn't really embrace the idea of floating all day. He decided that when the commotion has died down in the coming days, he might send out some minions to gather any leftover parts that belonged to him. At least some bones would help he regeneration process faster. He thought about where they could be as he continued down to the academy.
|
|
|