2022-11-01 - Delinquency and Destiny
| Title: Delinquency and Destiny | ||||
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| Summary: Raiko, overburdened with the weight of her problems, ditches class to go back home, where she makes several rather surprising discoveries. | ||||
| Who: | ||||
| Where: Raiko's House (Tama district) | ||||
| OOC - IC Date: November 1, 2022 - Saturday, January 23, 2016 | ||||
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Raiko signed as she stared at the city rolling by outside the bus windows. She wasn't watching them because she knew all the sights by heart.
Because this was the way home. To her real home.
Instead she was staring at nothing at all. Even if she'd bothered to watch the scenery she wouldn't have had a reaction to it. She felt… empty. Like she had been hollowed out and the girl that was Raiko was just a shell around a vast void where everything she cared about used to live.
Last afternoon's outburst had been… well, cathartic might be a word for it. After she'd misplaced her half-enchanted phone case–a stupid, stupid mistake–, that girl, Yumi Ohzora, had returned it to her. Raiko had heard some of the rumors about her, mostly how she was sick all the time (though the way she'd announced her presence in the nurse's office the last afternoon was… bizarrely upbeat.)
But Yumi Ohzora had recognized her, too, and Raiko knew that it was also for rumors. Rumors that were all true. And yet… she'd returned the phone case. And what's more…
She understood.
She'd figured out what Raiko was trying to do, had been impressed, understood when Raiko explained further, said that there were even witches in her own year who wouldn't be able to do it right, had wanted to stay and just talk, and it was all so…
Nice. It was just, really nice to have had someone to talk to about her passions, who could keep up. She hadn't had that in so long...
But then Yumi had mentioned her mother. And Raiko hadn't been able to stop herself from mentioning her grandfather, and Shiori, and… then everything had fallen apart. She'd fallen apart. All those fragile walls she'd built up to separate herself from her feelings had come crumbling down,m and she'd ended up just pouring everything out, tearfully confessing about her missing grandfather, the missing familiar.
Mostly she remembered a lot of crying.
All of the pent-up fears she'd had about the disappearance of the only family she'd ever known, everything from her dawning realization of just how badly she'd isolated herself, all of it had come pouring out until it felt like she had hollowed herself out.
And Yumi had stayed with her through all of it. Had hugged her tight, had told her she'd help, to show her around the dorms, left an invitation to stop by if she needed something… Raiko still couldn't believe it. There was a part of her thought still thought she might have just been playing at being so nice, but… she wanted to believe Yumi was sincere.
She had to believe that.
Yumi's visit had been so unexpected, and it truly felt like there was a single bright spot in her life now… but the act of confessing everything that had gone wrong, reckoning how it was all her fault, and finally gotten it through to her just how little else she had going for her right now. She still felt so drained from the act and…
… she just couldn't handle going to class today.
So she'd left.
She'd been so drained last night that she'd gone to bed early, for once, and had accordingly woken up much earlier than usual. And when the thought came of getting ready for class, going through the whole day, being confronted by all of those stares… it had been too much to bear.
It was still early enough that she didn't look too out of place riding around on the bus, though she was sure she got a few looks for not being in her uniform. She didn't want it to be too obvious what she was doing, wearing the uniform of the school she was trying to get away from.
Something snapped her back to reality. The bus jerked to a stop, the door opened, and it took Raiko a moment to realize this was her stop, She hastily made her way to the door, gave a quick 'Thank you' to the driver as she stepped off, and stepped down onto the sidewalk. It was still a bit of a walk to her house–the neighborhoods out in Tama could be a bit sprawling sometimes, but she'd bundled up for the winter weather, so that was fine.
Her steps were heavy and trudging as she made her way home. She'd thought she'd be excited to go home, but the thought that her grandfather would be disappointed with her for skipping class dampened those thoughts. Still, she was committed to her path now, so she kept going.
Finally she came upon her house: it was slightly older looking, though well maintained, and even though it was on the slightly smaller side for a grandfather and granddaughter–Raiko had figured out a while ago it was originally meant for a single resident–Raiko had never minded. Grandpa called it 'cozy', and Raiko had always liked that interpretation of it. It was two stories, with all the bedrooms, as well as her grandpa's study, on the second floor.
Raiko carefully walked up the steps, and let herself in. "I'm home," she silently whispered to herself.
Now that she was here, though… she wasn't sure what she was going to do. Once again, she'd failed to think ahead. The girl sighed and sagged. One more mistake to add to her list. Well, at least she could go hang out in her bedroom for a while. She slipped off her shoes and made her way up the stairs, reflexivly avoiding the one squeaky step that never quite seemed to stay fixed.
She paused as the upper hallway became visible over the top of the stairs.
Grandpa's study door was open. It was never open. Even when her grandpa had been here, he never seemed to go in there while she was watching. And that was fine. She'd been told, quite firmly, never to go in there. How it wasn't just a matter of privacy, but of her own personal safety. How it was heavily warded because it was meant to keep her grandpa's work safe. Raiko had, naturally, been very curious, but she also loved her grandfather, and hadn't wanted to jeopardize his work.
Besides, the study had always given her a bit of a weird feeling. As she'd dived deep into her study of enchantments, had better understood how one might ward a room, she had made the tentative conclusion that the room might be warded against her, specifically. She had no way to test that without prodding the spells warding the room, which would, of course, alert her grandfather to what she was doing. Besides, the room was so heavily warded anyway (really, the whole house was), that she could have just been imagining it–it was probably just meant to repel non-magical folk in general, in very strong terms, or it could have been a side effect of how it was specifically warded to only allow entry to her grandfather, and would thus be unwelcoming to anyone that wasn't him.
But the door was open now. And she could see inside it for the first time. It looked largely how one might expect a study to look. There was a desk, bookshelves, she could maybe see a hint of a filing cabinet or two. But there were two details that caught her eye. The first, in the middle of the floor, was a magic circle, inscribed with several layers of runes. From here she couldn't get a good look at what they were.
And on the wall, behind the desk–a staff. She'd never seen it before, but yet, there was something about it… Tall, made of polished black wood, with silver inlays along its length and a bright blue crystal in a setting at the top.
It seemed so familiar, but she wasn't sure how. Her grandpa had never used a staff as far as she could remember.
But her contemplation of the staff was interrupted when she recognized something else in the office.
Shiori! Raiko clamped her hand to her mouth to keep from saying anything. From where she stood she could see the tabby calico pacing back and forth, and Raiko quickly ducked behind the stairs so she could listen.
The familiar had been very tight-lipped about what was going on, and had taken off without warning. Most of the adults around her–well, those who could know, given the involvement of magic–had been keeping silent. She knew they were hiding things from her, and even though some deep part of her understood that they were keeping these things secret for a reason, and even a good reason, Raiko still felt like she deserved some answers.
And so she kept silent, and listened. Shiori was pacing back and forth, talking out loud to herself. Her normally calm, sedate manner was absent. She was indeed pacing, her tail lashing angrily in a way Raiko had never seen it do before.
"... You utter fool, why did you have to be so secretive? I told you to accept some help, to take a younger mage with you, or to even send one yourself and to stay out of the field, but no. You had to go tempt fate, even after the close call last time."
From her hiding spot, Raiko blinked. She knew Grandpa's work was secretive, but there'd never been any indication that it was dangerous.
Shiori kept pacing. "And now we have no idea what's happened to you. You could be dead for all I know, or worse, in the hands of The Hungry Queen." The feline paused and shivered. "And if that's the case, it'll only be a matter of time before…"
The familiar came to a stop in front of the staff, sitting. She regarded it silently for a moment, and then her head sagged. "Oh, Kenji. I can manage the Staff without you, somehow. I always could before, but…" She sighed. "Having someone I could rely on has certainly made it easier. And less lonely."
Raiko frowned a little. That made it sound like Shiori had been doing… something before meeting her grandfather, but… wouldn't her grandfather have created Shiori as a familiar to begin with? Wasn't that how it usually worked?
"And Raiko…"
The girl tensed. Had she been spotted?
No, the familiar was still looking at the staff.
"... you've left her all alone. That girl needs you Kenji… Not that I'm one to talk. I got so worried that I left her to find you, when she's the one I'm supposed to be serving. How will I ever explain this to her?"
Now that didn't sound right. Familiars were meant to serve their masters. Even if Grandpa had instructed Shiori to look over her, she would still be doing so at her grandfather's behest.
Raiko had heard enough. She got up, and started walking towards the study. "How will you explain what to me, Shiori? What's going on with Grandpa, and what's this about you supposed to be serving me?"
Shiori's head snapped up and she turned to stare in disbelief at the girl. "Raiko? But– You're supposed to be in class!"
"Nah uh, don't change the subject." She was almost at the door. This was the first time in a long time she'd intentionally headed towards it. And now, knowing what she knew, she could feel it. There was something in the wards that had to do with her. Though not quite to do with keeping her away. But she only registered that as a dim observation as she kept moving forward.
She'd never been able to enter before. Something had always kept her away, but the door was open, and while she encountered a brief resistance, she pushed through anyway.
"Raiko, no! Stop!" shouted Shiori, rising to her feet. Her eyes were wide with panic as she turned back to the staff.
"No! I wanna know–" Her hand crossed the threshold of the door. Her foot touched the food inside the office.
For a brief, intangible moment, Raiko felt something she couldn't define–there was… a resonance, somewhere deep inside of her. Something thrummed and resonated with some part of her that she had never been aware of before.
The staff exploded with power. A thunderous roar cut through the room, while winds whipped up and started tossing papers and books about. And the entire staff itself was alight with electricity. Stands of energy dancing upon its surface, building up in arcs and then breaking to lash out at the room.
Raiko yelled as she recoiled backwards, covering her face.
And a moment later it stopped. Raiko uncovered her eyes to see papers listlessly drifting down through the air from where they'd been carried a moment before. The office was a mess, with very little in its proper place.
And the staff was gone now. Where it had been, instead was Shiori, with her paw pressed against the wall.
"What was that?!"
Shiori turned to face Raiko. Raiko had never seen the familiar get truly mad before. Annoyed, yes, and even upset. But now? She was livid–ears forward, hackles raised, her tail resembling a bristlebrush with the way her fur stuck straight out.
"Raiko! What on Earth are you doing here?! Today is a school day! You should be in class!"
Raiko opened her mouth, tried to explain just how she'd been feeling, what had driven her to skip class, to come back home, but all she could do was mutter a few incomplete fragments.
But something in her expression must have conveyed the idea regardless, because Shiori quickly calmed down, padding over to the girl and rubbing up against her leg. "I'm sorry, Raiko. I didn't mean to yell. You just caught me by surprise, is all."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" Raiko sat down heavily on the floor, back against the wall. She picked up Shiori and hugged her tight to her chest. "I've missed you so much, Shiori. Everything's been so awful without you and Grandpa around, and I had to move into the dorms, and–"
She was crying again, and while she was careful not to crush the familiar, she still hugged her as tight as she could. "I'm so happy to see you. Please don't leave me alone again," she whispered.
Shiori was warm and soft, and she practically melted into Raiko's embrace in that way only felines could. She pressed her cheek against Raiko's, whiskers tickling the girl's skin. "I'm so sorry I left without saying anything. I was just so concerned for your grandfather, and I didn't expect to be away for so long…" After a moment she added, "I'm happy to see you too, dear."
They sat together in silence for a few moments, merely enjoying each other's company. Finally, Raiko let Shiori go and shifted to petting over her back. Shiori, for her part, curled up in Raiko's lap to receive the petting, letting out a quiet purr.
Raiko's stomach rumbled.
Shiori lifted her head and frowned. "Raiko," she said gently, "did you eat breakfast?"
The girl shook her head.
"Come along, dear." Shiori stood and headed down the stairs.
Raiko got up and followed her down to the kitchen. Shiori inspected the food that had been left behind and declared the oatmeal safe to consume. Raiko made herself a bowl–with just a bit of honey for sweetness after Shiori said it smelled okay–and sat down to eat. Shiori kept vigil from the kitchen counter and didn't let Raiko talk until the entire bowl was gone.
"There. Do you feel any better?"
"I guess," said Raiko with a shrug. Well, she wasn't hungry, but… that seemed like such a small thing in the grand scheme of things.
Shiori nodded. "Now dear, what are you doing here on a school day? What's been going on?"
Raiko told her. About how Akinori had broken the nes to her, told her she had to move into the dorms, how it'd made everything so awkward, now that she had no escape from her problems at school. About the visit to the nurse's office yesterday, about the visit from Yumi–Shiori's expression seemed to register surprise, but by the time Raiko looked at her again the look had vanished–and about how Yumi had been so nice, how she understood, and how she's realized…
She couldn't quite bring herself to finish that last part, but Shiori was by her side to offer some comfort regardless.
"I'm so sorry. I should have been there to support you. I'm glad Ayase-san is taking care of you, though."
Raiko pushed her bowl away and folded her arms on the table, resting her chin on top. "He is, but… I know there's stuff he's not telling me." Her eyes flicked to the side, as if she could look at Shiori through the table, to where she sat on the chair next to her. "I know there's a lot you're not telling me, too."
Shiori sighed and jumped up on the table so that she could sit and face Raiko. "Yes, you're right. Please understand, it was never our intention to lie, but to wait until we felt you were ready to hear certain truths."
"Well you'd better start explaining, 'cause I heard you talking about grandpa, this… 'hungry queen' person, how you're supposed to be serving me, and I saw that staff, and…"
The feline familiar took a deep breath as Raiko spoke, and then slowly nodded. "I see. In that case, I suppose I had best start at the beginning, then."
"A long, long time ago, in a time before we have recorded history for, there was a powerful coven of witches. They sealed away a terrifyingly powerful entity that was intent on consuming the world. They used five incredibly potent staves to do the deed, and then left those staves in the care of five guardians, so that one day, should their descendents have need of them, they could be inherited, and their power used once more."
Raiko frowned in thought as she listened. "Was that one of the staves? Why did he have it?" Her eyes widened. "Don't tell me, he was–"
Shiori quickly shook her head. "No, dear. Your grandfather is not part of the bloodline."
"Then why…" Raiko bit her lip as she puzzled it out. "Why did he have it? Why did it react to me?"
"Because you are part of that bloodline, dear," said Shiori simply.
Raiko's eyes grew wide as she took that in. "Wait, what? But you just said–"
"You have four grandparents, dear."
"... Right. Okay. But how did he end up with it?"
"Your grandfather does work for the Magic Association, as we have told you before. His specialty is researching and securing artifacts of interest. The Hungry Queen–" the way Shiori said it made clear the capital letters were present, "–Is attempting to acquire artifacts and sources of power that will allow her to unleash that entity. Your grandfather may not be capable of wielding one of the staves, but he has made it his life's work to deny her what she seeks. A task he has met with no small amount of success.
"The staff you saw is the Staff of Wise Levin, and I am its guardian. When your grandfather was much younger, he found both it and me. He earned my trust, and offered his assistance in keeping the staff safe, as we shared a common cause. It is not a matter of him 'ending up with it' and more that he is assisting me in keeping it safe."
Raiko bit her lip. "So… you're the staff's guardian. That means you're not a familiar? Why did you both tell me you were, then?"
"How to put this…" Shiori looked down at the table as she considered her words. "I am a familiar. When the staff chooses an Inheritor, I make a contract with them to guide them in using their powers, and assist them in their mission to vanquish the entity once and for all. However, your grandfather and I felt it would be easier for you to accept my presence if we told you I was his familiar, instead. He was a mage, it only seemed natural that he could have a familiar."
"So you're not a familiar now, but you'll become one…" Raiko frowned. "But then you said you were supposed to be serving me..."
She gasped and sat up straight. "Wait, don't tell me. You're supposed to be serving me, so you're supposed to be my familiar, which means…"
Shiori nodded. "Yes, dear. You are supposed to become the next Inheritor of the staff. Your grandfather and I met long before you were even born, but we saw enough signs and portents to know that it was possible–even likelya–that you would inherit it next. However… the Inheritors are usually older, which is why we hadn't explained this to you yet. Kenji's study was warded specifically to keep the staff from being detected, and to keep it from reacting to you. But when you stepped inside…" The familiar sighed. "The staff was able to sense you, and… it apparently feels that you are ready for the task."
"N-no…" Raiko shook her head. "Nonono, waaaait a minute, I can't… I can't just… take on some crazy mission to save the world, I'm not… that's not… That's not me, I can't–"
Raiko sat back in her chair, a hand clutched to her chest as she gasped for air. Shiori stepped forward to look her directly in the eye.
"Raiko," she said firmly. "Look me in the eye. Breath in…. and breathe out."
The young girl obeyed, and soon her breathing was under control again.
"I'm sorry that this is all so sudden," said Shiori gently, placing a paw on Raiko's arm, "This is not how your grandfather and I wanted to introduce all of this to you.
But we don't have the luxury of time, now. When the staff reacted to you, its power destroyed the wards in Kenji's office. We have to assume that The Hungry Queen detected the stave's power and will be looking for it. The wards require an immense amount of power to create. Your grandfather is a master mage, and was capable of the task, but you'll require the staff's power in order to do so. The sooner we can restore the wards in the office the better off we'll all be. It will buy us time, at the very least."
Raiko shook her head, "But… you made it disappear. I saw it!"
"It is only a temporary measure, dear," replied Shiori. "Holding the staff in this manner requires constantly maintaining focus and expending energy. I can't maintain it indefinitely. We need to restore the wards to keep the staff safe long-term."
The young girl stared down at her lap. There was… too much to take in. "I'm sorry Shiori, but… I'll just mess it up. Like I mess everything else up. I messed up by not going to school today, I shouldn't even be here, I…" She closed your eyes. "I'm not… who the staff thinks I am. I'm sorry."
Shiori sat up. "Raiko, I have watched over you your entire life. You are an intelligent girl, and gifted in so many ways, but most of all… You are kind," she said gently, but with firmness. "You are in kind in the same way that your grandfather was, in the way that earned my trust all those years ago."
Raiko's head snapped up. In quiet, trembling boice, she said, "... Really?"
The familiar smiled and nodded. "Truly."
"But…" Raiko sniffed and looked down at her lap. "Grandpa was a master mage, and if he couldn't handle himself against The Hungry Queen, what hope do I have? I'm just a screw-up." She pushed her chair away from the table and stood up, avoiding eye contact with Shiori. "I'm sorry, I really want to help, but… you'd better find somebody else to become this Inheritor. I'll just mess it up."
Raiko left the room, and Shiori stayed behind in the kitchen and sighed.
"I was afraid this might happen."
Shiori looked towards the city from where she sat, contemplating. "... She's not going to like this."
