Okay, dawgz. This chappie up in her is off da heezie. It be gettin' mo action den Sasha and Raz at a 25 cent kissing booth, yo.
Translation: There is a lot that is going to go on in this chapter. I think you'll like it. Stay tuned at the end for a special broadcast about the Psychonauts Fanfiction Grammies!
To Digitaldreamer: Yay! My snail unfroze! My snail is really going to start moving in this chapter XD! As requested, I'm more than happy to advertise for the PFG's. Good luck managing everything.
To Farcie: Ah, Farcie, you just make me squee so much sometimes XD.
To L.K.B.: Dernit…and I have a big speech lined up at the end of this chapter too…
A NOTE ABOUT ADRAN AND RENKA!:
FORGIVE ME, I HAVE ONLY MENTIONED THIS ONCE AND SHOULD HAVE STRESSED IT MORE: ADRAN AND RENKA ARE NOT ACTUALLY RELATED. THEY ARE BROTHER AND SISTER IN CLANSMANSHIP, NOT KINSHIP! THE MISUNDERSTANDING IS MY FAULT AND I APPOLOGIZE TO THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY HAVE BEEN DEEPLY DISTURBED BY IT.
Much is to be answered in this chapter. As always, I thoroughly enjoy your humor, LKB. And nope, Calypso is white XD! You must have skipped over that part. Anyway, like I said, your questions will be answered with time. On with the chapter!
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Psi-Proverbs:
"The bad news is that I'm going to have to remove your brain, strap in into an armored battle tank, and use it to shoot down innocent civilians with its CONCENTRATED PSYCHIC DEATH BEAMS! The good news in that your insurance is going to cover the whole thing." –Dr. Caligusto Loboto, DDS
--------------------------------
Quentin sighed as he closed the door to his new room and sunk down onto his bed. He had been released from the hospital just this morning. He rubbed his shoulder gingerly.
He had had another strange dream last night about that crazy dentist with mismatched eyes and a three pronged gold claw for a hand and wore a flowery shower cap.
"The time is coming to decide your fate. I'm coming for you." He had said. Quentin shuddered. He shook his head and took a deep breath.
It was just a dream. Nothing more. It was really perfectly logical that the mad dentist should haunt him in his dreams. Quentin only had a subconscious memory of the man, and that memory was a frightening one. The frightening figure was the perfect form for Quentin's troubles to manifest as. The insane dentist in his dreams was nothing more than a representation of Quentin's troubles.
"Aw, what was that crazy dentist's name?" Quentin said to himself.
"Crazy dentist? Might you possibly be referring to me?" a voice inquired from beside him. Quentin jerked his head up to view the intruder's face. A pair of mismatched eyes stared back at him. Blue skin…a claw in place of a hand…
"Yes!" Quentin squeaked as he tried to scramble away from the demented man.
"Oh-ho-ho! Well, what a co-inky-dink that I should happen to pop in just at the very time you were thinking about me! Why, I'm Doctor Caligusto Loboto." He man said cheerfully, offering his hand to Quentin. Quentin tried to scream, but he couldn't move, no matter how hard he tried. He was frozen.
Quentin could get a good look at Loboto now. His usual smock and white lab coat were gone, as was his shower cap. Long, jet black hair tumbled down Loboto's back in a loose ponytail. He wore a blue, white, and gold oriental style warrior robe that fell to his knees along with a pair of loose white pants and a pair of black boots.
"It's alright, young man. Please, settle down. I'm not here to cause trouble. Didn't you get my message?" Dr. Loboto asked. Quentin looked at him strangely. Loboto leaned down to look Quentin in the eyes.
"The time has come to decide your fate." Loboto said.
---------------------------------
Psi-Proverbs:
"Kindly step away from my elevator and die." –Inmate Crispin Whytehead
"Thanks for taking me and Lucy outside to play, Vernon." Lucy said as she approached the door to her and her brother's quarters. She had a hand full of wildflowers that she had picked during her play date with Lucy. Vernon had been nice enough to take them outside the compound (With a Psychonuat escort, naturally) for a picnic.
"You're welcome, Penny. I'm just glad that Lucy has a friend to play with." Vernon said.
"See you later, Vernon. Bye, Lucy." Penny said, shutting the door to her quarters.
Chops lay on his bed, staring moodily at the ceiling and tossing a tennis ball up and catching it over and over.
"Hey, Chops." Penny said nonchalantly.
"Hey, Penny." Chops responded, not even taking his eyes off of the tennis ball.
"What's up?" Penny asked, hopeing to gode her brother into a conversation. Chops just shrugged noncommittally.
"Didja have fun with Vernon and Lucy?" Chops asked, obviously only asking out of big brother habit.
"Yeah. Vernon actually got us outside to have a picnic. This really nice agent vollenteered to be our escorts so that we could play outside. Lucy and I picked flowers and…" Penny trailed off, giggling slightly.
"What you said about Vernon is true. He does tell a lot of pointless stories." Penny giggled. Chops smirked.
"That's Vernon for ya. He's a walking talking encyclopedia." Chops said.
"Yeah. He's really smart." Penny said. Chops paused.
"Well, he knows a lot of stuff…I guess that does qualify him as smart. I never really thought about it that way." Chops said, returning to tossing his tennis ball up once again.
"Don't get me wrong, I have no problem whatsoever with Vernon, but I've always thought of him as pretty dorky, to be honest." Chops chuckled. "I'm sorry, but when he goes into one of his little monotone monologs, all I hear is 'blah blah blah platypus blah blah purple blah silicon blah blah blah Utah blah blah artichokes.'"
Penny giggled.
"That's because you have no attention span, Chops. If you'd listen to what he's saying, you might be surprised at what kind of interesting stuff he knows." Penny said.
"Yeah, he's like the history channel and the discovery channel but with the voice of my history teacher." Chops said. Penny rolled her eyes.
"Men have no appreciation for intellect." Penny said.
"You know what they say, you can either have smarts or looks." Chops said.
"Nuh uh. Vernon's cute and smart." Penny said.
"Oh, what, you crushing on him now?" Chops asked, rolling his eyes.
"What? No! I don't know what you're talking about!" Penny pouted.
"Besides, you disprove the smarts or looks saying yourself because I fail to see which one of those you have, Chops. You're the only one in camp without a romantic history, and trust me, big brother, you're no Einstein." Penny teased.
"Very funny, Penny." Chops said, tossing the ball at her. She caught it and tossed it back and Chops resumed tossing it into the air.
"So, where does your rhinestone cowboy fall into all of this?" Chops asked, almost bitterly. Penny blushed and pouted.
"I have no idea who you're talking about!" Penny said defiantly.
"Oh, please. You're out of the prince and princess phase and going into the more realistic romances. You've practically memorized Hidalgo. You've got the western themed cowgirl room back home…" Chops said, glancing over at Penny slyly. "I'm your big brother. You think I didn't notice that you're crushing on Jt?"
"Whatever!" Penny snorted.
"And don't think I haven't seen those little doodles you've been drawing since we got here." Chops teased.
Penny blushed and glared at Chops.
"Oh, yeah, I saw them. The ones with the cowboy and the girl riding off into the sunset on a horse…gosh…what was written below that picture…" Chops falsely pondered.
"It was written in a heart…what was it….oh yeah! I remember!" Chops sang. Penny glared at him as he clasped his hands dramatically and batted his eyelashes.
"Penny+Jt!" Chops sighed. Penny grabbed her pillow off of her bed and chucked it across the room at Chops. Chops just laughed. He raised an eyebrow when Penny sunk onto her bed with a dreamy sigh.
"He's so cute…" She sighed. Chops rolled his eyes.
"Damn, you women and your mood swings. One second you're on a murderous rampage and the next you're gushing over some stupid pair of blue eyes on a horse." Chops muttered darkly.
"Jt's not a stupid pair of blue eyes on a horse!" Penny said. "He's dreamy!"
Chops snorted in disgust and rolled his eyes. Penny observed him quietly, thinking back to the previous day's events. She had been utterly shocked when she had seen Jt being carried out of the interview room unconscious on a stretcher by a medical team. That was why she had picked the flowers. She wanted to give them to Jt if they went to visit him.
She was confused on why her brother didn't follow after Jt when he was carried past the door or even ask about what had happened or if he'd be alright. At first, he looked worried, but then he just looked mad.
"Chops, don't you want to see if your friend is okay? Maybe we can help him." Penny had said to him. Everyone else was out there checking on him. Even Bobby. Chops had just scowled and turned away from the door that Jt had been visible through just moments ago.
"Why should I? He doesn't need me. He's got his new partner, Bobby." Chops had said.
"Who's being the asshole now, Chops?" Nils had asked coldly. Penny was certain that there would have been another fist fight if Phoebe and Clem hadn't shot both Chops and Nils those warning looks.
"So, have you heard anything about how Jt is doing?" Penny asked.
"No." Chops said moodily. Penny frowned.
"Don't you want to go visit him or at least find out how he's doing?" Penny asked.
"No and no." Chops said. Penny's frown deepened.
"He's your best friend. I think you're jealous. Maybe Nils was right. You are acting like a jerk." Penny said. Chops shot her a glare.
"What was that?" He growled.
"I'm going to go see Milka. She cares about Jt. I'll bet she'll know how he is. Maybe she'll take me to visit him. He'll probably appreciate a visit. I even picked him some flowers." Penny said, opening the door.
"Someone should go see him since his best friend is acting like a big dumb jealous grouchy baby!" She said, shutting the door behind her as she walked out. Chops let out a frustrated growl and rolled onto his side.
"Little brat." He muttered. "What does she know anyway? Let her go to see Milka. She'll be her problem for a while."
Penny, on the other hand, trotted moodily over to Milka's quarters and knocked on the door. Milka answered pretty quickly.
"Oh, hello, Penny." She said.
"Hi Milka." Penny said.
"So, to what do I owe the visit?" Milka asked.
"Um, well, I heard that you were good friends with Jt, and I was wondering if you knew how he was doing since my stupid big brother is too busy acting like a baby." Penny said.
"Oh, well, I was just about to go see him myself. Would you like to come?" Milka asked.
"Would I ever! I even picked some flowers for him!" Penny said.
"Oh, those are beautiful." Milka said, shutting the door behind her and motioning for Penny to follow her.
"Do you think he'll like them?" Penny asked.
"Definitely. He has some of these growing on his ranch. He and I used to pick them all the time when I visited him. You even have his favorite kind of flower in there." Milka said, motioning to the bunch of flowers in Penny's hand. She pointed to some simple, white flowers.
"Shasta daisies. They've always been his favorite." Milka said. Penny gave a silent cheer for her own blind luck.
"So, do you know what was wrong with him?" Penny asked.
"I don't. I couldn't get anyone to tell me." Milka said sadly.
"Milka…" Penny began hesitantly. "Are you Jt's girlfriend?"
Milka tripped and nearly fell flat on her face in surprise.
"No, no! Jt and I are just friends!" Milka laughed, turning down the hall to the med ward.
"Oh, okay. Does he have a girlfriend?" Penny asked, giving herself another silent cheer.
"No, he doesn't." Milka said. Another score for Penny. Penny noticed that Milka had stopped in her tracks after opening the door to the med ward waiting room.
"Milka, is something wrong?" Penny asked. Milka didn't respond. She was staring at a tall, tall, oh so very tall and powerfully built man. He had blonde hair and brown eyes and freckles and was dressed in similar attire to Jt's. Penny recognized the man. He was talking to Dr. Hyde. He froze and sat down in one of the chairs. He buried his face into his hands and let out a soft sob.
"Oh, god…please, no…Jt ain't done nothin' tuh nobody! Not my little boy, too…please, not mah son…" The man whimpered. Dr Hyde put a hand on the man's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Agent Hoofburger." She said softly.
"C-can I be with mah boy?" The man asked. Dr. Hyde nodded and motioned for the man to follow her. Milka and Penny followed behind them under the cover of invisibility, careful not to be noticed. They were led to a set of geodesic psycho-isolation chambers with windows to see in.
"Will I hurt him if I touch him?" The man asked tearfully.
"He is still in early stages. The touch of his biological father shouldn't affect him yet." Dr. Hyde said. Dr Hyde unlocked the door of the third chamber and let Mr. Hoofburger in. Milka and Penny scampered up to the window to peek in. Jt was lying strapped to a bed in the middle of the room with various different pieces of medical equipment around him. Jt was still unconscious. The man knelt beside Jt's bed and reached up and brushed Jt's bangs out of his face and let out a broken sob. He took Jt's hand in both of his massive ones. He leaned over and kissed Jt's forehead gingerly before burying his face in the blankets.
The sound of someone clearing their throat directly behind them made the two girls jump. Dr Hyde stood behind them tapping her foot expectantly. The two stayed completely still. Dr. Hyde rolled her eyes and seized each of them by the ear. The two turned visible again.
"We're sorry, ma'am. W-we're friends of Jt Hoofburger. We just wanted to see him." Milka squeaked. Dr Hyde suddenly whirled around, keeping Milka and Penny behind her. She lashed out at dead air quickly. Her hand connected with something and Chops came into view, stumbling backward and looking shocked. He stood again and walked up to the window without hesitation. Dr. Hyde remained in a fighting stance.
"That's his dad…why is he crying…what's wrong with Jt?" Chops asked.
"I take it that you're a friend of his too, and not an assassin?" Dr. Hyde said.
"He's just my stupid big brother. He used to be Jt's best friend." Penny said.
"It's okay, Dr. Hyde. Ah know little Miss Milka Phage and Mr. Chops Sweetwind over there." Mr. Hoofburger said, peeking out from the doorway.
"Mr. Hoofburger…" Milka said. She walked over and hugged the man gently.
"Hey there, sweetheart. It's nice to see yuh again." Mr. Hoofburger said.
"Mr. Hoofburger, what's wrong with Jt? Is he going to be alright?" Milka asked. Mr. Hoofburger pulled out a handkerchief and dried his eyes.
"I dunno, sweetheart. I guess it all really depends on how you look at it." Mr. Hoofburger said.
"Right now, Jt is in a comatose state due to a severe mental overload when he underwent that psyche exam yesterday. He should come out of it in a few days. He's being kept in an isolation chamber to give his mind some time to recover without any interference." Dr. Hyde said. "Any further information is up to Mr. Hoofburger to reveal."
"C-can we visit with him?" Chops asked. Mr. Hoofburger nodded.
"Just as long as you don't touch his skin." Mr. Hoofburger said. Milka gasped and clamped her hands over her mouth.
"Mr. Hoofburger…does he have…" Milka said. Mr. Hoofburger nodded.
"Yeah. Yeah, just like his momma. Milka, you have always been Jt's closest and most trusted friend. I probably don't even have to ask you to keep this secret for him." Mr. Hoofburger said.
"My lips are sealed, sir." Milka assured him.
"Thank you, doll baby." Mr. Hoofburger said. "Ah sure do 'preciate it."
Milka followed Mr. Hoofburger into the isolation chamber. Penny scampered in after her followed by Chops. Penny shrunk away hesitantly as she passed by Mr. Hoofburger. The man's appearance was quite intimidating.
"Well, well, well…who's this sweet little thing here?" He asked, smiling warmly.
"She's Chops' little sister. Her name is Penny. She came to see Jt and she even picked some of his favorite flowers to give to him." Milka said. Penny nodded, still a little intimidated by the man. Mr. Hoofburger smiled warmly and put a massive hand on Penny's head.
"Well, ain't you the sweetest little doll baby! That was mighty kind uh you, darlin. I'm sure Jt will be mighty 'perciative of some perdy flowers from a sweet, perdy little lady like yerself." Mr. Hoofburger said. Penny blushed and giggled.
"I'll go see if I can't go and find something to put them flowers in." Mr. Hoofburger said, heading back out the door. Penny scampered over to join Milka at Jt's bedside. Chops hung back a little, still a bit in shock seeing Jt in such a state.
Milka reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of white gloves. She pulled them onto her hands quickly and gingerly adjusted the blankets over Jt. She seemed to be in a state of shock herself. Tears welled in her eyes and threatened to spill over.
"I don't understand…why does he want us not to touch Jt?" Chops asked.
"Chops, I know that you're Jt's friend too, but as his friend, I'm afraid I can't tell you he reason why. It's up to him to tell you himself. Just trust me. If you really care about him, you won't touch him." Milka said softly.
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Psi-Proverbs:
"My name is Jhonn Jhonnson, I live in Wisconson, I work for the lumber yard there…" –Agent Sasha Nein
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Vernon had been sitting at the table working on his Trig lesson for the day when a knock on the door called him away from his work. He was surprised at who his visitor was. Milla, Ford, and Sasha stood there, smiling awkwardly.
"Good afternoon, darling." Milla said.
"Um, good afternoon…" Vernon said hesitantly. Lucy peeked out from behind Vernon. Milla glanced down at her. Lucy's eyes narrowed slightly and she sunk back behind Vernon.
"Are you busy, darling?" Milla asked.
"Um, I'm not doing anything that I can't finish up later." Vernon said.
"Could we have a talk with you, son?" Ford asked.
"I don't see why not. Come on in." Vernon said, opening the door wider to let them in. Ford saw Lucy's eyes flash and Vernon actually jumped. He looked down at Lucy.
"What? You can take a nap while we talk, Lucy. I won't go anywhere." Vernon said. Lucy tightened her grip on Vernon's waist and her eyes flashed again.
"Lucy, they obviously have something important that they need to talk to me about. What's gotten into you?" Vernon asked. Milla shut the door behind them.
"Because, darling. I think she knows why we're here and she doesn't like it." Milla said. Vernon glanced from Lucy to Milla and Lucy stared, frightened, at Milla. Milla knelt down and took Lucy's hand gently.
"Don't be scared, darling. Just please, hear us out. Listen to what we have to say. We're here because we want to help you and your brother. We only want what's best for you. We're not going to what you might think. I promise." Milla said. At that point, Vernon pulled Lucy closer and started backing away from Milla.
"What are you talking about? Lucy and I are fine." Vernon said.
"It may seem that way to you, darling, but we think that you may have a terrible problem that perhaps you aren't aware of." Milla said.
----------------------
Psi-Proverbs:
"Run, Razputin….very fast…" –Agent Sasha Nein
-------------------
Mikhail cautiously opened the door to Maloof's room and peeked inside. Maloof was lying flat on his back as Dr. Hyde pressed down lightly on his chest. Maloof let out a hiss of pain.
"Sorry. I take it that that area hurts then, huh?" Dr. Hyde said. Maloof nodded. Dr. Hyde moved her hand up to Maloof's collar bone and pressed down lightly. Maloof winced.
"Does that hurt?" She asked.
"Yeah." Maloof said.
"Sorry, hon. Can you get onto your side for me?" Dr. Hyde asked. Maloof struggled to get onto his side. That's when he spotted Mikhail.
"Oh, hey Misha." Maloof said. He looked like he was still in some pain.
"Sorry, tiny boss. Misha sees that this isn't good time. I will come back later." Mikhail said.
"It's alright, Mikhail. You don't have to leave. We're almost done here." Dr. Hyde said. Mikhail looked to Maloof. Maloof just shrugged.
"What about your back?" Dr. Hyde asked, gently feeling down Maloof's spine. Very carefully, she pressed near the area where Maloof's back was broken.
"Does that hurt?" She asked.
"Not really. It's a little tender, but that's about it." Maloof said.
"You don't say…" Dr. Hyde said thoughtfully.
"If it's alright with you, I would like to take a new set of x-rays on you tomorrow." Dr. Hyde said.
"Oh…is there something wrong, doctor?" Maloof asked anxiously.
"Not at all, sugar. The healing process is going smoothly. Truthfully, I think you may be healing a little faster than I thought. I just want to make sure that everything is aligned properly so that nothing heals incorrectly." Dr. Hyde explained. .
"Oh, okay, then. It's not like I have a schedule to keep or anything lying around in here." Maloof chuckled.
"Well, in that case, I'm all done here." Dr. Hyde said. She ruffled Maloof's hair.
"You just hang in there, baby doll. You'll be out of bed soon." She said. She glared at the German Shepherd that was peeking out from under Maloof's bed. She pointed to Mikhail.
"Just so long as you three don't pull any more stunts like the one you pulled last night. Do that again and I'll strap all three of you down until you're old enough to drink." Dr. Hyde said.
"That won't happen again, ma'am." Maloof said sheepishly. Guardian sunk back under Maloof's bed and Mikhail stared at his feet, blushing slightly.
"See to it that it doesn't." Dr Hyde said, patting Mikhail on the shoulder as she walked out.
"She's kinda scary…" Maloof said. Mikhail nodded and Guardian gave a short bark of agreement. Mikhail smiled and took a seat next to Maloof. It was apparent by the dullness in his eyes that Maloof was still in some pain.
"You are hurting, yes?" Mikhail asked.
"She gave me some more medicine. It'll kick in in a few minutes." Maloof said.
"I bring you something to help…" Mikhail said. He took an object wrapped in cloth out of his pocket and handed it to Maloof. Maloof unwrapped it carefully to reveal the fang that Mikhail had ripped from the mouth of one of the tigers that had attempted to take his life.
But it was different. The rough edges from where it had been ripped out were now completely smooth. It had been polished to a smooth finish and had a fresh coat of lacquer that made it shine. It was attached to a thin strip of black leather by an intricate series of delicate metal spirals that wrapped around it.
"Wow, Mikhail...this is incredible…" Maloof said.
"Kitty and Franke designed it, Jt craft it into necklace. Is good luck charm. It bring you strength and keep you safe. Also, looks very cool. Would not want to mess with someone wearing that." Mikhail chuckled. Maloof laughed.
"Speaking of messing with people, wait until I tell you what went on yesterday with big ear boy Benny, bully Bobby, cheerleader boy Clem, Canadian friend Chops, and cowboy friend Jt…" Mikhail began.
----------------
Psi-Proverbs:
"Mikhail know that woman only good for one thing; wrestling." –Mikhail Bulgakov
-----------------
As soon as Dr. Hyde shut the door to Maloof's room, she ran into the nearest bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She walked back out calmly, the water still dripping down her face.
"Um, are you alright, ma'am?" A nearby nurse inquired.
"No. I'm obviously going mad." Dr. Hyde said.
"Is this about the thing with Agent Nein? Don't worry, ma'am. There has to be an explanation for his incredible healing rate. You'll figure it out." The nurse asked.
"It's not just Nein. Maloof Canola is also healing at an accelerated rate, as is Quentin Hedgemouse. Not nearly as dramatically, but it's still strange." Dr. Hyde said. The nurse paused and stared at her.
"Maybe we're all going insane." The nurse muttered.
"At this point, that wouldn't surprise me." Dr. Hyde muttered.
"Wait a second…maybe not…" The nurse said. Dr. Hyde turned to face him.
"We have a common link between the lot of them. All of them were from Whispering Rock and all of them were attacked by the same terrorist group." The nurse said.
"In that case, it looks like all my other Whispering Rock patients will be getting x-rays as well." Dr. Hyde said.
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Psi-Proverbs:
"You have the insanity of a manatee!" -Dr. Caligusto Loboto, DDS
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"I don't know what you're talking about." Vernon said.
"Please, baby, calm down. We just want to sit down and talk. That's all, I swear it." Milla said.
"Milla doesn't lie. We are here purely to talk, Vernon." Sasha said.
"Just hear us out?" Ford said. Vernon never let his eyes leave the three adults as he led them over to the table. Calmly, they all sat down. Vernon positioned himself across the table from the others with Lucy on his lap. Sasha picked up Vernon's trig textbook and examined it. Vernon mentally kicked himself for leaving it in plain view.
"Trig at age 13…and it appears that you excel in it. That is very impressive, Vernon." Sasha said.
"Vernon, have you ever taken an IQ test?" Ford asked.
"Why?" Vernon asked.
"Because, Vernon, we believe that your intelligence levels are advanced far beyond your years. Your mental capacities are those of a genius." Sasha said. He lowered his sunglasses to look Vernon in the eyes carefully. Those intense cerulean orbs…they saw everything…Vernon couldn't look away.
"But…I don't have to tell you that, do I? You already know." Sasha said. Vernon swallowed thickly.
"And yes, Vernon. We know about your sister's unique abilities as well. It's why we need to speak with you. She has some abilities that neither of you may be aware of." Sasha said.
-------------------------------------------
Psi-Proverbs:
"YOU TREE SITTER!" Lilith "Lili" Zanotto
----------------------------------
"I'm going to release you from my paralyzing spell, because I'm not going to give you a reason to scream. All I want to do is talk. Do you understand?" Loboto said. Quentin managed a weak nod and Loboto released him.
"Why do you want to talk to me?" Quentin asked, poised to either defend himself or flee.
"Because, we have a lot in common." Loboto said. He untied the white sash around his waist and slipped the robe off of his shoulders to reveal a small tattoo between his shoulder blades. A shield with a wave imprinted on it. Quentin's eyes widened.
"I am one of the guardians chosen to protect the Nobles, just like you. I am the Sheild of Galochio. You bare the mark of the molten blade, do you not?" Loboto asked. Quentin smiled. With a sigh of relief, Quentin relaxed.
"Yes. I'm the one you're looking for. I am the Sword of Aquato." Quentin said, pulling up his shirt to reveal a tattoo between his shoulder blades of a sword bathed in flame. Loboto smiled softly and put a hand on Quentin's shoulder.
"I've been looking for you for a long time. Ever since your parents were killed…" Loboto said softly.
"Why didn't you say something when you kidnapped me and stole my brain? And didn't you fall from the top of the asylum?" Quentin asked. Loboto hung his head.
"I wasn't myself. That Areono witch Renka put a spell on me to sabotage my search for the Galochio Noble and the guardians. I was brainwashed. Somehow, I survived the fall from the top of the asylum. Makiri, the Archeleo shaman, had been searching for me ever since I stopped contacting her two years ago. She suspected foul play. I was incapacitated, so she was finally able to catch up to me. She broke the spell on me and nursed me back to health." Loboto said.
"Do you know where the other guardians are? I'm only the sword of Aquato. I have no idea who is to act as the shield." Quentin said.
"The shield of Aquato is dead. The Areono's killed her because she took a man of their clan as her mate." Loboto said sadly.
"But hope is not lost. She had a son who's power is neutral. He is even younger than you, but we think that he might be able to take her place if you can teach him to use his powers." He added.
"I can do that. Where is he?" Quentin asked. Loboto hung his head.
"We believe that the Areono clan is holding him captive. My partner, Crispin, the Sword of Galochio is working to free him even as we speak." Loboto assured him.
---------------------------------------------
Intelligent, Compassionate, Determined, and Experienced; SashaNeinWEMillaVodelloAREMorceauOleanderPSYCHONAUTSFordCruller
Loyalties and Where They Lie
--------------------------------------------
"W-what do you want?" Vernon asked, holding Lucy close to him.
"Relax, darling. Like I said, we only want to talk." Milla assured him.
"Why don't you tell us about the unique powers that you know about that Lucy possesses?" Ford said.
"Don't worry, darling. Nothing you say will leave this room. It will stay between us." Milla said. It was no use. Vernon knew that he had been caught. Milla, Sasha, Ford, and Morry would find out what they wanted to know one way or another. He might as well cooperate so there was no need for them to go snooping around his family and making any other unwelcome revelations. He drew a deep breath.
"Well, she's really strong with telepathy. She always has been ever since she was a baby…and her voice…" Vernon said.
"What about it?" Milla asked.
"When she's upset, her voice…hurts…" Vernon said.
"Could you give us an example, darling, to help us understand?" Milla asked.
"Well, this one time, Lucy was at the park playing and I was getting her an ice cream. Then, there was this really big, mean dog and it was chasing her. I was all the way across the park when she screamed. I…I can't remember what happened…I heard her scream for me to help her…my head hurt so much I though I was going to scream…then the next thing I remember is standing over the dog…" Vernon said, trembling slightly and going pale. His monotone was breaking.
"I had a bloody baseball bat in my hands and the dog's skull was smashed in…it was dead…I-I know it was me who killed it..." Vernon said. He took a deep breath and slipped back into his monotone.
"And that's why we got our dog, Lady, to protect us in case that ever happened again, but when our mother and father split up, our mother didn't want Lady and our father didn't want Lady, so our grandparents in the Philippines took her in so that we could still see her and so she didn't go to the pound." Vernon explained. Milla frowned slightly. Something about that last part didn't sit well with her
"That makes sense." Sasha said to Milla.
"Yes, it looks like you were right, Milla." Ford said.
"Vernon, do you find yourself feeling constantly weary, especially around your sister?" Sasha asked. Vernon shrugged.
"Now that you mention it…I kinda did notice that…" Vernon said.
"Vernon, you have done a remarkable job coping with your sister's remarkable and unique powers, though it doesn't seem that you are quite certain about whether or not you're dealing with them properly." Ford said. Vernon nodded.
"Well, Lucy actually has a very rare type of psyche. What you've experienced with Lucy was not telepathy, and I can explain to you why her voice has such a strange effect on you." Ford said.
"W-what is it?" Vernon asked, hugging Lucy anxiously.
"Lucy has an extremely rare type of psyche called a parasitical psyche. There are an estimated one in one billion psychics with such abilities; most of which, due to the nature of their condition, die in the womb or during their first year of life. The advanced telepathy she seems to possess isn't actually telepathy. When her eyes flash, you know what she's thinking and feeling. It's how she communicates with you. What she's really doing is breaking into your psyche with her own and planting subliminal commands or messages in your mind." Ford explained.
"Neither of you may be aware of it, but she is, in essence, controlling you." Sasha said. Vernon only stared at Sasha.
"As for what you said about her voice, your psyche is very used to her presence. Your mind recognizes her psyche as a part of your own psyche. She became distressed when the dog attacked her. She sent a command to your psyche to help her. Your psyche made your body react the same way it would react as if you yourself were in danger. You were overloaded. Basically, she overrode your reaction. You blacked out because that is not a natural way to react. Something in your mind and body knew that, and couldn't explain it, so you forgot it. You went into a shock of some sort." Sasha said.
"The bond is even stronger since you are so close to her as a brother. The effect could have been multiplied because you may share a maternal and/or paternal type bond with her as well. Take penguins, for instance. Every baby has a unique call that its parents recognize it by. Each psychic child had a unique frequency of energy that its parents recognize. When the parents hear their baby's cry, their instinct is to find it and protect it. In closely knit families, such a response can be so strong that it causes the parents to react on pure instinct. All logic leaves them and their only priority is to protect the child at all costs. When such a thing occurs, the parents usually won't remember the incident." Milla explained.
"That makes a lot of sense…" Vernon said.
"But this is why it is so important that you know about this; every time she violates your mind, she hurts you. I'm sure that she doesn't mean to, but she's damaging your psyche a little more every time she invades it. She depends on you, much like a leech, forgive the unbecoming analogy." Sasha said.
"She's feeding off of your energy and slowly manipulating your psyche to benefit her. I'm not trying to scare you, son, but if this continues, any traces of your free will and personality will be erased from your psyche. You will be her puppet, acting just the way she wants you to." Ford explained.
"She has already eliminated all censors in your mind, giving you the condition known as CDD; Censor Deficit Disorder. It is actually partially responsible for your extraordinary level of intelligence. It permits anything to enter your mind. You were born a genius, I can tell by the architecture of your mindscape. An enormous library where every little detail that you know is documented automatically. The most extraordinary thing I've ever seen. But, it also permits harmful things to enter your mind and makes you very prone to developing mental problems." Sasha explained. Lucy gasped and whimpered, jumping off of Vernon's lap and backing away from him.
"Oh, darling, please! Don't be like that! We can help you!" Milla said.
"You can?" Vernon asked.
"I believe so. Like we said, this condition is very rare, but I believe that I can develop a way to 'wean', for lack of a better term, her psyche from yours and help her develop a self sufficient psyche that can function independently." Sasha said.
"I think I may also be able to reverse some of the damage to your psyche. Your range of emotions may be improved and you'll have more energy." Sasha said. Milla held up her hand, still staring hard at the two children.
"There's more, Sasha. There's more to this than what we are seeing…" Milla said softly.
"What do you mean, Milla?" Ford asked. Milla got up and walked over to Vernon. She knelt in front of him and gripped his shoulders lightly, never letting her eyes leave his.
"Vernon…you are having some problems at home, aren't you?" Milla said. Vernon froze and paled dramatically.
---------------------------
Psi-Proverbs:
"I have the brain of a little girl…" –Coach/Agent Morceau "Morry" Oleander
-----------------------------
"So…the four nobles…Do you know who they are yet?" Quentin asked.
"Well, so far, only two of the Nobles have been fully established. The Noble Prince Arid of the Areono Clan, age 25, and the Noble Prince Onyx of the Archeleo Clan, age 25." Loboto explained.
"What of the Galochio Noble and the Aquato Noble?" Quentin asked.
"I don't know. I have heard disturbing rumors that both of them were killed by Areono mercenaries. I know that the shaman of the Galochio clan and the shaman of the Aquato clan were both killed by them." Loboto said sadly. "But the Nobles must have survived if both you and I have been seeing one another in our dreams. Not to mention that the gypsies are growing restless. They feel the calling of their homelands, beckoning them to gather. That can only mean one thing…"
"If we, the Guardians, have been seeing each other in our dreams and seeking each other out…that means that the time of the coronation of another Noble is near." Quentin finished.
"Since it's you that I was so driven to find, that must mean that the powers of the Aquato Noble have been awakened." Loboto said.
"Yes. The Aquato Noble is still alive. You've even encountered him yourself while you were under Renka's spell." Quentin said. Loboto buried his face in his hands.
"I have disgraced a Noble in my time of weakness…" He muttered.
"Do you remember the boy with the red goggles?" Quentin asked. Loboto gasped.
"I should have known when I saw those eyes…like firelight gleaming through an emerald…." Loboto said. "But his hair…"
"Hasn't changed yet because he has only just unlocked his powers a few days ago. His name is Razputin Aquato, son of the Aquato Shaman Silvia Aquato. He's been under my nose for two years now. I was so absorbed in how to find him that I didn't realize that he has been within arm's reach. I didn't figure out it was him until I heard how Adran reacted to a tattoo on his back. I couldn't go to him because we both were injured and we were separated." Quentin said.
"Then you know where he is?" Loboto asked hopefully.
"No. I'm afraid not. From what I heard, he was badly wounded by Adran a few days ago and his family disappeared with him." Quentin explained, ashamed of himself.
"Then there is only one place he could possibly be going…" Loboto said.
"He must be headed to his homeland to be among his people where he can heal and grow stronger…But his mother, Lady Silvia is dead…he'll need someone to guide him through his training…" Quentin said.
"Your father trained you in the ways of an Aquato guardian. Did you complete the training?" Loboto asked.
"Yes, I did." Quentin said.
"And you say you know him already. I think that you would make a good teacher to him." Loboto said.
"I could guide Razputin and the young Sheild of Aquato at the same time…We'll get to know each other and gain each other's trust." Quentin said. Loboto nodded.
"And the Galochio Noble?" Quentin asked. Loboto sighed.
"I'm still seeking him or her out. The Areono's are also seeking the Galochio Noble. That's why I have separated myself from the Sword of Galochio. The balance must be maintained. Each clan must have their Noble, and each Noble must have two guardians; the shield and the sword. We must free the Shield of Aquato from the Areono's and find the Galochio Noble before the Areono's do; because if we don't…" Loboto said.
"The balance will tip and the Areono clan will gain rule over the four clans." Quentin said.
"So, we have a mutual understanding." Loboto said. Quentin nodded.
"And a mutual goal." Quentin added.
"So, what will you do?" Loboto asked.
"I will seek out Prince Razputin and take my place at his side between him and anyone who would do him harm. I will be everything he needs me to be. A friend, a guide, and a weapon to set against his enemies." Quentin said. Loboto smiled.
"You're a guardian alright. Well, then…you'll be needing a few things." Loboto said.
"Such as?" Quentin asked.
"Your sacred uniform, for starters." Loboto said.
"But where will I find…" Quentin began.
"Don't worry. I have everything you need. Your parents had everything prepared for you, just in case they didn't survive to see the day you became a guardian. They gave everything that you would need to your aunt and uncle. I had a feeling that they would withhold it from you, so I snuck into their home and…liberated…the items in question." Loboto said. "Whenever you're ready, I can perform the ceremony to officially christen you a guardian and give them to you."
Quentin stared hard at the ground. He knew what must be done.
"Tomorrow night. I'll meet you in Heaven's Glade tomorrow night." Quentin said.
-----------------------------------
Intelligent, Compassionate, Determined, and Experienced; SashaNeinWEMillaVodelloAREMorceauOleanderPSYCHONAUTSFordCruller
Loyalties and Where They Lie
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"Milla, what brought this about?" Sasha asked.
"Haven't you ever noticed that he never talks about his parents? Also, wouldn't Mr. and Mrs. Tripe have noticed that there was something different about their daughter? A five year old, even a shy one would be speaking fluently by now. And just a while ago…when Vernon referred to his parents…he referred to them as 'our mother' and 'our father' without a second thought…Like there was no warmth between them. Why refer to them like that? It's not normal." Milla said.
"Now that you mention it…when I called Mr. and Mrs. Tripe, I found it odd…their lack of interest in what I had to say…" Ford said.
"You told them?" Vernon choked.
"Darling, is there something going on at your home that you don't like?" Milla asked softly. Vernon refused to make eye contact with her and he was beginning to tremble.
"Please, baby…talk to me…" Milla said. "You know you can trust me with anything, baby…Sasha and Ford too. The whole reason I joined the Psychonauts was to help children. I can tell just by the look in your eyes that I'm right. Something is going on at your house that isn't right." Milla said. Vernon remained frozen in his seat, his eyes glued to the floor.
"I already know that something's wrong, Vernon. We can help you. We can protect you. Why don't you tell us exactly what's going on? It'll make things so much easier. Darling, if you don't tell us, we'll hold an investigation and find out." Milla said.
"What is it Vernon? Are your parents involved with drugs?" Milla said. Vernon shook his head hesitantly, but at least it was a response.
"Alcohol?" Milla asked. Vernon shook his head.
"Vernon, are you being abused?" Milla asked. Vernon couldn't seem to decide.
"Have your parents ever hit you or Lucy?" Milla asked. Vernon's trembling got worse. Tears sprung to his eyes. Milla suddenly got an overwhelming feeling of fear. Several images flashed before her eyes. There fleeting flash of a hand coming at her, a jumbled flash of falling, a flash of white, and then a flash of car headlights.
"Oh, my god…" Milla whispered. "That's it, isn't it, baby?"
"No!" Vernon choked. "No, He didn't mean to!"
"Vernon, I think you and I both know that he did." Milla said.
"He didn't mean to hit me that hard!" Vernon cried. He knew at that moment that it was all over now. He was now at the mercy of his camp counselors.
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Intelligent, Compassionate, Determined, and Experienced; SashaNeinWEMillaVodelloAREMorceauOleanderPSYCHONAUTSFordCruller
Loyalties and Where They Lie
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Omigosh you guys! Have you heard about the Psychonauts Fanfiction Grammies? I just got the message today! Squee! Sounds like fun! It's being run by some of the best authoress' in our little fandom; Digitaldreamer, Miss Trippy, PyroMadz, and lovova. I believe that Lovova came up with the idea for it. Kudos to her! This is gonna be fun!
There are 28 categories (o dats a lot!), and if you want to vote, just fill out the form posted on the forum 'Psychonauts Fanfiction Grammies' (duh!) and send it to Digitaldreamer.
I don't know how I'm ever going to choose which fic to pick for what…wah! It's so hard! There are so many good ones out there! Then again, there are some categories for which I knew what to pick right away.
So, if you're sitting in front of your computer reading this message and you have an idea for a Psychonauts fic, come on! You can do it! Write it up and throw it into the ring! What have you got to loose? I was nervous about starting this fic, and a spunky opening message to a fic written by my spunky friend hotcrosspigeon inspired me to say 'screw being nervous!' and I got to typing! If I'm doing it, you know it must be easy (unless you're wearing a wrist brace that makes you type 'asdf' every time you go to punch the spacebar, or you're a very slow typer…then, it's a little more difficult, yes.)!
Come, my brothers and sisters! My fellow psychonauts and gypsies! Campers and madmen! Talking turtles and mutant fish! My freakish and deranged friends! Let the spirit of Tim Schafer empower you! Click on that word processor program, crack your fingers, put them in home position on that keyboard and let the words flow from your very soul!
See, like this:
Aksadifhsiadjc aisjefansvihsifjvion vhioufujaief.
Weee! That was fun! It flows like beautiful poetry, no? XD.
Sorry. I couldn't help myself. I'm excited and have nothing better to do.
Also, in light of the Psychonauts Fanfiction Grammies, I will be updating twice as fast as usual; because I've got some chapters already typed up with some serious plot movement!
Also in light of the PFG's, I may be starting to write out a new fanfic idea that I've been sitting on for quite a while now. This one is SUPPOSED to be an Alternate Universe fic XD! All I'm going to say about it is one word: dance.
That's it. You're going to have to wait until I write out the first chapter to find out anything more. It's going to be disturbahilariatastic!
Happy voting, everyone!
Oh yeah, one final note…for the next two weeks or so, the updates are going to be a little slow. My sweet sixteen is coming up and my mom is throwing me a surprise party. All I know about it is that it could occur any time and at any place in the next two weeks. Also, I don't know if I told you guys this, but I landed the lead role of Hank the Cowdog in the play Hank the Cowdog. I also have practices for that and I've volunteered to make the costumes. We're actually going to be performing on my birthday! XD! I can't wait! It'll be so much fun! We're performing for a summer reading program, and their theme this year is westerns, so I get to read a cowboy book to the little ones and then our drama group goes on to perform.
So, until after July 19, things are going to be a little slow. After that, well, I hope to update at least once every three days.
Oh, and be a dear and leave a review on the way out, would you? baibaiz!
