xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Hemlock, 6:01 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As Bernard and his pets stood by, the two apprentice crafters, Need and Pin, were working on Bernard's custom snowman golem. Finishing up, the duo completed making the physical form of the small golem with a round body with an equally rounded head, a pair of stick-like arms with a pair of small nubs at the end and a pair of thin legs of similar wooden material that ended with fake webbed feet. Adding a pair of buttons down its front and a festive green and red bow with a yellow bell around the neck area, the duo completed the snowman by placing a carrot and two lumps of coal on the top part and formed a face in the snow before placing a small little celebratory cone hat that matched the bow in color on it.
"I think that will do it." Need said with a smile on his face as he took his finger and formed a small smile on the snowman's face.
"Have to admit. Your work sucks." Pin said as Need made a confused expression towards his fellow crafter. "But this is not too shabby." He continued with a smug look on his face.
"Oh, go to hell..." Need said whilst glaring at Pin. "So, how's it look to you?" He asked towards Bernard as the beanie sporting wizard approached.
"Forget what he said, this is actually pretty impressive." Bernard said as Corvus took flight next to him.
"The handiwork is well done." Corvus said, mildly impressed as Vulp nodded in agreement.
"Thank you!" Need said in an appreciative tone. "See, that's what being "polite" looks like." He said towards his fellow apprentice crafter.
"Now then... The finishing touch." Pin said, ignoring the insulting comment as he and Need placed their hands on top of the head of the snowman. "So, what are you looking for in terms of a personality for this thing? Moody, cheerful, easily agitated?" He questioned towards Bernard.
"Hmmmm..." Bernard mumbled as he rubbed his chin for a moment to think. "How about the personality you guys had on the first one?" He said as the two crafters raised their eyebrows.
"You sure? We could do something more interesting than that. How about we put a super strange one on it, like a guy who goes "oh yeah" after every candy bar he eats." Need suggested.
"...That's an odd suggestion. Who'd care about a dude with a personality like that?" Corvus said as he and Vulp made odd faces at one another.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx In Another Universe, 10:00 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A husky framed man with messy brown hair and a beard with no mustache wearing a shirt that said "L.T.P.S." over a black T-shirt with a flaming design, an orange short sleeved button up with white leaf prints all over it, brown cargo shorts, brown sneakers and high white socks, was standing inside the living room of a large and abandoned mansion as three people consisting of a teenage boy, a young girl and a woman were in front of him, unconscious on a couch. Next to him, a floating tablet with a face on its screen was looking at the trio of sleeping individuals with worry before the husky framed man took out a candy bar from his pocket and took a bite of it.
"Oh yeah!" The husky framed man said loudly with a smile on his face.
"Izzzz now the time for this?!" The floating tablet said with an agitated tone towards the husky framed man, startling him as he dropped his candy bar on the floor.
"...Woops..." The husky framed man said with a bashful tone before picking up the candy bar and taking a small bite of it again. "...Oh yeah..." He muttered quietly as the face on the tablet was glaring at him.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Hemlock, 6:01 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
After a few minutes of generating magic into the snowman, their bodies glowing with slight auras to signify it, Pin and Need backed away as the snowman begun to move its wooden stick arms. Moving its head left and right before hopping forward off the counter and standing, the snowman smiled while looking at everyone.
"Hello!" The snowman said with a child-like male voice. "How are you?" He said with a cheerful tone.
"Thing's got a brain now." Corvus commented as Need and Pin looked at each other with smiles.
"Another successful golem!" Pin said with a smug tone.
"I do say, good show!" Need said as the two apprentice crafters slapped each other on the back in a congratulatory manner.
"...You do remember you lost the first one, right?" Bernard said as the two apprentice crafters suddenly lost their composure and looked at Bernard with embarrassed expressions forming.
"It's still his fault!" Pin said as he pointed at the taller of the duo.
"Stop acting like it wasn't both of our faults, you dipshit!" Need screamed defensively.
"...I wonder if this place makes money if the store owner hired these two to run it when he's not around..." Bernard said as he knelt down and whispered to the Celestial Spirits, Corvus and Vulp nodding in agreeance.
"Hi there, mister!" The snowman said as he approached Bernard as he looked at him while still kneeling.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Bernard." Bernard replied casually. "This is Corvus and Vulp." He said, introducing the Celestial Spirits.
"I'm- oh..." The snowman said before cutting himself off. "I... Don't have a name..." He said with a sad tone forming in his voice.
"Which one of you two want to play "parent" and give this pile of solid water a name?" Corvus said towards the crafters to no avail as they were still arguing with each other. "...And I'm being ignored... Fantastic..." The crow said with a bothered tone as Bernard scratched his face for a brief moment.
"Want one?" Bernard said as the snowman tilted his head back up to look at him. "It has the personality of one, so it probably thinks like a little kid too." He thought as he started to try and think of a name.
"Yeah! Yeah!" The snowman said happily as he started hopping up and down.
"How about "Snowballs" or "Frostynuts?"' Corvus said with a smirk, not making a serious suggestion.
"No." Bernard said sternly as the snowman and Vulp made a confused expression in response. "Snow... Snow... How about..." He thought before a name came into his head. 'Flurry?"' Bernard said as everyone looked at him.
"Huh." Pin said.
"Not bad." Need said.
"Flurry!" Flurry said with a happy tone as he enjoyed being named.
"I would have gone with something funnier." Corvus commented as Bernard rolled his eyes.
Suddenly, another thunder strike rang out outside from the rainfall that startled everyone slightly until Bernard looked over and noticed Flurry was beginning to shake in a horrified manner. Panicking, the little snowman was beginning to toss and turn around in different directions before rushing towards the back of the store in fear.
"Oh no, not again!" Need said with annoyance.
"Sorry about that, we'll go grab the little thing and-" Pin said before Bernard raised his hand to cut him off whilst standing back up.
"Hold on, I'll go check on him." Bernard said as he walked to the back with the Celestial Spirits following him. "Flurry?" He said as he passed by the shelves of motionless dolls and golems until he saw the snowman golem cowering in the corner.
"Eeeghh..." Flurry muttered in a saddened tone with his twig-like hands on both sides of his round head. "No boom... No boom..." He said with a scared tone.
"Doesn't like thunder." Corvus said as Vulp looked at the snowman with a concerned look in his eyes.
"Hey." Bernard said as he approached the snowman and knelt down, catching the attention of the snowman golem. "You don't like the loud noise, huh?" He asked as Flurry nodded multiple times to answer. "Why?" Bernard questioned.
"Thunder means rain... Rain means melting..." Lil' Flurry said as Bernard bit his lip.
"The first one of him melted in the rain... Hmmmm... I wonder." Bernard thought as an idea formed in his head before reaching into his pocket and taking out the money he was going to use to pay for Flurry's creation. "Vulp, hand this to those two at the counter." He said as Vulp opened his mouth and proceeded to walk back over to the front of the store. "Flurry, I'm going to help you with the rain." Bernard said as he started to crack his knuckles with the little snowman and the crow Celestial Spirit looking at him with surprise.
"What are you going to do?" Corvus asked as Flurry stared at Bernard.
"Flurry is made of a substance, namely an element." Bernard said as he started to radiate some of his magical energy. "I wonder... If my magic could affect Baurs to the point of her gaining more control of her body. I wonder if I can do the same for Flurry." He said as he placed his hands on the sides of Flurry's head.
Discharging magic into the snowman golems body, Flurry looked around in surprise as he suddenly felt energy entering into his small form. With Bernard extending a hand as he stood up, Flurry grabbed Bernards hand with one of his twig arms as he walked with him back to the front, meeting back up with the crafters.
"Everything good with it?" Pin asked as he looked over the counter at the snowman golem him and his fellow apprentice made.
"About to find out." Bernard said as he looked outside. "And it's "him."' He said with half-closed eyes towards the crafters, correcting them.
"Hope this works..." Corvus thought nervously as Bernard walked with Flurry towards the front door with him and Vulp following behind.
Opening the door with the rain still coming down, the scared snowman tried to turn away in fear of melting in the rain before Bernard looked down at him with a serious look in his eyes. With the two of them stepping out into the rain, Flurry was shocked as he felt the rain touching his snow body, not a single speck of the snow that held his form and consciousness together falling off of him.
"I-I!" Flurry said as Bernard let go of his twig arm, allowing him to walk around outside. "I'm not melting! I'm safe!" He said with a happy tone as he started hopping up and down in joy.
"Awesome!" Bernard exclaimed in happiness over his theory working.
"Hey... Look." Pin said with a surprised look on his face.
"The golem... It's not melting." Need said with equal bewilderment.
"Nice job, kid." Corvus said as Vulp approached Bernard and started rubbing his head against Bernard's knee.
"There was a chance it wasn't going to work but hey, at least he's fine." Bernard said as everyone looked at Flurry jumping into a puddle and splashing his feet.
"Haha!" Flurry exclaimed in glee. "I can move in the rain! I can- ah..." The snowman golem said until something smacked him directly on his carrot nose.
With his point of his nose piercing it, Flurry looked at the carrot on his face in surprise as a random piece of paper was stuck on him. Reaching his twig arms towards the carrot, Flurry tried to grab the paper to get it off of him until suddenly, another piece of trash in the form of a soda can came flying through the air and hit him, knocking him over onto his rear with smaller, wind propelled garbage continued to fly over and lodge into his snow body.
"Erh..." Flurry said with an upset tone as Bernard and the Celestial Spirits looked at the snowman golem with exasperated expressions on their faces.
"...You probably shouldn't have gone with such a kiddy personality on this thing." Corvus said as Bernard put a hand on his head.
"I thought it made sense to have it have a kid-like personality to entertain kids..." Bernard said with a bothered look on his face before reaching into his pocket and pulling out one of his blank Capture Pins. "Flurry." He said as he approached the golem.
"I'm dirty..." Flurry said with an upset tone as Bernard picked up the golem with his hands and carried him back over to the store, placing him in-between Corvus and Vulp on the ground.
"Corvus, Vulp. A hand?" Bernard said towards the Celestial Spirits as they both started to pluck some of the trash out of Flurry's body. "Flurry, this is a Capture Pin. It's going to hold you in a suspended space until I call you out. That way, no more trash will pelt you, understand? Once the rain is over, I'll let you out to play." He said as Flurry looked at Bernard.
"Okay, mister." Flurry said as he looked at Bernard.
"You can just call me Bernard." Bernard said with a sincere smile as he placed his pin on Flurry's head.
A magic circle forming beneath Flurry's body, the snowman golem disappeared in a series of magical particles as the pin changed from a blank white one to one of white, green and red. With a sigh, Bernard placed the pin into his beanie and had now gained another member of his collection of magical creatures.
"Congrats, kid. Now you have another kid to worry about but at least this one doesn't reek of sweat." Corvus said with a smirk.
"Looks like it..." Bernard commented before looking at the apprentice crafters one last time. "Gentlemen..." He said with a wave of his hand as the Celestial Spirits followed him outside, walking away from the crafting business.
"We should invest in another umbrella." Corvus said as he put his wings over his head with Vulp doing the same with tail.
"I just spent the last of the money I had on hand..." Bernard said with a bothered tone. "I just wished it would stop raining..." He thought as he did the same as the Celestial Spirits with his hands.
"Need a hand with that?" A male voice said as Bernard, Corvus and Vulp turned their heads to the left.
Looking over, the trio was suddenly caught off-guard by the sight of a small man standing next to them, dressed in a long brown trench coat, matching brown fedora hat and a clearly fake black handlebar mustache on his face. Smiling at them, the man waved his hand slightly through the air with a green magic aura around his body as what appeared to be a panel of green glass formed over everyone.
"What the?" Corvus said in confusion as everyone looked up at the cover they now had from the rain.
"Man, this magic I got awhile back has been super useful." The small man with a fake moustache said.
'"Magic I got awhile-" wait... This panel..." Bernard thought as he looked at the small man. "...Warwick?" He said as the small man removed his moustache, revealing himself to be Warwick, the S-class wizard of Psycho Circus.
"How you been, Bernie?" Warwick said as the trio stared at him in surprise.
'"Oh no..."' Bernard and Corvus thought simultaneously.
Motioning for them to follow him, Bernard and his pets followed the short and perverse swordsman down the street with the panel overhead protecting them from the rain. Reaching a bench, Warwick conjured another glass panel over it to shield them and then pulled out a tissue to clean off the water that was on it so they wouldn't sit on a wet bench.
"That outta do it." Warwick said casually as he finished cleaning and prompted for Bernard to sit.
"Warwick in Hemlock... I can't even..." Bernard thought as he sat down on the bench with Vulp hopping up to join him and Corvus flying onto the armrest next to where he was seated.
"Man, have I missed this place." Warwick said as he removed his fedora and sat down, Vulp separating Bernard from being any closer to the S-class wizard. "Calm down, poochie. Ain't here to kick butt today." He said with a smirk on his face.
"More like he's here to "grab butt."' Corvus commented as Warwick looked at the crow.
"Now that is something I can get behind but every good man with a passion for women needs a break." Warwick said.
"What's with the getup?" Bernard questioned as Warwick looked at him.
"I'm only allowed in the red-light district in this town now. Can't walk around and go "grocery shopping" over there... Among other things I'm in town for, might I add." Warwick explained.
"Can't get food in the brothels? Thought they made meals at those places?" Bernard said with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm not gonna lie, I enjoy the steak and potatoes they serve at "De Buit es Enorm" but I can only take so much aphrodisiac in the food." Warwick said while crossing one of his legs over the other.
"Great name for a bordello restaurant..." Corvus said with a slight nod and a mildly impressed expression.
"So, you can't walk around the other parts of town without a disguise?" Bernard questioned. "Course a perverted guy like you owns a trench coat..." He thought while looking at Warwick's attire.
"Bingo." Warwick replied. "But I'm not complaining." He said with a shrug. "What're you doing out and about? Figured you'd be doing the same schtick you normally do at the guildhall." Warwick said as Bernard bit his lip and looked away.
"...Probably shouldn't have asked that." Corvus said as Vulp looked at Bernard, seeing his visibly upset expression.
"Something happen?" Warwick asked.
"...I... Was replaced..." Bernard said, revealing what happened earlier that day.
"Huh?" Warwick muttered in confusion.
"I've been fired and my future reading, board game playing, cane weapons wielding nutcase of a mother took my job and my bizarre, poor joke telling, "God inside of his own tent," bowling pin shaped weirdo of a father approved it." Bernard said with a headshake as he stared off into space.
"Wow." Warwick said with a casual tone. "Ain't that something." He said.
"Strange how you seem like the most "normal" of the family and that also makes you the "odd one out."' Corvus commented as Vulp glared at the crow Celestial Spirit with annoyance. "...Just saying." He said while putting his wings up defensively.
"You don't know the half of it, birdie." Warwick said with a smirk.
"I'm a crow, you perverted pipsqueak!" Corvus replied in anger.
'"Pot calling the kettle black..."' Bernard thought as he shifted his eyes in Corvus' direction.
"All honesty, if Bernie didn't have that rock keeping himself alive, I bet he would have been just like Alfana." Warwick said as he pointed at Bernard. "She's told me all the time on the nights she had drunken stupors after some depressing clients on how she wished things could have been different." He continued as Bernard made a confused expression before turning towards Warwick.
"...What's that supposed to mean?" Bernard asked out of curiosity.
"Past five years, she's jibber-jabbered on and on whenever she's been intoxicated." Warwick said. "Topic that always comes up that I had to sit through was discussions about how she always wanted to teach you to enjoy board games and how to use a sword like she can." He continued.
"You wield a sword?" Corvus said towards Bernard, catching his attention. "Can't see it with the state of your scrawny arms." He commented as Bernard and Vulp glared at the crow Celestial Spirit once again.
"She also said that she thinks you don't like being a part of the family. Always got super depressing. Nothing's really "sexy" about a "sad sack" girl to me, no matter how shapely she looks under those super frumpy robes she likes to wear." Warwick said as Bernard turned towards him again, his eyes widening.
"Why the heck would she think that? I literally work day in and day out for the sake of the guild and-" Bernard said until Warwick cut him off.
"Not the guild, the family." Warwick reiterated as Bernard closed his mouth. "Entire time she was forced to look after me, three of those years you had the ability to reach out to her for help with the guild and I bet she would have loved to, but you never did. Two years after and you were gone from this place like me, never reached out to your old man. He won't show it, but I bet Barney might have been bothered by it. Probably not as much as her though." He continued as he put his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner. "You reconcile with them like you've done everyone else?" Warwick asked.
"...What?" Bernard replied in confusion.
"Pietro, Camilla, the conjoined twins, everyone else. You came back home after they dragged you back here and let the routine run its course again to help the guild. And you're back in everyone's good graces but not "everyone," not really." Warwick said with a smug look on his face. '"Mommy and daddy" still ain't been stopped to on the "Bernie Good Deeds Reconciliation Tour."' He continued as Bernard just stared at him.
"...She was really that bothered...?" Bernard thought as he took his beanie off his head for a brief moment and began to stare at the guild logo on it. "...Where does that leave you...?" He said while not looking at Warwick. "Was my "good deed" just letting you beat up my pets?" Bernard said as Vulp and Corvus looked at Warwick with hostility.
"Oh, come on, don't be like that. You challenged me, remember? Anything that happened during that scrap we had; just what you asked for." Warwick said, still smirking at Bernard. "But enough about me, what about your folks?" He said as Bernard looked at the short swordsman.
"...Any time I have ever felt the need to want to talk to my father, it came with the concern of him bringing up the second guild master position. And all the stress and responsibility that comes with it on top of the mountain of other things... My mom, I don't know what to expect with her. Sometimes, it's not as easy to talk to them as it is with guys like Anatoli or Marlene with me." Bernard said.
"You say that, but those guys are your family too, aren't they?" Warwick stated as Bernard looked at Warwick. "Didn't people used to call me one of your "uncles" when you were younger?" He said with a joking tone.
"Big baldie said that." Corvus said while looking at Bernard as the beanie sporting wizard put his hands on his face and hunched forward.
"Do not remind me..." Bernard thought in disgust. "Can you just get to the point of why you're bringing this up to me?" He asked with a frustrated tone.
"Alright then, since you insist." Warwick said as he sat up on the bench. "Alfana's reason to coming back to town. Wanna know what it is?" He said as Bernard rolled his eyes.
"I know already. To take away my job for "poor quality control" or whatever." Bernard replied while making air quotes.
"She also said some stuff in there about Psycho Circus being a "family business," you know..." Corvus thought as he and Vulp looked at Bernard.
"Nah." Warwick said bluntly. "She's here because she's planning to oversee your successorship." He said as Bernard raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"...What?" Bernard replied in bewilderment.
"Long as you're show manager and guildhall operator or whatever, you'll never reach the spot where everyone else is wanting you to be." Warwick explained. "The reason she plucked the job from out of your fingers is to make sure you don't have any obstacles in the way from you beginning to understand what your old man does as guild master. " He continued as Bernard silently looked at him, processing his words. "Taking the work away from you was just a means to get the feeling of responsibility off your back a little so you can start doing other things." Warwick said.
"...What the hell is he talking about...?" Bernard thought as he just looked at the smug face of the short trench coat wearing S-class wizard.
"That crazy woman. She's willing to take up being a guildhall manager while simultaneously running a fortune telling business and starting up her own board game company. She must really love you like a parent." Warwick said while shrugging his shoulders whilst Bernard looked at Warwick with wide eyes. "Taking on all those tasks. You see, Barney is probably helping her with some of it. "Guildhall management" completely by yourself is not a super easy task but the fact she's trying to do more just for the family's sake in spite of whatever way you feel about her and Barney. That's dedication to the idea that family means something to her." He said as the Celestial Spirits looked at Bernard.
"Kid?" Corvus said as Bernard just looked at the ground in silence.
"I..." Bernard muttered, struggling to find the words.
"Truth of the matter, now that she's in charge under Barney and you're not willing to take up the mantle of next guild master... She's going to run herself as ragged as you were way back when." Warwick said as he looked away from Bernard.
"...You..." Bernard said while his eyes started darting back and forth.
"Why are you telling us all of this?" Corvus said, speaking up. "All you're doing is getting under his skin." He said angrily as different thoughts ran around inside Bernard's head.
"Because I know this kid." Warwick said as he turned back towards the Celestial Spirits and pointed at Bernard. "If there's one thing that this guy cares about, it's Psycho Circus and its members." He said with a tone of assuredness. "Regardless of her being his mother, she's a member of Psycho Circus. And as such, knowing she's going to be struggling from such a workload... It's not going to sit right with him." Warwick thought.
"...We've got to go." Bernard said as he stood up.
"What? Now?" Corvus said as Corvus took flight and Vulp hopped off the bench, everyone still under the panel preventing the rain from hitting them.
"Yes, "now."' Bernard said as he turned to walk back in the direction of Psycho Circus.
"Hold up." Warwick said as he raised a hand, another glass panel appearing in front of Bernard stopping him and the Celestial Spirits from moving forward.
"Move your knock-off Camilla barriers out of the way, Warwick! I need to get home!" Bernard shouted in a frustrated tone.
"Actually, that's relative." Warwick said as he hopped off the bench, looking upward at Bernard. "Saw a bit of your little help earlier at that ramen shop and at that golem hut." He said as Bernard and the Celestial Spirits looked at him. "Think you might have a moment to do one last deed for the day before you scurry on home?" Warwick continued as Bernard looked at Corvus.
"Want my advice? Just say "piss off, you busts and butts obsessed jerk."' Corvus said towards Bernard as the young man sighed for a brief moment.
"I would like to say that, but the guy was just talking logically for a moment... I should at least hear him out." Bernard thought as he looked at Warwick. "Don't make me regret this... But what is it?" He asked.
Raising his hand and pointing his finger, Warwick made Bernard, Corvus and Vulp shift their attention to a nearby alley that was shrouded in darkness but could faintly see a figure standing inside it and one of Warwick's rain-preventing glass panes floating horizontally overheard within. Approaching footsteps ringing out, Bernard raised an eyebrow as a female figure stepped out from the darkness.
"Bernie, meet Mummita." Warwick said as the figure from the darkness revealed themself, Bernard and the Celestial Spirits dropping their jaws in surprise as they were perplexed by the sight before them.
Stepping out into full view was a blonde woman with a ponytail hairstyle who stood taller than Bernard with dark green skin from head to toe who was missing the middle and ring fingers on her left hand and a massive gaping hole in the center of her stomach where her belly button would be. Physical characteristics aside, she wore an unusual attire that consisted entirely of pinkish-red bandages forming detached sleeves tightly wrapped around her arms up to her shoulders, a strapless top around her large chest made of the same bandages with a black top and bottom part, a dress skirt that reached all the way down to her feet made of bandaging as well with a slit down one side, a black belt around her waist and a pair of open toed shoes with heels. On her face, more bandaging that covered over her mouth and her right eye with Bernard and the Celestial Spirits tilting their heads in visible confusion.
"What the hell...?" Bernard said in response to the person.
"Mummita." Warwick said, catching the green skinned woman's attention. "This is the kid I was telling you about." He said as Bernard looked at Warwick.
'"Mummita?"' Bernard thought with a bizarre expression on his face as he shifted his eyes up and down.
Tilting her head forward slightly like she was nodding to say hello, Bernard scratched the back of his head, still bewildered by Mummita's presence as he turned towards Warwick, bending down to speak to him.
"Who is this?" Bernard questioned. "And why does she look like she's undead...?" He thought.
"This is Mummita... She's a mummy." Warwick said as he walked over to Mummita and placed a hand on her leg, the mummy lady nodding towards Bernard once again.
'"A what?"' Bernard and Corvus said as they and Vulp looked on in bewilderment.
"Are you paying attention? I just said she's a mummy. As in "a revived person wrapped all over."' Warwick said with an annoyed face.
"She's a corpse?!" Corvus thought in shock with Bernard standing back up.
"...Where did you find this?" Bernard said in disbelief as Mummita looked at Bernard with an offended look in her eye that Bernard noticed. "...Sorry, miss..." He said apologetically as her gaze softened slightly. "Uhhhh... Warwick... Explain, please?" Bernard asked.
"Been in town for four days now, popped by an antiques shop in disguise. Heard from the store owner about a fancy sarcophagus in the place that had a legit mummy inside it. Lo and behold, cracked the thing open and out came this wonderfully shapely individual." Warwick said with a smirk on his face as he looked at Mummita with the mummy lady turning her head away, her neck making cracking noise as she turned it.
"...Ow..." Corvus commented from the noises making everyone wince.
"...Has she been roaming around town...?" Bernard said with a lightly concerned expression forming.
"Not as much as she probably wants to." Warwick said. "You see, I learned from looking at her movements and those noises she makes. She's got a severe case of rigor mortis all over her body from probably centuries of undead sleep. Can't move a damn thing too well." He said as Mummita raised a hand and pointed at Warwick to confirm his words, her arm making cracking noises as well that caused everyone to wince.
"...Ooooof..." Bernard grunted in displeasure from the sounds her body was making.
"Take a look at this." Warwick said as he lifted a hand and grabbed Mummita's left breast. "I know "melons" can be soft and firm, but these things are straight up cannonballs, they're so stiff and hard." He said with a complaintive tone as Mummita noticed him touching her inappropriately.
As he cupped her breast, Bernard and the Celestial Spirits watched on as several of the bandages around her arms, torso and lower half started to move on their own like tentacles and attempted to swat away Warwick to no avail as he backflipped away from their reach into the rain. Briefly, Bernard noticed some elements of exposed bone from underneath her cloth, further proof of her corpse-like state.
"Whoa, magic cloth." Corvus commented as Bernard looked at Mummita as she turned her attention towards Bernard, prompting the boy to wince before Vulp got in front of him in a protective manner, gritting his teeth at the mummy lady.
"Easy! Easy!" Warwick exclaimed, grabbing everyone's attention. "She's not here to fight anyone. Apologies, just trying to give an example." He said as Mummita's tentacle-like cloths proceeded to rewrap themselves around her body before glancing at Bernard and the others with an apologetic look in her eye. "You see, on top of the issues she's got going on with the rigor mortis, she's also got no senses here and here.' Warwick continued as he pointed a finger at his opposite hand and then at his own tongue.
"She can't feel anything?" Bernard replied.
"Precisely." Warwick said as he walked back under the panel to escape the rain. "Can't touch, smell or taste. She can see and hear just fine though so it's not like she's completely lost." He said further. "This is where you come in, Bernie." Warwick said as Bernard raised an eyebrow.
"What do you want me to do?" Bernard thought with a confused look in his eyes.
"Your magical energy affects non-human things, yeah?" Warwick questioned. "Elementals, ghosts, golems. I figured your power just might be the thing to help Mummita get some "life" back in her." He said while folding his arms as Mummita stared at Bernard, the still bewildered beanie sporting wizard unsure of what was happening.
"...You want me to give her some of my energy and see if it works to give her back some of her sensations?" Bernard said with a confused voice.
"Just to see if it works and helps her." Warwick said as Mummita continued to look at him.
"...Mummita..." Bernard said towards the mummy lady. "...Are you really not able to taste anything? Or feel anything physically?" He asked as Mummita nodded in response to his question with her neck making noises with each movement. "Okay, I might actually try and help her just to see if it stops those sounds from happening. It's so unnerving..." Bernard thought while wincing once again.
"How long has this day been? It's past dinner time!" Corvus thought, thinking about the time.
Bernard, an awkward expression on his face, proceeded to slowly approach the undead mummy lady, standing in front of her as she stood completely still whilst looking at him. Placing both of his hands on her shoulders, he let loose his magical aura of energy and proceeded to discharge it, moving it into her body in attempt to see if it was possible to help her. After a few seconds of releasing his power, Bernard backed away from Mummita with an uneasy expression on his face.
"How you feeling, kid?" Corvus said as Bernard looked back at him.
"A bit tired from today but... How about you?" Bernard replied before turning back to look at Mummita with Warwick staring at her in interest.
With the short swordsman motioning for her to try movement once again, Mummita lifted her left arm as her eye opened wide. Forming a fist and releasing it repeatedly, the mummy lady noticed the lack of cracking sounds and the ease of which she was able to move her body as she started to lift and drop her arms multiple times and then lifted her legs up and down in intervals. In one last showing of whether Bernard was truly successful with restoring her sensations, Mummita breathed in heavily through her nose to see if she could smell anything.
"You good?" Bernard asked as Mummita made an expression under her face wraps that appeared to be content that she could smell until making a face of disgust and placing a hand over her nose. "...Well, it does tend to stink while it's raining, you know?" He said as Warwick chuckled slightly.
"Could just be her. She is a big-boobed corpse with a hole in her stomach." Corvus commented as Mummita raised her arm and sniffed her armpit to make sure it wasn't herself that smelled poorly.
"Well, I'll be damned, you actually pulled it off." Warwick said as Bernard looked at him.
"Can I go now?" Bernard said with an impatient voice as Warwick waved his hand, signaling for him to leave. "Come on... I think I need to talk to someone..." He said as Vulp and Corvus looked at him before starting to jog in the direction of the guildhall.
"You got it, kid." Corvus said as he flew behind Bernard with Vulp trailing behind the beanie sporting wizard as well, leaving behind Warwick and Mummita.
Stepping out from under the panel of green glass that was protecting her from getting wet, Mummita tilted her head upward and removed the wrapping around her mouth with her hand, revealing her black lips as she stuck her tongue out, letting the droplets land on it and her body.
"...Ahhhhh..." Mummita sighed as Warwick looked at her. "...I don't need to eat but the fact I can feel the water hitting me and the taste of it." She said with a voice of contentment before moving the wrappings back over her mouth.
"Miss the feeling of being alive?" Warwick questioned as Mummita looked downward at the short and perverse swordsman.
"Was in that coffin for over a thousand years. Sleeping for so long does the body no good, alive or dead." Mummita said as she started doing stretches with her arms and legs, no longer making noises when she moved them. "Also, I understood why you wanted me to keep completely quiet to sell the idea that I wasn't able to do much but was the breast touching necessary?" She questioned with a glare in her eye.
"Couldn't resist, if I'm being honest." Warwick said with a cocky smirk on his face. "So, you impressed?" He said whilst casually pointing in the direction of where Bernard ran off.
"You certainly were telling the truth, I'll admit." Mummita said as she moved her head around in a circular motion. "So... Shall I follow him and hold up my end of the bargain?" She questioned as she started walking in the direction of where Bernard went until Warwick quickly moved in front of her.
"Whoa, whoa, hold up." Warwick said with his hands up. "Not yet." He said.
'"Not yet?"' Mummita reiterated. "Thought you said you wanted me to serve that boy?" She questioned.
"Yes, I did say that. But not so soon." Warwick said as he put his fedora and fake moustache back on. "I need to make sure I can keep my position in the guild first and if Bernie is next in line to take the helm, gotta make sure the tradeoff for it is worth the hassle." He explained as he motioned for her to follow him in the opposite direction.
"You make it sound like I'm not enough." Mummita said with a displeased tone as she followed next to Warwick. "Finally getting to be out of the sarcophagus, I need something to do. Don't really mind the prospect of joining a monster show." She thought as she walked beside the S-class wizard.
"Don't fret, you're up there but you're only the "first" in the lineup." Warwick said. "We got some more stops to make before you can start paying off this "debt" you now have." He said with a smirk towards the mummy lady. "First, we need to head towards the seas and maybe a stop at that one town with all the shrines." Warwick continued.
"Fine then." Mummita said with a lackadaisical tone. "So long as I get to move around a bit, I won't mind." She said.
Who the heck was that fat guy with the floating tablet next to him? Seems like a real oddball in the middle of something important but God, now I want a chocolate bar to say "oh yeah" to while I eat it... One with peanuts in it. So, after paying for a snowman golem named Flurry from the crafting shop, Bernard and his pets have a new member! Or perhaps, two new members? Warwick has returned to Hemlock and is walking around in a poorly done disguise to mask himself just to get around. And apparently has found a companion in an undead mummy woman named Mummita that he introduced to our young monster collecting hero. After Bernard gave her some his magic to regain some of her bodily functions, the beanie sporting pacemaker needer has set his sights on heading back home. What will happen now that he knows more information about his mother's intentions. Could this end positively or negatively? And what is Warwick planning to do to maintain his position with Psycho Circus? It certainly involves more than just a sexy undead woman... Next time on Menagerie II!
Author's Note: (I couldn't resist making that joke in the chapter. I was looking for a way to write that joke in for a while but then I found a chance to do it lol. Additionally, we have finally made it to the point where we left off in the original run of M2. Now, officially, we are finally eclipsing the original fourteen chapters of the story. The next chapter will finally allow for people to put up reviews again with their official profiles because apparently the site only allows official profiles to make only ONE review under an account. Strange, I know.
Also... Awhile back, someone questioned if Bernard was ever going to get "monster girls" in his collection and I kind of answered it by NOT answering that question... Welp, better late than never I suppose? Truth be told, I didn't plan for it originally because I felt it would have been too easy to just give stuff like that to him but then after all these years, I gave it some thought and realized that I was kind of hitting myself over the head with "lost opportunities" for content. I'll let you guess what Warwick is finding for Bernard because I know what he finds, and you might not be expecting a ton lol.
Also, Flurry is small as a snowman but he's roughly a bit taller than Corvus and Vulp which means he's also bigger than Tavio.)