Trail 56: Friends And Family, New And Old

--- Jon ---

“So what exactly is it you’re hoping I can help with?” Miss Edna asked as she sat down next to Ying on his couch handing the younger woman a mug of something, while he and Pix sat across from them in the living room spreading several notebook pages out in front of him.

“Right, so uh, Ying’s told you about her mom, right?” He checked, glancing more at Ying than Miss Edna, since he wasn’t actually sure how much the other teen wanted him to share.

“I know her mom ‘s a bitch.” Miss Edna answered, calmly sipping at her mug.

“Miss Edna!”

“No, no, she’s right.” Ying interrupted, similarly sipping at her own mug. “My mom ‘s a bitch.”

He bit back his response to that, knowing that while he might wish for Ying to have a better relationship with her mom given his own situation with his Ma, it also wasn’t actually his place to comment on it.

“Right, well… Ying asked me for help getting her out of her house.” He made himself continue.

“So you want my help sneaking her out.” Miss Edna snapped with a wink. “Whatcha thinking kid, a moonlight invisibility spell? Nah, that would only work at night unless we doubled down on the light conceptuality to mitigate it, or added some Hunter sneakiness to it. Ooh, what about using Ying’s storm winds to create a lift so she can just jump out and do a superhero landing?”

“Um, actually I was thinking more of a summoning contract… Sort of like what I’ve got going with Pix?” He corrected her, showing off his notes on Contracting and hoping she wouldn’t notice the bits he spliced in from DeSade’s books. “The thing is I’m having some trouble with working around her Incarnate spell system, and was hoping you might have a work around of some kind.”

“Oh… That’s… boring.” Miss Edna actually looked disappointed. “Though I don’t know why the incarnate thing would be a problem. If anything it’d be the only thing making the contract viable given how you’re both the same species and from the same world, though you’d still need the system to trust you enough to authorize raising your contracting capacity to a suitable limit, but you’re nice enough the system should just be throwing contracts at you.”

“R-really?” He blinked, because that went both for and against several things he’d learned thus far about contracting. “I just have to do the same contracting ritual?”

Miss Edna looked between him and Ying before snorting. “You two didn’t even try the spell you used on Pix did you?”

“I… assumed the Incarnate rule was in play…” Ying grimace.

“Nah, if anything it would make the system more likely to allow it.” Miss Edna waved her off, before seeming to actually think about it. “Especially with your Madness Corruption, given how the Nexus piggybacks off of Madness’s easier realm travels to make the system hyper efficient to the point where summoning actually generates more magic than a person spends to cast a summoning. Which then went into this whole payment system Memento set up to cause a cross-dimensional spread of magic, thus propagating even greater magical potential and Anima growth than the more magically barren lands could pull off. It’s part of why the system doesn’t usually allow ‘same species, same world’ summons due to causing a stressor on that part of the overall engine with Madness not liking it.”

“Oh, that’s, huh…” (That all… fits…) It also reminded him that sometimes he forgot Miss Edna was one of the first students of the Arcane Association. (She probably picked up a lot of high end secrets from them.)

“I’m also pretty sure Mem, only allowed that feature due to trying to bang one of every sapient species in the multiverse.” Miss Edna continued, (completely ruining it.)

“Well… that’s a… goal.” Ying admitted.

“Yeah, thinking about it, it's probably for the best that Jon hasn’t gained access to that level of contracting yet.” Miss Edna nodded.

“Wha- why?” He frowned, feeling like he should be deeply offended.

Miss Edna looked at Pix and then at Ying, before returning her gaze to him. “Hey, when’s your next meeting with that elf you went on a date with?”

“Don’t call her an elf, I’m pretty sure that’s offensive.” He scolded, knowing part of that was Miss Edna being close to seventy years old rather than an actual intent to offend. “And it wasn’t a date.”

“Yeah, probably for the best not to introduce Jon to the greater multiverse.” Ying agreed, a moment late, apparently having figured out whatever Miss Edna was getting at. “There’s enough dead in our world as it is.”

Miss Edna let out a bark of laughter at that for whatever reason.

(They’re just joking…) He told himself. (They’re not talking about…)

(Dead eyes stared back at him and he found he couldn’t look away.)

He shook his head before inhaling and exhaling, “Right, so back on topic, you’re saying I just need to go through the contracting ritual with Ying and we’ll be set?”

Miss Edna calmed down before taking another sip from her mug. “Yeah, but I wouldn’t actually go that route if your goal is just to sneak her out of her parent’s house for a night on the town.”

“Why not?” Ying asked.

“It’s uh, the Familiar Contract which is the variant I gave Jon to use on Pix, is a permanent long-term thing… that I think you two might be a bit young for.” Miss Edna tried to explain. “And if you guys want to go that route I won’t stop you, but I’d prefer you did it for better reasons than simply sneaking out of her house.”

“Okay…” He nodded, before asking. “Is there a reason for that?”

“Several… but -Phew, okay grown up talk you two- basically this would be the equivalent of you getting her name tattooed on you, in probably a fairly large font size. Like a cannot be hidden or covered up font size.” His second parent elaborated. “And I’m sure you both get why, that’s a bit of a commitment at your age regardless of how you two define your relationship, right?”

“Oh…” Ying blushed a bit, before coughing into her hand. “Yes, that’s a bit… extreme… I suppose…”

“Uh, yeah…” He hadn’t really seen it that way with Pix’s contract, nor had he really considered it with the others due to those marks applying to his back, but even with his… social issues he could see the… implications of doing that.

“Phew, good.” Miss Edna sighed looking extremely relieved.

“But then… how are we going to help Ying get out more?” He frowned, looking down at his apparently worthless notes. “I mean, do we try that invisibility thing?”

Instead of answering him, Miss Edna looked at Ying thoughtfully. “Actually, put a pin in that one for yourself. I think this one would be best for me to help Ying myself.”

“What?” Ying blinked.

“Yeah, I’m going to be in town til the end of the month even if Jon’s ma wakes up tomorrow, so seeing as how I’m also your magic teacher I should be the one helping you with this. Strong independent young woman to strong independent younger woman.” Miss Edna glanced at him. “No offense to the male in the room.”

He raised both his hands. “I’m a feminist.”

“But I can’t actually… use magic like… that.” Ying gestured towards him.

“Eh, you’re an Incarnate even if it's a little more raw than the practitioners stuff I teach Jon, I’ve still got a fair few tricks to teach you like when I showed you how to throw your lightning bolts and such.” Miss Edna assured her. “Hells I can probably teach you a few shapeshifter tricks you haven’t even thought of.”

“Like what?” Ying asked, not completely dismissing the idea.

“Ooh!” Miss Edna’s eyes started to glow as she grew a smile. “You’re a Dragon!”

“Yes?” Ying nodded.

“That means I can teach you how to fly!”

Scene Consequences

-Miss Edna is now helping Ying with her escape plans.

--Ying’s development priorities have shifted.

-Jon has gained 1XP to Occult and Contracting: Summons.

--Currently: Occult Lv. 8 (4/18) and Contracting: Summons Lv. 6 (6/14).

---

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Having been kicked out of his own house while Ying and Miss Edna work on their project, he found himself making his way towards the hospital once more. Only half way there he received a reminder text that had him figuring, (why not?)

Which is why he ended up taking a detour to Daisy’s apartment for the first cooking club since Halloween. A night he was pretty sure neither of them would bring up given the whole ‘escape from the Hunter life’ the club was supposed to be.

“Oh, I’m so glad you could make it!” Daisy clapped welcoming him into her apartment. “Travis is still on the way, but I finally get to introduce you to the last member of our little club!”

(New people… yay…) He held back his grimace as Daisy walked him to her kitchen where a tall pale woman with long midnight black hair wearing glasses and a plaid shirt sat reading a book.

The woman looked up from her book and blinked. “Oh, I… don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Edme, allow me to introduce the newest member of our little club, Jon… No H. He’s weird about that.” Daisy added in a whisper.

“It’s not that weird.” He tried to argue.

“I see…” The woman smiled seemingly amused, before placing a hand to her chest. “Well I’m Edme Delacroix, and it is a pleasure to meet you Jon with no H.”

“Delacroix… you’re related to Sam?” He guessed with a tilt of his head.

“Yes, well several Sams actually, but I’m guessing you mean my daughter Samantha.” Ms. Delacroix smiled as he idly noted Daisy scampering around the kitchen.

“Uh, yeah…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “We, uh, met at the Witch’s Wares.”

Ms. Delacroix snapped her fingers. “Oh, you’re that Jon. The one that my daughter dragged to the meeting about the Haunt a couple of weeks ago.” The older woman grew a frown. “I’m terribly sorry about that, I told her she’d be fine with just her and her brother but she insisted she needed at least three people after Artemis and her friends left the shop.”

“You… know Artemis too?” He asked, just as quickly remembering the answer in Artemis and Val mentioning a ‘Ms. Edme’ during their meetings. (Well that, and all the city’s magic users seem to know each other)

“Yes, she’s my apprentice.” Ms. Delacroix nodded, with a proud smile. “She may’ve completed her certifications, but that doesn’t change the fact that she’ll always be my student.”

He nodded. “Yeah, she uh, she talks about you a lot.” (Or she’s mentioned you the few times we’ve gotten along at least.)

“I see, well I’m glad she’s making new friends.” Ms. Delacroix told him. “She’s always had trouble trusting new people I’m afraid. So the fact that she likes you enough to mention me is reassuring in a way.”

“Heh, yeah…” (If we could actually be considered friends instead of… whatever we are anyway… coworkers?)

Deciding it’d be more awkward to correct her misconception he instead turned his attention towards Daisy returning with a tray of several steaming cups of some kind.

“I figured for today’s meeting we could keep things relatively simple with… magical tea blends.” Daisy explained setting the tray down.

“So… flavorful potions?” He summarized, looking down at the tea tray.

“And cookies.” Daisy added rushing to the oven.

“My, it seems like you had everything made before the club could meet.” Ms. Delacroix noted picking up a tea cup. “That somewhat defeats the purpose of said meeting.”

“I just made the first blend.” Daisy assured them. “I’ve a dozen more for us to mix and match, and this one is a simple blend rather than anything fun.”

“Hmm…” He picked up a tea cup before shrugging and taking a sip. (Can’t be any worse than the Cheshire’s Death March. Actually I wonder if I can make the Death March?)

If there was a place to try it it was here.

---

“What the fuck is this?” Travis asked as they all gathered around a teapot, even Daisy too stunned to call him out on his cursing.

“Coffee?” Jon answered, not actually sure if this still counted as coffee.

Travis stared at him with narrowed eyes. “Are you asking or telling me that?”

“Yes?”

“Come now, I doubt this is… as bad as it looks.” Ms. Delacroix offered, only to pale as the steam coming out of the pot made a particularly large skull in the air. Which was only notable due to the size, given how the pot had been releasing little skulls into the air for a few minutes now.

“What the fuck did you even put in this?” Travis frowned, taking a step back. “I know for a fact none of the shit we were using could do… this…”

“I… don’t actually know…” He admitted, a little unnerved by the fact that once he started to make the Cheshire’s Death March his memory got a little… staticky. (Maybe replicating an eldritch horror’s coffee was a bad idea…)

He promptly ignored the way the shadows seemed to laugh, though not without noticing that Travis was the only one to jump at the laughter.

“Yeah, no. I’m not touching this.” Travis told them, raising both of his hands. “Someone else pour this shit down the drain.”

“What no, that’d be… a waste…” Daisy tried to argue, looking like she was regretting it as soon as she said it. “Besides it’d be rude to just… throw it away after Jon made it.”

“You can throw it away.” He assured them. (Actually I’d prefer if you just dumped it.)

“No this is the first time you’ve cooked with Edme, if we simply throw it away away she’ll think you’re a bad cook.” Daisy warned with no small amount of concern.

“I… am okay with that.” He confessed. “I can always try again some other time.”

“Yes, everyone makes a mistake once in a while, I am sure he’s a perfectly fine chef the rest of the time.” Ms. Delacroix nodded.

Daisy frowned at all of them before quickly taking the pot and pouring out a cup.

“Uh, Daisy…” He moved to stop her but before he could she’d already downed the cup.

The usually hyperactive woman froze.

“Is… is she going to be okay?” He asked, really hoping he hadn’t put anything toxic in the cup while he’d… blacked out.

“I don’t know kid, you’re the one who made the stuff.” Travis swallowed looking a little nervous as he reached out to take the cup from Daisy’s frozen fingers.

When Travis was mere inches from Daisy, she suddenly moved her entire form changing faster than they could process as the cup appeared on the table and stared at her fellow Hunter with pinprick pupils.

“Dais?” Travis chuckled nervously.

Daisy began spasming suddenly flickering through several poses as laughter filled the air before stopping as her head thudded against the counter.

“Should… should we call a doctor? I can uh, I can summon Pix to heal her?” He offered.

“Can you summon a priest?” Ms. Delacroix asked him. “That might work better.”

Daisy began to let out a high pitch whistling sound and they all slowly backed away from her.

“Thatwassogood!!!” The woman screamed somehow standing on her chair before stepping onto the counter and quickly rushing in front of Travis. “Youhavetotrythis!!!”

“W-what?” Travis blinked, before Daisy disappeared.

“Youhavetomakememore!!!” Daisy cried, suddenly appearing in front of Jon and clutching his cheeks. “WhyareyoumovingsoslowJon!?!?!”

Just as quickly as she appeared she quickly disappeared as she crawled across the counter until she was in front of Ms. Delacroix.

“EdmeEdmeEdmeEdmeEdmeEdme!”

“Yes?” The other woman grimaced as if she didn’t wish to answer.

Daisy stared at her for a moment before smiling. “Hi!!!”

With that Daisy scrabbled off of the counter and into her living room where she mid-giggle she passed out motionless on the floor.

The world was silent as they all stared at the woman laying on the ground without moving, her faint breathing the only reason they didn’t think her dead.

Eventually Ms. Delacroix deigned to break the silence by telling him, “Jon… you are never making coffee again. I will bind you in a geass if I have to.”

“That’s… fair…”

Scene Consequences

-Gained 1XP to Cooking and Potioneering.

--Currently: Cooking Lv. 9 (4/20) and Potioneering Lv. 6 (10/14)

-Gained [Death March #26] potion:

--As a Potion: Fully restore this unit’s Stamina and negate all other Stamina gains for the rest of Combat. At the end of this unit’s first Turn each Round consume 1 Stamina to grant them an immediate second Turn. When Stamina is fully depleted remove this unit from combat.

--As a Candy: Fully restore this unit’s stamina, and then grant the user an immediate Turn whenever another unit ends their Turn until the end of this unit’s next natural Turn. Then roll for a heart attack.

---

“That was an ordeal…” He admitted, having just finished relaying a… mildly edited version of today’s cooking club as he sat in her hospital room.

His Ma didn’t respond to his story, but after a minute he began to hear a faint ringing from nearby.

With a frown on his face, a quick investigation led him to a small closet. More specifically a bag inside filled with his Ma’s clothes and everything she’d had on her on Halloween.

The ringing was coming from her phone sitting at a little over ten percent.

Of course he was less concerned with that and more concerned with the name on the phone’s caller ID. John.

He stared at the phone for a moment and thought, (Oh.) before looking at his comatose mother and thinking, (Oh…)

For a brief moment he thought about not answering, before shaking his head. (No, I need to answer…)

He answered the phone and held it to his ear, “Hey, big John.”

“Oh, little Jon?” His uncle said, seemingly surprised. “Hey, bud, uh, how are you doing?”

“I’m…” he glanced at his Ma again, “as good as I can be…”

“That’s good, but uh, where’s your mom? I haven’t really heard from her in a while and so I figured she probably got caught up in her job. Like she sometimes does… So I uh, figured I’d call but then you answered… so, uh, where’s she at?”

“Y-yeah.” He nodded. “Ma, she’s uh… she’s…”

He wanted to speak up and tell his uncle that his Ma -big John’s sister- had been put in a hospital bed, but at the same time he felt like voicing this would… it would be different than when he’d told Miss Edna.

And that difference had his throat tightening in an uncomfortable way, that while rare he wasn’t unfamiliar with.

It felt… it felt the same way it did the few times he’d contemplated telling his Ma about what happened over the summer. That it would worry them about something they didn’t need to worry about, and he knew that if he didn’t say anything his Ma wouldn’t tell her brother either. And given how his Ma would wake any day now, there really was no reason to tell him.

(It’d be better if he doesn’t know… he’s always worried about Ma’s job hurting her… This wasn’t because of her job, but… it’ll make those fears so much more real.)

(If I tell him then… then I’ll have to tell the rest of the family too…) It was largely just him and his Ma since… his issues came out, but he still had a couple aunts and uncles his Ma stayed in contact with.

“Jon?” His uncle pressed, sounding increasingly worried.

He wasn’t sure if… He wasn’t sure if he could handle that… And it had to be him to say that, since his uncle John was his Ma’s only blood family she talked to beyond him and her nephew via said uncle.

“Right, sorry… She’s…”