Chapter Songs: "Roots" and "Grow Down" by Audiafauna

Chapter 48: Mystic Talismans

The next morning, Joan donned a tie-dyed shirt, cargo pants, and hiking boots while Mokuba slipped on a "Monsters of the Duel" shirt.

"Are you sure that's such a great idea?" Joan asked. "I'm sure a few hardcore fans are bound to recognize you regardless, but do you really want to make it obvious right now?"

"Shit, I didn't think of that, but it's the only clean shirt I brought."

"Just wear yesterday's shirt. Nobody here is going to care, and you'll still smell better than half the people at the festival."

"If you say so." Mokuba changed into his purple and black T-shirt from the previous day.

As promised, none of the Neverlanders commented on Mokuba's attire or body odor as they lounged around the great room eating pancakes and hash browns that Kris and Morgan, who had been absent the previous evening, had cooked.

Once finished with the meal, they all headed out walking through the city. Cyclists filled the streets, and pedestrians filled the sidewalks. They squeezed past several groups of young adults as large or larger than their own. Although slightly older than the average herd of undergrads, Joan's group dressed casually enough to go unnoticed among the other denizens of the college town.

Mokuba relished the illusion of belonging to this place. He imagined himself as just another university student out for a well-earned break from his studies.

As they neared campus, the crowd grew denser and included a wider range of age groups. The Blooming Planet Festival tradition predated Woodstock, and many old hippies kept returning year after year. A drum circle on a grassy field pounded out a lively beat, and people swung fringe-trimmed hips to the music as they crossed the street that separated campus from the rest of the city.

Joan pointed out a red brick lecture hall. "That's where I met my first love. And Dimitri. And that other TA I dated for a month. He was one of my four virgins."

"Don't you mean five now?" Mokuba asked.

"Oh yeah, true. You're just so good I keep forgetting." Joan rubbed her face on Mokuba's bicep before settling into a more natural walking position.

They strolled arm-in-arm onto the campus quadrangle, where white canopies stood in long rows. Under the canopies, various vendors offered pottery, jewelry, candles, apparel, and more.

A booth called "Mystic Talismans" caught Joan's attention, but she knew she had to ditch her atheist friends before they could properly scope out the place. "Hey guys, I'm going to go show Mokuba the best make out spots. We'll catch you later."

Joan pulled Mokuba away from the quad and down a gently curving path. The bodyguards followed at a respectful distance. The path led past the front entrance of a grand four-story library with rows of white metal benches on which students and families sat. Mokuba stared at a sculpture of an egg-shaped head with its nose in a book as they passed.

Joan led Mokuba all the way around the library, past more funky sculptures, until they reached the rear of the library. They paused in the middle of a whimsical footbridge that reminded Mokuba of those found in Japanese tea gardens, except surrounded by young redwood trees. Instead of crossing a waterway, a bicycle path dipped under the bridge. "Very pretty, but why are we here?"

"Mainly to put some distance between ourselves and the Neverlanders so we can do more research on the ring. This place has a little story, though. Upperclassmen like to stand here during the first few days of the school year and watch freshmen crash their bicycles as they go under. There's something about how the path dips so sharply and then goes right back up that causes inexperienced cyclists to lose their balance."

"Oh. So the upperclassmen provide first aid to the freshmen?"

"Only if they really need it. The point is to laugh at them and feel superior. Also to bond with others of the same social standing. Back when I was a freshman, I showed up to watch with the upperclassmen because my parents tipped me off. Being a daughter of alumni had its perks." Joan beamed as she recalled the years before her internship disaster.

Mokuba's eyes bulged. "Your parents went here too?"

Joan leaned on the wooden rail of the bridge. "Yeah. Why is that such a surprise?"

"It's just hard to imagine your mom among all these hippies."

"Well, they weren't her crowd. She was, however, a charter member of one of the big sororities here. I considered joining, but the girls there were way too snooty."

"And your dad?"

"He cooked for a frat house, and they met at one of their mixers."

"That sounds like the perfect romance."

"It is. Monogamy works for them."

"So your parents are still together?"

"Yep."

"Why wasn't your dad at lunch with us?"

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"He probably had to work. Despite his university degree, he wound up as a wage monkey like Michael."

"Oh." Curiosity tugged at Mokuba's mind, but if Joan's dad was anything like Gertrude, meeting him would make for another awkward experience. "But you and your mom wound up using your degrees, right?"

Joan laughed. "No. Mom majored in animal science because she wanted to be a veterinarian, and she wound up doing some really boring office thing instead. I came here knowing that social connections mattered as much as grades. I showed up to watch freshmen crash to see if I could score any upperclassmen friends. They were nice to me, but I didn't really connect with them. I wound up hanging out with grad students and professors instead." Joan pointed at a slim nine-story building peeking over the top of a hulking lecture hall. "That's where I had tea on Tuesdays with the Religious Studies Department. Top floor. They joked about being closer to God than anyone else on campus."

"That really puts the 'high' in high society. No wonder you swept Seto off his feet."

Joan smirked. "I'd say the element of surprise is what really got him. You're the one who's impressed by my social connections."

Mokuba blushed. "I, uh . . . yeah."

Joan stroked his cheek and kissed him softly. Mokuba returned the kiss, and it quickly grew zealous. Their tongues tangled for several minutes until they came up for air.

"All right, let's get back to the festival." Joan gave Mokuba one more peck before they strolled off the bridge and completed their circuit of the library.

Once back on the quad, Joan located the Mystic Talisman stall and ogled the crystal pendants until she caught the attention of the shopkeeper. "Is there anything in particular you're seeking?" a man decked in several of his own crystals asked.

"I was wondering how these things work," Joan said.

"All crystals vibrate at a certain frequency, and these vibrations help you attract things like luck, wealth, courage, love, or whatever you need in your life."

"How about answers?"

"For that, I recommend lapis lazuli. It symbolizes truth. People who wear it say that it helps them understand others better."

Joan leaned in close to the shopkeeper and lowered her voice. "That's not what I meant." The hustle and bustle of the festival around them assured Joan that she would not be overheard, as Mokuba also had to draw close to stay in the loop. "Have you ever seen any of these stones glow?"

"Glow? A crystal would have to be vibrating at a very high frequency with lots of energy to do that. It would also have to be a high-quality specimen with no flaws to hold up to that sort of stress. I've heard rumors of that happening, but only for precious crystals like emeralds and diamonds."

Joan slid her ring hand out of her pocket and presented it to the shopkeeper. "Activate random glow."

"Holy smoke! Is this a joke?"

"Yes," Mokuba chimed in, "but let's pretend it's not for a moment."

"I should really get back to my customers."

Mokuba pulled out a hundred-dollar bill and pressed it into the shopkeeper's hand. "We're doing research for a new game concept and would really appreciate your insight."

"OK. Well, um . . ." The shopkeeper took a closer look at the couple before him. "Have I seen you two somewhere? I think maybe there was some meme on the internet."

"That's not important," Mokuba said. "We need to know whatever you can tell us about these gems."

"OK, so it appears you have an opal, a sapphire, a ruby, and an emerald."

"It's peridot," Joan corrected.

"Now that is strange. Peridot is only a semi-precious crystal, but it is used for channeling, so it could have something to do with why the ruby is lighting up."

"They all light up, but we're not completely sure why."

The shopkeeper took a closer look at the names engraved in the metal. "Huh. This is out of my league. I've got a few friends who might know more, though. I can ask around."

"Cancel all glow effects." Joan pulled a business card out of her purse and handed it to the shopkeeper. "Let me know if you come across anything."

Mokuba handed the man another hundred dollars. "But keep this as confidential as possible. We don't want our next game concept getting out too soon."

"Right. Um . . . I'll see what I can find. Here, take a lapis just in case it helps." The shopkeeper reached over to a nearby rack and pulled off a leather cord from which dangled a blue stone in the shape of a lotus. He handed it to Mokuba.

"Thanks." Not wanting to be rude, Mokuba donned the necklace, hoping it wouldn't wind up fused to his body like Joan's ring. With that, they left the Mystic Talismans stall. As soon as they made it out of the shopkeeper's line of sight, Mokuba took off the talisman and pocketed it. "I don't want to take any risks."

"I think you're being paranoid," Joan said. "It's probably too weak to do anything to us, but better safe than sorry, I guess."