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 Posted: Tue May 02, 2023 9:06 pm
Remarque gave the two of them a somewhat amused look, but he didn’t waste time, effort, or rapport to challenge that claim. He stepped aside, just slightly, so they could have a comfortable audience with the mirror.
“Yourself. Or, more than that.”
He really hoped that Mauvian hadn’t been ******** with him. He might actually forget it in Mirrorspace for a few hours for giving him such a hassle.
“You have to step inside. Put your hand on the glass. You should feel it ripple. Sort of like water, so don’t be alarmed. I want you to step through. You’ll only be in there for a minute, and then you’ll step back out the other side. It’s a little dark in there, you just have to follow the light back out. The mirror’s a strange place, but it’s not unkind.”
As long as you were a Senshi.
Kaelan looked at Remarque like he wanted to believe him, but he couldn’t help but doubt.
He scanned the area briefly, looking for any signs of a camera, or someone waiting to jump out and yell ‘Surprise!’ but nothing stood out.
The night seemed still. Peaceful. Remarque didn’t even strike him as being overly enthusiastic. This was a lot of effort for a trick.
So, he sucked in a breath and looked at Orien before he nodded. He adjusted positions so he could keep his fingers intertwined with Orien’s and raised his free hand to the glass. For a few seconds, it hovered just over the surface–because, really?–and then he gave in. He held his breath as he pushed his fingers onto the glass, and–
They passed through. Like sticking his hand in a bowl of cold water.
Instantly, he seemed surprised. Curious. Almost even excited.
“Oh. Orien, look. It does feel weird.” He pushed his hand in, to the wrist, to the elbow, and wriggled it around. Their reflections rippled like water in a pond but he couldn’t help himself. It looked like a bunch of mercury, distorting at the slightest touch. If it was a magic trick, it was a neat one.
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2023 5:30 am
Stepping inside a mirror seemed like a horrible idea. There would surely be broken shards of glass everywhere. They would get hurt. And Kaelan knew Orien was a little accident prone.
As they stepped in front of the mirror, and Kaelan put his hand inside, Orien’s hand tightened around his other. He was almost tempted to pull him away from the mirror, alarmed by the strange trick.
But… his heart was pounding. Like there was something more to it.
How could that be, though? It was just a mirror. But Remarque said he was with some Dark Mirror something. And there was magic.
And if he had magic, he could keep Kaelan safe. Or at least he desperately wanted to keep him safe.
He cast a glance over at Remarque once more, before gently pressing his hand against Kaelan’s lower back to guide him further into the mirror, and then stepped inside after him.
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2023 10:55 am
The mirror accepted the first one. The second. Remarque watched as their hands slid through and expertly hid the surprise that they had both come to him, at the same time, while that damned Mauvian had been there.
And, the Mauvian had been right. Theoretically. He’d never seen the mirror accept someone and spit them back out, but he supposed there was always a time for firsts. Except, he was still holding his breath because he’d rather that not be the case right now.
He crossed his arms over his chest while he waited.
With Orien’s urging, Kaelan had stepped completely through the mirror. It was cold, and it felt like he should be soaking wet, but the sensation faded within seconds. There was a pale light coming from somewhere, but he couldn’t quite tell where. It was just enough to illuminate Orien’s face.
Around them was a great, expansive blackness. He couldn’t tell how far it went or how deep it was, he only knew that there was ground beneath them. The mirror had disappeared from behind them, but there was a silhouette of light a hundred yards or so in front of them.
He squeezed Orien’s hand tightly.
“...This isn’t a trick, right?” he asked, but didn’t wait for Orien to answer. He turned to his left and yelled, “Hello?”
It wasn’t that he expected an answer, he just wanted to hear how far his voice went–and it went far. It echoed, and echoed, and echoed. He didn’t like not being able to see past a certain point, and it felt too cool in here. He tugged Orien with him, eager to get closer to the source of light in the distance.
“Is this a dream? –I was pretty sure we hadn’t gone to bed. My dreams aren’t usually this realistic.”
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2023 12:10 pm
Orien shivered from the sensation. He wasn’t sure if he liked it. He wasn’t sure if he disliked it, either. But he did have his hand in Kaelan’s still, and he liked that.
“Has to be a trick,” he agreed, because… this couldn’t be real. “If it’s a dream, I’m glad you’re in it. Whatever this is, I wouldn’t want to do it without you, Kay,” he told him as they carefully walked through the darkness.
He even gave Kaelan’s hand a gentle tug to get him to stop for a moment, because he wanted to kiss him. He didn’t know if they were going to fall to their deaths suddenly or… he didn’t know. But he wanted to be by his side even if they did come to an untimely end.
“I love you,” he reminded him, and then nodded as he squeezed his hand again to make the journey to the light in the distance.
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2023 7:17 pm
“I love you, too” Kaelan promised. His hand felt warm, almost clammy in Orien’s, but he didn’t let go. He wanted to say something to distract from this world as much as he wanted to do something to preserve it. “I wish we had a camera,” he said, but there was a part of him that was afraid of what they might find if the flash went off. He didn’t know why, this place didn’t even feel that creepy.
And, he had Orien with him.
He had to forcibly slow his breathing; his heart was pounding fiercely in his chest.
They were almost at the doorway of light, and the closer they got, the more he was certain that it just looked like the mirror they’d stepped through. “We’re almost out. We’ll see if there’s a bunch of cameras out there, I suppose. If someone’s waiting to laugh at us, I might cry. But don’t hit them, they’ll have it all on film.”
He was only partly teasing, but by the time they were at the light, he was all too ready to step out. It sounded like there were whispers echoing around them, and he couldn’t really make out what they were saying–or, maybe, he was just ignoring them. He couldn't focus. They were getting louder.
He thought it almost sounded like someone was rushing to tell them something before they left, but he couldn’t help himself–he nearly leapt through the mirror, tugging Orien with him.
When they stepped out, he felt strangely lighter. A little more uneven, and he had to stumble to catch himself. He looked to see what he’d tripped over, but there were only–
Shoes that he didn’t recognize. Another magic trick? Kaelan quickly faced Orien but he wasn’t there, just some stranger that–wait, no, that actually looked a lot like him, but–
They were back in Destiny City, stepping out of the exact same mirror they’d stepped into. The park was right in front of them, and the strange man from before was still there, like he’d actually been waiting for them. Like he’d actually expected this to happen. He didn’t seem the least bit surprised to see them.
“What is this?” he demanded, more anxious than anything. Had Orien been lost? Replaced? No, he was holding his hand too tightly. Alarmed as he was, he didn’t let go.
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2023 7:40 pm
He couldn’t tell if the whispers were in his head, or if they were really there. He shivered again, even as he held onto Kaelan’s hand. He grumbled about how he would absolutely punch someone if they were waiting for them with cameras to make fun of them.
But he didn’t have time to hear what the voices were saying. Kaelan was pulling him through the light and--
They were back. Except it wasn’t Kaelan with him any longer. And he wasn’t wearing what he’d been wearing before.
He was definitely holding Kaelan’s hand. He knew that grip, and he was pretty sure Kaelan knew his. They were just… this was some kind of illusion magic, right?
“I burnt my hand making dinner the other night,” he said quietly, seeing the anxiousness in Kaelan’s expression. No, he didn’t look like Kaelan, but who else could he be?
“These outfits… this is the magic you were talking about?” he then asked Remarque, because he thought they deserved some answers.
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2023 7:50 pm
Oh, well–that was one way to convince him. No one else would have known about that, unless they’d also snuck cameras into the apartment, but given how much they were both there he severely doubted anyone would have had time for it. And Orien would not play a cruel prank on him, he knew how desperate Kaelan was to please everyone and how terrified he was of humiliation.
He breathed a sigh of relief, and leaned against him, and–well, looked at him.
It was an equally strange outfit as Remarque’s, and it made him anxious to see what he looked like. Thankfully, there was a mirror behind him, and–oh, no, it was too much. He saw someone who looked similar to him in many ways, but who was just different enough that he looked unrecognizable. Like a photograph of you, but flipped.
He needed to focus on what Remarque was saying. He didn’t want to gawk at some magic trick–no, real magic?–that he couldn’t understand.
Remarque seemed patient; he didn’t mind giving them a moment to process this.
“Part of it, yeah. Congratulations, welcome to the Dark Mirror Court.”
With a wave of his hand, the mirror he’d summoned disappeared, and his form shifted again, back to his smaller wings, and smaller energy signature. Kaelan noticed the change immediately, and though he didn’t understand what had happened, he’d felt it. Everything seemed less smothering, but the butterflies in his stomach were flapping twice as fast.
“While you were in there, you should have heard something. Maybe it sounded weird. A name, probably something you won’t recognize. You and I, we’re Senshi. Means we were born here on Earth with the power of some other world in our heart, and now that you’ve awakened, you can tap into it. While you’re in this form, your identity’s hidden. You’re stronger, faster. You have magic. It’s all different, it depends on your sphere of power. I’m the Senshi of Puppetry. So, my magic lets me puppet people for a few seconds. While you were in there, did you hear a name, or anything? If you didn’t, it’s fine. I can call up someone who can figure it out and let us know. We’ll need to pull them in, anyway. We have to get you some tools so you can power up like this. You can power down at will, too. Just by thinking about what you were wearing before. Might be best to do that for now. The introductory course for this is a bit long. And as long as you’re powered up, other people can sense you. Just like you can sense them. I said I’d give you compensation, why don’t we start with something simple. Have you two had dinner, yet?”
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2023 7:58 pm
Kaelan-- or whoever he was now -- leaning against him was definitely a good thing. It meant that he believed him and trusted him. Orien squeezed his hand again and leaned back against him. He wanted to take the time to really look at him, to see what they were both wearing, but they would have to do that some other time.
He could feel the power now. And he could feel the difference when Remarque shifted back from the giant wings to the smaller ones.
Hoping he could reassure Kaelan by showing him that he really was Orien, he closed his eyes and focused on those gross kinda wet shoes and everything else he’d been wearing, and… he was back to normal.
“Ah-roun -- rown…? Arawn. And I have no idea what koon ah-noon is. But…” He shrugged, because he was sure this other someone that Remarque was offering to tell them what they should have heard would be able to correct him.
He eyed Remarque skeptically. “Why, are you offering?” He stayed close to Kaelan, and as soon as he turned back to normal, Orien immediately took the strap of the bag he was carrying so he could bully it away from Kaelan so he could carry it instead.
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2023 8:47 pm
Okay, they were definitely going to need a Mauvian, Remarque could hardly understand what he was saying, anyway–and the other one looked like he was thinking so hard about it, he might have already popped a blood vessel.
A wave of appreciation rushed over Kaelan when Orien appeared before him, and a few seconds after that he managed to shift forms, too.
Strange really didn’t even begin to cover all of this.
He looked at Remarque expectantly, because that definitely sounded like he was offering.
“Yeah, I am. You got a place in mind or do you want to do the diner on 5th? It’s a ten minute walk from here. Less, if we mirrorwalk. Which, I should show you. Come on. I’ve got a mirror past the tree line. We’ll walk in here, walk out, there. That’s something you’ll be able to do while you’re using your powers. Any mirror you’ve ever seen, all you have to do is imagine it and you can walk through it. Has to be big enough to fit through, but it makes traveling easy.”
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2023 9:08 pm
“That’s fine,” Orien agreed, still watching Remarque with piqued interest and skepticism. Then again, Orien didn’t usually have the luxury of looking a gift horse in the mouth. Just like accepting the magical mirror powers, he figured they might as well accept some food.
If this guy wanted them dead, they would have kicked his a** already.
“Is that okay with you?” he asked, his voice much softer when speaking to Kaelan, who seemed to be shaken up. He squeezed his hand and then reached over to gently rub his arm with his other hand.
Mirrorwalking -- more magic, of course. But… it sounded convenient enough.
He waited until Remarque had turned to lead the way before he leaned over to press a kiss to Kaelan’s cheek.
“You looked really handsome in that outfit. Whatever it was.”
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2023 9:16 pm
Kaelan sputtered a response but tugged Orien’s hand closer as they followed after Remarque. Now, his face was a little red. “Well, you looked good too. I’m sorry I didn’t get to look for longer. I have a ton of thoughts and none of them make sense. I want to talk when we go home. But I am also very hungry and if we’re eating in a public place, he can’t drug us and harvest our organs.”
He didn’t know why that was his primary concern, that was ridiculous. All of this was ridiculous!
His heart was pounding, but…
It wasn’t unpleasant. He might not have understood all of this, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t excited to at least hear what was going on. Even if it was just a story, at least it was a story over dinner.
…And if they could take a shortcut, great, because their bag wasn’t getting any lighter and he wasn’t sure he could bully it back from Orien before he overworked himself.
Remarque hadn’t walked far into the forest; tucked just behind some dense foliage was a well-hidden, full-length mirror that looked like it had seen better days. He waited for them by the mirror. If they needed a moment, he could accommodate them.
He wasn’t really in any sort of rush to introduce himself to the two, anyway.
Hopefully Orien was in a better mood now that he didn’t look so sick.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2023 7:22 am
“If he tries, we’ll just hit him with the bag of coins and harvest his organs,” Orien huffed, although it might have just been him hoisting the backpack up on his shoulder more.
He was hungry. He was feeling a lot better at least. But now that he was actually able to keep more food down, he felt bad about eating the food that they had in the apartment. He just wanted to make sure they had enough to afford everything they needed, and if he had to skip a meal or two, that was fine. He would drink a lot of water to make up for it.
“This is really weird, Kay. Walking through mirrors. Magical outfits,” he sighed, but he kept his distance from Remarque for the moment. He bumped his shoulder against Kaelan, just to make sure he was jostled out of any bad thoughts he might be having.
“We’ll be okay. Whatever this is. And he’s going to feed us, right? So… I guess we can figure things out as we go.”
He finally led Kaelan up to where Remarque had the hidden mirror, and he looked around to see if there was anything else he should be concerned about but…
“You just… leave mirrors everywhere? What if they get broken? Or if someone thinks they’re trash and gets rid of them?”
He paused and shook his head. “You can answer that later. I’m too hungry to think.”
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2023 9:28 am
“I’ve had to replace more than my fair share of mirrors, I’ve got them all around town. If someone finds them, I’ll just bring another one back and put it somewhere nearby. It’s a bit demanding, but we all share. And there are some mirrors that never move. A lot of art fixtures around town. Just keep your eyes open, you’ll be surprised. You can only go through real mirrors, not any reflective surface.”
There was a lot of information to take in, Remarque really didn’t want to overwhelm them. Especially if Orien was too tired.
“I’ve got a mirror in an alleyway near the diner. It’ll take you some time before you can bring a guest with you while you walk, but for now I’ll do the heavy lifting. Apologies in advance, I’m going to need your arm while we walk through. But I’ll let you go as soon as we get to the other side. And you can have as much as you want to eat while we talk. Deal?”
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2023 9:53 am
Orien couldn’t really say that he wanted anyone other than Kaelan to touch him, but he understood his own comfort sometimes needed to be sacrificed if it meant making sure Kaelan was taken care of. He would do anything he had to for him.
So he adjusted the heavy bag on his back and nodded to Remarque.
“Yeah, that’s fine,” he agreed, still holding onto Kaelan’s hand. He offered his other arm for Remarque and tried not to salivate over the thought of having as much as he wanted to eat. Not just himself though. Kaelan hadn’t had a decent meal in a long time as well.
When Remarque took his arm, he let him lead the way through the mirror. There were a lot of things he was still questioning, but the closer they were to food, the quieter he could be until they had something in front of them to eat.
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