I will it to happen and it does. That sentence crept it's way into the mind of the small toadstool frei many times over the course of that week. "All I have to do is will it to happen." Ryder stated, floating about his room as if to pace back and forth while thinking. Ryder was quite the studious little frei, but for whatever reason, he didn't truly understand his powers, nor how to control them. He recognized that magic was innately inside of him. That he was basically created of magic and imagination. That he was actually quite powerful, even Ethiriel had said so. It was just a matter of learning to control these powers and actually go figure out what all his magic was capable of. The logical first step was to figure out what exactly it was that caused those he touched to react in such a way. The conversation Reuben had with him on their way home from the bookstore that day played out in his mind. The Other Day: "So Ethiriel told me what happened. And I think her theory is correct," Reuben stated, hands on the wheel of his Prius and eyes strictly on the road. How was he supposed to turn down or turn off a power he barely understood? His skin was his skin, he couldn't help that. The only thing he could think of was to will it to happen.
The frei glared at his soft, pale hands and turned it over to view the many freckles that adorned the backs of his hands and speckled their way up under the ruffles of his sleeve. He closed his hands to create fists and then relaxed, flipping them back over palm up. With a heavy sigh, he just looked up and continued to pace back and forth across the bedroom. "I will it...and it happens," he stated aloud. "You have to believe in something enough to make it work. That's what magic is...a fair amount of imagination, belief, and will." With that said aloud, he closed his eyes and continued to repeat it over and over in his mind. He didn't feel any different, and after a few moments he realized that just telling himself that he believed his skin was no longer hallucinogenic wouldn't be enough. He had to test the theory. "Reuben, can you come here?" Ryder called through a small crack in his door. Reuben came in a few moments later with a concerned face. "What's the matter?" "Nothing. Here," the frei stated, holding out his hands. "Ryder, what're you doing?" "Just hold my hands, please." Reuben's brow raised as Ryder closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The toadstool began to think the thought that his skin was no longer hallucinogenic over and over again. Reuben nervously took a deep breath and slowly clasped his hands onto Ryder's hands. Ryder tightened his grip on Reuben's hands and scrunched his face as Reuben began to feel more and more uneasy. Finally, Reuben ripped his hands away. "Okay, that's enough!" he exclaimed. As Reuben backed up, his hands began to shake and his skin fell pale. Nausea overcame him and he began to sweat instantaneously. "I...need to sit down," he said, wobbling over to Ryder's bed. Ryder felt sick to his non-existent stomach as well, more out of nerves of what he had just done to his guardian. "I-I'm so sorry! I won't ever touch you again!" he exclaimed in nervous sadness, his own hands quaking at the thought of what he had done. He quickly floated out of the room in embarrassment as Reuben laid down on his bed feeling faint and sick. Reuben knew what he needed to do was sleep off these effects, while Ryder didn't know what to do whatsoever. Ryder paced the hallway outside of his room while Reuben laid down in the fetal position on his bed. "What have I done?" Ryder huffed under his breath. "It was supposed to work. Willing it to happen...that's what Ethiriel said. She just wills something to happen and it works. Why didn't it work for me?" Your magic is quite strong already if you are able to give me hallucinations just by contact. Ethiriel's words danced inside of his head. His powers were strong...potent... But he wasn't able to control them. Not by will alone, anyway. What could he do? He only held onto Reuben's hands for a mere ten seconds at best, and it sent him into a state of nausea and instant sickness. There had to be another way. There just had to be. In the days that followed the event that occurred with Reuben, Ryder became saddened by what he had done to his own guardian as an experiment. Staying cooped up in his room, he felt a sense of failure overcome him. There wasn't much he could really do, at least not that he felt he wanted to do. Practicing his magical skill when it came to his skin wasn't working. Thus, he gave up and turned to his growing collection of books. He delved deep into fantasy, myth, and adventure. Reading all day, every day. "Ryder, can we talk?" Reuben stated through a closed bedroom door. Ryder took a deep breath and exhaled. It stressed him out, but he closed his book, remembering which page he was on, and set it aside. "Yes," Ryder stated bluntly, folding his arms over his chest as the door opened, revealing Reuben peeking in. "I just wanted you to know that there's no hard feelings for what happened. It's in the past. I just don't want you to coop yourself up in the room all the time. You've barely left since the incident." Ryder nodded. "I just figure it's safer for you, and everyone else, if I just stay away. Plus, I like my room." Reuben shook his head as he approached the frei's bed and sat down near the end, looking at his charge. "Don't think like that. You'll figure it out one day. Don't worry about it so much. I had an idea; lets go out." Ryder piped up and softly floated up to a more straightened sitting position. "To the bookstore?" Reuben chuckled softly. "No, no. I meant like, out into the woods. On a small hike. It's a beautiful day." "A hike?" "Yes, where we climb hills and adventure into the wilderness a bit." Ryder's nose scrunched. That didn't necessarily sound appealing. He would have much rather stayed in and just read. But, reluctantly, he decided to agree to go on this 'hike'. "Get dressed and meet me in the living room when you're ready!" Reuben stated with a smile as he left the room. Ryder sighed. He was already regretting his decision to leave the confines of his safe space. His room was his everything. These walls connected him to the stories of his mind where he could stay for hours. But; he did as he was told and met Reuben in the living room a few moments later. "It's so hot," the mushroom stated as he floated behind his guardian, the sun blistering down upon him.
"You shouldn't have worn such extravagant clothing. You really should have just put on the tank top I bought for you." "I feel so uncomfortable in that, Reuben. I love my garments. They're exquisite in every way!" Reuben laughed. "Well, if you really feel that way, you shouldn't complain when it's hot out." As the two made it towards the edge of a small forest, Reuben smiled. "Through this little trail the sun won't be so apparent." Reuben was right! The sun cascaded down in puddles around this forest floor. It was as though they were walking into a fantasy novel, Ryder thought. His mind began to explore the different creatures that could potentially live throughout this forest. As they entered the forested area, Ryder began to feel more and more at home. The trees were like the walls of his bedroom. This. This wasn't so bad whatsoever. It seemed much cooler here than out there. Ryder decided he didn't mind this part of the trip so much after all. "Ah! Look at this!" Reuben called to Ryder. Looking at his guardian, Ryder saw Reuben hunched over. With a raised brow, Ryder investigated. "It's a toadstool. This is what you were partially created from," Reuben stated with a smile, looking up at his charge. Ryder floated down to the toadstool's height. "It's so...tiny." Stroking the top of the mushroom, he watched as a spark flew off his finger and caused the mushroom to glow slightly. This caused the frei to recoil in nervous fear. But, with a second attempt, his touching the mushroom again caused the same effect; only this time he continued. The glowing of the toadstool almost made it feel like a soft clay. Ryder was honestly surprised it had taken him almost two months to even see, in person, a toadstool that he was fashioned from. After a few more strokes of the mushroom's cap, it began to flow outward, almost as if his fingers stroking it were pulling the cap outward and making the toadstool flatter on top, and much wider. Bringing in a second hand, he began to mold the clay-like toadstool into a large, flat, pizza-like shape as it stuck out of the ground still. The frei floated back a bit and as the glowing ceased, the mushroom now looked like a Picasso painting in real life. Reuben stood back astonished. "That's...incredible," he stated, his jaw dropped. Ryder looked up at his guardian. "That was really fun. I'm going to play with it some more," he said with a smile, going right back to it. Reuben just looked at his charge with awe. Ryder was powerful and he hadn't even gotten a simple grasp on how powerful he really could be. Able to completely manipulate the fungus to his bidding. Ryder continued to play with the mushroom for an hour, fashioning it into a wizards hat and placing it upon his head. By the end of the hour, he had learned how to start and stop his glowing touch as needed to get the right feel. Ryder grinned with pride at what he had done. "I'm ready to return home now," he said with a smile and waiting patiently for Reuben to be ready. Meeting LuLu made Ryder think. Was he so wrong to wish to feast upon Reuben's dreams? He felt it weird considering it wasn't something he could physically touch and bring to his mouth like the molding and expired food he'd become accustomed to eating every day. "I can't see it, I can feel it ... Warm and heavy. Right here." That scene played out in his imagination time and time again. He imagined LuLu hovering her hand over her chest with a look of desire on her face as she chomped down on the creativity over her GramGram knitting. It brought a smile to the frei's face, but he wished he knew what it was that drew him to Reuben's dreams, his mind, and even the minds of others. Reuben's dream was just the first time he had ever felt a twinge of hunger that deep all those months ago. Of course, he didn't ever do anything, for he wasn't sure what that twinge was. But, looking back, it was definitely hunger. Since then, he'd become accustomed to this twinge whenever someone nearby had a sudden "eureka" moment, a new idea, or was day (or night) dreaming. He just never knew what to do with these small twinges. Should he actually accept it, would he feel that warm and heavy fuzzy feeling in his chest too? It was food for thought. Ryder vowed that the next time he felt this ache in his chest, he'd accept it, he'd voluntarily take whatever this ache was and allow it to envelop him; he always knew it was calling to him, but never once did he think to take it in. What Ryder didn't know is, the twinge was coming soon. "Ryder, I'll be in the shop if you need me!" Reuben called from his own bedroom as he made his way out the door to his workshop.
Oftentimes, Reuben would just yell to him, alerting him of his absence in the house. It was during these times that Ryder found himself at peace. Not because he didn't care for Reuben or the company, but just simply because he liked being alone with his muses and books. And if Reuben was out and about, Ryder had full reign over the house, the books, the trash can, everything. Though, it was at this point that Ryder felt called to go outside in the back yard and spend some time under the gazebo. He liked going out there just to get away from it all, even if it was for only a few moments a day. He'd take his book and go relax and just enjoy the freedom given to him by Reuben. It was under the gazebo that many wonderful images came to him. It was a different world out there and he garnered so much inspiration from that place. Draping his ribbon gingerly across the small outdoor wicker sofa that sat underneath the gazebo, the toadstool opened the book he was currently reading back up to where he had left off. His imagination roamed with the stories of dragons, sorceresses, elves, heroes, villains, and even the common folk within the book. Every sentence meant something to the frei. Whilst he read, however, he felt that twinge from deep down in his chest. The one he promised himself he'd allow in. But how? He quickly sat up and closed his book, setting it on the sofa before floating up into the air and following this feeling of longing that he desired. It strengthened with every flap of his wings towards Reuben's workshop. As he neared the shop, he saw Reuben sitting at his desk, looking off into the distance with a smile on his face as though he wasn't fully present. Upon closer inspection, Ryder could sense the man's thoughts roaming. He couldn't see them, but he could definitely feel them turning like cogs in a clock. The ache he felt in his chest just grew stronger. Ryder floated right up to the window and gazed deeply at Reuben's daydreaming face and suddenly, the ache was gone, it was replaced by a feeling of warmth, satisfaction, and fullness; things he'd never experienced before. Reuben shook his head, as if he was snapped back to reality and he laughed and knocked on the window when he noticed Ryder sitting near the garden outside with a goofy smile on his face. Ryder's head snapped in the direction of the clinking glass. With a smile on his face he quickly waved and floated off back towards the gazebo while Reuben chuckled and sat back down in his seat. Upon arriving back at the gazebo, Ryder couldn't help but feel completely satisfied. "I totally get it. That was amazing. I feel so energized," he said, looking down at his hands. His freckles almost seemed to glow their faint colors, and his rune sparked a brighter shade of red. He was full. This feeling was full. This was wonderful. "I'll never deprive myself again!" It was that night of the week, the night that Calista and Reuben had their weekly wine or "Weekly Whine" as Reuben called it. Calista would come over and the two would get drunk on the couch while she whined and complained about her life, her work, or whatever else it was that bothered her. Ryder considered it to be her therapy sessions with Reuben. Reuben didn't disagree.
Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. There it was, the infamous three knock from aunt Cali. Ryder, at this point, would typically be frantically trying to lock himself in his room as to avoid the entire night, at least until Calista came into the room drunk off her ass trying to make conversation with the poor boy; but this time was different. Ryder knew that Calista, in her free time, was a real life illusionist and magician. She had powers from birth and was the only other person Ryder knew with magic. Thus, she had to be the one to talk to. As she entered the home and declared her day done, Ryder smiled and floated in the center of the living room. Reuben was in the kitchen opening the first bottle, but before she could get in there, Ryder called, "Hey aunt Cali?" Calista smiled and walked over to Ryder, setting her own bottle of wine on the coffee table before standing before the frei and picking lint off of his jacket. "Hey kid," she began with a smile, only to have her face fall into slight annoyance with each piece of lint picked off. "I don't get why you insist on wearing such heavy clothing in the summer. It's just too much." With a quick breath, Ryder ignored her comment. "I have a question for you." "Shoot." "Can you help me with my magic?" Calista's face lit up with excitement. "I thought you'd never ask! What's up, suga?" "My skin...you know how it's poisonous or whatever, right?" he said, folding his own hands together in front of him. Calista nodded. "Well, someone I met thought I may be able to actually change the potency of it's effect. But...I just don't know how. She said to will it to happen. But it didn't work." Calista's face fell into concern for her nephew a moment before a smile began to grow on her face. "Well, magic is just a mix of will and belief in oneself. She's probably right, though." "So...what can I do? Do you have any advice?" the frei asked curiously. "Well, I'm assuming you've tried to lessen it's affects, right?" "Yes, but as I said, it didn't work." "Well, what about making it more powerful?" Ryder's face scrunched. Why on earth would he want to make his skin more poisonous? Calista simply chuckled. "If you figure out how to make it more powerful, like you said, trying to will it to happen. At least then you'll know what it feels like to have that power and you can begin to lessen it's effects at that point. Then you'll be able to know what it feels like normally versus with additional power and then maybe you'll tap into something that will allow you to lessen it." Ryder's face turned to determination. It somewhat made sense. If he could power it up, then he'd potentially know what to do to turn up the power, enabling him to learn how to turn it down. "Thanks aunt Cali! I'll try that." With that, the mushroom frei quickly floated into his room, shut the door, and began to practice. "YES! It's finally here!" Reuben's voice rang throughout the entire house. Ryder, curious to see what his guardian was so excited about, floated out into the living room with his arms crossed. He watched as Reuben unleashed his fury on the box, cutting it as much as he could with his box cutter and tearing through the cardboard to reveal a styrofoam box within. Upon closer inspection, the styrofoam opened to reveal a very beautiful clouded quartz crystal ball. It was nothing to be so excited about. It was literally a piece of molded crystal, albeit a very pretty molded crystal. "What is it?" Ryder questioned. Reuben laughed as he pulled the ball from the styrofoam. "It's my new crystal ball that's used for divination. Isn't it beautiful!?" Ryder shrugged. Sure it was pretty, but it definitely wasn't something to get so worked up about. "I...guess?" Reuben scoffed and chuckled. "You don't even understand how cool this is," he said as he walked through the kitchen towards the back yard. Ryder just shook his head and went back to his bedroom. Looking out of his bedroom window toward the gazebo, Ryder watched Reuben wipe down and just stare at that crystal ball. He had a goofy smile on his face as he gazed into it. Ryder just chuckled at the face his guardian made and tried his best to imitate it before laughing a bit and shaking his head. As the day went on, however, Ryder noticed that Reuben was still out there staring into that stupid ball. "What is so damn special about that thing?" he asked aloud. Finally, as he watched, Reuben covered the ball and made his way into his shop. Now was Ryder's chance. He had to see what was so interesting about it. The frei floated to the gazebo and looked at the desk where the crystal ball was sitting. He slowly lifted the deep purple cloth that covered it to gaze upon the ball itself. With a curious eye, Ryder floated down to eye level with the ball, staring through it he saw nothing. With a roll of his eyes, he floated back up and looked down at the ball. That's all it was; a simple, crystal ball that looked pretty. There was no power there. He didn't feel any sort of magical energy coming from it. Shaking his head he then picked it up. Suddenly, the different broken elements within the ball began to swirl towards the center. "Whoa!" Quickly taking his hands away, the swirling reversed back to it's original state. Ryder shook his head quickly a second as to bring himself back to reality. Did that really just happen? Slowly going to tap it with one finger, it did nothing. Then, he left his finger on the ball a moment. The broken shards right underneath his finger began to distort and wiggle as if they were dancing underneath this glass frame. Pulling his finger away stiffened the broken shards. The raevan slowly gazed at his hands, both back and front. His freckles softly glowing as if to warn him that his magic was stirring. He rubbed his fingers against his palms a few times before grabbing each side of the crystal ball once more. This time, the swirling began quickly and the center of the swirl began to show off a vision of a very cartoon-esque styled drawing of a woman with torched hair and elongated eyes which he instantly recognized. "Th-that's Alice..." he stated under his breath with a quick gasp of surprise. He was seeing Alice within this crystal ball. Ryder let go of the ball and the vision faded as quickly as he did. Ryder felt a bit tired once he let go, but it didn't stop him from thinking about what he had just witnessed. His muse within some magical crystal ball. The frei then grabbed the sides of the ball again and envisioned Alice dancing in a field of flowers. Upon this thought, the swirling started and there she was, in her very distorted cartoon-esque style scurrying through a field of wildflowers that looked as though they were drawn by three year old children. Either way, Ryder knew whatever he was thinking about was coming across this crystal ball. One vision led to another and Ryder began down a path, just staring deep into this crystal ball he got lost in a daze as if he was just staring into the void. THUD! Before he could even realize, Ryder had exhausted himself and passed out on the gazebo floor. "Ryder!? Ryder! Ryder!" Reuben's voice could be heard echoing through the frei's mind as if they were nails on a chalkboard. With a pounding headache, Ryder opened his eyes slowly to see Reuben on top of him calling his name. Ryder couldn't do much but push Reuben off of him and roll to his side. "Ryder, what happened!?" the concerned guardian called. Ryder couldn't even bring himself to speak. His face scrunched as he laid on the floor, ribbon strewn ever-so-lazily on the ground. "Lets get you inside," Reuben said, trying to pick up his charge. A moan escaped the frei's mouth as he slowly moved to grab Reuben's hand away. He just wanted to be left alone. "Ryder..." was all that echoed in the frei's mind before he slowly drifted out of consciousness again. Upon awakening, he found himself in his bed with Reuben hovering over.
"Thank the gods you're awake. I had to call Zeke because I didn't know what to do." Ryder's head pounded with pain as he sat up in his bed. "Uh-ow..." he moaned quietly under his breath, rubbing his head. "What happened to you?" Reuben asked. He wanted to get to the bottom of it. Ryder just continued to hold his head and once he felt well enough to speak, he did. "I...saw Alice in your crystal. And then I just saw more and more and it was cool. Then the next thing I know, you're standing over me yelling my name." Reuben let out a large sigh. "At least Zeke was right," Reuben stated. Ryder looked at him with squinted eyes, as if there was a blazing sun staring directly back at him. The look on the frei's face made it obvious that he wanted to know what the vet told his guardian. "He said that you're probably experiencing some sort of power exhaustion. You used too much of your magical energy and passed out because of it. He told me if you don't feel better to definitely bring you in, but that you should be just fine. Just don't ever over exert yourself like that again. He also said that you'd probably feel starved when you woke up. So, I went around the neighborhood really quickly and gathered some of our neighbors old food and also found some rotting veggies in the garden. So here you go. Eat up." Reuben stated, shoving a plate of the rotting matter towards his charge. This was the first time Ryder felt that Reuben truly was being a guardian. Before then, Ryder viewed Reuben only as company, not a companion. Now, with this little scare, he knew that Reuben cared deeply for him; and it showed on his face when he woke up. Through the pounding in his head, he smiled. "Thank you, Reuben," he said, accepting the gift of rotting veggies and expired foods. Ryder floated about his room; one hand on his chin, the other wrapped underneath, simply musing to himself. "What would you say about a man with horns and flowers in his hair?" Ryder spoke to himself. From the nothingness emerged his best friend, Alice, standing tall behind him. "A man with flowers in his hair? Is he homosexual?" Ryder huffed. "So what if he was?" "It was merely a question. Flowers typically aren't considered a masculine trait," the muse spoke. Ryder rolled his eyes and continued to float. "Well, I like the idea of him having soft flowers at the base of his horns. He's a druid after all." Alice simply shrugged her shoulders. Ryder's eyes narrowed as he continued to imagine the horns. So delicate and branch-like with pastel colored flowers set at the base. This druid was to be his main character in yet another story he was fabricating. A powerful druid with a tender, loving heart. Character design was one of Ryder's favorite aspects of writing. The frei closed his eyes and imagined the horns blossoming forth from his character's head. A smile crept upon the toadstool's face as he watched his druid's head sprout the horns and flowers in his mind. As he opened his eyes, he smiled. "They're beautiful." Ryder turned to his muse with a confused glance. "What are you talking about?" "The horns, they're beautiful." Ryder shook his head quickly. He had no idea what she meant. Could she see what he was imagining for the druid? Feeling the pang of hunger within, Ryder waved Alice away into the recesses of his mind before floating out to the kitchen to rummage through whatever he could find. As he brought out some expired, sour milk to drink, he closed the fridge door only to be greeted with a shocked gasp from none other than Reuben himself. "Ryder!? What on earth is on your head? A-are those...horns?" Ryder shook his head and floated upwards, still confused. He grasped upwards atop his head, only to feel what everyone else was talking about. Suddenly, his eyes widened immensely as he felt the soft petals of what seemed to be flowers upon his head, then moving his hands upwards he felt the branch-like structures. It was as though they had no actual basis in reality, for he didn't have any sense of feeling in them, and his head didn't feel heavier for having them there, but he could physically touch them. Ryder quickly raced to the bathroom to see what he was feeling. As he entered the bathroom, his jaw dropped. The horns that he had imagined on his druid...were...on him!? He quickly felt up the branch-like structures and then went back down to feel the soft petals of the flowers on his head. Reuben knocked at the door. "Ryder...is everything okay!?" "Y-yes! It's uhhhh....uhhh fine! Yeah, it's fine! Everything's fine. I'm fine. The hor-I mean, it's fine. Nothing's wrong." It was clear to Reuben that Ryder was just as freaked out as he was when he first noticed them. Ryder was panicking, continuously grabbing onto the horns and trying to rip them off of him. He felt nothing at his skull, but the horns wouldn't budge. Not even the flowers would come off, neither would the individual petals be pulled from their base. What was he to do!? He didn't want these horns on himself! Even if they were beautiful to him! They were meant for his character! Finally, the frei gave up and opened the bathroom door. Reuben took that as an okay to enter. "Are you really okay? How did this happen?" This first quarter of Ryder's life seemed to be a busy one for the poor frei, coming into so many different powers all within such a short time frame. Controlling them and really focusing on one was hard for the boy with his scatterbrained self, Reuben knew that. But he also knew that this boy's magic was strong, powerful, and was unfathomably wide-ranging; only limited by the boys own imagination (which was...well...never ending). "I-I really don't know. I was just imagining my new character to have these horns exactly. But I didn't think they would grow on me! What do I do?" Reuben gave the horns a look over and rubbed the scruff on his chin. He then went to grab the horns only to realize that his hands went right through them. Slight shock overcame the guardian a moment as he went for the horns again, only to see the same results. "Y-you feel those?" "What do you mean? Of course I feel them. I wish I could just pull them off!" the raevan called in frustration trying to rip them from his head with as much might as he could muster before giving up in a fit of frustration. "I mean...I can't touch them. My hands go right through them." Ryder looked into the mirror and watched as Reuben went for them a third time, only to see that his guardian was right, they were like holograms for him. His hands went right through as though they didn't exist. So...only Ryder himself could feel them physically. They weren't really there. They didn't exist. They were just a figment of his imagination; an extension of his power. As he realized this, he looked into the mirror and watched as they began to "glitch out" and as he narrowed his eyes and willed them away, they continued to glitch until they disappeared completely. I will it to happen and it does. This magic was utter will. This power was his and he already had a strong grasp on such magic, constantly willing Alice to come in and out of his life. This was simply an extension of that same magic. This was what Ethiriel talked about. That power, something that was already so ingrained inside of him. His very essence even. Visible Imagination. His imagination made visible by will. Now he truly understood. Click the image above to be taken to the doc RP. ◈ WHO: Xiu & Ryder (Rapidashtrainer & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Mid afternoon on July 25, 2017 ◈ WHERE: Wooded clearing near Barton Town ◈ WEATHER: Sunny and warm. "Just go," the imaginary friend whispered to her creator in the dead of night. "It's not like you'll be missed around here this late." Ryder stared at the ceiling from under his covers. Alice was probably right, Reuben was probably sound asleep and it's not like he would even have to know if Ryder left. The toadstool was just restless and needing to get away. Practice his magic. Get out there and do something with himself. He felt as though he was wasting his time lying in bed doing absolutely nothing but staring up at the ceiling fan that spun slow enough for him to capture one blade and follow it with his eyes. Ryder was bored, plain and simple; and with a little convincing from his trusty side-kick, the frei clothed himself, put on his toadstool cap and grabbed his spell book and crystal ball before leaving the house, much like he had done a few weeks prior. The frei made his way towards the same spot he and his companion, Xiu, trained just weeks prior. He had learned a lot from that valsaros and he wanted to prove to himself and to the other raevan that he was going to be one strong frei. Practicing literally every single day did cause his powers to strengthen over time. He only took a couple days off here and there to recuperate; and that was only when it was forced upon him by Reuben. Closing his eyes, he enchanted the spell book to float as he magically turned the pages with his mind. He plucked a toadstool from the ground and as his freckles glowed, he then expanded the cap outward and elongated the stem, creating an umbrella. He then shrunk the mushroom down and turned it into a little ball, completely formed from the cap itself. He then broke the ball into different pieces and scattered it all over the ground around him, only to throw his hands up into the air, causing the mushroom bits around him to rapidly grow into individual toadstools all around him. He had really gotten the hang of this power, and quite quickly at that. It had only been a mere three months since he first discovered this power, and yet he was already able to quickly manipulate mushrooms and bend them to his will. Finally, as the small mushroom forest began to grow ever slowly around the frei, he stopped the growth and imagined what he wanted the page to say. The enchanted paper began to glow a moment before it was permanently inked by Ryder's imagination. The title on the top of the page being, "Mushroom Forests" and photos of his mind's eye directly printed in the pages. The raevan then took out his crystal ball from the wrap and held it up, also enchanting it so it would float. He hovered over the ball as though he was a sorcerer looking into the future; though instead, he looked into the ball to see his imaginary friend, Alice, come to life inside it. An entire scene played out in the ball where Alice was playing croquet with flamingos and hedgehogs. Ryder laughed as he slowly allowed the ball to fall to the ground, hitting it ever so softly.
After that, Ryder decided he had had enough practice for one night. Packing his things, he noticed the moon was high and his surroundings were a little eerie. The clouds covered the moon's rays from fully hitting the ground and any strays were lost through the treetops. The darkness was overwhelming. The small glow from the frei's rune was all that lit the path towards home. Slight panic overcame the poor raevan as he tried his best to make it home quickly. The howling wolves and creaks of the forest were beginning to frighten the frei. He cursed under his breath the moment Alice told him to go. He clutched tightly to his spell book and his crystal. He was hungry, alone and afraid, wishing he was home and wishing he could take back the past few hours at this very moment. Luckily, the raevan wasn't too far from home, but still, the things that went bump in the night felt more real, more scary, and much larger than they would to the average person. After all, the kid's imagination got the best of him from time to time. Little bugs became huge monsters. Small things over exaggerated in the worst of ways. The trek home was the scariest thing the small frei had experienced in his short life. As he reached the front door, he looked around. He slowly opened the door with a creak to reveal the living room lit up by moonlight. He was home. He was safe. The toadstool made his way slowly to his bedroom, however, at the end of the hall was what looked to be a dark figure in the low-light of night. Ryder closed his eyes tightly and reopened them to view that dark figure creeping closer and closer. Ryder's heart began to beat unimaginably fast. He quickly closed his eyes and turned away, only to feel the body heat of the figure looming behind him. "Boo." The frei's screams could probably be heard for miles. When the hall light flicked on, there stood Reuben, cackling. "What the hell, Reuben!?" the frei called, white as a ghost. Reuben's laughter subsided after a few moments and he spoke, "I should be asking you the same thing. Where were you at so late at night?" Ryder's face flushed. "I was...out practicing." The frei looked down at the ground in front of his guardian, obviously aware that he had broken some sort of unspoken rule. With an audible sigh, Reuben walked closer to his charge and grabbed his shoulders. "Please don't ever go out like that again without telling me, okay?" Ryder turned his face away and just simply nodded before pulling away from his guardian and slowly floating to his room, defeated. Click the image above to be taken to the doc RP. ◈ WHO: Xiu, Cesc, & Ryder (Rapidashtrainer, Atmadja, & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Afternoon on September 30, 2017 ◈ WHERE: Wooded clearing near Barton Town ◈ WEATHER: Sunny and warm. The sunlight peaked through the bedroom window at dawn, and Ryder was already awake. He awoke with a sense of determination to get something done. He had already done his daily ritual of playing his video game, some reading, and even some practicing of his calligraphy. For whatever reason, the frei was restless and needed something more to do.
Upon staring at his ceiling, the frei realized something he hadn't tried to do in a very long time. Mushroom magic. With his imagination magic so blocked he'd get a headache even trying to conjure some horns, the frei decided he'd try something different. Practice the power of mushroom manipulation just like the day he had created his first mushroom wizardry hat. Floating out into the kitchen, Ryder hadn't found any mushrooms whatsoever. It was rare for Reuben to not have any in the house, but alas, there was nothing to be seen. Thus, it prompted the frei to leave and find them elsewhere. Taking a trip outdoors and into the nearby forest was his best bet. Before leaving, he texted Reuben, who was busy working in the shop, stating he'd be out for a moment and return in an hour or so. With Reuben's blessing, the frei left for the forest. It took no time at all to find a wild mushroom nearby. Upon first inspection, the mushroom seemed the perfect specimen to practice with. Plucking it ever-so-neatly from the earth and holding it within his hands, Ryder smiled. The power came back to him rather quickly, much more so than he ever expected it to. This power...this was nothing but natural for him. His hands began to glow a dim green before scrunching the mushroom into a ball. He then began to mold the mushroom like clay into a small figurine of a person. Ryder wasn't the most artistic or talented individual when it came to doing things with his hands, but this was the best it would be. It gave him a small confidence boost when he realized that, at least this power hadn't left him completely. Though it wasn't the power he wished to be practicing, at least he could practice something. The toadstool spent the rest of the morning picking different mushrooms and turning them into hats, scarves, and even wobbly glasses. All of which didn't look great, but at least one could somewhat tell what the items were. It kept his mind off of his video game and other magical inabilities at least, and that's what was so important to begin with. Click the image above to be taken to the doc RP. ◈ WHO: The Trader & Ryder (Rapidashtrainer & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Late into the night on October 20, 2018 ◈ WHERE: Some old ruins Ryder stumbled across in the forest outside of Barton Town. ◈ WEATHER: Cool, and getting cooler by the minute. "Y'know they say that the veils between worlds is most thin on Halloween night, right? Where magic really comes alive and the spirit world and our world are intertwined most delicately," Evan stated to Reuben in the kitchen of their home as he leaned over the bar top counter.
Reuben scoffed. "Do you even know who you're talking to? Of course I know that." The two laughed and continued to chat over coffee whilst Ryder lay strewn across the couch, his ribbon draped off one arm. He stared at the ceiling, listening to the voices from the kitchen but also trying to concentrate on his own thoughts. His mind wandered constantly since that fateful evening. What was happening with him? He had so many unanswered questions. Since the night with the Trader, he hadn't told anyone anything, just as the Trader had requested. Keep it a surprise, as he said, until it was too obvious to hide. Ryder knew that his powers hadn't returned the way they once had been. After all, the last week or so had been quite...interesting to say the least. The day after meeting the Trader, Ryder awoke with hope and determination. He needed to see if his powers were back. Obviously the Trader had done one job, taking his poison away, but with that, Ryder was supposed to have his powers back, be able to practice just like he used to, his imaginings abound. Ryder took to the Mystic Herb to find Reuben working with a couple of customers. He didn’t bother, but decided to take his spell book straight past the shop and into the forest nearby. Here, he would find the perfect, peaceful area to practice. As he opened his spell book up, he read a few of his previous notes from his past imagining sessions. He was nervous to see how he’d fair in comparison to his past. He set the open book on a nearby rock and floated back up into the air. Taking a deep breath he outstretched his arm and imagined something fairly simple, a small tree with leaves and fruits. Suddenly, an area on the ground in front of him began to glow violet and green -- a mishmash of color which he hadn’t seen before while using his power. With that, a small bud began to sprout from the ground quickly and grew twisted and coiled, sort of bending to its own will. It stopped shortly after and the glowing energy dissipated quickly. Ryder felt the power leave his body. It felt very...different than before. He had to exert much more energy this time around, but chalked it up to the fact that he hadn’t been able to practice much. Along with feeling quite exhausted, the “tree” didn’t look at all how he imagined it to be. It was twisted, rugged, and didn’t resemble much of a tree. It looked more like a crooked vine which branched off into more crooked vines. With what little energy he had left, he floated over and touched it. It was frail. The frei looked at it, disappointed. With how out of practice he was, it was no wonder why it took so much out of him, but his imaginings in the past at least looked like he wanted them to, not like this, which was entirely different. Ryder picked up his spell book and tried to imagine his new notes (like he had done in the past) to cover an empty page. Although, when he did this, the words themselves looked muddled and warped, almost illegible, and the energy expenditure was not what he was expecting, as it truly tired him further. Plus, it almost looked worse than his own handwriting. It bothered him, as he never would have tried to imagine the words on the page had he known what it would look like. Again, it looked nothing like he imagined, and he was so exhausted, all he wanted to do was sleep. At that point, he went home for the day, feeling distraught and questioning his decisions. He definitely hoped that he was just having a bad day and everything would work itself out the next time he conjured up some imaginings. The next day, he felt a bit better, albeit slightly drained, but decided to go back to that quiet little spot he found the day before. Surprisingly, the ‘tree’ was still there, but it looked much more run down than it had when he left it. It looked almost as if it was wilting. He also noticed a few of the 'branches' were broken off and on the ground nearby. Normally, when he was finished imagining something that he no longer needed, it would simply dissipate into a cloud of rainbow specks. But no, this imagining persisted through the night. Shocked, Ryder floated over to his little “tree” and grabbed ahold of one small, twisted branch. Once touched, the branch snapped off its base, but did not dissipate like he expected it to. Instead, when he let it go, it fell to the ground as if it was any other dead twig he could find laying around the forest floor. Ryder scowled in frustration. What was happening? How could this still be here? Instead of focusing on the growing list of questions, he decided to ignore it for now and try to imagine something else. He opened his spell book to find the lettering he had previously imagined into it and the ‘ink’ on the page had run down, leaving black streaks throughout the page. It was a page that now needed to be removed from the book. It sickened him to have to remove a page from his spell book, but nevertheless, he closed the book and decided to continue his magic. Ryder floated up and closed his eyes, deciding to imagine something a bit simpler today. Concentrating on his cupped hands, he imagined a black crow’s feather floating within them. As he opened his eyes, the same green and violet magical energy began to warp above his hands. When finished, the feather was complete, but it did not look as intended. The rachis was thick, and the vane was very thin. The quill itself was quite strange looking. And the color, as he imagined it, was supposed to be dark midnight blue, but turned out much lighter than imagined. He also felt very drained, not feeling as though he should continue. He couldn’t seem to create the most simple of things, and everything he did imagine turned out to be somehow warped and different than he wanted. Ryder pulled out his fountain pen and opened his spell book one page past the black runny ink. He began to write his notes physically, which turned out messier than he had wanted, but luckily he had worked on his handwriting enough to make the notes legible, detailing all of his magical abilities and what had happened throughout the course of his time out here in the forest. He left back home, leaving the feather on the forest floor. Over the next few days, Ryder had no desire to go practice his magic. He was not too happy with how things were turning out, and decided to seclude himself in his bedroom for a couple days. Finally, a week after his meeting with the Trader, he decided to head back into the forest. Finding his secluded area once more, he noticed the tree he had originally imagined was completely dead and had fallen to the ground in a pile of sticks and twigs. The strange plume, covered in dirt, was also still there, but looked as though it was decomposing rather quickly. Ryder was stunned, he had never had an imagining last this long, and never did they ‘die’ and wilt the way these two things had. Deciding it was best not to actually practice, Ryder wrote his notes about the decomposition of his previous imaginings and returned home, questioning whether or not he should even continue practicing his magical abilities any longer. Snow blanketed the grounds of the Rothmore estate. The sun was just peeking over the horizon when Ryder awoke. He stretched his arms up above him and let out a huff and sigh when finished. He rubbed his eyes and looked towards his desk to see a present, neatly wrapped, upon it. The frei whipped off his blanket and floated over to the desk quickly to find attached to one of the ribbons, a note that stated it was from both Reuben and Evan. A smile grew upon his face as he picked it up and brought it into the living room. Nobody seemed to be home, which was strange only because it was Christmas Day. Normally Reuben and Evan would be talking over coffee, or Ryder would find his guardian reading tarot at the kitchen table (at least during the wintry months). But today, the house was eerily silent. Ever since Evan joined the home, things had been different. Reuben used to celebrate Yule and have a friendsgiving with Calista each year, but this year they celebrated “Christmas” and “Thanksgiving”. The more popular holidays that many, many other Gaians celebrated during this time. Evan brought in a sort of ‘life’ that the home was missing ever since Ryder was brought from the lab. A certain type of aura that the home had over the last few months was uplifting to the frei. It was nice to have Evan there. He brightened Reuben’s life as well which was probably why the home felt so much more fresh and free. The tree in the living room was decked out in gold and white. There was garland strung up all around. Ryder sat the present on the coffee table before curiously going to see where his guardians might be. He checked their bedroom to no avail. He even went into the shop to see if there was any sign of life in there, but nothing. Nobody was around at all. Curious, Ryder went back into the house and floated throughout just to take one last look. It was strange to see the house so empty on a holiday like this. But, if the toadstool were being honest, he didn't mind the peace and quiet whatsoever. After exhausting all possibilities, Ryder took to the living room. There he decided to find a comfortable position on the couch and leaned down to grab his present. He pulled the ribbons and released the tape from the sides and began to tear into it ever-so-slowly. Finally, he unwrapped it enough to reveal a basic brown box with a teal lid. He lifted off the lid to reveal a very beautiful mushroom pendant necklace and a note. Ryder, Ryder scoffed at the note, of course Reuben had to request for him to pick up the place a bit. Ryder looked about the house and didn't see a thing out of place. Maybe a couple of dishes in the sink or some dust on the fireplace mantle, but it was no near as bad as Reuben made it out to seem.
With that, Ryder pulled the pendant from the box and clipped it around his neck. It was very beautiful, exquisite even. That much made him happy. He twisted the necklace within his fingers a bit and looked down at it. It was perfect. His lips curved upward as he thought of what went into finding this piece of jewelry. Handmade, beautiful, and custom. Ryder placed the note into his shirt pocket and closed the box, picking up the wrapping paper and scrunching it within his fist before floating it all over to place it in the garbage. He then began to do as was requested of him. He grabbed the sponge and began to wash the few plates that were in the sink, no doubt from Evan and Reuben's breakfasts. He then floated over to the mantle and began to wipe it off with a wash cloth soaked in all-natural dusting spray. He followed that up with wiping down other random furniture throughout the home before finding himself fully cleaning the counters in the kitchen, washing down the inside of the oven, and even sweeping the floor. Wiping his forehead, the frei found himself finally finished, the house sparkled with cleanliness and it had been a couple of hours. Ryder decided it was high time to take a shower and get himself together for tonight's event. Pulling his outfit, he laid it out on the bed. He was trying to utilize more of the clothing options that Reuben bought for him, thus, trying out new shirts. After all, that's what his entire closet consisted of. Shirts of all kinds. Nice old fashioned shirts that Ryder was able to pick out for himself and other, more modern shirts that Reuben had picked up for him while he was shopping. He wanted to surprise his guardian with a 'new look' and wear a shirt he had never even tried on before, but liked the look of. It was creative, imaginative even, the entire shirt looked as though it was 'sideways' and that resonated with Ryder. After his shower, Ryder heard some banging at the front door. With no time to actually put on his shirt, he scrunched his face and floated out to see Evan standing with a huge handful of presents in tow. The tower of presents was so tall, Evan couldn't even see past them. Ryder quickly fluttered over to the door and opened it. "Evan, pray, let me aid you." "Oh, Ryder, thanks but no, it's fi-AH!" Evan exclaimed, tripping over the threshold, presents flying into the air. Ryder's eyes widened as the presents fell to the floor and Evan's face fell right into Ryder's bare chest. The two locked arms as Evan didn't fall fully, Ryder's wings were strong enough to keep the two afloat. Evan jumped up and his eyes widened as he caught his breath and realized what he had done. "Ryder...I'm...oh god..." he expected that at any moment he'd have some violent reaction to Ryder's poison. "Ryder, why are you naked...and oh my god...when...is it going to happen." Ryder quickly scrambled to pick up the fallen presents as soon as Evan was on his own two feet. A lump was caught in his throat as he floated a small handful of presents over to the tree and set them down quickly. "I-I-I apologize, I had just heard the thumping at the door as I finished my shower. As for what occurred, you shall be fine, I assure you. Pray, do not apprise Reuben of this." Evan stood there, stunned, afraid of what he was expecting to feel at any moment. But, as the moment seemed to never come, the man was confused. Ryder had never said anything about his poison power, or controlling it. The last time Evan experienced Ryder's skin poison, it was almost instantaneous and he felt high and drunk at the same time, even imagined Reuben being there with them. Though now, he felt absolutely nothing. "Alright, here's the rest of the pres-huh?" Reuben stated, eyes widening as he laid them on Ryder. "Ryder, where's your shirt? What's going on?" Evan shook his head quickly as to get out of the trance he put himself in. "Oh, it's my fault, babe. Ryder had just gotten out the shower and heard me bangin' the presents against the door and came runnin'...er..floatin' I guess rather, and opened it for me. Then I tripped and dropped all the presents and he's here helpin' me pick 'em up." Reuben chuckled. "You're so clumsy. Okay, well, Ryder, why don't you go get dressed, eh? Calista is here and we're going to start cooking soon." Ryder smiled, glancing at Evan with a nod of gratitude and retreated into the bedroom to put on his shirt and go do his hair. Later that evening, when Reuben and Calista were in the kitchen cooking and gossiping, Evan caught Ryder on the living room couch as the house was filled with popular Christmas songs. He sat down on the chair next to him and began to speak, "So, you gonna explain to me what that was all about?" Ryder's heart dropped, if he hadn't known better, he would say it fell right out of his chest, past his ribbon, and onto the floor below. He had to say something, but didn't want to give anything away. The boy only had two options. He could tell him that he learned to control it, which would inevitably lead to more questioning or he could tell him the truth. Of course, the latter was not going to happen. "Like I said prior, I apologize. Honestly, I have learned to control that part of myself. My poisonous skin shall no longer affect anyone in any way unless I will it," he stated, swallowing the large lump that accumulated in his throat. Evan's eyes narrowed and he chuckled. "Well...why haven't you told us this before? That's awesome news, right?" Ryder shrugged and then nodded. "You are aware I like my privacy and space. I did not see the necessity of disclosing that information. I apologize if you fear I have...lied to you." Ryder was even surprising himself at how convincing he was being. Luckily he had a few months to think of a cover up story had this exact situation happened with anyone. Ryder had definitely thought of that scenario and was well prepared for it. "No, Ryder, it's fine. I don't feel like you've lied to me. But..isn't this something to celebrate then? Like...like a Christmas miracle!" Evan stated with a laugh as he stood up. "Hey Reu-" he began, being cut off by Ryder's hand grabbing his arm and pulling back a bit. "I would greatly appreciate this staying between you and I, Evan. Pray, do not mention this to Reuben. I fear as though he would take this information and inflate it. I just do not wish to have that kind of attention placed on me. My powers are my own, and I would welcome your confidence in this matter." Ryder was always a bit strange, Evan surmised. But with a smile, he nodded in agreement of Ryder's terms. What was the big deal? He didn't understand, however he did want to keep the faith of their relationship strong and enduring. So, he wouldn't say anything to Reuben until it was stated that he could. "I shall forever be in your debt, thank you." "Don't even mention it, it'll be our little secret." Months passed and Ryder had begun consistently practicing with his new powers. Yes, they took a deep toll on him physically, always leaving him rather exhausted, but he had at least gotten used to the quirks in his abilities. He had realized that when creating something, the way he originally imagines the thing in question is important. If he imagines something rather odd looking, it comes out looking a bit more like he would have wanted it. A bit of backwards thought was important, but it gave him the results he wanted nevertheless.
Though, even through all of the drawbacks with his powers, he appreciated the fact that he could at least produce something. The last month or so, he had come to find that he could incorporate live plants into his imaginings. He had created a talking flower that sadly passed away quite quickly, having lived a very short life. That had upset him, and it was strange that he was able to do something so extraordinary, though it eased the exhaustion when he was able to combine his imaginings with living plants. His conclusion was that his lifeforce wasn’t being drained solely, and instead was able to feed off of the lifeforce of the plant in addition to throwing in a bit of his own, creating a new thing entirely. It was almost fun to make things out of plants, and realizing that he didn’t have to kill himself each and every time was definitely a bonus for him. Although he didn’t truly understand the full impact of this, Ryder continued to practice utilizing this technique. Ryder found himself out in the forest the night prior to his birthday. He felt as though he wanted to spend time alone in the forest where he could have some peace and quiet, with no interruptions, especially with his birthday party planned for the next day. “Forest, pray, lend me your strength as I attempt this craft,” he spoke aloud. He always wanted to ask the surrounding area to lend him the strength, as he felt terrible later when the area seemed to wither in response. Ryder floated down and plucked a fresh little wild flower from the ground. The frei took to his mind as he concentrated his power into his hands. His hands began to glow with that same green and violet magic as before. The flower instantly began to warp within the frei’s hands. The petals began to merge together and grow larger as the stem began to fold up and meld together. By the end, a small fairy like those from video games past was revealed. The white petals flapped like wings and the body was green, round and smooth. It flew up and around Ryder quickly, as he laughed, enjoying his small created companion. “You are beautiful,” Ryder whispered under his breath as he watched the wings of his creation flutter quickly to keep itself afloat. Ryder then decided to take the small creation home with him after a few moments of writing his thoughts in his spellbook. The flighty fairy followed closely behind his creator as the two floated towards home. All was well with the world as Ryder laid his head down on the pillow to sleep, his fairy companion flying about the room until it was ready to lay down as well. ”Happy birthday, Ryder!” Reuben called as he barged into the bedroom of his charge the next morning, holding a cupcake made of old, stale ingredients, covering the candle as to not have it blown out accidentally. The frei awoke with a smile. “Thank you, Reuben.” ”Make a wish,” he said, handing over the cupcake. Ryder took the cupcake and did as he was told. He closed his eyes (as he had learned was customary) and opened them a moment later to blow out the candle. ”Yay! Okay, get yourself ready, the party will be starting soon.” Ryder nodded, taking his time to stretch. He then took a moment to look around for his fairy companion. “Flairy, where are you?” he called, thinking that would be a good name for his little companion. But looking around, the little guy wasn’t found. Finally, upon going to his desk, behind a small stack of books, lay the small being, wilted and shriveled. Ryder slowly picked up his creation in his hands, eyes tearing up upon looking down. He began to slowly close his hands around his little fairy companion, only to notice the crackling of dried petals in his hands. A soft sob could be heard if anyone were listening. “W-why does this happen?” Ryder questioned, tears streaming down his face. He slowly set the dried flower fairy back onto the desk, crumbled petal wings falling beside it. Wiping his tears, Ryder went back to bed for a few moments longer to mourn the loss of his little flower fairy. What a way to start his birthday celebration. Click the image above to be taken to the doc RP. ◈ WHO: Xiu & Ryder (Rapidashtrainer & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Midday on March 26, 2019 ◈ WHERE: Wooded clearing near Barton Town ◈ WEATHER: Sunny and warm. |