metalogs | If madness overtakes us both [Open]

[He's got a point there - the only people Accelerator has ever seen with white hair have been super old, not young like himself, and he's never met anyone else with red eyes.

... But still, it's hard to take in.]

You're being difficult. [It's the most ten year old retort ever.] I'm just trying to find that shithead, 'cause he'll be able to explain what the hell's going on.

[Donnie holds back another sigh, finally stooping down a little so Accelerator won't have to keep looking up at him.

...man, what a tiny beanpole.

He shakes his head.]

The most I can figure is that there's some instability with the active remnant energy that's unique to this world and it's causing some temporal fluctuations that have been manifesting in different ways. Some kind of feedback, but that's the best I can determine since there's still a lot I don't know as to what exactly happened not too long ago. There was a big battle, it was pretty crazy.

[Instability with active remnant energy.... temporal fluctuations....

Accelerator is silent as he listens. It should unnerve him even more, and it does a little bit, but it also gives him something to focus on. Despite being ten years old, he's still Accelerator. He's still got that super genius brain of his.]

Are a bunch of espers with time powers poltergeisting?

[Donnie had figured that the kid's still sharp despite being a little punk. Honestly it was a toss-up whether giving him more info would have helped or not, but it seems Accelerator's not too unlike him after all in that regard.]

Not that anyone's aware of, no. First off...this isn't the same Earth you'd be familiar with. It's not mine either.

A lot of us were brought here by something called the Confluence, and while no one here's been able to pinpoint where it came from, the surge of power from it can reach between dimensions and time, where it then pulls people in and drops them here.

I haven't seen or heard any reports of any new Confluences recently, and it seems a little overdue.

........

[Not... his Earth. That's totally insane, but it would explain why he's in some random city talking to a really tall reptile. And he's read about parallel universe theories in his classes on quantum physics.

Still, he looks nervous about all of this. It's one thing to read about theories, it's another to actually be experiencing them.]

I've never heard of that before. 'Confluence.' [But then, he's only ten and hasn't finished school.] Is this part of some hidden-variable theory?

I mean, it could be? But then again it could be a lot simpler and just that no one except for a key few were actually very aware of what happened in this place that caused the Confluences.

[He frowns. How many times had he watched that clip of Chaos Gate before she and Fantastic had vanished? She hadn't been speaking in riddles. It had sounded like she was making a confession. But Donnie still can't wrap his head around how one person could have potentially caused such a crazy enough phenomenon that's punctured other realities and linked it into this one.]

The Confluence seems to be exclusive to this place so far as I'm aware.

[Or at least it was. If they've truly ceased, then he's not sure what it means for them who had been brought through them. Just another thing to look into.]

Anyway, I know it's a lot to take in. Still is a lot to take in. [He sighs, standing up again.] So I don't know what to make of your situation. Maybe it's temporary, or...maybe this is the version I'm going to have to get used to.

[That's...mildly upsetting to think about, an uncomfortable expression brushing across his face before he schools it back into something neutral again.]

I can show you where you've been staying. You at least have a place to go to, and even if you were being kind of a jerk earlier, you've still got me and my brother if you need anyone.

.....

[It's bizarre to him to hear that only a few people might have that kind of information about the Confluences. He's had hundreds of scientists - if this Confluence thing existed in Academy City, he's sure there would be that many people wanting to study it. There'd be tons and tons of research on it.

It's still messed up and he isn't totally sure he believes this whole temporal fluctuation thing, but he doesn't have any other explanation to go off of. If this is all some lie meant to kidnap or kill him, well, he already knows plans like that won't work. He might as well see where this place is.

Maybe Kihara will be there? Or some other scientist he knows? Or there'll be some way for him to get in contact with one of them.]

... Fine.

[There's lots of research, it's true. But it had seemed even harder to find more condensed information that wasn't mostly theoretical, and while studying it at its source would have been Donnie's preferred method, it was impossible to do when the location changed and you were trying to remain off of government listings.

In the end they're all still excuses, and Donnie's the least likely to give himself any slack for the lack of progress.

He motions with his head for Accelerator to follow then. See, stalking the esper to see where he lived has paid off! ...for this very oddly specific circumstance.]

[Still looking thoroughly unhappy, Accelerator will follow after Donnie. As he does he looks around, making sure to memorize the buildings and streets so he can start building a map of this city in his mind. At the same time he's making sure to keep a safe distance from Donnie, to prevent any accidental physical contact.]

[Donnie points at a cafe as they near it. Accelerator doesn't drink coffee at this age, does he? At least there's other stuff. It'd probably be good to find out before getting to the apartment and finding only coffee drinks to imbibe.]

How long have you been wandering anyway? Want anything?

No.

[He's answering that immediately. The thought of getting food at a weird non-Academy City cafe is weird, especially when he doesn't have any money on himself.]

I'm fine.

O-kay then...

[Shrugging, Donnie continues on then. He can just pick up some water or something later if it seems needed.

Eventually they get to the apartment complex, which is always weird to go up to taking the normal route instead of sneaking in the usual way he'd prefer. He mystic-tech's up a "key", pushing the door open once it's unlocked before stepping aside.]

Well, here we are.

[It looks like a normalish apartment building (at least, normal compared to what he's seen in tv and manga). The apartment is the same, very... normal. Very Western. Pretty weird for a kid who has grown up in school dormitories with other kids.

He follows Donnie inside, looking around for a moment before focusing on the turtle.]

How'd you do that? [He waggles his hand at Donnie's meaning the mystic tech key.]

[Donnie hits the light-switch.]

Huh? Oh that.

[Right, this Accelerator's never seen his mystic-tech.]

Magic.

[He gives the kid a dry look before he holds his hand up again to conjure up a robotic arm not too unlike the ones equipped in his battle shell, which he uses to grab the watering can from by the sink to fill it up. Since he's here he might as well see to the plants.]

[What.

What?????

Accelerator stares, completely bewildered by the sight of a whole ass robotic arm. This is some kind of crazy sci-fi nonsense, or like something out of an anime. It's really, really cool.

... And then Donnie says 'magic' and just. Wow.]

That's gotta be bullshit.

Unfortunately it isn't. My family has some kind of ancient ninpō thing going for it and it's all mystic energy that's tied to us and our clan.

[He takes the watering can once it's filled, making his rounds to check the plants and water as needed.]

I've never really been that great with understanding magic- my dominion is more technical. So once I found out I had this kind of ability, I was able to just apply it to what I know, hence my mystic-tech.

[Accelerator frowns severely at this, even as he hesitantly follows after Donnie. He's still making sure to keep his distance as he watches the robot arm.]

It looks like it's just a solid hologram, though. An esper could make that with science.

In a way I guess it's kind of like that. It definitely has substance to it.

[If he had more watering cans he'd make more robot arms, but otherwise Donnie's pretty at home with multitasking as the one handles the watering while he inspects leaves and how moist or dry any of the soil is in the pots. Looks like Accelerator's been taking care of them pretty well though.]

Espers aren't a thing where I'm from, or at least I don't think so. I've never been outside of the country, let alone New York, so I'm not sure how renowned Academy City and its espers are supposed to be. I mean, I figure at the very least I'd have come across it on the internet.

[He's been doing his best despite not being the kind of person who would normally take care of plants! Tiny Accelerator, however, has no interest in them.]

We're super famous. Academy City is super famous. If it wasn't millions of parents wouldn't be signing their kids up for the Curriculum.

[Duh. He jabs a finger at the robot arm.]

So you could be wrong, that thing could just be science you're not smart enough to explain.

[Donnie's brow twitches as he rounds on the kid.]

Why you little-

Okay, calm down Donnie. It's just Accelerator's rudeness in its rawest form, not your fault he's a little punk-

[He forces himself to take a deep breath, rolling back his shoulders.]

Anyway, I would love to claim it as science, but aside from the genetic relations, there's unfortunately no scientific explanation for something like seeing the spirits of your ancestors and teaming up with them to fight an ancient evil, soul-eating armor.

[...... Oh, maybe he shouldn't have said that. He glares back at Donnie, at the same time taking a small step backwards.]

Just because you don't think there is --- [He suddenly stops, realizing that if he keeps pushing he's just going to make things a lot worse.]

-- Ugh. Nevermind.

Edited 2023-08-12 17:58 (UTC)

[Seeing the kid retreat from him certainly does the trick of quashing whatever might be left of that flare up in his temper. He grimaces, letting out a sigh then before turning to finish up with his plant watering.]

...anyway, there's that and then the whole other thing I developed just from getting dumped here. Being that it isn't exactly a normal occurrence even back home, I'm not sure how powers spontaneously develop from getting pulled into an alternate world. Maybe just the exposure of getting caught up in that much power fluctuation in general, like some form of radioactivity? Doesn't seem to happen to everyone though, and from what I've read, the Confluences are responsible for what's given local people here powers.

[Accelerator takes another step back, then decides to go perch on the couch. As much as everything sucks, at least he now has... somewhere to stay? Shelter? So he doesn't have to keep wandering around on the street.]

You've got more than one power? [That makes him tense up a little, and he shakes his head.] Then you're definitely not some esper thing. That's not possible with espers.

[He would know, he spent a good chunk of his life undergoing less than pleasant experiments to try and force development of a second ability.]

Yeah... It's cool but kind of annoying.

[He glances back at the kid, setting down the watering can. His mystic-tech appendage vanishes in pixelated light.]

It isn't? But then I guess you still have a pretty broad spectrum of application with what you can do so I don't see why you'd need anything additional.

..........

[That remark makes Accelerator go silent for a few moments.

Why would he need anything additional? That's right he's the strongest. He doesn't need another power when his own is already completely overwhelming to most people.

Still....]

It wasn't always like that with me. [He pulls his legs up onto the couch, hugging them.] Are they doing more tests for dual skills here? I don't wanna go through those again.

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