bakerstreet | Too bad nobody loves you

[Accelerator is quiet as he listens. Despite the (perpetual) scowl on his face he's serious about this, so the explanation is helpful.]

Yeah, yeah, I get it. [He thinks he does, anyways. He wasn't kidding about being a newbie to magic, and this is a lot different than the science he grew up with.] It sounds like this can get really fucking abstract. The last time I made a contract like this it was a lot more straightforward.

Indeed. When I was younger, and far more...Bitter about my life circumstances, I would single out people's most outstanding features and prey on their insecurities to make the trade sweeter. However, I'm a changed man now, which is why I'd rather work with you on finding something worth both our time.

[He turned into a fucked up little magical battery for a giant monstrosity and acted cringefail, really, but who cares about that?] But...As I said, you do have time. I'll need to find that solution, after all, and then we can sort out the contract.

Not too long, though. If you want to protect all those kids you're in charge of, as you said, I'd imagine that sooner rather than later would be preferable.

... Not that I can talk, but that sounds pretty fucked up.

[He's over here suddenly glad he grew out of his cringey villain phase, because if he was still in it he'd probably be congratulating Azul on having had a good villain angle. Oof.]

I know. The problem is I don't have that many worthwhile qualities outside of my ability. [Who knew being a shitty person who hates himself would have consequences!!] What other things have people traded with you?

It was. I was blinded by my spite, and failed to realise what I had in front of me. But again-- changed man, I promise. I've been through the requisite therapy and everything.

As for past deals...More recently, I've traded a friend's unique magic for a different voice, though that was a very, very temporary deal. I've also traded skincare products for spell reagents, matchmaking services for physical attributes...Mm.

[An idea. He adjusts his glasses, mouth twitching excitedly.] You do have a decent voice. Can you sing with it?

[He nods slightly. His own experiences with psychiatrists have been nightmarish thanks to being an esper, but therapy outside of Academy City war crimes? That's a good thing.

Those things all sound very random, though he supposes skincare products and spell regents are just chemicals (or similar enough) when you get down to it. Accelerator's thoughts don't get any further than that though, because that question is causing him to freeze.]

....... Yeah, I can. [He got to learn that fun fact when casting his first ever spell!] Would that be enough?

...Maybe.

Sing for me. I need to hear how talented you are, before I go signing off on it as good enough to trade.

What, right now?

[He shifts a little, uncomfortable.]

It's not something I do often. [At all. Honestly, the thought of just doing like it's no big deal is a little embarrassing.]

What do you expect me to do, then? Do you think I'll trust your own opinion of your singing voice? Oh no no no. I need to judge the goods, see your prowess for myself before I take it.

Just as I'd give you a temporary hit of magic use and patching up the bleeding after. Fair is fair.

[Whoa there cephalopunk, chill out.] Now or later, but it will be done before I cough up the solution to your problem.

[Ugggghhhh, he should just forget this. If he could he would, just walk away from this and forget magic even exists.]

Fuckin'.... Fine. Hold on. [He has to pull his phone out and start searching for songs and song lyrics. This is going to take him a couple minutes, since he's going to be picky about making sure he finds something that fits his whole punk vibe. The absolute last thing he is going to do is sing some cute pop song.]

[Wonderful! Clearly that's Azul's cue to shift in closer still and peer over Accelerator's shoulder to see what song he's picking. What's personal space to a merman? Something to be claimed, that's what.]

...Picking something to fit your vibe, I see. I can't say that I disapprove.

[Welp, there goes his personal space, his most valuable possession. And since he has one hand holding his phone and the other one holding his crutch his options are to either kick Azul in the shin or move away from him.

He chooses the more mature option of leaning away, but it does cross his mind that violence would provide more satisfaction.]

Yo, fuck off.

[At least he's finding a song that'll work???]

Oh, of course-- my apologies.

...Now you're giving me ideas, though.

[Even as he shifts away again, smiling oh so politely and nicely and sweetly, Azul's mind is whirring at a thousand miles a minute.]

I've never taken things away that involve others. ...Like, for example, one's own little bubble. You seem to treasure that.

[That.

That is just.

No. Absolutely not. Accelerator glares, clicking his tongue.]

Don't even joke about that, bastard. No personal space would be utter hell, not to mention could fuck up my reflection.

Azul. Not 'bastard'. You're right, though; it was a terrible joke. Sorry!

[Only half a joke, and only half sorry.] ...What do you mean by 'reflection', though? I assume we're not just talking mirrors, here.

[Can he split the difference with cephalobastard?

Grumbling, he puts his phone away.]

No, not mirrors. It's the passive part of my esper ability. I automatically reflect the vectors of shit I don't need to survive. If I'm using my ability and someone gets too close, the best case scenario is that the force of them touching me gets redirected back into their limbs and they break some bones. [With his hand now free he flicks it upwards, jabbing his index finger towards Azul's arm.] Worst case? [He points lower.] Their internal organs explode.

[He drops his hand.]

If I don't have a sense of personal space my calculations could be thrown off, and that could cause my reflection to malfunction.

You don't say.

That's quite a defensive sort of m-- esper ability. How interesting.

[He sure is earning the title of cephalobastard, if nothing else.] You really are quite the interesting person, aren't you? Why would you want magic, with so many abilities on hand?

It's only one ability.

[Accelerator sighs heavily.]

If you wanna get technical, first aid and my reflection are just bonus applications of my ability to manipulate vectors. The nature of it comes down to the same reason particle accelerators exist: my ability is meant to break down and analyze phenomena in order to understand the universe. But not all magic has vectors, and like I said, I'm still new to this shit. Since I'm responsible for a goddamned city full of kids that's being constantly threatened by magicians, the best defense against them is by understanding their power any way that I can.

Yes yes, I know what you mean and you know what I mean. It's an umbrella, with many applications huddled underneath. Forgive me my misuse of terminology.

[Hm hm hm. Interesting.] ...That certainly makes even more sense, that you should want to fight fire with fire and have that which you can't manipulate on hand, to protect your city and all. However, the magic I use accumulates blot, a waste product that can overwhelm the user if not monitored. It also worsens with negative emotions.

The end result isn't pretty, and could harm your city. Are you willing to exercise this restraint, too?

[That sounds vaguely reminiscent of RSPK Syndrome. It doesn't come about from a waste product though, rather mental stress accumulated by the esper. Either way he understands this is something to take seriously, and he regards Azul with the kind of look that says he isn't going to dismiss his warning.]

Yeah. Restraint is something I'm used to. [And he's gotten a lot better at it recently, too.] Is there some way to get rid of this blot shit? What do you mean by 'end result'?

Good, good. Then you'll be fine with blot. You just need to rest, and not overdo it. Make sure that your emotional state is somewhat stable, as much as possible. If you throw it all out at once, then you're as good as done for, and you'll Overblot.

...Which is basically you going insane and using magic to harm yourself and others around you, at least until you run out of energy and probably die. What's the term...Berserker state? [And that's not even counting the fact that there's like...Some big fuckass phantom thing using the Overblotted mage as a battery for their own existence, because Azul doesn't know that shit yet until I finish that chapter. tehepero]

[The kid who has gone through three or four breakdowns over the course of six months can totally handle this, no problem!

Accelerator pointedly ignores any anxiety floating around in his head because hey, if this helps the kids in Academy City, it's worth doing. It won't stop him from being straightforward about this new information, though.]

All of that is really fucked up. [An emotional imbalance causing someone to lash out and potentially kill the people around them and themselves? Very fucked up.] Have you ever seen it happen before?

Isn't it just? But yes, I have. I've seen a few cases, actually. [His own, for one, but another few as well.] Normally it's terribly rare as most mages know to pace themselves. This school year must have been terribly stressful, to have so many students Overblot at all.

It took quite the severe beating to get the Overblotted individual to stop, too; multiple students, quite a lot of property damage. Then they need therapy both physical and emotional to return to full health, of course. A terrible spectacle all round. Humiliating, I'd imagine, to be so out of control that you're no longer yourself!

[Accelerator listens quietly, his expression becoming serious as he commits all of this to memory.]

Tche, you sound really fucking casual about all that. [It's a little unnerving, actually.]

Yes, well, it's highly embarrassing. Should I sit here and bemoan it, when it's all already happened? If it happens, you're going to need a lot of power to knock you back into your senses, especially if you've already got your vesper abilities. You might as well treat it as a complete fail state, unless you have someone already more powerful than you.

However, in hindsight, it's ridiculous. A little too much pressure, a little too much magic, and a bunch of teenage boys start spontaneously start turning into monsters.

[At that explanation, one person is coming to mind immediately, and Accelerator isn't hesitating.]

I know someone who could beat me back to my senses. That isn't a problem.

[Not that he wants to put that responsibility on that third-string, but he's completely confident he can trust him without even having to ask. Just normal amounts of faith in one person over here, no big deal!]

But you're right that it's ridiculous. No one's coming up with measures to prevent it from happening in the first place?

UNLOVEABLE

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject