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Post by DanteMGalileo on Mar 26, 2019 14:34:50 GMT -5
"Zzzz... butter... scotch... zzz... SSNRRK... treacle..."
A brunette teen rolled out of his blanket, clad in just a tank top and shorts. Deep in sleep it seemed, unaware of certain changes that had occurred overnight. "Snn... tart..." He rolled further on the bed, stopping only when there was no room. There was a crashing sound, followed by a startled yelp, then a groan. "O-Okay, I'm up, I'm up..." Percy cracked open one blue eye, rubbing the sleep out of the other. "Note to self. Remember to eat before sleep. Yell at me if I forget, Imago."
As he made his way to the bathroom, the damn bug was silent. "... Imago? No sarcastic comment?" Eh, maybe he was just taking another one of his senior citizen naps. Percy stared at his reflection, frowning at his messier-than-usual hair. "Blech. Maybe I should shave it... no, it just grew back the next day the last time..." Sighing, he removed his shirt, but as he turned away, something in the mirror caught his eye- oh god were they blue?!
"What the hell is going on?!"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Mar 26, 2019 15:07:33 GMT -5
"525,600 minutes
525,000 moments so dear
525,600 minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?"
Kelsey idly sang to herself as she prepared her breakfast, slicing a banana over a bowl of peanut butter oatmeal before grabbing her freshly-filled mug out of her single-serving coffee maker. She had never claimed to be a morning person, no matter how many college courses demanded her attention at the crack of dawn, but she had to admit, she was feeling pretty lively today. From the moment the sunshine in the windows touched her skin, she felt a spurt of energy, as if she had just woken up from a rough, extremely prolonged cold and this was the first breath of fresh air she had taken in years. And this was before she had even taken one sip of coffee.
"In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife
In 525,600 minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?"
As she reached into the fridge to grab her creamer and an apple, Kelsey smirked at nothing in particular, momentarily cutting off her song. "You're awfully quiet today, Tri. I'm impressed. No jokes about how disgusting my tastes are. No gripes about me singing Rent. It normally doesn't take you this long to start your barrage of quips."
"I am NOT being quiet! You're just not LISTENING!" Tri irately responded, seated on the countertop, frustrated partially with the song choice but mostly with Kelsey's sudden display of ignorance. As if her deafness to his snark wasn't a big enough sign that something was amiss, his astral projection had been partially phased through her form the whole time she was making oatmeal. She never even made an effort to avoid him.
Of course, Kelsey's red eyes and newfound cheek markings were probably all the evidence Tri needed that something wasn't right. Really, the only reason he had stuck around this long was curiosity.
"Yeah, I'm clearly not making any headway with you..." Tri grumbled, flying over to Kelsey and waving his hand in front of her face, garnering zero reaction. "And I've just about had it with your sh*tty nineties Broadway showtunes. Time to do some investigatin'."
The astral demon then dove head-first into the floor, leaving Kelsey to eat her weird breakfast and drink her smelly bean juice none the wiser.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Mar 26, 2019 15:22:23 GMT -5
... You... You're actually eating breakfast like a normal person?
When his vessel's eyes had opened, Imago too saw the world. The first thing he noticed was that the bedroom had an actual floor. Not covered in junk, old food containers, and clothes. An actual, honest-to-the-trickster-creator floor. What, did the kid suddenly start caring about his hygiene and clean up overnight? No, probably not.
And then, the voice. The landlord's voice wasn't a buffet of manliness (nor was the rest of him, for that matter), but it was still clearly male. This new voice was female. And could actually sing without breaking something.
Oh, and the breakfast. An actual breakfast, not scarfing down whatever was in sight until he got sick.
Can't forget to mention the smell. It smelled nice and clean for once.
... What the fuck is going on?
---
"Is this some kind of enchanted mirror?!"
Straining his neck, Percy looked into the mirror to check his back. Indeed, there was something on his normally-bare back. A blood red crescent moon, some kind of five-pointed shape, various markings he couldn't begin to decipher, a ring of fire...
He was sober last night, so this wasn't a drunk tattoo. Not that he was even allowed to drink. Gods that was stupid to even consider! And yep, his eyes were still blue. His red marking had vanished, to be replaced by a blue marking matching the other. Well, it was something...
Percy shuddered. Maybe he's just finally gone crazy. He tossed on his usual top. Quickly turning back, it covered the weird back markings enough as-is, and his coat would do the rest. Now all he's gotta do is think of an excuse for his eyes.
A pair of shorts hit the wall.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Mar 26, 2019 15:54:52 GMT -5
Regarding the cold shoulder Tri was giving her this morning, Kelsey saw no reason to complain. His grumbles would've only put a damper on her good mood. There was no sense in ruining it herself. As such, she casually munched on her breakfast and sipped her coffee, opting to enjoy this moment of peace for however long it lasted.
She picked up her phone and hit the home button, the screen quickly lighting up with her lock screen wallpaper of herself, Lily and Ariel doing a silly-face selfie. Do not disturb was still on. Kelsey tried to swipe up to open the control center, but her lack of left-handed coordination led to her swiping left and turning on the camera instead. She grunted once in frustration, but decided to stay on this screen and switch to the front camera. Might as well check the severity of her bedhead.
"HMMPHTH...!"
Her hand flew to her lips, just barely catching her mouthful of oatmeal before she spit it out. After choking down the peanut butter banana concoction, her stymied expression returned to her phone, staring wide-eyed at the screen, crimson irises with matching tear marks staring back at her. "WHAT THE HELL?!"
---------------------------
Tri sunk into the bathroom through the ceiling, stopping halfway, letting himself simply dangle there with his arms folded and his hair not the least bit ruffled by gravity; it was ruffled for other reasons, sure, but gravity was not one of them. He found himself gazing at a familiar young man just as he was throwing his clothes on, catching sight of the Mark of the Master on his back just before it was covered up.
"Mm-hmm..." Tri flatly grunted, nodding slowly. "How did I guess?"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Mar 26, 2019 16:54:39 GMT -5
I see you finally noticed.
If Imago had a corporeal body, he would have rolled his eyes. Alas, he was still very much not solid. Oh well, she'd be picking up on him soon.
Between the brown hair and similar builds, this body was similar to his old one in several ways. Oh wait. There was one rather big difference. He could feel it. Just as he felt the oh thank the mother for actual food breakfast slide down their throat.
Human anatomy never ceased to baffle Imago in how many useless parts there were.
If you can hear me, punch yourself, said a voice inside Kelsey's head.
---
"GAH!!!!"
Percy jumped in surprise, dropping the skirtpiece he normally wore in the process. He pinched himself, surely this was just a dream, right?! "Ow..." Nope, that wasn't a dream. He was seeing this with his own two wrong-coloured eyes.
Floating in the bathroom was someone who looked like him, wearing his usual clothes, sans the skirt. The messy hair was intact as well, down to the two long pieces. However, this doppelganger also had red horns sprouting from his head, claws, and the eyes... the eyes were an icy blue, with snake-like pupils.
Percy pinched himself again. "Ow!" Nope, he definitely wasn't dreaming this. "W-Who the hell are you?! Imago, is this some new ability of your's?!" He grabbed the nearest thing, a rolled-up Funlad magazine. "I've got a dirty magazine and I'm not afraid to use it!"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Mar 26, 2019 17:41:19 GMT -5
"...................."
Kelsey froze for a moment. She wasn't exactly rigid; she didn't even seem all that startled anymore. She simply sat there and stared ahead with a very simple look of confusion.
Disembodied voices were not a novel concept to her anymore. What struck her as odd was that the one she was hearing most certainly did not sound like Tri as she knew him. Honestly, there was hardly even a voice it all. It almost felt like her own thoughts, conjured up inside her head against her brain's commands. And yet despite this, there was a distinct masculine quality to these foreign whispers.
Most puzzling was the fact that her blood pact made her completely immune to scrying and telepathy. Only Tri could talk to her in such a manner.
Kelsey slowly set her phone back down on the counter. The eyes, the markings, Tri's silence, the new voice in her head... The pieces were coming together. That didn't mean she understood why this was happening. At the very least, she managed to raise a finger and warily utter a single word...
"Imago??"
---------------------------
"Does that... ever actually work?" Tri asked as he watched Percy repeatedly pinched himself, unfazed by the boy's reaction to his appearance. "Has anyone ever actually pinched themselves out of a dream? If this was a dream, the thought of doing that probably wouldn't even cross your mind, let's be real."
The astral doppelganger dropped down from the ceiling and sat on the counter, casting no reflection in the mirror behind him. He barely suppressed a snicker at the sight of Percy's lewd improvised weapon. "Well, I guess I've been threatened with less subtle imagery before. Just calm your nuts, kid. Do I SOUND like Imago?"
A playful smirk crossed Tri's face. Given the direction this morning had taken, he figured he may as well get experimental. "Can Imago do this?"
He pointed to Percy's hand. Immediately, small but prominent claws sprouted from the teen's fingertips.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Mar 26, 2019 17:58:07 GMT -5
Correct.
Kelsey could feel his smirk in her head, he wagered. No punch? I'm disappointed, and yet not surprised.
He saw the world through her eyes. He saw the finger she raised. At least it wasn't that one. He heard what she heard. He could make his thoughts audible to her. On the topic of what was going on...
I have no fucking clue, Imago admitted. But somehow, I think we got the better end of the deal.
---
"Wait what the fuck are you doi-"
Percy stopped when he felt something growing out of his hand, tearing through the dirty magazine cover. Removing his hand, he noticed that claws had formed from his nails. Okay, claws weren't exactly foreign to the teen, but still, he had control over when they came out!
He stared at his hand. Then back to his doppelganger. Okay, deep breaths. In and out. In... and out. Okay, he was feeling marginally calmer. This wasn't a dream after all.
"... I suppose you sound less... smooth?" Okay, another demon in his head. Apparently his cranium was a gathering ground for them now. "W-What the hell's going on? How do I get my hand to go back? And..." Using his unaltered hand, Percy flipped through the Funlad magazine. "Nevermind that last one. I was afraid I tore through the good pages."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Mar 27, 2019 14:08:26 GMT -5
"Yeah, no, I'm not doing that."
Kelsey groaned and dropped her head into her hand, exasperated by the bizarre presence of Percy's demon in her mind. Before she could question how this turn of events could have occurred, Imago preemptively confessed to his own confusion on the matter. Part of her actually felt a little relieved to know that she wasn't the only one baffled as all get out, and the fact that it was a familiar entity speaking to her certainly made the oddness a little easier to swallow, but the lingering questions of why and how left her no less aggravated.
So... if Imago was here, inexplicably bonded with Kelsey... did that mean Tri was...?
"Oh, chocolate-covered Christ..." Now she understood what Imago meant.
---------------------------
Tri snickered childishly at Percy's obvious discomfort, all while manipulating the shadows under the sink, using them to open drawers and peep their contents. He glanced back at the boy with a smirk. "Less smooth? I'll have you know that I have a voice that makes the highest choirs of angels weep."
He drifted over to the shower, taking a look inside, still directing his voice at Percy. "If you wanna get rid of 'em, just pull 'em back in! It's not that complicated! You have shapeshifting experience, right? Yeesh, does this thing ever get used?"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Mar 27, 2019 14:28:19 GMT -5
...
Welp.
Yes, Imago said, after the implications of that sentence sunk in. It means that phenomenal eldritch power is in the hands of a reckless, illiterate idiot who doesn't wear underwear and bathes maybe once a week.
And yet, the elder demon didn't seem too phased by this. He was sure Kelsey could feel his smirk. Why don't we get some popcorn and watch the fireworks?
---
"... Oooooohhhhh..." The claws on Percy's hands retracted. Smooth as clockwork, and every bit as logical. "That makes perfect sense now! Yeah, I can roll with that." Sincerity mode.
"So," Percy continued. "What else can I do? What should I do? Eat my mattress? Make you a cuppa that bean juice I'm not allowed to have until I turn 18? Do meth?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Mar 27, 2019 15:12:58 GMT -5
"Fan-tucking-fastic..." The sheer chaos and wanton destruction that could potentially occur from the partnership of Tri and Percy might've amused Imago, but the thought of it only served to irritate Kelsey. But more so than that, the effects this sudden switch would have on Percy were... not pleasant to contemplate.
Kelsey abruptly pushed away from the table and marched over to her dresser, yanking out a black tank top and orange button-up shirt. "I have to go down there and get this sh*t show under wraps before it starts..."
---------------------------
"In that order, yum, f*cking gross, and overrated." Tri started circling around Percy, poking and prodding him and subsequently making mental notes of all the similarities they now shared. "If I were you, which I kinda am at this point, I'd be more curious as to why the handsome chap with ice eyes and killer horns is in my bathroom. But then again, c'mon, you know me, right?!"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Mar 27, 2019 15:35:34 GMT -5
Aww, you're going to miss the best part!
Still, Imago wasn't going to stop Kelsey from doing whatever it is she was planning. Who knows? It might even be more amusing than watching an idiot wrestle with eldritch powers beyond the scope of his feeble little mind. (He wasn't going to say brain. He wasn't sure if Percy possessed such an organ to begin with.)
So, do you even know what our little deal bestows upon you? Or have you picked up enough from watching my currently-former landlord?
---
"... Uh? Me? You have my face." Poke, poke, poke the Tri. "I'm not exactly handsome. I mean, you... I..." Percy looked in the mirror, holy crap where the hell was Tri? "I have long hair, wear a skirt, and I have little muscle mass."
He then blankly stared at his astral doppelgänger. "... I think I know your name. It's Tri... Tri... Trievyr... Trievyr'au... Trievyr'auv-"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Mar 27, 2019 16:52:36 GMT -5
"I have a... vague understanding," Kelsey warily responded as she hastily dressed herself, keeping her eyes closed for the short short amount of time she spent topless. Once she was fully clothed, she grabbed a scrunchy out of her bathroom and her key off the counter. "But I'm not worried about myself right now. I'm more worried about the danger this swap has put Percy in."
---------------------------
"Yeah, but you know what the difference between you and me is?" Tri asked with a coy grin, conjuring up a pair of shades and throwing them on. "I make this look good."
He then leisurely lounged in midair, watching with clear amusement as Percy tried to recall who he was, stammering his name and-
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Tri pressed a finger to the boy's lips, his smile turning wily and dangerous. "Not the whole thing. Seems like you've gained the knowledge of the whole thing, but nonetheless, don't be saying it out loud. Bad things tend to happen when you do."
After removing his finger from Percy's lips, Tri pulled back a bit and casually continued, "But yeah. I'm Tri. Nice ta meet ya a bit more officially."
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Mar 27, 2019 17:54:11 GMT -5
Oh-ho-ho-ho, colour me intrigued!
Imago could tell that Kelsey was moving faster than usual. Oh, so what would happen to his former landlord? He made sure she felt his curious expression against her own thoughts. C'mon, tell me the nitty-gritty! I need to know!
---
"Mmmph." Percy humorously pouted as Tri shushed him. "I'm gonna assume you know my name, but anyways. I'm Percy Worcester-Isaac, no that's not short for anything. I wear between a size 9 and 10, and I never learned how to read." That's not something to be proud of, kid.
Sitting back down, he made the claws come in. Then go back down. In and out in and out in and out in and out...
"So! How do I do the other things?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Apr 2, 2019 17:09:39 GMT -5
"This isn't funny!" Kelsey snapped at the nonresident voice in her head, storming out the door while she struggled to tie her tangled curls up in motion. "Just because Percy's accustomed to sharing a body with you does not mean he's adapted to the caustic power of an archdemon! At least not one from my universe! I was bred to wield that kind of power. Any normal human would practically melt alive from the inside out if they were possessed by an archdemon. Percy might not be a textbook normal human, but I still have my doubts that he's fully compatible with Tri!"After securing her messy ponytail, Kelsey threw open the doors to the stairway and started making her way down. "Besides, even if Percy doesn't immediately start bleeding from his eyes and vomiting his liquefied organs... I don't trust those two together. Tri is a bad influence."--------------------------- "I also know that your middle name is Morgan, your aura is dark green, and you like pineapple pizza," Tri casually threw in, drifting in zero gravity until he was lounging on the ceiling. "And that's not me judging. I find most human food equally disgusting anyway."For a moment, he simply watched Percy fiddle around with his new claws. It almost annoyed Tri how easily amused the kid was when there were so many more wondrous horrors that awaited him. Almost. He didn't have it in him to be mad. "Do the other things? In this decade? What, like go to the moon?" Tri asked with a shrug and a faux Boston accent. "There isn't really a technique to it as far as I'm concerned. Ya just do it."
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Apr 2, 2019 17:35:08 GMT -5
"... I can do it! Wings! I need wings!"
Percy looked up at the astral doppelgänger, grinning, before rushing out of the bathroom. He ran over to a window, opening it wide, before falling out of it. "Super awesome eldritch demon powers, activate!" As he fell, a pair of batlike wings extended from his back. Taking a moment to adjust to these new wings, he gave a shout of joy.
"Next stop, I dunno where! Wheeeeeeeeeee! ... Ow, my mesenteries suddenly hurt. What the hell? Oh well. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"
---
Hmm, yeah. He's not a normal human, even accounting for my presence before whatever this is. The thought of Percy dying from the inside didn't seem to phase Imago. Maybe I'd finally have a real body again, he kept to himself.
On the other hand, a certain other tidbit seemed to concern the geriatric demon. The landlord is... suggestible. He's not very bright either. Most of the time. Okay, let's catch this scruffy-haired mofo.
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