For some reason the apartment felt cold as Melmarc walked into it. Behind him, Ark toed the door shut then turned and locked it with the key. Ever since the attack during their childhood, they always locked their doors. It didn’t matter what time of day it was or if they were just stepping in and out, they always turned the lock once they were inside.
Melmarc watched Ark head straight for the refrigerator while he walked over to one of the couches. He took a big stretch. His hands held over his head with fingers interlocked, he reached as high as he could, letting his bones and muscles loosen up.
“Know why Southfire agreed to the fight?” Ark asked, his voice followed by the sound of the refrigerator’s door opening.
Melmarc shrugged. He had thought about it for a moment when she’d agreed, but he’d let it go when the fight started. Interestingly enough, Ark had suggested going out to eat after the combat class which had been filled with stamina practice and sluggish choreographed sparring. Mrs. Southfire had made him sit it out while the [Healer], Suzy, had inevitably carried Sanders over her shoulder and to the infirmary when he still hadn’t woken up after fifteen minutes. With a normal person they probably wouldn’t have been worried, but the Gifted, for all the power that they had, were tricky to deal with medically speaking.
Regardless, walking into the apartment sometime past ten in the night had not been among Melmarc’s plans for today.
“You know she’s trying to see what you can do, right?” Ark asked, strolling back into the living room and plopping down on the single seater. He had a carbonated drink in his hand. He noticed Melmarc’s attention on the drink and held it up. “Did you want one?”
Melmarc cocked a brow at him. “You made me drink two when we went out.”
“Not my fault.” Ark took a sip of his drink, knowing it was definitely his fault. “You looked like you weren’t going to eat at all.”
Melmarc sighed. One fight, and Ark was thinking about how to walk on eggshells around him.
“So,” Ark said after a moment, “what was his crime?”
“Mind magic,” Melmarc answered without missing a beat. “Caught him trying to use it on a teacher.”
“Trying?” Ark interrupted, holding the bottle close to his lip.
“He changed his mind… I think.” Melmarc leaned back and rested against the backrest of the couch. He was tired, mentally exhausted for some reason. “Then he used it on me.”
Ark paused. “Did you get the notification like you did with the therapist?”
“Uhuh.” Melmarc nodded. “Twice.”
“I take it you mean in class and during the fight.” Ark took another gulp of his drink. “There was a point where he was just looking at you. He looked confused. Diret and I had no idea what was going on.”
Melmarc remembered the moment. It was strange. Even though he cared now and was slightly annoyed by it, he hadn’t cared then. At the time, he had felt like an adult disappointed in a kid who was trying to fight him.
My pride was off the roof.
It had been so bad that he wondered how he had not unlocked an aspect of one of the Oaths at that point. Thinking back on it, he had fully been expecting to unlock something like the aspect of pride. If it’s a thing.
Everything had been like going through the motions. He’d felt as if nothing Sanders could do would harm him. As if Sanders was nothing but a grain of sand that was supposed to marvel at his very existence.
Melmarc paused at a new realization. It had felt good, all that pride. Then Sanders had passed out and it was gone.
He hadn’t been afraid that the boy was dead, it had been something else. He realized it not long after the combat class. The pride that he had been going through was not him slowly understanding an aspect of an Oath or anything like that. All the pride he had been drowning in was just the after effect of the pride he had been feeling from Sanders.
“He was a proud fucker,” he muttered.
Ark shrugged. “Didn’t know the kid.”
“He’s the one Pelumi and Patience were talking about the other day, at the infirmary,” Melmarc reminded him. “The one that’s a bully and was trying to hit on Pelumi.”
“Oh.” Ark’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s the guy?”
Melmarc nodded.
Ark let out a low whistle. “I thought bullies were meant to be tall. What was he; like five five?”
Melmarc laughed, he couldn’t help it. He’d spent all day reminding himself that he was not one to make fun of people’s height and here Ark was with no such principle.
“Dude was short,” Ark continued, smiling. “Must be nice being a [Mage]. Think about it, even with the height difference he thought he could take you without breaking a sweat. The class must make everyone very ballsy.”
“I think this one’s just a Sanders thing,” Melmarc disagreed. “Remember Patience said he’s from a rich family.”
Ark pointed from himself to Melmarc and back. “We are from a rich family.”
“Cash rich not lifestyle rich,” Melmarc pointed out, then laid down on his chair, kicking his legs out with a sigh and closed his eyes. “And I like it.”
“Well, I don’t.” Ark finished the rest of his drink in one last pull, throwing his head back to contain it all. “It’s time mom and dad start spending on us like the rich parents that they are.”
Melmarc cracked one eye open to look at his brother. “And who, pray tell, is going to give them this update.”
Ark cracked a smile, a boyish grin. “Being the beloved last born of the family, I figured it would be better coming from you.”
“Uhuh,” Melmarc said flatly. “And what else would you like to add, an increase in allowance to, let’s say, five thousand a month while we’re at it?”
“If you can pull that off, I promise to pay you a tax of a thousand every month.”
Melmarc laughed at that and dismissed the entire conversation with a gesture before closing his eyes. “Mom and dad are raising us the way they are because it’s the way they want to. You want more money, sell some stuff.”
“Nah.” Ark picked up the remote and turned on the television. “I’m thinking more along the lines of prostitution. I hear it’s quite lucrative these days.”
Melmarc opened his right eye this time. “I don’t think anyone will pay. And I don’t think you’re willing to bend over.”
“Ha!” Ark barked in laughter. “First of all, I’ll have you know that I have the body of a Greek god. Secondly, who said anything about being bent over, I’ll be the one bending over.”
“Men are the lucrative payers not women,” Melmarc said. “You’ll be hard pressed to find a woman who will—wait. Why the hell am I having a conversation about prostitution with you?”
Ark smiled politely. “Because you’ll be my pimp?”
“Oh, sod off.” Melmarc turned his back on Ark, lying in a fetal position with his legs dangling off one end of the chair. “Go prostitute alone.”
“But it’s no fun without my trusty pimp,” Ark laughed. “By the way, where’s Veebee?”
Melmarc only needed a short thought to get the answer. “He’s in your room.”
Ark perked up at that, suddenly alert. “Doing what?”
Melmarc laughed, unable to stop himself. There was just so much panic in Ark’s reaction. It reminded him of how he reacted whenever Spitfire was in his room or close to any of his clothes.
“It’s nothing serious,” he said, calming Ark. “He’s just arranging your clothes according to color scheme."
Ark blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”
“It’s taken an interest in domestic chores for some reason,” Melmarc sighed.
“So he’s been cleaning the apartment all day?” Ark looked around and paused. “Now that I think about it, the place is cleaner than we left it this morning.”
“Not just the house,” Melmarc explained. “He went out and cleaned around.”
<> Veebee asked in his mind.
Nah, I’m good, he answered. Ark’s just asking questions.
<> Veebee paused. <>
I have sufficient clothes, Veebee, Melmarc sighed. Just finish arranging and come out.
<>
Melmarc wasn’t sure what exactly Veebee meant, but he was more than certain it had something to do with being the ultimate ruler of the world.
“By the way, are you going to report Sanders to the school authorities?” Ark asked.
Melmarc had thought about it for the longest time and had decided on an answer. “No, I don’t think I will.”
“So, what? You think kicking his ass is going to make him stop? Also, have you ever seen purple mana particles before?”
“First, I don’t think kicking his ass will make him stop. Second, I think purple mana particles are what you get when a skill or spell attacks the mind, emphasis on I think.”
“Well, that’s not good.”
“Why?”
Ark pointed at his head and tracked a line that led all the way to the door. “Because I think whatever Sanders did to you is still connected. There’s a feint trail.”
“Oh, that.” Melmarc pulled up his interface and it was there, staring right at him.
[Sanders Vult would like access to your mind.]
[Grant access.]
[Y/N?]
It seemed he could still answer whenever he wanted to. So what did he want to—
Veebee strolled into the living room, distracting him momentarily. Melmarc gave the notification one more glance before dismissing it. It had been there all day, chances were that it would still be there after his conversation with Veebee.
Without any hesitation, Veebee walked up to Ark and gave him a high five. Ark returned it as if with an old friend he’d known all his life. With that out of the way, Veebee turned to Melmarc. Suddenly, it was floating in the air, hovering right in front of his face.
<> it said.
Melmarc looked at Ark who shrugged, then back to Veebee. “A place for what?”
Veebee’s mouth moved a little, then it stopped, as if thinking it over. <>
“You’ll make a good butler,” Ark said.
Veebee shook its head. <>
“Then what is this place I’m choosing?” Melmarc asked while Ark blinked at Veebee’s response with a touch of confusion.
<> Veebee explained. <>
“And what are the perks of doing that?” Ark asked, moving on from Veebee’s response.
<>
Melmarc and Ark exchanged a look.
“Ever?” Melmarc asked.
Veebee nodded. <>
“What of monsters?” Ark was sitting on the edge of his chair, almost giddy with excitement.
<>
Ark looked at Melmarc, excited. “So, it’s a safe zone. It’s going to be the safest place on earth.”
<<[Demon Lord] correct. Melmarc want house here for existential home?>>
“No!” both of them said in unison.
“God no,” Ark added. “That would just be horrible… unless.” He grinned. “Can existential homes be moved?”
Veebee shook its head. <> It paused, thinking. <>
“So, wherever I choose, that’s going to be the anchor point for the city?”
Veebee laughed at him. It sounded very eerily like Ark’s laughter. In fact, even Ark looked taken aback by it. Melmarc had a feeling Veebee was simply copying Ark’s laugh.
<> it answered. <<[August Intruder] choose wisely.>>
“I say we call Uncle Dorthna,” Ark suggested very quickly.
Melmarc didn’t think it needed much thinking. “We can just choose our house.”
“But Uncle Dorthna’s already protecting that place.” Ark changed his position on the chair, one leg hanging over the right arm rest. “It will be redundant and a waste.”
Ark had a point. But it didn’t change much in Melmarc’s mind. “He’s protecting the house but not the town. I say we start from there and blow it up eventually.”
Veebee looked between them for a moment, then started tilting midair like a turning wheel.
Melmarc looked at it. “What are you doing?”
<>
Already? Melmarc thought. It only just asked the question. It wasn’t as if they’d had it waiting for even five minutes.
“Veebee,” Ark said, perking up, “what other benefits are there to Mel opening a home and a town and the likes in an existential sense of course?”
<> Veebee answered easily. <
>“Another benefit,” Melmarc motivated it.
Veebee stopped spinning like a wheel for a moment. <>
It was as if Veebee did not consider that a benefit but was just listing out qualities of an existential home. Melmarc could understand that. He doubted Veebee ever forgot where something was. Also, it wasn’t the easiest to forget where you lived.
“Break that down for me,” Ark said.
Veebee gave him an odd look. <> it said, uncertain.
Melmarc wondered what the confusion was until Veebee started moving in the air. The movement started from its hand in a very clunky fashion, then its legs joined. Melmarc dropped his head in his hand in dismay while Ark started laughing.
Veebee was trying to break-dance.
“No, no, no,” Ark interrupted it, waving his hands at it to stop while still unable to stop laughing. “I meant explain what you mean by Melmarc will always know where the home is.”
Veebee paused. <>
“Oh,” Melmarc and Ark muttered at the same time.
That was definitely a benefit. Home would never be missing.
<> Veebee perked up with sudden excitement. <>
That was very interesting. “Instantly?” Melmarc asked.
<> Veebee nodded.
Ark grinned as if he’d just hit the jackpot. “And can this benefits be shared?”
<<[August Intruder] delegate tasks,>> Veebee answered. <>
“How many people can stay in the home?” Melmarc asked before Ark could ask his next question.
Veebee paused, thought about it. Melmarc wondered if Veebee was actually trying to remember the answers or if it was simply effecting human emotions to please Melmarc or just to know how to do it. It would not be the first time.
<> it answered. <> it scratched its head. <> it frowned.
“Town?” Ark offered.
Veebee shook its head. <>
Melmarc looked at Ark and Ark shrugged. He didn’t know what Veebee was trying to say. Melmarc decided to just go with it.
“How many people can a neighborhood hold?”
<>
“That’s very specific,” Ark pointed out.
Veebee smiled as if it had just been complimented. <>
“Uhuh,” Ark deadpanned. “Any other benefits?”
<>
“Wait,” Ark sat up, shifting to the edge of his chair. “Guns can’t do shit?”
<>
“What of fire?”
<>
“An RPG?”
<>
Ark put a thoughtful finger to his lip as if accepting a challenge. “A nuke,” he declared.
Veebee shook its head. <>
“A solar implosion of the sun.”
Veebee looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. <> it said simply. <>
Ark blinked. “The sun is made of mana?”
Veebee nodded.
Melmarc had not known that, obviously, neither had Ark. Still, they looked at each other, considering the urgency of creating an existential home.
“What happens if a mana attack does break it down?” Melmarc asked. “Will we have to rebuild it?”
<>
“Ohhhh shiiiit,” Ark grinned. “This is becoming some game shit. So [EP]s are like currency. How will we rebuild it fast?”
<<[EP] command mana and make mana solid. Solid mana make wall and roof and chair and pot and toilet.>>
Melmarc was very sure Veebee did not have to add the toilet. He was beginning to worry that Veebee was developing a fascination with toilets.
<> it added quickly.
Melmarc frowned, a thought coming to mind. “Wouldn’t the [EP] required to keep a town running be too much to gather for only Oaths?”
<> Veebee answered. <>
“We definitely need an existential home,” Ark said. “I say we pick an apartment outside school, but here in Tatelat and make it our home. We can teleport back and forth whenever we want.”
“And what happens when the rent expires?” Melmarc asked.
Ark snorted. “Oh, my poor baby brother. Your parents have raised you to be moderate so much that you truly believe your family to be moderate.” He smiled something sinister. “Who said anything about paying rent. I say we pitch the idea to mom and have them buy the apartment.”
That made a lot of sense, but Melmarc was already shaking his head. “How do we start explaining to the government when its time to upgrade to a neighborhood and a town and more?”
Ark opened his mouth, closed it. He pursed his lips in thought. Clearly he did not have the answer to that. In the end, he chose a different method.
“How do we do that, Veebee?”
Veebee blinked. <>
“I don’t think it will be that easy, buddy,” Melmarc sighed. “Things work a little differently here.”
<> Veebee corrected. <<[August Intruder] make neighborhood and [August Intruder] kick anyone [August Intruder] no like out.>>
Ark blinked. “You say what now?”
<> Veebee shrugged. <<[August Intruder] decide.>>
“And how exactly, pray tell, does it work?” Ark asked.
Veebee folded its arms, looked thoughtful again. <>
It looked at them as if it was hoping it would not need to explain more.
“How does one become an occupant?” Ark said.
<<[August Intruder] give permission.>>
“And if my beautiful soon to be rich brother is not around?”
<> It paused. <
Ark grinned at Melmarc.
“You’re about to be a landlord,” he celebrated. “The Lockwoods are moving up in the world.”
The Lockwoods consisted of an Oath, a [Demon Lord], the owner of the world, and a former Oath. They were already on top of the world
But Melmarc was not going to say that and ruin Ark’s fun.
“So,” Ark looked at Veebee, perfectly serious. “Tell us more about this ownership thing.”