HokumPocus

The Five Senses

Lynx?!

---

The inability to feel pain? Lynx thought, interested. The urge to pelt her into a wall rose within him now that it wouldn't technically be hurting her, though his brain reminded him that it would look uncivilized. If anyone asked however, he would explain to them that he was a gentleman incapable of harming women, or something like that. It was both ironic and concerning to him just how similar that thought sounded to Octavio's usual plans, but luckily none of the people in their group were mind readers. He walked with them just out of their sight, hugging any corners that were available to further shroud himself, taking the occasional self-indulgent and unnecessary leap whenever no one was looking. Being constrained to a beast's body had its advantages.

His quiet footsteps came to a halt as he turned to face everyone present now that they were still. It was best to get this over with now that he had shattered his silence.

"I apologize for not having formally introduced myself to this party. I am Lynx, travelling partner to Octavio."

There was an undeniably regal air to his posture and appearance, and despite his recent outburst he managed to convey a tone of masculinity and serenity. The filth and decay of the world around them contrasted with his earnest attempt at introducing himself however, rendering his hard work pointless. Anyone not familiar with him would have probably perceived him as some sort of overgrown street vermin. Octavio wore an odd look on his face.

My travelling partner? Weren’t you my familiar? The human smirked for a moment.

Silence, he responded.

"Despite my feline appearance, I am an individual of distinguished origin and would prefer to be treated as an equal on this journey." The words emanated from within him without the need for moving his mouth. After this odd introduction, a brief period of silence enveloped their conversation. If it were possible for a lynx to awkwardly cough, he would've done it now. Sensing that they were expecting more out of him, he finally spoke once more.

"And no Sil, you may not play with my tail,” he finally muttered. At least she had now learned what animal he was.

Octavio’s attention was split between watching his only friend embarrass himself like an arrogant boy on his first day of school and Ferris explaining his affinity to the Crazed. The latter was important, but the former was just too entertaining to ignore. ”Being a smidge paranoid about anything is a good thing if you find yourself stumbling into strange places often,” he remarked, a bit absent-mindedly.

The Five Senses

---

Octavio smiled at Ferris´ words. "I appreciate you thanking me, but I don´t think that it's necessary."

He continued to speak to him, but faced the innkeeper instead. "The truth of the matter is that in a situation such as this, you either learn to live alongside the madness, or you stumble and fall." His eyes gazed at the inkeeper's and his smile widened. "A simple choice, right?"

Behaving properly around his party was important, but he wasn't about to let this man abuse what little empathy Chres had instilled in him. He had spent a large part of his life as a rogue, and if there was one thing he had learned throughout the years it was that if you couldn't even look out for yourself, then you weren't worth the effort of having around. This man had been useful to their party, but if this concerning behavior of his continued then Octavio would most likely downgrade him into a meat shield until further notice.

In contrast to the innkeeper, Octavio had developed a slight interest in Ferris. His sense of taste was abysmal and his sense of smell suffered for it, so it seemed curious to him that people were able to heighten their sense of either to use in combat. What kind of intricacies laced into the air did this man pick up just by walking around somewhere like a market or pub? Octavio was grateful for his perceptive vision, but he wouldn't mind giving it up for a day just to see if expensive wines really did taste better.

His thoughts vanished as Lynx let out a growl. Lynx hated resorting to behaving like an animal, so this must have been a serious occasion. Octavio turned and witnessed Lynx baring his mouth to Sil. Had he resorted to warning her off like a territorial predator out of desperation?

"I am a lynx of exceptional origin! You will cease at once!" he shouted. His voice was masculine and regal, but it sounded ridiculous coming out of a lynx trying to slap a fairy away.

Octavio cupped his chin in thought, then spoke. "Chres, what are your thoughts over my familiar possibly hurting her? He's not skilled enough to kill her, but he could definitely launch her against a wall at some point if she were ever slow enough."

Lynx shot a brief look at him. I'm not skilled enough? I'll prove you wrong.

Pariah Online III

_{:: the streets of thorinn // thorinn ::}

---

Alex paused before continuing their conversation. Oh, she´s one of those roleplayers. It was something he´d never been interested in, though he was more or less familiar with the basics from seeing the cringe-inducing displays of knighthood that his brother and his friends engaged in. His brother, who was now stuck in the same game as him and most likely in some horrific and dangerous area surrounded by tryhards of the same skill level as his obsessive self. Fuck.

He pushed those thoughts back. "Don´t sweat it, playing this game means I get used to this kind of stuff. Not that I´m any good at it myself."

His back slouched. "Right, staying strong."

It was hard to stay strong in a world that was getting scarier by the minute. Camping inside of a claustrophobic village wasn´t going to cut it any more for Alex, and taking his frustration out on woodworking wasn´t going to change the fact he was stuck here and very much in danger. People were getting stronger than him every passing moment, and whether he liked it or not he was going to have to step out into the wild and face the very real possibility of dying.

He held his hand out for a fist bump, which he corrected into a handshake. It was hard to pay attention to a conversation when you were briefly coming to terms with your mortality. "My name´s Alex. I´ve just been screwing around this place for awhile, but things are getting crowded so I´m thinking about setting out." She looked like someone who would make a good teammate, if her introduction was anything to go by. There was, however, something she said that had caught his attention.

"Skeleton... lady?" He made no effort to hide his awe.

The Five Senses

---

Octavio sighed, longer than necessary. "It appears our identities have become commonplace, whether we like it or not."

Just who did that mysterious man think he was, continuing to grow his piecemeal band of warriors? He had thought of the man less over time, like an animal picking at a wound eventually coming to terms with its presence. The appearance of Ferris, however, brought it at the forefront of his mind again. His iron grip of control was frustrating, to say the very least.

"And if that section of the town is indicative of how the rest of it is faring" he added, "then we´re going to have to get comfortable with the possibility of combat occurring at any moment."

Ah, yes. Surprise attacking a rogue. His sense of powerlessness was at an all time high, and he feared having to take part in more disadvantageous combat in the near future. Lagging behind the rest was not a good strategy if he wanted to survive in this horrid world.

Lynx stared quietly at the man, relieved that Sil had found another subject to torment.

Gnome Gang!

Keebler´s underdeveloped and decaying brain registered the tavernkeep´s hostility and jolted his pathetic excuse of a body awake with the power of misplaced anger. Why was the man so keen on shouting up a storm when Keebler, in a move of efficiency and intelligence, had licked up most of the spilled ale? In the time it took him to formulate this rationalization for his never-ending rage, however, the rest of the gnomes had left him in the dust to deal with the mess. His thick eyebrows crumpled into an angry mess.

"Why I oughtta!..." he wasn´t sure what he would do exactly, but it sure felt good to scream. He ran off as well, despite the keep´s raging in the background. In times like this, it was like his body had a separate energy reserve for escaping from the consequences of his poor decisions, and the man was out of the tavern in a wink, like a blurry blob of fat and hatred.

He noticed the others were far ahead of him, and to make matters worse, more physically inclined. Or to be more accurate, they were just less physically disadvantaged than he was. His fury turned to desperation as he realized he´d need their help.

"Oi!"

"Wait up!!!"

Eɴᴛᴇʀ — Into an Isekai World

The Cooler Kaito

“Right, this about does it. We´ll see each other next week, please remember.”

Overview

---

_Name

Iyasu Kaito

_Age

Twenty-two

_Gender

Male

_Occupation

Therapist – Although he initially got his foot in the door through some strings being pulled by his parents, he's gained enough momentum in the past few years to reach independence.

Characterization & Conceptualization

---

_{What Do They Look Like?}

Kaito's tranquil appearance is an accurate reflection of his personality when everything is copacetic. Whenever problems arise however, his gentle green eyes almost look like a pond under a thunderstorm with all the rattling they do. His soft hair is kept in a discreet ponytail, complemented by clothing that's just as muted and gentle. Kamon is described by others as "beautiful" when he goes through the effort of dressing up as opposed to any typical masculine descriptors. He stands at a lanky 180 cm.

_{What Are They Like?}

It only takes a glance or two for Kaito´s clients to gauge his personality accurately. From the way he chews his fingernails to the way his sunken eyes quiver to even the way all of his pens are immaculately organized, his neuroticism and insecurity are clear for all to see. Or hear, if you were to close a door too hard near his easily startled self.

While such a pessimistic person would normally never make for a good therapist, Kaito is talented at his job and his gentle demeanor does a surprisingly good job at helping him connect with his clients. Despite their thoughts on his behavior, Kaito quickly proves himself to be knowledgeable of their troubles, even displaying a unique brand of confidence during problems related to his job. Children are especially lulled by the soft sound of his voice, as well as his abundance of stuffed animals.

_{What's Their Story?}

Being the only son of a wealthy and distinguished family, Kaito had high expectations placed on him since the moment he was born. Unfortunately for his parents he rejected their political aspirations early on in life, out of a fear of leadership and even more criticism on top of what he already received at home. One thing definitely stuck with him out of several visits from private tutors, and that was an interest in people. Not from the angle of manipulation and business that his parents intended, but rather one forged out of a desire to help and understand others.

_{Why Did The Wish Choose Them?}

Kaito´s experience in videogames begins and ends at crane games and whatever distraction of the month makes its way inside his mobile phone. He is, in the eyes of his parents and extended family, a complete failure with no chance of ever honorably continuing his family´s legacy. Therefore, there is no sane reason to ever consider him a potential hero. His heart is definitely in the right place, and his desire to help people in his own way is what´s made him become a therapist. But in reality? He´s still afraid of the dark, for crying out loud.

_{What "Class" Will They Embody? Why?}

Spellcaster – Although he believes that peaceful alternatives to conflict are always better, Kaito is definitely up for fighting for good as long as he doesn´t get hurt or scared or meet monsters or travel alone or-

Anyways, his bookworm tendencies and preferring following to leading would make him an appropriate spellcaster, at least when compared to the other classes. Despite his various fears the man is capable of pulling himself together when the situation calls for it.

_{What Belongings Will They Take With Them?}

Journals – A couple of journals that he carries around everywhere that contain information relevant to his career, meant to serve as a quick guide to refer to when dealing with common situations.
Stuffed mouse plush – It's really cute.
Several luxurious pens – From the rich ink aroma they leave when used to their beautiful metallic finish, it's clear that Kaito has access to the finer things in life.

Talents & Abilities

---

_{Mundane Talents}

• Good at arcade games – A lucky person in general.
• Knowledge over the mind – How to soothe it, mostly. It comes with the career.
• Basic survival skills – A neurotic person with easy access to books is going to read up on what to do in the event of a disaster. A lot of his knowledge doesn't quite apply to the fantasy world though, unfortunately.

_{Achieved Abilities & Knowledges}

• TBA
• TBA
• TBA

Eɴᴛᴇʀ — Into an Isekai World

---

Unknown Forest

---

With a warm smile, Kaito took Honami's words in stride. If he were her age again, he would've no doubt been shaken by them, but his career had made him develop an immunity to this sort of treatment.

"I'd certainly consider this strange situation to be more than just a little wind, heh," he said absent-mindedly, partly lost in his brainstorming. He was finding it difficult to keep up with the pair, even as the member of their trio with the longest legs. Of the two, Hiroko responded in a far more level-headed manner.

"Nervous? Yes, maybe a little bit. That event with the language in particular is what confuses me the most." His brain was sifting through all of the mental conditions associated with symptoms like visual hallucinations, severe memory loss and somnambulism, and the results were disconcerting. He worded his thoughts as inoffensively as possible so as to not startle them, but nevertheless continued to dwell on the various possible explanations for this... occurence. Every part of his body wanted to freak out in reaction, but if he wanted to earn their trust he´d have to put up a strong front.

He made a conscious effort to catch up to Honami, assisted by her being slowed down by the increasingly numerous flora surrounding them. It eventually reached a point where it was almost impossible to know what was in front of them. Feeling a heavy pang of guilt for his behavior, he stepped forward to weather the brunt of the foliage in their way. His body was the largest, so it made sense for Kaito to go first anyways. He walked ahead and intended to continue doing so, but the sight of the decrepit shrine made him pause.

"...Abandoned?" Disappointment tinged his voice, and he bit his tongue to stop any quivering before it started. Civilization, it seemed, was still far from their grasp.

The Five Senses

---

Octavio quietly nodded at Chres. Earlier he had reasoned that there must have been some important reason behind taking along such an… interesting familiar around, but didn't expect tragedy. He was at a loss for words and didn't know how to comfort the man who had just revealed an intimate part of himself to him. He nearly sighed from both the frustration of being too inexperienced to handle honest conversations and a growing empathy for his party. Would cheering him up be the right thing to do? “My condolences, Chres,” he finally uttered. Forming a grin on his face, he added, “I suppose this means I´ll have to warn Lynx against battering her around.”

As he continued their errand the unmistakable air of tension began to manifest in Octavio´s surroundings. He knew it was ridiculous, but it was a relief to be thrust into a situation he was much more familiar with. His eyes glazed over the scene unfolding before him with a false warmth, discretely monitoring all of the little changes in the facial expressions and body movements of the innkeeper and the cultists. This was definitely more than haggling gone wrong, and by the way the thugs in particular tensed, things were going to get ugly.

In response he began to form an illusion in his mind, working slowly so as to maintain his unassuming appearance. He started with big, broad strokes to get the fundamentals right, and then moved on to the more complex parts as the image took on a more solid grip in his mind. It almost felt automatic given the amount of times he had created illusions of himself. With luck, the tension would defuse and his safety measure would result useless.

"But Sightless Syella, on the other hand..."

Damn it.

***

They took to the alleyway in a storm of footsteps, Chres leading the way and Octavio hurriedly catching up to him. At some point during the commotion he had summoned his illusion unintentionally, much like someone holding a heavy object tended to drop it while running. He wasn´t sure if the amount of intelligence he had imbued in this one was even enough to make it viable, but there was no time to spare in escaping the quintet of armed thugs behind them.

Octavio chuckled to himself. Seeing Chres do the exact same thing he was planning on made him respect the man more. There was no doubt in his mind that some of the others would have tried tossing themselves into battle had he been paired up with them. Near his legs Lynx shot out like an arrow, successfully outpacing everyone present. The cat jolted even faster at the sight of another warrior joining their claustrophobic battle.

While the appearance of another stranger urged him to run faster, he shouted their names and even slew one of the thugs. Another warrior appointed to join their improvised party of hostages?

He could always ask that later. Right now, the prime opportunity to strike presented itself right before him. Octavio descended on the closest thug, his illusion joining him and doubling the pressure with no time wasted. This one was definitely a bit harder to control than his typical illusions. Had he been an unrestrained man, a large grimace would have covered his face. Instead he remained fairly neutral, wearing a small smirk on both of them.

His combat style consisted of waiting, gathering his power, and striking when his opponent was weakest, typical for a rogue. The current situation he found himself in was the total opposite however. He was fighting at a disadvantage, and had to compensate for that by going on the defensive. Using his natural dexterity and the fact that there were two of him, he watched his own back and stuck to landing safe slashes on his opponents, not letting them strike at him in return. Rather than target any one thug in particular, he had dangerously placed himself close to the center of the action and settled on punishing anyone who got too close. Chres could use ranged magic, so this could be helpful for him, right? He made a mental note to claim that that had been a part of this strategy from the beginning when asked.

Throughout the chaos of battle several shallow cuts had been successfully scored against the skin of both Octavio and his illusion. The ferocity of the thugs was rising, leaving Octavio no choice but to pull back. A thug noticed this and went in for an opening in his stance, successfully striking at the illusion. The heavy blow had carved an enormous gash across his shoulder and incapacitated him. Not letting the pressure get to him, Octavio´s smirk grew by a fraction and the man sped to try and catch the thug by surprise.

He dug his dagger messily into the man´s flank and prepared to fight any resistance with his remaining short sword. Throwing knives weren´t an option with so many allies close. His strategy had switched to being fully offensive, circling the thug with both of his selves, making it impossible to completely defend himself from attack. His illusion went in for the kill, impaling the man brutally in the throat. The illusion´s movements were sloppy and he let the sword linger inside of the man far longer than he should have before dragging it out, a sign that his injuries were grave. He couldn´t create another one either, as the alleyway choked out the light and would extend the length of the process. This battle would have to end fast.

The Five Senses

---

Octavio´s right foot stepped on a twig, punctuating the brief period of silence between the two men with a sharp snap. Chres´ question had blindsided him, he had to admit. Ophelia. Even thinking about her name elicited a feeling of betrayal that plunged deeper than any remotely positive feeling he´d ever received in his life. The woman who had set him up to die. He thought about portraying her as a kind woman who had simply chosen not to attend the ball, but the idea filled him with disgust. Octavio was a liar, but even he had his limits. Besides, if he played his cards right, this party he was stuck with could potentially help skewer her.

"We used to be friends, long ago," he said, the bluntness of the sentence out of place for him. "She was one of the most talented illusionists I had ever seen, and she had, whether she intended to or not, shown me the theatrics and power that surrounded the branch of magic. How the mind could be stronger than the body, how words could be sharper than steel. I suppose you could have considered me to be her apprentice during those years, although neither of us saw it that way."

The small twig cracked again. "She had attempted to have me killed not too long after that event, as part of an intricate scheme to gain notoriety. I had fled, and for a long time it was nearly impossible to believe that a person that close to me could arrange for my death for her own gain."

His face gave off a sinister energy. "I guess that´s just the typical human, right?" he said, the words slithering out of his mouth. In moments his face reverted to his typical disarming grin. "It was around that time that I had managed to befriend Lynx however, so I suppose my total amount of friends didn´t change, eh?"

He turned towards the familiar, who had been too preoccupied with squabbling with Sil again to pay attention. The number stayed at one.

Lynx stared Sil down with a murderous gaze. "I fail to understand how I could ever come to resemble a horse, fairy." The word fairy was hissed with a heavy amount of contempt.

Eɴᴛᴇʀ — Into an Isekai World

---

Kaito uttered a soft grunt of worry as he realized he was being left alone in the forest. He quickly strode over to what had caught the girls´ attention and said nothing as he read the text engraved on the statues. His lips pressed against one another in his typical way of showing worry, but for the first time in a long time there was a sense of helplessness added in as well. He had only been in this strange land for a short moment, yet in his heart Kaito was aware that whatever had happened to them was far away from the reach of what conventional therapy could deal with. He hugged his reference journals tightly against his chest, their current uselessness evaporating the sense security they usually gave him.

A monstrous noise tore through the forest, causing Kaito to flinch. The loose strands of hair that weren't secured by his relaxed ponytail twitched from the wind that briefly enveloped them. He raised his journals in front of his head to shield his face from any debris.

"Hgnk!..." he whined. The sky looked nothing like how it was supposed to during a storm, so it had to have been something else. Fear crept into his mind as he began to ponder what that "something else" could possibly be. One of the girls had suggested they take shelter inside the temple, a relief to the worrywart.

"I agree. Seeking civilization can help us know where we are." he said gently. "But... we should be wary. That might have been a noise of aggression just now." Being more unnerved than they were about their predicament was embarrassing given he was the only man and the eldest of the three, but establishing some kind of plan was definitely worth it.