Snippet #2672423

Cedric nodded his understanding, while he had never fought a mana user that was that powerful, some of the creatures he had encountered were capable of bending time and space to mind numbing degrees. He didn't doubt that many of the younger members were powerful mana users, mana seemed to be no respecter of age, but from his experience delving into some of the more powerful arcane arts could have unforeseen consequences. There was knowledge that could be learned and knowledge that only came with experience, there were things out there in the abyss that would put these new mana users to shame, singularities and anomalies that defied not only the laws of space and time but also what they had come to know as the basic nature of mana.

His thoughts had wandered as Minori answered her phone, clearly embarrassed at the situation as she scrambled to answer the phone in order to stop it from ringing. It wasn't until she asked him "What dangerous thing do you have in mind to go poking around with?" that his focus returned.

"Unfortunately the first thing on my list is to stare down my own mana and see just how far I can take it without completely breaking my own mind. You know I have negative reactions to my mana use." his thumb instinctively rubbed the ring on his finger before he slipped it off and held it up. It was black, impossibly so, in so much as it didn't just not reflect light, but radiated blackness out into the light. "This little gem has been dutifully regulating just how much mana I use at a time, keeping the reactions to a pleasant 'migraine from hell and the feeling that your muscles are trying to tear off of your bones.' as opposed to having my soul and consciousness forcibly ripped into two and fighting to the death. Pro tip, if you ever want to experience something similar, ask Selena to heal you with wild mana. It'll give you a new appreciation life... and death." he slipped the ring back on his finger. "Don't actually." he sighed. He knew that experience was never going to go away, it sent a chill down his spine just thinking of it, and he was sure it was going to add to his already troubled nights. "After that, I really don't know, maybe a familiar. I've experienced minor power gains while controlling certain gateway inhabitants that didn't seem to increase my reactions at the same rate, almost like I could use there mana by proxy. Something that gave a sizable power boost would require a lot of initial mana to bring under control though." He realized he had never thought to discuss this with Minori, and considering her field of study he silently berated himself for the oversight. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know anyone who has a small collection of magical creatures locked up in a secret room somewhere do you?" he smiled.

As they spoke the bartender approached, just far enough away as to not be impolite as he waited for a break in the conversation to ask Minori what she would have, then address Cedric, "The usual?" to which Cedric nodded. "Also, your car has arrived, and your clothes are in the office if you would like to change." the man nodded quickly and then went to fill the orders.

Cedric was still wearing his overcoat over the blood stained and torn suit, which he very much wanted to get out of. "If you'll excuse me, blood stained clothes aren't the most comfortable thing in the world. I'll just be a second." he stood, finishing with "Andy's the bartender, he'll jump if you so much as bat an eye for something." before he went to a small office tucked away on the other side of the bar.

The office was much the same, though simpler than the bar area. A wooden desk, a number of chairs, various pictures adorned the walls, a coat rack and a book shelf. All in all it looked to be well kept but little used. Cedric's new clothes lay neatly across the top of the desk, and that is where he went.

He pulled off the bloody jacket and shirt, taking a look at where there had been a hole in his side. Gruesome or not, Selena did a good job. He could still feel the wound when he touched it, the area was sore and tender, but outside of that it was as though it never happened. Cedric had been through his fair share of such healings, not to the same extent, but magical none the less. He was well aware of what Minori had been referring to when she told the others to be careful about wantonly causing damage just because it could be fixed magically. The mind does not forget trauma.

Slipping his new clothes on, which were much the same as his old clothes for all appearances, sans various tears, holes, and bloody patches, he felt much better. He tucked the old ruined suit into a bag and set it next to the door where the staff would make no second thought about picking it up and tossing it, this certainly wasn't the first time Cedric had used Michael's as a place to clear away the minor messes from work.

As he reached for the door his phone buzzed unexpectedly. Pulling it out he saw a number that wasn't saved, but that he recognized immediately.

“Arkangel, long time no chat. I take it you've heard about Valentine Inc's recent partnership with Atlas Electronics? I'm thinking the new and improved eastern headquarters should have a nice big corner office with my name on it. And maybe a bowling alley, and a pool.”

He shouldered the door open and flipped the light off as he left.

“Of course you don't think so. Yes, first things first though, no use in me trying to find this guy if he's just going to crush me when I do, no matter how much Loki would appreciate that happening. But you might have to be a little more forthcoming with your closely guarded secrets, he tooksomething, eventually we're going to need to know what it was. Yeah, you do that. I'll be in touch.”

He hung up and slipped the phone back into a pocket. “Might need to just bring another round off the top Andy.” he quipped as he passed the bartender on his way back towards Minori.