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Julie pov...
the second I got close I began to throw punches, just like how mom taught me.
but it didn't feel right anymore, the energy seemed to retaliate against the punches, making them weaker.
and it wasn't a surprise to me that he slipped all of them easily, those punches were weak, even for me.
[use your skill]
that could work!
I tried to remember how to use it, I knew I remembered the feeling, I could even sense the energy but it wouldn't budge, at all.
I hurriedly tried over and over, even more unaware of my surroundings as I heard a voice in my ear, a cold metal against the back of my neck.
"for your first time fighting me, you did well."(dad)
I pushed away his clawed hand, angry at how pathetic I just was.
"I didn't expect you to get it on try one, even I didn't get it on try one."(dad) said, it helped, alot, I can't let him know that.
"then how do you expect me to use it?!"(Julie) I asked him, frustrated.
"that was a baseline, I need to be able to see where we're starting at."(dad)
I didn't think my father would ever make sense when talking about fighting, ever.....for my entire life its only been my mom that's done the fighting, now he's some sort of expert?
[he is a primal, and a god, and a being whose lived for thousands of years]
I didn't want to admit it but it made sense to me on how he was so good at this stuff.
"alright, now let's try that again with the art."(dad) said, breaking me from my thoughts.
it was so weird, to have him....so.....cool?.....strong?....confident?....that's not the dad I've known.
"can I ask you a question dad?"(Julie) I couldn't help myself, my curiosity had finally overtaken me.
"sure, I guess you deserve some answers."(dad)
I was shocked, I really did expect him to deflect and redirect.
"well then.....how is it that you got so strong?"(Julie)
he took a second, seeming to collect his thoughts, a conflicted expression before he sighed.
"by killing alot of things, small dash of self torture, took me a few years but I eventually learned that if I ate their hearts or drained their life force on death it would give me even more power, faster too."(dad)
I was beyond stunned, I was practically frozen in place, my dad had actually just casually mentioned eating the hearts of the things he's killed for power, how the hell do I react to that?!
"I was weak for a while, I lied to myself, I thought I was strong, it all came crashing down not too long after that."(dad) continued.
"I'd felt invincible for so long that this one defeat, this one person, for a second there I felt hopeless, then pathetically naive and angry again."(dad)
no wonder he said that the curse was the perfect punishment for him.
"anyway, back to business."(dad) said, finally shutting down the topic and stopping his ramble.
I just nodded slowly, I felt different about him now, he seemed more....real...back before the curse broke I'd always thought it was impossible for him to be that pathetic, then it broke and I thought it impossible for him to be that violent, now it feels like I've reached a muddle ground.
---
meanwhile somewhere at an underground library....
"it is theorized that by killing the very first system user soemone can obtain it and obtain great powers."(son of a human lord)
my father seemed more interested, coming over and reading the same book I was, nearly shoving me out of the way.
how dare he!!
"do you know what this means?!"(human lord)
I shook my head no.
"it means we can finally stand up to those demons amd those primals amd reclaim humanity's rightful place, AT THE TOP!"(human lord)
---
shivers ran up my spine, I wasn't cold, this isn't my danger signals, is it something else?
Julie's fist impacted my chest, my attention being drawn back to what I was doing.
"DAD!"(Julie) said angrily.
"take this seriously!"(Julie)
the energy seemed to coat her body even more, my aura seeping from her as it mixed, I could feel that she was close to stage two, a few more minutes and she'd break through.
sure enough those minutes would pass and she would breakthrough, the wnegwey getting denser as my aura around her seemed to grow more aggressive.
I moved quickly, getting in range and siphoning off the aura, the energy retreating back into her body and settling, the aura raging as mine consumed it.
"that was close!"(syn)
Julie looked at me with look of mixed emotions before returning to her "usual" frustrated and annoyed expression.
"what'd you do that for?!"(Julie)
"my aura has a few side effects you're not ready for."(syn)
she crossed her arms, shifting to the side a bit posture wise and giving me a narrowed eye look.
"ughhh fine! here's the side effects, first, it boosts your aggression, second, it changes the weather, and third and final, it makes you want to kill everything in your sight and eat them."(syn)
she looked absolutely horrified.
"I think that's a good place to stop for today, I made dinner!"(Allie) said cheerfully, interrupting both of us.
we just nodded, walking inside after Allie, on the way I grabbed a towel and tossed it to Julie, she was a sweaty and grass stained mess.
she hurried off upstairs with the towel, leaving me and Allie alone downstairs.
"I promised you we'd talk."(syn) I said,turning to her and giving her a serious expression.
"I don't want you to leave."(Allie)
I'm not gonna lie she surprised me, I thought she was kicking me out.
"oh thank god."(syn) I sighed, relieved.
"I realize that it's been hard for you and I want you to know that I'm not going anywhere."(Allie)
I appreciated that more than she would ever realize.
"I'm coming down you better not be screwing on our table!"(Julie)
I stopped myself from laughing whole Allie handled the situation.
"YOUNG LADY!"(Allie) half shouted, using her best "mom" voice, it was effective as hell, my own posture went rigid for a second, I'm a mid tier god.
"sorry mom.."(Julie) said meekly from the stairs, walking down the rest before putting on her normal expression and acting like nothing had ever happened.