Question Keeping Cool

Sunday, July 3rd, 2016

St. Louis and the villain Malypense attacking, way to ruin the July of 4th with better fireworks. Blasting the doors off the St. Louis Art Museum from inside and striding out, murdered the guards all for one treasure, this guy is nuts. The Spirit of St. Louis has a spectral airplane, that is just too perfect. Red Kite only grasping empty cloth where flesh should be, what is up with Malypense? Ouch, blasted into the elephant enclosure at the zoo, not a good day for Red Kite.

Dang, poor Pearl the elephant. The Spirit, Gear Grinder, and MoMo Master all giving chase in their own way.

Holiday evening traffic on I-44, a nightmare in any case, became far more interesting with the addition of autonomous motorcycle drones and conjured bigfoot cousins.

Ooo, the Gateway Arch and the physical embodiment of Billiken, nice powers of essential luck and fortune, more teams could use a guy like this on their side.

Tiny of stature and with hobbit-like feet, the latter-day God of Luck and Things as They Ought to Be wasn't an impressive sight, but in the end he had the greatest influence on events to come. With every bit of good luck sent out, somewhere nearby a cloud of bad luck gathered force, and it was a sign of his skill that when that misfortune struck, it still worked out for the greater good of all.

Now he is even more interesting. One tiny tear of carbuncle lost from the necklace and it just gets returned to museum 4 days later, must have needed it fully intact for his goal.

Patrick, oh my god, this is Pat's origin story! And he was watching the fireworks from far away,

up a tall tree near where Fenton Creek met the Meramec River, not far from home.

, now that is an awesome spot for watching things from. Cape-watching, figures there is a hobby like that in a world with superheroes and villains. Whoa, they flew that low and close to his spot.

One even made it down the front of his shirt, where it bit into the skin for a moment before he could pat it out of existence.

I'm going to guess that ember was actually the tiny tear of carbuncle from the necklace or Patrick is going to stumble upon it.

Scratching at his chest, yup, think my guess is right, that was the carbuncle from the necklace. Past 7:30 and sprinting home, guess he is late for curfew. Shamballa trailer park, living in this place and having asthma, yikes. 5 fives minutes late for curfew, eep.

"Patrick Eustace Dulles!"

*winces in sympathy* The use of the middle name, always a bad sign. Mother works at G-Mart and normally drinks but not as much lately due to being on the late-shift, double yikes.

Ouch, starts work at 8:30 and someone has to be home to keep them from being robbed by their neighbors, I would be in a mood as well. Backhanded for sass, starting to see why Patrick was running to get home. 9 and half hour shift, errands afterward, she needs to get herself and her son some help. *facepalms* Nevermind, his mom needs the help, blackjack addict when living in those conditions, she needs counseling. Stoners and methheads as neighbors, *sighs*

I hope that band of roving teens doesn't come back to haunt Patrick later.

The last two years had been a steady downward spiral since Dad had left forever, and it hadn't been too good before that. The Shambles was about as close to rock-bottom as they could get in the St. Louis suburbs, and he just knew life was about to prove him wrong on that point as well. It seemed to be a trend.

No one, especially a child, should have to live a life like this. High school the lesser of two evils between Kyle Webster and Terry Lambert, now that is bad.

Squirrel Girl movie from Marvel and it sounds like Anna/Aquerna got the role, at least to me. Crashing at 10:30 PM, definitely something happened, guessing that necklace was magical and the tiny tear of a carbuncle that fell from it is now affecting Patrick.

Most every night some bizarre narrative would play out on his neurons: vast epic fantasies or frantic space opera, superhero duels or desperate battles against zombie hordes. He even remembered most of it in the morning, to be recorded in his trippy dream journal. This sort of thing he was used to.

Sounds great, miss dreams like those. Awake and aware of his surroundings, everything he is doing sounds even more than what I could do the times I lucid dreamed in the past, very unusual. Nothing but black space and himself in his dream, this isn't a dream!

Yeah, the "dream" changes like that and I would question if I'm dreaming as well. Feeling of something else in there with him, oh boy. Cleared up the scrambled text: Speak now. Tell me that which you desire. Fame? Fortune? Worship? Power? All these may be yours, if you so wish. Speak now your desires. And the way the noise came at him, I would be freaking out at that point. And he still thinks this is just a dream, in a world with mutants and other types of superhumans and sources of powers, even magic, *sigh*

Boy, Patrick has wisdom for his age to realize all those things won't give him what he truly wants.

"Cool is..." he began. "Cool is knowing how to act, how to be always on the ball, never caught off guard or looking foolish. It's being able to speak to anyone without stammering or feeling nervous. It's looking good without trying, and being good at stuff without thinking. It's poise and grace, a quick wit and a clever tongue. It's..." he sighed. "It's everything I'm not."

Desire heard and understood, that isn't always a good thing. The "dream" ending that way, I would wake up screaming.

Monday, July 4th, 2016

Waking up at 9 am, his body reacting that way it sounded like burnout until he began to cool down on his own.

shirt in particular was sticking in odd ways.

Sounds like Pat has already changed into a girl. And seems to only remember the color red from his dream, uh oh. Pee coming out, but no hard-on, Patrick has become a girl yet hasn't realized it yet.

All those excuses for why he can't find 'it' and goes for the light.

Straight, light brown hair had been replaced with a blend of different shades. He could pick out individual hairs as brown, blond, red, black, or white, but when seen together they formed a wavy mass of indeterminate color. The stranger's eyes were likewise a strange, variable color, shifting from hazel to green to deep blue as the angle of light changed.

And that was just the beginning. Patrick felt his jaw, and the stranger in the mirror did the same, confirming that the shape of his face was definitely rounder and wider than before. Earlobes no longer dangled freely from ears which no longer stuck out like jug handles. The hands -- and these he could confirm as his own by holding them in front of his face -- the hands were slender, delicate, with longer nails, and they were the same odd tan. He looked down, and saw that his feet and toes matched. Also, he had no pants on, which brought him back to his original concern.

And sees the truth, takes his shirt off and sees his breasts now, a hint of red between them. The ruby carbuncle embedded in Pat's breastbone, yikes. Rushing back to bed and hoping to wake up and this being nothing more than a nightmare, I've tried that, never works.

2nd alarm going off and realizing the wish from his dream got granted, but not in the way he hoped. Oh boy, running away from home to avoid his mom's reaction sounds like a good idea, she would either think he is a stranger and attack or react badly in another way. Eep, having to take clothes from his mom's bedroom, that sucks big time. Taking underwear from her, the bras fitting badly as it is like apples in a bowl, instead going with a yellow cotton top to hold them down with another shirt over that.

A bit over $300 in a secret stash his mom keeps, about to slip out and Mom was pulling up in her car, crud. *eyes bug out* The wish and Pat's ability to be cool no matter what takes over, acting like she is Patrick's girlfriend and slept with him and was just leaving to get a soda from the machine, talk about embarrassing and not able to be at the same time. Oh god, poor Patrick having to go through this, acting as his own girlfriend, hugging his mother and skipping off. Huh, black, didn't see that in the earlier description.

And Mom is a racist from how she reacts, glad Patrick is getting out there now. Crude, reward to catch her, the term she uses to describe Pat is horrible. Run, Patrick, run!

That small of a trailer park and everyone poking their heads out to find out what is going on, Patrick having a spot of warmth in his chest, this is very bad if it is burnout right now. Running and moving like that, the ability to be cool when observed is letting Patrick keep ahead of the gang. Dang, pulling off moves like an action movie star and taking down these creeps one by one.

3 combination locks opened that fast and on his bike to escape, whoa.

That runaround the trailers bit was like something out of a movie, and he'd come out on top without even breaking a sweat. Poise and grace. Quick wit and snappy comebacks. That was what he'd asked for in his dream. Everything he wasn't...

Oh, God. He really had done this to himself.

About time she figured that out, now what about the voice from the "dream"? I wonder if Patrick will find out the source of his wish being granted anytime soon.

Fenton's main shopping area, no wonder it is so bad with G-Mart around, any Goodkind business I wouldn't trust. Not able to go to Alan, shoot, wonder which of his friends he can trust right now. Lara,

She was the only female on his list of study-buddies, and about the only girl in middle school who'd give him the time of day.

, this is going to get weird for both of them. Mehlville on the other side of the river, glad Patrick has the endurance to make that ride on his bike now.

*eyes bug out* Weaving in and out of traffic like that on a bike, this wish sure made Patrick a risk-taker. Almost an hour on a bike to get there, at least Patrick got there intact. And at Union Road Park, the power of coolness doesn't extend to texting, good to figure out limits of new power early on.

Lara Washington was the prime reason why Patrick never had study groups over to his old house: lanky, pretty, with dark chocolate skin and hair in coiled braids; she would have hit every racist trigger Mom had, if this morning's performance was anything to go by. He'd also had the biggest crush on her last year, and he was anxious about how his current body would react to that. Did he still like girls? Would guys start looking good to him?

Aww, poor Patrick.

And has to prove he is Pat to her, as Lara thinks this is a sick joke, shoot. Mutant Ed class not until the second semester of high school, that seems a little late to be teaching that to me.

"Yeah," she continued, nodding her head. "I can see that. Some folks can't get over others having a bit of color to them, and you're just dark enough to make an impression. I'd say you look more Hispanic, but what do I know?"

Ah, that explains it. So a place to stay for the month with Lara and her Grammy, as long as Patrick is on Grammy watch while Lara gets to go out and have some fun.

A 15-minute walk, 3 years of middle-school war stories and Lara is still a little wary, oh well. Middle class, circa 1955 home, garden gnomes, be wary of them. Don't put anything out of order, either Grammy is a stickler for such things or there is more to Grammy than it seems. Okay, please say I'm not the only one creeped out a bit by that vaguely oriental and demonic doll.

Little plaster shoes, crystals in a hundred different colors, still not sure if a collector or something more. A library like that and Grammy is sitting in an antique green reclining chair, I'm getting a vibe that Grammy might know a bit of magic. Having to explain to Grammy and make up a story, a good one so far but one part makes me think Grammy knows more than she is letting on.

"Now," Grammy said from her chair. "Is there anythin' else to this story you'd be wantin' to add?" Her tone sent a shiver down Patrick's spine. There was something incredibly, deadly serious about this old black lady, and he wasn't sure how to reply.

This makes me think she can see or sense the magic affecting Pat and is waiting for her to tell the whole tale.

Pat able to keep the truth hidden so far even with small talk. No bringing home boys, do her share of chores, don't go into the locked second story loft, something mysterious going on here with that last part. Up at 8 am and in bed by 11 pm, eep. Chicken strips, yum. Potato salad, Grammy must be a good teacher, plus the food only Pat's first load to the picnic, home much did they make?

Louie, Cynthia, and Lloyd, nice to have friends for that long. I like Lloyd, he's silly. Casseroles, pies, sandwiches, and cakes as well, Grammy definitely worked Pat hard. Patrick still not used to being treated as a girl, this won't end anytime soon. Joining in conversations and not even focusing, still upset about the conversation with his Mom, ouch.

What was up with this, anyway? What part of 'being cool' meant he had to sit back and watch himself take over the conversation? Or should that be 'herself,' since at times like this his mouth certainly wasn't a part of him! On the plus side, no one seemed to suspect anything, so he was spared any questions more embarrassing than Mr. Louie's good-natured ribbing about boyfriends. Now that he had time to think about it, the idea of a relationship just made him feel queasy.

Hhm, could whatever granted his wish have twisted it in some way, like a classic genie wish?

Louie and Cynthia are funny with their banter. Do anything to embarrass Lara or get her in trouble and she outs Pat, she is scary. Great, has to be a wallflower tonight and the carbuncle is trying to make Pat be cool.

Grammercie LeRoi

Now that is an awesome name.

"Somet'in' odd 'bout the friend," said Lloyd. "Could 'bout swear half o' that conversation wuz on autopilot. Body language wuz a bit weird, and her eyes wuz all o'er the place."

Just what Pat doesn't need, someone observant. And Grammy has a list of all Lara's school friends, knows about Patrick but doesn't know who Pat is.

"Whatever's goin' on, the girl's got real problems. Couldn't say no to that." She shook her head. "Got some bad chills off o' this. Might have to consult some higher powers."

"Pray?" Lloyd suggested.

"Yeah, that too."

And another hint Grammy is more than she seems.

Patrick having to resist the urge to break out, sweating bullets to avoid being noticed unlike the old him.

Becca, Ashleigh, and Mairead

Freshmen, soon to be sophomores in high school, Lara trying to hang out with the cool older girls, uh oh. Too many unfamiliar names and no context, good, no way to jump in. Introduced herself 3 times and Lara is upset about it, but Patrick can't help it, good grief.

Oh crud, Terry has noticed Pat. Patrick's tormentor for years and now he has to keep his mouth shut or Lara will end him. Ugh, Lara is dating Terry, I thought she was smarter than that.

Back at Grammy's in bed in the guest room, awake still at 1:15 am and brain too busy to sleep, I can relate to this so well. No call from Mom even, starting to wonder if she saw Patrick as just a burden. And figured out Lara is just using him already, for someone who was supposedly a friend she can a bit of a b.

The Lara he knew from middle school study buddy groups had given way to this new Lara, and the difference to him was almost as dramatic as his own, if not as physical. He had to ask himself several times this evening if he'd ever really known the girl he'd spent so much time studying with and silently crushing on, and the conclusion he came to was not very heartening or flattering to his intelligence. To her, he'd been the means to an end, either to get decent grades or to provide excuses and backup when there was something she wanted. She was simply being more honest about it now.

Dang, the reality about someone you crushed on can be harsh.

And now the anger comes, especially of the bit of rock stuck to his chest. There is a reason a common expression is "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it." Dang, can't even act uncool, yell out in anger and frustration, when alone, that sucks. And hoping magic can undo what has been done to him. Going to try and cut the stone out with a knife, but Grammy shows up and ends that.

All he wanted to do was cry, really. He wanted to collapse on the floor right then and there and let it all out, to moan and sob about how hard this was, how he wanted it gone, wanted to be free, wanted to be normal.

And forced to lie once more, but Grammy insists on having a talk, hope she is able to break through what the stone is trying to conceal.

And what happens as they try and go to the loft but are stopped by an enchantment proves it, Grammy knows magic and Patrick is special to have made that far with the effect going.

'Madame Grammercie LeRoi.'

And fortune-telling in a gypsy outfit, I knew it! Carnival circuit in the mid-50s and we learn of her husband Maurice, died 15 years ago facing a villain on the Arch with a hostage scheme, ouch.

Grammy has Patrick shuffling the deck of cards, this is going to be interesting. Figures the be cool effect even extends to card shuffling. Death, the Fool, and Strength, a big change barely begins to cover what Patrick has been through.

"The Fool, now there's another odd one. If you look, his number's a zero. He ain't nothin' at all yet, but he's not hopeless, either. In the trump decks, he's the Joker, the wild card, and seein' him at the center of your spread means you got some learnin' to do. The Fool don't know where he's goin' or how he's gonna get there, an' if he's not careful he might just fall off that cliff, but then again, maybe not. He's ignorance and innocence all wrapped together, but if he -- and by that I mean you, child -- can get y'all's act together, then eventually you'll be like this lady." She tapped Strength. "Power and control. That lion o' hers could break her like a twig, but it ain't never gonna do that. Strength ain't in the arms, but in the will."

Very interesting reading so far.

Wands is all 'bout fire, power, and excitement, and the One card means you're in new territory what you never 'spected to be. Lost and confused. The Swords is sharp, full o' ideas an' inspiration, but the Five tells me you're goin' too far, too fast. And then we got the Cups, which is the suite of deep emotions, the sort you fall into and drown yourself. Two o' Cups says you're split inside, an' the two halves ain't workin' together too well. Altogether, they say you should be in a right sorry state." She eyeballed him, daring him to say otherwise.

Very accurate reading, lost and confused due to transformation and a "friend" he thought he could trust using him, new power pushing him too far, too fast, and it seems like he is fighting against it instead of learning to work with it.

The Eight's a call for decisive action. Sometimes the worst thing to do when you're in uncharted territory is dither around and waste your choices. Make a decision and stick with it. Temperance," she continued, tapping the picture of a young woman standing by a lake with two pitchers in hand. One was pouring water onto the land, and the other into the water. "She's about keeping your impulses in check, so's you don't trip over your own feet. An' the Six of Cups is a card that means balance. All three together like this could mean that you need to find your center, choose your path well, an' don't get too hung up on distractions."

Sounds like Patrick needs to find a better choice and soon than just staying with Grammy and Lara, imo.

Good that Patrick burned a lot of bridges behind her, interesting. I wonder who the Magician card could be referencing. Great, a card which hints that Patrick needs to control the power or it will control him. The Empress, guessing that is Myra. And Grammy knows Pat is Patrick, she is a wise woman alright.

Future reading not all its cracked up to be from how Grammy feels about it.

"I made a promise," she muttered. "Promised myself I'd never use you again, after what you showed me 'fore Maurice died." Grammercie sighed. "But here I am. Shee-yit. We gots to see what we gots to see, so let's get on with it."

The crystal ball winked at her. It could have been a trick of the light, but it wasn't.

Oh boy, never a good thing when a crystal ball has a personality and winks at you. Hope what she is shown isn't too bad.

Tuesday, July 5th, 2016

Great, Lara forcing clothes on poor Patrick and using him as a sounding board, I wish Grammy would reign her in. South County Center Mall and poor Patrick has a bag full of cheap bras bought on discount, oh brother. Figures, sent out with my money Grammy to get Patrick a new wardrobe and Lara gets her bras and such, but uses the rest of the money on herself and gives Patrick her old clothes, selfish little brat.

On the plus side, he'd texted Grammy with the exact time when Lara'd unilaterally declared the shopping trip to be all about her. The old lady had acknowledged, which meant he won the bet they'd made over how soon this would happen. He didn't know what he'd won yet, but he was looking forward to finding out.

Figures they made a bet about this, Lara too predictable. And Lara meeting up with others she knows, 5 to 10 minutes each time to chat, gossip, and bitch, good grief. And Patrick forced to join in and Lara annoyed anytime something comes out of Patrick's mouth, ugh.

Dina Radford, uh oh. Oh crud, once again Patrick's mouth gets Lara to set him up, figures out the perfect outfit and now she wants Patrick to model it for her. Hoisted on his own petard and getting a metaphorical wedgie, *winces* Alone in the dressing room, poor Patrick panics but can't cry out once more thanks to the power of the wish, darn it!

The One of Wands, the Five of Swords... New territory, indeed. In over his head, definitely. Two of Cups... The outside and the inside were too different. He could feel himself squirming inside the outfit, and inside his own skin as well. It was... wrong. That was the only way to describe it. This hottie in the mirror moved as he moved, but that didn't mean she was him. He focused on that thought, focused on that disconnect between how he felt and how he looked. How was he ever supposed to get used to this?

Makes you want to hug Patrick and tell him it will all be okay.

Thank you, Dina, for the bolo tie. And Patrick looking great in the outfit has Lara jealous, that girl has some issues. And now Dina wants Lara to bring Patty alone to her party on the ninth, oh boy, Lara is on the verge of outing her sooner than later at this rate. And now back in the dressing room Patrick is worried about Lara thinking she went too far and outing her.

Now with just her and Lara, Lara is meeting up with Terry, this girl needs something to teach her a lesson and fast. Nice bookstore to go to,

Adventures Under the Arch: A History of Heroism and Villainy in St. Louis

sounds interesting. Sexuality and Gender Studies section, now that is promising.

Gender in the Modern Age was the title, and one look at the table of contents was enough to grab his attention. Specifically, there was the third chapter: "Trapped in the Wrong Body: Gender Dysphoria in Teenagers."

Finally, something which might help, as long as the wrong person doesn't discover Patrick with it.

Ugh, Lara thinks Patrick outed her to Grammy about her date with Terry, despite Grammy just knowing, talk about petty. Asked to play the piano and Lara grinning wickedly, this isn't going to go how Lara wants it to.

He could say no. He should say no. He wasn't going to, though. Lara thought she knew Pat, thought she could set him up for a fall, and he was getting tired of this game.

Yay! Don't let Lara mess with you anymore, Patrick. And plays Moonlight Sonata, not even noticing the passage of time until it ends, and finally seeing some good to this situation, good.

And Lara pissed because Patrick didn't tell her he could play like that, doesn't believe the lie to cover it either. Oh, now we see how much a bitch Lara really is, calling Patrick a tranny freak like that and saying she will out him to Grammy, I wish Grammy would barge in right then and stop Lara's nonsense. Social climber attitude, not wishing to be stuck in the same 'loser' position as before, that kind of nonsense ruins nice people. And a pulse suggesting someone is listening, hope it is just Grammy.

Grammy is right, Lara is too smart for her own good and has gone plum rotten, treating a friend like this just for social status. And yup, just Grammy looking down on Patrick.

Until the child came out and admitted to her that he was Patrick Dulles, there wasn't much more she could do except be open and inviting. She hoped he'd take the hint before anything too bad happened.

Please let it happen before Lara tries to out him.

Good, best to avoid Lara right now until she has cooled off.

Grammy had an immense collection of classic and pop literature in there, with an entire wall for old fantasy titles. He was finding things the public library rarely had: old, out of print novels from the Sixties and Seventies, often entire series of them, that had never made a splash or gotten a second printing.

Now there is a library I would love access to. Original Spirit of St. Louis superhero, very interesting, current is 4th to bear the mantle. Interesting history on the heroes of the city over the ages.

Pompatus, Grammy's husband.

"Code name taken from the Latin for 'done with great dignity,'" the info box text continued. "Pompatus was active during the civil rights crusade, beginning in 1959, and had several fights with members of the Ku Klux Klan, including the original White Knight. Source of powers is still unknown. Officially retired in 1972, but returned for one last battle on March 20th, 2001, when the villainess Deteriorata (p. 164) took thirty hostages on the Gateway Arch, including the hero in civilian attire. Pompatus successfully eliminated Deteriorata's allies, allowing other heroes to arrive and finish the battle. Unfortunately, Pompatus took a major hit from the villainess, and became the sole fatality of the day. He was buried quietly in an unspecified location, and to this day no one has revealed his secret identity."

A hero to the end. And Patrick is starting to recall what Grammy said.

'The Nation's Top Chocolatier', nooo, not another cooking contest show. Having to wait for Lara to go to sleep, we learn Patrick only needs 6 hours of sleep to be fully refreshed now, wish I could do that. And talk with Grammy in the library seems her husband taught himself Latin, French, Greek, and a few other languages, Maurice was an interesting guy. And she had been Madame Mystique back in the 60s, St. Louis had more heroes in the 60s than any other time since now that is interesting.

Struck by a lightning bolt at 17, stronger, faster, smarter, joined the circus, met Grammy and married after not much time, sound like soulmates. *eyes bug out* Lara with magic powers right now would be a terror. Book hid on the shelf where no one but Grammy can see or access it, and the book protected from anyone but Grammy handling it, very nice.

"This is the family history," said Grammy. "Passed on to me by my grammy, and taught to her by her grammy. My four-times great grammy came over on the slave boats, y'see, after her village got sacked by a rival tribe. Her grammy, my six-times-great grammy, was a priestess o' sorts, and she passed on the juju, the magic power, to her granddaughter to keep her safe in the bad times she was a-seein'. So the juju got passed down, grammy to granddaughter, until here I am sittin' here with this book what's got itself charged up like the most magical battery ever and page after page o' magic spells inside."

And Lara's a muggle, can't pass it on to her, thank god.

And Grammy gives Patrick a prize anyway, the box of cards, didn't see that coming. A basic card-reading book, now we know where Pat got that from. Church every Sunday and Wednesday morning, I would go nuts. And Patrick afraid Grammy expects something in return or suspects he is keeping the truth from her, the poor kid needs to just tell her already. Himself, Grammy, and what could the Six of Swords mean?

Wednesday, July 6th, 2016

Six hours of sleep and awake and alert, don't tell others, a good way to make people jealous. Having to read that book only when in the guest room and alone, that limits her time learning what she can from it a lot. A-cups making him feel like this, yeah, double-Ds would give him a lot of trouble.

Two plates of pancakes and bacon, that is some appetite. Going for the medicine cabinet and a spark, new medicines appear.

Pantetherine, Oncolastine, Mirabelux... and those were just a few that had doctor's prescriptions on them. The mystic stuff was actually easier to read, though no less difficult to comprehend. 'Poisoned dragon's liver'? Seriously?

Okay, why did the mirror become a window or screen to show what might be a past event between Grammy and a doctor to Patrick? Heat in his chest, mirror back to normal, what the heck just happened?

That outfit and in blue or pink, I can see why Lara is protesting. *holding sides after reading the description of Lara's dress* Pat behind the driver's seat as a buffer zone between Lara and Grammy, awkward. St. Anastasia Catholic Church, with Lara and Patrick the only kids among women Grammy's age, I would be trying to sneak out first chance.

Trinity Broadcasting, *groan*, Patrick needs to learn about religion from other sources.

Um, God? he wanted to ask. Are all Your followers into this sort of thing, or do they just ignore it?

Gossip and introductions for poor Patrick.

The heat and fizz spread out from him in a gentle wave, picking up the voices of the surrounding churchgoers and subtly adjusting them, supporting them, encouraging them to greater heights. From the look Lara was sending his way, she realized something was up, and he didn't doubt Grammy was picking up on it as well. Everyone else seemed oblivious, caught up in the music and the moment.

Didn't know his power could do that, very interesting.

He could feel... something in the air, or maybe the ether. It had that odd, otherworldly feeling of the fizz, but different. Whatever it was, it thrilled throughout the church, but seemed to clump together the most over the big table in the front.

Very interesting and that she can sense this. Brotherhood and tolerance, letter from the Pope about acknowledging and accepting the 'special gifts' of others, did the stone arrange this or did things just fall into place for Patrick? No way to screw up a simple blessing, never, ever think there isn't a way to screw something up.

Grammy regretting taking Pat to church as she stood out no matter what she did.

When Pat went up to get a blessing from Father Rogers during communion, it felt like every point of light in the entire sanctuary aligned itself to shine right on him. Most of the time few would have noticed, staying at least lightly blind to the reality behind reality, but this was church. Miracles were halfway expected here, even if they never actually occurred. So she'd had all of six seconds to organize the biggest no-see-um hex of her life while standing in line for communion, with none of her personal stores of juju on hand, in order to make sure no one was paying attention when Pat briefly turned to molten gold.

I hope that is figurative and not literal. Grammy is a quick thinker, why was Pat glowing with golden light? Is the stone embedded in his chest allow him to tap into other energies?

With how Pat reacts to the blessing, trying to attract attention but Grammy's spell stops it and leaves Patrick feeling like he is all alone, whoa. 10 seconds of people's attention being blocked from him, wonder how much power that took? Rushing them out of the church and Lara goes to blast Patrick, only for Grammy to tell her to hush, hexing her so she goes slack, fantastic.

Grammy can't tell if Patrick isn't ready to talk, lying, or freaking out, can't read her body language, rats.

"Took most o' what I had to keep you from makin' a real scene in there. Whatever you got goin' on, child, I doubt you need that sorta 'ttention. What you do need is to tell me what's goin' on. Been hintin' at you for days now, but if you're gonna pull this kinda stunt, then hintin' ain't 'nuff."

Trying to lie won't work anymore, Grammy pulls out Patrick's full and real name, eep. And Grammy only realizes upon seeing his react she has caused him to panic.

Panic attack, a spiral of anxiety, worry, and fear that keeps hitting you, suggesting the worst possible scenario for things that come to mind. Poor Patrick, I've been there. Wait, the power can cause electronics to glitch, the clasp on a belt buckle failing, sounds like a warper effect. Leaping from the Mazda and in the other lane, a station wagon incoming.

His body jumped straight towards the approaching vehicle, using its bumper, hood, windshield, and roof as a set of stepping stones in the world's worst game of leapfrog. He was off the station wagon and onto the nearest patch of lawn before he or the driver really understood what had happened.

His feet hit the ground running, and he sped off in the opposite direction.

Dang it! Just had to panic when someone just wishes to help you.

Ten minutes later, he found himself at a children's playground, inside a cute mushroom-shaped enclosure and safe from prying eyes. The fizz had faded away, to be replaced by the beating of his heart at twenty miles a minute. Sobs shook his body, and tears flowed like raindrops down his face.

Only realizing after the panic wears off that she ran from Grammy, someone she could let her guard around, someone who could help her. That is the problem with panic attacks, when they are happening it is hard to focus on anything else.

He could feel it now; he understood what the fizz was doing. When he was panicky and afraid, it stepped in to protect him, to do the things that would keep him safe, even if he didn't know why or how.

Great, something that keeps him safe, even from those who wishes to help him. Grammy calls on the cell and wishes to talk, good.

Here in the mushroom, with no one to see, he blubbered and cried into the phone, with Grammy's compassionate voice comforting him from the other end.

"There, there, child. It'll be alright. Ain't gonna give up on you, y'hear? Let it all out."

It took a few more minutes before he could form a complete sentence in his head, and a few more before he could do it without stutters and sobs breaking it into incomprehensible chunks as it left his mouth. "It, it all started on the third. I s-sorta got caught up in the tail end of a super fight..."

Patrick has been needing this since this started, to be able to vent her emotions to someone who would listen and care, to tell what happened. Patrick ending up at Grammy's was what he needed all along.

Wednesday, July 6th, 2016

10 in the evening and Patrick has crashed, drained by all that happened. And Grammy realizes despite his appearance that Patrick Dulles is still male inside, stuck and confused.

Body shifting was serious juju; even most cosmetic changes took a great deal of time and power if the goal was permanent alteration. It was far more cost-effective to make someone think he was a frog than to actually turn him into one.

Dang, there is something different from other superhero stories and even fairy tales. Major power involved behind Patrick's transformation, I still wonder what is contained in that carbuncle in Patrick's breastbone.

Lara mesmerized half the day and Grammy wishes to atone for it, heh. A sleepytime hex woven into Lara's pillow, I would pay for that on my pillow! Ooo, interesting device. Access to the Department of Paranormal Affair, now that is major.

Nothing much, just the occasional de-ghosting, investigation of psychic fraud, or dealing with some youngster's hobgoblin issues. It supplemented the social security checks nicely. The occasional reports were short, simple and boring. Nothing like what she was typing in now.

In a world like Whateley, those jobs make a lot of sense. A report on Patrick to the DPF, leaving out details including the gender change, wonder what will come of this.

Thursday, July 7th, 2016

Book day and Lara just reading the same pop culture magazine over and over again, she needs to expand her interest. Patrick reading the gender book, a brown paper book wrap to keep Lara from figuring out what Patrick is reading.

「Most of the time, we think of people simply and strictly in terms of 'man' and 'woman,' but sexuality is much more complicated and is made up of many different points. Biological sex is what is most often referred to when talking about someone's gender; it is defined by the organs one is either born with or will develop over time...」

Nice start to the book, though poor Patrick to be reminded of what he lost. And the next part of the book is good, this Laurelle Genovese knows her stuff.

As noted towards the end, bullies tended to be the schoolyard defenders of the gender status quo, whether they realized it or not. Anything which they felt threatened their image of the way things should be automatically became the target of their ire. The irony, according to the text, was that those who fought hardest for the status quo were often the ones who felt least secure in it, so that when they put down deviation from the norm, they reinforced their own sense of rightness. It was an interesting way of thinking about it, and it fit with a lot of his own middle school experiences, but he had to wonder what, if anything, people like Terry thought.

I can confirm that still remember middle school and the little of high school I went to being like that. Gender dysphoria, wish I'd had that book when I was younger. Sexual orientation, ouch, Patrick having to think about that and how it relates to him now. All those things to figure out about himself and not enough time, something I'm sure more than one of us can relate to.

Saturday, July 9th, 2016

Dina's place and the doorbell, talk about mismatched. Sunset Hills and done up like Old Money, oh brother. Ack! Poor Patrick, being made Lara's make-up tester. And her make-up is better than Lara, the boys are going to notice. Introductions centered on Patrick with Lara as secondary, she is going to do something as payback later if Grammy doesn't stop her. 30 to 40 people, I would have freaked out. Bwahaha, convincing a gaggle of teen fangirls to hate the current pop flavor of the week as much as she does, now that is some power.

Grammy at Cynthia's antique store in the back room chatting with her usual cohorts. Georgia, Louie, and Lloyd as discussing Patrick's power and how dangerous it is.

"Too much, that's what. Ever'time I ask it about Pat, durn thing goes gonzo on me. Like there's so much potential in that skinny body that it don't know where to start."

Louie learned from his grand-nephew about the necklace, even about one of the small stones missing from its setting. Oh, it was a garnet carbuncle, not a ruby, and the size of half a pea. That is a lot of power for something so small.

"Hahd to say. Powah gems sometahms seems like they been 'round forevah, but then have their powah fade away if left alone for a few months. Some seem to get strongah the more you use them, an' othah's suddenly break while doin' somethin' simple." Now nobody was looking at the wall decoration, with its blue green stone at the center. "No one's sure where they come from, or how they'ah made, or even if they have anythin' in common with one another. For all we know, every gem could have a unique origin. Without the stone in mah hand, Ah can't say more."

New information about power gems, interesting.

"Ah heard tell of some that could do more. M... m... the Star of the South had a mix o' powah, as y'all can remembah." The name escaped through gritted teeth, and everyone tensed a little at its mention, but Cynthia wasn't letting that stop her. "A few, well, Ah heard of some that were enahgy channels, or mebbe batteries. Didn't do anythin' in particulah, just givin' powah to other things."

Oh crud, don't tell me that the garnet was an energy channel.

A polished wooden statue of a cherubic figure, asked by Lloyd if he has been listening in, Billiken, interesting form to stay in when not needed. The burned-out Star of the South is hanging on the wall of the shop, just what kind of power did it have. Sneaky, Billiken, getting off the table for milk and cookies and then back in position without anyone knowing. Wonder if he will ever tell how he is involved with Patrick getting that garnet carbuncle.

Patrick has come to understand his people sense better, that is a very useful ability. All those details just by closing his eyes and concentrating, a potent ability. *eyes bug out* He can sense all that, now that is the ultimate social ability. Oh brother, that guy staring at Pat and what he senses about the guy, that is so pathetic. The way he talks to Pat, tries to give her orders how to feel, the expression she should have, what a total creep.

"I don't smile at strangers, pervs, or jerks, and from where I'm standing you're at least two out of three. I told you my name, so use it if you have to. Not baby, and not anything else. Just Pat. And not even that, now. I'm outta here." He turned to leave.

And grabs her arm to force her to try and stay, this guy needs a knee to the groin already.

*eyes bug out again*

Heat exploded from behind the cameo on his chest, tangible to him if no one else. For the jerk, it felt like someone had grabbed him by the brain, twisted the offending grey matter into a wrestling hold, and then given it the world's greatest noogie. For the rest of the room, it was as if every conversation hit its natural lull simultaneously, just as the sound system switched between albums. In this empty, hollow silence, the sound of Pat's hand slapping the jerk upside the head cracked like a whip.

Now that is how you deal with a creep. A mental push, this creep tried to psychically manipulate her into doing what he wants, how many other girls has he pulled this on? Pat wishing to leave so he can freak out in peace if only the power of the gem would let him when others are watching.

And halfway down the block when Dina calls out to Pat, apologizing for what Dylan did and how he lied that he wouldn't pull such a stunt. Her older brother, a junior this year, and already has a reputation, it is a wonder the MCO hasn't hauled him off already. And Pat's memory of Dylan indicates he is an Exemplar as well due to the extent of his changes. *sigh* He makes his own family believe him when he says he won't use his mindscrew power on others, sociopath.

"Mother didn't want the scandal at first, and then Dylan started getting really good with the head games. He lets us keep everything normal-looking on the outside, but when he's stuck in the house and bored, it can get so bad. I tried calling the police, but I couldn't even finish dialing. He was really angry after that."

Okay, Pat needs to call the MCO to rat this creep out already. Glad to hear Dylan is in such bad shape now, he has earned it. Pat imitating Dina over the phone, Dylan is going out himself big time I hope.

"I don't think so," Pat said, shifting back to his usual voice. "You know why?" Because I've got your name, Dylan Radford. Names have power, and by that power I have you as well. There's no escape." Anger fed the heat in his chest while his audience of one continued to enable it. "If I hear, even once, that you're abusing the power God gave you, I will be back, and I will break your mind like an egg. You know I can."

Put fear in the psycho who abuses his own family with his mental power, good. And just what is the stone going to allow Pat to do for Dina?

He cupped her head in his hands, brushing aside curly bangs to bare her forehead. Bending down slightly, he kissed the space just between and above the eyebrows. There was another, fleeting pulse of heat which traveled from his chest to his lips, then made the jump to Dina's bare skin. She sighed, her voice low and trembly, and when he pulled away he could see an imprint, an outline the complexity of which he could barely begin to notice before it faded into her forehead.

"Secrets shall remain forever safe," he murmured, though he didn't know why. "Dylan can't get to you."

That was magic Pat just used, this is huge.

"I get that a lot--oomph!" And then she was in his arms, returning that small, chaste, magical kiss with plenty of interest. There was heat between them, some but not all of it coming from the stone. He could feel her -- not only physically; he could feel everything about her. Emotions, dreams, desires, fears, the sum total of Dina Radford was exposed to him, if he dared look.

And Dina kisses her like that but Pat doesn't look, now that is restraint. Putting her phone number into Dina's cell and saying to call her, they are cute together.

Hehe, even Dina knows how Lara can get upset without a real reason. Lara already left with a friend, that girl never learns. The sealing trick on Dina's parents and 11-year old brother David, Dylan will be in trouble if he pulls anything now. Mrs. Radford calling a cab and giving her cash for it and then some, nice to see people who are grateful for help. And Pat getting several answers at once including a girlfriend, yay!

Was Dina really attracted to him, or was she attracted to the glitter and shine of the coolness? She didn't know -- couldn't know -- who he was, and what would happen if she found out? When she found out? Would she still like him then? Would she call him out as a fake?

Would she be able to say anything at all? That line of thought chilled him. He still wasn't sure what he'd done, or what the limits were for him, for that matter. For all he knew, he'd broken Dina's brain worse than her brother had. And if he had, what did that make him?

Yikes, all those what-ifs and fears of what she might have done, the poor kid needs to give himself a break.

Grammy back home and an interesting way to tell her she has a message waiting. Janceena was at a Wicca convention up in Chicago but got called away on business, 1 and half days giving a new mutant a crash course on magic, poor Janceena that tired from teaching Myra.

"Me as in me, Grammercie? Or me as in the DPS?" Janceena Sevcik, mystic field agent for the Department of Paranormal Affairs, was one of the few people who ever used her full name, and Grammy likewise never referred to her as Jan or Janny. Personal history and professional courtesy both insisted on it.

Now you have me curious about their history.

And Grammy never heard from the sender on what she sent about Pat, that is very suspicious. Litwick is a desk agent in the artifact-tracking division in the OKC office. He what!?! Demanding Grammy hand over Pat to DPA custody or give up all information on an artifact called Proserpina's Tear. Wild guess, but Litwick is actually Malypense and wishes to get the gemstone back even if he has to kill Pat to do it.

Quotin' a buncha laws and reg'lations, too, none o' which I ever seen before. Gotta ask myself if this is really how the DPA normally handles matters."

Great, a rogue agent who is probably a supervillain in disguise. Janceena needs to talk to Luke about some housecleaning issues, I hope no one gets hurt in the process. Revealing she got her crystal out, even Janceena thought she threw it away after what happened with Maurice. When you get Janceena cussing like that it is bad. Music down below, guessing Pat is back.

Why did Pat feel that tingle from passing the threshold, when it didn't get triggered before? Dang, breakdown time, thinking it's all fake, a lie, his coolness nothing but a hallucination he sold to the world, now that is angst. Not wanting to be his old self, nor what he is when an audience is present, now that is some serious identity issues beyond the gender change. And not even the piano bringing him joy, this wish has Pat stuck in a nightmare he can't wake up from it seems.

And trying to avoid telling Grammy what happened at the party, this won't work. And Grammy figures out how to talk to Pat about it, over the phone seems to be the only way. Hope Grammy doesn't blow up about what Dylan tried or Dina might get upset at Pat.

Sunday, July 10th, 2016

A text message at 6:30 am in the morning from Dina, nice to wake up to compared to an alarm clock. Patty, now Pat has a new nickname.

"Me!" The giggle that followed was straddling the delicate border between happy and manic. "Ha-ha, sorry. None of us got a lot of sleep over here last night -- I barely slept a wink, I was so excited! -- and when I noticed the sun was up I decided to text you, so here we are!"

And we find out why she is so chipper, Dylan tried to get their parents to call the police on Pat and they told him no, yay!

After what Pat told him he still tried to mind-control his family into doing what he said, thanks to Pat it didn't work, so happy about that.

"So Dylan went back to his room, with all the windows barred and the door locked, and the rest of us celebrated the whole night. Father called the DPA office in Chicago, and someone's coming by in a few hours to get Dylan properly checked out. Mother wanted to do something nice for you to say thanks for all you've done, so I asked if it'd be okay if I took you out on a date, and they said sure, why not?, and would eleven be a good time to pick you up?"

Yay! Dylan properly checked out by the DPA and Pat going on a date with Dina and her parents know. Figures, she had a crush on Lara too before she got to know her, that girl's personality will drive most crushes away. A date at a new mall, this will be...interesting.

On instinct, he reached for the deck of cards, and with a new familiarity he quickly shuffled. Nine of Cups: happiness, fulfillment. Two of Cups, followed by the Star: attraction and hope. Well, that was encouraging.

She has gotten good at that, even with no one else around.

Lara really doesn't like the idea of Pat having a date. Ah, Grammy had a nice chat with Mr. Radford, good that she knows what went on with Dylan. Lara came back after midnight, that girl is going to regret it at the rate she is going.

It was a quiet meal after that. Lara picked at her food, and once or twice it looked like she was about to speak, but then thought better of it. Only after the plates were washed and the old lady was out of the room did Lara say anything more: "I don't know what kind of mutant trick you're using to make everyone like you, but it won't last forever. It's all gonna come crashing down on you soon, see that it doesn't."

Seriously make you want to slap some sense into Lara, the girl thinks she knows so much but is in the dark about a lot.

Avoiding church so Pat doesn't have a repeat of what happened during the Wednesday service, with a larger congregation I don't want to imagine what would happen. A mini-van, nice to see a rich family who is sensible.

His powers, however they worked, weren't making Grammy or Dina do anything they wouldn't want to. Of that, he was pretty much certain now. Well, mostly. If he did have that sort of mind-controlling juju, he'd be using it on Lara for sure.

That is proof enough for me, if she had mind-controllin juju she would make Lara behave. Holding hands on the ride to the mall, so adorable.

Fancy and modern, it rose opportunistically from a section of downtown that had gotten itself flattened about five years before when a villain called Blaster Master had thundered through with his horde of rock 'n' roll feline battle drones.

A dangerous villain, but I have to admire Blaster Master for those rock 'n' roll battle drones.

"She used to be," came the reply, as quietly as the question. "She had to keep it all pent up this past year, so I think she's overcompensating. Bear with it, Patty."

Having to keep all that pent up for a year because of her brother, it is a wonder she isn't more full of energy. Dragging Pat out of the mini-van, her mom grinning all the way as she follows behind them, they were living a nightmare until freed by Pat.

"Well..." Now Mrs. Radford shuffled her sandals and quickly glanced behind her. "We knew already. A few months ago, Dylan forced Dina to go on a date with one of his friends, and let's just say that it didn't end well. Her orientation was one of many details to emerge from of that debacle."

"But she said..."

"She doesn't remember." Mrs. Radford had a thin frown on her face. "Dylan saw to that."

He was selectively erasing their memories! Okay, Dylan deserves a lot worse. No wonder her parents are letting her date Pat, she really needs someone good in her life, what else might Dylan have erased from Dina's memory?

The nicest restaurant on the fourth floor, a real French restaurant, just don't order the escargot. Now that is an upscale restaurant, impressive.

"Yeah," he replied. "The upper floors of this building are supposed to be split between government offices, businesses, and the Gateway Guardians HQ, right? I'm a bit of a cape-watcher," he admitted when Dina arched an eyebrow at him.

A superhero HQ in an upper floor of a mall, that seems like a huge target. Not wishing to lie to Dina or her mom, but also not knowing what to say, uh oh.

And Pat actually tells them the truth about how he used to be a boy physically, dang, wasn't expecting this so soon.

Then Dina took his hand. Their eyes locked; his clear and ever-shifting and hers blurry with held-back tears. "Pat..." she said, her voice stumbling. "Patrick? Patrick Dulles, from school?" It was his turn to nod. He wasn't surprised; he'd given her more than enough clues by accident. What came next didn't surprise him either -- it astounded him. The girl slipped out of her chair, her hand never leaving his, and curled up on his lap. Arms wrapped around him, and he could feel drops of moisture as her head lay on his shoulder.

"And I thought my life was crazy," she sniffled into his ear.

Dina figuring it out, she is very smart and observant. And able to cry together, that I wasn't expecting this, very nice surprise.

It had been over an hour since their mutual meltdown in the restaurant, and now they were snuggled on a bench amid the statues on the first floor. Heroes of the city, both past and present, had their posterity preserved in granite along either side of the mall's main thoroughfare.

Now that is a great monument to the heroes of the city.

"That doesn't change who you are now," she pointed out. "Or what you've done for us. And I think Mother is looking forward to surprising Father with the news that his daughter's girlfriend is also technically her boyfriend," she added mischievously.

I just like Dina more and more.

"I know so. Seen my fair share, I have. People were made incomplete, they say, so that we may have the chance to complete one another and be stronger for it. I daresay the two of you make a good set."

Who was Pat talking to, was it the spirit of Maurice perhaps? Ah, Billiken's statue right beside the bench they are sitting on, sneaky little god.

Pat invites them in for tea, Dina trying to carry too much before Pat takes some of it himself. For some reason I keep getting this feeling that Dina is an energizer-based speedster who will manifest any day now, even making up for being repressed for a year. Lara opting to sit on the floor instead of the couch with Pat and Dina, now that is petty. Pat not thinking shopping is so bad with good company, someone get a picture of Pat and Dina smiling together already!

Dina describing all that, Lara's resentment and envy, to the point Lara blows up.

"I can't believe you all!" the black girl cried, throwing her hands in the air. "Wasting your time and money like this, and on Pat! Pat, of all people! The one person here who'd never appreciate it properly! No," she said to her grandmother, holding up a flat palm in the woman's face. "I'm not finished. I hate to say this, but Pat's been fooling everyone. I know it, Pat knows it, and everyone should know just what a freak he is. Yes, he," she spat, glaring at him a moment before moving in on Dina. "Your new girlfriend -- and I still don't know how that happened -- your new girlfriend's really a freak, a disgusting thing that used to be a boy and now, now... Who knows what he is, really!"

Trying to rat Pat out over jealousy, Lara needs what is coming next.

The girl's confident expression collapsed faster than a busted souffle. It was a wonder to watch; each muscle seemed to slump independently of the rest, her face slowly sliding downward until her jaw was about to hit the rug. Chocolate brown eyes bugged so far out that they seemed to hover above the rest of her features, like a cartoon gag reaction shot made real.

I've been waiting to see this since Lara revealed what a b she is, you have exceeded my expectations. And what Grammy, Dina's mother, and Dina say about Pat, you would think Lara would know to keep her fool mouth shut at this point.

"Well, um, er..." the girl spluttered. "Fine! Keep your freak! Go parade him around and have freaky sinful lezzy tranny times, for all I care!" Lara tried to stand up, but tripped over her own two feet. Once she peeled her face off the Persian rug and found her balance, she stormed out of the room. A door slammed behind her in the hallway.

As if I couldn't wish Lara learn a hard lesson more already, she tops herself.

Letting Dina and her mom into his room, only to be told by Mrs. Radford to strip, and Pat does so in such a way it gets Dina blushing, hehe.

"Trust me, Debra ma'am, on the inside I'm bright red and half dead from embarrassment."

Darn, making Pat pose like that for Dina, this power doesn't let up.

"Dee, please look away for a bit," her mother said. "I doubt Pat's used to being ogled."

"Mother...." Dina turned bright red at that, but did as she was told.

"Good. Now, Pat. Off with the bra."

"Mother!"

"Eyes off, Dee." From the bag of mystery supplies, Mrs. Radford pulled a big roll of white material. She pulled on it, stretching it a little in demonstration. "Any guesses, Pat?"

Bwahahaha, love how Dina is reacting to what her mother is saying.

"ACE bandages." Well, that was about as enlightening as a candle in a blizzard. "I used to do a lot of theater stuff in high school and college," she continued. "And occasionally there'd be a situation where we didn't have enough men to fill all the male roles. So guess what we'd do?" The roll made a thin noise as she pulled more off of it. "Especially in college, we'd need to do it a lot on some productions. Julius Caesar comes to mind. Got lots of practice with that one. So, give me, oh... seven minutes, and I can make a man out of you." She gave him a big and not at all maternal wink. "The girls in my theater group used to do this all the time. If it was a slow weekend, we'd talk some guys into going drag, and we'd pretend to be their boyfriends. Oh, remind me to tell you about my first date with your father sometime, Dee."

"Mother!" Dina screeched, in that tone of voice reserved for young teens who do not at all, under any circumstances, on pain of immediate death by embarrassment, wish to know about the very existence of a parental sex life.

Ouch, my sides, the hits just keep on coming for Dina, her mother knows how to embarrass her good. And Debra does good work, making Pat look male in 10 minutes. And Dina likes the look just because she knows its still Pat. Hhm, a way to conceal the stone, now that could help a lot.

"Now, before my dear daughter stains your bedsheets with all her drooling, shall we show Mrs. LeRoi how well you clean up?" Dina squealed in mock outrage, and brandished her chosen weapon in what might have been a threatening pose if she were not four foot ten and it were not an oversized pillow. It took them a while longer to recover from the laughter.

Ouch, make it stop, my sides can't take much more.

Grammy placed a hex on Lara and she fought it for once, interesting. Can see why Grammy did it though, Lara was going to out Pat to all the local teenage gossip mills, now that is just vindictive over jealousy. Dina dancing with Pat in front of her mom and Grammy, cute. Dang, dancing like that, sometimes the stone comes through. Aww, bringing back memories of her and Maurice together.

Eep, that close to doing the lambada if Grammy hadn't snapped them out of it.

"I understand, Dee. Your father and I used to dance like that when we were younger. Of course," she added, "we usually had most of our clothes off by this point."

"Mother!" Dina's ears could have been used to direct traffic; they were glowing such a red. Grammy had to laugh at that.

"Stop teasin', Mrs. Radford."

Man, Mrs. Radford just loves teasing her daughter.

"Not as much as he should be, seein' as he's still a minor and they don't have hard ev'dence of anythin'," Grammy spat out. "But he's gonna be on some sorta parole until he turns eighteen. Standard situation is to stick a psi damper on him, and school him on psionic ethics until he's prop'ly got his brains dribblin' out his ears. Or so I've heard," she added. The Radfords were giving her the oddest look now.

Well, best we can hope for I guess. And the DPA man wishes to talk to Pat, uh oh. Dylan squealed and someone noticed the mental shields which Pat put in place, figures.

Pat able to share power for magic, hope no one at Whateley who might abuse that knows. Little Louie aka Louis Farnham the 4th, with his partner from the DPA Agent O'Keefe. First name of Franklin which Grammy shocks him by using when she hugs him. Pat looking like a model, appearing male and confusing Agent O'Keefe.

"Now, see here, boy," said Little Louie. "Whatever it was, it was big stuff, and the feds don't like not knowing 'bout that kinda thing. Could you be a little more detailed?"

And Pat's powers get more impressive once again. Saying he still needs to be tested, but Janceena is expecting him by the end of the month. Agent O'Keefe and Dina both starting at Grammy's ID card and shocked she is Madame Mystique, she is good.

A picture of seven costumed heroes, Madame Mystique, Pompatus, and the rest of the original Guardians, all impressive. The Spirit of St. Louis, Golden Gloves, Mirabelle, Bantam, and Scratch-the-Cat, interesting group of heroes. Dang, Bantam and Scratch-the-Cat two of the first officially identified mutants and the mayor drove them away with threats, that shouldn't happen to heroes. Little Louie is the Spirit of St. Louis, the Fourth, and it runs in the family, now that is unheard of so far.

Pat going to do research on Billiken, I wonder what he will find out. Two minutes of kissing and Pat and Dina able to stare into each other's souls that way, intense. Bwahahaha, Lara seeing Pat as a guy caused her brain to break it seems, finally knows she is beaten. And Pat practically floating to his room after the kiss, lucky.

Grammy not letting herself sleep yet, evening spell maintenance with certain vital elements fraying from the strain of the last week, that sounds ominous. Dropping those spells, I hope Lara doesn't get into any trouble because of it.

She gathered up the freed juju, careful and meticulous in her ways. Most of it went into the book, the core of her legacy. It would stay safely bound until the right person came along. The rest, she gathered into herself as she prepared to face her worst nemesis.

Why do I have a feeling Grammy already has met the right person to leave the book to.

Talking to the crystal ball, playing the past before her about Maurice and what happened. Ouch, barely able to keep the lightning which empowered him contained due to his age.

And so the crystal had shown her a way, an option that would change the path of Maurice's final years, removing the possibility of nursing home hell, and probably saving the lives of a few nurses in the process. The only catch was that her loving husband would leave her sooner rather than later.

Ouch, what a choice to make about the one you love the most. Sent him there to die a hero, rather than languish in pain for years in a nursing home.

The best way to plot out Pat's future was not by seeing where he was going, but how everything else reacted around him. She'd seen something like this on an art show, of all things. Negative space. See the shape of the things that aren't there, by looking at the things that were. More juju poured in as Grammy expanded her sight, taking in everyone who had or would meet Pat in the next week. Lara, Dina, the Radfords, the Guardians, herself....

An interesting way around not being able to narrow down Pat's potential future.

Among fortunetellers and seers, it was generally seen as a bad idea to do readings on yourself. Having the ability to sense the future at all meant that a seer had a disproportionate amount of influence on the world around her, and trying to find your own future was a good way to drive yourself batty. There should have been a blizzard of maybes and alsos and could-bes cluttering her sight right now, but instead it was amazingly clean-cut. This wasn't a standard vision, no; this was a premonition provided by the crystal, recommended for the good of... who? Herself? Pat? The darned crystal itself? She watched it play out, a shadow play with herself and Pat as the only definite figures. By the end, she wished she hadn't, and then smacked herself for that thought.

Why does that make me feel that Grammy is going to die by the end or before the end of Keeping Cool's final chapter?

From a drawer in her desk, she pulled out a thick pad of stationery paper, lilac in color and scent, as well as a package of envelopes. There were a lot of things she needed to note down for posterity's sake, and it didn't look like she had a lot of time to get it all writ before the events in the vision occurred. No rest for the wicked, tonight.

Darn it! This part all but confirms that Grammy is going to die before this is all over. I like her, I hope Pat or Myra is the one who inherits her book.

Tuesday, July 12th, 2016

Storm rolling in and Dina shows up with her mom in the green mini-van, why is Lara there to pester Pat though?

Grammy had made it abundantly clear what she thought of people who tried to betray their friends the way Lara had, and the granddaughter had enough sense to be ashamed of the way she acted, even if she'd never admit it. When Dina had mentioned an upcoming trip to the movies for today, the two of them decided to invite Lara along, out of memory of the friendship they'd sort of had in school. It took some talking before Grammy came around to the idea, but one little detail had clinched it.

At least Lara feels ashamed of the way she acted, that is a start. Chaperons for the movie for David and two of his friends, Lara better not try to ditch them or Grammy might make things a lot worse.

Machine Gun Bunny II: Trigger Happy Trickster, dang, their universe has movies we don't. Bwahaha, Dina asked Pat on a date and suggested that movie, my kind of girl.

"We wouldn't tell if you wanted to text Terry and meet up with him for a bit," Dina added.

"Nah, thanks but no thanks. Grammy always seems to know anyways. And to be honest," Lara said with a frown. "Terry was getting a bit grabby."

"So what about your big plan for high school?" he asked.

"Eh, I'll just wing it and survive."

There is hope for Lara after all, if she can drop the attitude she developed due to her big plan for high school.

And now we see why Grammy agreed, she needs Lara out of her business for the day. Bwahaha, and she got Lara to go along using reverse psychology, priceless. Bertram aka Bantam, and he looks like a fantasy dwarf right out of a Tolkien novel, awesome. Why is he asking about Patrick, why do I have the feeling he isn't one of the good guys any longer?

"I came... I came for old times' sake, I suppose. Because it has been fifty years since we saw one another, and because I did treasure our friendship while it lasted."

"We woulda stood up for you an' Scratch, if you'd told us what was hap'nin'. Took us years to put all the pieces together."

And a bad time for many, with how bad things are for mutants at times you forget it was probably worse earlier on. And Bantam is a mutant mage, interesting.

"Heard 'bout that, too. Ran with Molochi for a while, was it?"

"A mistake; one which we worked hard to atone for later. The MCO kept us on a watch list for decades, and they finally caught up in '89. Scratch didn't make it."

Ugh, the MCO killed his wife, what would have called for that or is it just the usual excessive force against mutants BS?

And Bantam trying to recruit Grammy but she has been dying for a long time, just too stubborn to die so easily, ouch. 6 months given 2 years ago, without her mystic potions and infusions of juju I doubt that modern medicine would have kept her alive so long.

"No, no... That's enough." Bertram hesitated, tugging on his beard for a moment longer before making a decision. "The stone, the garnet is a spell-bound gem, one of great antiquity. It appears from time to time in the akashic records as Proserpina's Tear."

"That tells me 'zactly zilch. Proserpina was... who? Queen o' the Dead?"

"Queen of the Underworld, known to the Greeks as Persephone, married to Hades Pluton, bound to the deep earth for four months of every year for eating four pomegranate seeds while she was kidnapped and held in Hades' kingdom. The Tear is described alternately as either one of those four seeds or as her actual tear, shed when the judgment was passed and made crystal afterwards."

"An' which is it?"

"Either? Neither? Both? Who can say? It is a poetic origin, and those are nearly always metaphorical in nature. The stone itself is a key and a conduit, tied to a wellspring of chthonic essence the likes of which was never meant to be tapped by man. Please, Grammy, tell me where to find this young man, because he does not, cannot, comprehend the danger he is in."

Okay, I was not expecting that reveal, something connected to Persephone and tied to a wellspring of chthonic essence like that, are there any limits to what Pat can do with it?

Chthonic meant the deep earth, the power that supported the world. It meant hidden riches and unknowable secrets. It included both the power of the grave and rebirth through fertile soil.

And in Pat's hands is a force for good, I don't like the way Bantam was talking and fear what the people he works with would use it for.

"An' you wanna mess with power like that?" she demanded. "Don't care what you're fightin' for, but as soon as you put that much power in the hands of a committee, there's trouble. Better it gets lost an' forgotten, like the gods of old."

"They're not. The gods, that is. Which is part of the problem." The short man pursed his lips, not quite frowning. "I and my organization, we have supporters in magical circles across the globe. We hear things, just bits and pieces of information, but when we bring it all together... Grammy, what if I were to tell you that between the years of 1989 and 1992, the Olympian Gods somehow found a way to be reborn into the world, returning for who knows what reason? That at least three of the nine Faerie Queens, including the Queen of the West, have returned, possibly to raise up her Court even as we speak? That the White Buffalo Calf Woman gathers and unites the shamans of all the tribes across the continent? That the Asian pantheons are active for the first time since the war? The great spirits of north and south, east and west? That a cult for Kelith, daughter of Gothmog the Virile, is growing and ... Stop smiling!"

"Can't help it. Good memories on that last one. Oh, the Seventies...."

Great, they know about the New Olympians, 3 of the reborn Faerie Queens, Kayda, and Sara and consider them all growing threats which need dealing with. The New Olympians, a few of them probably need dealing with, the rest though aren't threats. Seeing old gods return and automatically think they are a threat, good grief. And that last past, Grammy had some good times in the Seventies.

"Please, take this seriously. Grammy, the old powers are on the move. These are entities so ancient that their worldview cannot match ours. They are relics of a past wherein humanity was a race of servants, or slaves and thralls, or even pets. There is no place for them in the 21st century, and so they must carve one out for themselves at our expense. It is our duty, our necessity, to gather power of our own to prevent them from returning the earth to the dark ages of myth. Humanity has grown, Grammercie," he concluded. "We no longer need them, and that shall lead to war. We need the Tear, if only to deny it from them."

What fools, to think they can't adapt and find a place for themselves in the 21st century, to not live how they did in the ancient past.

Grammy shrugged. "I'm a fortune teller. Can't help it. A question, though. All those words 'bout defendin' humanity, but then there's that scene at the SLAM. Two guards dead, an' not in a nice way." She saw him wince. "Well?"

"We'd tracked down the Tear, but the owners would not part with the necklace long enough for us to determine which stone it was we wanted. This is war, and time was of the essence. What was done was unfortunate, but deemed necessary. Shame be on him who thinks poorly of that," he added at the end, with the air of a refrain or ritual expression.

The second you start thinking like that you've already lost the war. And Grammy is going to blab to Pat or the DPA is Bantam doesn't eliminate her, only has a month or two left, darn it!

Bertram DeMille, mutant magus and founding member of a society best known locally by the mask of the villain Malypense, left the house a few minutes later. His face was set as stone, with tears held back by force of will. Do what is needed, and shame be on him who thinks poorly of that -- the very motto of his society, and never had it been more difficult to live with those words.

That motto is for cowards who can't find a better way, imo. Leaving like that, thinking no one saw but Billiken had and saw it all it seems, this is far from over.

4 hours of crying with Dina and Lara, man, to lose a great woman like Grammy hurts. Even Lara had enjoyed the movie, all busting a gut from laughing, so to come home to this...words can't express. Lara's mother coming to pick her up, Mrs. Washington shows up for mother-daughter consolation time. Thanking Pat for all she did for Grammy and for Lara, a ticket at summer's end to go to Pat's cousin's house back east, just what is Grammy up to now? And of course, Mrs. Washington knows her mother well, plans within plans. At least Pat will get to stay for the funeral.

Aww, Dina doesn't want Pat to go, can't even enjoy it when they are in her room in their PJs together. And a card reading for advice, card shuffling to entertain Dina, and slams down a letter in a light purple envelope, silly cards. A letter left by Grammy, warning St. Louis isn't safe for him right now, and old Billy can tell him more.

The letter became a checklist of things to do before he left, and he had to stare at some of the odder items. Dina read along with him, eyes wide, and together they came back to the very first thing: "Don't worry about tonight. Give your girlfriend a great big kiss, and repeat as necessary until you both feel better."

That was just what they needed, as it turned out.

Dam, I'm going to miss Grammy, she is the most fun old ladies in a story I've ever read.

Thursday, July 14th, 2016

Grammy's funeral was a mirror to how she lived -- serious, but with a sense of humor and style strung throughout. She'd requested a jazz procession, and Father Rogers, pastor of St. Anastasia Catholic Church, had to put up with the sound of saxophone all the way to the cemetery.

Now that is a funeral, celebrate their life as you remember them. And buried by Maurice, at least they are back together now.

Pat and Dina standing with Lara, crying so much they almost fall in. Cynthia, Lloyd, Ms. Gantry, Mr. Ford, and Mr. Wessesley, all came and Grammy sent them each a letter with marching orders about Pat, Grammy plans ahead so many steps I'm losing count. Autographs from each of them, Pat is still a superhero fanboy. Nice to know who Red Kite, Gear Grinder, and MoMo Master are. And even got a signature from Billiken when Pat isn't looking, now that is rare, though to read the signature Pat will definitely need help.

Friday, July 15th, 2016

Pat let David have her old bike, how sweet. And a few books for the long ride, Pat named as the guardian of Grammy's family history until such time as her successor can claim it, knew it would happen. Bwahaha, Billiken has hitched a ride with Pat, the fun hasn't ended yet.

Greyhound was upgrading its entire fleet, he'd heard on the news a few months back. Something about increased fuel efficiency and comfort. The metal behemoths rolling before him were some choice examples of the company's drive for improvements, each a sleek steel figure with molded features like a rocketship from a 1950s book cover. It was all flashy chrome and bold colors, with remarkably little exhaust in the air. As one passed by, he could swear he smelled potpourri. Through the windows, he could see people relaxing in comfort.

Wish they had those upgrades on the buses in our reality.

Pat not riding on one, nooo!

"Most of it's just a pep talk, but at the end... well, according to her, we're going to be classmates again next January, somehow. Said she'd seen it in her crystal ball." Dina sounded a little dubious as she finished.

Yay! I knew Dina was a latent mutant, only a matter of time before she at Whateley in Poe with Pat.

The MetroLink rail line and Dina gives a goodbye kiss to remember. A new phone thanks to Dina's mom and a wad of cash from Big Louie, nice, they can talk every night.

"Never. You're cute when you stammer, y'know? I only get to hear that on the phone."

"Only time I'm truly myself," he said with a shrug.

"That's not true." She brushed a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "You're awesome any time, and don't you forget."

Cuteness overload! One last kiss to Dina before getting on the train, Pat hoping all of Grammy's predictions were right.

Fairview Heights and off in the middle of lower Illinois, good thing Grammy left Pat instructions on where to go and stay.

The parking lot was full, and the selection was eclectic. He spotted an electric blue sports car sidling up to a dingy yellow Camaro, and one of those super-new electric cars was barely visible behind the bulk of a VW micro-bus with an atrocious paint job.

Yes, the Barnes are staying at the same motel. Room 316 and Pat starts to freak out, thinking this is crazy.

Bwahaha, staring at Myra's breasts, guess it is to be expected. And Myra owes Janceena 10 bucks due to a bet Pat wouldn't show up. And Grammy sent them a letter with Janceena confirming it is legit, all heading in for testing like Pat.

"Hey! I'm Na'Chessa Rakia, but you can call me Chessa -- everyone does, really -- and this is Myra, and that's Marcus over there with his toys." The boy gave him a Scout salute before going back to his oh-god-that's-a-death-ray-isn't-it. "And the letter said we should be open and upfront about everything so you'll feel okay to do the same, so I guess it's okay to say that I used to be dead. Oh, and a boy," she added, like it was an afterthought.

"Chessa!" the woman, Myra, shouted. "Don't break her brain just yet!"

"No, it's okay." Actually, it was not okay, deep inside where his surprised mind was trying to get its act together. His mouth was running on its own, like it always did, and for once it was saying the right things. "I have a strange story of my own...."

After all Pat has been through I think even without the power to be cool he wouldn't have freaked out over what Chessa said.

When it says To Be Continued Another Day, does that mean there is another part to Keeping Cool or that the story of the Barnes will continue in a story called Another Day?

If this is the end of Keeping Cool, I have to say it was a very fun read. To see all that Pat went through in so short amount of time, not able to freak out except when he is alone, not fully in control when the power takes over. I couldn't stand Lara at the start but near the end I just hope she is going to be okay. I'm glad that Pat was able to free Dina's family from her sadistic brother's control and they even started dating, they are so cute together. I didn't expect the twist with Bantam, the reveal about what the stone actually is, or the organization that considers the old gods all a threat without actually talking to them. And that last part, the way Chessa just came out and told Pat about herself, Myra's response, just too funny. Don't break her brain just yet, hehe. I can't wait to read more of the Barnes' adventures and seeing Dina again in the future.