[The Daniels Estate, Piasu, Ryomania, 10:35 AM, May 7th, Tuesday, 2025]
Everything suddenly felt way too quiet.
Jack Daniels: "It vanished back into the wall! We're clear."
Jack went out into the hallway again, his gaze landing on Cathy.
Jack Daniels: "It's gone, for now, whatever they are. Ay, you alright girl?"
Cathy winced in pain and stood up.
Cathy Ariston: "Don't 'girl' me, or you're losing a ponytail. And yeah, I'm fine. We should... Probably get help."
Jack chuckled and stepped closer.
Jack Daniels: "Hey, it's alright, do you want to be healed?"
Cathy's eyes widened, her arms crossing.
Cathy Ariston: "Excuse me? What did you just say?"
Jack stepped closer until he was face to face with her.
Jack Daniels: "The Third Step, Ruach, allows me to heal myself or others... So, do you want to be healed?"
Cathy's eyes narrowed further in anger.
Cathy Ariston: "You? You could heal yourself and us all this time?"
She paused for a moment. "If he could heal, could he have healed Normand?! Could he have done something?!" Is all that was going through her mind.
Cathy Ariston: "Could you have done anything about Normand?!"
Jack sighed and leaned against the staircase's railing.
Jack Daniels: "Nope, he didn't look controlled like Keito, and he even healed himself in battle, probably using the same step. That was just him being devoted to a lie."
Cathy shuddered and ran a hand through her hair.
Cathy Ariston: "No, I don't want your healing... I'm fine."
Jack turned, looking down at the now broken mosaic on the foyer floor.
Jack Daniels: "Oh man... Erika is gonna kill me for that."
Cathy Ariston: "Yeah..."
Jack glanced back at her, sensing her tension.
Jack Daniels: "Hey, I've been meaning to ask, now that we sort-of have time to breathe... Where is Jasmine?"
Cathy turned to face him, a dawning look of realization across her face.
Cathy Ariston: "Fuck... I... J-Jasmine got taken. By The Boss."
Jack Daniels: "I'm sorry to hear that, we'll get her back though! We're fast and strong! And yeah."
Cathy sighed and punched the wall weakly.
Cathy Ariston: "I feel so weak! Ugh, it's annoying..."
Jack Daniels: "You're fine, you're one of the strongest people I know, that's why you're here, isn't it?"
Cathy chuckled weakly and smiled at him.
Cathy Ariston: "You cheeky bastard, you always know what to say..."
Jack Daniels: "Dunno, must be hereditary!" He shrugged and continued looking down into the foyer.
Suddenly an even louder sound came from Cathy's room than before, a loud growl and the same repeated words in an even deeper voice than the Bed Head.
Room Head: "Ski... bi-bi-bi!"
A ginormous head grew from the room, pushing out of it and almost knocking Jack and Cathy down over the railing, but Cathy managed to grab Jack and float above the stairs with him.
Cathy Ariston: "Ugh! These stupid things... What sort of ability is this even?!"
She growled in frustration, the head opened it's mouth. She lifted both of her hands and closed her eyes, the entire staircase railing flew up, ripping the metal supports and pressing them together again to make a giant sword with spikes.
Room Head: "SKII-BI-DOOOOP!" The head yelled as everything from within the room itself began flying out of it's mouth, including the paint on the walls.
Cathy also acted, throwing the railing into its mouth, spearing the giant head but it was too late, the bed flew out of its mouth and knocked both Cathy and Jack down into the foyer.
Jack Daniels: "Ow... I think we killed it, but your room is destroyed."
Cathy Ariston: "It's fine, it's only a guest room."
Cathy flew up again, looking over the stairs, indeed the head vanished again in the same glowing light.
She sighed and flew back down.
Cathy Ariston: "I'm getting tired of this little back and forth, we have to get to the bottom of this. Let's find Erika."
They both nodded and made their way down the ground hallway, bumping into Amelia who was mopping the floors.
Jack's eyes glowed, his hands shot out, grabbing the mop mid-air, spinning it and putting it back in the mop bucket.
Jack Daniels: "Hey Amelia, be more careful, someone could lose an eye." He smirked and glanced between her and Cathy.
Amelia Orwell: "I-I'm sorry Master Jack, you startled me! I heard loud noises... Is everything okay?"
Cathy scoffed and shook her head.
Cathy Ariston: "No, we need to find Erika, where is she?"
Amelia Orwell: "I wouldn't know Miss Ariston, Mistress Erika always disappears during this time of day. I could assist you with whatever problem you're dealing with!"
As if on cue, another head emerged, from the mop bucket.
Bucket Head: "Dop... dop..."
It quickly shot out a jet of pressurized water, Jack moved in a blur. Amelia squeaked in surprise and backed up.
Jack Daniels: "Second Step: Titan!"
His skin hardened in a crystal-like white matter, he took the stream of water to the face, it broke through the defense for it was coated in Flow.
Jack fell backwards onto Cathy's aura, bleeding severly.
Bucket Head: "Skibi! Skibi!"
It turned and shot a pressurized jet of water towards Amelia, she ducked, but it was too late.
Her right arm was hit by the water, which now had Flow in it.
Amelia Orwell: "AH! M-M-MY ARM!!"
She fell backwards onto the floor, a large chunk of flesh had been taken off.
Cathy growled again, trying her best not to get angry, she lifted her hand, slamming the bucket onto the ceiling and then flipping it and slamming it onto the floor, crushing the head.
It dissipated once more.
Cathy Ariston: "Damn it! Are you two okay?"
Cathy groaned and ran a hand through her hair again, a nervous habit she had to calm herself down.
Jack was bleeding from his cheek but he got up, tugging on his Jacket and then helping Amelia stand. Amelia slowly stood up, her bleeding hand shaking terribly.
Flow was now within her bloodstream, awakening her body.
Amelia Orwell: "Oh my goodness... Master Jack! We're... we're bleeding! W-w-what was that? Was that a fabled 'rat'? I've never seen one before..."
Jack chuckled and patted her shoulder.
Jack Daniels: "Nah, rats are smaller, I'll bring you one next week if you'd like. That was a... let's call it a Bucket Head. Ay?" He looked back at Cathy for approval, she rubbed her forehead in annoyance.
Cathy Ariston: "She's bleeding, you absolute moron! Do something with your... crazy kung-fu..."
Jack Daniels: "Ay, cap'n." He said, smirking.
Amelia was horrified.
Jack stepped up and grabbed her right arm, putting his hand over the wound.
Jack Daniels: "I was planning on showing this off later but... I guess it's necessary. Third Step: Ruach..."
Small glowing white particles, the same ones the heads emitted upon disappearing, started coming out of Jack's very skin, from every pore and from Amelia's wound.
The skin, the flesh, the muscle tissue all began healing quickly, from both of them.
Cathy trembled visibly at the sight, still thinking of Normand.
Cathy Ariston: "Fine. Hurry up." She spat out the words, glaring into his back, hoping it would burn a hole through him.
Amelia's hand quickly healed, the glowing particles fading away.
Amelia Orwell: "Master Jack... T-thank you... I don't know what to say... W-why do I feel so tingly?"
Jack put his hands in his pockets and stepped back, leaning against the wall.
Jack Daniels: "M'well, ya see... I've been paying attention, these things, whatever they are, seem to be utilizing either a very basic level of The Ten Steps, or Flow itself. You've got that water in your blood right? Well, it had Flow in it. So, consequentially, your body is now producing natural Flow. You've been awakened, Amelia."
Jack raised his hand for a fist bump, before Amelia could bump fists with Jack—Cathy threw the mop at him, he ducked, chuckling.
Cathy Ariston: "Don't you dare FUCKING laugh, you mole. This isn't the time or place for... UGH! Whatever, does this help us in any way?"
Jack Daniels: "Nah... I've come up with a few theories though: One, we're completely alone. There's only five people in the house including me, everything is relatively quiet, police haven't shown up at our door. Can't be an attack from any outside forces, it must be someone in the mansion. Two, these head thingies are either using Flow or they're made from it, that means that whoever is causing this also is well-versed in Flow and such... Three, Flow means the natural awakening of a Holiness in someone, so..."
He looked at Amelia.
Jack Daniels: "What'd ya get?" He rubbed his hands together, chortling, to which Cathy hit him on the head with her right hand.
Amelia stepped back, clutching her newly healed arm to her chest.
Amelia Orwell: "M-master Jack... I don't understand, this is all too much! A Holiness? I don't think I have any such th—"
She backed up until she hit something, the tinkling of a bell.
The three of them turned to look at a floating golden hand-bell with a purple handle and a white cursive text on it, reading 'Amelia Orwell'.
Amelia glanced between the bell, Cathy and Jack, clearly scared.
Amelia Orwell: "U-u-um... Is this m-my...?"
Jack laughed and stepped closer.
Jack Daniels: "Wow, I didn't think my theory was correct!"
He reached out to touch the bell, but before he could Cathy dragged him back to her.
Cathy Ariston: "Wait! You idiot. We have no idea what this is or what it could do... Be careful."
Jack smiled and stepped closer to the bell, Cathy let go of him.
Jack Daniels: "Thanks, but I know what I'm doing. This is just a normal bell. Kinda."
Jack picked up the bell, turned it over a few times before handing it to Amelia.
Jack Daniels: "Yeah I have no idea how this works, it's your ability though! Try it out! Make a wish or something."
Amelia extended her hand out to shake the bell, staring in disbelief at it and nodding gently, she was scared, but wanted to be helpful anyway.
Amelia Orwell: "Very well... I... I wish for a new mop?"
She rang the bell, it began glowing in a golden light, and suddenly, the mop that was on the floor suddenly transformed, it looked entirely brand new, the mop threads were golden and the wood was a dark shade of acacia, white markings and lines dotted it.
It looked expensive for a mop.
Amelia Orwell: "Oh my goodness! I-It worked! Yay!"
She laughed and clasped her hands together, picking up the mop and handing it to Jack, who turned it over a few times.
Jack Daniels: "This... This seems pretty useful... Hey, what are you going to call it?"
Cathy scoffed, snatching the mop from his hand.
Cathy Ariston: "Is that seriously important right now? Amelia, try and wish for us to know where Erika is or something..."
Amelia smiled and twirled, clearly happy.
Amelia Orwell: "Tinker Bell... That's the ability's name...!"