[#] Have any of you ever been to a CON?
[#] As always, Ko-fi subscribers have access to 5 chapters ahead, plans start at 1 dollar.
---Chapter---
[Maestra]
It's simply absurd how Marcus's powers don't match his style.
Behind the stone altar stands a human dressed like a peasant, someone you'd mistake for a fruit vendor in a common town square. But from the first day I laid eyes on him, I sensed something... explosive. Raw talent gifted by the goddess Hemiliara, and others entities I can't even identify.
He closes his eyes and extends his hands over the stone table that I inscribed with mana-gathering runes. His fingers are long and strong, but lack the elegance you'd expect from someone with such power. His hands are calloused, shaped by labor and combat. And yet, there's a subtle grace in his movements, a quiet confidence born not of arrogance, but of experience.
The mana in the chamber responds to Marcus's presence, slowly drifting toward him like a gentle river stream. The air around him begins to glow, pulsing with a pure white light, energy that feels almost tangible.
I watch in silence, envy gnawing at my insides.
'What could I do to possess such raw talent?' I wonder to myself.
But I keep my composure, eyes fixed on Marcus's form, now surrounded by a radiant aura of power.
He opens his eyes, and the light intensifies. The runes on the stone altar begin to glow in response. Neutral mana ripples around him like invisible waves, distorting the air. I feel the energy pulse, its vibration resonates in my bones. For mana users, it's a strange and almost painful sensation, but also captivating.
At the peak of his power, Marcus begins to speak:
"O spirits deep in stone's embrace,
Where sacred seeds find hidden space,
No wrath I call, no secrets dim,
But light to fill the mind's own brim."
Mana concentrates around him, then begins to shift toward the two anthros standing at the opposite side of the altar.
"No curse I seek, no truths profane,
No broken seals or gods insane,
I ask for strength to make minds whole,
To lift the spirit, free the soul."
My eyes widen at the enchantment with the verse.
"He's isolating external influence?" I mutter, stunned by the ritual. "Is that even possible?"
"Awaken fire in quiet gears,
Burn doubt away, dissolve all fears.
No cursed power, no minds that burst,
But sharpened thoughts, forever first."
A white mist of mana begins circling the anthros, focusing around the heads of the rabbit and the raccoon.
"With glowing flame, this vow I bind,
In mana's name, I free the mind.
No evil wrought, no chains to claim,
Just wisdom's spark, a steady flame."
Beside me, the daughter of that mafia tigress whispers:
"I don't get it. Wasn't he supposed to give them the knowledge they needed?"
"I think Marcus believes they're already capable enough," I explain without blinking, my eyes fixed on the ritual. "This will only amplify what's already within them. Everything they possess, everything they are… will be enhanced."
The mana glows, weaving flawlessly into the targets with not a single thread of corruption or backlash.
"By root and stone, by breath and bone,
Let will be set in sacred tone.
So mote it be, the stars align,
Your minds now soar, your thoughts divine."
A light flashes, temporarily blinding everyone in the room. I shut my eyes, feeling the ambient energy press against my skin, a force so tangible it feels physical. When the glow fades and I open my eyes, the anthros blink, dazed, as if expecting something more visible, more dramatic.
The raccoon anthro named Gorete, if I recall correctly, breaks the silence. Her voice echoes through the temple, full of frustration.
"Nothing happened?" she snaps, staring at her hands. "All that fuss for nothing?"
Edith, the rabbit, turns to Marcus, visibly confused as Gorete grumbles, standing up.
"What a waste of time," she mutters, brushing dust from her loose pants. "Could've been home watching horror movies cuddling with my husband."
But Edith steps closer to Marcus, her eyes shining with a mix of hope and doubt.
"Did it really work, Marcus? Will I actually be able to finish my project on time?"
With tenderness in his expression, Marcus kneels down to speak directly to the anthro.
"You'll feel the difference when you work," he says gently, but with certainty. "Your focus, memory, cognitive ability, creativity, stamina, they're all at least ten times stronger now."
His sweet words fester something foul in me. I can't stand even a second of this toxic envy boiling inside me. Their presence here has already lasted too long. It's time to end this visit.
"Well, it's been truly a pleasure having you all here," I say, forcing a cheerful tone. "As charming as you all are, I do have important matters to attend to."
My eyes lock on Marcus, still kneeling in front of Edith. The tenderness in his expression is almost too much to bear. He rises to his feet, his gaze meeting mine, and I can still feel the intensity of his power, even though he's not doing anything.
"Of course, great and beautiful Maestra," he says with formal detachment. "We appreciate your hospitality."
Edith still looks confused, glancing between Marcus and me, trying to process what just happened. Gorete is already on her feet, eager to leave.
"Let's go, Edith," Gorete says, voice tinged with impatience. "We've got work to do."
Edith nods, still a bit dazed, and follows her toward the exit. Marcus, however, doesn't move. His green eyes remain locked on mine.
Strangely his gaze disarms me.
"Even though I found this whole little performance irritating," he says, voice steady but with a softness that catches me off guard, "I really am grateful. When you call in that favor, I promise I'll come as quickly as I can."
My heart skips a beat with his soft tone. That simple, genuine promise from Marcus feels more meaningful than all the ceremonial theatricals I made him endure.
I feel a tightness in my chest, a mix of relief and something deeper, something I can't quite name. Trying to hide the joyful tears that threaten to fall, I put on a mask of indifference and wave a hand dismissively.
"It was nothing, my darling" I reply, my voice coming out rougher than I intended. I wave again, as if shooing off a stray dog. "But you can go now."
Marcus shrugs, the casual motion contrasting with the intensity in his eyes. He turns and starts walking away, his footsteps echoing through the temple. I watch his silhouette vanish into the shadows, a pang of regret twisting in my chest.
I wish I had said something else… something real to show my gratitude. But the words are stuck, trapped behind pride and the cold mask I've worn for so long.
His footsteps fade into silence, leaving only the stillness of the temple behind.
I take a deep breath, trying to steady the storm of emotions inside me.
[Marcus Carvalho]
With Edith buried in her work, I've got the whole house to myself.
At first I wasn't really sure what to do with that, so my plan for now is to flop onto the living room couch and see what kind of crazy stuff the Anthros call TV entertainment, with a giant bag of Doritos in my lap.
But something makes me stop halfway down the hallway. I hear a muffled sniffle coming from Carlie's room.
I walk over quietly and knock twice on the door. Without waiting for an answer, I turn the knob and step inside.
"Carlie," I say, entering her room. "Are you okay?"
The tigress, lying on her bed, sits up and looks at me with red eyes and a wet nose. She tries to smile, but it crumbles into a sad little grimace.
"I'm sorry, Marcus." She sniffs, trying to hold back the tears. "I didn't mean to bother you."
"Don't say that, Carlie." I murmur, concerned, tossing the Doritos on the bed and sitting down beside her. "What happened?"
She takes a deep breath, like she needs courage just to speak.
"It's my mom…" she begins, looking down. "I thought things would change after she saw me fighting for her, fighting for our family… but they didn't. Even after I tried to protect her, she's still…"
Her voice cracks with a sob of pure sadness.
Trying to comfort her, I pull her into a hug. For a second, she freezes, but soon her body relaxes and she hugs me back, letting out a breath against my ear.
"When I asked if I could come home now, she just… she answered coldly, said nothing had changed, and that I could only come back after… after I…"
She trails off, embarrassed. I finish the sentence for her:
"After you get pregnant with my child."
Carlie nods awkwardly.
I don't get how Carlie still wants her mother's respect after everything. But seeing her like this, so broken, hurts more than I can put into words.
"Carlie, listen," I say, gently taking her shoulders and leaning back so I can look her in the eyes. "Your mom… she doesn't deserve your tears. But I kind of get why you still want her to respect you."
She looks at me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"And I think I know something that might cheer your nerdy ass up," I say, pulling out my phone. "There's this place I was thinking about checking out. Maybe you'd want to come with me?"
Once I find the post, I turn the screen toward her. Squinting her eyes Carlie read aloud:
"Fan Expo Santa Francisca…"
[Carlie]
At first, I was nervous about coming to this… "event" with Marcus.
But the moment we stepped into the convention center, my eyes went wide.
"Whoa!" I exclaim, jaw dropping.
It's like every inch of this place is a portal to another universe. Characters of every kind, color, and shape mingle together, some in costumes so detailed they make me question reality. Inflatable dragons float through the air, and giant robot statues stand guard at the entrances of various shops.
"You've never been to one of these before?" Marcus asks, dressed up in his Dragon Warrior 'cosplay'.
"No," I reply, still in shock. "It's… amazing."
"Right?" Marcus grins, his green eyes sparkling with the same excitement I feel. "I went to a few smaller cons in Brazil when I was younger, but nothing like this."
We walk down the main hall, and every step brings a new surprise. To the right, a store packed with superhero action figures. To the left, a virtual reality booth where people in oversized headsets battle digital monsters. Up ahead, a stage where a K-pop boy band performs, their music echoing through the venue.
"Check this out!" I say, pointing to an anime booth plastered with massive posters of fan-favorite characters. "I love this anime! Mom never let me watch it at home, but I always followed it in secret."
Marcus laughs, a genuine sound that warms me from the inside.
"Well, now you can watch it as much as you want."
We keep exploring, and every corner offers something new. At a gaming booth, Marcus stops, eyes lighting up at the sight of a retro console running a classic fighting game.
"Wanna play?" I ask, pointing at the screen where two characters duke it out in a pixelated arena.
"Do you?" Marcus says, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Of course!" I answer, already grabbing a controller.
For the next few minutes, we lose ourselves in the game, laughing and competing like two carefree friends. And just for a moment, I forget all the worries and baggage.
After a few rounds, we move on. We pass a horror-themed booth where zombie cosplayers scare passersby.
One of the anthros, an enormous gorilla in a torn, blood-splattered zombie maid outfit—turns toward Marcus and screams:
"AAAAASS!"
Marcus, unfazed, tilts his head and asks:
"Shouldn't it be 'braaains'?"
The zombie gorilla cackles, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"With an ass that firm, honey, I don't care for brains."
I freeze, worried Marcus might get offended or worse, knock her out. But instead, he bursts into laughter.
"Thanks for the compliment," he says, still chuckling.
"No need to thank me, sweetheart," the gorilla zombie purrs, winking. "Maybe you could sit that firm ass right on my face."
Marcus walks off laughing, and I follow, still a little tense.
"You're a lot calmer than I expected," I comment, trying to sound casual. "Especially after what you did to those rats and..." I hesitate, the memory of the confrontation with my mom still fresh. "What you almost did to my mother."
Marcus sighs, sounding tired but not avoiding the subject.
"I usually have a short fuse when someone hurts someone I care about," he says firmly while looking at the anthros catcalling him. "But this kind of interaction is new to me, if it's not too degrading I'll just end up laughing."
I tense up, face flushing with embarrassment. The question slips out before I can stop it:
"And do you… care about me? Or was it just because of Edith?"
Marcus stops walking and turns to face me, his green eyes serious.
"Edith is important to me. But so are you, Carlie." He pauses, searching for the right words. "You're special. Not just because you're a badass fighter, but because you've got a heart big enough to stand up to me for your family, even if it meant getting burned, even if your mother doesn't deserve it. That's rare, no matter what world you're in."
A lump forms in my throat. I never thought Marcus saw anything in me beyond my combat skills.
"Thank you," I mumble, looking away. "I also…" I start to say, but I'm cut off by a shrill scream.
"O MY GODDESS!" a high-pitched female voice cries out, pointing at Marcus. "The Dragon Warrior!"
Before I can react, Marcus is swept off the ground by a tall cow anthro in a goth maid outfit. She pulls him into a tight embrace, his face smothered in her massive cleavage. His eyes widen for a second, but slowly a goofy smile spreads across his face.
[image]
"Careful!" I yell, trying to step in, but the cow anthro ignores me, squeezing Marcus tighter.
"I can't believe it. It's not cosplay, I recognize those abs and ass! You're the real deal." she squeals, bursting with excitement. "I'm your biggest fan! I loved your fights, and that race where you won on horseback was so sugoi!"
Marcus, still smothered, manages a muffled laugh.
"Thank you," he replies, voice buried in cleavage. "It's always great to meet my 'two biggest fans'."
The cow anthro finally releases him laughing at Marcus joke, gently setting him back on the ground. He straightens his clothes, still smiling.
"Sorry, I got a little carried away," she says with a nervous giggle. "I'm Clarabella, but you can call me Bella. I'm a huge fan."
"Nice to meet you, Bella," Marcus says, shaking her hand. "Thanks for the love."
Bella beams, eyes twinkling to Marcus' kind words.
"You're even more amazing in person," she gushes. "And that outfit… wow! So tight and perfect!" She bites her lower lip.
Feeling irritated, I step between them. Bella shifts her gaze to me, curious.
"Sorry," I say firmly but politely. "I'd like to continue the date with my friend."
Her eyes narrow slightly as she looks at me over.
"Just friend?" she repeats, purring the word. "You two aren't a couple?"
I freeze, words stuck in my throat.
"N-no, we're not," I manage to say, my face burning.
Bella smiles, a malicious smile that doesn't reach her eyes.
"Interesting," she murmurs, clearly intrigued. "Very interesting."
Sensing the tension, Marcus steps in.
"Well, it was great meeting you, Bella," he says, calm but firm. "But we've got more to explore."
Bella nods, her smile still plastered on.
"Of course, of course," she says, reaching into her generous cleavage. "If you ever get hungry, stop by my restaurant."
She hands Marcus a business card she pulled from her bra and disappears into the crowd, leaving me with a weird feeling in my chest. Marcus turns to me, his green eyes filled with concern.
"Are you okay?" he asks softly.
I nod, trying to shake off the irritation.
"Yeah, I'm good." I reply, forcing a smile. "Shall we keep going?"
He nods, and we move on, the awkwardness from Bella still lingering in the air. But as we explore more of the con, the fun and excitement slowly take over again.
We pass comic booths where Marcus gets lost in superhero stories. At another, I spot a replica of a sword from one of my favorite anime, and Marcus insists on buying it for me.
"You don't have to," I protest, but Marcus shakes his head.
"I want you to have it," he says with a smile. "A gift from me to you."
My chest tightens, a mix of gratitude and something deeper swirling inside me.
I pull him into a tight hug, pressing his face against my chest. I close my eyes, soaking in his warmth, his scent. This is, without a doubt, one of the happiest days of my life. For the first time, I feel like I truly belong somewhere, that I matter to someone. And not just because of Marcus, but because I've finally found freedom beyond my mother's control.
"Thank you, Marcus," I whisper, my voice muffled against his chest. "For everything."
I feel his arms wrap around me, firm, yet gentle.
"No need to thank me, Carlie," he replies softly. "You deserve to be happy."
I pull back just enough to meet his eyes, his green gaze glowing with honesty.
"I…" I begin, but the words get stuck in my throat.
I want to tell him how much this means to me, how much he means to me. But the fear of being rejected, of not being enough, holds me back.
Marcus, noticing my hesitation, simply smiles.
"Ready to finish exploring this nerd fest?" he asks, holding out his hand.
I nod and take it. Together, we keep walking deeper into this world of fantasy and wonder. And for a little while longer forget everything else.
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E ai gurizada…
[#] I hope you enjoyed this chapter, if you are interested, my Ko-Fi[avipbr] subscriber has access up to 5 chapters ahead:
Chapter 21 - Roll out
Chapter 22 - Challenge Accepted
Chapter 23 - To drunk for magic
Chapter 24 - First!
25 - I'm a gentleman
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