Artumis discovers her Latent Element: The Incident

Published Oct 11, 2022, 1:12:31 AM UTC | Last updated Oct 11, 2022, 1:12:31 AM | Total Chapters 1

Story Summary

trying to figure out how this writing thing works on this sight is a nightmare pls send help  D:>

I just wanted to submit a short story instead it sends me off to make a freaking chapter within a story hhhHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-  x_x

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Chapter 1: The Incident

            Artumis Loraine, human woman, newbie to the Paperdemonic multiverse, sat by at the public pool’s edge shallow end. She had dipped in and out of the gate leading to The Parchment Imp Inn, checking to make sure that side of things would not bring danger to Earth. So far the denisins seemed harmless, but poor Artumis had been trained by many bad experiences on Earth to be very wary.

Jasper, her first Dracostryx, tilted their head and watched the pool water as it rippled from the activities of the other patrons, trilling softly and startling whenever her feet got wet.

Artumis chuckled, “dumb bird acts like she’s never seen water before.” And got into the shallow end of the Lap Pool, the water resoaking into her damp wetsuit. Before Artumis had gotten her dracostryx she loved swimming, it was the closest sensation to flight that she could reasonably achieve without going through the processes of obtaining a Private Pilot’s License.

Artumis swam a few laps before noticing something at the bottom of the medium deep part of the pool; a discarded Band-Aid. Irritation fizzed just under Artumis’ skin, she began to dive to get it so she could throw it away when stabbing pain built in her sinuses. Artumis retreated to the surface and took a breath, Artumis put her face back in the water to glare at the discarded bandage and kicked her feet sharply to send a current of water towards it so the flow would blow the bandage within her diving reach. Artumis was expecting something to happen, she was not expecting the veins in her feet to glow blue and the bandage to rocket towards the surface from the current she sent out.

Artumis’ eyes went wide with alarm, she surfaced properly, snatched the bandage, exited the pool with safe expediency, tossed the trash and sat near where Jasper still was.

Jasper shriek squeaked a question.

“No, we’re not leaving just yet.” Artumis firmly replied. She began furiously examining where she saw the glowing, but her feet just looked like their ordinary selves again. Weird, she thought and cautiously returned to the water, she swam leisurely to the deepest side near the diving board. Artumis poked her face underwater and stared at the bottom of the pool, about fourteen feet deep, she wanted to dive to the bottom in the past but her congestion made it impossible without pain akin to needles being driven deep into her face.

F*** it, Artumis thought and slowly dove towards the pool floor, the familiar sharp stinging quickly set in after five feet and became unbearable at seven to eight. Artumis clutched her face in agony and was about to retreat back to the surface again, when the pain suddenly dissipated. Artumis opened her eyes and saw her hand; the same blue glow as before filled the veins of her right hand and concentrated so densely at the ends of her fingers they appeared as glowsticks.

Artumis was definitely unnerved that things were happening to her that were not normal, so she decided to experiment with what this new strangeness could do when she knew of it and concentrated on it. The young woman dived all the way to the deepest part of the pool and still felt no pain or pressure in her face, before she would begin her experimentation with this new… power she guessed, she would enjoy swimming around at the bottom of the pool where she wouldn’t bother people. The glow at from her hand had not dissipated the entire time she was under the water and, after playing around at the bottom of the pool for a while, began trying something out; remembering a bit of cool natural science that was also displayed in a particular old cartoon Artumis began opening and closing her fingers in a flower like fashion in an attempt to create a cavitation bubble. It took a couple tries, but finally she managed to figure out how to create and safely collapse a cavitation bubble no bigger than a green pea. There was a word for strange things that happened at the will of a sentient that involved liquids, and it was often associated with the color blue; Water Magic.

Suddenly, a firm, iron like, grip attached to her arm and began dragging her upwards.

Artumis looked towards what had grabbed her, and was only slightly clamed when it turned out to just be a life guard. When they surfaced Artumis could help but be curious “What’s up dude?” she didn’t see the need for such fuss as the lifeguard practically dragged her to the pool’s edge and out of the water. Jasper quickly headed over to her as well, shrilly shrieking her own panic.

“You were under the water for over thirty minutes! We need to go the infirmary and make sure you’re okay!”

Artumis did not argue, they were simply concerned for her wellbeing after all, but she felt completely fine. As the nurses and lifeguards checked her vitals and fussed over her condition, Artumis looked at her hands again, the glow was gone once more. Finally deeming Artumis alright the lifeguards and nurses released the young woman but did ask that she not linger at the bottom of the pool again. Artumis mumbled agreement and returned to her dracostryx who checked her over as well.

“Well,” Artumis thought over what she’s starting to understand is happening to her “if I’m going to be a water witch,” she drew her hand over her left shoulder and made a motion like pulling a lint ball off one’s shirt, the glow returned her fingers swiftly at her will and the moisture held in her wetsuit pulled out and away, floating as a loose sphere over her cupped hand. “Better start practicing.” Artumis playfully tossed the ball of water at Jasper’s foot, laughing as the car sized dragon owl whipped about like an offended cat when the water sphere splashed her toes.

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  • Oct 11, 2022, 2:16:34 PM UTC
    I came to help with submitting writing, but it looks like you figured it out?
    • Oct 11, 2022, 4:31:50 PM UTC
      yeah, it's confusing but I think I've got it now Smile thank you for the thought tho