### Sex God Saga 5
### Run Over By The Tank
SUNDAY:
The Harpersfield Japanese Gardens were easy enough to get to, Theo just wasn't so keen on getting up that early on a vacation Sunday.
But he showed up as promised, in comfy clothes - sweatpants and a dark blue shirt with a few small holes along the side that hopefully nobody saw.
Ikigai Studios was a collection of buildings of traditional Japanese architecture, offering classes on meditation, relaxation, and martial arts.
Theo quickly found building 7 -- Crane Hall.
The Green Dawn circle's 'Wild Mother' Luna Huang didn't have time today, attending an environmental rally. So Theo was welcomed by the Green Dawn 'Paramount', the second in command.
She was a short woman with small eyes, her graying hair in a strict bun. She wore all black sporty clothing.
"Theo, glad you could come."
"Of course, ma'am. You would be Mrs Wang?"
She waved him off. "Don't be so formal. Call me Ai. You met my son, right?"
Fulin's surname was Wang. Now Theo saw a bit of a puppy-face on the woman's politely smiling expression. Cute noses seemed to run in the family.
"I did. You have some similarities."
Ai Wang laughed and led him inside. A handful of people were around, stretching or meditating on the tatami floor. "Well, the appetite he got from his father. Oh, and he's still here."
Tank stood at the bamboo notice board. He wore a tight fitting, dark blue tank top from a gym brand that emphasized the separation between his round shoulders and nearly as round pecs. He wore black shorts this time, letting Theo finally see a bit of the thighs, which were as muscle-bursting as the rest. Perfectly smooth legs that invited worship.
Then the hunk turned to face his mother, buzzcut and subtle nose ring all adding to the cuteness of his round face.
But he had a thin bottle or small soda can or something in his pocket, making it look like he had a crazy huge dick, girthily swinging with every swaggering step, the pants straining to keep the bulge decent.
Theo tore his eyes from Tank's crotch before his fantasy sent blood into his own.
"Hey Theo," Tank said, "I heard you like to draw."
"I do," Theo said, wishing he had something witty to add.
"I'll be keeping the little ones from painting on the walls. Maybe check by once you're all yoga'd out."
"Will do Mister Broodguard."
Tank glanced to the side. "No Mysterium-talk with the Baseliners around, newbie."
"Uh, sorry."
"No harm done. Haven't had a run-in with the Shrouded yet." Tank knocked on bamboo and swaggered off.
Ai introduced Theo to the other present Primals. There was Luhan Ross, called 'Leo' with a fitting lion tattoo along his arm. He was hunky -- not the way Tank was, straight out of a horny fantasy, but regular beefcake -- and the Green Dawn's Bloomdancer, whatever that meant.
Lastly there was Liang Zhou, Broodguard in training. A teen with a baby face and a mop of unruly black hair, wearing excessively baggy clothing on his slim frame.
Ai began the yoga lesson. She'd asked Theo for his pre-existing knowledge and abilities and put him in an ongoing beginner class. The clientele was wealthy suburbanites, mostly white.
He was here to make Primal friends and relax -- but mostly to start building a store of V.
### ### ###
Theo's notes:
Outsiders feed off V, but only indirectly, 'pre-digested' by a shaman. The ones sucking the V directly out of people are called demons and have to be stopped. ("Outsiders consider direct feeding disgusting for the most part, and it might even be some kind of crime in Ephemera." -Keith)
A shaman can generate V himself but also absorb it from Baseliners in the environment. Then store it in himself, almost indefinitely.
The four types of storable V are:
Vitality aka life force, health. Really hard to get without torturing or killing someone. Or giving birth.
Valance aka 'Soul & Self' which is created through connection to your inner and outer environment, nature, self-discovery, self-assurance, making a home... Tricky to get as a steady supply.
Vigor aka physical exertion.
"Every shaman works out, even if it's just to absorb V from Baseliners at the gym." --Keith
"Not *every* shaman." --Cor
"Every *boy* shaman does." -Keith, getting a shoulder punch.
Vibrancy aka passion, creativity. Partying is a great way to get ambient Vibrancy and the Stygians sustain themselves that way.
Sex may sound like an easy way to get Vigor and Vibrancy, maybe even Valance, but it needs to be long and hard sex, and focused on V collection which makes it less fun.
"I've squeezed some V out of sex. Orgies are supposed to be an okay source." --Keith
"Can we move on?" -Cor
Outsiders don't care where the V came from. They'll eat any and all.
### ### ###
Yoga wasn't a great source of V, unlike vibrant or vigorous activities. But Ai had chosen it to let Theo focus on himself, collecting a trickle of Valance he produced as he meditated.
Afterward, Leo Ross led an intermediary karate class for kids together with Liang Zhou and Theo sat on the sidelines, absorbing the Vigor coming his way.
It wasn't much but the point was to get any at all. He was a proper shaman now, able to promise and deliver V. It felt like a physical weight, but a comfortable one. Not like a burden, but a blanket or a grip-y ball in his hand or a light pressure on a tense muscle. And it was only there if he focused on it.
Theo took a walk through the Japanese Garden, fairly undisturbed and let Blinky buzz around him.
"There you go," Theo mumbled. "You waited longer than anyone expected but here's your snack."
Blinky landed on his nose and blinked.
"Loyal familiar, huh? I'm not sure about that. I like 'roaming vessel' better. I like that you can leave if you feel like I'm not doing a good job. So I guess I won't call you a familiar. Yet. Maybe. Not that names mean anything to you."
There was a rustle in the greenery between stone formations. Nobody else was on the path.
A sparrow had landed on a mossy stone lantern and it was obviously serving the Watcher.
Theo's heart was suddenly racing. This wasn't a sanctuary and he had gone as far from the buildings as the enclosed garden let him. If he booked it across that red bridge...
A white bunny hopped from the foliage.
"Oh. Haha. I'm going insane, huh? Hello, little hopper? Do you live here, too?"
The bunny opened its skull, unfolding four jaws into rows and rows of teeth. Foam drizzled from the throat.
"Shit!"