People say, between classes, next to lockers and pillars and in bathrooms, for those skivving class, that there's someone who could grant your every wish.
They are talking about Kreekcraft, but that description is not quite accurate.
His rune, while the perfect support for almost any situation, was not all-powerful. He was certainly high-ranked in terms of power but he was by no means the top.
That doesn't stop people from asking him for "rushes".
"Hey, Kreek! Can I have a rush?"
"Give me a rush or I'll punch your face in."
"I'll pay you money for it!"
"We're best friends, right?"
They were stupid.
He was even stupider for giving in every. Single. Time.
His rushes were caused by his rune, which basically acted like a drug but with little to no after-effects. They always left him dazed and tired at the end of the day, when he had to hold onto so many people for all (maths lemme think... 7:30 school to around 4 at dismissal... making up time... 8 1/2 hours, plus extra time) 9 hours.
It was good training, he tried to convince himself, if nothing else.
One day, he could probably boost the entire school. He was just that "popular."
Not true popular, like the ones who sold gum like they were dealing drugs, and always playing games on their computer when they thought no one would notice, and were always good at sports or really smart or both - no, he wasn't true popular, he was just "popular."
He had something people wanted, so they made him feel important to try to get it.
What was it called? Supply and demand? His Consumer Sciences teacher would be so happy.
He walks into the school's main foyer, expecting the day to be like literally any other day, ever, since he started attending the Academy.
Going on his usual route to avoid The People Who Always Tell Him To Give Them Rushes Or Else, he makes it to homeroom without complaint.
Oooh, I have all my homework today! And a pencil- things are really looking up, he thought happily.
Of course, happy things don't last.
He's stopped by one of the PWATHTGTROE (see above for the acronym).
"Gimme a rush."
He chuckles, edging away from the guy, who looks like he belonged in the forest chopping trees or something instead of at school.
"Sorry, I have a test first period, so-" he tries to reason, but suddenly the guy's rune is floating, a flaming orange in his palm.
"Don't you like helping people? I'm really doing you a favor."He smiles menacingly, and Kreek is almost stunned that his teeth are all intact instead of having a gold tooth like some pirate or another.
Think of it as extra practice.
"...Alright."
Kreek is a weak, weak, person. As he bolsters the guy, his energy levels drop from "full 9 hours of sleep" to "drank coffee too late and stayed up until 2 by accident," which is not really adequate test energy, but he would have to deal with it.
He uses a wall as support and slides to the ground, trying to shake off the dizziness, when a hand touches his arm.
He jolts away instinctively from the cold contact and finds himself looking at a mask.
Mask-boy tilts his head at him, and Kreek can hear the question already; Can I have a rush too? If you gave one to him, you need to give one to everyone, right?
But he doesn't talk, just pulls on Kreek's arm a bit more, and because he's weak, he follows.
Walking successfully decreased his energy by another two hours, and he found himself leaning on Mask-boy as they enter the infirmary.
Kreek can feel himself being fussed over by the head nurse, and his head makes contact with a pillow. He thinks he sees Mask-boy leaving - because he couldn't hear him at all - and he stares at the white ceiling, thinking that was not how I thought it would go.
He drifts off to sleep.
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Okay so
first of all Kreek has been used a lot, and he's at least semi-aware of this. He can't bring himself to stop, because he naturally wants to help people if he can. It's why his rune is a support; it's an imprint of who he is, and usually people's runes and their personalities click in a way that you often want to use your rune as much as possible (for example a hot-headed person who doesn't care about anything except destruction would have a naturally destructive rune)
Tanqr was not going to ask him for a rush. Tanqr was trying to ask him if he was alright. Kreek's never been asked about that, mainly cos he never shows that it makes him tired, but Mask-boy caught him by surprise.
Also, Kreek's rushes is like the feeling it's your birthday, favorite holiday, all your favorite people are at the party, and you have no worries like homework. Is it addictive? I mean it's not like rotting anyone's brain, but some people just don't want to face the cold reality. I mean, imagine if a book was just the main character in their house, all the time, without facing the problem at all. Pretty boring book, huh?
I forgot to mention this, this might come in handy later but I don't want to update the characters thing...
Tanqr wears the mask because he doesn't want anyone else to see that it affects him. Everyone assumes its because he has a phobia of being stared at or maybe like a physical feature he doesn't want to show, and that his rune is to make others depressed, not himself as well.
Bye
