A Confusing Man From Arizona on Sandbox

Parker Fitzgerald

August 09, 2017 3:19 PM

A Confusing Man From Arizona by Parker Fitzgerald

Parker came running through the back door, kicking off his shoes along the way to make sure he didn't track dirt into the kitchen. He raced around the corner and into his room. His speed was brought on by his excitement. Today he was going with his mother on her nursing run to Washoe Tribal Health Center, something he'd looked forward to for the last few years.
He had recently read a bit on a type of tree William had talked to him about the last time he was there. He had even gone out this morning to try to find how high up the mountain the tree stopped growing. He brought back some leaves from the highest tree he could find.
As he finished changing his shirt to a clean one he heard the back door slam shut. A few seconds later he heard a scream, then a pause:
"Parker!" he heard his mom yell from the kitchen, "Parker Fitzgerald where are you!"
"Just getting changed ma, be there in a second."
Parker heard his brother laugh from the room next to his, "Looks like I didn't even have to try to get you in trouble today!"
Parker made a face at the wall before tearing around the corner to find his mother standing the kitchen with her hands crossed in front of her. She had a confused look on her face with a letter in one hand and her cellphone in the other. Even though she had been yelling for Parker, her stare was intently on a gentleman he'd never seen before standing in the kitchen.
Parker tucked the leaves from the tree he had gathered into his pockets and slowly walked towards his mother.
"Parker, apparently this man is here to see you...," waving a piece of paper in his direction, his mothers voice wavered with a hint of a question Parker couldn't make out.
Parker looked from his mother to the man. He didn't recognize him, but maybe this was some man who was upset for Parker running through his backyard. The man looked like he was dressed for a trip of some kind though, so Parker simply looked at him with his eyebrows raised shaking his head no.
The man smiled at Parker and then turned back towards his mother. It looked like he was about to say something but just then Parker's father burst in through the front door.
"What the hell is going on here Susanne, you mentioned a random man standing in our kitchen?"
John Fitzgerald froze upon entering the kitchen. His eyes on the man standing five feet away from his wife and middle child, standing calmly with his hands in front of him.
"I have a conceal and carry licence, so leave now and you can leave with your life."
The man turned to look at John Fitzgerald and took a deep breath in. Parker noticed that it looked like the man said something close to a prayer before opening his eyes and addressing his parents.

41 Parker Fitzgerald A Confusing Man From Arizona 1402 Parker Fitzgerald 1 5

Sullivan Quincy, Muggleborn liason

August 09, 2017 8:14 PM

Hoping to alleviate the confusion by Sullivan Quincy, Muggleborn liason

Oh, Merlin, not again, Sullivan Quincy winced as his current case's family began to overreact. The screaming wasn't too bad. She'd seen his apparation as he arrived, which was no doubt disconcerting, especially since he'd gotten the coordinates wrong and seemed to have appeared in the kitchen rather than on the driveway outside like he'd meant to. Totally fair to scream a little.

Sullivan had made calming gestures, apologizing hurriedly, "Sorry, sorry, I'm really sorry, my directions were off, sorry. This is Parker Fitzgerald's house, though?"

He presumed it was since the woman - Mrs. Fitzgerald at a guess - yelled for the boy. While they waited for Parker to join them, Sullivan gave the woman the acceptance letter to Sonora. "Your son has been accepted to attend an exclusive boarding school called Sonora Academy, er," he cleared his throat. This was where things could get dicey. "Of Magic. Parker has the talent. I've come to answer any questions Parker or you may have about the school and the larger wizarding world."

Parker himself seemed to handle Sullivan's presence well enough, but a man who was presumably Mr. Fitzgerald arrived before any explanations could be made, and that was where things really started to go down the tubes.

Sullivan took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, trying to stay calm and not panic. He briefly closed his eyes to pray that this went better than it had with that Ives family. Though they had merely threatened to have him arrested, not shot. So a better outcome would definitely be good. Careful not make an sudden moves, he opened his eyes again and patted the air in front of him. "My name," he began, keeping his voice calm and slow, too, "is Sullivan Quincy. I'm a muggleborn - that's somebody born with magic to people who don't, like Parker, or me for that matter. As I was saying, I'm a muggleborn liason officer. Parker was born with the ability to do magic, and I'm here to help him learn how to get the training he needs for his abilities, so he doesn't endanger himself or others. Have you ever noticed strange or unexplainable things happening around him?"

1 Sullivan Quincy, Muggleborn liason Hoping to alleviate the confusion 207 Sullivan Quincy, Muggleborn liason 0 5

Parker Fitzgerald

August 10, 2017 10:08 AM

Magic Magic? by Parker Fitzgerald

Parker Fitzgerald felt a thrill go through him. The man said magic. As in magic magic?
Like the kind William Smokey did down on the reservation? Or the kind in the Native American tales he kept reading, with wolves and owls turning into people and then back again after doing things?
Parker suddenly had a million questions. But his little sister, probably out of her room because of the commotion, spoke first.
"He can always make the butterflies come to him, and he never gets stung by bees."
Parker's parents turned around to face Lyssa. Parker's mom laughed a bit, "Sunshine, I don't think those are magical. I think he simply is careful and you just don't notice when he can't get butterflies to come."
Lyssa looked at her mom and then her dad with a furrowed brow looking like she was going start crying.
Parker saw that they both were looking at her like a little child who didn't understand. He wanted to reach out and hug her and tell her it was going to be ok, and imagined a big warm light coming from him and enveloping her like he used to do when she was a baby and crying without stop in the hopes that he could help her.
Lyssa's face relaxed a little and instead of looking at her parents turned towards the man called Sullivan Quincy.
"What about making the lights go out without touching them?"
Parker laughed at that. He recently found he could do that and used it when he was tired, but he thought everyone could do that, so didn't think it was all that special.

41 Parker Fitzgerald Magic Magic? 1402 Parker Fitzgerald 0 5

Sullivan Quincy

August 10, 2017 11:14 AM

Yes, magic-magic by Sullivan Quincy

So far no gunshots; things were going well. Sullivan took just a moment to wonder how he'd gotten into a career where that was one of the measures of a good day. They weren't all like that though, that was the exception. Most muggles thought he was completely delusional at first, of course, but most of them came around after confronting the oddities that accidental magic introduced into their lives and how magic made it all make sense finally.

The Fitzgeralds seemed to be approaching that point, though Parker apparently hadn't done anything too flashy, so there was still resistance and the desire to believe in coincidence at play, at least in the mother. Parker and his sister seemed fairly ready to jump on the bandwagon at least. His armed father was harder to read, but probably fell in with the mother, though again the Not Shooting Him thing could only be read as a good sign.

He felt a small tingling, as if untrained magic was being used, but he couldn't figure out how or where, but the smaller girl was offering another example, a readily provable one, and he jumped on it.

"There are charms that can attract butterflies," Sullivan said, not sure that this was actually what happened, but if someone had thought it was odd, there was a good chance it had been magic, "Parker could have cast something similar unconsciously, and turning out the lights without touching them is definitely magic, unless you've got some kind of voice activated technology installed that does that?" he asked uncertainly with a glance toward the parents.

He was muggleborn himself, and kind of aware of some things like that, from some ads and television shows he'd seen at his sister's house, but his own apartment was not very technologically equipped - it had a toaster and a microwave, but not much else - and he wasn't entirely sure if such things actually existed or if it was just a thing muggles wanted to exist.

There'd been a clapper once upon a time which could also satisfy the sister's description, but that had been before even Sully's time and he didn't think they were available anymore, so he played his hunch and turned on the kitchen lights.

"Can you turn them off?" he asked curiously. Untrained wizards generally did magic when their emotions became unstable- accidental magic often involved explosions and teleportation because it was fed by anger and fear and harnessed the fight or flight instinct, but some more controlled individuals could manage some small feats of magic at will.

1 Sullivan Quincy Yes, magic-magic 207 Sullivan Quincy 0 5

Parker Fitzgerald

August 10, 2017 4:50 PM

No more hiding the truth... by Parker Fitzgerald

Parker's heart lept a bit.
So turning off the lights wasn't something other people could do? he thought. He took a breath though because maybe this Sullivan was right. Maybe there was a voice or motion activated thing in the room.
Parker turned towards his parents still kneeling by Lyssa. He saw that his mother was looking at Parker curiously.
"We don't have any voice or motion activated lights right?" Parker asked.
His father shook his head no very slowly.
"Parker, have you been turning off lights like your sister said?" his father asked slowly walking over towards him. The fear and anger his father had mere moments before had melted like an early snow, and now seemed to be filled with concern.
Parker hesitated for a moment, "Yes...I thought others could do it as well."
"He used to do it to protect me from JJ," Lyssa blurted out.
Parker's mother whipped around, "Protect you? Why would he need to protect you?"

Parker held his breath. He hadn't told his parents about how his brother would beat him up or how Parker would have to sometimes protect his sister from the threats his brother used if his brother wasn't allowed outside to take apart snakes. He was worried what his parents would say. In the past they had always blamed him when he and John Jr. had gotten into fights, so he was worried he was about to be in a world of trouble.

Lyssa simply turned to their mom and said, "JJ sometimes comes at me the way he goes after the snakes."

The anger Parker's father had before was back in a flash.
"JUNIOR! GET IN HER. NOW!"

John Junior tried to skulked into the room. he looked sad and if you didn't know him, Parker thought, like a victim.

John Sr. breathed in deep. He was unsure of how to start the conversation he was now about to have, "What is this we hear about snakes?"

John Junior was surprised. He had obviously thought that he was in trouble for something, and he thought that snakes were not something he would get in trouble over.

"I hunt them down and skin them with the pocket knife you gave me dad," John 'Jr. said reaching for the pocket knife that was always on his belt.

Parker flinched a bit at the move, tightening up his stomach, as often it was the precursor to something bad happening in the past. Usually forcing him or his sister into doing something.

Parkers parents looked at each other, his mother shaking her head and putting a hand on Lyssa's.

Speaking calmly John Sr. said, "And why, on God's green earth, has it been said that you are doing the same thing to your sister?"

Suddenly John Jr. pushed his face forward in anger, "That's a lie! Whoever said that lied!" Parker winced, feeling the need to protect himself or his sister, as he recognized this as well. He knew there might be an outburst that John Jr. tried hard to hide from his parents.
"Tell me who said it! Why would I ever do such a thing? Tell me who said it!" John Junior exclaimed.

Finally Parker couldn't take it any more. "ENOUGH!" he yelled with his eyes closed.

The room went silent as light bulbs flicked on and off in quick fashion as well as the TV. A local advertisement for above ground pools popping in and out of the background as some of the light bulbs exploded.

John Sr. covered over John Jr. and Susanne covered Lyssa unsure of what was happening.
Suddenly everything stopped as Parker slumped to the ground crying. "No more lying John. No more hiding the truth."

John Sr. stood up looking over his living room, which this morning he had thought was wonderfully normal and simple, just as he liked it. Now his living room, the broken lights on the floor, the older boy glaring at the younger one, his wife still with her eyes closed holding their daughter, looked abnormal and complex. He slowly turned towards Sullivan and extended his hand.
"It appears there is much in my family I had not realized before. Perhaps you can explain part of it to me."

41 Parker Fitzgerald No more hiding the truth... 1402 Parker Fitzgerald 0 5

Sullivan Quincy

August 10, 2017 8:45 PM

Erm, too much truth for my comfort by Sullivan Quincy

Good news, the dad seemed to have forgotten he wanted to shoot Sullivan. Bad news, dirty laundry was getting aired and Sullivan wasn't sure he should be here right now as they talked this over, but he didn't want to draw attention to himself by leaving either. So he figuratively closed his eyes and stuck his fingers in his ears until they got to the part where they were discussing magic again. He kind of wished he could have done as much literally, as well, but that would have (a) looked weird and drawn attention and he was trying to be invisible here, and (b) been potentially dangerous given there was at least one concealed firearm and a switchblade in the room both held by people apparently able to use them. Granted, Sullivan had a wand, so he out armed both of them together, but he would need to see an attack coming to defend himself properly. So no closing his eyes or ears, no matter how much he really wanted to.

And then there - there was the fear and uncontrolled emotion, making the lights flicker and the television go on and off, and he felt pretty confident now that he was going to be believed that magic was real and Parker had it.

And sure enough, Mr. Fitzgerald turned to Sullivan and asked him to explain.

He tried not to give 'Junior' too many wary looks as he began to do so, but as he really got into his spiel it became easier to focus mostly on Parker and his parents. Though his hand never strayed too far from his wand. Not after what he'd just Not Heard.

"Parker has magic. It's something you're either born with or not. It is hereditary, so it usually runs in families, but every so often, somebody like Parker pops up, from a non-magical family, but born a wizard. We call such people muggleborns - 'muggle' being a term for non-magical people. Like I said earlier, I'm one, too, so I completely understand your confusion and disbelief. It's not an easy thing to accept, but it is pretty awesome," he added with a grin toward Parker. "You've been accepted at Sonora Academy of Magic. It's a school that trains young witches and wizards on how to do magic and control your power. Without training, it can become very dangerous, especially as you get into your teen years when your magical strength grows and your emotional control weakens. As you just saw, accidental magic is most often released when the wizard is upset, either angry or scared, which doesn't often lend itself to happy friendly magical releases. Once you start learning how to harness your magic, that control naturally develops so you no longer have episodes like you just saw, which is why it's important for everyone to get training."

"I can escort you to a wizarding shopping center where you can purchase your supplies for school, and I'll be happy to answer any specific questions you have about magic, the school, or the wizarding world at large."

1 Sullivan Quincy Erm, too much truth for my comfort 207 Sullivan Quincy 0 5