It was time for the moment Gen had been anticipating for weeks--FREE FOOD!!! Two of his favorite things: delicious cuisine and lack of required payment. Regardless of what is put in front of him, no matter the size or quality, Eugenides happily takes it and scarfs it down. At one point he's balancing three plates when he turns to see Josef just holding a plate of uneaten food.
"Are you gonna eat that?" he asks the other boy. If he gets the go-ahead, then he eagerly takes the plate from Josef and starts to chow down. Whether it's just a good poker face or nerves of steel (not literal steel, he didn't write that request on his body), it seems like Gen is utterly unfazed by the pomp and circumstance surrounding them. And really, why would he be nervous or shy or embarrassed? The only person he would truly want to impress isn't here, after all...and never will be again.
By the time it's his turn to speech it up, three of his friends have already gone ahead. And damn, but what a spectacle they made! Josef was a good start, very on-brand for the introverted boy, but Remy and Heather really blew it out of the water. He suppresses a chuckle at the illusory Laurel's antics and stands up to take his turn. As he passes Heather he gives her a commiserating pat on the shoulder. When he takes his place on the stage and looks out at the gathered crowd, he takes a deep breath.
"I'll try to keep this short. Hard to follow up both Remy and Heather" he starts with a grin. "For those of you who accepted my mother and me, who took pity on a boy who had lost his mother and helped him keep a roof over his head--thank you so much. I genuinely wouldn't be here without you."
"And for those of you who scorned my mother for her past, who laughed behind my back when she died or even said she deserved it--you know who you are--all I can say is: I'm glad I'll never have to see your faces again."
He lets that linger for a moment, partly to get his emotions back under control. His gaze sweeps over a gaggle of children, still staring slack-jawed, and he can feel his face soften. "And to all you kiddos out there, take it from me: you can do, or be, whatever you want. Always remember that, and nothing will be impossible for you."
-----
Once inside the gazebo and away from prying eyes, tension leaves his body that he hadn't realized was there. Okay, so maybe he had been more nervous than he'd thought--or maybe it was calling out the people who had badmouthed his mom. That probably hadn't helped...well, anything. But what's done is done, and it made him feel, just, so much better.
The sight of the pool is soothing to his nerves, like as if just the sight is bathing him in a relaxing pool itself. He quickly changes into the purified robes, then holds his two Tithes. The obsidian--smooth to the touch, but with as many facets as any true gemstone--he plans to bring into the pool with him. As for his mother's diamond ring...he spies a particularly beautiful ley-crystal that had grown tall and proud, with a flattened top like a flower's. He sets the diamond ring on the top of that ley-crystal, with the diamond facing the pool as if to let his mother watch.
He steps calmly into the pool, obsidian in hand. The sense of pulling is a novelty that helps take his mind off of the truly monumental action he is taking. His life will forever be changed with this one action, in ways he can't possibly guess. His tattoos burn against his skin, reminding him of his what he wants from this--freedom. It's with that wish that his head fully submerges beneath the surface, and the Blessing begins.
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After an eternity and no time at all Gen wakes on the surface of the pool. What...what was that? Were all Blessings so...vivid? It had shaken him to his very core, filling his every cell with confusion that overwhelms his senses. He shoves himself up to stand...and suddenly he's flying through the air.
He lands with a crashing thud into a group of ley-crystals, making a ruckus that can easily be heard by those closest to the gazebo and pool. "What...?" He pushes himself up with his elbows, and even that small movement sends him ten feet in the air with a yelp. When he drops down he makes the mistake of pushing off with his right foot, which sends him hurtling leftward. He just barely manages to stop himself from crashing into yet more ley-crystal, and even the action of stopping himself leaves deep divots in the earth.
"O...kay," he says slowly. Every inch of his body is tense with the force of not moving. He'd never known not moving could take so much effort. The gleam of the ley-crystal catches his attention, and he turns to see the ley-crystal he had put his mother's ring on had grown even further and gained a diamond-like sheen. For the first time today, he feels a twinge of embarrassment, as if his mom had caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. With a sheepish laugh, he slowly starts the process of putting his clothes back on without ripping them at the seams. Before he leaves, he makes sure to harvest the diamond-like ley-crystals.
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He makes what entrance he can--running out of the gazebo at top speed. Top speed, in this case, happens to cause a sonic boom when he stops. The stopping is the hard part, leaving two trenches from his feet in the ground. He windmills his arms when he stops and gives a sheepish chuckle. "So I'm faster, but also stronger! Watch this!"
He goes to the nearest bench of people and tells them to hold on to each other. Going in the middle of the bench, he picks up the whole bench in one shot, all ten of the seated villagers and all. He holds them clear above his head without trembling for a solid thirty seconds before setting them back down. He returns to his seat with a satisfied chuckle, but also with the knowledge that he'll need to be even more careful not to hurt anyone with so much new strength.
OOC
Deception to Evaluate
Mobility to Improve Speed, -2 Impaired