Chapter 2: Moving In. The San Francisco Lawyer Nate Mulligan
[Activation allowed for Lara Croft; skills generated immediately!]
After saying yes, new windows appeared in front of me. I looked at the new skills with curiosity and enthusiasm, pleased for Mom that her potential would be further developed.
[New supernatural skills were successfully generated and activated!]
[Skill 1: Surviving]
[Skill 2: Apex Predator]
[Skill 3: Ancient Druid]
There was no significant difference between jobs and talents and what they accomplished for people; it was simply a matter of wording and being classy or not.
To avoid confusion, my plugin tried to make few distinctions between them and did not classify skills in different categories. It didn't matter at all.
Without hesitation, I read the descriptions of the new skills.
[Surviving: This skill significantly increases your stamina, scouting and perception, healing, and overall ability to survive difficult situations and dangers. You become a master of keeping your life safe, and your talent in those fields is enhanced]
The entire principle of supernatural talents, or at least the majority of it, was to remove learning barriers. There was nothing that couldn't be learned through a skill related to something.
[Apex Predator: This skill transforms you into a powerful predator in the wild, whether below or above water, including human society, with greater potential than the top ones. You strive amidst chaos and danger]
[Ancient Druid: You are the pinnacle of anthropology, archaeology, potions, and medicine, whether magical or not. You are a natural and ancient medic, a supernatural healer with supremely strong affinities in the domain of taming animals, the undead, necromancy, and alchemy]
'Damn… Those skills seem broken; I wonder will any of this make her less financially lazy, though? One can only hope because it does not appear to have any relation to it? As an antiques dealer and appraiser, Mom can easily figure out the value of things, but she's still too lazy to care about money and how to save it once she gets it… It would have been ideal for me and my free time if she had learned one skill that would make her less money-lazy, but none were obtained this time.'
I couldn't help but think, wide-eyed and surprised.
I wasn't very disappointed.
People's skills manifested in relation to their attributes, life, and traits. Obviously, mom didn't want to handle her own business affairs; she was too lazy to do so after I grew up, so she wouldn't easily acquire the skills that would change that.
I no longer had to worry about mom's survival in this world, but it appeared that I would have to continue handling her business-related paperwork and money for her for quite some time.
I opened her status interface again to look at her new details; the change was drastic from before, and she had gotten a lot more talented immediately, even though she wasn't weak.
Prior to that, she was already as strong as a tigress and as durable as a mare. Actually, with the combined paranormal features, it wasn't as simple as one plus one; there were amplifications and stacking effects of those beneficial features, so she was stronger than that. It was the same with me.
With my Gorilla strength, I had the stamina and resilience to withstand harm like gorillas and several bulls, not just horses. My body's internal components were even stronger than its external structure and incredibly resilient skin.
Mom and I had animal characteristics, but they were combined to help us; no ordinary animal could describe the kind of strong bodies and unusual abilities we already possessed. Only other supernatural creatures.
[Name: Lara Croft]
[Sexual Features: Female, Exquisite Woman Embracing the Beauty of Her Prime Years]
[Brilliant Traits: Master of surviving in dire situations, Expert at navigating difficult circumstances. One of the legends in the hidden and obscure world of tomb raiding. An experienced anthropologist, archaeologist, and antiques dealer. Natural talent for supernatural hunting]
[Paranormal Characteristics: Cleansed Herself With Spiritually Imbued Bones During Adulthood (Muscular Fitness And Strength Of A Tigress, Underwater Capabilities Of A Fish, Agility And Jaw Strength Of A Jaguar, Endurance And Sexual Fertility Of A Mare)]
[Supernatural Talents and Jobs (Unlocked): Surviving, Apex Predator, Ancient Druid]
'Well, the more unbalanced mom is, the happier I get.'
Before Mom spoke to me, I gave it some more thought.
Mom glanced at me and walked over to join me by the pool side. "Our things are on their way and the house is still empty, but what do you think of it? It's pretty nice, isn't it? Do you think it's better or worse than our last one?"
We were standing on a terrace on the first floor that bordered and overlooked the garden.
I was just about to tell her what I thought when her expression suddenly shifted. It changed dramatically, like she had been stung by a bee and was completely taken aback.
Knowing what was going on with her, I inquired, "What's wrong, Mom?"
She was going through some changes that she couldn't attribute to me. The plugin eliminated any link between those changes and me. People would have no idea I was to blame unless I deliberately allowed it.
I was very happy with my cheat.
Mom had a very surprised and puzzled expression on her face, but it only lasted a moment, and I picked it up right away.
Then she touched her head and told me, wearing a relaxed expression, "Uhh? I guess I just got a little tired for a moment, maybe from all the stress these past few days... Nothing to worry about, sweetie."
She lied to me, but I smiled and did not confront her about it. Right now, she was probably being told about her new talents. At the very least, the Plugin would inform her of this and allow her to save the skill information.
I didn't have to be a teacher, especially since the skills were hers and not mine. I did not have the same skills as her. The ones she had gotten were good, however, so I was hoping I could leech on that quickly.
"Oh, really? Seems like you're the one who's been slacking on physical training lately, not me,"
Instead of confronting her with her lie, I teased her. My goal was to gently discourage her from pushing me too hard in the coming days, as she could be an intimidating trainer and coach. When it came to training me, she had always been as tenacious as a strict tigress.
The fact that she was not often home did not change that, but made it worse.
"Maybe…" Mom simply smiled, looking thoughtful. Her thoughts were elsewhere, as they should be.
I suddenly remembered a task I needed to complete while thinking about someone else who was scared and had been cutely bullied for her own good by my mother during workout sessions.
I casually mentioned, as I made my way inside the house and headed towards the second floor, where my room was, "Do you mind if we go inside, Mom? I have some calls to make before the movers arrive... I'll leave you here for a little while, if you do."
Mom didn't have a problem with it.
She replied, "Go ahead without me. I'll stay here and breathe some more fresh air... Make sure to kiss Izzy for me and invite her over sooner. I have a spacious room ready and waiting for her. Also, tell her not to let Ellen stop Joe from moving in here."
She could predict who I would contact because she knew me so well. I didn't have a long list of people I'd like to call, anyway.
I was always a popular and well-liked kid in Nebraska, both at school and out, but Izzy and Jo held a special place in my heart.
Jo was a childhood friend of mine, and I had known her for much longer because Izzy was a transfer student from New York to Omaha before moving there. We'd only known each other for a few years before she became my girlfriend.
Her mother had always purchased antiques from my mine, and they had known each other for a long time, eventually devising a special plan to tie the knot between, marry Izzy and me. It worked… How could it not, given that I fell in love with her face and gentle soul the moment I saw her on TV in my previous life?
Her personality was as attractive as her stunning appearance. We weren't married yet, but we loved each other, and she was more than just my girlfriend; she was also my fiancée. Officially. Between our families.
I gave mom a nod and said, "Okay, but I'm not sure about them coming over earlier, though. Izzy is working hard to persuade Ellen; you know how difficult it can be to convince her when it comes to Joe... It could take a while."
Ellen Harvelle's husband was still dead in this world, but he hadn't died in the same way because Mom sold him something that, unfortunately, did not prevent his death from occurring. Ellen had no ill will toward John Winchester.
Still, she had the same personality and was still overprotective of her daughter Jo. Of course, she did not want to lose her final family member.
———
A few minutes later, I was in my room talking on the phone with my girlfriend, Izzy.
As soon as the phone call connected, she told me, feeling aggrieved and mistreated. "I missed you, babe. You only gave me two phone calls on your way there."
The drive from Nebraska to California was a little long; it took us two days, and I only called Izzy twice. I'd had a lot of thoughts about the world in the last few weeks, especially in the last few days.
Sensing my mistake, I smiled to myself and responded with a touch of apology. "Sorry, babe, my mind's been a bit in the clouds lately... Don't worry, though, I'm not trying to cheat on you or anything."
Izzy said, putting her trust in me, "I'm not worried about that. You don't need to reassure me. If there was a boyfriend who would cheat on his girlfriend, it definitely wouldn't be you or my brothers."
Izzy's brothers appeared to be very good standup loyal guys based on what she told me and what I remembered from the show.
Recalling the two guys I'd never met because of life circumstances, I inquired, "Thanks babe. How are they doing, by the way? Are they dating anyone these days?"
I hadn't heard of Clary Fray and had no idea where she was in the world. In this world, Jace had a different background and was blood related to Izzy. He wasn't Wayland, Herondale, or anyone else's foster son.
For people of the supernatural underworld in the know, Valentine was also a well-known Grimm and good guy in this world, not a villain.
In this world, Shadowhunters were Grimm who specialized in fighting more than just Wesen for some reason, and their culture, story and lore was less complicated, though their enemies, such as famous demons like Lilith, appeared to exist here too.
I knew this because my mother had books about Lilith, the mother of demons, including all the bad things she did in the world and her behavior. I had no idea where she got the book and had never asked. What was important was that Lilith's human-like appearance remained consistent with that of the show.
She appeared to be one of those powerful beings, greater demons, almost like half-gods roaming the Earth, who frequently changed their appearance but always returned to the one they preferred and felt comfortable in.
Izzy didn't have much to say about her brothers, especially since I'd never met them despite knowing her for years, so the conversation quickly moved on to other topics. We began talking about when she would come and about Jo after I asked how things were going with Ellen.
Izzy laughed and proudly told me that she appeared to have accomplished something worthy of praise. "You'll never believe it, babe. Guess what? I have some good news!"
I had a reasonable guess, but still asked, "What?"
Izzy acted prouder and said to me, sounding sweeter and more impatient, "Ellen agreed to let Jo come here. In fact, she'll be joining us as well…"
I was shocked and asked right away, "Wait, what? How on earth did you pull that off? And what about Ellen's bar? Who's going to take care of it if she comes here?"
Ellen disliked being called Auntie Ellen because it sounded old; otherwise, Izzy and I would call her that. Also, Ellen's bar was a gathering place for supernatural hunters to get information, communicate with one another, and do other important things. If she closed it, there could be problems.
Izzy quickly reassured me and explained everything clearly. "I didn't do anything, babe! It's probably just Jo having an extremely fortunate stroke of luck, if you can call it that… The bar was accidentally burned down by a group of drunken bikers a few hours ago, and there's no insurance to cover the losses. Ellen's decided to relocate to California and open a new bar, as Jo wishes to live there with us."
"??? Damn…"
I was taken aback by suck luck, wondering if my plugin, which was also leeching remotely on Ellen, had anything to do with it.
"..."
After a brief pause, I commented, "That's some crazy luck, if you can call it that indeed..."
Izzy nodded, "Right?! But, babe, as long as Jo's happy, and we get to spend time with you all three together as usual, I don't mind if you ask me…"
My girlfriend could be ruthless in her thinking at times, despite her gentle nature.
After talking with her some more and hearing her say she'd be here in three days, I hung up and called Jo and Ellen.
I still needed to call Sam. Which I did.
———
One hour later. With mom's and my strength and stamina, we moved the furniture quickly, surprising the movers when they arrived. They left as quickly as a gust of wind. Happy and paid.
Unfortunately, we did the majority of the work, and they were not tipped.
Mom wanted to overspend money again, but I wouldn't let her because I managed our finances. We were wealthier than Richie Rich, but that did not mean we weren't citizens who deserved to be respected.
Mom approached me after we had completely settled into our new home, with only a few items to purchase tomorrow.
We decided to grab a bite to eat outside and hopped back in the car when she mentioned, "We'll be meeting up with Cassie, your stepmom, in a couple of days. She's currently out of town for the weekend with your sister. Can you do something for me in the meantime?"
As she turned the keys and started the car's engine, she began to speak.
I knew that when she spoke like this, it meant that I had to do some business on her behalf because she was too lazy to handle it herself, so I asked, "What can I do for you, mom?"
She smiled kindly at me and said, "I need you to go to San Francisco after we get back home from dinner. There's someone I want you to meet tomorrow morning for me there. He's one of my new lawyers now that I'm in California. I need a lawyer here too. His name is Nate Mulligan."
I wasn't surprised by my mother's decision, it made sense, but I did ask, "I get that we need a lawyer in California, but why do I have to meet with him tomorrow? Is there anything urgent going on?"
She shook her head and said, "No, I just need you to meet him, since you handle all my business these days... I don't want to deal with this later while you're on vacation and not busy. You have the time, and once you get there, he mentioned he'll invite you to an NBA game at the Chase Center. You enjoy basketball, right? So it should be alright?"
Trying to make sense of the situation, I casually inquired, fully aware of my mother's entrepreneurial spirit but also mindful of my own distinct identity as an exceptional student, "By any chance mom, did you point out to him that I've considered becoming a lawyer? This isn't him trying to poach me ahead of time or something, right?"
My mother used to enjoyed bragging about my academic accomplishments. And there were plenty of reasons to brag about them. I was intelligent, but I made an effort not to advance to higher grades prematurely. Otherwise, I would have already completed college and become a financial, banking lawyer or something similar such as an attorney specializing in real estate management.
I didn't want to move too quickly through the grades because of the presence of the two other women in my life. Despite their physical attractiveness, they did not share the same level of intelligence or enthusiasm for the educational system.
Mom replied honestly, looking unsure, "I'm not sure, but to be honest, you're not the type of kid who would work for someone anyway, so it shouldn't matter? Just go and meet the guy for me, okay? I don't feel like doing it myself."
Hearing her, I knew she was bragging already. I let her go as we went to eat, then started the car and drove away at night, my destination being San Francisco after we returned home.
Mom was not concerned about me being alone at night anywhere, so everything was fine; she had been training me since I was a child and allowed me to illegally carry guns, which I was very good at using and concealing – even before I got an inventory.
I was also stronger than three gorillas, so there was little cause for anxiousness.
I wanted a more relaxed driving experience with fewer vehicles, so I chose a scenic route to get from Beacon Hills to San Francisco. I wasn't sure if my decision was favorable or unfavorable until I noticed something unusual on the road. A beautiful blonde woman emerged from the dense, shady forest, desperately calling for help.
She instantly reminded me of Lucifer's mother from the television series Lucifer.
———
(AN: The MC hasn't watched all of Supernatural, only Season 1)
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