hi. your turn. what if you talked about your ocs teehee. stares at you with sparkly eyes
ooohhhh. ohhhhhhh. hooohoohooohhh. you messed up. you messed up big time. I'm on my computer now and you have to bare this hellstorm you brought up. hoohhhh
okay first we're going over Morble. because he's been on my mind lately teehee.
okay where are my pictures of him hold on. hold ond
marby mooby mamb. . .
okay so he's three years old now. I have to say that. I made him a few days before my birthday. it's horrible. we were similar ages now I'm OLD and he's also a lot older now but at the same time he's NOT. why are you in sixth grade still marbs. why.
anyways. He was made after another spurt of my enjoyment of The Weekly Roll on webtoon; it's a dungeons and dragons type webtoon, Morble is inspired by Sir Becket(he's now Lord Becket. good for you Becket). Becket's a Paladin, Morble's a Paladin. I dunno. It's neat.
that's not the neatest part about Morble though! You see. He's from a modernish dnd-like world. so uhm. basically he's kinda boring. besides being like an orphan or whatever. wait no before I move on to other bits I'm just gonna go in order of what happens.
Morble's basically just a little guy. he's just a fella. uh. he has a brother and HAD. two parents OH ACTULLY I RELALY LIKE HIS PARENTS HOLD ON I HAVE DRAWINGS OF THEM.
Katty and Mavrick. I like them a lot. these are them at maybe like early to mid twenties? around the time they got together(they went to the same highschool but met in collage and really connected at that point. they're so awesome together). they are SO neat to me.
Kat is a nice lady; she's like 6'1 and has a real hearty laugh. She's so sweet and so cool I love her so much. Mavrick is fucking deranged. He's an absolutely spunky ball of chaotic energy. He has no self preservation skill and is just an absolute goober. He's great. Everytime I imagine these two I just think of the rabbits with the "rabbit obsessed with his giant girlfriend who's 4x times his size" because he IS. They are looking at eachother thinking "I love my wife". Marvrick you are so wife. it doesn't help that he took her last name. Katty and Maverick Moor. . .
Kat was a firefighter for the longest time. Mav was a chaotic fencer and fence instructor. he's stupid with it though. His ass didn't like wearing protective gear half the time because of his confidence and lack of preservation skills. He died of a collapsed lung oneday when Morble was about nine.
teehee. mav's a little fabric guy tho. he knits. he sews. he embroiders. uhhhmmm. In that second image of Morble up here with the purple background! He's wearing a red cloak! Maverick made it for him and was gonna give it to him for his birthday. neat. obviously he couldn't. Kat gave it to him because. Well. Yeah.
Morble had a hard time with his dad being dead. I mean. what's a 9 year old supposed to do when your dad dies. it kinda sucks. Kat was going over some family history and going through some old heirlooms and stuff. The Moor's are from a pretty long line of Paladins spanding at least 500 years back(heehoo. hold onto that information). Turns out! There's also a great helm made by one of these Paladins from 500 years ago. Katty pulled it out of storage or whatever and gave it to Morble because he thought he might like it. Because it's neat. Morble loved it. literally has never taken it off.
A couple months after Mav died, Kat died while on the job. kinda fucked up. It's totally my fault for that but. Morble doesn't have to know that. But sucks for him. his brother too but he's a 4yo he doesn't really. know what's happening. but still sucks.
Morble and his brother move in with their grandma and stepgrandma. I don't have anything on them. but yeah.
Fastforward when Morble's 12. bc they had to move they're in a new school and stuff. nobody knows about dead parents or any symbolism in anything. yeah. he's kinda bullied but he just kinda shrugs it off. he's not that kind of guy.
anyways. now we're getting tot he fun parts. Morble walks from school to his grandma's apartment. there's a neat little field kinda inbetween the walk. onepoint Morble noticed a little glimmer near one of the super old trees over there. dunno how he caught it but he did(plot reasonings are why). anwyays.
morble goes over. turns out it's a neat little ring. he grabs it.
BOOM. he fucked up. the ring is magic. he gets swallowed up into some weird current thing the only way I've thought about what it's like is. basically imagine the sky is a giant fuckingthing of water and you can't breathe. it feels like drowning.
once he gets oout of it and recovers from the drowning feeling or whatever. he's like. where the hell am I. Because it's completely different from where he just was. which was like a dewy day or whatever. right now he's in super tall fields with grass and shit.
well. heehoo. yk how I said paladins go back about 500 years in his family? well. heehoo. heehoo. guess what.
Magic ring was really fucking magic and wahoo! Time traveling. I know. Wild. I don't know what I was thinking when I made him do that but it's integral to his character now so I can't change it.
Turns out. there's a little Party down a head from the road he got spat out right next to. turns out. hoo boy. The paladin in the party is an ancestor of Morble's. Got the same helm and everything. turns out he's the guy who MADE the helm actually. His name is Hearth. Hearth Moor. he's pretty cool.
about. uhhh. I dunno maybe 10 years go by? yeah Morble basically gets situated to being 500 years offset from his actual timeline. he's been looking for a way to get back for the entire time but. there hasn't been much luck. so he's just chillin.
he's 22 at this point. He sticks with Hearth and the whole party which I only vaugely got. then they go to fight a red dragon for some reason. no biggie.
hearth fucking gets clobbered and dies. which sucks. they retreat. then morble has the bright idea of well. I'm gonna go fight this dragon myself and WIN. avenge him or whatever. like an idiot. you remember how your dad died, right, morby? you little fucker.
anyways.he goes and fights this dragon. and somehow! for whatever reason! motherfucker wins. chops off his head and brings it back into town. he almost died tho. bro's bleeding like all hell. so yeah he has to spend some time being not fucking dead.
okay you know how I did that serval vs brown tabby poll yesterday. well. that was on our next character, Coraline.
coraline. the baddie. she's so cool.
she's a serval now btw. the poll said so and I was digigng the design more than the brown tabby. anyways.
She's a bard! She's working at the tavern the party was staying at. She basically became Morble's nurse because. because. she'd sing him songs and shit. Her voice claim is actually. uhhhhhhh. The son Rich by Cosmo Sheldrake and the other person that worked on it. yeah.
Coraline joins the party whenever they get back on their feet. The Tavern keeps the dragons head because Morble said they could. They go from 'The Hollow Tavern' to 'The Hollow Dragon's Tavern'. p neat.
uh. yeah. Next two years Coraline and Morble get kinda close. they like eachother but Morble's fucking stupid. he's a shy little himbo. what a goober.
that's basically all I got on canon for him tbh. I like to twirl him around in my head. I have one pathway where Marby finds a way to go back to his timeline. when he's 12. he was missing for about two months tho. 12 years turned into 12 weeks. yeah. sucked for everyone around them. but mostly morble because he's now 24 in a scrawny 12 yearold's body and going to 6thgrade classes. and everybody thinks he's 12 and doesn't know where he's been for like two months and he won't tell anyone because nobody would believe him if he shrugged and said Yeahhh I picked up a magic ring and I was stuck 500 years ago for 12 years! No biggie!! yeah. Morble just kinda goes about like tho after that and becomes a highschool history teacher and works at the local museum. he's really neat. He also is super funky when it comes to his classroom decorations because he has a wall of swords and an entire replica of the suit of heavy armor he used to wear. he's also deranged and under his clothes and leather jacket he has like. jackchains, chainmail(lining his jacket), greaves, and. I think something else but I forgot what. he's wild. I just really like to put him in the salad spinner of my head and think about him with things teehee. twirls hair kicks feet.
yeah. you fucked up with this ask tho. I have more. I'm talking about Harry now. maybe Kinglen if I feel like it. let me get my things fo harry.
this be harry. harry hearthorn. I'm obsessed with him. he's so fucking funny. you'll have to excuse the things of Alphonse and stuff in that last one. I'm gonna be using. him for dnd <3
I love Harry. He's from a military type country or whatever. it's. it's not the best. they're like. I don't know how to describe it. think of amestris but less "we wanna take over the world" and more "we like war and we want more" or whatever. you understand. it's a weird one.
there's like three main branches of jobs. military, research and development slash the sciences, and basically 'entertainment'. entertainers are literally just everything that doesn't fall into the other catagories. these are like artists and show runners and broadcasters and radio hosts and other things of the sort.
school works in this place by being 12 years just like 'merican schools(EAGLE SCREECH GUNSHOTS FIREWORKS). but the first 8 you are just doing general stuff. the 9 and 10th are for pinning down what branch you're going into. and 11 and 12 are getting experience in your field. this is mainly getting mentorships and other stuff, witht he execption of the military branch
Military only has one place to go. If you're going into the military at 16, you're goign STRAIGHT To tht emilitary at 16.
Harry's mom was in the R&D branch, Harry's dad was in the military. they met at a bar. they're funny. both bisexual which is REALLY funny because Harriet is ALSO bisexual and Harry is bicurious-aspec. harry's mom is 6'1 btw. Harry's 6'5. justlittle stuff. I think I named her Maria. his dad is named Henry.
anyways. Harry and Harriet., they are siblings. Harriet is two years older than Harry. though it's funny bc their full names are Harrison and Harriet. but. Harriet is Harry. And Harrison is Harriet. they had a sense of humor.
ATM harry is 31. Harriet is 33 and a senior broadcaster at one of the shownetworks or whatever. Maria is retired. Henry died while on duty when Harry and Harriet were lke 12 and 14.
anyways. Harry wanted to go into the science or military branches. like his parents. His scores were leaning more to being althetic and shit so he got put into the military. he's been there like. ever since. he barely goes home bc he feels no need and because there's an active war(a really long one. . . neither side will stop. . . they really like war) and he just. didn't feel the need. but they forced him to go home a few times when he got like. shot and stabbed and stuff. yeah he's a g like that. did I mention he's a first lieutenant btw. he's a first lieutenant bc I said so.
anyways. his downfall is when onetime. after making a bad call sends the part of his platoon he's with through a part of whereever they are. one fo the younger guys. steps on a landmine. out of like, 14 soliders, only three of them survive. harry, someone else who was closer to the mine, and a younger one that was farther away and practically unscathed. Harry lost his leg and most of his hearing in his right ear and all of it in his left. teehee
anyways. after his main amount of recovery. he's still in the military but they don't put him on any active duty despite him BEGGING for it. because of the PTSD mainly and because he's depressed as fuck secondarly. yeah. basically it sucks for him really bad. he gets put on staff duty indefinetly. also I have to mention Harry fucks. severially. I mentioned that he's aspec. like. arospec. he is not acespec. he fucks.
anyways. basically he's depressed as fuck because. he accidently killed a bunch of guys and ptsd is kicking his ass. he tries to drink his worries away and doesn't care about what kind of trouble he gets into with the drinking and getting caught with girls and stuff. he gets put onto suicide watch after an incident with a lower ranking guy. yeah.
at that point they decide the best option is to just. give him an honorable discharge. so they do that. Harry has to move in with his mom and sister. he does that. everything sucks for him. yeah
at some point after his birthday he decides well. this fucking sucks. I hate this. I'm leaving. he grabs like his old uniform, and money, and a pack, and a pack of smokes and just. hitchhikes. out of the country. without fucking telling anyone. he calls Harriet and his mom after he's out of the country like "heyyy. I'm. I'm out west or whatever. gonna. figure something out here." and they're like WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK MAN. WHAT THE HELL. but he writes them letters and calls them ebcause they can't really do jack about it. yeah
so. basically he's just hitchhiking till he gets to another country. which he does and then basically he tried to do some freelance work or something. then he finds a little group who are gonna basically take down the government. I dunno that's where the campaign is gonna start methinks. Harry might get himself a funny little dragonborn boyfriend. yeah.
okay I have to shower and. actually do stuff teehee I rolls out of bed and went straight to my puter to talk about these guys. so teehe. I'm so hungry I need water.
OH OH HOLD ON. uhhmmm here's old art of morble. spannign from 3 years ago to a couple months ago. teehee
neat. the third one is the very very VERY first thing I did of him ever in existance. second one is one I did and the first one is a redraw from months later. the last one is me just doodling him months ago and pinning down his design again. I changed his helm bc it made no sense.
OKAY I’M GOING I’M GOING FALLS TO THE FLOOR AND ROLLS AWAY LIKE A LOG
9 notes
·
View notes
Corrupted, Chapter Four: Watched - a Malevolent x TMA fic
Tim's been treading, head above water, for a while now. He had hoped to find help.
That’s not really what the Magnus Institute does.
AO3
——-
Tim leaves early.
Navigating empty streets at night is one thing. This is heading into west London right at the beginning of the work day, and he will take no chances. Beyond all the ones he can’t avoid, anyway.
John’s navigation, however, is flawless. Slow down a little. Good. The step is higher than that—good.
On the bus without incident. Amazing.
And then it’s very weird, because Tim is used to scrolling his phone on public transit, and he obviously can’t do that now—but it gives him an idea. He rummages in his backpack.
What are you doing? John sounds curious.
Tim finds what he’s searching for by feel. “Ah, ha!” he says, and uncoils a white cord with earbuds. “There,” he says, plugging into his phone. “Thank you, Past Tim, Pack-Rat Extraordinaire. Now I can talk without looking crazy. Just on the phone, ma’am, nothing to see here.”
Very smart, John says. I’m impressed.
“Modern technology, eh?” says Tim. “Modernish, anyway. Speaking of which, you don’t seem to be struggling very hard with things like cell phones and rideshares. You’d been here before. Recently.”
Have I? Tim, there are so many worlds, so many timelines, so many dimensions. I’ve seen technology you would never believe—and magic that made it all irrelevant.
What an answer. “And you’re humble about it, too,” Tim says. “Also, you’re deflecting. You know movie titles. Not that Tim Curry doesn’t deserve multiverse fame, but you knew who that was.”
Such a clever man, John purrs, and Tim shifts in his seat, unwillingly affected. I see I will have to watch what I say around you.
“Deflecting. Again. Anyway, I’ve been thinking,” he murmurs, facing the window. “You must be kind of rare, whatever you are. If the world were full of things like you, I’m pretty sure I’d know.”
Really.
Amused. That’s that tone. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I? Why wouldn’t everybody?”
Because for most of us, it’s far more entertaining and useful when humans don’t know what’s watching them from the shadows.
“Okay, so that’s really ominous,” says Tim. “Worse than ‘a being.’ Positively malevolent. Still not gonna tell me what you are?”
No.
Tim sighs. “So. Anything interesting out the window?”
Quite a lot, actually. And John proceeds to describe what he sees.
Tim would absolutely have bought the audio with this guy narrating London for tourists.
John manages to make ordinary shops and red mailboxes interesting. He describes people Tim knows he would never have even noticed on his own. He manages to make London feel like a thriving, vividly energetic throng, a place of potential, not just a crowded, expensive place to work.
It almost feels like part of a life worth living. Maybe it’s time to face the fact that he has no plans. The house selling is great, but he is going to need another job—and yeah, Nigel is probably not going to give him a recommendation.
Tim should care about that more than he does.
You’re drifting, says John.
“Sorry. Just… trying to think about things. Future. Employment. All those boring human details.”
I see. What are you thinking?
“You actually want to know?”
I do, Tim.
Tim slouches comfortably, sliding low in his seat. “Sure. Well, I worked in publishing. I’m a really good editor. But… I don’t know anymore.”
Looking for a change?
“Needing one, honestly.” He swallows around the tightness in his throat. “I was thinking about when I quit, and nobody… nobody really cared. I haven’t been happy for a while, you know? And they say you’re not supposed to make any major changes like quitting your job or selling your house or getting married for a year after bereavement, but, uh. I’m two for three, and it hasn’t even been a month.”
I see. You feel the need to keep moving, John observes, low. The type of creature which, if it ceases swimming, will drown.
Tim shivers. “Wow. Never been called whatever that is before.”
A shark. This is our stop.
Tim laughs. “Shark? I am so not a shark.” Somehow, he manages to exit the bus without running into anyone or banging his head, and exhales in relief. “Right. Which way?”
I’m not sure. There are a lot of old buildings here, but not much signage. Walk forward. More to your left.
It’s like a trust game, Tim thinks. Like something to do with your brother one boring summer afternoon, one of you blindfolded and the other giving directions and accidentally-on-purpose steering you into things.
Sure. That makes it less scary. Right.
Ha! There we go. I see a small, brass sign that says, MAGNUS INSTITUTE 1818. Perfect. And—oh, Tim.
“What?”
This is a place of power. The way John says that… deeper, richer, absolutely eager.
Tim shivers. “Power? What kind of power? Is that good?”
Perhaps. I’ve never had trouble with this particular Power. I believe I am safe.
“You sure you’re as anonymous as you think?”
The moment you made that phone call, Tim, you bet both our lives. If I thought this were truly a danger, I would have said so.
“Sure, put it on me,” he mutters. “How far?”
Stairs starting… now.
There are more stairs than Tim expected. They’re wide and shallow, just a little awkward to climb. “Does it look spooky?”
It’s a temple, John breathes. Oh… I knew it was old, but I didn’t expect this. The one worshiped here has been worshiped here for a long time. Door.
Tim feels for the handle, tugs. Of course, it’s still locked. “Guess we’ll just have to loiter for a bit. You know, in front of the scary pagan temple in the middle of London. What time does my phone say?”
Seven. We’re an hour early. Heh. And pagan doesn’t cover it.
“Sure. Well, better early than—”
“Excuse me, can I help you?” comes a posh baritone.
Tim, there’s a… oh.
Tim wonders what that oh was for. “Hi. I, uh. I need to see someone inside. Kind of an emergency.”
The posh man huffs, like an irritated cat. “Well, we don’t… this is a place of research, so I’m not sure what you expect in an emergency.”
He’s a slight person, shorter than you, much narrower. Brown skin; I’d think mixed South Asian ancestry. He’s slightly overdressed for the weather; shirt, vest, sweater over that. He’s managing to look down his nose at you in spite of his height. But Tim… he’s been claimed, branded by the thing that calls this its base of power, in a messy, undisciplined way. I don’t understand what I’m seeing. It’s like he’s accidentally a priest.
So that’s the oh. Tim wonders how the hell one can accidentally be a priest. “Well, I need to, uh. What was it the website said? Give my statement?”
There is an irritated sigh. “Well, you might as well come in. I can at least give you a place to wait until Gertrude arrives—ah, Ms. Robinson, the head Archivist.” The voice is moving away, accompanied by the sound of keys. “I’m Jonathan Sims. In research.”
“Tim Stoker. In trouble.”
He hunched when you said that. I believe he feels more for our emergency than he wants to let on.
“Sorry to hear that,” researcher-Jon mutters. “But as I said, I’m not sure what we can do. Police?”
“Not for this, mate. But thanks, anyway.”
Correct to the left a bit. He’s holding the door for you. Ahead of us is an enormous, open lobby with old marble and dark wood. It’s beautiful, elegant. I see no furniture or anything else to trip you. To the left and right are the stacks going out of sight in the gloom. Clearly, at least part of this building is a library.
Their footsteps echo. It smells like books.
“What’s your statement regarding?” drawls researcher-Jon, audibly trying to be polite.
“A horrible book that ruined my life,” says Tim.
He’s stopped walking and is staring at you, abruptly pale, the arrogance dropped away like a mask. Oh, you’ve got his attention now.
“What?” says researcher-Jon. “What did you say? A book?”
“Yeah.”
“Did it have… a bookplate in front?” says researcher-Jon.
Tim can feel himself going pale, too. “Yeah. It said, ‘The Library of Jurgen Leitner.’”
“Oh, gods,” says researcher-Jon. “You… you’ve…”
He looks afraid, Tim, and—oh!
Those oh exclamations were, Tim was beginning to realize, far more important than any casual fuck or damn.
“Jon?” comes another voice, posh, somehow managerial. “Well, I’m used to you being here early, but who’s your…” The voice stops.
Oh!
Tim is about ready to strangle something over those oh’s.
“Elias, he’s touched a Leitner,” says researcher-Jon.
“I understand. I’ll handle this one,” says the man.
“I was going to make sure Gertrude—”
“Jon,” says the man, in a quiet, uncompromising tone. “I will handle this. Go on, now.”
“All right, all right. Good luck, Tim.” Researcher-Jon sounds like he means it, and he leaves, Oxfords clacking away.
“Thanks,” Tim calls after him.
Tim, this has to be the high priest of this place. Its power, its marking, is all over him.
“Elias Bouchard.” There’s a pause.
He’s holding out his hand. He’s a couple decades older than you. Expensive suit. Handsome in a boring sort of way. And he’s powerful. Oh, Tim, he’s powerful.
“The head honcho, eh?” says Tim, and reaches.
The handshake is firm and not spooky, so that much is good.
“Can you navigate?” says Bouchard.
“What?” says Tim.
And Bouchard’s voice is low. “I can clearly see that whatever… that is inside you has done something to your eyes—which is to say, you are blind. Do you wish for guidance to my office? I completely understand if you’re more comfortable making your own way.”
He… can see me? John sounds stunned.
“You see him?” says Tim in a small voice.
“I do. He’s… my, my, my.”
He’s not supposed to be able to see me, John says with a slight tremor.
Tim’s not feeling fear. Relief and shock and desperation rise up his throat like vomit, and he has to swallow emotions down before he can talk. He is not insane. External validation. His eyes leak, and he wipes them. “Can you help? This happened last night. You can see him. What’s—”
“Good morning, Mister Bouchard!” comes a cheerful tenor.
A tall, overweight man, surprisingly light on his toes, with bright red hair and a charming smile.
“Martin, good morning,” says Bouchard. “Mister Stoker, was it? Please come with me. We’d best deal with this in my office.”
Tim, you didn’t tell him your name.
True. And unnerving. “Okay,” Tim says, wary. “How’d you know my name?”
“Your passenger is not all I can see. Come along, please.”
Well. John had said they’d read his mind here.
I’m familiar with avatars of this particular Power, but this is an unusual level of skill. Be cautious.
Great! “Well, that simplifies things, right? At least I’ll be believed,” says Tim with cheer he does not feel.
“Refreshingly pragmatic,” says Bouchard.
Yeah, this was lovely.
Follow the sound of his shoes. We’re passing a secretary’s desk. His office is straight ahead. Tim, this man’s body isn’t as old as he is. He’s confusing to look at.
“What’s that mean?”
Bouchard ignores Tim’s mutters. “Here we are.”
The sound of a door closing behind Tim feels… weird. Very weird. He feels stared at. Ganged up on? Prickly, like he has to defend himself, or—
“Please, Mister Stoker, have a seat.”
Tim feels for the chair. “Do you think you can help us?”
There is a pause.
He’s seated at the desk. His hands are folded, and his gaze is… intense.
“Well, can you blame me?” says Bouchard. “You are truly magnificent.”
Tim is confused for the moment it takes him to realize who was just addressed.
John gasps. You can hear me?
“Yes. I simply had to… adjust a few details. Tilt the radar dish, play with the bunny-ears—ah, but you’re too young for those references, aren’t you, Mister Stoker?”
And Tim can feel two very distinct things.
One: John is afraid. Being seen and heard has shaken him; finding out why is definitely going to come up after this.
Two: Tim knows he’s being subtly mocked. The weird, watched sensation has grown, making him feel judged, and he really, really wants to make it stop. “I’m not a kid, for crying out loud. I know what a television antenna is.”
If you can hear me, then I highly suggest you stop siphoning him, John growls.
“What?” Tim blurts.
“My apologies,” Bouchard sounds positively silky. “My patron craves your fear. Can I get you some tea?”
Tim is frozen. “My fear?”
John growls. Full-on growls, and it is not remotely a human sound, and it is huge, and absolutely frightening. Back. Off.
“I’m afraid I have no such control over it,” says Bouchard, standing. “The Eye doesn’t have much in the way of personality—only hunger. However, if Mister Stoker does manage to calm down, the Eye will have no use for him. He’ll practically be invisible to it.”
“The Eye? What? Like a giant eyeball?” Tim stammers.
“Quite. I’ll be back with that tea. Take a moment, will you? Breathe deeply. You’ll be just fine.”
Bouchard leaves, and Tim resists the urge to wipe himself down as if the man’s words had been coated in oil. “It’s a big eyeball god?” he says.
Something like that. What we are dealing with is a Power—an Entity that lives on fear.
“What the fucking hell?”
You need to calm the fuck down.
“Oh, sure, I’ll just hit the calm the fuck down button,” says Tim. “Maybe I should’ve asked for something stronger than tea.”
John sighs. Then he flips that smooth, warm, absolutely devastating voice into action.You’re going to be all right. He told you what to do to avoid his Power’s hunger. Just take a minute, and breathe with me, all right? In. Out. Slower.
Fucking dom, Tim thinks, but does it. “This place is actually trying to making me feel watched, isn’t it?”
I believe so. But you’re handling it like a champ. In. Out. There, you see? That wasn’t so hard.
It does feel better. “No, I guess not.”
I told you—you can trust me, Tim.
Tim snorts. “Opportunist.”
Bouchard returns. “Hold out your hand.”
Tim finds himself with a cup of tea. He closes his eyes, sipping. “Thanks. That makes me feel human again.”
“Of course. Now. Why don’t you tell me what happened last night?”
His fingers are steepled. He’s watching us without blinking.
“Spooky,” says Tim before he can help himself.
Bouchard laughs lightly. “I serve a patron that feeds on fear. I’m afraid that whatever else I offer, comfort will not be on the menu.”
Tim’s heart sinks. “But… can you help?”
“Let’s find out. What happened?”
Tim takes out the book.
Careful, John warns. Open that, and it will again send out a— oh. He’s leaning away from it. Tim, he looks terrified.
“Well,” says Bouchard. “That is… ah..”
Tim already hates touching this thing. It may be psychosomatic, but now it feels terrible, greasy, like living skin. “What? What do you see?”
“I am going to make a guess,” says Bouchard slowly. “The passenger in your head was in this book first. Yes?”
“Yes,” says Tim.
“There is something else in that book. I would heavily advise you not to open it again.”
What? What? There is no other being in this book.
“I assure you, there is,” says Bouchard.
Impossible, John says as if offended.
“I assure you, it is not,” says Bouchard.
“So what do I do?” says Tim. “There’s got to be something I can do.”
And though he cannot see Bouchard looking at him, Tim suddenly feels pinned. Feels very distinctly like this man just reached into his brain and peeled it open, revealing everything he is.
John growls again.
“I will be frank,” says Bouchard. “I do not yet have an answer, but I believe I can find one. I have at my disposal quite a lot of knowledge, as well as some truly interesting contacts. I am willing to leverage all of that to help you in exchange for the freedom to watch how it all pans out.“
Tim’s not sure what that means. “What do you mean, watch how it all pans out?”
His eyes lidded just at the thought.
“I will give you much more than aid. I will give you answer. Any I find.”
Tempting. “You must really like to watch, eh?” Tim says, trying not to make it sound sexual.
“You have no idea,” Bouchard says, not trying to avoid that at all. “I’ve never seen the like. A new thing, to my patron, is the highest form of offering, and I am quite eager to help you. You rather have me over the proverbial barrel, Mister Stoker.”
He’s leaning back again, considering us. His fingers are still steepled. It’s a thoughtful look, pensive, as if he’s weighing something.
“You are in need of a job,” he says.
Spooky mind-reading confirmed! Tim thinks, slightly panicked. “I... will in time, sure.”
“I could employ you.”
Tim snorts. “No offense, but this place feels really weird.”
“It does, yes—but it’s also very safe.”
“Not according to every nerve in my body,” says Tim.
“The paranoia and fear are side effects of proximity to the Ceaseless Watcher. They are not representative of actual danger,” says Bouchard. “Working here would grant you some… protections, as well.”
“I don’t know quite how we got to offering my CV to a fear-god, but no thanks?” says Tim. “Got at least a few months before I’m that desperate, I think.”
“And do you plan to remain occupied that long?” says Bouchard.
Tim goes silent.
Can you help or not? I want something definitive. Your god is impressive, but this man is mine, and if you think I’m going to share—
“Hold the fuck on!” says Tim. “What?”
Bouchard laughs. “It’s all right. Mister Stoker. I’m fairly sure he’s just responding to the invasiveness of my patron—for which I do apologize. Do you have a safe place to stay?”
“Sure?” says Tim, still fighting against the absolute certainty of being watched, against the weirdness of his desire to rage in response.
“Would you be willing to leave that book with me?”
Absolutely not.
“But what if he can see inside it without opening it, or something?” says Tim.
No .
That growl is really something.
Tim takes a deep breath. “Hey. What does John look like?”
John has no body of his own to stiffen, but Tim feels him do it, anyway.
“Well,” says Bouchard, eyes lidding. “I see him in two ways. First is an impression—I suspect his own of himself. Whispers of the form he once had; catastrophically beautiful, like a terrible storm. Darker than mere absence of light, as if he might absorb it. There is gold throughout—I can’t quite make out the shape, but it is a very specific and almost harsh yellow. He seems to have… how shall I put this… the essence of a body that simply is not human. Multiple limbs, perhaps tentacles. Enormous horns or antlers, casting spined shadows. And I think he was quite large. All of that, however, is echo. What do I see when I look at him? The reverse of a flame. Dark, and hungry; fluttering and flickering like conflagration dancing in the wind, and significantly more dangerous than he seems. Given the right fuel, I daresay he could burn the world.”
Tim is silent.
John is silent.
“Wow,” says Tim.
There is a fabric rustle, and Tim suspects Bouchard has shrugged as if to say, Well, there it is.
“You really see all that?” said Tim.
“I do.”
“What the hell is he?”
“I have absolutely no idea. You’re very lucky. Whatever you're experiencing may have no precedent in this world.”
John is still silent.
Tim sighs. “So… what now?”
“Well, I suggest food that is not peanut butter? And keeping your head down. If you truly wish to keep the book, I think there may be a target on you. I can’t offer you protection outside my place of power.”
Tim snorts. “Well, unless you’ve secretly got an apartment complex in here, it wouldn’t do me much good, anyway.”
“Actually, we do, in a way.”
“What?”
“My employees are… hard-working. Part of the archive below has been converted. There is a small sleeping area, a washroom, a very minimal kitchenette. Should things grow desperate, you have my permission to kip there, as it were.”
“You really want to watch all this, don’t you?” says Tim.
“Indeed I do. And while I readily confess I will be watching anyway, doing so with your permission and awareness makes it all so much more delicious. Is there anything else?”
At least he’s honest about being creepy, Tim thinks, because that’s all he can think. “Not until you have a solution.”
“Not yet.”
“And my offer?”
This has to be a them, not a him. “John?”
I need to think.
“Fair enough.” There’s the sound of a chair rolling back.
He’s standing.
Tim stands, too. He doesn’t know what to do. This hadn’t gone at all how he’d hoped.
“I’m sure it’ll all work out,” says Bouchard with a sort of dark glee.
“Right,” says Tim. “Thanks, I… guess.”
“Here. I do hope you change your minds.”
He’s holding out a business card.
Tim takes it on automatic.
It sounds like Bouchard opens the door.
Tim walks out.
#
With every step, his heart feels heavier.
He’d been so sure solutions would be here. Immediate ones. Telling himself that had kept him going all morning. But now…
There wasn’t help. There was the possibility of help, with the cost of loss of privacy—which he might have lost anyway, just by coming here.
None of this feels good. Tim sighs, fishing for his earbuds.
Someone gasps.
Tim, there’s an old woman looking at us. She… something about her is very dangerous. Something about her… Tim, I think she can see me. Fuck this place.
“Good for her,” mutters Tim, who has decided merely seeing John does not qualify one for anything. “Am I still going right?”
Yes. The door is three steps ahead.
“Leave it,” says Bouchard behind them.
Tim doesn’t think that was for him, and he feels for the door handle.
“Elias, you can’t be serious,” says the old woman’s voice—old but strong, frustrated.
What, had she been about to do something to them?
Tim is sure of it. Sure of it, and doesn’t know why.
Hurry. Apparently, John is sure of it, too.
Tim hurries.
#
Stairs just ahead. Take your time.
Tim does, one step at a time, using the excuse of concentration to be silent. He wipes his leaky eyes.
Are you all right?
“No. Gonna have to be, though, apparently, because I don’t want to take his deal.”
I promise you, Bouchard will be watching us regardless of what we do; it’s the nature of the Power he serves. It only makes sense to benefit from it, given that we will pay either way.
“Well, fuck that guy, then,” says Tim. “I guess consent isn’t on some fear god’s radar.”
I don’t know why you ever thought it would be. You’ve reached the last step. Where now?
“I don’t know. I’m trying to think. Can I just walk somewhere? Get away from this place?”
Walk to your right. There isn’t much traffic. I may have an idea, but I need to… weigh the pros and cons.
“Right.” So Tim walks, and doesn’t speak again until he’s found a comfortable pace and position that seems to keep him from smashing into anyone.
It works better than Tim would have thought. John directs, corrects, and says nothing of substance.
Tim is deep in thought. A lot happened here.
He’s always thought of himself as deeply pragmatic. That means tackling this with an open mind, and organizing it in lists as quickly as possible, ready to absorb new rules. “So,” he says. “A few things.”
Hm? says John, sounding distracted.
“First, you were scared in there.”
Yes. At least John can admit that honestly. I know you’re new to this, so it may seem like nothing to you—but neither of those people should have been able to see me, much less hear me. I am deeply startled.
“Right,” said Tim. “And by saying that, you’re revealing you’ve done this so often that you have a ‘normal’ in your head, so that’s a whole thing.”
Not as often as you think. I’ve spent most of my time in this world in that book.
Tim’s not sure he believes that. “They didn’t recognize you, though.”
No. They did not, or I would have urged you to run like a cat on fire.
Tim smiles weakly. “Hell of an image. Look, what did you do that you have to hide from everyone? You said you’d tell me after.”
It isn’t so much what I’ve done, John says slowly. It is what I am. You were correct in that earlier assumption: I am… rare. Endangered, in fact.
Tim has a feeling John isn’t using that word casually. “So what are you?”
A being. Rare. Powerful, in my own right, though as you can tell by our current situation, I’ve been robbed of my body.
“Where is your body?”
In another plane of existence, friend. Quite out of reach, I’m afraid.
“Are you dead?” He has to ask.
No.
“Are you… what, a prisoner?”
Tim… I really don’t feel like answering these right now.
“Promise broken. I‘m keeping track,” says Tim, but only half means it. “So there’s you, antlered-tentacled-whatever-the-fuck. There’s fear-gods.There’s accidental priests. So… are there good fairies, or something? Wishing wells? Forest spirits of mercy, or kindness, or whatever?”
No. The lack of hesitation is upsetting. There are no beneficent fairies. No good and kind spirits waiting to freely give of themselves to mortals in need. Everything that exists only does so because it has not been eaten or used by something else, including yourself—from your immune system to your choices, you also fight to survive.
This is different from John’s usual calming tone. It’s not crazy-smooth; it’s just quiet, and Tim suddenly feels like this is the first time John has been genuinely gentle with him.
Tim’s throat feels tight. “Bit of a downer, there,” he manages after a minute. “So what do we do?”
You truly don’t feel what he offered was worth what he asked?
“Just being in that building made me feel like hitting something, and that isn’t like me. I started to get angry, over, just… nothing. No. Whatever price I have to pay to get out of this, I’m not losing myself for it. That guy didn’t even have a solution, anyway. Just a what-if. Not worth it.”
Yes… yes. John sounds thoughtful . That’s a good way of looking at it. The cost cannot be one’s self.
Tim isn’t done. “And just so you know, John? Maybe I am surviving , like everybody else here, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make choices and be a good person and help other mortals in need.”
Seeing yourself as the hero, are you?
Tim snorts. ”No. I’d be a cheerfully bisexual bard, at best. I just mean… I don’t know. You make every living thing sound like an asshole, and I don’t think all of us are.”
John chuckles. A slutty bard? Really?
“It’s a DND ref- wait. You understood that?”
Yes. I’m familiar with the trope. I’m merely amused you used it.
“That has some implications, holy shit. How the hell are you familiar with an internet meme? How much time have you spent here?”
Not everyone who kept this book was only a cultist. Some of them were nerds.
Tim is flabbergasted. “What, did they just keep you on the table while scrolling through The Adventure Zone?”
Sometimes.
This doesn’t feel like the full truth. There’s something else John is not saying here, but Tim doesn’t know how to get at it. “I can talk to you in memes,” he says instead. “I’m going to be insufferable.”
John chuckles. Ah… I do like you, Tim.
That sounded regretful? Odd. Why would he…
Or maybe Tim just feels paranoid thanks to whatever the hell that place was. “How does anyone even manage to work there without all becoming axe murderers?” he mutters.
I believe if you are inclined toward the type of fear and information-gathering that god prefers, it grants some sanity so you can keep feeding it. I’ve seen the like.
“A whole fear-god economy. Fuck me, that’s wild.”
Indeed.
“And by the way—what was all that ‘mine’ stuff about?”
John sighs. I apologize. I could feel the Power feeding on you, and I thought perhaps it would respect some kind of… prior claim. Obviously, that didn’t work.
“So you’re not a lot familiar with that thing.”
No. Enough to know that one isn’t much of a danger to me—but others like it must be avoided.
“Did one of those fear-gods send the monsters to my parents’ house?”
Yes.
Tim laughs weakly. “Wow. So they’re actively after you. Fuck. John, you’ve got to have a better idea what to do.”
I have an idea, if you’re willing to try it—but first, you need to eat. Your physical form has needs; Bouchard was right about that. Man shall not live by peanut butter alone.
It is deeply unnerving to hear all these deeply human references used with such familiarity. “I don’t want to try dealing with a restaurant. Find me a take-out place.”
Keep going. I’ll get you there.
He couldn’t believe himself anymore. A tiny part of him is beginning to wonder if, somehow, his family might be cursed.
It’s going to be okay, Tim tells himself on repeat. It’s going to be okay.
———-
NOTES:
Do I hear that description of the King in Ben Meredith’s voice? Yes. Yes, I do.
11 notes
·
View notes
6.13.24 Thursday
1:19 am
Still, have windblow...
I feel bitterish... I feel self-pity... I have no adventure since 2007, I never grow again as a mature person... Now, I feel different... I feel self-pity that I can feel that there are some people who will just pull me down...
I wanna leave Cavite but I know I can't... I hate being replaced and I hate being always 2nd... There are some people who will always steal everything or anything that I want or love...
I badly need money and job... On June 30th tentatively probably the start of training class in Teleperformance Molino. Hoping coz I badly need money.
8:14 am
Still,have windblow...
Early in the morning... My soul floated on air,lifted by some energies... It is like chocolate but hoping for a progress and progress...Finding someone or knowing a wisdom from someone who can really lift me up...
I still feel fat,ugly and old... I'm thinking of money and job and my own life...Stuff that I wanna have like my Starbucks...
I'm drinking my first cup of coffee today.
8:31 am
It is just a thought that you have to give me everything, it was just a symbolism but not really pushing but I just need a lil lift LOVE...
As I was wanted to give myself purely...
My love for you will never fade... It is just that jealousy and situation and love, and we are on maze now... Will I be able to find you? Or I'm late...
9:01 pm
I love BoHo though I love "Glass House" but being BoHo is a wonderful HOME....
10:32 am
Got 1 piece of onion & half of whole of garlic...( from Aunt Karen )
Still,wanna do vanity and travels... I need to get a job and money...
Fakers windblow friends or enemies???
10:43 am
Hoping to recover this from that fucking Astron Rice Cooker...
10:59 am
Being defensive,Thank God it survive!
12 noon
There were 3 crazy securities on Ate Liza's carinderia'z as if talking about kicking someone on the chest,that I don't know them probably coming from "Church Of Christ"...
I was just getting food ordered by my Uncle Jun.. As if one of the securities guards wearing blue uniform. When I went back I asked Ate Liza who were those 3 securities, she said coming from Paceer of Marivic Velayo Alindog. WE ARE NOT THAT FRIENDS BUT SIMPLY ACQUAINTANCE...
I just knew her coz of some chaos here way back but Marivic is not really my friend. But I do respect her as elderly... Marivic is not really my friend but we became united coz of a particular situation. But we are not really friends! Just to clarify me and Marivic are not friends at all.. We just had a common point of view from the past years...But just to clarify we are not friends!
I'm just fair that her dead husband Mr Alindog was really in a way good person and I love the kids not for anything in this world... Mr Alindog was a policeman and in a way was taking good care of us or me here, when the time that he was still alive coz Marivic is a bit childish.
Uncle DD is telling me that he will put Neko inside their house,in a lil while...I wanted to buy Neko from him...
About the people of Marivic,there were some crazy people who thought that I was a child whenever I was with my son-dog coz of me becoming a child whenever I was out with my son-dog... Whenever we go out, John is really a puller...One of the reasons I always exercise for strength and to be fit! John is a puller dog and he is very,very strong...
1:02 pm
If I'm not exercising, I can't handle John coz he is very,very strong but he has this respect for me. I know he is very strong but he still listen to me in a way... So,his pull I know is still in control but with power... John can pull our heavy wooden tables here.....
2:04 pm
Still,have windblow...
This is an old boho but this is a cottage type... I want the modern boho ( the one I posted above ) but this old stylish boho is expensive as well coz you can find her decorations from "etsy.com" .
I love the barn door it is modernish feel there.The house is simple but super clean. I love the kitchen coz it is a bit modern coz of the kitchen appliances. Again, I want the sunlight even on its dim shady blurry sunlight ( takip-silim ) or the war of love and death. But here I want to put curtain to contrast the negative energy of too much ambience of war of love and death... Cottage fairy or the narrator looks like a ghost there or a dead person talking or ghost. I want some colorful curtains and some lights to make the house brighter and have a happy touch...
I just don't like putting too much of small decorations coz it is difficult to clean it. It is so good to have reading space, have some important books in the house. I like her shop it is expensive "etsy.com".
2:24 pm
This Cottage Fairy is more of like an audiobook but now with visual or picture... That's her style of vlogging... I remember having audiobook, way back... It was fun,you just need to listen and imagine the words that you are hearing or listening.
She is saying goodbye coz she will give birth in a lil while...
2:32 pm
Still,have windblow...
I remember "The Railway Children" by E.Nesbit this is a funny book/ or 1 of the audiobooks that we had... Daniel will understand about the scarf waving thingy but usually Lasalista knew it...
If you are a graduate from De La Salle you know that "scarf waving"... It is funny and sweetish and there is love as sisterhood or brotherhood or more of it...
2:59 pm
Drinking my 2nd cup of coffee....I wanna leave Cavite if I can just like my brother RV, who leaves the fakers Cavitenyos and Cavitenyas...Mostly I know not all, but mostly...
I still want a job until I can and I really wanna have a job for my self-esteem, I need money... I want some vanity... I feel so fat,ugly and old... I really wanna travel and buy a coffee machine and some new tumblers and mugs...
3:35 pm
This is my simple sweetish suggestion on Ely ( simply my friend ) ...I told him I will help him to renovate or make changes in their house though they are aging...
Even here in this house,our old house...But I feel frustrated, I don't have a job or fundings to buy a wall paper or wall sticker paint...
I feel frustrated... I feel hurt since 2007, I feel so small since the day I couldn't get a job... There are so many lacking in this house from cleaning materials to my herbs and spices and my teas and coffees in our kitchen, supposed to be...
I hope I was able to grab my cousin white from the past years... Why, is he married now???.
3:46 pm
French Style is also good...
3:54 pm
I feel bitterish and jealous... Scared of windblow and I'm in love with my cousin white.
I hate the trap here... Until I can find someone who is mature and I like and mature who can be with me as a mature person...
Incest... Incest...
I'm so fucking in-love with my cousin white... Why, why is he married???
4:12 pm
It is supposed to be US, my cousin white... Don't you know that I have a windblow and I can't get progress but then you are happy now with her....
Supposed to be Incest...with you my cousin white...
7:34 pm
Still,have windblow...
This bullshit DJ of Eagle... What the fuck is the black magic... What do you mean don't go far on North?
Stand-by Mark... Whereever you are...
I will get my cousin white,if he is here in the Philippines.
Fuck you DJ of Eagle,you can't get my cousin if you are just FilipiNOSE!
9:07 pm
Still,have windblow...
Here in Ely's house for some back-up and bonding for few minutes...
I feel bitterish... Why,why,why...
I feel jealous on things, that I don't know that I must know...
I hate these people in windblow ritual coz they are unfair for 17 years and some people here in Cavite are controlling my life unfairly...
9:37 pm
Hmm... hahah Ely told me he is drunk....Then, suddenly he texted me this "pa-kiss nga Pie" ( can I kiss you Pie )...
I told him there is rule in our friendship... When my credit reach 10k that's the time to sing but no kissing... I told him we are purely "buddy2x"...
I said let's preserve the boundaries of our friendship... Even on men there is a sudden situation that you need to help each other, that you just need to pact....You need to sing but no kissing coz we are "buddy2x", we are men that we are just helping each other...
9:52 pm
Then, I asked him about "Kuya Bentot" that probably he will get jealous of me.... I added that probably Kuya Bentot will get mad at me... I added that Kuya Bentot will not say it, if they don't have something...
I'm seeing his facial reaction Ely is somehow nervous,angels...
I said Ely I'm somehow scared of Kuya Bentot coz he really told me directly that he is jealous of me...
He is somehow nervous angels....Then, I went home coz it is near 10 pm... Here in my nest now...
10:28 pm
Still,have windblow...
Weird windblow... I can't meet my X on Kalibo coz of my situation, it will never be a good timing....He can just give assistance but seeing him again that I'm not ready, it is not a good timing. If my cousin is here, I will just choose my cousin white coz of the reason of this windblow is breaking my relationship with everyone apart, in an unfair ways...I will choose my cousin white over my X in Kalibo coz of the fact that they are complete and seeing each other... I mean I can sense an unfair movement coming from my X in Kalibo,Aklan with his family.
I hate the fact that windblow is breaking me apart or there are some group of people who are always putting an unfair barrier on me for 17 years... I hate being the new girl...
I just don't want anyone to do bad things on my cousin white coz I really like that cousin white aside from we have droplets of the same blood..
I just don't like the thought that cousin white will be married to a FilipiNOSE somewhere here most specially,he must get someone from USA...
I don't like the thought that cousin white is closer on other probably fake cousins on me coming from the Treyes and his part... I avoided one reunion, I remember...
It is just sad that he got married and good thing it is from there... But if it's here it must be me...
But I sense something weird... Nobody has the right to stop the LOVE from the people that I want...
0 notes