#he's using more and more of his powers tunneling deeper into his obsession | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

xiaojianggshi · 1 year ago

Note

Hi hun, I found the Enhypen post about the mbti’s interesting. Can you do the mbti types for &team as well? Please and ty 💖

hiii!! yes of course!!

&team as mbti types

1 august, 2023

k may use his past experiences and past mistakes as a way to approach issues. this is introverted sensing (Si), where one uses comparisons and contradictions between the past and present. he may additionally lean towards traditional methods and stick closest to the rules.

k may also be very strong in his routine, to the point where it can be dull and maybe boring. this is because he sees his routine as the most efficient, and may simply prefer to stay with what is working and what is comfortable to him. this is extroverted thinking (Te). he simply focuses on the end goal and his efficiency.

k is most likely an istj guessing by his dominant and auxiliary functions. he is aware of himself and has a strong identity. it makes him passionate, but a little clueless to how he can affect others. this is the work of his tertiary function, introverted feeling (Fi).

k's weakness, extroverted intuition (Ne) may make him pretty closed off to things that are not played specifically by the book. he leans towards how things are supposed to be, not leaving much room for deviations.

nine of swords rx., knight of pentacles rx.

fuma seems to be the type to learn through his senses and how he perceives the world around him, this is extroverted sensing (Se), contrary to k who relies on introverted sensing. he may also prefer to make judgements based on what he knows is real and what he sees is real. he could also work and move fast!

fuma's auxiliary function could be introverted feeling (Fi). he may make his judgements also on what he thinks feels right and what feels wrong. he is very capable and perhaps even more geared to deeper connections. he lives honestly, where it feels innocent and juvenile. think of when protagonists use the power of friendship to beat a monster.

the pairing explained above leads fuma to be an esfp! following this, fuma's tertiary function may be extroverted thinking (Te). this causes fuma to be disciplined, when he has an interest he will expand the most on it. when working with others he can also prefer to be straight-forward.

finally, fuma can have weaknesses with seeing into his future. as mentioned, he lives through what he can feel and see. therefore, things that he is much less physically aware of make him nervous, causing him to either hyperfixate or ignore any thoughts on the future. this inferior introverted intuition (Ni).

knight of cups rx., six of cups

nicholas most likely uses extroverted intuition (Ne) as his dominant function. this causes him to be very aware of the future and it shows his ability to think from different perspectives and different points in time. additionally, he can be really experimental and works with concepts and abstract ideas. he moves quickly but that is because he easily lets go of the past.

as for his auxiliary function, nicholas may use extroverted thinking (Ti). he is able to utilize the same strategies of people who dominantly use this, but it is more sporatic. even though his dominant function is very based on experiments and what is unknown, his auxiliary function keeps his feet on the ground and works for the most logical, though sometimes not the most moral.

this shows that nicholas is an entp. his tertiary function is extroverted feeling (Fe). he is really in touch with the emotions of people around him and he also knows how to work with them and around them.

as a weakness, nicholas can also reject or find obsession in the past, similar to how fuma can reject the future. he can also worry about things that are significant and tunnel vision with nostalgia. this is a result of inferior introverted sensing (Si).

six of swords, temperance rx.

ej seems to be patient and understands the needs and opinions of those around him. a way to think about it and say it is that he is just really in tune with emotions and the atmosphere of people around him. easily, this types him as an extroverted feeler (Fe)! he may also be really good at forming deep connections. overall, ej may be a very nuturing and caring person to those around him.

ej's auxiliary function may be introverted intution (Ni). what he looks for when dealing with an issue can also be how to optimally and efficiently work through and find a solution. his solutions are also largely influenced by the bigger picture and how it can impact the people and the future around him.

these two functions point to ej being an enfj. this means his tertiary function could be extroverted sensing (Se). in the tertiary position, extroverted sensing helps people observe and take in their surroundings. generally, it relies on gathering sensory information.

in terms of weaknesses, ej as an enfj may have trouble with seeing logic behind choices and actions. this is an inferior introverted thinking (Ti). he could avoid making decisions without personal moral and may not like people who make decisions based on logic.

when shuffling for ej, major arcanas repeatedly fell out, which leads me to believe he is a very healthy enfj who knows how to utilize even his shadow functions.

the empress, seven of wands

yuma may have a very structured and objective outlook when faced with an issue. he may rely on extroverted thinking (Te) as his dominant function. he prefers deductive reasoning rather than inductive reasoning. things like data, logic, and anything with numbers to prove he would most likely turn to, he seeks efficiency.

as for his auxiliary function, it most likely is introverted sensing (Si). yuma may look at things while using more tradition methods, things that are secure and safe to him and also are proven to be effective, which is exactly what he is also looking for from his dominant function. he can compare what he knows from the past to the present and use this knowledge to his advantage.

these two functions narrow down yuma as an estj. his tertiary function then becomes extroverted intuition (Ne). this influences yuma to take the separate solutions of past experiences and allows him to combine them to make something even more useful.

what yuma may struggle with is wavering his very strong beliefs, this is an inferior introverted feeling (Fi). of course, in certain cases this is a really strong thing and makes yuma's conviction especially strong. however it may cause him to disregard the feelings of others. even if he is wrong he will always think he is right.

the lovers rx., four of wands

jo seems to be another member who prefers to work with tradition. introverted sensing (Si) in jo's case works as he thinks that tradition is the most secure and best course of action. this does not mean he blindly follows what has happened in the past, but he can gather information from the past for his purpose of security and stability.

jo's auxiliary function may be extroverted feeling (Fe). he seems to be influenced or heavily aware about the feelings and thoughts of others around him. he can additionally be really good with making choices based on the general feelings of the group around him.

by concluding those two, jo is most likely an isfj! this means his tertiary function is introverted thinking (Ti), which he may use to step back from a situation and analyze the framework and structure of it. he can act with efficiency in mind and look for ways to specifically word himself.

as for his inferior function, extroverted intuition (Ne), he can be very speculative; sometimes it can emerge in gossip or believing in very obviously fake rumors or he completely rejects things that are completely rational. it is solely because for him, he needs proven facts and numbers.

wheel of fortune rx., judgement

harua is most likely an extroverted thinker (Ne)! and a very developed one at that, the cards came out immediately and aggressive. his thinking is very creative, where he can start with one inital idea and branch off into larger and bigger concepts. he sees through potential, rather than something that you can see is moving therefore you know it is moving.

second, his auxiliary function seems to be introverted feeling (Fi). he may have a lot of inner strength. courage, self-discipline, empathy; he's abundant. he knows himself well and he is strong in his beliefs, aka what he thinks is right and what is wrong. additionally, he is a deep and volatile feeler, a single word can change his mood completely.

harua based on these two functions is most likely an enfp. since harua is rather young right now, his tertiary may be weak. however, as he has more experiences and gets older, he may develop extroverted thinking (Te) much better. this can be expressed through learning to be more organized with time and his emotions.

as for his inferior function, which is introverted sensing (Si), he can be overwhelmed by details. he can also fall into the trap of always looking back on the past and thinking it was better, instead of paying attention to how far he has come.

page of wands, strength

taki seems to be someone who puts himself in action very instantly. he may learn the best about his situation by gathering inductive evidence, or simply, using what he sees, feels, hears, so on. this is extroverted sensing (Se). he is very aware of the present and continues to move alongside it.

taki can also have introverted thinking (Ti) as his auxiliary function. he can quickly analyze and have conclusions on what he is looking at and experiencing. he can be assertive in what he wants and wastes no time in making his decisions based on what he personally has gathered and thinks.

based on these two functions, taki is most likely an estp. this concludes his tertiary function to be extroverted feeling (Fe) which supports his dominant function pretty well. this definitely makes taki a very extroverted and lively person, someone anyone could have fun with.

his weaknesses could be related to his awareness of the present. such as impulsively making moves without thinking about the future or obsessing over what could happen in the future because of his impulsive actions in the past and present. this is from an inferior introverted intuition (Ni).

the chariot, nine of pentacles

maki's dominant function is most likely introverted intuition (Ni). he is able to look into the future to say, or at least he has a really good eye for outcomes and possibilities. he looks at the bigger picture in order to find the focus and the greater purpose. his thought process can somewhat be described as sequencial but looks for a greater idea.

maki's auxiliary function may be extroverted thinking (Te). he will aim to fix what is not working in hopes to make it better for future events. this is really helpful when he needs to be decisive and use logic for his actions, with of course the majority's goals and interests in mind, instead of his emotions or what is morally good or bad.

maki in the case that this is true, is probably an intj. hence, his tertiary function would be introverted feeling (Fi). he may really liike finding value even in things that seem trivial or straight-forward. when he has an interest it is very obvious and he expands on it.

his weaknesses, as someone with inferior extroverted sensing (Se), is the exact opposite of fuma and taki. he may live so far into the future that he does not think about what is happening now and can be overwhelmed by facts instead of theory.

the moon, the world rx.

why does mbti matter?

mbti is a way for us to see how we approach situations. we see our weaknesses and how we can improve on our thought processes.

why do majority of these not line up with the members' official mbti?

there are a couple reasons for this!! first, as i try to stress multiple times i found out their dominant and auxiliary functions with the use of tarot, i simply correlated the main concepts of the cards to each of the functions.

idols have a character/stereotype to maintain. truthfully, for marketing purposes it is most beneficial for them to act in ways that do not fully align with their thought process or become extremes of specific traits of their process. this post was also geared to introducing and educating the idea of jungian functions/stacking, rather than analyzing the every movements of the members.

what i did not delve into in this post were shadow functions as well. everyone actually utilizes all eight functions. everyone has layers and situations will arise that will cause someone to act 'uncharacteristically'. these shadow functions can make you defensive, self-doubtful, deceiving, and destructive.

the most common form of testing mbti is from testing oneself through websites or research. when dealing with matters including ourself, it may be difficult to objectively answer question based on your own actions and remove personal bias.

finally, it is important to note that mbti does not fully develop in a person until they reach around their mid-twenties. this causes healthy and unhealthy functions. for example, a healthy Ne dominant can use their thoughts and imagination to improve their life, while an unhealthy Ne dominant can be fully disconnected and discontent with reality.

does mbti change?

it is most commonly agreed that mbti does not change, people simply develop and gain healthy habits that help them learn to express each of their functions in the best/healthiest way.

#kpop tarot #&team tarot

14 notes · View notes

sciencestyled · 4 months ago

Text

The Devil's Bargain: A Quantum Quandary

Oh, you pathetic creatures of mediocrity, gather around as I, the incomparable Dr. Faustus, recount the absurdly serendipitous events that led me—yes, me, the master of dark arts, the conjurer of infernal spirits—to delve into the tangled web of quantum chemistry. You may think that a man of my exalted status would have no need to trifle with the paltry particles that make up your pitiful forms, but alas, fate, it seems, has a twisted sense of humor.

It all began on a particularly dreary evening in Hell (and yes, every evening here is dreary). I was enjoying a spirited debate with Mephistophilis, my less-than-impressive sidekick, over the finer points of eternal damnation—when suddenly, out of the blue, Lucifer himself appeared, looking more smug than usual. Now, it’s not often that the Prince of Darkness graces us with his presence, so I immediately suspected foul play.

"Faustus," he began, with that infernal smirk that makes even the bravest of souls cower in their boots, "I've got a little challenge for you."

Now, I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge, especially one that involves showing up that overconfident devil. But when Lucifer handed me a scroll with the words "Quantum Chemistry" scrawled in fiery letters, I’ll admit, I was less than enthused. What kind of sorcery could this possibly involve? Electrons, atoms, molecules—such trivialities seemed beneath me. But then, the offer: "Master this field, and I’ll grant you a reprieve from your eternal torment. Fail, and, well... you know the drill."

Oh, how the infernal gears of my mind began to turn! A reprieve, you say? I, Faustus, the man who traded his soul for ultimate knowledge, tempted by the chance to escape the flames? The very thought was intoxicating, and so, with a flourish and a bit of flair, I accepted the challenge.

What followed was a descent into a realm even more twisted and perplexing than Hell itself—quantum chemistry. The first thing I discovered was that the rules of the quantum world are as absurd as the terms of my infernal contract. Particles exist and don’t exist at the same time, they tunnel through barriers like the damned souls crawling through Hell’s fiery crevices, and they behave in ways that would make even Mephistophilis question his sanity.

But let me tell you, dear imps, the most confounding discovery of all was the realization that quantum chemistry is, in fact, an exquisite dance of chaos and order (ah, I used the forbidden word, but who’s keeping track in this infernal tale?). Electrons—those pesky little blighters—refuse to follow the simple, linear paths of classical mechanics. No, they waltz around in probabilistic orbits, defying the logic that your mortal minds cling to so dearly. It was as if they were mocking me, daring me to predict their next move, all the while knowing that even I, Dr. Faustus, would be hard-pressed to do so.

As I delved deeper into the eldritch principles of quantum mechanics—navigating the Schrödinger equation like a seasoned sailor in a storm—I began to see the parallels between this chaotic science and my own cursed existence. Just as I had signed away my soul for power beyond comprehension, electrons too are bound by rules that defy reason, forever trapped in a quantum purgatory of uncertainty.

But here’s the kicker—this journey through the quantum world wasn’t just a stroll through a twisted version of reality; it was a revelation. The very fabric of the universe, as it turns out, is stitched together by the most malevolent of forces, forces that I, Faustus, have long sought to command. And so, with a wicked grin and a newfound obsession, I decided to not only master this arcane science but to share it with you miserable wretches as well.

And thus, my dear demonic audience, I present to you the fruit of my labor: an exposé on the dark art of quantum chemistry. Consider it both a warning and an invitation—to explore the unfathomable depths of reality, where the rules are as twisted as my fate and where even the smallest particles can bring about the greatest of consequences. But heed this, for every revelation comes with a price, and in the quantum world, as in Hell, nothing is ever as it seems.

Prepare yourselves, for the tale that follows is not just a lesson in science, but a journey into the very heart of chaos itself.

#quantum chemistry #quantum #chemistry #science #science education #education #dr faustus #doctor faustus

0 notes

redrobin-detective · 4 years ago

Note

No, no this is very interesting. I agree with you that Vlad sees himself above human and ghosts (and interesting comparison to Danny who arguably sees himself as below both) but the idea of him not realizing that he’s becoming more and more ghostly. Could also somewhat explain his character degradation across the series as he became more fixated on Danny. As his obsession deepened, he lost touch somewhat with his human ability to multitask, to logic through things and meaningfully process emotions.

Danny was the one thing he couldn’t reliably control and it ate at him so he went to extreme lengths to get that control not realizing he was spiraling further and further from humanity. Vlad was already considered weird, but he’s a billionaire, they’re supposed to be weird right? As he steps outside his castle and interacts with more people, they find themselves deeply unsettled with how Not Right Masters acts. Vlad and possibly Danny to an extent are unaware of how inhuman they come across. At least Danny has friends and loved ones to pull him back from leaning too heavily into that side of himself. Vlad has no one and down, down, down the rabbit hole he goes.

I never really thought about it before, but it's so incredibly pathetic that Vlad's modus operandi for much of the show is just "humiliate a 14 yo"

It really is, I'm not a big fan of Eye for an Eye just because of the silly prank war thing but there is something about it that remarks on Danny and Vlad's relationship.

I think I said somewhere else that Vlad acts more ghost than human and Danny is the opposite. Vlad fell totally victim to his obsession (control) and didn't really have anyone to keep him more human. So while normal people would look at Danny (a minor) and Vlad (a middle aged billionaire) having a deep feud as weird, its probably less weird to Vlad who views him as a ghostly challenger. Danny both is (when he wants to mock him) and isn't (when he wants to beat him half to death) a child to him. I lost where I was going with this.

Rip Vlad's development in S3

#endless possibilities #could be why vlads ectoacne came back seemingly for no reason #he's using more and more of his powers tunneling deeper into his obsession #living ghosts are supposed to be a balance and Vlad getting too deep into one half throws it off #god...#if he goes too deep into one side...... it could kill him #his ghost half overwhelms his human half one day and thats just it #there is no more masters only plasmius who now has an unfiltered obsession with control and controlling danny in particular #scary #anyway sorry now I hijacked YOUR thoughts #they were super cool tho i had to comment bacl

103 notes · View notes

petertingle-yipyip · 3 years ago

Text

SIN MIEDO - BUCKY BARNES (THREE)

EPISODE THREE : POWER BROKER

series tags: @calums-betch // SM masterlist // another madripoor gif bc i loved those scenes

Pairing: Stark!Reader x Bucky Barnes (platonic/flirty)

Word Count: 9,209

Summary: Leaving John Walker in the dust, Y/N had to follow Barnes to a shifty contact. That leads them to Madripoor and an unexpected, and suspicious, ally. Juggling her grief, her control, her own doubts, the pressure of Walker on their tail, and a school girl crush, can she handle the fight?

The next day, the three of you found yourselves in Berlin. You weren’t surprised how easy it was to get through security. Flashing a smile and an ID with Stark on it opened pretty much any door. Surely it had nothing to do with Sam working with the Air Force again.

“Last time I was in Germany, we weren’t on the same side.” You commented nostalgically as you three followed the security guard. “How the tables have turned.”

“I’m gonna go in alone.” Barnes said as you all approached the last corridor.

“Not a chance.” You laughed as Sam said “Why?”

“You’re Avengers..” Barnes reasoned. “You know how he feels about that.”

“It’s not like you two were known for frolicking in the sun together.” Sam mocked.

“He was obsessed with HYDRA. We have a history. Trust me, I got it.” Barnes assured before turning to leave. When Sam didn’t stop him, you did.

Quickly you reached out and grabbed his wrist. You made no effort to pull him back and he didn’t exactly pull away from you. He looked back at you with a stern expression, that he wasn’t going to cave.

“You’re not going alone, Barnes.” You said seriously, tightening your grip on his wrist slightly.

“Y/N-“ He tried.

“No.” You cut in. “I don’t care. I can do this all day.” You offered with a slight smirk.

He chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment before caving. He nodded slightly, his expression betraying that he was slightly impressed. “Fine. Hurry up.” He said, nodding for you to follow.

“Yessir, Sergeant Barnes.” You chuckled as you followed behind Barnes. The comment earned you an eye roll and a scoff, but nothing was said.

“You sure you want to do this?” You checked as you two waited for security to let you in. “I can handle it on my own..”

“I can do it.” He nodded as you approached the cell.

“I’m sure you can.” You shrugged casually. “It was more about if you wanted to.”

You stayed a couple steps behind Barnes, using the shadows to stay mostly out of sight. You didn’t want to talk to Zemo, let alone be in the room. But part of you wanted to make sure that nothing happened. You didn’t know if you could stop Barnes if Zemo triggered the Winter Soldier, but you probably had the best shot.

You watched Barnes’ body language carefully. From your angle, you could see the look on his face. The tension of his shoulders. The hand you could see was in a tight fist. There was a certain fear in his eyes, in the way his jaw clenched. You could tell that a part of him, even if it was a small part, was scared that Zemo would send him back to the Winter Soldier.

Zemo tried the trigger words but earned no reaction from Barnes. You let out a breath of relief and saw Barnes’ shoulders relax as that tension left him. You didn’t doubt that Barnes had control, that his time in Wakanda was enough to rid his mind of HYDRA’s influence, but you also knew Zemo was crafty. You didn’t trust that he didn’t have a couple tricks up his sleeve. But then again… So did you.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” Zemo said, catching your attention. “It was never personal.”

“Seemed kinda personal.” You muttered to yourself. You were anxious, shifting your weight between your feet. You wondered what Sam was feeling back in the hallway but you couldn’t go back. The tension in your body was begging for a release, seemingly burning it’s way through your skin. There was a crackle of electricity between your fingers, a skill you hardly had a grip on. You only figured out how to use it in quick bursts or it would build itself up in moments of high tension.

“You brought a friend?” Zemo questioned, his eyes turning to you. You sunk deeper into the shadows.

“Someone recreated the super soldier serum.” Barnes said to redirect his attention. There was more control in his tone and it settled something anxious in the pit of your stomach. “I need to find out who.”

“You’re assuming HYDRA has something to do with this.” Zemo said simply, studying Barnes as he spoke. The expression Zemo held, the way he was looking at Barnes like an experiment, tempted you to reveal yourself. Something about it made your skin crawl, but you knew you had to refrain. You needed the info. “Which is why you came to me, which means you’re desperate…” A smug tone laced his voice and made you want to gag. “Lucky for you, and your friend in the shadows, I know where to begin.”

“And in exchange?” You finally spoke, stepping into the small sliver of light and taking your place beside Barnes. “What’s it going to take?”

His sly smile made you instantly regret the question.

Without explaining anything to Sam, you and Barnes led him to a series of tunnels underground. You opted to remain silent through the endeavor, knowing you wouldn’t be able to explain it right. While Sam pestered Barnes about the plan, you were busy finding the best route.

You kept one hand against the concrete wall, tapping your fingers to feel the vibrations. The tunnels were empty save for you three. They lead to a basement where you stopped for Barnes to walk Sam through a “hypothetical”.

“Please tell me this is an actual hypothetical.” Sam looked to you. In the meantime, you were toying with balls of air in your palm. You were balancing on them in a handstand.

“Yeah.” You lied. “It’s a hypothetical.”

Barnes continued to explain everything while you purposefully distracted yourself. You weren’t a huge fan of this plan, but Barnes had a point. Zemo offered a starting point. Walker had nothing. You guys had nothing. Though you’d never admit it, you needed Zemo.

“Speak of the devil.” You commented when you felt his footsteps approaching. You landed back on your feet as Zemo entered the room.

“You’re going back to prison.” Sam insisted.

“If I may-“ Zemo tried.

“No!” Sam and Barnes yelled simultaneously.

“Sorry.” You said with a shrug, bringing your forearms up and slamming them together. The movement called walls of earth to rise and trap Zemo in a thick rock casing. “It’s nothing personal.”

“When Steve refused to sign the Accords, you backed him.” Barnes countered.

“You broke the law and stuck your neck out for him.” You added.

“I distinctly remember you-“ Sam pointed to you. “-were on the other side.”

“My name’s not anywhere on that document.” You corrected. “I was a minor. Wouldn’t have been legally binding.”

“I’m asking you to do it again.” Barnes tried.

“I really think I’m invaluable-“ Zemo began again.

“Shut up!” You groaned, lifting the rock to meet his chin. “I will go all the way up.” You threatened before turning your attention back to the boys. “I’m with Barnes. I know it’s crazy but it’s the best shot we got. And we gotta move fast cause Walker is working on this too.”

“Okay.” Sam agreed finally. You dropped the rock prison and looked to the boys. “You don’t make a move without our permission.”

“Fair.” Zemo nodded.

“Otherwise, you deal with me.” You said simply. His eyebrows raised in interest, a slight challenge glinting in his eyes. You lifted your hand in front of your face, palm to the side. As you lowered your hand, you angled it so your fingertips pointed at Zemo. You saw his muscles tighten as he struggled but gave in to your control and went down to his knees.

“Dad once said the best weapon was the weapon you only had to fire once.” You said as if you were contemplating the words. “Let’s hope he was right.” You released Zemo before Sam spoke up.

“So where do we start?” He asked.

While Zemo was collecting his things from one of the cars, he explained where to start. He mentioned a woman named Selby as a starting point.

“This whole time you were rich?” Sam asked wildly as you approached a private jet.

“I’m a Baron, Sam.” Zemo answered in a matter of fact tone. “My family was royalty until you destroyed my country.”

“Eh.” You shrugged. “The Stark jet is nicer.”

You sat across from Barnes while Sam sat across from Zemo. You weren’t too interested in conversation. You didn’t know where you were going, nor did you really care. The sudden movement of Barnes made you snap to attention.

“If you touch that again, I’ll kill you.” Barnes threatened lowly with a hand at Zemo’s throat.

“At ease, soldier.” You reached over to tug on Barnes’ jacket. After a moment’s hesitation, he came and sat back down.

“I understand that list of names. People you’ve wronged as the Winter Soldier.” Zemo said with a solemn nod. He gestured between you and Barnes. “What I don’t understand is the relationship here. Are you two… involved?”

“Don’t push it.” Barnes muttered angrily as you simply rolled your eyes.

Sam talked about the book, that it used to be Steve’s. He bragged about how he suggested something for Steve to write in it. You remembered you had suggested some things for him to look into too, your favorite had been all the horror movies you got him to add.

Sam and Barnes then bickered about the Troubleman soundtrack, to which Zemo chimed in. You groaned slightly, throwing your head back and staring at the ceiling. The conversation quickly shifted to Steve and super soldiers, mildly peaking your interest.

“Cities fly. Innocent people die.” Zemo carried on.

“You forget who you’re talking to.” You laughed in disbelief.

“Pardon?”

“You’re talking about Sokovia… I was there. And my dad nearly died - yet again - trying to save the world… Trying to fix his mistake but no one cared about that part, right?.”

“Only nearly..” He agreed. “I think it’s fair to say the Avengers, none of you were really innocent.”

“And he actually did die to bring back half the universe so excuse me if I don’t share your bitterness.”

“It seems that you do, Y/N.” He analyzed, watching the response your eyes gave away.

“Shut it.” You rolled your eyes.

Conversation quickly shifted to Madripoor. Zemo and Barnes explained what it’s like, what it was. It sounded like a place out of a book, but given that your career was fighting A.I. powered robots and a giant genocidal purple lunatic, nothing was surprising anymore.

“James, you will have to become someone you claim is gone.” Zemo told Barnes.

A solemn expression came over Barnes. You couldn’t tell if it was regret, remorse, or something else. You leaned forward, resting elbows on your knees. You nodded to motion Barnes to come closer. He leaned forward in the same way.

“You sure you’re okay with this?” You asked quietly. “We can find another way, or we can do this witho-“

“I’m not sitting out.” He cut in. “I’ll be fine. Why do you keep trying to sideline me?”

“You won’t be alone.” You offered genuinely. “Sam and I got your back.”

Later that night, you walked the bridge that led to Madripoor.

“So who am I supposed to be, exactly?” You asked after Zemo had explained Sam’s character for the night.

“Rosalinda Calvillo Del Santos.” He said, showing you a picture of the girl. “Heiress to a huge cartel ring out of Mexico City.”

“Woah, she’s hot.” You nodded, slightly impressed. “And this dress… Seems like it perfectly matches her style.”

You motioned to the dress you wore. It was a tight, short black silk dress with a 4 inch slit up the right side that showed off your body beautifully. The chest of the dress hung perfectly to keep you covered but still catch attention. The straps were silver jewels in a halter style while additional pieces of thin black silk stretched across your back in a criss cross pattern.

“She's also a bit sadistic.” Zemo added nonchalantly. “But I’m sure you’ll play that just fine.”

“Fun.” You nodded.

“She kinda does look like you.” Sam commented as he leaned over to see the picture while he adjusted the cuffs of his jacket.

“She can’t be that hot then.” Bucky said sarcastically.

“Oh shut up.” You laughed as you pushed Barnes slightly. “You’re just used to girls in the 40’s and the whole modest look, huh?”

“Yeah yeah.” He rolled his eyes. “You ever gonna retire the old man jokes?”

“Maybe, but you have to admit how good I look.” You countered.

“Not a chance, little lady.” He smiled and shot a wink your way as he opened the car door for you.

“Well, Sergeant Barnes, what a gentleman.” You said sarcastically, holding a hand to your chest. “I’m so flattered.” You patted his chest as you sat down, scooting to sit in the middle.

The car ride was quick, although the motorcycles that surrounded your vehicle put you on edge a bit. The cold feeling of Barnes’ vibranium arm pressing against your own arm was the only thing that managed to keep you from burning through the car.

“The bracelet needs to come off.” Zemo pointed out on your walk to the bar.

“Excuse me?” You answered quickly, your opposite hand moving quickly to defend the metal cuff.

“Rosalinda only wears gold. She’s never been seen with anything else.”

“But this bracelet is-“

“Hideous” Zemo cut in.

“No! It’s from my dad, jackass!” You argued and stopped your steps.

“Here, let me have it.” Barnes held his hand out, to which you simply took a step away from him. “Y/N, come on.”

“No, I- I can’t take it off.”

Barnes sighed slightly before sliding two fingers under the collar of his shirt to pull a small chain out. He reached behind his neck to unclasp it before offering it to you. “Put your bracelet on here. Nothing’s going to happen to it.” Barnes explained.

“What are…” You asked softly as you reached for the chain. Your fingers grazed the small metal shapes dangling at the end, turning them so you could read the inscriptions. “James Buchanan Barnes..” You read silently. “These are your tags.. Barnes, I can’t ask you to-“

“You’re not asking. I’m offering.”

“Y/N..” Sam tried gently. “It won’t be that long, I promise.”

“Okay, fine.” You agreed reluctantly. You handed Barnes back his chain before reaching for your cuff. You put two fingers together above the metal cuff, focusing on separating it enough to slide your wrist out. Your eyes lingered on the band of lighter skin that was hidden by the cuff, proving to everyone around you that you never took it off. Once you freed your wrist, the cuff circled the fingers you used to open it. You glided it to hook over Barnes’ chain, connecting your fingers again to reconnect the metal. “Please don’t lose it.. It means everything to me.”

“Trust me.” He nodded as he reclasped his chain around his neck. He tucked the tags and your bracelet under his shirt and patted it lightly. You smiled gently in thanks before turning back to the door.

“Good. Now, escort her in.” Zemo instructed Bucky. Barnes held out an arm for you to take so you looped yours through his, making Zemo click his tongue at you. “Other side.”

“What difference does it make?” You asked in annoyance.

“The Del Santos family -especially Rosalinda- loves to show power.” He explained. “Having the Winter Soldier makes you powerful, but being on that side-“ He pointed to Barnes’ metal arm. “-shows it off… They also know how to barter for that power, if you know what I mean.” He gave you a pointed look and nodded towards Barnes, assuming you would understand what he meant. You hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but you understood.

“So treat him like a trophy?” You replied with a raised brow as you stepped around to switch sides. “Easy enough.”

“Oh god.” Barnes mumbled under his breath. “Don’t abuse this.”

“I think you’ll like being shown off a little.” You smirked slightly, keeping your head high as you followed Barnes’ lead into the building. “I’ll try not to go too far.”

Like flipping a switch, you fell into character once you stepped into the crowd and instantly made a statement.

“Listo para cumplir, Soldado de Invierno?” You said simply, keeping your head high and shoulders back as you followed Barnes through the crowd.

You heard the whispers, asking if that was really the Winter Soldier. You had to admit, it gave you a feeling of pride in your chest to see everyone look at you in awe. The respect in their eyes when they met yours was interesting. It was different from the respect you got as Y/N Stark. There was an underlying tone of fear in the looks as well.

Your small group stayed at the bar, Barnes kept his head on a swivel while you leaned your elbows on the bar top behind you. You lazily turned your head to check on Sam but saw the bartender slicing open a snake.

“Al menos no tengo que hacer nada que… asqueroso.” You said to Barnes before chuckling. He made a small sound of agreement, the tiniest hint of a smile toying with his features. “Vamos. Diviértete, soldado.”

“Mi misión es protegerte.” He replied in a flat, monotonous voice.

“Ay, díos.” You groaned, turning to face the bartender. “Señor? Bourbon, neat. Please.”

“Since when do you drink, Santos?” He nodded in amusement as he poured your drink.

“Well, it’s been a rough week.” You sighed, lifting the glass in thanks. “Put it on my friend’s tab.” You winked at Zemo before turning back to look at the busy crowd.

“You lot aren’t welcome here.” A bald man came up to Zemo.

“We have no business with the Power Broker.” Zemo started. “But if he insists…”

“He can come and talk to me.” You cut in, resting a hand on Barnes’ shoulder and sipping your drink. “Or bring Selby for a chat.” You shrugged.

“What do you know about the Power Broker?” Sam asked when the man was out of earshot.

“Here he is judge, jury, and executioner.” Zemo said quickly.

“We’ve got company.” You said into your drink. You set the cup down and cleared your throat. “Soldado de Invierno, hora de ir a trabajar.”

The man reached a hand for your shoulder but was instantly snatched by Barnes. You had to give it to him. He was a very convincing actor. It seemed easy for him to slip back into that person, to become the Winter Soldier. You knew it wasn’t really him, but the violent scene in front of you was hard to deny.

Sam saw it too. He looked to you in concern, hearing the same click of the guns that you did. You easily took the few steps to stand between him and Zemo.

“Don’t worry.” You said simply, maintaining the cocky smirk you wore as Barnes did his work. “He’s got this.. But that’s not what that look is about, is it?” You glanced at Sam and saw the expression on his face. It held concern for Barnes but also the flash of a memory when the Winter Soldier attacked you all after the UN bombing.

“You break character and this whole bar is against us.” You used your glass to cover your lips while you spoke. “I don't like this either but-

Before you finished your sentence, Barnes slammed a man on the bar top by his throat. You instantly slipped back into character to respond.

“Buen trabajo, querido soldado.” You giggled with a pat on his chest. He let the man go as the bartender told you Selby was ready. You swallowed the rest of your drink before putting the cup back on the bar.

“Vamos.” You nodded. Barnes held an arm out for you to take, which you quickly did.

“You okay?” Sam asked Barnes quietly as you followed Zemo to Selby. A sharp nod was the only response Sam got.

You let Zemo talk to Selby since you had no idea who the woman was. You stayed towards the back of the room with Sam and Barnes, your arms still linked. The cold metal against your arm was the only thing that kept you from bursting into flames.

It was easy enough to be Rosalinda. Confident, powerful, demanding respect, beautiful and a little flirty. It mildly shocked you that you could play into her sadism. You didn’t know where you pulled that from. Maybe Nat taught you better than you thought. Outside of that, Rosalinda was close enough to a Stark that you didn’t feel like you were pretending too much. And lucky for you, you learned Spanish as a child. It was the people that knew her that worried you. One wrong mannerism, one wrong saying, and the whole thing was blown.

“What’s the offer?” Selby asked after an attempted flirt with Sam. You caught Zemo’s signal, a silent attempt to tell you it was your turn.

“I suppose it’s more my offer.” You spoke up.

“I didn’t know Calvillos travelled this far.” Selby smiled mischievously.

“Well I heard you like to play hard ball.” You said with a sly smile. “Del Santos can play too. My offer is him. The Winter Soldier, el soldado de invierno.” You offered confidently, walking a small circle around Barnes. “And the words to control him, of course.”

You traced your fingers along his shoulders, across his back and down his metal arm. You felt him tense under your touch, but his demeanor never faltered. “He will do anything you want.” You added, facing Barnes and gently running your hands down his arms. “I’m sorry.” You whispered honestly. Your expression reset to a playful pride as you spun to take your original place beside Barnes and watched for Selby’s reaction.

“This is a fun surprise. I’m glad I didn’t kill you all immediately.” She said happily.

“You have information I want.” You stepped in front of Barnes, blocking him from her line of sight. “You give me everything I need and I give you him.”

She bit her lower lip as she smiled. Her eyes looked Barnes up and down, and it made you want to gag.

“Hello? Are we going to do business or are you going to ogle him all night?” You asked in annoyance as you crossed your arms.

“A bit testy tonight.” She said with an entertained smirk and your pulse jumped. “You were right to come to me.” She said with a nod. “The serum is here, in Madripoor. You’re gonna want to talk to Dr. Wilfred Nagel. Power Broker had him work on it but it didn’t go as planned.”

“Is Nagel still here?”

“Crumbs for free but the bakery will cost you.” She wagged a finger at you. “And before you get cute, you can’t find Nagel with me.”

Before either you or Zemo could offer a rebuttal, Sam’s phone went off. You felt in your bones that it wasn’t going to work out well if he answered that call.

As Sam was on the phone, which Selby made him answer on speaker, she circled you and Barnes. You nodded towards Sam, allowing Barnes to take a few steps away from you.

Before you knew it, your cover was blown and the shot rang out. Selby was dead and the boys easily took down the other two guys in the room.

“This is going to come back to us.” You said as you stood on the other side of the room, as far from her body as you could be.

“Just drop the weapons and follow my lead.” Zemo said, trying to gain control of the situation.

Without other options, you all followed Zemo out and through the streets of Madripoor. Every turn you took, you felt more and more eyes upon you. Phones buzzed every second and you could only assume it was word spreading of Selby’s death.

“I don’t like this.” You muttered.

As soon as the words left your mouth, gun shots sounded. Barnes grabbed your hand and began running with you following close behind. You ducked the shots and grabbed Barnes’ hand a little tighter. You turned to see Sam struggling to keep up.

“I can’t run in these heels!” Sam yelled.

“Try running in stilettos and a mini skirt.” You replied in annoyance.

“You want to stop them?” Barnes tried.

“I can’t really focus right now.” You answered with an eye roll. You were going to stop and try lifting a rock wall behind you or creating a gust to push them back or even try to summon a quick lightning burst.

Shots came from a high window and took out the two men behind you before you tried to fight back. Zemo came out from behind a dumpster and made a stupid comment about a guardian angel.

“What a coward.” You sneered, Barnes holding you back when you made a move to slap the Baron.

“This is too perfect.” A familiar voice came from the shadows. You pulled away from Barnes and called a small flame to your palm. “Drop it, Zemo.”

“Sharon?” Barnes asked.

“You cost me everything.” She ignored you guys. You didn’t let the fire go out.

“Wait, Sharon.” Sam tried. “Someone recreated the super soldier serum. Zemo had a lead.”

“That explains why you guys are here and why Selby’s dead.”

“Why are you here?” You asked carefully.

“I stole Steve’s shield, remember?” She scoffed. “And I took the wings for your ass-“ She pointed her gun at Sam. “-so you could save his ass-“ Her gun pointed to Barnes. “-from his ass.” Her gun landed on Zemo. “I didn’t have the Avengers to back me up so I’m in Madripoor.”

Sam tried reasoning with Sharon but got nowhere.

“We need your help.” You tried and let the flame in your palm die out. “Please. We- We didn’t have any other options…”

With a heavy sigh, Sharon told you all to follow her. You were the first to follow her footsteps. After a second, the other three came behind you. You were questioning the timing of Sharon’s reveal, but overall you were grateful she showed up. Things weren’t looking great up until then.

“Seems like being on the run treated you better than it treated Sam.” You commented as you looked around at Sharon’s place.

“If I was going to be a hustler, I was gonna live like one.” She said, a hint of pride in her tone.

The three boys then talked about the art, and whether it was real or fake. Sam didn’t believe them until a quick google search told him the truth. Sharon made you all change your clothes, pulling out a whole rack of clothes for the boys to look through and letting you sift through her closet.

You decided on a fitted maroon wrap-style dress. It was a soft material, fitting the curves of your body perfectly. The spaghetti straps criss-crossed behind your neck. You kept your same black heels and made your way back to the group and took a seat with Barnes on the couch.

Sam and Sharon talked a bit, ridiculing the idea of heroes. She called it hypocrisy, claiming that’s why Sam gave up the shield.

“Wow.” You teased as you sat. “You clean up nice, Barnes.”

He smiled slightly at you. “Hey, I didn’t know you spoke Spanish.” He said simply.

“Huh?” His statement took you by surprise. It wasn’t the response you expected. “Right. Yeah, I learned it when I was a kid. Dad tried to teach me French but Spanish was more natural cause my mom's side of the family.”

“You look good too, by the way.” He added and gave you a slight nudge. “Cause I know that’s what you wanted to hear.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Your face.” He said simply. “You give away a lot of emotions in your face.”

“I do not!” You insisted quietly with a chuckle, smacking his arm.

“Yes, you do.” He laughed with a nod.

“Wait a second…” You paused, crossing your legs and leaning towards him. “Were you just nice to me?” You teased with a wide smile.

“Don’t push it.” He chuckled.

“Hey... I’m sorry about using you as bait with Selby. I figured that’s what Zemo was hinting at… It didn’t seem like there was any room for me to say no.” You said honesty. The look in his eyes when you dangled him in front of Selby, you could tell it brought back so much of his trauma. That inability to say ‘no’. You truly had felt wrong for doing it. “I shouldn’t have-“

“Y/N.” Barnes said and put a hand on your leg. Your words were cut off instantly. “It’s alright.. It was for the mission.”

“That doesn’t make it right.” You said softly. “You’re not just an asset or a trophy. You’re my friend.”

“How is the new Cap, by the way?” Sharon asked, drawing your attention.

“Don’t even get me started.” Barnes shook his head.

You dropped your head back to look at her over the back of the couch. “He thought he could bail me out of jail and we’d be best friends.”

“He really thought you needed bail money? ” She laughed as she came around to sit with you two. “And you. You were Mr. America before you were his pet psychopath.” She told Barnes. “Cap’s best friend.”

“She’s kind of awful now.” Barnes said to you.

“She was always kinda awful.” You mumbled while Sam refocused everyone.

“You guys shouldn’t be involved in this.” She said, as if she was warning you. “For your own safety.”

“We got a name.” You added, not leaving any room for discussion. Something about the way Sharon talked to you led you to hold suspicions. “Wilfred Nagel.”

“Nagel works for the Power Broker.” She explained.

“I can get your name cleared, Sharon. But we need your help.” Sam tried.

“I don’t buy that.”

“They cleared the bionic staring machine and he killed almost everyone he met.”

“I heard that.” Barnes said, which drew a small laugh from you.

“I don’t trust charity.” Sharon countered.

“Let’s call it a deal then.” Sam offered.

“Fine.” She shook Sam’s hand. “Lay low. Enjoy the party. And stay out of trouble.”

“I do like a good party.” You smiled as you stood. You held a hand out to Barnes, who groaned before pushing himself up.

He held an arm out to you but before you took it, you turned to face him straight on. You casually adjusted his suit jacket before your hands moved across his chest. Your hands went to his neck while he watched your hands carefully. You slid both pointer fingers under the collar of his shirt and he tensed slightly. You pulled his chain out and held it with one hand and used the other to release your bracelet. You fit the metal cuff back to its rightful place on your wrist with a proud smile.

“Didn’t give anything away that time, did I, James?” You said quietly, shooting him a quick wink.

“Shall we?” You asked happily, turning to face Zemo and Sam.

Even though you had a point in being in Madripoor and it definitely wasn’t a party, you were excited for the party. It would be nice to relax, not feel any guilt over your father. Any grief over Nat. Any anger at John Walker. And stress about being an Avenger. You could just be a twenty one year old kid and have fun for the first time in what felt like ever.

You lost the boys in the crowd rather quickly. But it wasn’t a heavy thought in your mind to stay with them. What seemed to bounce around in your brain were your interactions with Barnes through the day. You couldn’t quite figure out if you were flirting with him intentionally or just habitually.

You brushed it off temporarily as your personality. You were a Stark after all. And Starks tend to flirt with anyone… Right?

Regardless, you weaved through the crowd and let yourself enjoy the party for a moment. You enjoyed the music, letting your body sway and spin with the vibrations. It was hard for you to tell where anyone was through the vibrations of the floor with the vibrations from the speakers, but you told yourself that wasn’t your problem. Barnes and Sam would be fine for a little while. You weren’t sure how long you had been dancing when you heard the boy beside you.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.” A boy said from your side.

Turning, you were met by a very beautiful boy. He was a bit taller than you, dark brown curly hair that fell messily across his forehead. You couldn’t tell the color of his eyes, only that they were looking at you with admiration. You couldn’t help but smile at him.

“I’m just passing through.” You answered vaguely. Given your previous escapades through Madripoor, you wanted to be as discreet as you could until you were able to leave.

“You come with anyone?”

“Just a few friends..”

“No boyfriend?”

“A boyfriend?” You repeated with a laugh. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“Girlfriend?” He tried.

“No.” You laughed slightly. “I’ve been out of the dating game for a few years, actually.” You snapped your fingers to show what you meant.

“You’re too pretty to be at a party alone.” He shamelessly flirted.

“Well I’m not alone.” You corrected. “This is actually a friend’s party.”

“Your friends with the Power Broker?”

Before you could voice a response, a hand found your arm. You quickly looked over and saw Barnes at your side, only his eyes weren’t on you. They were on the new guy.

“I thought you didn’t have a boyfriend?” The boy said nervously.

“Come on, Sarge.” You chuckled, noticing the staring and tense shoulders resembled jealousy. But for Barnes, distrust and suspicion was a more likely reaction. “It was nice to meet you.” You told the kid before pushing Barnes to move.

You couldn’t help but wonder… If the party was the Power Broker’s, but Sharon was hosting like it was her party.. Could Sharon be the Power Broker? Or closer involved than she led you to believe at least?

The next morning, you were all walking through an old shipping yard. Sharon was smart enough to grab you a more practical outfit, a skinny fit pair of black pants and a fitted light blue long sleeve and better shoes. You followed Sharon’s lead to crate. While she stayed for lookout, your group of four went in.

You knocked with one hand and felt the vibrations change at the end. You nodded towards the back of the container so Zemo went to take a look and exposed a secret door.

Sam and Barnes went in first, you behind them, and Zemo behind you. The guys tried to get you to take a gun but you adamantly refused, telling them you were a terrible shot and you had weapons of your own. Sam tried talking to Nagel, but he tried to run instead. Instantly, Nagel froze when he saw Barnes.

“You know who he is, right?” You chuckled, something intimidating dancing in your words. It was something you normally didn’t hear in your voice. You usually weren’t the intimidating type but things were different…You were different. “There’s Baron Zemo and me… Well, you’ll see.”

“How about a counter proposal?” Nagel tried. You ignored Sharon’s warnings in your ear. “Make me a better offer and I’ll talk.”

“Your life isn’t enough?” Your brows raised as you challenged him. You nodded slightly before raising your hand. Your fingers lazily pointed straight up as you grabbed hold of Nagel’s blood. “You don’t know what I’m capable of, do you?”

“Maybe she’s the intimidating one.” Zemo said, an odd respect in his voice.

You forced Nagel to his knees while Sam kept his gun pointed at him. “I can manipulate air too… I wonder if I could pull it from your lungs since you refuse to talk.”

“Okay, okay!” Nagel broke and told you the whole story after you released him. You were getting good at your new blood trick, and that mildly worried you but you had to push it to the back of your mind. Parts of his story included Siberia, an American who you could only assume was Isaiah Bradley, the Snap, and the Power Broker.

You caught the name Donya Madani, committing it to memory. If she was someone Karli wanted to help, she was someone that could lead you to her.

“Is there any serum in this lab?” Barnes asked. When Nagel didn’t answer, he pressed the gun to the man’s temple.

“No!” He said quickly. “But would she-“ He gestured to you. “-be incredible with it.”

“Thanks, but that’s a question I don’t need answered.” You crossed your arms and leaned against the wall behind you.

“The pure power you hold..” He continued and let out a devious chuckle. “You’re not at all curious?”

“I’m not the kind of person who deserves it.. Trust me. There’s probably as much blood on my hands as his.” You nodded to Barnes. “Just different motives.”

“Aren’t you tired of depending on them to help you? To save you?”

“I know my value. Anyone else’s opinion doesn’t really matter.”

The rest happened too fast to process in that moment. Sharon burst in. Zemo shot Nagel and that drew an interesting reaction from Sharon. And an explosion went off. Barnes had pulled you out of the way before you could get caught up in the blast.

Your head spun mildly from the quick movement and your ears rang violently. You tried to shake it off but that seemed to only make it worse. You felt a warm stream down the side of your head and realized a loose piece of shrapnel had sliced your forehead.

“You alright?” Barnes asked, helping you to your feet. “Y/N? Are you alright?”

“Yeah.. Yeah, I’m fine.” You nodded, mildly disoriented. Looking around, you saw the smoke gathering in the room. You put a hand above your head, using it to keep the smoke at the top of the room.

“Ah shit.” He muttered, pushing the loose hair out of your face. “You’re bleeding.”

“I’m fine.” You pushed his hand away. “We gotta go. These chemicals are going to go off any second and I doubt I can save us from that.”

You got Sharon to her feet while Barnes got Sam. Sam asked about Zemo, but that was the least of your concerns. You four had to get out of there before you were trapped.

You tried using your powers to move the shipping containers or pull a piece of the wall apart but it was too heavy to do in such a hectic environment. There was too much going on for you to really focus. Once you were out, the boys started arguing about whose fault it was.

“Not the time!” You shouted at them, your back against one of the fallen containers. “We’re blocked in and you three are out of bullets. So either I can try to handle this or we stay here and get caught. Either way, you need to zip it so one of us can come up with something.”

“Just use your pow-“ Barnes tried.

“I can’t do anything when you’re this loud!” You snapped. “Besides, the containers are too heavy. I’m not strong enough.”

You thought out loud to yourself. “I could try a concrete wall but I don’t know how long I can hold it if I’m worried about getting shot.” You chewed your lower lip in contemplation. “I’m too far to try the blood thing… They’re firing too many bullets for me to redirect back… What if I…”

It was so much easier when you had your dad to talk things out with. When you had someone smarter than you and could see a different angle, who could run the numbers and tell you your best chance, everything was so much easier.

“How are you going to handle it then?” Sharon challenged with an eye roll.

“You really don’t know a thing about me, do you?” You laughed in disbelief.

Before she could offer a rebuttal, there was another explosion. A smirk found its way to your face as you got an idea. You quickly hopped the barricade your group was stuck behind, despite the protests from Barnes and Sam. You slid under a hanging metal beam and popped up by the explosion. You shaped the flames away from you four and pushed it towards the people shooting at you. You used what was left as a wall to give you cover for you to get away.

“That’s how I’m going to handle it.” You said with your trademark Stark pride as you met back up with the group.

“You could've got yourself killed.” Sam reprimanded as you four had to duck into a separate container after a gunshot nicked your shoulder. Barnes launched a metal pole through one of the shooters’ shoulders like a javelin before shutting the door behind him.

“Okay.” You groaned, lighting a flame on two fingers. “That could've got me killed.” You ran the flame gingerly along the graze in an attempt to cauterize the wound and stop the bleeding.

“You’re an idiot.” Barnes grumbled.

“Who just saved your ass, huh?” You challenged as he opened the door when the shooting stopped.

“When are you gonna realize you’re not indestructible?”

“When are you gonna realize who you’re talking to?”

The heavy roar of an engine drew your attention and interrupted the sudden tension. The tension and attitude dissipated as soon as it came but you could tell it wasn’t going to be the last time that grievance was brought up.

“Supercharged.” Zemo said proudly as he pulled up in a sleek black car.

You let out a low whistle and nodded in approval. “She is a beaut.” You commented with an amused laugh. “Would it be wrong if I kept her after this?”

“You’re going back to jail.” Sam told him. “And you-“ He told you. “-aren’t keeping the car.”

“You’re no fun... Shut up and get in then.” You rolled your eyes. As Barnes climbed into the front seat, you went to the driver’s side - as if proving a point that you didn’t want to sit behind Barnes - and hopped over and into the backseat. “We still need him.”

Sam got in on the other side and after a quick conversation with Sharon, you were ready to go.

“You’re not gonna move your seat up, are you?” Sam asked.

“No.” Barnes said simply. You rolled your eyes at his childish antics. You leaned forward and tugged his sleeve to get his attention.

“Move your seat up.” You insisted.

“I’m not gonna move my seat.”

“Why not?”

“He didn’t move his seat for me so I’m not-“

“Solo tienes que mover el maldito asiento, Barnes.”

“No me voy a mover“

“Venga, muévete.”

“Por qué debería?“

“Cállate y mueve el maldito asiento. Hmm?” You patted his chest before leaning back. Barnes scoffed, but slid forward slightly.

“Okay…” Sam started, leaning closer to you to speak quietly. “What the hell was that?”

“I’m fluent in Spanish.” You shrugged as you leaned to the middle and spoke in the same hushed tone. “Dad taught me when I was eight-ish. I use it for fun or when I’m trying to prove a point, hence the conversation you just saw. Why?”

“Not that… That.” He gestured to you with one hand and to Barnes with the other. “You guys have been flirting since-“

“Nope.” You shook your head and sat back again. “I’m not talking about that.”

“But you were! Why else would he listen to you?”

“What are you guys talking about back there?” Barnes tried.

“It’s above your pay grade, Barnes.” You answered without thought. “Anyways, Sam.” You turned back to Sam. “I’m a Stark. If there was any flirting, it’s harmless. Starks flirt with everyone.” You shrugged innocently.

“Mhmm.” Sam said unconvinced. “If you guys end up together and-“

“If we end up together I’ll be just as shocked as you.” You laughed. “But it’s not gonna happen. I’m pretty sure he hates me, deep down. You saw how he snapped at me a few minutes ago.”

“So just right now and the other day before Walker showed up, right? That’s what you’re basing this on?” Sam asked, gesturing a small circle in reference to the current scenario. You pressed your lips together in a line while you nodded. “But didn’t he make sure you didn’t make it worse after you got arrested?”

“Sure but-“

“Before we ran into Sharon, he reached for you, right?”

“Okay but wait-“

“And he pulled you out of the way of that blast?”

“I see what you’re saying but-“

“And he only seems to get mad at you when you get yourself hurt!”

“It’s coincidental!” You reasoned quickly with your hands up in surrender. “If he’s gonna like anyone, I highly doubt it’s gonna be me. Wanna know why?”

“Enlighten me.” Sam laughed.

“Cause I push every button I can with him.” You explained. “I annoy him and I talk shit to him and I don’t listen to him. I purposefully see what I can get away with. I’m his annoying roommate/best friend.”

“Right… Because that gimmick never leads to anything…” He rolled his eyes in amusement. “Whatever you say, Mini Stark.” He chuckled.

On the flight back, Sam and Barnes sat opposite each other while they talked. You opted to lay on the ground between them after healing your shoulder and other small scrapes, wanting something flat to let your back relax. As soon as you laid down, you felt your spine pop and practically reposition itself.

Your mind wandered back to the same thoughts it kept coming back to, with the newest additions to your messy brain. Your dad, and if you were doing right by him. Steve, and if you lived up to his expectations. Nat, and how she’d be proud to see you utilizing the skills she taught you. The boy at the party, his unintentional implications of Sharon and the Power Broker. And Barnes… Sam’s suggestion that you were purposefully flirting with Barnes had made you rethink your last interactions with him.

There were comments slipped in here or there, sure. You had played a bit when you took your bracelet back, sure. But were you flirting? Did you.. Did you have a crush on Barnes? No, no it was all in good fun. You didn’t really know him. Why would you flirt with someone you didn’t know? Right?

“Maybe I should’ve destroyed it.” Sam said, which instantly caught your attention.

“That shield represents a lot of things to a lot of people, including me.” Barnes said quickly.

“Yeah, me too.” You agreed from the floor. “My grandfather made that shield… It holds a special place in my heart, kinda the only physical thing from Howard...”

“The world is upside down and needs a new Cap.” Barnes started.

“And it’s not gonna be Walker.” You added.

“Before you destroy it, I’m going to take it from him myself.” He finished.

“Count me in, Barnes.” You said, sitting up when Zemo came down the aisle. You moved to sit by the side of Barnes’ chair and looked up at him. “In it together?” You asked, holding up a fist.

“Together.” He smiled slightly as he gave you the fist bump you waited for.

“Thanks, by the way.” You added softly as Zemo muttered something. “For keeping this safe-“ You shook your wrist. “-and for getting me out the way of that blast. I could’ve died but you didn’t let me.”

“I told you I wouldn’t let you die, Y/N.” He nodded. “You trust me yet?”

“Hmm, getting there.” You pondered playfully. “You’re making good progress, but it depends on if you’re still mad at me.”

“Why would I be mad at you?” His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“You yelled at me..” You realized how silly it was once you said it.

“You could've gotten hurt or even killed and I- I can’t have your blood on my hands too..”

“I know I’m not invincible…” You admitted heavily as you looked between Sam and Barnes. You knew Sam worried about you too, but he and Barnes had different ways of showing it. “I know I’m not Iron Man, but… But that’s the way I’ve always fought. It’s how I learned to fight. One time Steve told us ‘If you get hurt, hurt them back. And if you die, walk it off’.”

“Of course he did.” Barnes chuckled as Sam smiled fondly.

“It’s what I've always followed. So yeah, I’m a little reckless but I can heal myself so I never worried… But I guess I can try to be more strategic if it would make you guys feel better.” You offered with a small smile.

It was nice to know you had people watching your back, two people by your side that would seemingly burn down the world if it took you. You felt safer than you had with anyone since your dad.

“Why do you call him Barnes?” Zemo asked suddenly. “I thought you were all friends.”

“Wait. Does it bother you?” You wondered honestly, looking to Barnes.

“No, just a little different.” He answered with a small shrug.

“Dad always called him Barnes. Not James, or even Bucky. Guess I picked it up from him. I never really thought about it, in all honesty.” You shrugged.

“Yes, but that’s very business.” Zemo continued. “It’s so impersonal. If you two have a good relationship like you claim, or the type of relationship you two display… Shouldn’t you call him something more intimate?”

Using your powers, you plucked one of the ice cubes out of Zemo’s drink and flicked it towards his forehead. It smacked the center and left a wet square on his skin before plopping back in the cup. You smiled in amusement and looked to Barnes, who also enjoyed your little trick.

“Mind your business.” You chuckled, leaning your back against Barnes’ seat. You tilted your head back against the seat too, closing your eyes and letting out a sigh.

“Hey.” Barnes tapped a finger against your forehead. “Don’t sleep on the floor.”

“Stark?” Sam laughed from the other side of the aisle. “Get up, kid. There’s an open seat right here.”

“With the amount of times I’ve fallen asleep on the floor of my dad’s lab or in a desk chair leaning on a lab table or even on the lab table.” You laughed while you stayed in your spot. “This doesn’t bother me.”

“Get your ass up.” Barnes tried again.

“Too late!” You announced, dropping to the ground. “Good night.”

You woke up when you all landed. Even though you had napped on the floor, you didn’t wake feeling stiff or uncomfortable. You followed the boys out of the jet and through the Latvian streets.

It was a beautiful country, as many European countries were. Cobblestone streets that carried vibrations perfectly. Intricate stone buildings that were tall but not towering. Simple painted doors to break monotony.

“I don’t suppose any of you bothered visiting the memorial?” Zemo asked, referencing the memorial for Sokovia.

“I did..” You said softly, almost too quiet for anyone to hear.

“Did you?” Zemo was honestly surprised.

“After my dad’s funeral, when I moved out… There was a gap between leaving and moving in with Barnes. I didn’t know where else to go or who I was without Tony Stark. So I went to the memorial… It didn’t make anything clearer but it reminded me of a lot.”

“I’m sorry about your father.” Zemo said. You swore you heard sympathy playing in his voice. “He had his flaws but he was a good man.”

“Yeah, thanks, you and the rest of the world are sorry.” You said, somewhat bitterly. “He was the only permanent family I had. No one cared about me like he did.” You felt Sam and Barnes shoot you a look of confusion but you didn’t acknowledge it.

“What about the Avengers?”

“Yeah, they were great.” You shrugged slightly. “It just wasn’t quite the same. I was the most important thing to him, you know? Whenever I was feeling off, he was always there with something fun to distract me. Granted, that something fun was usually a new piece of tech he wanted to test, but it always worked to cheer me up. The world misses and mourns Iron Man, the CEO of Stark Industries and Earth’s best defender. No one other than me mourns my dad.” You explained as you noticed a change in Barnes’ demeanor.

“I’m gonna go for a walk.” He announced.

“You good?” Sam tried.

“Yeah. See you in a bit.” He nodded before taking off.

You lingered outside while Zemo went in. Sam turned in the doorway when he realized you hadn’t moved.

“Little Stark?” Sam asked. “You coming?”

“That was weird, wasn’t it?” You commented, pointing in the direction Barnes went.

“Yeah but he’s weird.” Sam chuckled. “You know that…. Oh! I see what this is.”

“It’s not that.” You shook your head with an annoyed sigh.

“That’s exactly what it is.”

“Seriously? He’s our friend.”

“You don’t see me chasing after him.” Sam shrugged. “He’s a grown man, Y/N. If he wants to brood and take a walk, let him.”

“You didn’t see it.. Something caught his attention and made him leave.”

“Well I don’t just stare at him so no, I didn’t see anything.”

“Nat taught me to constantly watch my surroundings. To keep my head on a swivel… He saw something I didn’t, but I saw him see it. I just don’t know what exactly he saw.”

“Just come inside.” He sighed. “You can interrogate him when he comes back.”

“ Or I just go check on him… Cause I’m grown too and don’t have to listen to you.” You said carefully, hurrying after Barnes. You heard protests from Sam but none made you turn.

You made it to the alley where Barnes turned. You knelt at the corner, feeling the ground and knocking your knuckles against the stone. You closed your eyes to focus, picturing Barnes and an incoming familiar figure. With an amused smile, you turned the corner.

“Ayo.” You said happily. “I didn’t think I’d see you here.”

“You followed me.” Barnes said, moderately annoyed.

“You made it easy enough.” You muttered before turning to the Dora.

“What brings you to Latvia?” You asked, already knowing the answer.

“Y/N.” She greeted respectfully. “I’m here for Zemo.”

77 notes · View notes

myownworstenemyyy · 4 years ago

Note

Congrats on your milestone!!!🎉🎉🎉I really have loved getting to see your blog grow! Since this is a celebration, the only thing I can offer is an idea that has been swimming in my head since forever. AND I know if you do it you will do it justice and make it amazing with your lovely brain. So with that being said: 🎶 + Din + Wicked Game (I've been obsessed with James Vincent McMorrow's version, but all of them are *chef's kiss*) Love you, your face, and your writing😘💖 CONGRATS AGAIN!!! 🎉✨😊

thanks so much, doll! and omg this SONG 😩👌 i never knew how badly i needed it in my life lol i hope you like the fic it inspired me to write (i apologize for any pain this one may cause 😅). thanks for requesting! 💜

warnings: mentions of blood/injury ; death (descriptions of dying) ; Angst™; back at it again with a cliché last line ; idk how to refer to Greef Karga so I call him Greef here, please don’t @/ me

ship: Din Djarin x Reader

masterlist | tag lists

Wicked Game

Din always knew his life would be a short one—that Mandalorians don’t exactly have the luxury of growing old and living a full life. He accepted the fate his creed bestowed upon him long ago, but he never realized how painful it would be.

Not physically—in fact, he can hardly feel anything as he lies against the giant slab of duracrete in what’s left of the cantina. Right now, his pain cuts far deeper than physical. He feels it in his very bones, this soulful ache for something that he knows will never be.

Among the fallen rubble and blaster fire, he barely registers a light pressure on his hand, his fingers beginning to go numb. Your face—stained with soot and dried blood—comes into view and it takes everything in him not to sob out your name, knowing it may be the last time he has the honor of voicing such a sweet sound.

“I’m here, Din. I’m not gonna leave you. I...I know you’re in pain, but do you think you have the strength to move?” you ask in a desperate voice, your eyes wide and glossy—either from the smoke in the air or from your own emotions getting the best of you, he’s not sure.

“C-cyar’ika,” he whispers, but a thick warmth gets caught in his throat and he falls into a coughing fit, the sharp taste of iron confirming what he already knew to be true.

Blood is filling his lungs and he knows he doesn’t have much time left.

“Don’t try to speak. Save your energy,” you rush out, swallowing hard and nodding your head as if you’re answering for him. You look over to Cara and Greef as they watch your exchange with matching, sorrowful expressions.

“We have to carry him out, he can’t move,” you reach for the child standing at Din’s feet, the little one completely focused on the man who’s cared for and protected him with his own life. Din’s fingers twitch with a longing to comfort the little one, but it’s no use, the remnants of his strength waning by the second.

Cara hesitates before moving forward, presumably to help lift Din to his feet and drag him to safety within the tunnels beneath them. But Din finds the will to subtly shake his head, signaling her to stop. It’s too late, he thinks to himself. Too much time has passed since Moff Gideon’s last assault and Din knows that it won’t be long before they’re under fire again.

You look down at Din, your brows knitted together in confusion and anxiety, the child reaching out to him. “Y-you have to...go on without me. P-protect the child,” he croaks out, his breaths shallow and lungs burning with every intake of air.

“No. I told you, I’m not leav–” you start to protest, hugging the child close to your chest when it makes a loud whimpering sound. Your bottom lip trembles and you pull it between your teeth.

“The IG unit can stay with him, but we need to get the child out of here now,” Greef places a hand on your shoulder, but his eyes remain on the T of Din’s visor as he seems to say, I’ll make sure they’re safe.

The aforementioned droid comes into view and Din’s vision starts to blur, his ears ringing with a deafening pitch. The following moments of your exchange with Greef and Cara are difficult to comprehend as Din starts to pass out, but then he feels your hand in his again and he forces himself to stay awake.

You don’t say anything as you lift his gloved hand to your cheek, tears streaming down your face. Oh, how he longs to feel your soft skin against his calloused hands. And though you can’t see his face because of the helmet covering his features, Din still tries to give you a reassuring smile.

“I’ll be r-right...behind you,” he lies through his teeth, a chill wracking his body. It won’t be much longer before he meets his Maker, but he doesn’t want you to have to witness his end.

He regrets a lot of things he’s done in his, what one might consider, wicked life—the lives he’s taken and the people he couldn’t save remaining at the forefront of his mind. But if he can spare you this...this trauma of watching him take his final breath, then he’ll do everything in his power to protect you from it.

You lean forward and press a kiss to the top of his helmet, right where his forehead would be, before resting your own against the cool metal. A Keldabe kiss. His chest aches beyond any physical means and it’s only then that he notices the moisture on his cheeks, spilling from his eyes.

I’m so sorry, cyar’ika, if only we had more time, he wishes he could say, but he can barely hold his head up, let alone speak. The high pitch of the child’s cry reaches his ears and Din opens his eyes to find the little one touching the side of his helmet. Goodbye, my child, Din thinks as he finds the strength to reach up and lightly stroke behind the child’s ear one last time.

He hears you sniffle before whispering, “I love you,” your voice breaking. He can only just make out the gentle squeeze of your hand around his before you reluctantly let go as Cara ushers you away.

Everything in existence seems to fade away after that, like you were his life force and now that you’re gone, he can’t hang on any longer. His breaths become uneven as fluid fills his lungs. At his side, IG-11 injects something into Din’s arm, but he doesn’t understand what the droid is saying—something along the lines of help with the pain and deep sleep.

And as he becomes void of all senses but the memory of your hand in his, he embraces Death like an old friend.

Permanent tag list: @bestintheparsec @haildoodles @mandoandyodito @javier-djarin @readsalot73 @agentpike @aeryntheofficial @wickedfrsgrl @mrsparknuts @scarlettwitcher @buckysalefty @rosamedina92 @maxiarapamaya @promiscuoussatan @ah-callie @bluemoon-glen @pablopascal @littlemissthistle @waywardodysseys @thick-dick-din-daddy-djarin @thewaythisis @phoenixhalliwell @lovingtheway @petertingless @hiscyarika @pascalisthepunkest @mrpascals @sergeantbannerbarnes @mrschiltoncat @cyaredindjarin @destucky45 @getinthepoolkeanu @petrelliforcongress @gooddaykate @mistermiraclee @roxypeanut @watsonwise @demigod-dragonrider-schoolidol @tiffdawg @floweronthegrave @cryptkeepersoul @soldade @jaime1110 @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @themandjalorian @longitud-de-onda @walkerchick007 @shinyfranci @arrowswithwifi @24kgolden @triggerhappyflyboyy @blushingwueen @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @thinemineours @and-i-swear-we-are-infinte @ham4arrow @thisainttheway @katialvi @kristalhi @kimljn @mabelleen @auty-ren @frietiemelon @fanfiction-trashpile @sinnamon-bun @larakasser @miraelles @lackofhonor @jerusomeeno @liadamerondjarin @engineeredfuture @engineeredfiction @pascalesque @carringtonhill @mstgsmy @hayley-the-comet @the-wishmonger @clydesducktape @autumnleaves1991-blog

Character tag: @maxlorrd @no-droids-allowed @synystersilenceinblacknwhite @opheliaelysia @starlight-starwrites @lellaren-uodo-rian @anomiatartle @nerd-without-a-cause

121 notes · View notes

sloppy-butcher · 4 years ago

Text

Angel of Music

The Wraith (Philip Ojomo) x Survivor!Reader

ok so

I’m probably very late to this, like 3 years late, but whatever just hear me out

My smooth brain has been going crazy lately for Phantom of the Opera and i just realized how similar Wraith’s “Angel of Music” cosmetic is to the drama (i mean, i known it is inspired by it but like).

so now with this glorious revelation, me and the monkeys in my head have come up with the brilliant idea to write a Phantom of the Opera inspired Wraith fic. gods speed you funky lil dudes.

note;; this is going to be very OOC for him. I’m am going to model wraith to be more like the phantom he is dressed as, thus expect a more devilish, seductive creature rather than the tree-man we already know. also, he can talk now. maybe sing

literally no one asked for this

word count: 4110

TW: Death and blood. Stalking and obsession. Musicals

This place is an undeniable and indisputable nightmare. An eternal night that twists and corrupts all with shadows and despair. From the repetitive game of cat and mouse that almost always ended in death to the ever-present feeling of eternal damnation, there is absolutely nothing inherently good about the Fog. There wasn’t even light. As if stuck in the haze of an ecstasy-trip, time bleeds into itself seeming to stretch on forever yet also never move an inch. A true paradox.

And to make matters somehow even worse, you had started to hear voices in your head.

It first spoke to you on one of your regular trips into the woods. Scavenging for tools and items that could be used in trials, you hummed to yourself. Oblivious to the world around you, lost to the music playing in your head. It was easier to forget the horrors of the night and give in to the melody of some old song than to ponder on dangers yet to come. You found personal peace in singing, drowning out all your earthly worries by the power of your own imagination. The fog swirled and swelled with the rise and fall of your song and out in the darkness the voice made its presence known. ‘Sing louder.’ You obliged willingly.

Initially, you had chalked it up to your heightened sense of purpose and inner monologue being superimposed so as to form its own being. You would command yourself in third person, detaching and driving your body as your thoughts spoke. Intuition personified. This theory made sense; endless panic often causes those to develop the most peculiar of coping mechanisms. In passing conversations with the other trapped souls you realized that they too had their quirks; one had a rubber band that he snapped on his wrist whenever scared, another rubbed dirty into her palms to stop them from sweating and so on. Unfortunately, you had developed the most bizarre habit out of everyone else. You only started to question the voice’s true intention when its orders became more sinister.

‘Leave him.’ It spoke over your shoulder referring to your teammate dying on hook, an open exit gate before you. ‘Run away.’ It commanded to your half-way through healing another when you spotted the killer fast approaching. All these new and selfish instructions, although ensuring your survival, left you feeling hollow inside. You escaped but at what cost? The lives of your friends. If it really was your true self talking to you then, by default, did that mean you were as evil as the voice was? No! You plead. You were a good person. By God you were human, and the weight of all the death and suffering inflicted by your obedience to the voice began to crush your conscience. You couldn’t even look the others in the eyes anymore.

You couldn’t just ignore the voice either. When it spoke there seemed to be an almost physical force behind it, driving it and giving it momentum. Sometimes it even felt as if someone was standing right behind you reaching out and instructing you with their hand as they whispered in your ear. There was also the fact that you drew strange comfort from the voice. In this desert place, so drained of softness and angry with hate, you depended on what little gentleness the voice offered you.

It even occurred to you that maybe, the voice wasn’t even yours - as in it belonged to someone else entirely. An unknown watcher, a ghost or phantom, who somehow had a deep connection to you, a one-way mode of communication. A large part of you wanted desperately to believe that who were just overreacting and that it was all just in your head. Regardless, you just couldn’t shake the feeling.

For what felt like days now the voice had been uncharacteristically silent. You noticed it in your first ever trial with the killer that could go invisible with the toll of his bell. There was no guidance, no consoling vector to take your hand and help you through your problems. You had been left alone like a new-born chick, blindly searching for the love and warmth of a guardian. Feeling completely lost, the panic that sat on your chest was overwhelming in that trial. But oddly enough, no matter what you did wrong, how many times you blew up a generator or accidentally revealed your position, the killer never disturbed you. You didn’t even see him until the end where, standing in the exit gate looking in on the realm, you spotted the figure. Bright eyes gleamed back, a bloody weapon in his hands. He allowed you a moment longer to gawk at him before ringing his bell and disappearing into the night.

Even after escaping the voice didn’t return. Your ears yearned for the sound of it, hungry for its filling noise. You sat alone at the campfire, eyes staring unblinking into the mesmerizing flames. It was so lonely, the panic and unrest mixing into a dangerous concoction in your head. There was nothing good anymore. Why do you keep on trying? Perhaps it would be better if you just gave in already. You almost jumped out of your skin when, as if manifested by your desperate cry, the voice called.

‘Come.’ It sounded from the treeline, darkness bending and beckoning you into it. It didn’t feel real. Perhaps you were imagining it. ‘Come,’ It said again sensing your hesitation. You looked around at the other survivors none of which appeared to notice the disturbance. You faced the forest again, it opened to you like the mouth of a great fish. Your feet itched to run to it. There was a powerful pull and before long you followed it.

The woods were freezing, broken branches grabbing out as you passed them. Through all these adversaries, pushing past doubts and warranted skepticism, you kept your eyes focused ahead. Even with all the warning flags the voice had given you, the pure desperation you had to find anything even remotely kind lit the fire of will under your feet. Besides, what was the worst that could happen? You were dead either way. The trees swayed and whined as a tired wind blew through their crumbling leaves, oddly not even making a noise. As the voice continued to call, luring you away from the safety of other people and fire, you spotted something ahead of you. There just through the fog, like a lighthouse over a raging sea, was a light. It bobbed and sway and wondered away from you through the trees. It was hypnotizing to watch the light flicker deeper into the trees, your feet not needing motivation to follow.

The light and voice mingled in your head, overwhelming every sense until it felt like you were walking through a dream. Your pace was sluggish and sloppy, you couldn’t feel the ground anymore. Just as it seemed you’d never catch up to the light, it suddenly stopped, blinked a few times then popped out of existence. You went to its last location, looking around for any possible signs of anything to help you but instead found yourself completely surrounded by an all impressive mist. It danced through the trees creating unbreakable walls of wood and water. It felt wrong to be here, your head spin around for an exit which came to you in the form of an out-of-place stone archway.

The bright yellow of the stone contrasted brilliantly against the somber atmosphere it lived in. Your mind wasn’t your own as you unknowingly went to it. Beyond the mouth of madness lay a beast in wait, purring as he felt your impending arrival. Eagerness overtook him and slowly the wooden door creaked open to welcome you inside. The tunnel that lay behind was one lit by old candles tinting the world with a much-appreciated golden light. It stretched on for miles, leading down into the earth where, at the bottom drifting up to you like a breeze in a cave, the voice beckoned.

‘Come.’ You stepped inside. ‘Come to me.’ If, by some strange miracle, you could have stopped yourself for a brief moment from descending the tunnel, you might have noticed the voice’s odd word choice. You might have even noticed the person on the other end licking his lips and smiling. Walking as if through honey, you unhurriedly made your way to the yearning voice. Before long the warm light that had bathed you drew back its loving embrace and faded back to absolute darkness.

At the edge of the last candles reach was a room - so large and empty of light that it appeared to have no roof, no walls, no end. You couldn’t help but feel like you had walked into the lair, the most secret and quiet place, of a monster. You couldn't shake the feeling that you had passed the point of no return. The artificial night swallowed you whole; your eyes strained in the pitch black, your ears burning from the total silence save for your own beating heart. The shadows inspected you, looking you up and down while you were none the wiser. His eyes also ate you up, so pleased to have you alone that he let the moment slip into an uncomfortable length.

You wanted to speak, make your claim against whatever had brought you here. You could sense something out there just outside of your already limited view. But the silence held you tight in its suffocating grasp. You dared not even breath. You had to wait for him to make the first move.

“Bravo.” The voice called from somewhere behind you, startling you to the point of drawing a gasp. “Bravo! Bravissimo!” Someone started to clap. You could hear him stepping around you, his voice echoing endlessly around the room, impossibly loud and booming. Although there was something deeply unsettling about the voice, the only thing you could take from it was odd comfort. It was real. A person. A guardian Angel! You spun around on your heels desperate to see the source of your guidance however he managed to remain hidden in shadow. You swear you could hear him grin at your confusion.

“You listen well, my dear.” There was no denying it, it was the voice. Although only now, when it spoke so openly, did you notice that it was inherently male. So relieved with the news that you weren’t going completely mad with disembodied voices, you glazed over the other implications this reveal came with. If it wasn’t yourself than just who have you been talking to all this time? And, the more pressing matter, just who were you stuck with in the room.

The stranger claps again and moves around in the black, shuffling from one side of the room to the other and at times seeming to even be above you, looking down. “I am beyond impressed my dear.” The stranger smiled, unbeknownst to you getting closer with very advance. “Do you know where you are?” No reply. Honestly you had no clue. You had never been in this place before - it felt so detached, so different when compared to all the other realms you had grown accustomed to in the Fog.

“Hell.” The voice answered, purring like a cat with a trapped mouse, teasing it - relishing off its fear. “The deepest pit. And, what’s more, you came here all on your own free-will.” He moved again not content to stay in one spot for too long, trying to view you from every possible angle before he made his last move.

“Won’t you sing for me. My Angel of music. You know the one I mean.” His words hit you like a ton of bricks. A song? As you wracked your brain for whatever he could be referring to, a faint idea began to materialize right in the tip of your tongue. Words of a melody that you swear you had never heard before but still feel familiar with in your heart. The voice, it sang to you. How could you forget!

“Every night I was there. Whispering my song to you in hopes that one day, you could join in with me.” That was true. Each time you dared to drift off to sleep, the voice would appear. He sang to you, gently and softly, talking into your ear to lull you safely away - only to wake hours later with no memory of the night before. Perhaps that is why you were always so attached to the voice, why its absence impacted you so deeply. There was a build of pressure behind you and suddenly he was there. The stranger towered over you without even looking, his chest pressed tight to your back. Exploring hands went down your arms and slowly brought them up like the two of you were about to start a dance. His head hung low to your ear, his breathing touching your exposed neck. He sucked in and exhaled meaningfully, taking in your smell and touch and your reaction to his closeness.

“Sing.” God, his voice was so smooth, demanding and rich. A sonorous tone that had never been shown to you before this. It shocked you to your core. He sighed again, one hand moving to caress your neck with the other holding your own hand. “Sing my Angel.” Up till now you were passive, sitting ideally in a dream-state as you let the stranger do as he wished. But now you wanted answers.

“Let me see you.” No answer came from the man be it verbal or physical. He remained completely unphased and unchanging.

“Sing.” He commanded again, no anger or annoyance in his tone only patience and hunger. He yearned for you to sing with him, to join in with his symphony. For too long has he gone silent, his soul dying along with his music. The bells no longer tolling and his music fading out like a lit match in the rain. When he found you, fallen like an angel right out of Heaven, humming alone to yourself, he felt the fire of passion ignite within him. You were perfect to him and now, you couldn’t resist him. You were defenseless, night having accustomed you to its unfurling beauty to the point that you were addicted to it – needed it, just as he did. There was no way either of you could go back now. You breathed into him, your nose filling with the smell of pine and smoke, and hesitantly after closing your eyes, you began to sing the words now burning hot in your head.

“Say you’ll share with me,” It wasn’t really singing, rather just breathless talking – a whisper that only the keenest of ears could hear. Regardless of what you sounded like; the stranger cherished every word that left your mouth. He started to shake, his hands holding on to you for support.

“One love, one lifetime.” He joined you now, singing as you did in a volume that only you could truly appreciate. His raspy, low-pitched voice mingling wonderfully with yours, sounding almost desperate to get the words out. Lips grazed your ear sending shivers down your spine.

“Say the word,” His hands tightened their grip as if to empathize his lyrics. “And I will follow you.”

“Say you love me.” Your combined voices bounced around the darkness stirring whatever creatures lay in hiding, your harmony compelling and immensely sorrowful. While a part of you faded into the song’s words, swaying and melting with the stranger content for once, something crawled into your head. The song was ending, and while you wished to stay forever in this blissful embrace, you demanded to know the face behind the voice. Your moment was coming.

“That’s all I ask of -” Slipping out his grasp at the moments climax, you spin around to finally lay your eyes on the stranger. He froze under your gaze, surprised by your sudden action. Looking up at an incredibly tall man, you felt your knees threaten to give out. Staring back were the glowing eyes of a killer, the very one that had, not long ago, tormented your friends. You couldn’t help but gasp and step away from him, breaking his hold on you. You inspected him as best you could in your lack of light, squinting your eyes as hard as you could but nothing in the darkness made itself known to you save for his unmistakable eyes. The stranger noticed your efforts and, fuming at your defiance to play along with him, raised a hand.

“You wish to disobey me? Fine!” The ground shook under foot, his shouting voice ricocheting off the rooms stone walls and sending the world into disarray. “Look at me Angel! In all my glory!” He snapped his fingers.

Suddenly your senses were overwhelmed by blinding white light. You flinched, shutting your eyes to the dramatic change in the room. When next you opened then you found the room to be hazed in familiar yellow candlelight. As if by magic, all candles had all be simultaneously lit. Your attention darted around like a trapped bird before resting on the man standing in front of you, his arms open and expression unreadable. Bathed in new light you could see him in immaculate detail.

Yes, it was the invisible killer, no doubt about it. But something was off about him. He looked different somehow; maybe it was his prim suit, navy fabric decorated with golden lace that fit his slender body snugly giving him a sense of proper and divinity. Behind him hung an extraordinary cape that fluttered in a non-existent breeze. On his face sat a white mask, crooked and dirtied from years of neglect which, in all honesty, covered little to none of his truly disfigured and burnt flesh.

Unparalleled fear began to rise in your chest. He was so tall, powerful and strange that it terrified you to be standing next to him. You stepped backwards, edging closer to the exit. The stranger’s eyes flickered. How could you fear him? He had never hurt you, Angel. All he has ever wanted was to be by your side, to never be lonely in the dark again. He has given you no reason to distrust him, he has never shown you his monstrous side. Yet still you shrunk away from his touch, choosing rather silent suffering than a lifetime of music with him. He felt something break inside him.

You saw his hand twitch, his off-center head bobbing as his labored breathing intensified. He took a small step forward and you replied by taking a large one back. He halted and so did you. Next to the broken thing that rattled around in his bones, he heard something else. A beating heart, weak and faint but somehow still alive. It moved and leaped, reaching out for you to take it and hold. Just standing in your company he heard music start to swell in his ears. You had listened to him once before, maybe he could get you to again.

The stranger's head dropped; through the lumpy cape you saw his shoulders deflate. What was he doing? Playing possum so as to catch you off guard? Whatever it was, you didn’t let the tension ease out your legs. You waited for his next move, ready to run if he tried anything suspicious. You didn't expect the sound of his voice to suddenly start singing again.

“Say you’ll share with me,” He sang his solo, his voice that of an airy murmur as if afraid to sing alone. Every word he sang clung to your ears, kissing your heart and mind with a complex sorrow. Your guard started to halter.

“One love. One lifetime.” He paused, swallowing the lump building in his throat warning to overflow and render him speechless.

“Lead me,” He raised a cautious eye to find you still waiting, offering him the chance to try coax you closer. A fist clutched his chest in an attempt to sooth his aching heart. “Save me from my solitude.” He was certain he was crying but he couldn’t feel the tears; you had his undivided attention.

“Say you want me here...” He faltered here, hand itching to reach out and grab you. “Beside you.” The stranger could barely form audible words anymore, so slurred and choked up that you unknowingly leaned forward to try hear him better.

“Anywhere you go,” He tried again, begging you to close the distance and join him. It was heartbreaking, this phantom, this person and the way he sang to you, each syllable dripping with an ocean of unimaginable pain and beastly hopelessness. It was infectious really; you could feel his sadness take over your heart shaking it in an iron grasp. Miserable eyes glared you down as you took the smallest step forward. “Let me go too.”

He didn’t continue - he couldn’t. The horrors of the whispering darkness and this god-awful place left him near-drained. Everything pushed down on him, suffocating him until he thought he was going to pass out. He could only keep his eyes on you. Blurry from tears he held onto your figure like your were a buoy in a raging sea, his only safety, his air. The stranger heaved from trying to maintain his composure. Finally the curtain fell and you gave in.

Your foot falls were the only sounds that broke the silence in the room. You approached him with little to no conflict in your mind. Yes - he was scary. Yes - he was a monster. But the way he looked at you now, the way he sang and spoke; no killer would beg to be loved the way he did. It was like he was afraid of the dark, of being alone, of being condemned to an existence of pitiful silence. You craned your neck to look up at him, sucking back the wreckage still wavering just outside his control.

“Pitiful creature of darkness,” The words tumbled out of your mouth, through teeth unfazed by their possible repercussion. You were speaking from your heart. A small hand connects with his unmasked cheek taking in the feeling of old, burnt skin and years of mud. He leans into your warm embracing having forgotten what it was like. “You are not alone.”

Even on tip-toes you still were short of his lips. It was only when he gave in and leaned down that you were able to kiss him. Eyes closed, shoulders tensing, you melted into the kiss. His lips were rough, chapped, but gentle. He didn’t give anymore pressure until you asked for him, dragging you tongue along his bottom lip asking for entrance. He opened to you gratefully. Inside his mouth housed monstrous sharp teeth and an excited tongue and moved inside your mouth, tasting ever inch of you. He was greedy, demanding everything of yours. When you had nothing more to give, he relented and let you go.

You sank back on your heels gasping for breath. You noticed he was smiling, an odd sight of such a distorted and sad face.

“My Angel. My Muse.” You felt him move on top of you, a hand sneaking behind your back making to bend over so as not be pressed uncomfortably against his chest. “I have many names of which to call you. I am eager to use them all.” He laughed, the sound rattling your whole body with its bass leaving you quivering. “But you, can call me Philip.” He tilted his head in a mock bow, his free hand grabbing the edge of his cape and fanning it out in respect. You offered you own meek nod. His smile only widened at your compliance.

“Come now,” Philip said standing up to his full height, his hand still securing your back. “Let me take you away. Away from all this numb light and into the darkness where no one will find us.” He raised his arm and cape and quickly brought it down around you, sweeping it around the both of your until he had you cocooned.

The world fell into black again and all you could sense was him; his breathing, his reinforced arms cradling you. You could also hear a faint thumping when you put your ear to his chest - his heart. Once diseased and weak now pumped with vigor and delight. He had you in his grasp and he was never letting you go. You were his everything; his Angel of music.

#i spent so long on this #i have a serious addiction to poto now #poto is phantom of the opera if ya didn't know #im sorry if this is cringe #i just needed it #dbd imagines #dbd writings #dbd the wraith #dbd philp ojomo #dbd the wraith x reader #dbd philip ojomo x reader #dbd x reader

40 notes · View notes

sw4gg1e4life · 4 years ago

Text

Yu Yu Hakusho (Reviewing 25 years later)

This anime is like a forgotten gem. It doesn’t come to mind as #1 first but when mentioned everyone goes oh yea that was like one of the best anime’s of all time. I feel like most anime’s don’t have the same level of action, adventure, comedy, drama, and growth that this show offered. Whether you watch it as a kid for action & childish humor or as an adult for the deeper drama, life lessons and adult humor, it’s great across generations and across time whether you watched it as a kid in the 90s/00s or now in 2021.

Let me simplify it because there’s so much in-depth analysis I could go into.

Ratings per Arc/Saga:

Spirit Detective - 8/10

Dark Tournament - 10/10

Chapter Black - 8/10

Three Kings - 7/10

Deeper Analysis:

Spirit Detective - Honestly this arc had amazing parts to it, introducing the main characters, slowly improving enemies, and setting up for the Dark Tournament. I love the intro and how Yusuke has to undergo his ordeal showing his relationship with Kuwabara, Keiko, his mother, Boton, Koenma and everyone else around him. We’re introduced to a brat who doesn’t really belong but slowly finds his place and purpose starting here as Spirit Detective. I loved the deeper stories with introducing Hiei and Kurama. The introduction of Genkai was amazing, it showed there’s different aspects of growing and trying to master spirit energy. I only wish that section was a bit longer, maybe just 2-3 episodes of more unique competitors. The Spirit Beasts section is what made it a tad lackluster. This is their first real mission to spirit world and the abilities of the 4 spirit beasts just felt somewhat limited to me. Especially the fire-tiger beast, his tenacity just became annoying at some point. This is what dropped the Spirit Detective Saga to an 8 for me or else I would’ve made it a 9. The final part is amazing, it brings some backstory to Hiei by introducing her sister and most importantly the Toguro brothers leading to the Dark Tournament.

All together, it’s probably one of the best intro sagas to any anime I’ve seen at least. There’s simplicity but also complexity at the same time depending on how deep you look into it. They didn’t just half ass the action like many of my other favorite action-packed anime (DBZ, Fairy Tail). There’s a lot of mystery, dark moments, and strategy for a supposed kids cartoon for the haters out there.

Dark Tournament - This has to be the best saga in any ever because of the different strategies, emotions, growth, and somehow comedy still added in. I can’t help but re-watch this saga again and again every few years. We start with a mystery question: how much did the main characters grow in strength, abilities, and strategies? Now as a teen then now adult, the masked fighter is obviously Genkai because of the height, outfit and abilities, but as a kid, she was such a mystery for me haha. Anyways we go into the tournament and the committee seems hell bent on pitting everything against Yusuke & friends. I like that though Yusuke’s team comes out on top at the end of each fight, they do lose some individual matches for multiple different reasons. Instead of mindless matches purely on the fighting, we actually learn some backstory about many enemies and our main characters. It didn’t take long either; there wasn’t a ridiculous amount of episodes spent per backstory like Naruto or Fairy Tail. Genkai showed even more wisdom but also understanding of humanity as she knows her time is ending so she passes on her power abilities and most importantly wisdom to her favorite dim-wit. And throughout the story, we get to know more about Genkai and Toguro’s backstory and how power, morals and unfortunate events can change one’s future. The part that most people forget is the final episodes of the Dark Tournament: Toguro has been and wants to continue punishing himself. He actually does care for Genkai and Yusuke. He knows Yusuke has greater potential to grow into something great but needs proper and sometimes drastic measures and guidance to do so.

This saga had an amazing start, several related series of actions in the middle and a proper explanation at the end for many questions we had. On top of all that we’re left clues to the next arc, subtle clues you don’t realize until the next arc comes around. Episode 66, was shocking, Koenma actually granted Yusuke’s wish for his mentor and friend to be revived to live until the end of her life in peace as much as possible.

Chapter Black - This saga was great. You really don’t know what it is until it’s fully explained. We all know there were stronger demons deeper in spirit world. But something deeper darker is coming and it’s crazy because after 66 episodes we realized we never wondered about a previous Spirit Detective. What happened to that one? Now we get a trio of test spiritually aware humans just to test Yusuke & Kuwabara, but the really interesting part is when Sensui and his team is brought in. A few abilities were obvious but others were so mysterious with a constant ominous presence and heartbeat music looming over. What is each unique opponent’s abilities and what is Sensui’s background and end goal? His multiple personalities each containing yet even more unique abilities with his desire for an open tunnel into the depths of Spirit World for A/S class demons is insane. It seems impossible for Yusuke to win here even with Kuwabara’s sacrifice again. But wow what a reveal that he does have a secret demon king lineage in his blood. I both love and hate this at the same time. It feels like a cop-out but also explains everything at the same time. It’s like Super Saiyan in DBZ but different because at least here it took until the 3rd Saga and several arcs to reveal it. I guess in the overall scheme of things it’s like having Dragonball before Dragonball Z. Anyways the ending is amazing as we see them fight and find out just why Sensui wanted this all along as well as his gay partner’s obsession over him.

This was a great saga with a truly ominous back story and I love it. The only reason I keep it rated at 8/10 is unfortunately it happens right after the best saga ever in the Dark Tournament. At this point, power scaling and the use of demon king lineage in Yusuke just unfortunately puts the rating here. And we already know what the next saga is about for sure. There’s nothing left to really explore.

Three Kings - Here we go, the finale of Yu Yu Hakusho. We know Yusuke is of demon king lineage so of course he’s going to go train in Demon World. Hiei and Kurama obviously would follow along. Now with everything being obvious, why is it still interesting? Somehow the writers/producers of Yu Yu Hakusho find a way to bring even more back story in appropriate timing without it becoming filler. Learning about the deep ancient history of Raizen vs Yomi vs Mukuro shows how even as demons they have a human aspect: Raizen who ended up loving a human, Yomi who had a child and history with Kurama, and Mukuro with her tragic backstory that led to an odd relationship with Hiei. The ending is great with yet another tournament. As a kid, I wished they had a full tournament arc, but decades later I realized how much sense it makes that they didn’t show us the whole tournament, just key battles and how no one in our main crew won. Yusuke, Kurama and Hiei still has much to learn and grow. Yomi and Mukuro’s time has passed. A new brighter future awaits the demon world. Yusuke finally gets his happy ending with Keiko.

This final saga unfortunately because of its timing and closure gets a rating of 7/10. For an ending it’s great and I’m not sure how to improve it. That’s why I’m not a producer/writer haha. But it is definitely amazing and I appreciate it. Yusuke went from a kid/teen to a young adult. The story we came to know and love is over and he did NOT end up obsessed like Toguro. He didn’t choose the demon life. He also didn’t choose a psychic path like Genkai. He chose his own path with his friends in the human world continuing as spirit detective but living as close to a normal life as possible. I love this ending, The ending and whole narrative makes me give this show a 10/10. Yes I know they released 2 specials in 2018 but why not that’s a small treat for us fans. They can do specials maybe every decade or so. I don’t actually want them to do a new continued series like Dragonball Super. Let the original show be what it is and be remembered in history as one of the most unique shows with catchy theme songs. Also the Eng dub is actually good haha. Listen carefully for the adult humor hidden in the show if you’re re-watching it. You likely didn’t understand every NSFW joke as a kid. I know I didn’t haha.

#YuYuKakusho Yusuke Anime AnimeReview

4 notes · View notes

ablogcalledrevenge · 5 years ago

Text

Potential (A General Hux x Reader Insert Multi-Chapter Fic, Rated T)

Chapter Three

The evening had started so promising and lovely. It was a simple gala to raise funds for the Order and a chance for you to meet the Council and higher Admirals. While General Hux did take direct orders from Supreme Leader Snoke, most decisions that concerned the First Order had to get approved by the Council. There were many nights where you listened to your husband rant about their incompetence and lack of foresight. Anything involving finances or major operations needed their say-so, and they did not grant it often. They were old members of the Imperial Army, kept fat by ancestral money and tarnishing reputations. You needed to figure out which ones to keep and which ones were expendable. When you took over you’d probably get rid of the Council entirely but for now they had power over the General and you needed to show respect.

Your husband had kept an arm around your waist almost the whole evening and you felt as though you were floating through the night. You were singing his praises, extolling triumph and virtue upon him and the First Order. Every nod in agreement was a credit in the coffers and point in your favor. Then it all went wrong.

You had stepped away to use the refresher and then gotten waylaid by some Colonel’s wife. While you found the lot of them vapid, you understood their usefulness in influencing their husband’s opinions, and so you spent a good few minutes exchanging pleasantries and gossip. They were loose with their tongues after some wine and you quickly learned how loyal some of the more affluent members were and to whom they were loyal. A good number viewed Snoke with indifference and merely cared about gaining control of the Galaxy again. They would follow General Hux before Snoke if the ideas were good enough and the rewards were large enough. These bloated old men just wanted the glory of the Empire restored and the status quo kept. You wouldn’t be doing that, but why burst their bubble so soon.

Excusing yourself, you searched the large hall for the flash of red that was your husband and found him talking with a handsome older gentleman. His eyes caught yours and your heart skipped a beat against your will. Under the glowing lights of the banquet hall, his cheeks flushed from the good food and drink, your husband looked resplendent. He was so full of vitality and power, oh your heart suddenly ached to be close to him. He would be magnificent when you gave him the helm of the galaxy.

“Ah, there you are my dear.” He said, grabbing your hand and rubbing your knuckles before pulling you to him and placing his hand back on your waist. The touch, even through your dress, was scorching. Touch with him always seemed to be one step forward, two steps back. He would kiss your hand or forehead every night before you retired but he never pushed further. Sometimes you would sit together in the evening after his shift, knees touching but if you even tried to get closer he would pull away. You couldn’t figure out why. If he wasn’t attracted to women, you wouldn’t have been offended. But if he wasn’t attracted to you, you’d rather know sooner than later. The rejection was starting to sting and you desperately craved some kind of intimacy.

“Forgive me for leaving you. I got a bit distracted by Colonel Paru’s wife. She just came back from Naboo and had so much to tell me.” You say bashfully, looking at the other man. He smiled but it did not reach his eyes. You turn towards your husband in a subtle move of solidarity.

“Not at all (Y/N), I was just speaking with Allegiant General Pryde.” Hux replies, pushing against your back towards your guest. Extending your hand gracefully, you allow Pryde to take it in a strong grip. His stare was very cold and dismissive.

“How nice to meet you Allegiant General. How are you enjoying the party?” You ask pleasantly, pulling your hand back with a strained smile. While you enjoyed socializing and subtly employing your influence, you were tired. Everyone around you felt like a statue, so stiff and impersonal. It reminded you too much of your mother’s parties, where everyone was trying to vye for meager power and hid behind invisible masks.

“It’s quite the glittering assemblage Lady Hux, made all the more beautiful by your inclusion. I was just telling your husband how lucky he was to have you as a wife. Not all of us are content to remain bachelors. How he can focus on his missions with such a becoming woman on his arm is admirable.” He said with a rueful chuckle that seemed fake and incendiary. You blush and look towards your General in exaggerated adoration but his face has gone tight. A few more people come over to join your conversation, clearly wanting to get in good with Pryde.

“Yes I suppose if one is forced to be wed, (Y/N) is an acceptable partner. Do not envy me, General Pryde, married life comes with it’s own struggles. The First Order and the Supreme Leader’s vision must always come first and I assure you, they do.” His hand drops from your waist and your smile follows it.

“In the next cycle I plan to pitch a great new weapon to the Supreme Leader that will cement the First Order’s place in the galaxy and take out the pitiful Resistance in one fell swoop. No one, certainly not an insipid girl obsessed with dresses and galas, can keep me from my purpose. My marriage is only proof that the galaxy needs the First Order, the crumbling Imperial kingdoms returned to their rightful place through the Supreme Leader’s brilliance. They could not do so without our strength and power. We have been extending our reach throughout the galaxy and soon we will be unstoppable.” He says, his eyes seeing far beyond the crowd that surrounds you, his fists tightening in their gloves. He has the look of fervor that comes over him when he makes a speech in front of the Stormtroopers. Pryde’s insinuation has insulted him and in response he is insulting you.

“Come now General, are you really that derisive of your wife? I managed to catch her speech on Ando and I found it very eloquent and inspiring. The First Order needs more than weapons to bring the people to it’s might.” A Major pipes up, though his comment does little to improve your mood.

Hux scoffs and stands in parade rest, a tell you’ve noticed him doing when he feels unprepared and uneasy. It gives him comfort to stand so tall and still and you clench your fists to stop yourself from pushing him over.

“My wife is skilled in many things, that is true. While we do have more systems under our banner because of her tour, I am sure they would have succumbed to our power regardless. Wars are won with strategies, not lunch meetings.” His accent has started to sound ridiculously crisp and pompous and you long to pull his hair and make him groan like a wounded animal.

The other men are agreeing with him, asking about this weapon that is news to you, commenting on how ridiculous their wives are with their clothes and petty squabbles. The noise rises to a static sound, everything becoming muffled as though you are underwater. Your vision tunnels on your husband’s face, severe and uncaring. He turns to you and gives you a look of such contempt and distaste, your gasp of hurt is clearly audible.

“I’m going home now, please excuse me.” You say quietly but full of venom, before turning on your heel and breaking away from the group. Laughter follows your departure and you tighten your lips in order to stop yourself from crying. You knew the General could be harsh, but never imagined it would be towards you. And to insult your intelligence and your partnership, to bring up a brand new idea out of nowhere, to hurt you so badly in front of your peers, cut deeper than any physical wound.

Pushing through throngs of people, you don’t excuse yourself or explain. Your happiness at the beginning of the evening is waning. Your beautiful pink gown, with it’s large skirt and train is a hindrance to you, slowing your escape. You’re so focused on getting past a large group of women in similarly large dresses, that you don’t see Lord Ren until he grabs your arm to stop you.

His mask offers you nothing though his grip is tight but not painful. You push your hand against his and try to pull away. He is an unyielding mountain in your path.

“Lady Hux, you-” He starts to say, the robotic voice sounding almost soft. But you’re close to crying and you will not embarrass yourself any further. Lacking any fear that you would normally have in this scenario, you manage to break free of his hold.

“Don’t talk to me. I refuse to suffer any more indignities tonight. Surely your reproach can wait.” You bark out before quickly running out the door. You do not see the way his eyes follow your retreat or the glare he levels at your husband.

You leave the party in silence and you return to your rooms in silence. He has not chosen to follow you and the dismissal is one more barb against you. If he thinks you’re going to forget about this by the time he gets back, he is sorely mistaken. Glancing around the room, your eyes catch all of his possessions, meager as they are, and you long to destroy them. But you won’t, you have consideration for people.

You rip off your tiara and sit down on the couch in a huff of silk instead. You’ll wait for him, pacing around your quarters and your temper getting higher and higher. How dare he humiliate you like that, in front of all those important people? And what of this new weapon? Did he have plans outside of the ones you made together? Why didn’t he tell you? Why didn’t he trust you?

An hour of this circular thought passes before the door opens again and he enters. You were sure you looked a mess, hair falling out of it’s style and face lined from worry. He doesn’t spare you a glance before taking off his gloves and setting them on the small table by the door like he always does. You hate him so deeply in that moment, the color of his hair fills your vision and you wonder if he can hear the warning bells pealing.

Your husband doesn’t say much, quite surprising considering how much he was talking earlier, and goes over to the liquor cabinet. He pours a drink for himself and does not offer you something, how typical. Though you wouldn’t take a drink even if he did; your head already feels hazy.

The memories of tonight start to swirl and bubble in your brain as you watch him take off his outerwear and settle at his desk. He’s not going to acknowledge you or your anger and that only fuels your fire. You push off the couch and up to his desk, sweeping an arm across the surface and knocking everything to the ground. His chair screeches against the floor as he stands abruptly.

“How dare you! That’s my work, you can’t just do that. You could break it.” He shouts, pointing a finger in your face. You relish his irritation, happy for some kind of reaction.

“How dare I? You can’t just ignore me after what you did. You don’t get to act like I’m some silly girl with hurt feelings! You blindsided me in front of all the Admirals and governors and made me look like an idiot. We’re supposed to be a team and you treated me like a stupid subordinate.” You shout, backing away from him and running to the bedroom. The door stays open because your fight isn’t over yet.

“You told Pryde about some new weapon you have, about your plans. What new weapon? I thought we agreed we were going to focus on taking as much ground as possible. We decided that gaining land and territories was more important than some large show of violent power. Are you drunk? You almost gave away our true ideas to the men we’re trying to get rid of!” You say through the open door, struggling to take off your dress. He makes a move as if to join you and help but you hold a hand up to stop him. Somehow you manage and glare at him in your slip, the chill of your quarters only adding to the loneliness that surrounds you. He scoffs again, the sound jarring.

“You’re just cross because I didn’t include you in my plan. Not everything in my life needs to concern you and clearly you don’t have the acumen to understand it.” Hux replies, focusing more on the items you pushed off his desk than you. It’s a small thing but the fact that he won’t even look at you as you yell is what snaps something inside of you. Running out of the bedroom, you slap him hard across the face. He lets out a gasp of shock and you kick a leg out to knock him to the ground. Flat on his back, you get on top of him settling your weight on his stomach.

“Listen to me, you pompous foolish child! You would have nothing without me. I made you! You would have no plan without me! You came to me begging for credits and I gave you purpose. I don’t need you, any high ranking official would’ve worked, but I chose you. Snoke would find you lacking and kill you soon enough. You need me! I won’t let you diminish me and toss me aside.” You sneer, your hands coming up to grab at his neck. You don’t squeeze but the small pressure you place is a reminder. He pushes against you, clearly not impressed with your behavior. He opens his mouth to speak but you cut him off.

“You want to rule the galaxy and get rid of Snoke, then you better start showing me some respect. I am not a stupid girl and you should be defending me in front of the Council! Pryde is your competition and a block in our path and you want to cozy up to him? Have some conviction in your goals!” You demand before he flips your positions, his body hovering above you. His hands push your wrists up above your head and against the hard floor as his legs bracket yours. Apparently it’s his turn to speak.

“How dare you strike me! I could kill you with barely any energy expended. Your ideas only work with me and you know it. You needed someone with power and an audience with Snoke to get what you want. You need me! I have every right to look at you and your weaknesses with contempt because they’re obvious. You say I have potential and yet you refuse to let me plot my own future. I was doing just fine before you came along and I will do just fine after you’re gone.” He yells back, spittle dropping onto your face as you squirm. His face is turning red with rage. You aren’t afraid per se, but you do feel uncertain. You’ve never seen him so incensed and certainly not at you.

It dawns on you then why he’s so incensed and why he’s fighting back with you like this. If he truly felt this way, he would’ve gotten rid of you long ago. This whole evening has shaken him and a smile forms as you laugh in his face.

“You are so transparent! You’ve realized you’re replaceable and you’re scared. You can’t hide from me General. You know that there’s nothing special about you and that I could become Empress with anyone else. Perhaps I should drop you and move on to someone like Pryde. He has true ambition. Or maybe I should leave you for Kylo Ren and back someone with actual power instead of a boy playing at General and begging for approval from Daddy. At least one of them might actually fuck me and make all this worth it.” His eyes widen and he rears back, his grip loosening. You use his surprise against him and grip his face with your nails. You hope he bleeds from the sharp points. No one speaks for a moment, the air around you is hot and tense.

It is eerily silent as his hand slides up to your neck. It does not push or squeeze, it just sits there in warning. A flash of fear enters you and the spark of triumph in his eyes makes you positive he’s seen it. You feel like he can see right through you in that moment, can see through to your very soul and pick up your deepest insecurities.

“Is that what this is about? Is that why you’re so upset?” He coos, his voice dark and low. He’s mocking you and your heart hammers inside your chest. His cheek is still pink where you slapped him and he pulls your hand away, the white indentations from your nails fading.

“You just need someone to fuck you and put you in your place huh? Someone to remind you that you’re important? My dear you could have just asked, I would’ve fucked you in a heartbeat if I knew it would keep you behaved.” He murmurs, his face very close to yours. You swallow down your disgust and mortification.

“I don’t want you to fuck me to keep me quiet. I want you to respect me and my ideas. I want you to acknowledge what I’m doing for you. I want us to be a united pair! I want you to fuck me because you care about me!” You plead, the fight in you draining in the face of his ridicule.

“I don’t know where this is coming from,” You continue, “we were working so well before and now, now you’re being very cruel. I didn’t think you would ever be like this. We’re supposed to work together.” You sigh, your body drooping and, to your horror, tears start to fall.

With tears clouding your vision, you don’t see the breaking of his cold facade or the guilt in his eyes. He pulls away and since his body was the only thing holding you up, you collapse onto the floor again, crying. The emotional whiplash of the evening has caught up with you.

All you wanted was to be important, to make change in the galaxy. You just wanted someone to listen and care about you. You thought that General Hux could give you that but clearly not. He was just going to use you like everyone else. You were nothing more than a bargaining chip for your parents, a pretty broodmare for some politician or soldier. But Hux, you were going to give him everything and all you wanted in return was someone to give you some control and freedom over your own life.

“(Y/N)... I…” He stammers out and you realize that you just said that all out loud. But what’s more degradation? What’s more pain? You keep your face down, speaking your anguish at the floor instead of the person causing it like the scared little girl you are.

“You already know my plan, you don’t need me. You can throw me out of the airlock and leave me to my fate. I can’t stand this anymore. You’ve ignored me for weeks and now you insult me and almost ruin anything. I’m sorry I’m such a disappointment.” You choke out.

Then, a change. Hux lifts you from the floor and holds you against his chest. You stop crying in surprise and look up at him hesitantly as he brings you to the bedroom. Setting you down gently on the bed, he pulls off his boots and sits down next to you. He hands you a tissue and you wipe at your face. The man in front of you is a stranger and you come to grips with how little you know about him.

Your husband looks very young right now, and you remember his age. He’s done so much in such a short amount of time, his inexperience is showing. You’re both children playing at being adults, playing at being Gods.

“I’m sorry.” He says quietly in the darkness of your bedroom. You look at him from the corner of your eye. “Before you came over, General Pryde was speaking to me and he was undermining my latest choices. I was very angry and I took it out on you. I shouldn’t have. You’re right, we should be a team. Everything that you said was right. I do need you and I should be more considerate of you.” The words sound difficult for him to say but he’ll receive no comfort from you.

“I am replaceable.” The word echoes around the room and the horrible truth of it is written across his face. It’s hard to come to terms with your own lack of importance, but it was a lesson he had to learn. Or at least, as he was doing now, admit out loud. To be truly great, you would have to bring him up from nothing and he had to let you.

“So much is riding on this,” He continues, his fingers digging into his palms, “I don’t want to fail before we even begin. We could be discovered for our treason and killed. I’ve been a disappointment all my life, I would never want to make you feel that way. I want to succeed and I think seeing you this evening, charming everyone and looking so beautiful, it made me realize how little I actually do. Ever since Starkiller, I’ve felt so adrift. Snoke is giving me nothing and I’m following the barest traces of the Resistance in order to have something to oversee. I feel useless in the face of your ambitions.” He closes his eyes and swallows. His drink is back in the sitting room.

Knowing his habits, you carefully open his hands to stop him from hurting himself more. You lean over and kiss each palm and each fingertip, still unsure of what you want in this moment. He pulls his hands away and stretches out to lie fully on the bed. It is the first time you’ve ever seen him do it. Hux has not joined you in the bedroom the whole time you’ve been on the Finalizer and the dark circles under his eyes lead you to believe he may have been sleeping on the couch.

You shuffle down as well, lying next to him in the grey light the stars give you. You yawn, feeling the exhaustion from the whole evening come over you. You clear your throat, wiping at your face again.

“I’m sorry if I made you feel useless or stupid. I want so badly for this to work that I guess I took over without thinking of your needs and position. I’m doing this for you but that doesn’t mean I get to make all the decisions.” You whisper, turning your head to look at him. His eyes are still closed and he takes in a breath through his nose.

He finally turns to face you, regarding you nervously. The normal verdant green of his eyes has turned into a darker shade, but they are still so expressive and beautiful to you. Even in your anger and sadness, he is breathtaking to you.

“Why me? Why am I so special? Why put all your energy into making me Emperor? This plan will uproot everything and change the power systems of the galaxy. Why bother?” He questions, sounding very scared and exposed. You scoot closer to him, your noses almost touching. One of your hands comes to caress at his cheek, the same one you hit only minutes before. He does not flinch and you sigh in relief.

“Because you are special. I was wrong to say otherwise. You hurt me and I wanted to hurt you back. You are so smart and capable and you’ve worked so hard to make the First Order great. You deserve to be in charge, to rule it all. You have so much potential and I wanted to help you towards greatness. I wanted to help you in the naive hope that you’d take me along.” You admit, brushing back some of his hair. It had come out of it’s gelled style sometime around the end of the party and you like it better this way.

“No, you were right. You are right about everything. I’m sorry I hurt you, the things I said were cruel and they were meant to hurt you. I knew what I was doing. I’m only special because you believe me to be,” He says, his voice breaking with emotion, “Everyone knows how worthless I really am. My father saw it and my instructors saw it, Snoke and the Council see-”

You kiss him then, unable and unwilling to restrain yourself. His lips are dry and soft under your own and he freezes next to you. You’re about to pull away, convinced you’ve made a huge error and everything really would be ruined, when his arms come around you and pull you flush against his body.

Your kiss becomes one of passion and yearning, making up for lost time. You have to reassure him that you care and he has to continue to apologize. You surge against him, trying to make every inch of your body touch his. You kiss and kiss again, biting and sucking at each other’s lips, pulling away to breathe only when you have to.

He mumbles out apologies between kisses, his hands traveling up and down your back. You shush him with kisses to his cheeks, his nose, his jaw. A moan breaks the silence and you realize it’s coming from you. The sound spurs him on and he lowers his head to kiss your neck.

“Yes, oh yes my darling, please. Leave a mark.” You gasp, your other hand coming up to tangle in his hair. But he doesn’t do anything in response except pull away. Breathing heavily, you look at him in confusion.

“Say it again… please.” He whispers, his eyes darting to your lips. There is a brief moment where your brain tries to catch up and then it clicks. You lean forward and kiss him softly.

“Darling, darling. My sweet darling. You’re so good, you’re so smart, I just adore you darling.” You whisper against his skin. The bite against your neck is it’s own reward. Any pain he bestows, he instantly soothes with his lips and tongue. It’s a very good apology so far.

“Let me show you how much you mean to me.” He whispers, the glow from the viewport illuminating you both. You nod, words bubbling up in your throat. You throw a hand over your mouth to stop them from escaping. You’re not ready yet and neither is he. But one day soon, you’ll say them. You’ll sear them into his skin and melt them against his lips. You’ll breathe them into his lungs and hear them repeated back to you. Not now, but someday you will.

Time passes strangely on a starship. With nothing but the cold, vastness of space at every viewport, a person has to rely on chronometers and artificial sunlight to remind them of the change. Time on a ship both rushes ahead and slows to a crawl and if you’re not careful, you can lose track of it all.

So perhaps it was only minutes that you and General Hux lay together on the bed, tucked beneath the blankets and enveloped within each other. Or maybe it was hours, officers from the late night shift saying good night and good morning to the ones replacing them.

Or it could have been days. Days wrapped up in each other, sighing and moaning as you chased your release. Days passing as you learned the dips and peaks of each other’s bodies and tasted skin and sweat and more. Days full of changes to your relationship, to your desires, to your feelings. Days that seemed to never end, and yet, were over in a blink.

When you finally finish, lying quietly next to each other and marveling at the ages old pastime that you have discovered, your husband turns to face you. Mirroring his pose, your bodies become commas giving you space to breathe.

“If you ever strike me again, I’ll cut your hand off.” He says, matter of fact. The words sink in as you gaze at his profile, admiring the rare look of peace.

“If you ever humiliate me again, I’ll frame you for treason and take the throne myself.” You counter, equally matter of fact. Another moment of silence before you both burst into laughter. A patrolling pair of Stormtroopers stop outside your door in confusion before rightfully deciding it’s none of their business and moving on.

Adjusting the pillow behind his head, your darling- because that is what he is now, that is how much he means to you- reaches for a matte silver case on the nightstand. Lighting a cigarra, he sucks in deeply as the tip glows red, before blowing out a stream of cloudy, blue smoke. His other arm wraps around your shoulders and pulls you close. The feeling of his skin against yours, even after your tumble in the sheets, is a revelation.

Stealing the cigarra from his hands, you take a drag before placing it back in his mouth, swollen red from your earlier lovemaking.

“So, what’s next my dear?” He asks. A fog settles around your heads as he lazily smokes in the afterglow. You curl and uncurl your fingers in a soothing pattern over the paleness of his chest. Despite your violent fight and emotional reconciling, you feel more confident than ever before.

“We kill the Council.”

Chapter Four coming soon...

Tagging: @babbushka, @livy1391, @girl-next-door-writes, @renaissance-mama, @peqchynero, @the-temple-pythoness, @cupofmoonlighttea, @sincerely-cronch, @brujademente, @potato-ren, @ah-callie, @rosirinoa, @niniita-ah

Please let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future chapters!

#my writing #general hux #general hux x reader #general hux imagines #star wars fanfiction #reader insert fanfiction #self insert fanfiction #fanfiction #not beta'd #potential #i hope you guys like it!#remember the rating has changed #i swear if i find a spelling mistake later i'm going to jump out a window

89 notes · View notes

yeonchi · 5 years ago

Text

Obscure Gems - Kingdom of Paradise

Aside from Dynasty Warriors, there was another game that influenced my childhood years. Americans may know it as Kingdom of Paradise, Europeans may know it as Key of Heaven, and Asians may know it as Tenchi no Mon (天地の門/天地之門).

This is a pretty old game as it was originally released in July 2005 with a sequel being released in October 2006. While the first game received a localisation, the second one, sadly, did not. As a result, while I have played both games, I have a better understanding of the first one than the second (despite me being able to extract the game’s texts from within the ISO, don’t ask how I managed to do it).

I remember when my family bought a PSP and my uncle had it downgraded (upgrading would have been better if you look at it from a present-day perspective) so we could play games from the Memory Stick. This, along with the first Dynasty Warriors PSP game, Lumines and Ape Escape On The Loose, were some of the first games that we got thanks to my uncle. I remember my dad was so obsessed with this game (and Lumines, besides not letting me play on it because school) that he would end up hogging it because he had to defeat the bosses, which were, in his eyes, hard to defeat. I did make another save for myself and after initially giving up when my first boss was too hard to fight, I eventually managed to clear the game altogether. Looking at gameplay videos of it now, I noticed that fighting the bosses was easier than I had thought, or maybe it’s because they got gud.

About the developers

This game was created by Climax Entertainment, who were also famous for the Runabout series, Steal Princess, Dinosaur King and Element Hunters. Sorry, who were those guys again? Oh wait, they’re a bunch of nobodies in today’s words.

Climax Entertainment was founded in April 1990, developing games for Sega consoles. In 1994, some members split and joined with former members of Telenet Japan to form Matrix Software, known for joining with other companies to create games, such as Square Enix for the Final Fantasy series.

Sadly, Climax Entertainment never grew significantly and they eventually fell off the grid by 2015. Apparently, by following an archived page from a source on their Wikipedia page, it was because the company went bankrupt. Oh well, let’s move on.

The game itself

The game is set on a fictitious feudal Chinese-inspired continent named Ouka, which is split into five territories ruled by each of the five clans, namely the Eastern Seiryu, Northern Genbu, Western Byakko, Southern Suzaku and Central Kirin. The main character is Shinbu, a former Seiryu disciple and aspiring swordsmaster who was expelled from his clan after learning their Chi Arts before his master thought he was ready. When Sui Lin, another Seiryu disciple, manages to escape from their temple after it was (apparently) ransacked by the Central Kirin, she encounters Shinbu and tells him that his master was killed and that they need to rebuild their clan. Upon hearing of this, Shinbu’s adoptive father, Seidatsu, gives him the Ginmei Sword, which originally belonged to his father, and the first piece of the San’yuan that he was obsessed with reviving. From there, he sets off on an adventure around Ouka and discovers secrets about the clans and his family.

As you journey around Ouka, you can fight enemies and monsters along the way. Using the Ginmei Sword, you can unleash various types of bugei, made by equipping kenpu into bugei scrolls, or create your own bugei with the freestyle scrolls you can collect. Additionally, you can use the Chi Arts and unleash attacks that can clear enemies in one hit (you’ll have to spam it sooner or later). Enemies have a stronger or weaker resistance to a certain clan’s kenpu or Chi Arts based on the five Wuxing phases. While you can overcome enemies that way, you can also chain kenpu together in a generating cycle to deal more damage. You can learn all five clans’ Chi Arts as you play the game, though the caveat is that you learn the final one just before you fight the final boss, so the time you spend mastering it before you fight the final boss just seems very protracted, particularly if you’re at the maximum level by that point.

The background context of the game’s story arcs revolves around the Seima-Ouka Great War, which occurred 300 years prior to the start of the game. Invaders from the neighbouring continent of Seima came to Ouka and waged war with the five clans, but they were defeated. While there were some that managed to escape with the army, some of Seimans surrendered and remained on Ouka, where they suffered discrimination following the war. Their currency, the taichi, was widely used there as a result. The San’yuan had been burned during the war because the Seima feared its power.

Looking at the English and Chinese scripts, I could spot some differences between them and personally, I prefer the Chinese script better as it is closer to the original Japanese script. Alone, both scripts are good, but after having seen both versions, some parts of the English script doesn’t make sense in review.

Some of the mysteries of the game are basically explained in one line without deeper context. Certain characters aren’t as prominent as you may think they are. In the end, after you defeat the final boss, you get an opportunity to play the game again with the True San’yuan bugei, harder enemies and a carryover of the Chi Arts you learnt. There was a rumour on 2ch about another bugei you could get after clearing the game five times, but that, of course, is fake news.

About the sequel

The sequel takes place 25 years after the events of the first game and is set on the continent of Seima, the instigator of the Great War. Its capital is named Seimabolm and is split into three districts based on caste. Translating the names in the game is going to be an absolute nightmare because it was never localised to the West, but I’ll do whatever I can. If you want to see gameplays of this game, you’ll have to find them on Nico Nico Douga or Bilibili (for the Chinese version).

The main character is Liju Roh, a glorified military officer who went missing for a year when he was 5 years old and came back with no memory of what happened during that year. At the start of the game, he was accused of attempting to assassinate their empress and sentenced to execution by Gikyo Altai alongside another female, Maltamil Chiena. Suddenly, Altai’s sister, Shunka, jumps down to defend Roh and they manage to escape to the third district along with Chiena. As a result, they are forced to work as mercenaries in Chiena’s agency in order to hide from the imperial troops. Roh’s mission is to fulfil his late father’s request to stop Ejen Zern, a man who Roh saw as a brother, from performing the Great Judgement a second time; the first time it happened, a big fireball hit Seima and halved the population, cutting the island into the shape of a crescent moon and creating the Banko Sea.

In this game, you can have a companion travelling with you (usually Shunka for most of the game). As Roh, you can use three weapons, a sword, a spear, or gauntlets, and set kenpu and bugei accordingly. Some kenpu are performed slowly while others are performed quickly, which can cause gaps in your fighting. Other companions you travel with can use only one of those weapons, while Shunka fights with spirit discs and spirit dancing. Yes, spirit dancing, and that’s a plot point in the game. I find the dancing movesets ineffective when fighting enemies, but there are missions where you will need to use Shunka to perform a dance.

Unlike the first game where the story advances as you travel, the story in this game advances after you complete a number of missions from the agency. These include defeating enemies and monsters, buying or collecting things or even writing messages on noticeboards. Some missions are a pain to complete, such as with the collecting missions where you need to harvest a certain part from a machine or animal and they don’t instantly drop it upon defeat. As a result, it would take you forever to collect the amount required so you can complete the mission. There are also small flying drones that you can fight in underground tunnels and they are a bit hard to fight if your kenpu doesn’t make you swing your sword or spear up or down.

The travelling companions in the game (including the ones that appear after you’ve cleared the game) have significant relevance to the story, except for a drunkard monk named Sutta Monda who becomes your companion after you complete a mission that involves fighting him outside the agency for being drunk.

After you clear the game, you can just do missions ad infinitum, whereas in the previous game, you could play the game again and again. At least replaying old storylines or sparring with your companions could have been additional options.

If you haven’t noticed this by now, Shinbu or anyone else in the first game is not featured, though there are homages scattered in the script. One particular homage is that Seima is apparently planning a second invasion of Ouka, but Roh believes that stopping the Great Judgement is more important than stopping the former.

Summary

For its time, Kingdom of Paradise is an amazing game, whether it be the battle mechanics, the graphics or the story, though for the story, I prefer the first one better because I can understand it better after much analysis (which was also helped by that game being localised). While the second game does have its good points, it’s a bit more complicated than the first game and the missions can seem a bit of a drag to do.

Some people would probably say that the two games have potential to be expanded upon and I would say that I agree, though instead of expanding the games’ universe, I adapted it into my universe for my personal project. I adapted the first game into two 15-episode arcs, then after struggling to decide whether or not to do it, adapted some parts of the second game into a two-parter. I’ll elaborate on my adaptation at a later date.

Sadly though, Climax Entertainment is dead and the games never left much of a legacy to be admired. The only way its legacy can stay alive is within the hearts of the people who played those games, particularly the people who were inspired by it.

3 notes · View notes

mediaeval-muse · 5 years ago

Text

Video Game Review: Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (Ubisoft, 2010)

Genres: action-adventure, third person, open world

Premise: Picking up where Assassin’s Creed II left off, Ezio Auditore is back, this time working against the Borgia family to destabilize its hold on Rome. In the present day, Desmond Miles continues to struggle when differentiating the past from the present.

Platform Played On: PC (Windows)

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

***Full review under the cut.***

I am evaluating this game based on four key aspects: story, characters, gameplay, and visuals. I will not be evaluating the multiplayer mode because I don’t like playing video games with other people.

Content Warnings: violence, blood, misogyny, attempted rape, incest, torture

Story: The main premise of Brotherhood’s story is that following the opening of the vault, Ezio and his family are attacked at Monteriggioni by Borgia forces. They manage to escape, but Ezio is wounded and Caesar Borgia steals the Piece of Eden. Ezio awakes some time later in Rome and must fight the corruption that results from the Borgia’s influence while hatching a plan for retrieving the Piece of Eden. The decision to focus more fully on the Borgias was a good choice - they’re perhaps the most notorious family from Renaissance Italy, so the plot about combating Templar corruption fit right in. Plus, it made for a more consolidated narrative and a single antagonist.

I also think Brotherhood improved on Desmond’s story. At first, it’s not much different from the main purpose of the frame narrative in ACII: Desmond and the present-day Assassins, led by Lucy Stillman, set up a new safe house in modern Monteriggioni, where they continue to use the Animus to track down the Piece of Eden using Ezio’s memories. But there are some nice moments that make the frame shine: Desmond and Lucy have to work together to explore the underground tunnels of Monteriggioni, and their banter really game me the sense that they were bonding.

The main things I didn’t like about these narratives are relatively small. In addition to the ending feeling rushed, I think the game could have done better regarding its female characters. In Ezio’s world, a side mission reveals what happened to Cristina, Ezio’s sometime lover before he became an assassin. On the one hand, it was great to see a more personal plotline that delved deeper into Ezio’s emotions. On the other hand, these flashbacks had moments that made me squirm. The plot details how they met, which basically consists of Ezio following Cristina home and saving her from being raped by an acquaintance that “refuses to wait for her to open her legs on her own.” Later, Cristina is killed and dies in Ezio’s arms. Likewise, Lucy meets a tragic fate in Desmond’s world, and though it’s less fridge-y than Cristina’s death, I was just personally not a fan.

Characters: Ezio, our protagonist and player-controlled character, is as charming as ever. He’s a little older and wiser in this game, which was pleasing in terms of character development. He’s still a bit of a flirt and womanizer, which I personally don’t really like, but to each their own. Leonardo is also back, albeit more sporadically, and I loved seeing their friendship continue.

The major supporting character in this game is Niccolo Machiavelli (yes, really). He appeared briefly in the previous game, but he has a much larger role this time around. He’s a bit grumpy and stuffy, which is understandable - Ezio allowed Rodrigo to live at the end of ACII, which threw a wrench in a lot of plans. Still, I liked how Ezio’s more playful characteristics played off of Machiavelli’s sternness.

Desmond also continued to grow on me. I liked that he had more confidence in his assassin abilities and how he seemed to be fully part of Lucy Stillman’s team, and yet, the game did a good job tempering his badassery by decreasing his ability to differentiate the present day from his ancestor’s memories. It’s one of my favorite tropes, though, so I may be a bit biased.

The Borgias were also very compelling villains. I liked Cesare’s intensity and lust for power, as well as Lucrezia’s balance of loneliness and loyalty to her family. I also think their incestuous relationship was handled well in that it wasn’t treated as the sole reason why these characters were evil; rather, to me, it read as a manifestation of the characters’ obsession with their own family, not as something “edgy” to put in the plot.

Gameplay: A lot of the mechanics that formed the basis of ACII reappear in Brotherhood. There are armor and weapon upgrades, treasure stashes, puzzles, and the like. Instead of upgrading the villa, however, players are given the opportunity to make improvements to and stimulate the economy of Rome by repairing and investing in tailors’ shops, blacksmiths’ forges, art merchants’ stalls, banks, stables, medicine stands, aqueducts, and many other things. I found the investment system to be interesting, but a little confusing - it’s dependent on how other players interact with the stores in the game, so I didn’t quite get why it’s included in story mode. I think I could have done without it or at least made it dependent on other factors that are more useful to those who don’t necessarily care what a larger Ubisoft “community” is doing.

In order to unlock all the public works projects, players have to free areas of the map from Borgia influence. To do this, players complete assassination missions in which you kill the captain of the guard responsible for overseeing a Borgia-controlled tower, then you blow it up. These missions vary in difficulty, and each one has a unique setting with different kinds of environmental challenges, so I was pleased by the level of variety.

Players are also given the task of doing “shop quests” in which Ezio collects rare valuables (like ambergris, diamonds, etc.) to unlock additional items in the shops. For example, completing the art shop quest unlocks additional treasure maps. I found this interesting yet irritating, since I wasn’t quite sure how to get these rare items aside from stumbling onto them randomly or investing in businesses smartly (smart investments yield high rewards, sometimes). Along similar lines, Ezio can complete guild challenges, in which he performs various combat or stealth maneuvers as well as assists courtesans, thieves, mercenaries, and assassins to gain additional XP as well as discounts when enlisting any of the guilds to help.

In terms of the combat and stealth aspects, most of the mechanics are the same. You’re given a crossbow in this game, which is fun, as well as a parachute for gliding, but other than that, there’s nothing vastly different. I actually liked the continuity, since it meant I could focus more on the new things and not learn whole new ways of moving around. I will say, though, that the glyphs were a bit more annoying in that I couldn’t use my keyboard to turn things around - I HAD to click on arrows on the screen. It was tedious, but I got through it.

I also liked the introduction of assassin recruits. Players get to recruit citizens to Ezio’s cause and level up their XP by sending them on missions across Europe, kind of like the war table missions in Dragon Age: Inquisition. These recruits can also be called upon during combat to help Ezio fight off enemies, though they need some time to “recharge” after each use. It was kind of fun to manage a team, and I did like the options it afforded for gaining resources and completing missions.

I will say, though, that I absolutely detested the missions or challenges in the game that were timed. Timed activities stress me out, and I’d rather have the option to do something well rather than fast. I also hated the introduction of “complete synchronization.” Basically, each mission is accompanied by a condition - such as avoiding detection, using a specific weapon, or completing a task in a certain amount of time - that will grant players 100% synchronization of Ezio’s memories. If you don’t meet the condition, you can still advance the plot, and you can go back and replay the mission for 100% sync, but honestly, I didn’t find this mechanic fun. Some of these conditions were tedious or so challenging that in order to meet them, you have to play through long scenarios without skipping to certain checkpoints multiple times. For experienced gamers, these conditions might offer some additional challenge to a video game that otherwise doesn’t have easy/moderate/hard modes, but I personally didn’t find the 100% sync rewarding, and I was constantly stressed about missing something due to lack of syncing.

I also had some problems with the camera and controls. In several missions where time was a factor, it was frustrating when the camera would whip around and controls would change to accommodate the new angle. I hated this, because it caused me to fall and desynchronize a few times, as well as cause me to lose my target.

Visuals: As with ACII, the visuals of Brotherhood were stunning. I loved seeing the aerial views of Rome from the high vantage points, and I loved the rendering on Ezio’s assassin armor. I don’t think there was a major, noticeable difference in the quality of the visuals between the games - maybe a few more smooth animations, some more believable/realistic rendering. It was certainly appreciated. I could look at this game for hours.

Recommendations: I would recommend this game if you’re interested in the Italian Renaissance, the history of the Borgia family, stealth, action-adventure games, and parkour.

Final Verdict: Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood is a charming follow-up to Assassin’s Creed II, balancing familiarity and novelty in the gameplay to keep the player both engaged and grounded.

#video game review

5 notes · View notes

atomicdeke · 5 years ago

Text

Bright Eyes, Dark Hearts

Last night’s All Saints’ Wake was celebrated in style with costumes and tales aplenty. Vander played a part, as well, and told a story about a friend that definitely was not him. Here’s the script. Screenshot taken by @astrolevitation.

________________________________________________________

Vander looks to those gathered and quirks a smile that is at once grateful and devilish. “Thank you all for welcoming me into your home. I can only hope that the tale I have to tell tickles your fancy as deeply as it chills your bones.” With a deep breath, the smile dissipates, and his gaze wanders over the crowd as he begins.

“In Ul’dah, the legend of Belah’dian magic and wealth looms large, does it not? The majestic ruins that yet stand in the south, the tombs that yet hold so many secrets from our eyes? It fair sets the blood afire, knowing that treasure beyond imagining is so close! This lust for gold, for knowledge, for power is a passion that’s driven many mad in their pursuit.”

Vander pauses and breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank the gods the traps the Belah’dians laid can only claim one’s life and not their wills, their passions.” Another pause ensues as Vander slowly pans around the circle, firelight glinting in his golden eyes.

“But what if someone could?”

He begins to prowl with purpose around the fire, weaving around the benches. “What if someone could take that drive to plumb the unknown depths, to claim the wisdom and the wealth of the ancients, and make of that desire...a weapon? A shield? Another trap for those yet to come? Could they be damned to an eternity among the treasures they sought? If creatures capable of all of this dwelt not in Belah’diah, or even in ancient Allag, but since time immemorial deep beneath the earth?”

Vander’s slow, steady stalk around the fire comes to an abrupt halt as he stares across the fire at the gathered crowd, eyes tinged red as the fire dances erratically.

“My friends. I am here to tell you that such creatures...are real.”

Vander resumes prowling, something predatory in his aspect. “Far from old Gelmorra, deeper even than the caves I called home, titans named Urias lay at rest. When the Second Umbral Calamity fell upon the land, these gods among men could not follow us into the caves, and so the Urias stood tall in their citadels, screaming defiance to the heavens. They were met in turn with choking darkness and furious levin.”

Vander’s words are punctuated by the crackling of the fire, the popping of the wood that fuels it, and the showers of sparks that erupt as the wood settles and the flames lash at the nighttime air.

“Thunder and fury cracked the sky, the land, and the very firmament of our world, sending these mighty kings tumbling into the earth! The Urias fell, and they fell, and they fell, meeting their end in the bowels of the world, surrounded by their treasures and the ruins of their homes...” Vander trails off, letting the silence hang for several seconds.

“...and joined by their servants, the Avarbuq.”

Vander’s face twists with disgust, and he turns to the side to spit. “Ugly as the Urias were beautiful. Twisted and calculating as the Urias were proud and strong. Vicious, cunning, and hairier than a yeti in the dead of winter. The Avarbuq are all of these things, but most of all, they are loyal. They serve their masters even in death, guarding their broken homes and keeping watch over their untold riches.”

Sorrow creeps over Vander’s face, his tone turning thoughtful and reflective. “A friend of mine had a favorite uncle that was the pride of our community. Smarter and quicker than us all, he was. We thought he would become our foremost elder and lead us to a brighter future than our lightless caverns had ever seen.” Vander shakes his head.

“But he did not fear the Avarbuq.”

Vander’s pace quickens, his voice growing strident. “My friend’s uncle believed that the wealth of the Urias would bring us fortune, that the Urias’ secrets would bring us power and standing in the world! He only needed to seek it out, and take it! Surely, nothing could stop as brilliant and stalwart a man as he!”

“His friends tried to reason with him. The elders commanded him. His family begged and pleaded with him, but he would not be swayed. The treasure would be his!”

Vander slows, then stops. When next he speaks, his voice is dolorous, as though it’s rising up out of a pit. “My friend saw him once, years later. You see, rippers had come dangerously close to our home, so they had to be put down. Brave and skilled as my friend was, he was more than a match for the task, and he performed it well! After he’d finished with them, though, he lost his way. Stumbling through a labyrinth, hoping for a landmark, my friend found him.” Vander trails off for a few moments before resuming, his lips curling as he speaks.

“Hairy. Twisted. Ugly. A parody of the man he’d known, now one of...them.”

Vander is staring into the fire, a haunted expression plastered upon his face. “My friend had thought he died. We all had, yet there he was - alive, cursed, and alien. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.”

Vander shakes his head sadly. “My friend didn’t even realize they weren’t alone until the other Avarbuq were around him.”

“Frozen with fear, he could do nothing as they prodded him. Studied him. Tested him, with his uncle - his proctor - watching on.”

Silence falls as Vander gazes upon the fire, eyes flitting back and forth as though watching the scene unfold. “Time passes strangely in the world below. My friend didn’t know if he was there a few moments or a few days, but his time in purgatory ended as quickly as it began. Before he knew it, the Avarbuq were retreating back down the tunnel, returning to their fallen master’s crypt...but his uncle lingered, and looked at him once more.”

“In his eyes, my friend saw a hint of the man that once was. He saw his pride, and his regret.” Vander’s tone darkens, and his voice grows huskier. “But he also saw his uncle’s greed and loathing before he turned and followed the Avarbuq, never to be seen again. My friend turned and ran as fast as he could, breath burning in his lungs. Whether it was skill, fate, or luck, I know not, but my friend found his way back home.”

Vander’s head tips down, adopting a pose of remembrance. “He was never quite the same again, though. He became secretive, paranoid. His beard would have been beautiful to behold, were it not so ragged and unkempt. While his mind was still his own, he shared his story with me, and I carried it into the world above, never telling a soul. Until tonight.”

Vander maintains his vigil by the fire for a few seconds longer before cracking a roguish grin and leveling a finger at those gathered. “And let that be a lesson, my friends! Follow your hearts and live your lives to the fullest, but never so blindly that you plunge into the dark and hairy depths of obsession!” Vander sketches a sweeping bow and returns to his seat.

#Vander Thuun #Ashen Enclave #Seven Shadow Circle

12 notes · View notes

zrtranscripts · 5 years ago

Text

Season 8, Mission 27: I Will Kill Again

Order Of The Red God

SHONA REID: I wish we could have been friends, Five. I bet you're scared down there in the dark. I can just imagine you running through those caves, stumbling between shadow and stone. You should see it up here. It's gorgeous! Green hills, cloud-swept skies. I love this island, Five. I was born and bred here. It's part of me. Shame half the folk living here are idiots. Gossips like Morag Brown. They don't see who I am. They just see the laird's kid, plucky lass and nae much to think about. But I've got power, Five. The fruit of this island in my blood. That's why I wish we could be friends. Because you can see the real me.

Tom went down heavy when I shot him, eyes wide. You lot really thought it was my dad, didn't you? Leading the skincoats. You thought he stole the Edda. The key to the red fungus growing on the mainland, the secret of why has died off there but strives here. The key to that bloody Prime Minister of yours who thinks she can tell us our island is quarantined! Is that you, Five? I'm sitting right by the cave I led Tom out of. I see shuffling down there.

[gunshot]

I took his gun along with his headset. That is you, Five. I recognize your shadow. Hoping to get out this way, I bet. Tom couldn't get past me, and neither can you. [gunshot] Missed. Ah well. That's it, Five. Swerve around, back into the depths. I better follow you. Can't have you telling everyone about me. You run those caves. I know you like a race, but I was faster than Tom. I bet I'll be faster than you, too.

SHONA REID: Do you see the carvings on the walls, Five? The twining circles? They're ancient. Left by the first islanders, markers of the deepest tunnels. We are deeper than you've ever been. Lachlan and I used to run these caves. My idea. The old myths say these tunnels are full of ghosts, spirits of long-dead islanders. I was little when my mum passed away. Meningitis. I used to think if there were ghosts down here, maybe I'd find hers.

There's a lot of ghosts around this island, Five. Tom was right. I did shoot Lachlan's decoy that night on the beach. Lachlan was supposed to be there alone. The decoy looked like him in the storm. When I realized my mistake, I meant to go after him, make him pay for tricking me. I could have got to the Edda then, but you lot had shown up. Put the island on alert. I had to get off the beach fast.

I was so angry with you, spoiling all my plans! But you did provide one thing. The death that was foretold. Your Ellie was the first sacrifice of the season of the red god. I see your torch flickering ahead of me, Five. Dying batteries. [gunshot, stalactite crashes to ground] Almost got you there, didn't I? Don't worry. I meant to hit that stalactite, drop it to block the passage. Just making sure you turned right instead of left.

See the carvings overhead? Clouds and lightning cut into the rock. The ancients saw storms as sacred. It's the last sky you'll see through human eyes, Five. My gift to you. You keep running straight. There's something else I want to show you before the end.

SHONA REID: Take a moment, Five. Look around. Not many have seen the cavern you're passing through. Isn't it something? All those stone pillars and altars, carvings on every surface. My mum would have loved this place. She was writing a book on the mythology here, left me all her notes after... After she died.

This chamber was made by ancients. People who lived here long before the Vikings came. I always wondered what they meant it for, but now I know. The red god in my head connects me to all its followers, past and present. I see them here, dancing between the pillars in the very first ceremony for the king of the rocks. It was so long ago, they weren't even fully human! Before we spoke, before we ever lit a fire, the red god loved us! Who do you think taught us about fire?

Look up, Five. On the ledge above you. Or had you lost me? [gunshot] Oh, good reflexes, darting behind that pillar!

The Vikings wrote about the king of the rocks. Their Edda is our oldest written record of it. They witnessed so many things on our island, including our red god. The wizard Loki stole some red god from this isle, used it to create her wakened warriors, mingled it with plagues for her amusement. The Vikings didn't understand the alliance that existed here. Since time began, some islanders have been taking the red blessing. Step out of the shadows, friends.

Do you like the skincoats, Five? And the flaming torches? We're big on the traditional look. The history books called us guardians of law and order, but we're so much more than that. We're the order of the red god. The protectors of this island's secrets. The order appeared to me as a child. I used to wander the caves, playacting legends from mum's notes. I was obsessed. The perfect recruit. They called me blessed.

No point backing towards the altars, Five. I'm above you. There's all nine of us encircling you. No more bullets, but we don't need them. Everyone who drinks the water on Mor Island, come this season, gets a little red god in their veins, a little of the red god and a little of the silver mud in perfect balance. The red makes Mor Islanders just that bit smarter, longer-lived, and thanks to the silver, they get to keep their humanity. A beautiful symbiosis.

But we in the order take extra sacrament. Keeps us fast and strong. The red god connects us, whispers in our dreams. What Lachlan Jones told Morag Brown was right. We see through each other's eyes. If there's red god in you, we can start to sense your thoughts. Morag was right not to think too hard about the Edda. If she'd envisaged it in her mind, we'd have seen it. That's where you can never defeat us. There's a line of us stretching back millennia. I can even see my own hand faintly as it writes the Edda all those years ago.

And I see us closing in on you from every side. Look at you, Five. Squeezing between those altars and diving through that arch. But the tunnels past there are a labyrinth! Keep running all you like! We know this place by heart, and we enjoy the chase.

SHONA REID: These caves really twist and turn, don't they, Five? So dark and shadowy. We almost lost you. Don't worry. There are ledges on top of the tunnel you're in. I've got people watching you.

Ach, honestly Five, this wee chat is like therapy. The thing about being in a secret order of only nine people is you dinnae get to gossip much. I've been bursting to show your lot who I really am. I killed Callum. He was going to break our oldest traditions, move the king of the rocks. We couldnae allow it, so I stepped up. The youngest in the order, and the bravest. I struck him with that rock. It was a family duty.

Poor Lachlan was the perfect scapegoat. We were shocked years later when we heard he'd found the Edda. So I sent him a message pretending to be my dad, told Lachlan he'd be forgiven if he brought it home. Remember how I said some of the coastal caverns flood, Five? The old islanders built channels into these caves, ways to redirect the flow. One of their little traps. Pull the right ropes, lift the right stones, and the floodwater goes anywhere. We're sending it to you.

That night on the beach, after I killed Lachlan's decoy, I searched his boat. He'd run off with the Edda, but guess what I found instead? A wee metal box, and the red god provides. Because then I bumped into you lot. I had Janine's control box all along. All I had to do was make her sicker now and then, keep you mad for Jones, and you lot hunted down the Edda for us. Had to smash the box on that ice bridge, or you would have wondered why Lachlan hadnae used it to heal himself.

Remember our last cave, Five, where I kept scorecard? All those grave-marked faces, that's the old way. To keep trophies of your hunt. I didnae kill them all, but I brought Lachlan here. I get credit for the fallout. I could have killed you there, but I like you, Five. You helped save the island from those disgusting godless modern zoms. And the Edda still needed sniffing out.

You've got a destiny, Five. The same as me. I knew it as soon as I heard your name. There are five circles in the symbol of eternity, the red god's sign. You've been chosen. Once you're one of us, you can help us eradicate the tainted undead from the mainland, the abominations that perverted the red god's gift. We're the only ones who can do it.

LAIRD REID: [distorted] Runner Five, hello. Can you hear me?

SHONA REID: There goes your torch, Five. Our eyes are used to this gloom. Yours aren't. And the water is rising.

LAIRD REID: [distorted] Runner Five, hello! It's Laird Reid. Five, if you're hearing me, please follow the signal. Run in whatever direction my voice sounds strongest. I've called help. I can get you out, but you need to follow my voice. Run.

SHONA REID: We see you feeling your way along the cave walls, Five. Just give up. The water's already thigh-deep.

LAIRD REID: [distorted] This signal keeps fading. [?] stabilizing this bloody walkie-talkie. This should be on private channel. Okay, got it. I know you're surprised to hear me, Five. I – I was out looking for Shona. She said she was going for a run near Bas Sands. Since the ice bridge, I don't like her staying out late.

I heard Tom's last moments. He set his comms to transmit on the island's walkie-talkie frequency. Must have hoped someone was near enough to overhear. Shona's not a killer, Five! Look, those people drugged her, or-or tricked her, or... or something. I'm at the cave exit near where Tom died. If you hear me, home in on my voice. The louder my signal, the closer you are. And if you hit a dead end, double back. I hear flooding on your end. Hurry!

SHONA REID: I see you tilting your head, Five. Like your listening. You're moving with a lot of purpose. Someone's helping you, aren't they? Fine. If you're being difficult, I told you I have eyes on the ledges above you. All of you, climb down to intercept Five. I dinnae care if there's flooding. Nobody escapes our sanctum! Give chase, everyone. Run!

LAIRD REID: Look ahead, Five. That daylight at the end of the tunnel? That's where I am. The mouth of the cave. Keep going. You're clear of the flooding. I'm sorry about Tom, Five. He seemed like a good man.

SHONA REID: My people are right behind you, Five. I see you through their eyes.

LAIRD REID: Hurry, Five! There are skincoats following you!

SHONA REID: Is that... my dad? Is he helping you? Don't think he can stop us, Five. We've seen the Edda. The red god's ordered a new king of the rocks. We know how to perfect it. It's chosen us. It's chosen me. No one is getting in our way.

LAIRD REID: Five, those figures are almost on you. Get out of that cave, run!

LAIRD REID: Five, you made it. You're in daylight.

SHONA REID: My people are still behind you, Five. We can chase you just as well into the light.

LAIRD REID: They're still coming. I left my rifle at home. Bolt for those trees! We need cover.

[gunshots]

PAULA COHEN: Five! It's okay. It's us.

LAIRD REID: Look, Five, coming over that hill. Janine and Dr. Cohen. They're firing on the skincoats. That's it! Back, you devils! Back into the caves. [gunshots] Colonel, the skincoats are retreating. You can stop!

[JANINE DE LUCA screams in rage]

PAULA COHEN: It's okay, Janine. You're -

JANINE DE LUCA: Out of ammo. Yes.

PAULA COHEN: The laird called us for help, Five. We came as quickly as we could. We... found Tom's body. Jody's with him. Janine ordered Sam to stay with her. I'm glad you're okay.

LAIRD REID: Colonel, I know Tom was your brother. My daughter's hurt you. She's not thinking -

JANINE DE LUCA: A killer, Mr. Reid. She's lied to us, manipulated us, and declared war on us. There will be time to grieve later. We must fall back to safety. Five, you and Tom have uncovered our true enemy at enormous cost, and I swear I won't let his death be in vain. I will stop Shona Reid, no matter what it takes.

#zombies run #zrs8 #s8m27 #I will kill again #zr transcript #zrs8 spoilers

6 notes · View notes

ryouverua · 6 years ago

Text

Trial 6 - Post-Execution (End)

And from the rubble....

Trial: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

Pre-Execution

The crowd in the theater has dispersed, the lights are off, the cleaning crew has come and gone, and now that everything is quiet and all eyes are looking elsewhere, here they are.

K1-b0 smiled because he knew, damn it. How was he able to avoid hitting them? Or was it that he was shooting blindly (as guided by the outside world) and just had to ‘hope’ for their survival? And when he saw that they had somehow made it, he had the peace of heart and strength to open the dome for them?

Comic relief to the end, huh. Well, it’s probably nice to have someone to keep the mood a bit lighter! It’s interesting seeing them lined up like this, actually. A trio of introverts, and a red/black colour palette. Even if Shuichi’s hair does lean on the blue side, it’s still incredibly muted. There is no way that wasn’t a deliberate choice, but I wonder why....

Ah, and for that matter, Tsumugi and K1-b0 really did trend toward blue themselves. Red vs blue is a pretty classic colour clash in fiction, right? .... Ah, and Kaito’s shirt even had the red kabuki print/make-up representing the ‘hero’ character, right? While ‘blue’ was always the villainous make-up? Maybe I’m reaching a bit, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that was deliberate. if I really want to continue down this rabbit hole, Kaede/Kaito/Kokichi being purple because they straddled the line between hero/villain in the game would therefore be the next logical leap hmm

don’t sound so upset about it sweetcheeks

In the wreckage, I suppose. So... what can we see? What is there to see?

It’s a bright light.... and very obviously not the ruined world from the escape tunnel. .... Right?

Closing ceremonies, complete with the original sprite for Shuichi....

So they can see.... something. But not enough. Nothing clear enough for them to know what they’re getting into.

And look at that... the starry sky, both morning and night. I think I mentioned previous how important ‘nighttime’ was in this game; how all the murders seemed happen chronologically (except Tenko’s, of course, but even that took place in complete darkness). From Kaede’s murder at nighttime, to Kokichi’s death near the end of the night - and then, of course, to the final trial, which took place at the crack of dawn, only for them to be brought down into an artificial darkness again - it just seems so fitting that after all of that, the false sky is both day and night. Dawn and dusk.

It’s a place full of promise, and also so, so much danger.

wouldn’t it technically be 52 if it finished on this one you know what I’m getting ahead of myself

The point is, Sweetcheeks is having a moment of reflection.

he’s a detective not a statistician damn it

The fact that you guys didn’t get crushed by rubble is, frankly, incredible. I’m not mad about it at all, but I’m just saying.

Did they have a way of getting food/water here? I guess if the show ends, there’s not going to be any of that anymore... whatever pathway they had would be entirely shut down.

K1-b0.... was supposed to be a survivor too damn it fhsdflk -

I get that he was acting as the eyes for the audience so him surviving would have been dangerous for their safety! And that his self-destruct button probably had the power they needed to get them out, even more than his lasers apparently!

But still - !

the impossible is possible

I want to hope that there was a little bit of K1-b0 let to save them, but... the idea of them wanting them to live, despite outliving their ‘usefulness’, is a nice thought too. It certainly means they’ll be in better shape to handle what comes at them when they cross over to the other side.

That is pretty awfully brave for someone with an uberfan like Sweetchi97 wanting to break your fingers, but yes! Right! With confidence!

That would probably be a nice change from what they had to go through, at this point... but god, how bitter would that make them, to know that they were created for that. I mean, we obviously saw it in the trial, but getting to live in that peaceful world after going through this would be a totally different experience.

YEAH! YEAH WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT?! WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN -

I mean it implies that she was copying, potentially, maybe the real Junko - I mean, I’m pretty sure that’s the immediate thought we’re supposed to have, right?

Damn bootleg ronpas -

DON’T YOU LAUGH AT THAT SHUICHI

........ I’m listening.

Which... could work. But we need to account for the audience. There was clearly an audience that was able to affect K1-b0 in real time, and also react to the trial in real time, right? And that same audience was able to turn on Tsumugi, too...

we need to go deeper

THE WHOLE FICTION BIT WAS A SURPRISE ANYWAY HOW CAN YOU GO EVEN FARTHER AT THIS POINT

mother of god -

.... Oooooh, I see.

Yeah, because there are definitely.... weird things that I remember. The original opening versus what we saw here. There is probably a lot to unpack in that original game-opening chapter. The kidnapping they all remembered, for one thing...

They were definitely a lot more scared, right? And there wasn’t a weird gap between what we saw and the flashback light that followed, right? I mean, we did get an unreliable narrator in Kaede ala Chapter 1 - but it was there between the lines of the text. This would be a complete omission.

So only the players will ever have access to that memory - none of the survivors will ever ‘remember’ that. That’s quite the luxury we have, to be able to rewind and look over ‘forgotten scenes’ like that.

because that would be absolutely mind-boggling to throw yourself into a torture/killing game and erase your entire self so you don’t even get the side-benefit of enjoying it, even if you are so obsessively into it?

every time I see Kaito’s name, a single manly tear is shed

There may be records, though. But to us outside the game - they may as well not exist so, fair. unless the gopher project list was actually the repurposed academy list just sayin’

Fiction inside fiction? A world where this was a knock-off of the real Danganronpa? Something else entirely? The possibility for lies and fantasy are limitless. Until they see the truth themselves, there’s no way to know.

It’s pretty strange - they’ve been trapped in this bubble the entire time, with their reality being projected to everyone outside the walls. Normally the catbox would be inside of the sealed space - but this time, it’s everything outside.

.... If it’s anything like our world, then... yeah. It probably is.

This does sound a bit like the writing team’s way of saying, ‘Look, we actually care a lot for you guys playing, promise! Even if the idea of the previous two games being fictional within a fictional world was heart-breaking, just remember that it’s the feelings that they drew from you at the time and even now that really matter in the end!’

I think... to borrow from the vernacular of the game, the proper way to read this is to see lies as ‘stories’. Beautiful stories told to make the world a better place - or to even inspire the real world to become better. There are inventions and leaps in technology that only came about because they were inspired by fiction! Lies becoming truths... honestly, our current era is proof of that, for good or for ill.

And hell, stories are often a vehicle of delivering a message or certain truth to the audience, right?

Moving bravely forward. Good damn luck, kids. You’re going to need it... but you can handle it. I believe in you.

This... really is like the ending scene from the first game, complete with the ambiguity. We just have to hope that things will work out for them. I think... we can believe that things will turn out okay.

Aaah Himiko, I do like how you were able to slip one more quirk in for the road.

And then they... cross... the threshold.... from their side.... to ‘ours’. Is that it?

Oh, wow! Okay, we’re zooming out -

Farther than I thought -

Oh???? The logo, all over this sphere? An entirely sealed in sphere, where no one can get in, and no one can see in outside of the cameras? With their logo plastered on everything, because they weren’t afraid of it being seen or - ?

(Was this story able to change something?)

(Was this story able to change someone?)

(Was this story... able to change the world?)

.......... Hey, to everyone who made it this far? Thanks for sticking with me. <3

#Ryou plays drv3 #Shuichi Saihara #Maki Harukawa #Himiko Yumeno #spoilers #drv3 spoilers #THE STORY ISN'T OVER.... BECAUSE THERE'S POST-GAME BABY!

34 notes · View notes

hauntinghilarity · 6 years ago

Text

(FICTION) The Cosmic Lord, Joelene

First off, I didn't realize I misspelled the name until I looked up what outfits Dolly wore while singing this song. Given I kept referencing lyrics in order to write the parody song... i don't know how that happened either.

Anyway, I had often had the urge to make a song that implied Jolene from Dolly Parton's song was an Eldritch horror ever since I saw a post somewhere on the internet (likely on Reddit in the tumblr subreddit, leading to my confusing uncertainty) that suggested doing just that. It had been in my mind ever since.

So, upon finally doing that... I just felt it wasn't enough to just have the lyrics. Especially as I just rewrote lyrics that already existed. No, no a PARTICULAR damn muse decided that this was not enough. This particular muse had to be brought into the party!

So here is Doc and the woman I made up to sing the song sealing some Cosmic Lord that Doc decided to name Jolene because its horrible, mouth splitting name couldn't otherwise be turned into a song that he could force a human haunted by the said creature to sing. Possibly purely for his own amusement.

Enjoy, I'll add the lyrics alone at the end for those interested.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A hut deep in the middle of the swamps was certainly not where the average problem was solved, this was far from the average problem. Iris had, apparently, found herself in a cosmic love triangle. Not that it could be called that, her husband very clearly was just not that into her. This cosmic entity did not, apparently, take well to rejection.

A unique and maddening plight, Iris had never been one to back down so easily. She wouldn’t have gotten anywhere with that behavior, and her grandparents had taught her act in a far more civilized manner in such trying times. It was the only way to get anything done in these types of situations, especially the situations that one believed to be unique.

Lucky for her, while a strange case, it was not as unique as she believe. Similar instances seemed to be sprinkled through history. Easy to miss or shrug off as the superstition and legends of their more imaginative ancestors. Given the distressing nature of her comatose-yet-deliriously-screaming husband, she was forced to do her best to connect some dots.

To her delight, there seemed to be plenty of more in-depth entries on this and a number of other creatures sprinkled throughout different books she decided to look into. What one might find suspicious, should they not feel the time-ticking on the safety of their loved one, is that a number seemed to have been inserted. A modern book full of laminated pages did not often have a piece of parchment, with the script clearly having been handwritten, fused to the spine as if it had been manufactured in such a manner.

A desperate mind seeking desperate knowledge did not often have the perception to notice these details when time was an issue. Stress had a matter of forcing tunnel vision of even the most powerful of minds. Especially when, regardless of its origin, the details these entries gave her made far more sense compared to the superstition-laden legends she had previously been finding.

She did become rather disturbed when a note was clearly left for her. Just like the rest, it was implanted in the book in such a way that tearing it out would be noticeable, both visually and audibly.

‘Iris, yes YOU Iris,

‘This is getting rather tiresome, and you are reading plenty of notes that have been written for different eyes. This would be far less of an annoyance if you bothered to put the books back where they had been placed. Do you know how long it took for me to understand a dewey decimal system?

‘You meat-bodies have ENOUGh languages that are troublesome enough to learn. Maddening book math is not what I was signing up for. If I had signed up for anything.

‘The book YOU are, or were, supposed to read on your problem you just.. Kept avoiding. Now it is checked out, and I have to write ANOTHER one of these because my attempts to do this subtly and properly got thrown out of whack trying to understand the aforementioned book-math.

‘So, to save us on time and to get something out of this headache that highly benefits the both of us, reading to this point will have given you a sudden feeling.

‘Please do not fret over this. Merely some ink-based shenanigans. Nothing that’ll harm you, it merely saves me placing a map. It will lead you directly to me.

‘That is, if you want to get a particular cosmic parasite yanked from your husband’s dreams.’

Signed, much like the other letters, Doc Boots.

Iris wasn’t entirely certain what part of this bothered her more. The fact it was clearly, and pointedly, directed to her. The fact she was called a meat-body, or that fact that she DID have a very strong desire to take a walk down a particular path found on a particular street that would have her in a particular neck of the woods taking her into a peculiar neck of a swamp that had her find a particular hut.

Many would probably find coming to such a hut in the first place foolhardy, let alone irrational. Irrational problems required irrational solutions. This was far better than the option she was beginning to feel was the best, which involved finding books on Necromancy, deciding if Necromancy worked or not, and using this knowledge to bring a particular horror writer back from the dead to answer a series of pointed questions. This somehow seemed the better deal. If anything, the letter writer could deal with all this morally-gray-supernatural-foolishness.

Regardless, nothing could quite prepare her for what awaited her within the hut that the same odd feeling that lead her here told her was her destination.

The entirety of the inside seemed to be dedicated to the alignment of a single ritual sigil. A dizzying series of circular and fractal designs that weaved throughout the central floor of the hut. Various areas of the floor were raised or lowered with delicate precision to conform to the different areas of the sigil.

Dizzying as it might be, Iris could come to understand that there was a circular, flat area in the center of the entire design where every edge, curve, and rune converged on. The design was covered in runes and symbols that conformed to the shape like an artist obsessed with point-shading. A number of platforms, that took on a shape that vaguely made her note a solar system before all the strange details continued to keep her mind reeling, were raised and held a number of bundled objects. Given the darkened liquids of varying colors, though equally metallic smelling, she was certain she was comfortable being left in the dark.

Strangest of all, the structure was encircled by a number of... Vegetables. While the same size and shape of the numerous vegetables each individual entity made up, stubby stems sprouted from them in order to form the vague shape of limbs. Sunken pits in the shape of spiraling stems formed where they stared out into the world, and sharp cuts where their mouths opened.

The creatures swayed and bounced to a harmony they kept. Strange noises based on the vegetable they were grown from making up a unique melody. One she found oddly familiar. The gourds, such as the pumpkins and squashes, made up a range of deeper breathy tones while the smaller, stalk-like vegetables made increasingly higher pitches.

She was so taken aback by every eldritch detail she had to accept within the hut that it took her a moment to realize that she wasn’t alone, besides the strange sentient vegetables. An androgynous creature that, at first glance, was easily mistaken for a humanoid. The more she focused on him and more her mind allowed her to process, the more she began to second guess her decision. Especially thanks to the petals encircling one of the creature’s equally strange looking eyes.

Not so much out of fear, with her history Iris had become rather hard to spook. She was beginning to feel, at this point, that the supernatural shenanigans she had so rigidly attempted to avoid belief in, less out of a stubborn grip on pure material-sciences and more due to a brief understanding on the power belief held in such beings, were now becoming so… Silly in their abrupt in-your-face hijinks that it had long since plummeted past the point of ridiculousness and was spinning annoyingly around the pit that would send it going down to rock bottom.

Then the notable eye slid from the creature’s orbital cavity, connected by a series of spindly stems that spiraled into a rope that connected from the end of what turned out to be an actual flower and disappeared into the orbital cavity of the creature’s vine-infested skull. The eye that took the space that would normally hold the flowers pistil was intently focused on her, the vine connecting it to the creature’s eye extending outward. ‘Zooming’ in on her features while the other eye seemed to be keeping stock of what seemed to be his odd minions.

“Good. ‘ere I thought I’d been keepin’ de veggie cult practicing for an eternity. Ya meat-bodied creatures just neva’ seem capable on keepin’ a reasonable schedule dese millenia. Makes de plots I bake ta keep de balance HIGHLY difficult. I ‘ope ya know de ‘eadaches I take on ta keep ya bumbling evolved-baboons from killin’ yaselfs. Equally so de fumblin’ evolved-fools that make up what I think are my kind…” The strange creature piped up suddenly.

Iris had a bit of trouble following the creature’s words for a number of reasons. For one, the movement in the creature’s throat was highly distracting. Not only did it alert her to the slithering that seemed to happen under the creature’s skin with every movement, she was becoming increasingly aware that the vines seemed less like a strange quirk and more like an invader. One that was intent on talking to her.

She really hated fire-with-fire situations.

The second problem was that the creature’s voice was mildly off-putting. It snapped between sounding feminine and higher, to a raspy deep tone somewhere between a dying male smoker and a newborn banshee. The latter snapping briefly like the static of a rapidly tuning radio as the slithering vines beneath the creature’s skin worked to play and tune the creature’s larynx, vocal chords, and neck muscles in a complex dance it clearly only somewhat understood. It did not help it seemed to insist on trying its best to put on its best attempt at a Cajun Accent. She had to admit, it helped make the creature’s tone sound more melodic rather than like nails on a chalkboard run through autotune.

The final problem was the creature spoke at an annoyingly excited speed, which made it very hard to tell if the creature was complaining like he was being underpaid for a difficult service or impatient in his excitement to perform whatever service seemed to be on offer.

She finally had to hold up her hands in the hopes it would calm him a moment to interject. To her surprise and delight, he quieted immediately and seemed to be forcing himself to patiently wait for her to speak. She had a small suspicion as to what sort of creature she was dealing with. Her grandparents always told her that, in the case she was suspicious of, it was best to be polite. One catches more pixies with honey than vinegar, or whatever ‘nanaism’ it was.

“Not to disrespect the time and effort you clearly put into getting in touch with me…” Iris relaxed somewhat. The creature seemed to perk up when she spoke to him politely, it seemed it wasn’t the first impression he normally got. Strange as the situation seemed, it seem the perfect amount of lunacy to help her with the dream-whore currently lurking in her comatose husband’s mind. “What is it I may or may not be on time for?”

The flower extending from the creature’s eyesocket perked up a bit, as if it had been startled into remembering what it had been doing, before swiveling to look at the strange ritual that seemed to be waiting for her in the center of the hut.

“Right, right, dis. Well, long story short, I became aware of ya plight. Well, ta be honest, I became aware of de PREVIOUS couple’s plight. A hint too late, sadly. Life’s not to focus on our failures though, merely learn from dem. Dis gave me a startin’ point. It ‘as been a lil bit, but ya seem ta be de latest one bein’ bothered by dis particular problem. De stars merely aligned so dat I can assist. Merely assist thought. I can put all de pieces inta place. It is up ta you ta do de rest.” The previously annoyed sounding tone had been replaced with a far more excited, and somehow quicker, one.

The creature held out a rolled up piece of parchment, giggling to himself as he did. “As ya meat-bodied types seem ta ‘ave trouble wit’ de name dat rings ta mind for m’self, probably would ‘ave issues if anyone understanding dat type’a magic anyway, I been introducin’ myself as Doc Boots. A scholar, but goin’ by ya kind’s stories, I guess ya could call me a witch doctor? What some’a de ones I’d consider colleagues bein’ called. Dat’s besides de point. Dat.”

Doc pointed towards the parchment he had forced into Iris’ hand.

“Dat explains your part. As ya see, I been preparin’ for ya showin’ up. Just got de Veggie cult tuned.” He gestured to the group of sentient, singing, swaying vegetables.

As Iris eyed the scroll she was given, she had a sinking feeling. She recognized what tune the cult was singing. Something the freaky flower seemed to have noticed.

“Oh, good, ya familiar wit’ de song. It required some rewrites, but given de last one who got taken by dis problem it seemed de most fitting. Gotta honor a failed patient afta’ all.” Doc said with a simple, sweet smile. Even as Iris glared daggers at him.

“No, you are clearly messing with me. There is NO way this will work.” Iris protested. She didn’t consider herself much a karaoke singer. Nor a fan of parody, yet apparently, here she was. This could not be real, this had vto be an elaborate prank her husband had set in motion. He always talked about starting up a couple-prank youtube. Denial was hopeful in believing maybe, just maybe, Doc was just and elaborate costume.

Sadly, the creature followed her protested with a good point. “What about dis situation leads ya ta doubt me? Look at me. Would ya truly believe my concept’a a joke involves ya simply singin’ a song ta seal away a cosmic deity I may or may not have drawn de attention of?”

Iris narrowed her eyes. “Not until ya gave too many details.”

Before she could protest further, she found herself standing in the middle of the sigil. The creature returned to the outside of the sigil opposite of her. His hand being placed on a rune carved skull in front of him, placed on the outer ring of the sigil leaving Doc standing just outside of it. “Regardless of who did what, de point’a de matter is what do ya got ta lose from singin’ a song, when de certainty of not singin’ it is some cosmic boogun is gonna use ‘is soul ta decorate ‘er growing pocket dimension?”

Iris stared a moment, then looked at the paper. “Is that why this lyric here is..”

The freaky flower stomped the bundle of vegetable that had long since replaced his host’s foot. “Ya not ‘ere because I needed critique on my song lyrics! I personally think I did q-REGARDLESS of the origins of lyrics, ya must sing it wit’ conviction. Sing it wit’ anger and a need ta fight.”

Opening her mouth once more, Doc seemed to know immediately it wasn’t to sing. His hand snapped up, and with a snap of his fingers, a purplish green glow shot through the runes on the ground, lighting up any that the ‘pulse’ that radiated from the creature ran into on its way to the woman in the center.

Before she could react, the pulse interacted with her. She didn’t even have to look down. She knew in her gut and the immediate clear smart-ass nature of the creature she had to deal with what fate had been forced on her.

She found herself in a familiar white suit befitting a well-known country singer, with an elegant design created from what she assumed to be diamonds. It was magically created, it had to be diamonds. It had not been elegantly enchanted onto her. Instead of replacing her outfit, going by the bunched fabric of the outfit she had been wearing poofing from the open chest of the jacket. The creature had just shoved her into her and called it a day. As she lifted her head to protested, she was quieted by the fact the outfit included a well-secured wig. Going by how it shifted, she was certain she probably now looked like the singer of the song the ritual was clearly based off of.

Giving a deep sigh, her shoulders dropping, she figured she might as well. If anything, this entire damn experience had distracted her from her problems at hand. The vine riddled being would at least be useful to fling at a cosmic beast should all else fail.

“Should match de beat fairly well. De one writin’ it was mildly under duress. As I popped outta nowhere and demanded it. I always forget I need ta lead wit’ de money ‘n riches first. Otha’wise, for whateva’ reason, ya meat bodies just think Imma rob ya. If I am what I think I am, de place dat I draw power from wouldn’ take too kindly ta me stiffin’ someone on a deal. Especially not an artist. Now! De outfit should ‘elp inspire ya. Didn’ shove ya in it purely for shits ‘n giggles. As de beat starts, just get goin’ and ya should be fine.” The flower did its best to console her.

“De veggie cult is doin’ de work’a dancin’ ta keep de fabric’a reality around ya secure enough. Just keep singin’, me ‘n de sigil I built will do de work’a keepin’ ya protected. Oh, and before ya ask, no. De thing’s name ain’ exactly Joelene. Ain’ even spelled like de song, but I was able to put some loopholes inta de belief and understandin’ of de writer. None of us could pronounce it, and it’d make a rather poor song anyway. Luckily, de previous couple was rather obsessed wit’ de song ‘n de boogun decided ta roll wit’ dat. Dey really must learn ta stop leavin’ lil loop’oles. My kind’s king’a dem!” Doc giggled wildly and gestured to the singing vegetables.

The ‘cult’ of vegetables surrounding her stopped for a moment, before restarting the beat they had been practicing. Iris gave a heavy sigh and, otherwise without options, began to sing.

“Joelene, Joelene, Joelene, Joelene,

Invoke thy name because you took my man.

Joelene, Joelene, Joelene, Joelene,

You won’t take him just because you can. “

To her surprise, as she began to sing the walls of the hut, illuminated by strategically placed candles, cast shadows that made it appear as if a group were dancing around them, based on how everything had been lined up. The flicker of the candle and sway of the cult must have been the cause.

From the back of her mind she felt an odd tug. The world at the end of her perception flickered and swayed like the illusion cast by heated air. She did her best to cast her concern and sing with conviction, with strength. Her dearest depended on it, and she would be damned if her husband would be taken by something Lovecraft should have vomited out.

“A form humans can’t come to bare,

With captured souls turned into hair,

Eldritch Skin,

And eyes countless,

it seems…”

She could have sworn she felt something behind her. At that very moment, Doc slammed his vegetation laden foot onto the beginning to the sigil’s runic circle. A more concentrated and steady glow, like before, began to spread throughout the sigil. As it made contact with each pedestal, the runes scribbled over the cloth covering the bundle would glow bright enough to cover the object in its blinding light, before bursting into a sea of glowing balls.

These wisps of light buzzed around the circle, and they seemed to be collecting behind her. Iris held back a flinch, as she swore she could sense something screaming. She did not know how to describe it, as the only noise she heard was crafted for the ritual. The screaming, however, felt like it was radiating from her very subconscious. Like it was somehow coming from somewhere far, far away and only its faintest echoes could be felt behind her.

Somehow, this replaced her uncertainty with hope. She began to sing with more confidence. The concern replaced by the fire of her rage, which she pumped into the words. It seemed to have an effect, as the glowing runes at her feet added an orange hue to the show of color which rippled out to the remaining runes.

“Your smile cracks across their dreams,

Your Presence warps reality,

And yet here I stand against you,

Joelene.”

Bit by bit the offerings were consumed. Her vision warped in lines around the sigil. Something her mind refused to admit was surrounding her was moving in rapid, frantic trails. The screaming, she felt in her gut, was originating from this strange anomaly in her vision. This must be the beast that was tormenting her husband. This had to be her prey.

“You’ve come to take him in his sleep,

But there’s nothing I can do to keep,

From trying, as he screams your name,

Jolene.

From what I’ve come to understand,

You’ve stolen the souls of countless men,

To shape your own destiny,

Joelene.“

As the anomaly continued to frantically flail through her vision, she felt there was power in the anger she had begun to harbor for this creature. The despair and trauma her relationship had undergone due to this horror, she felt, could be pumped into her words in order to give them more power.

As all the runes that covered the sigil found their glow and all the offerings had begun to consume, the area directly beneath the rapidly moving anomaly gained a brighter glow, tracking and following it as the light pulsed towards the skull Doc held, his mouth moving rapidly in a quiet chant.

“You forced my little talk with you,

This song I sing will capture you,

Not matter what you try to do,

Joelene.

Joelene, Joelene, Joelene, Joelene,

The cosmic lord that tried to take my man,

Joelene, Joelene, Joelene, Joelene,

Sealed away, she won’t try that again."

Doc joined her, backing up the repetition of the name they had forced upon the entity. The blurring anomaly in her vision was forced into the glow beneath it. The sigil, glow, and runes slid rapidly beneath her, encircling the glowing bundle she assumed was the newly captured ‘Joelene’.

"Joelene, Joelene."

The final runes that lead to the skull seemed to be sucked into the upper jaw of the skull. The entire strange scene finally got sucked into the skull, which kept an ethereal glow in its sockets and runes, but otherwise, held no clues towards what the entity with in was. It seemed to have even sucked up the outfit and wig that had been forced on her.

Doc picked up the skull, beaming in delight. “Well, should I be correct on our timin’, ya husband shouldn’ ‘ave been so deep in ‘er clutches dat dat would’a caused ‘im de slightest bit’a ‘arm. Should be makin’ ‘is way back ta ‘is body through de dreamlands as we speak! Might not be awake when ya get dere, but will be soon enough.”

Now clearly preoccupied with the skull in his hand, the strange creature gestured to the door. Clearly indicating it was time for her to make her leave. “De contents of dis skull is all de payment I need. No need ta concern ya’self otha’wise. De danger dat could ‘ave befallen you or your husband and my choice ta withhold dat knowledge from ya until now will be considered enough payment.”

Iris was rather overwhelmed. She wasn’t even certain she was even living out this experience and not dreaming of it in a fury of sleep deprivation. She couldn’t quite feel any relief. In fact, she felt rather numb. She was rather certain, thanks to the lunacy of this entire event, she would find herself waking with a start huddled in her husband’s hospital room.

The vegetables began to force a line and hop, one by one, into the mouth of a pumpkin whose mouth had opened wide enough to accommodate them. She could swear that, instead of the inside of a pumpkin, she saw a strange and horrifying orange world filled with the strange, sentient vegetables. Maybe she would prefer it be a dream after all.

Shaking this belief and concern off, Iris quickly took the opening given to her and immediately fled from the hut and the swamp it was in, content to be back with her beloved and as far from this lunacy as possible.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Joelene, Joelene, Joelene, Joelene,

Invoke thy name because you took my man.

Joelene, Joelene, Joelene, Joelene,

You won’t take him just because you can.

A form humans can’t come to bare,

With captured souls turned into hair,

Eldritch Skin,

And eyes countless,

it seems…

Your smile cracks across their dreams,

Your Presence warps reality,

And yet here I stand against you,

Joelene.

You’ve come to take him in his sleep,

But there’s nothing I can do to keep,

From trying, as he screams your name,

Jolene.

From what I’ve come to understand,

You’ve stolen the souls of countless men,

To shape your own destiny,

Joelene.

Joelene, Joelene, Joelene, Joelene,

You made a poor choice trying to take my man,

Joelene, Joelene, Joelene, Joelene,

You won’t take him just because you can.

You could have had your choice of man,

But then you came into my den,

You can not keep him from me,

Joelene.

You forced my little talk with you,

This song I sing will capture you,

Not matter what you try to do,

Joelene.

Joelene, Joelene, Joelene, Joelene,

The cosmic lord that tried to take my man,

Joelene, Joelene, Joelene, Joelene,

Sealed away, she won’t try that again.

Joelene. Joelene.

#fiction #country #music #lyrics #short story #humor #horror #doc boots #fae #lovecraft #lovecraftian

2 notes · View notes