Something else

Subject: Something else Sat Sep 25, 2010 10:06 am

The desert looked as it always did. Among a world of heroes and villains as shifting and interchangeable as the the grains of sand that made up the wasteland itself, it alone stood unchanging, a permanent reminder of the past. The sun beat down intensely, the air shimmering as it baked in the heat.

At a certain point of the vast expanse of sand, a cloaked figure stood. The area looked nearly identical to the rest of the desert, save for a few small chunks of ruined, weathered masonry. Looking closely at their placement, one could almost imagine a town had once been here. Here, a the base of a house's corner, and here, the weathered, featureless remains of what may have once been a statue...

The figure stood in the midst of all this, various passing zephyrs sending small waves of sand past. It seemed lost in thought.

"Even now... nothing changes..." it muttered, masculine from the voice. "The age old question occurs... and for the first time I can't think of an answer." He looked at the device in his hand, and clenched his fingers around it. "Mysuki... what should I do now..."

Posts : 131 Join date : 2010-09-25

"Don't look so glum!" A cheerful voice. Elritch waving as he approached. "There's a saying, you know? Status quo is god." His vest fluttered a little as a breeze lifted under a flap.

"So, congrats, godslayer." He winked, slightly.

Subject: Re: Something else Sat Sep 25, 2010 10:18 am

A small, familiar smile flickered across the vampire's face for a moment. "Flattery is possibly the greatest tool man or DaCre kind has ever discovered," he said, and laughed. The moment ended, and the smile faded.

"I've accomplished everything I set out to do," he said plainly. "To be perfectly honest... I was hoping that I would fail. That something would go wrong. That the world would prove me wrong, that it isn't just a simple game on a larger scale, that it isn't possible to predict patterns of behavior so accurately..." He sighed.

Posts : 131 Join date : 2010-09-25

"Eh, I've heard a little of it from Exemplar, but I'd rather hear it straight from your mouth. Tell me, what was this grand plan of yours that succeeded?" Elritch now leaned against a tall piece of rubble, his left foot crossed behind his right.

Bringing out a cigarette pack and a lighter, he offered one to Jikon before taking one himself and lighting up.

"It's classic, you know, gotta have a cigarette while the two veterans reminisce." He smirked, which is a slight accomplishment while retaining a cigarette in one's mouth without holding it.

Subject: Re: Something else Sat Sep 25, 2010 10:46 am

Jikon took the proffered cigarette, looking at it for a moment. Eventually he gave into temptation. It had been a while since he'd had one, and it wasn't as though the carcinogens or nicotine had any adverse effects on him whatsoever.

"All my efforts... were to create a perfect world," he said, seeming very well aware of the naivety of the statement. "At least," he added, "a world as perfect as it could be. Where DaCre don't need to fight one another, and the strong don't necessarily rule over the weak." He shrugged. "Idealistic, but someone had to try, I feel."

Posts : 131 Join date : 2010-09-25

"Tch.. Where they don't "need" to fight each other. Where the strong don't "necessarily" rule over the weak?" Elritch raised an eyebrow.

"That's not what you created. You created a need for a fight. You pressed the fact the the wills of the strong should override the wills of the weak. The tamers and their DaCre.. They were strong. You inspired in them a "need" to fight for justice. The strong, Iko, Shobatsu, Exemplar, Salem, ext, wills "ruled" over the weak wills, Galdon, Tridara, Yitur, Angel, ext.."

Elritch's eyes narrowed. "What are you really getting at? Use less vague wishy-washy terms that don't mean anything."

Subject: Re: Something else Sat Sep 25, 2010 11:01 am

"It's true," he said. "I did cause more violence than might have happened normally... but it was necessary. The latter group of DaCre would have supported this world where power rules, whereas the former would oppose it... It was a necessary evil..." Jikon trailed off. He shook his head. "Even now, I can lie to myself," he said to the world in general. He sighed.

"I suppose... the main thing that I wanted to accomplish... was to make peace," he said. "For better or for worse, I wanted to give the weak a chance to reshape the world on their own. There were better ways of doing this than setting all the strongest fighters at each others' throats... but that was the easiest."

Posts : 131 Join date : 2010-09-25

"Peace, now that's something I can understand, even if it means something slightly different." Elritch leaned back, closing his eyes.

"You're a funny man, Jikon." Elritch looked him in the eye, if Jikon cared to look back.

"Peace and happiness and love and all that!" Elritch laughed, pulling the cigarette out.

"Course, you've determined that everyone "evil" and everyone who doesn't have peace and happiness and love and all that should be killed, if they don't serve your purposes and turn their natures to your will. You've made a world where arbitrarily, the "good" strong are in power and the "evil" strong have all been killed. And now the "evil" weak will be dominated and kept down by the "good" strong." He put the cigarette back and closed his eyes again.

"It all comes down to two beliefs in my mind. There's the half of the DaCre world who give into the whole "natural inclination to fight" and believe in fighting down till the world begins again, and the half that believes DaCre should be just like peaceful whimpy humans with superpowers. You endeavored to make one half win, all the while deceiving yourself. You never "needed" to do any of those "necessary evils". You could have just strode right up to Tridara and given him a smackdown if you wanted your beliefs to come true so badly. Or at least, from what I can tell, correct me if I'm wrong!"

Subject: Re: Something else Sat Sep 25, 2010 1:31 pm

Jikon stared at Elritch for a moment, and then closed his eyes.

"You are correct," he said. "I could have done it all myself. I could have left the tamer DaCre to flounder and shaped the world as I saw fit, and then cut them down if they annoyed me. I would have had total control over the destiny of this world at that point... which is not what I want. Things would have been too dependent on me... and if I were to vanish..."

He sighed.

"A long time ago, right where you're standing, there was a village. It was one of the first organized settlements, in fact. It enjoyed an unprecedented peace. One day, I happened upon this village... I was young then, and rather nasty. I enjoyed power, especially over others... and what greater power could you have over others than to say whether they could live or die? I had roamed aimlessly, killing the various DaCre I met, and I thought I was satisfied. When I found this village, it seemed like the greatest thing in the world. All these DaCre gathered together, defenseless. I attacked... and they killed me.

I was shocked. It was the first time I had died, and that coupled with the realization of my immortality set me back. At first, I was angry. I tried to attack again, and died again... This happened a few times. Slowly, I came to be aware of the power that a group wielded. Over time I became a sort of protector of the village... and I fell in love with a woman there."

He sighed.

"A while later a large tribe from the mountains came down and attacked the village... and killed me. When I woke up... everyone was dead. I killed that entire tribe, but it didn't help... and it was then that I decided I wanted to die. Sadly... this didn't seem possible. I decided I was going to try to make the world a better place... for Mysuki. Where something like that wouldn't have to happen again. It didn't seem possible with anything short of total world domination, as you suggested, until recently. Tridara started to shake the order of things, and these tamers started popping up. So I started setting things in motion... and realizes that Iko and Shobatsu made up the infamous Shiko I'd heard about. I'd hoped that, after I finished things, he could at least secure my death with that power of his. It didn't. And you know what..."

Jikon looked down.

"... when it came right to it... I was afraid. Of what would happen afterward..."

He shook his head.

"And now I don't know what I want to do..." he finished lamely.

"You're a moron." Elritch replied simply. "You speak of the tamer DaCre as though you weren't one."

"My partnering with a human was a technicality to get into the human world to investigate, and then a means to gain more power. And now... not even that..." Jikon's grip tightened, and the device shattered.

"Yet why do you think you were chosen as one of them? You never would have become one if your beliefs didn't already match up with the philosophy of DaCre that want to be humans with super powers." Elritch folded his arms. "Even now, you're still just a tool they used, in the context of humanity in general."

"Perhaps you're right..." Jikon shrugged. "Even if my aims matched with those DaCre at times, though, I've come to them for my own reasons and carried them out in my own way. I stand by what I did as what was needed for this world to progress beyond the eat-or-be-eaten one it tends to inhabit."

Posts : 131 Join date : 2010-09-25

"So, in the end, your point is, that, because you might have become what you determine to be "evil" if you didn't do any "evil", you had to go do "evil"? You do know how ridiculous that sounds?" Elritch asked.

"Yes," Jikon said simply. "I'd hate to be the one to say the ends justify the means... because they don't. I did need to accomplish the ends, however... and I did so by the best means possible."

Elritch argued, "But the only end you avoided was that of you becoming evil. Which you could have achieved by a non-evil means." Putting one hand on his hip, he looked to the sky, rolling his eyes "It's like saying, "because I might have become fat, I had go beat someone up in order to prevent that" When I could have just gone on a diet." At the word when, his eyes came to rest scornfully on Jikon.

Jikon replied"I'm not denying there were better ways of doing it. It's the way it was done, however."

Elritch sneered, "So, basically, in order to compensate for your own weaknesses, you had to become evil? Your parting shot with the world was, "I'm going to take the way I want to, because it's easier for me, even if it hurt the world?" and in the end, you try and pass yourself off as the tragic hero? I'm evil, and even I'm insulted by your manner." He spat to the side to emphasize his final words.

Subject: Re: Something else Sat Sep 25, 2010 7:10 pm

Jikon stared at Elritch's retreating back, hands clenching into fists. His data signal flared, eyes narrowing. Unchained from the tamer bond, his power flowed freely along familiar paths...

C rank aura shifted to B, and continued rising. Then, it shifted in tone... anger was being replaced with something else.

"Then help me make ammends!" he said, finally. This was really a first... Jikon was asking for help. Not commanding, but asking, from a position of weakness... "Help me put this pitiful life to a use... help me become a person worthy of the power I have..."

"Haha, now thats what I'm talking about!" Elritch smiled.

"Instead of saying your mistakes are in the past, you're actually going out of your way to solve them! Well, you may be asking the wrong person, as I'm evil, and I'm only not on a rampage because of a deal with Exemplar. But anyway, you want to help make peace? Well, trust me, everything's going to go to hell as soon as this generation of heroes die. That's when you'll be needed."

Jikon was silent for a moment. "I see," he said. "And during this chaos, what would you be doing, as an "evil" DaCre?"

"Haha, what do you think?" Elritch smirked, letting the moment linger.

"I'll be rotting in my grave by then, bwhahaha." Elritch burst out laughing. "I really made you think we'd have to have an epic duel for a moment, didn't I? Bye Bye, Jikon! See if you can find a good roll model to become a hero. Heh heh, Mr hero!" He turned, and continued walking away.

Jikon watched him leave, the edges of his mouth trying to twitch into a smile.

"That one's too clever by half," he mused, and finally allowed himself a smile. "A hero... hmm. Perhaps it's what Mysuki would have wanted..."

He sighed.

"Mysuki... wait for me..."

__

Though, if his speed/strength was due to a magical blessing upon himself, if he ever needed too, it could transfer over to others.
That'd be angelic and give you more utility than.
Scott B. says:
True. Sigils and stuff.
The 42nd Gecko says:
Also, a "Mind's eye" ability that a thousand samurai manga talk about where you can predict enemy attacks might be good.
Speed and Strength combined with predicting your enemies attacks would be very powerful.
Scott B. says:
That seems rather like whathisface's ability, precognition.
But I like it.
The 42nd Gecko says:
Can't forget the mind control theme.
Perhaps he manipulate corrosive light as a carryover of his poison ability?
That could be used for general attack defense ranged ability.
Dunno what to do with the last slot, but I believe that, once you've got one general manipulation attack/defense ability, for maximum utility, the rest of your abilities should be passive.
That way you effectively have 4 abilities active at all time.
Rather than, normally, only being able to use one.
Scott B. says:
So... buffer blessing, "Mind's Eye" precognition, and corrosive light... All of which could be used at the same time.
Alright... for his actual form... I was thinking same build, but a streak of white in his hair and black robes. Possibly some sort of sword in place of claws.
Thoughts?
The 42nd Gecko says:
Swords are currently overused. Way, overused.
Claws would still be cooler.
Though, both wouldn't be bad either.
Scott B. says:
Mmm. Perhaps retractable claws?
Just, huge claws doesn't exactly fit an angelic theme.
The 42nd Gecko says:
He probably still has his immortality, so we can hand wave a little body manipulation like that.
Well, the way you're presenting it, it seems more like the same as old, but with a little hope showing.
Scott B. says:
Well, isn't that the case? ;p
Also no horns.
The 42nd Gecko says:
Yeah, I figured those'd drop out.
Also, making Jikon look a little less stately and stuck up would be goodl
Use less traditional clothing.
Scott B. says:
What would you suggest?
The 42nd Gecko says:
Robes are never a good choice.
Thinking..
Scott B. says:
Hallo.
The 42nd Gecko says:
Hello.
I'm thinking slacks and dress shoes. A casual dressy would be good.
Scott B. says:
For a fallen angel? O.o
The 42nd Gecko says:
For a demon who no longer looks down on everybody.
In every fight Jikon's been in, the whole time, Jikon looks down on them and disdain's their strengths the whole time, it seems.
Scott B. says:
Outwardly, to get them pissed off and make mistakes.
The 42nd Gecko says:
Still it's part of the reason he's believed evil.
Scott B. says:
Iko isn't considered evil. :/
He does that when he fights anyone who isn't controlled by Cold.
The 42nd Gecko says:
And he gets utterly trashed whenever he does.
And he wasn't like that, against, say, Triumph.
Scott B. says:
Just seems... I don't know... out of place. I suppose the time period would change, though...
The 42nd Gecko says:
Cough.
Exemplar.
Cough.
Elritch.
Cough.
Aleph.
Cough.
I can go on.
Cough.
Time periods mean NOTHING.
Scott B. says:
They do to someone who gets tired of the old styles *because* he lived through their period, and wants a change of pace, but still wants to be stylish. ;p
The 42nd Gecko says:
Very well.
But if they are robes make them ridiculously unique.
Uber description, please, give us an image!
Otherwise.. It's uber lame.
Scott B. says:
Like I said, though, like six hundred years are passing.
I suppose the style might just allows for slacks. ;p
Some sort of waistcoat?
The 42nd Gecko says:
That'd work. Possibly unbottoned.

Trying to figure characters for Thread II. I think I've got a medic sort of lined up... a fire move to cauterize wounds and sterilize things, an electricity move to stimulate muscles and act as a defibrilator, an antidote move that can heal poisons and sedate while acting as anastetsia, and a general healing move.
How does that sound? And I know I mispelled the numbing agent.
It's a tough one.
Anastesia... stethia... meh.
The 42nd Gecko says:
Spell check.
But yeah, that sounds ok.
Probably not the most effective fighter, but versatile.
Scott B. says:
I also need a beatdown guy... something to act as the hammer of god on those that annoy me. Like Baniha with Echo. ;p
I was thinking a stingray, maybe...
The 42nd Gecko says:
Heh.
Scott B. says:
Any suggestions?
The 42nd Gecko says:
Dude? Do you want me to just make all your characters, .
Well, stingrays.
Poisons. Lance for a humanoid form.
Water manip.
Interesting hook ability: Something that allows him to use enemy attacks to project himself backwards, minimizing impact.
Making himself a kite.
Scott B. says:
Electricity, maybe?