Robo Jesus
Your Mechanical Messiah
You know, if Taylor/Others eventually find out about her ability to bind people to oaths, she could (eventually) take up a moniker like Oath Maker.
Fiend; or I how I learned to stop worrying and love the Green Sun. (Exalted/Worm)
- Thread starter logiccosmic
- Start date
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Not quite Any Greater Shintai though... Demon Emperor Shintai in particular duplicates Behemoth's "Kill Aura", except on a much wider scale, and with a way for you to opt-out of being skullfucked by surrendering on the spot, immediately.BlueBiscuit said:
I don't know, DTA is actually really up there if you don't care about fitting in buildings. Gargantuan is a stackable mutation, meaning an Essence 5 Infernal can be a mile tall. At that scale you're well over a hundred times as big as an Endbringer.Alectai said:
Matsci
Grash itsh griah! Rwar arr rawrrawrarar!
If you want Endbringer level Shinti, look no further than Gnostic Immanence Shintai.
Cost: 20m, 1wp; Mins: Malfeas 0, Essence 6; Type: Simple (Speed 6)
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Blasphemy, Emotion, Form-type, Obvious
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Demon Emperor Shintai, Fealty-Acknowledging Audience, Beauty Without Malice
This Charm does not exist yet. But it will.
Some day in the future, a Green Sun Princess will assume the mantle of the Demon Emperor, and her form will expand into pure Essence, and expand to fill the universe, as the Holy Tyrant once did. She too shall collapse, crushed by the terrible humiliation that Malfeas knows all too well, but she shall not accept it, and she will not fight it. Instead, she shall do what Malfeas himself could never conceive of doing; she shall shrug, and she shall dance, losing herself in the beauty. And the collapse will (terrifyingly, awe-inspiringly) cease, and Heaven will shudder as the least Shintai of the Primordial King is reborn, lessened but still divine. The Ebon Dragon never intended something like this when he told the other Yozis of the horrific ingenuity that the Green Sun Princes could bring to their panoplies.
The Gnostic Immanence bears some resemblance to its prerequisite, but only in the abstract; the warlock's form burns up into a vast column of dancing emerald flame, which coalesces into the shape of the anima-behemoth seen in the early stages of Demon Emperor Shintai. In addition, if the Infernal is Essence 10, everywhere in the same realm of existence is lit by a dawning emerald light, as the radiant majesty of the King of Creation fills his domain.
• The Infernal's material form evaporates; for duration of this Charm, he is immaterial, his form spread across the entirety of his anima banner, which not only flares to totemic but swells to encompass an area with a radius of (Essence x 50) yards.
• Worn or carried possessions are temporarily subsumed into his glorious light-self, but do not truly vanish into Elsewhere; the Infernal can still use them to enhance his traits and actions.
• The warlock is rendered immune to Poison, Crippling, and non-magical Sickness effects. He requires no food, water or air; starvation and suffocation are indignities that cannot be permitted. He does not need to sleep, but can still do so.
• The warlock has complete and perfect awareness of everything within his form, as though he were watching it with Eye of the Unconquered Sun (Exalted, page 226). He gains the benefits of that Charm when looking outside his burning body, and his gaze can felt by those upon whom it falls, as though it were a physical weight; it is the terrifying awareness of their place in the world, relative to that of their King.
• Despite being immaterial, the warlock can still interact with material things; the world contorts to his whim. He may take actions and make attacks as normal within and immediately around his body, though each non-reflexive action costs three motes if it interacts with the material; this is a Shaping effect on the world itself.
• For the purposes of any actions taken while using this Charm, the warlock replaces his Strength rating with (Appearance x 2), and his Dexterity with his Charisma. With each such action taken, sudden flares of green light erupt within the already-bright radius of the warlock's body, painting images of blades and clenched fists on the retinas of those who gaze upon him. Often, the Infernal's anima totem will appear to be the one interacting with the world, a Primordial coat of arms working its burning commands into the fabric of existence.
• As a being beyond mortal measure, the warlock's immense size makes attacks by smaller beings undodgeable, provided they can actually strike his immaterial form. However, he cannot suffer more than one damage level per attack in step 10, unless the attack is large enough to encompass at least a tenth of her size. Creatures that exist on a similarly gargantuan scale to the warlock are treated as having large enough attacks, though the Infernal may dodge such blows as normal.
• Suffering even one level of damage (of any kind) causes the Infernal to immediately gain a single point of Limit, as the hated injury evokes memories of a previous, inconceivable defeat.
• In mass combat, the warlock always enjoys the full +3 Magnitude bonus regardless of the Magnitude of the army she faces. There was a time when the Holy Tyrant was unmatched; alas, this is only a lessened remembrance of his glory, and similarly scaled adversaries (such as another Infernal using the Greater Shintai of the Endless Desert, or Juggernaut) ignore this bonus.
• All who gaze upon the Gnostic Immanence love it, and despair. Any character with an MDV lower than the warlock's (Strength + Appearance + Essence) who can perceive him immediately gains two intimacies toward him; one of "Devoted Love" and the other of "Terrified Awe". Both of these are considered positive intimacies, and cannot be naturally eroded for this Charm's duration. This is an unnatural Emotion effect that is applied whenever a given character looks upon the warlock, but can be resisted for one scene by paying two points of temporary Willpower.
• Gods and demons (and elementals in the Celestial Bureaucracy) who acquire these intimacies are immediately reminded of the rightful way of things – a way that was lost the moment the Primordial King was forced to kneel. They are treated as though they had been successfully affected by a social attack augmented with Sublimation of Ordained Purpose (Manual of Exalted Power: Infernals, page 120). Many who acquire these intimacies cry out in exultation and fear, as the warlock's authority over them (and all the world) becomes utterly clear.
• For the duration of this Charm the warlock waives the cost of Fealty-Acknowledging Audience, and may use it as an innate power rather than a Charm activation.
The power of this form is unmatched, but it is earned only through focused disregard of Malfeas' maimed state. Every action, the warlock must roll (Charisma + Performance) as a miscellaneous action (this will likely require a flurry), as he dances to deliberate distraction. Should he fail this roll, or simply not make it for whatever reason, the warlock must gain a single point of Limit, or reflexively and costlessly transition to Demon Emperor Shintai. If he enters Torment while this Charm is active, he automatically transitions to Demon Emperor Shintai. Whenever this Charm ends (due to the end of the scene, transitioning to Demon Emperor Shintai or some other effect), the warlock immediately gains (Essence) points of Limit; if he is already in Torment, these Limit points are delayed until immediately after his Torment ends.
Cost: 20m, 1wp; Mins: Malfeas 0, Essence 6; Type: Simple (Speed 6)
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Blasphemy, Emotion, Form-type, Obvious
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Demon Emperor Shintai, Fealty-Acknowledging Audience, Beauty Without Malice
This Charm does not exist yet. But it will.
Some day in the future, a Green Sun Princess will assume the mantle of the Demon Emperor, and her form will expand into pure Essence, and expand to fill the universe, as the Holy Tyrant once did. She too shall collapse, crushed by the terrible humiliation that Malfeas knows all too well, but she shall not accept it, and she will not fight it. Instead, she shall do what Malfeas himself could never conceive of doing; she shall shrug, and she shall dance, losing herself in the beauty. And the collapse will (terrifyingly, awe-inspiringly) cease, and Heaven will shudder as the least Shintai of the Primordial King is reborn, lessened but still divine. The Ebon Dragon never intended something like this when he told the other Yozis of the horrific ingenuity that the Green Sun Princes could bring to their panoplies.
The Gnostic Immanence bears some resemblance to its prerequisite, but only in the abstract; the warlock's form burns up into a vast column of dancing emerald flame, which coalesces into the shape of the anima-behemoth seen in the early stages of Demon Emperor Shintai. In addition, if the Infernal is Essence 10, everywhere in the same realm of existence is lit by a dawning emerald light, as the radiant majesty of the King of Creation fills his domain.
• The Infernal's material form evaporates; for duration of this Charm, he is immaterial, his form spread across the entirety of his anima banner, which not only flares to totemic but swells to encompass an area with a radius of (Essence x 50) yards.
• Worn or carried possessions are temporarily subsumed into his glorious light-self, but do not truly vanish into Elsewhere; the Infernal can still use them to enhance his traits and actions.
• The warlock is rendered immune to Poison, Crippling, and non-magical Sickness effects. He requires no food, water or air; starvation and suffocation are indignities that cannot be permitted. He does not need to sleep, but can still do so.
• The warlock has complete and perfect awareness of everything within his form, as though he were watching it with Eye of the Unconquered Sun (Exalted, page 226). He gains the benefits of that Charm when looking outside his burning body, and his gaze can felt by those upon whom it falls, as though it were a physical weight; it is the terrifying awareness of their place in the world, relative to that of their King.
• Despite being immaterial, the warlock can still interact with material things; the world contorts to his whim. He may take actions and make attacks as normal within and immediately around his body, though each non-reflexive action costs three motes if it interacts with the material; this is a Shaping effect on the world itself.
• For the purposes of any actions taken while using this Charm, the warlock replaces his Strength rating with (Appearance x 2), and his Dexterity with his Charisma. With each such action taken, sudden flares of green light erupt within the already-bright radius of the warlock's body, painting images of blades and clenched fists on the retinas of those who gaze upon him. Often, the Infernal's anima totem will appear to be the one interacting with the world, a Primordial coat of arms working its burning commands into the fabric of existence.
• As a being beyond mortal measure, the warlock's immense size makes attacks by smaller beings undodgeable, provided they can actually strike his immaterial form. However, he cannot suffer more than one damage level per attack in step 10, unless the attack is large enough to encompass at least a tenth of her size. Creatures that exist on a similarly gargantuan scale to the warlock are treated as having large enough attacks, though the Infernal may dodge such blows as normal.
• Suffering even one level of damage (of any kind) causes the Infernal to immediately gain a single point of Limit, as the hated injury evokes memories of a previous, inconceivable defeat.
• In mass combat, the warlock always enjoys the full +3 Magnitude bonus regardless of the Magnitude of the army she faces. There was a time when the Holy Tyrant was unmatched; alas, this is only a lessened remembrance of his glory, and similarly scaled adversaries (such as another Infernal using the Greater Shintai of the Endless Desert, or Juggernaut) ignore this bonus.
• All who gaze upon the Gnostic Immanence love it, and despair. Any character with an MDV lower than the warlock's (Strength + Appearance + Essence) who can perceive him immediately gains two intimacies toward him; one of "Devoted Love" and the other of "Terrified Awe". Both of these are considered positive intimacies, and cannot be naturally eroded for this Charm's duration. This is an unnatural Emotion effect that is applied whenever a given character looks upon the warlock, but can be resisted for one scene by paying two points of temporary Willpower.
• Gods and demons (and elementals in the Celestial Bureaucracy) who acquire these intimacies are immediately reminded of the rightful way of things – a way that was lost the moment the Primordial King was forced to kneel. They are treated as though they had been successfully affected by a social attack augmented with Sublimation of Ordained Purpose (Manual of Exalted Power: Infernals, page 120). Many who acquire these intimacies cry out in exultation and fear, as the warlock's authority over them (and all the world) becomes utterly clear.
• For the duration of this Charm the warlock waives the cost of Fealty-Acknowledging Audience, and may use it as an innate power rather than a Charm activation.
The power of this form is unmatched, but it is earned only through focused disregard of Malfeas' maimed state. Every action, the warlock must roll (Charisma + Performance) as a miscellaneous action (this will likely require a flurry), as he dances to deliberate distraction. Should he fail this roll, or simply not make it for whatever reason, the warlock must gain a single point of Limit, or reflexively and costlessly transition to Demon Emperor Shintai. If he enters Torment while this Charm is active, he automatically transitions to Demon Emperor Shintai. Whenever this Charm ends (due to the end of the scene, transitioning to Demon Emperor Shintai or some other effect), the warlock immediately gains (Essence) points of Limit; if he is already in Torment, these Limit points are delayed until immediately after his Torment ends.
pheonix89
Wants to be Seven Of Nine
- Location
- North American Plaguelands
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Sadly, Gnostic Immanence Shintai can't be kept up and running for very long. Also, I think ES is intending for Louise to get it in A Green Sun Illuminates the Void eventually, given the comment that it doesn't exist yet, his habit of writing charms he intends for his characters to use, and specifying Green Sun PRINCESS, which never appears as a canon term for a female GSP but he does use for Louise.
Edit: Just came up with a hilariously munchkinny and thus thoroughly in-character way for Taylor to solo Simurgh. Step 1: Acquire long-duration mental defense. The malfeas one that turns any orders Unacceptable would be nice. Step 2: Acquire long-duration shaping defense. Sadly, only one I can thing of for Infernals is Emerald Angel Unfurling. Step 3: Acquire a method of going immateral or undifferentiated for long periods - anything that will keep Simurgh from throwing things at her - i'm thinking Greater Shintai of the Endless Desert or Scarlet Rapture Shintai. At this point, Simurgh is out of attacks that aren't shaping - indirect TK has been negated, as have mental attacks in case hers isn't shaping. Step 4: Abuse Fond Remembrance of Adrain to blast Simurgh every time it tries to attack while slicing and dicing with Mind Hand Manipulation. Fond Remembrance hits the actual attacker - ie the core, the only part that matters. Remember, according to Tattletale everything but the core is ablative armor. Its also the only thing on this list that isn't a sustained effect, apart from use of excellencies to boost MHM, which keeps the e
Edit: Just came up with a hilariously munchkinny and thus thoroughly in-character way for Taylor to solo Simurgh. Step 1: Acquire long-duration mental defense. The malfeas one that turns any orders Unacceptable would be nice. Step 2: Acquire long-duration shaping defense. Sadly, only one I can thing of for Infernals is Emerald Angel Unfurling. Step 3: Acquire a method of going immateral or undifferentiated for long periods - anything that will keep Simurgh from throwing things at her - i'm thinking Greater Shintai of the Endless Desert or Scarlet Rapture Shintai. At this point, Simurgh is out of attacks that aren't shaping - indirect TK has been negated, as have mental attacks in case hers isn't shaping. Step 4: Abuse Fond Remembrance of Adrain to blast Simurgh every time it tries to attack while slicing and dicing with Mind Hand Manipulation. Fond Remembrance hits the actual attacker - ie the core, the only part that matters. Remember, according to Tattletale everything but the core is ablative armor. Its also the only thing on this list that isn't a sustained effect, apart from use of excellencies to boost MHM, which keeps the e
Revlid
blob of bugs
- Location
- England
Just to clarify something:
By Rage Recast gives you (Essence x 10) mutation points, on a scale where 1 point is "you have an extra eye" and 6 points is "you have an extra head". You automatically manifest eight points of these mutations when your anima flares, turning you into a monstrous thing. This is not a choice. You can retain these mutations as long as you like, and swap them out the next time you flare up. If my mutations rewrite is being used (as it sometimes is) there's even more variety, since they're stripped of most of their imposed flavour in favour of allowing users to "skin" mechanical effects in any plausible way they like.
Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai manifests all of these mutation points at once. Given how customizable mutations can be, this offers a truly vast array of potential megaforms (though you don't actually have to get any bigger, which can be terrifying in itself).
Using the standard mutation rules, you can stack the same mutation up to (Essence) times. The biggest size mutation is Gargantuan (6 points), which quadruples your size. Exalted uses additive multipliers (doing otherwise swiftly leads to the bad kind of insanity, and the only book to drop word on the subject suggests it does anyway), which means that, at Essence 3, Taylor can grow up to [Her Height x 12] feet tall in Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai, assuming she assigns maximum priority toward being BIGHUGE. This costs 18 of her 30 points, over half. Assuming she's around five-and-a-half feet at this point, it would put her at ~65 feet. Behemoth, the largest of the Endbringers, hits 45 feet.
Under my mutations, the highest "standard" size mutation offered allows you to become as big as a yeddim or tyrant lizard for 10 points, which is about 15-20 feet tall at the shoulder. Further upgrades are stated to exist, however.
She's not likely to rush straight to BIGHUGE, however, because:
a) Getting steadily bigger with Essence is a neat way to display her growing power.
b) That takes attention away from any other cool aspects of her Devil-Tyrant Avatar form, like fire breath.
c) Being a huge target is not a good thing in a cape-fight, especially when you lack Endbringer-levels of durability.
By Rage Recast gives you (Essence x 10) mutation points, on a scale where 1 point is "you have an extra eye" and 6 points is "you have an extra head". You automatically manifest eight points of these mutations when your anima flares, turning you into a monstrous thing. This is not a choice. You can retain these mutations as long as you like, and swap them out the next time you flare up. If my mutations rewrite is being used (as it sometimes is) there's even more variety, since they're stripped of most of their imposed flavour in favour of allowing users to "skin" mechanical effects in any plausible way they like.
Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai manifests all of these mutation points at once. Given how customizable mutations can be, this offers a truly vast array of potential megaforms (though you don't actually have to get any bigger, which can be terrifying in itself).
Using the standard mutation rules, you can stack the same mutation up to (Essence) times. The biggest size mutation is Gargantuan (6 points), which quadruples your size. Exalted uses additive multipliers (doing otherwise swiftly leads to the bad kind of insanity, and the only book to drop word on the subject suggests it does anyway), which means that, at Essence 3, Taylor can grow up to [Her Height x 12] feet tall in Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai, assuming she assigns maximum priority toward being BIGHUGE. This costs 18 of her 30 points, over half. Assuming she's around five-and-a-half feet at this point, it would put her at ~65 feet. Behemoth, the largest of the Endbringers, hits 45 feet.
Under my mutations, the highest "standard" size mutation offered allows you to become as big as a yeddim or tyrant lizard for 10 points, which is about 15-20 feet tall at the shoulder. Further upgrades are stated to exist, however.
She's not likely to rush straight to BIGHUGE, however, because:
a) Getting steadily bigger with Essence is a neat way to display her growing power.
b) That takes attention away from any other cool aspects of her Devil-Tyrant Avatar form, like fire breath.
c) Being a huge target is not a good thing in a cape-fight, especially when you lack Endbringer-levels of durability.
Guile
Having a really great time right now
That's assuming a power that stymies mortal precogs has any effect on the Simurgh.Auks said:
You would not believe Contessa's skill at Feng Shui.Guile said:
She sets up the furniture, and if you get into a fight that ends with a limb dislocated and head back to your place, you'll trip over a rug placed in just the right place, right on your dislocated joint, in a manner that re-sets it in the least painful manner possible.
Also, you'll find a quarter.
pheonix89
Wants to be Seven Of Nine
- Location
- North American Plaguelands
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Um, metaphysically/conceptually speaking Taylor, or at least her exaltation is a MINIMUM of 1 tier up from the Simurgh. GSP's are essentially running on a different, selfcontained physics engine then everyone else. At their fully realized potential, they are at least on par with a full-power entity .Guile said:
Being outside of Fate foils Sidereal Exalts. Who are goddamn hax.Guile said:
Matsci
Grash itsh griah! Rwar arr rawrrawrarar!
Moreso. Infernals are baby primordials. Primordials who are so big that they bud off subsouls, which are so big they have subsouls. They have an entire universes running inside their oversoul. They cannot die, outside of the abilites about the Exalted, granted only due to the intervention of Autochthon, and his voidcancer.pheonix89 said:
pheonix89
Wants to be Seven Of Nine
- Location
- North American Plaguelands
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I know all of that, although technically they are baby Primordial mk 2's. I just wasn't entirely sure whether Entities could be considered primordial tier beings.Matsci said:
Robo Jesus
Your Mechanical Messiah
No. The Entities, if they were placed in Creation, would rank well below the Primordials. The Entities are powerful to be sure, but the Primordials flat out created a reality.pheonix89 said:
Nah, just every possible iteration of a given planet. Which is still pretty damn huge on the power scale.ScreenXSurfer said:
Arthur Hansen
Author of no Authority.
- Location
- Utah, behind the Zion Curtain.
They've definitely destroyed worlds, but they don't seem to spatially spread out, but just dimensionally. The metaphysics of the Agents... is odd.ScreenXSurfer said:
Robo Jesus
Your Mechanical Messiah
SolipsistSerpen said:
Do use spoilers here, please.arthurh3535 said:
29
logiccosmic
the Prince of Word Crimes
- Location
- the Hague, formerly
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Ochre Fountain 4.1
I could feel it on the tip of my tongue. Something. It had been so close, right on the surface of my thoughts. Right when I shifted, my form changing. I rested my face in my palms in frustration. Of course, the sound wasn't conductive to thinking.
The sound of a truck going 65 down a highway. I was resting on the upper level of a truck hauling cars. Easy enough to get onto, and somewhat hidden from prying eyes and the elements. It was still cold up here, though. My bag of clothes was in between my crossed legs, and I could feel the wad of cash in my pocket. I'd count it, out of necessity, but it'd just fly away up here. My face was probably public knowledge by now, along with all the faces I had assumed. So, instead of a girl, I looked like a boy. Shorter, chubby, and brown haired. Bland and ignorable. I had also figured out how to disguise my clothing, which resulted in brighter jeans, and an open jacket over a t-shirt that said 'Female Body Inspector.' A perfect disguise.
The sign on the opposite side of the highway read Providence – 140 Miles. Almost to New York City, or so. Another hour, at least. I had gotten onto this truck as it was filling up at a gas station, so I should be good until there. I'd have to find a new one, or possibly some place to sleep. It was already mid-afternoon, and while the sun helped a bit, it was very, very cold. Maybe it was penance.
Sophia was dead. She had threatened my dad, sure, but I had killed her. I could still hear her horrified shout, realization of her oncoming flaming death. Worse, I had felt good, for one instant. It had felt right. My stomach shifted, nauseous.
Were my powers affecting me? The rage I kept drawing on, using to fuel my powers. Was I controlling it, or was it controlling me? I didn't know. The roadside switched to more buildings than trees. I was getting closer. Away from the Bay. What would my dad think of me now? I hadn't explained my powers, had been to afraid of his reaction, his disappointment.
I could be certain he was more than disappointed, now.
Houses became strip malls became two and more story buildings. The highway split, and the truck took it, curving. I held on to the bumper I was leaning against, locking my legs around my clothes. Another few minutes, and the truck took an exit ramp. Keeping one hand on the bumper of the car behind me, I grabbed my clothes. Time to get off. Maybe the truck was at its destination. Or maybe another trucker had signaled this one that I was riding on top.
I waited, and we stopped at a light. I dismounted. The car I nearly landed on honked at me, and I moved purposefully through the two other lanes, onto the sidewalk. Now I only had to find out where I was, what I was going to do, and where to stay. My stomach, no longer nauseous from my navel-gazing, reminded me that I hadn't eaten since morning. Lunch had been interrupted, after all.
Clutching my bag to my chest, I looked at my options. Fast food wasn't cheap, but neither was a restaurant. Going to a grocery store at this point was counter-productive: I didn't know if I would be able to store food, and I really wanted to sit down in a comfortable chair, with warm food and a heater. So, cheap, and plentiful. Time to ask locals.
A woman, standing alone, smoking a cigarette while leaning against a bollard. Not very well-dressed but not shabby either. Perfect. I walked to her, asking, "Excuse me ma'am,"
She took one look at me, at my shirt, and scoffed, "Pig."
With that, she stubbed her cigarette and walked away. What? Oh, the shirt. Good for disguising away from me, bad for conversation. I only had a smidge over half my inner pool left, so I wasn't going to change now. With the way today was going, I might need it very soon. Time to try again.
By the time I both found someone willing to answer my questions, and a place that met my expectations, it was growing dark. Several hours of walking around the Bronx, where I now found myself, had yielded an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. Fifteen dollars later, and I was now eating my third plate of decent, but hot food. A pot of hot tea was a welcome side benefit. I was already on pot number two. And the heater in the buffet was the cap on the trifecta.
I sat near the TV, watching. It was set to the news.
"-and once more, here is the cell phone video of Taylor Hebert, aka Defiler, changing shape to attack Shadow Stalker. Again, we warn you, this video is extremely violent."
Sophia charged me, knife drawn. My face was twisted in anger. I saw the wave of fire erupt from me, melting all the tables near by. Sophia went barely visible, sliding around me. Above me, for one brief second, I could see the bronze spider forming, before it dove into me, spinning a cocoon of brass thread. The cocoon lasted but an instant, before it dissipated, revealing a glimpse of me tackling Sophia through the wall. The video shook, both in the aftermath of my hit, and the owner's movements as he or she ran right to the hole we had exited through.
I saw myself, easily over 20 ft tall, made of black stone, vaguely humanoid. Wings, now stone instead of leathery flesh, were easily my height twice over in wingspan. They looked like bat wings, except for the stone. Massive claws, bigger than swords adorned my hands, and over my entire body, faint green characters could be seen, pulsing with my heartbeat. My eyes and mouth flickered with green flames, and the black disk adorned my brow.
On TV, I turned, and the characters that adorned me dimmed, becoming invisible. I let out a stream of fire, which immolated what ever had been behind me. With a blast of wind, knocking the cell phone's owner over, I took to the sky.
The anchor came back on, "At this point, authorities are considering Defiler to be extremely dangerous. Any sightings should be reported immediately."
I stood, draining my cup of tea. Time to go. I needed a place to sleep.
A seedy motel, bed stained with who knows what was my overpriced purchase for the night. I had countered the middle-aged clerk's request for ID by more than doubling the price, sliding a $100 bill across the counter. I was now registered as Benjamin Franklin.
I counted out my bills and change. I had over 1500 dollars left, still. Enough for a week and change at my current rate of expenditure. Not enough to live forever on. I'd have to get more, with no idea how to. A hot shower, probably taxing the tiny water heater, helped. I'd find a library, and do some local research. After breakfast of course.
Exhausted, I wrapped myself in the frayed blanket, and went to sleep.
A/N: What's this, out of the Bay? I told ya it was going off the rails. No worries though, she will return. Like Douglas MacArthur.
I could feel it on the tip of my tongue. Something. It had been so close, right on the surface of my thoughts. Right when I shifted, my form changing. I rested my face in my palms in frustration. Of course, the sound wasn't conductive to thinking.
The sound of a truck going 65 down a highway. I was resting on the upper level of a truck hauling cars. Easy enough to get onto, and somewhat hidden from prying eyes and the elements. It was still cold up here, though. My bag of clothes was in between my crossed legs, and I could feel the wad of cash in my pocket. I'd count it, out of necessity, but it'd just fly away up here. My face was probably public knowledge by now, along with all the faces I had assumed. So, instead of a girl, I looked like a boy. Shorter, chubby, and brown haired. Bland and ignorable. I had also figured out how to disguise my clothing, which resulted in brighter jeans, and an open jacket over a t-shirt that said 'Female Body Inspector.' A perfect disguise.
The sign on the opposite side of the highway read Providence – 140 Miles. Almost to New York City, or so. Another hour, at least. I had gotten onto this truck as it was filling up at a gas station, so I should be good until there. I'd have to find a new one, or possibly some place to sleep. It was already mid-afternoon, and while the sun helped a bit, it was very, very cold. Maybe it was penance.
Sophia was dead. She had threatened my dad, sure, but I had killed her. I could still hear her horrified shout, realization of her oncoming flaming death. Worse, I had felt good, for one instant. It had felt right. My stomach shifted, nauseous.
Were my powers affecting me? The rage I kept drawing on, using to fuel my powers. Was I controlling it, or was it controlling me? I didn't know. The roadside switched to more buildings than trees. I was getting closer. Away from the Bay. What would my dad think of me now? I hadn't explained my powers, had been to afraid of his reaction, his disappointment.
I could be certain he was more than disappointed, now.
Houses became strip malls became two and more story buildings. The highway split, and the truck took it, curving. I held on to the bumper I was leaning against, locking my legs around my clothes. Another few minutes, and the truck took an exit ramp. Keeping one hand on the bumper of the car behind me, I grabbed my clothes. Time to get off. Maybe the truck was at its destination. Or maybe another trucker had signaled this one that I was riding on top.
I waited, and we stopped at a light. I dismounted. The car I nearly landed on honked at me, and I moved purposefully through the two other lanes, onto the sidewalk. Now I only had to find out where I was, what I was going to do, and where to stay. My stomach, no longer nauseous from my navel-gazing, reminded me that I hadn't eaten since morning. Lunch had been interrupted, after all.
Clutching my bag to my chest, I looked at my options. Fast food wasn't cheap, but neither was a restaurant. Going to a grocery store at this point was counter-productive: I didn't know if I would be able to store food, and I really wanted to sit down in a comfortable chair, with warm food and a heater. So, cheap, and plentiful. Time to ask locals.
A woman, standing alone, smoking a cigarette while leaning against a bollard. Not very well-dressed but not shabby either. Perfect. I walked to her, asking, "Excuse me ma'am,"
She took one look at me, at my shirt, and scoffed, "Pig."
With that, she stubbed her cigarette and walked away. What? Oh, the shirt. Good for disguising away from me, bad for conversation. I only had a smidge over half my inner pool left, so I wasn't going to change now. With the way today was going, I might need it very soon. Time to try again.
By the time I both found someone willing to answer my questions, and a place that met my expectations, it was growing dark. Several hours of walking around the Bronx, where I now found myself, had yielded an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. Fifteen dollars later, and I was now eating my third plate of decent, but hot food. A pot of hot tea was a welcome side benefit. I was already on pot number two. And the heater in the buffet was the cap on the trifecta.
I sat near the TV, watching. It was set to the news.
"-and once more, here is the cell phone video of Taylor Hebert, aka Defiler, changing shape to attack Shadow Stalker. Again, we warn you, this video is extremely violent."
Sophia charged me, knife drawn. My face was twisted in anger. I saw the wave of fire erupt from me, melting all the tables near by. Sophia went barely visible, sliding around me. Above me, for one brief second, I could see the bronze spider forming, before it dove into me, spinning a cocoon of brass thread. The cocoon lasted but an instant, before it dissipated, revealing a glimpse of me tackling Sophia through the wall. The video shook, both in the aftermath of my hit, and the owner's movements as he or she ran right to the hole we had exited through.
I saw myself, easily over 20 ft tall, made of black stone, vaguely humanoid. Wings, now stone instead of leathery flesh, were easily my height twice over in wingspan. They looked like bat wings, except for the stone. Massive claws, bigger than swords adorned my hands, and over my entire body, faint green characters could be seen, pulsing with my heartbeat. My eyes and mouth flickered with green flames, and the black disk adorned my brow.
On TV, I turned, and the characters that adorned me dimmed, becoming invisible. I let out a stream of fire, which immolated what ever had been behind me. With a blast of wind, knocking the cell phone's owner over, I took to the sky.
The anchor came back on, "At this point, authorities are considering Defiler to be extremely dangerous. Any sightings should be reported immediately."
I stood, draining my cup of tea. Time to go. I needed a place to sleep.
A seedy motel, bed stained with who knows what was my overpriced purchase for the night. I had countered the middle-aged clerk's request for ID by more than doubling the price, sliding a $100 bill across the counter. I was now registered as Benjamin Franklin.
I counted out my bills and change. I had over 1500 dollars left, still. Enough for a week and change at my current rate of expenditure. Not enough to live forever on. I'd have to get more, with no idea how to. A hot shower, probably taxing the tiny water heater, helped. I'd find a library, and do some local research. After breakfast of course.
Exhausted, I wrapped myself in the frayed blanket, and went to sleep.
A/N: What's this, out of the Bay? I told ya it was going off the rails. No worries though, she will return. Like Douglas MacArthur.
logiccosmic
the Prince of Word Crimes
- Location
- the Hague, formerly
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Dance puppets, dance!gideon020 said:
No, needs eye to flesh.Yog said:
Spoiler: Who copied I AM?Yog said:
Comparing Dragon to I AM is a bit much. I AM could probably figure out how to kill the Endbringers. At the very least, it is literally omni-present and has near infinite computing power.
logiccosmic
the Prince of Word Crimes
- Location
- the Hague, formerly
- Pronouns
- He/Him
That, and I AM could do your taxes. Take that, Hekatonkhire&Ragara Block.Robotninja said: