Heavy READER
Book Devourer/Speed Reader
- Location
- Fitchburg, MA
Huh, did I read that right Meds stole I am crushing your head's power and then used Akuma posion. If so cool and messy, if not what was I reading.
Yes, Medusa had temporary access to Perspective's power while she was bursting out of her. And, unlike the owner, used that power efficiently.Huh, did I read that right Meds stole I am crushing your head's power and then used Akuma posion. If so cool and messy, if not what was I reading.
No she just realized he lied about not being there when it happened.I'm confused by the reunion scene. The way Medusa killed those people reminded Poe of the tunnel fire?
It was both. Medusa realized Poe lied, and Poe had a flashback because of how Medusa killed those Quincies.No she just realized he lied about not being there when it happened.
Man, I forgot how scary Snake-Wife can be.Between my understanding of Dark Matter and my own reincarnation technique, subverting the body of a spiritually immature waif was only a matter of time, effort, and a willingness to shed skin. Even the act of dripping literal poison that congealed on surfaces, spit smoke, ignited, and filled the air with toxic fumes that eroded spattered corpses was a formality. An already easy task was made simpler with tools that none of these people had the time to prepare for, even in the most practical sense.
"You might be God, but what is a God when every third person is Kratos"
*cough cough*Cult*cough cough*
Told you. Cult.
I forgot, what did Makarov say?
Aww... She cares...
Whoops. Did you let a witness go? How sloppy of you.
What?high school further up. Blue and red flashing lights surrounded a fire.
Wreathed in fire, engulfed in a conflagration of tar and chemicals, I could smell the sweet and melting plastics as they hissed and boiled.
wat?Dressed in nothing but my pajamas, I shivered in the cold – but no mist escaped my mouth.
No seriously. What? I am confused on this part.
Oh, right. That happened... God, I remember that, it made me sad in real life."About your friend that went to the tracks." She was quick to clarify. "You promised you would get help, Desiree offered that, and you still didn't tell her the whole story. Ars…"
"I didn't," I said, maybe a little too fast. "I said exactly what happened–"
Aah, yes. The Manliest of places to have scars. And gained from the... Third manliest of Men. Nr. one and two are obviously Armstrong and Curtis.She reached out with her finger and traced the scar I got from Bradley – the one right through my eyebrow.
"You might be God, but what is a God when every third person is Kratos"
Please. Be my guest. I think it's the first time someone sig something I've written
Love, love, love keeps the world go 'round.
-x-
Pereknorn "Perry" Polynytep felt a lump on her neck. It was too soft to be bone, and too hard to be muscle. Yet even as she rubbed it, letting her fingernail dig a little deeper, she trembled as it peeled.
-x-
The Perspective's Story
Our meeting place looks like an old lecture hall – lines of connected seats and aisles are arranged in a semicircle facing a stage that's flat against the ground. The Artificer has his uniform on. It's from before… uh… I know this, it's… from before…
…My mind is blanking again. I'm shivering, and it isn't even cold.
The room is dark enough that nobody sees how pale I'm getting, and these people are all such losers. It's not like they'd want to associate with me or anything. So I'm just sitting in my usual spot towards the front…
Except I'm not. I'm not sitting towards the front. I'm towards the back of the room. This isn't my usual spot. Why… why did I think I was…? I was thinking something… what…?
The Inheritor. Ivan Makarov.
Our leader is talking about him. I try to focus on his voice, and it feels like my ears are popping. My mouth opens in a yawn, and I can't shut it. It just stays open. My jaw is locked in place.
I hope nobody's staring.
My face is heating up. But then, it cools down. It feels like there are fingers moving under my face. They're pressing and pulling against it, dragging their way down my shoulders and up my arms.
I feel my hands flex, and then I stop feeling my hands anymore. I'm still trying to hear what our leader has to say, but why does that matter when my arms aren't my arms anymore? I should just – he's still talking. I recognize the way he paces back and forth, the manner of speech too. He reminds me of an evangelist. Big, sweeping motions with his arms, a loud and booming voice filled with raw charisma.
This man is the picture perfect fraud – take that back he is a truth-teller, he has the power to grant us the abilities of his lord Yhwach, how dare you – he looks towards us, but the darkness of the auditorium provides aid.
We're in a room designed to carry a voice to everyone. More importantly, this is a room designed to make each member of the audience feel isolated. It's too large, too spacious, and just dark enough that nobody can see me when I lift Pereknorn's fingers up to her eye.
My stomach is twisting into knots. I try putting my arm down, and it won't move. Stop it, I think. Stop moving me, I'm in charge here. I'm… I think I'm in charge, aren't I? This… this is my arm…? But I can't be sure anymore. Everyone's faces just look the same. And who's that man in the corner? He looks likeTHERE IS NO MANWhat was I thinking about? God, it feels so important…
There is a pulse of spiritual power. It feels instinctive, and it probably is to this girl. Her fingertips pinch, and their leader's head has abruptly turned into a fine paste. It feels like a small piece of chewing gum.
Why is he dead? I don't want this. No. Please stop. Stop it.
Everyone reacts at once. There are over a dozen people in this room. All the gathered Sternritter are searching for who killed their leader in a single motion, and I can feel one of Pereknorn's eyes partly liquefy as it turns into mine. I see my next target. I pinch with her fingers, and another Sternritter has died.
I can't see… I can't see and I can't hear… who… what are you? What is this? Stop it… STOP IT!
Six more Sternritter are dead. They try escaping through the doors, searching for higher vantage points, anything. A vector arrow is more than enough to turn the room pitch black, and alchemy I had performed during one of Pereknorn's blackouts let me seal the room shut.
I DON'T WANT THIS STOP IT NO NO NO NO NO!
We were all alone, them and I. Pereknorn's ability was absurd – in my hands, however temporary, it was more than sufficient for this type of work. There was no doubt in my mind that there were other Sternritter in this room who could have fought back, if only they knew where they were being attacked from and who was attacking them.
Please… Please stop…
My hands clenched as skin began to flake and peel away. My neck spun, and the corpse's head fell free – it was hollowed, less resembling a skull and grey matter, more resembling a pile of skin and tissue. Spare flesh was poured free from my body and pooled along the ground as I walked with legs that became mine.
…no…
My bare feet padded across the tiled floor, one false Quincy perishing after another. An arrowhead rested on the stage, having been knocked from its proper place. The lights flickered, and in that brief instant where shadows were cast across all of us, I could see the survivors attempting to flee.
Never. Not once have I ever felt this disappointed.
One surprise attack, one strike from where they least expected it, and these people – no matter their supposed training with absurd powers they clearly had little understanding of – scattered like rats. I had more respect in my smallest bones for lambs fresh for the slaughter, and this skeleton hadn't even belonged to me until a few minutes ago.
Between my understanding of Dark Matter and my own reincarnation technique, subverting the body of a spiritually immature waif was only a matter of time, effort, and a willingness to shed skin. Even the act of dripping literal poison that congealed on surfaces, spit smoke, ignited, and filled the air with toxic fumes that eroded spattered corpses was a formality. An already easy task was made simpler with tools that none of these people had the time to prepare for, even in the most practical sense.
They were green, every single one of them. At most, they could not have had these powers for more than a few months. Several-still probably only had these abilities for a matter of weeks.
I shuttered the doors and trapped the survivors in the room, forcing it to become air tight. And as stars dotted their skin and their bodies rotted and collapsed, I stepped to the only real Quincy's podium. A book was laid out with half a page torn free. The man who was reading it, whose name I never cared to learn, was pinched mid-word.
All of it is terribly basic. How to gather spiritual particles to form a bow, the properties of a Stand Arrowhead – and that is what this little object on the stage was, make no mistake – written in brackets and scrawled in corners here and there with haphazard urgency.
He claimed he was Yhwach, but really, all he had was a bow and arrow and some of the basics. He thought he could just take a big, frightening, imposing name for himself, build a following, and… what was his end game? Most of these people were powerless in the face of surprise attacks. Bandits, orphans, members of dark guilds, experiments left behind that may have followed this man as he fled – but none of them were the cream of the crop. None of them were strong, or particularly smart.
At most, they were mildly clever terrorists following a religious ideologue who barely understood his own ideas. Save, I suppose, for a belief in the power of wealth. A golden chain left between the pages attested to a level of personal fortune that matched or exceeded his peers.
He was a fraud, a fear monger, and a charlatan. All his power came from abilities that even he barely understood, and yet because the world had no means of fighting back against these powers…
It was clear what had happened here.
Makarov had lied to me.
But I could not find it in myself to be angry. Rather, it relaxed me. To know that a man with so much power and the ability to mass further strength for himself, to know he could be so soft spoken even as he sent someone to potentially die on a lie where the boon existed of removing an out of context problem… there was something admirable to that.
He didn't trust me. And he had no cause to trust me. So this was perfectly reasonable. Deal with a potential threat that holds a great deal of power by sending it to eliminate an actual threat with equal or greater power. He would test the waters and find out what I could do – or what Ars could do – and in the best case scenario, I would return having eliminated a threat to the entire Kingdom without anyone being the wiser.
Yet, for some reason… for some inexplicable reason… there was something annoying about it. Perhaps it was the dead pseudo-Quincy's flesh dripping off of my body that gave me a cold, unpleasant feeling.
…Ah, yes. The worst case scenario.
If I died, Ars would know. He would come for me, and…
…well.
On principle, I agreed with what Makarov did. It was an action that, had I more social clout and the ability to appear more passive, wouldn't be outside my playbook. Potentially deal with two threats at once while protecting his assets and escaping potential judgment. And if he was smart enough to do that, then surely he was intelligent enough to realize that if I returned, or if Ars returned alone, he would be found out.
The sheer certainty on his part that neither of us would do him harm implied either arrogance or understanding.
Makarov did not strike me as an arrogant person.
I suppose what bothered me the most about it was the notion that Makarov would send Ars if I failed, the implicit risk to Ars' life if I could not deal with a threat in question, and the fact that Makarov was so certain that he would be unharmed by us following our potential return that he didn't even have a back-up plan that I could immediately consider.
The fact that there existed the possibility of a world where Ars would return to the Fairy Tail guild empty handed because of Makarov, directly or indirectly, gave me pause. If I died, I'm not sure that would be unpleasant. If I died because of someone else's machinations, even then I'm not sure I'd mind.
I deserve worse for what I've done.
But if Ars suffered?
…
…Half-lidded, I looked across an empty room. Clothes and outfits were strewn about and sizzled as they dissolved, their owners having been reduced to smoky ash. Fingernails that scratched against the doors crumbled to nothing. There were no voices, no screams. Only silence.
If he was hurt because of me… even if it was tangentially… then no matter how much I agreed with Makarov, something would need to be done.
A smell not too different from burnt pork and ozone filled the room as the Akuma poison gasses clung to every surface. Rust began to build on iron, stone hissed and popped but otherwise remained sturdy.
Grasping the book with either hand, I was careful to place it within my dress. Vector arrows wrapped around it, concealing it from the elements. Though it was a rudimentary piece of knowledge, it still had sufficient importance that just throwing it away or destroying it felt wrong. Assuming nothing useful could be drawn from it, that damn animal in the library ought to enjoy it as a souvenir.
My hand waved in front of me to part toxic mists while I stepped off the stage. They swirled around and about, like fumes from an old cauldron. I shut my eyes and thought of different times – before… before, I…
…ah. How odd.
That wasn't my memory.
I turned around, and saw a door was open.
…
…Oh dear.
-x-
My feet crunched through snow and ice, sliding across soft, wet grass below with every other step as I tumbled down the hill. I could feel the whisper of branches behind me, the woods at my back and the high school further up. Blue and red flashing lights surrounded a fire.
Wreathed in fire, engulfed in a conflagration of tar and chemicals, I could smell the sweet and melting plastics as they hissed and boiled. I reached my hands out, and could feel the warmth as it lapped at my bare fingertips.
Dressed in nothing but my pajamas, I shivered in the cold – but no mist escaped my mouth.
Breathless and alone, I watched from atop the hill as firefighters pulled something black from the wreckage. It looked mangled. I was hundreds of feet away, and I think it was staring at me.
It was wearing a jersey.
And if I squinted, I was absolutely certain I could see the words God's Gift sewn on the back of it.
I vomited hot chocolate and good feelings, cried, and hid behind a tree when police turned their lights towards me.
What could I do? I just… I just sat there. In the cold. Sobbing.
My hands were over my mouth, my whole body was shaking.
There was another explosion, and I crawled out from behind the tree to look into the flames. I watched a man covered in fire walk out of there – he wept molten pain, spoke in words I could not hear, and the fire consumed him as he fell deeper into the tunnel.
Deeper and deeper still…
He crumbled like ash.
-x-
The door slid open without resistance. Purple smoke flew free of the meeting place, rotting plants on either side of me. I stood perfectly still, watching as whatever was left of these people turned to dust and fell apart.
I was shaking.
The expression on Meds' face when she looked at me for the first time in… I don't know how long… it was…
"…You lied to her." Meds realized, "About your friend that went to the tracks." She was quick to clarify. "You promised you would get help, Desiree offered that, and you still didn't tell her the whole story. Ars…"
"I didn't," I said, maybe a little too fast. "I said exactly what happened–"
"You left out the fact that you saw it happen. From how you talked about it with Desiree, the distance between the tunnel and your home varied." Meds breathed, "Now it's making more sense. How could you know what it looked like unless you were there?" She sighed, "I shouldn't be surprised."
"…Yeah, well," I ran my hand across my face and tried to be outraged. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you'd find out." Meds offered a deadpan look in response, and I deflated. "What gave it away, huh? What… What did it?"
"When our memories were smashed together in the library it was inevitable that some things would stay behind, or be copied. It's just bad luck that this is coming to a head now–" She stopped herself and took a breath. "Look," Meds began, pinching her brow.
"Yeah, bad luck's one way to put it–"
"Look at this." Meds urged, gesturing around her. "Actually look at it. You've done worse than this. I've done worse than this. This is… nothing. It's just another inconvenient factor that we'd have to look at one way or another."
"…I…" Inconvenient? Was that all? My words cracked apart in my throat and fell in. They sat at the bottom of my chest and wouldn't move. I gasped, and realized I was crying. "I don't get it either."
For once, Meds looked completely at a loss. "These were Stand users," she testified, "With rudimentary Quincy abilities – this is the best chance I had, and I took it. We both know a sustained fight against this many people with variant abilities would be a death sentence! I… I can't just stop because of some… some personal hang-up you have that I literally just found out about." Meds' shadow cast across the remains that covered the floor, "Ars, please, remember where you are right now." She implored, "I didn't kill your friend–"
"No. It's not…" I interrupted her, "Please, just…"
"He was dead years ago and… and I don't even know his name. Be reasonable, Ars! You haven't even said that much to Desiree–"
"Just stop, okay? Can you? Can you just…" I caught my puling and tried to harden it. The most I managed was an uncertain croak, "Just… please. Please stop."
She lifted a hand, as if to reach out to me. Then Meds let it fall by her side, "…Alright."
I tried to take a step back and tumbled over a pair of pants. Instead of getting up, I pushed myself back against the wall and cradled my head in my hands. "I just… Gimme a minute," I mumbled.
"…" Meds remained silent. She stepped past empty outfits with the utmost grace and elegance, one foot in front of the other, and one step at a time her bare feet took her to me. "You're wearing shoes again."
I murmured something that I didn't understand. Neither of us heard it. My cheeks felt too damp.
Meds' eyes narrowed. She scrutinized me, as if checking each detail for something only she could see. She reached out with her finger and traced the scar I got from Bradley – the one right through my eyebrow.
She shut her eyes. "Put me back."
"…What?"
"Put me back in the House of the Rising Sun, Ars."
"You're out, Meds – I… I should at least…"
She didn't wait for me to finish. Instead, she took a step forward, clasped my hands, and fell into me. Her body became transparent, sinking through my physical form and into an astral plane – within the House of the Rising Sun, and in a flash of a moment within the greyed out world, I saw her rejoin the others.
…But the look of concern never left her face.
I inhaled. Everything smelled like fried person.
And I exhaled.
-x-
One Foot on the Platform
OR: One Foot on the Train
End-323
You say that like it's dead.Well, it was fun while it lasted. Thanks for the ride, Ars; I'll enjoy the re-read.
Invisi-text is most definitely NOT viable story telling medium. Why would you do this? I read on mobile, and I'm just not gonna read this if its got so much invisible text. Why would you do this?Invisible text is a relevant story-telling medium used repeatedly throughout One Foot, and not being prepared to highlight may prove costly to your entertainment.
Because some people like grapes and others like plaid?Invisi-text is most definitely NOT viable story telling medium. Why would you do this? I read on mobile, and I'm just not gonna read this if its got so much invisible text. Why would you do this?
I'm still up to help out with betaing, Ars.To everyone willing to help me with this rewrite, I salute you in advance
I think his lost wing regenerated as multiple wings instead of one, which he can form into a giant fist...Homunculus: Jackal Bird Form, Wings but one side is smaller due to being regrown, boosted physical capabilities, Regeneration based on energy, Ultimate Spear, later enhanced by Yoma Powers which further boosted physical capabilities and also made Poe a elf
Zanpakuto(Grand King) Two swords, multiple forms- Dual Sword Pipe which can shut off a sense if enemy hears them clang together, Bow- Corrosive Shots?, Arm and Leg Guards can negate and counter enemy attacks if attacks are at full power, Shotgun Halberds which can shoot shots at enemy's blind spots but has limited shots, Niijikai- Creation Of some form of titanite also makes Poe high, can also open inner world
not sure if he got regeneration from this as well?
I think his lost wing regenerated as multiple wings instead of one, which he can form into a giant fist...
hopefully he fixes that to become less lopsided...
not sure if he got regeneration from this as well?
Because his Homonculus one uses heat and potential energy, while this one might use spiritual energy?
or maybe both combined?