BlueBattler

Ohh... very good! Very good!

Given Domi's personality, that would probably not be a wise response.

The day she came up with “Tell or Show” she broke Statesman.

“Hello, Marcus,” she had said brightly when she got her turn again. “You don’t mind if I call you Marcus do you? Tyrant loves it when I call him Marcus. Would you like me to tell you what we’re doing when I him that?”

“No.” It was barely more than a whisper, and he refused to look at her.

“I want you to look at me, Marcus. We’re going to play a game. Look at me!”

“No.”

“If you don’t look at me, I’m going to bring in some random servant of Tyrant’s and kill him right in front of you. How would you like that, Marcus? Tyrant loves watching me kill.”

Slowly, he raised his head and looked at her. For a long moment, those eyes—so like Tyrant’s, so like her own—bored into her head. “You don’t have to be this, Megan.”

She froze. “How do you know that name?”

“Anti-Matter told me. He talked about you quite a bit, actually.” He paused. “He’s in love with you, isn’t he? I was beginning to think that didn’t exist on this world.”

“Love doesn’t exist anywhere. It’s just an illusion—a lie that people tell themselves to make life bearable. My mother told me she loved me even while I was killing her.” She noticed his gasp. “You didn’t know that I killed her, did you?”

He said nothing.

“I’ll have to tell you about it—but some other time. We’re going to play another game now. I call it ‘Tell or Show.’”

“You mean ‘show and tell.’”

“Oh no. I meant exactly what I said, Marcus. See, here’s how the game works. You’re going to tell me all about her—the other me. Jessica I think you called her. You’re going to tell me everything.”

“No.”

“If you don’t want to ‘Tell’, then we’ll play ‘Show.’” She took off one of her gloves. “I’ll disrobe and you’ll watch me. If you try to look away, I’ll bring in someone and kill them in front of you. Do we understand each other, Marcus?”

“Yes.”

“So tell me about Jessica, Marcus. Tell me everything about her.”

And he did. He talked about the day that Jessica told him she wanted to be a hero like her mother. He told her about his pride the first time she took down a criminal on her own. He spoke of the admiration and love that Paragon had for Ms. Liberty. He casually mentioned the numerous friends and comrades that she had—the respect that Ms. Liberty was given.

And as he spoke, he continued to look into her eyes. She expected hate; she anticipated revulsion. She would not have been surprised by lust. But the look that Statesman gave her was one that she had not seen in years:

Pity.

And it enraged her.

“Enough!” she said finally, picking up her whip. “So little Miss Perfect has the entire world fooled into thinking that she’s come kind of … of paragon.”

“She’s a human being. She has her flaws.” He laughed suddenly. “She cheats at Scrabble.” He looked at her. “You can be like her if you want to be, Megan. Nothing is set in stone. You’ve done terrible things, but you can change. I did.” He paused. “Let me go—help me escape, and I’ll take you back with me. You won’t belong to Tyrant anymore. You’ll be your own person. You’ll be free.”

Free.

The word tasted strange to her. She didn’t understand it. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the idea that there could come a time when she did not have to serve Tyrant. For a moment—a long moment—she actually toyed with the idea of doing it.

And then she remembered the pity in his eyes, and something dark and vicious came alive in her. “I could let you go, Marcus. I could, but you would have to do something for me first.”

“I told you I’d take you with me.”

“That’s not what I had in mind, Marcus. I want you to play with me.”

“Play with--?”

“Like Tyrant.”

He gaped at her.

“And while we’re … playing, you have to call me by her name. You have to call me Jessica.”

He shuddered.

She walked to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Seductively, she whispered into his ear. “You’ll never escape without my help, Marcus. Sooner or later, Anti is going to find out how to break you. You’ll tell us what we want to know. You’re supposed to be a hero. Is this too great a price to pay to save your world?”

He closed his eyes.

“Domi! Chimera wants his turn now!”

“Drat.” She pouted slightly. “I suppose we’ll have to continue this conversation tomorrow. Think about it, Marcus. Think about me.”

When she left, he was crying.

Thanks, Scrappy. Glad you've enjoyed reading my stuff.

I intend to post everything I write for COH in this thread, so you should be fine just adding this to your favorites.

And no, not all of them are complete. I suppose I should indicate which ones are still works in progress, huh?

I agree with Slick, for the most part.

On the other hand, I feel that while the Freedom Phalanx characters are entirely appropriate to scale to Hero Class, I think the Vindicators should never reach above Elite Boss.

Freedom Phalanx is best of the best, the Justice League of our world. The Vindicators should be like the Titans: powerful as a team, but on a individual basis not all that more powerful than the average Level 50 Hero or Villain.

Something else about Manticore.

He doesn't have male friends. He gets along fine with women, but he doesn't form close bonds with men. He feels too competitive with them.

The only possible exception is Back Alley Brawler.

Oh, very good ...

You know, now I would like to see how Malaise would get along with CK ...

[ QUOTE ]
*shrugs* I never claimed to be the voice of canon when I started writing "The Course of Superhero Romance." And it may well be that Positron has a crush on Ms Liberty, but she's significantly younger than he is, not to mention the granddaughter of his boss. That's tricky ground. Strictly for myself, I have Positron with Dr. Tavarisch because she's closer to his age, not quite as invested in the ins-and-outs of the Phalanx, and is a soldier, not a hero.

As for the rest of your characterizations, I think they're spot on. I've not explored Synapse being in love with Mynx, although I have him flirting heavily with Andrea Blake in TCoSR because they're both only in it for the short term.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

[/ QUOTE ]

Freedom Phalanx the novel took place in 1986. Pre-Ms. Liberty was seven or eight in that novel. That would make her about 26 at the start of the Rikti War, and 30 now. Ray was in his mid-twenties in the novel, I think, so he'd be in his late 40s now.

Granted, we don't really know how much either of the novels are canon. There could be a sliding timeline applied to the COHverse where Ray is no more than his mid-30s, though I think it'd be a stretch to see him as in his 20s now.

Also, we don't really know whether Posi ages as much as a normal person. Furthermore, when Lady Grey restored his form afte his explosion he may have wound up with a physically more youthful body as well. (A smal price to pay for the lack of hair.)

I don't see how Ms. Liberty could be under her mid-twenties and still be a credible leader of Longbow.

Given that her grandfather is eternally 30, I don't think Jessica would be put off dating someone she liked just because he's older than her, but Posi is totally not her type . She might have flirted with him in her carefree youth, but she wouldn't consider a long term relationship with him.

And I think Posi's crush is like Anti-Matter's feelings for Dominatrix; more who he thinks she is rather than who she actually is. Once he got to know her outside the masks, he'd totally lose interest in her.

I agree with you that he still sees Statesman as his boss, but I don't think that Statesman looks at it that way. He sees Posi and the rest of the Phalanx as his teammates, and some-- but not all-- of them as his friends.

Just a little something that popped into my head that I thought might be fun.

What are some of the ideas you have about the main characters in the game that you have that may or may not be supported by the lore of the game as we know it now?

Let me get the ball rolling ...


Synapse: there are two people he would die for without question: Mynx and Positron. He loves Posi like a brother. He's in love with Mynx and she's in love with him, but neither of them will admit it to each other or anyone else.

He's the original ADD blaster. He rushes into battle without thinking because he's built for speed, action rather than reaction. He's not stupid, but he's not prone to much introspection or self-analysis. This is because he was so traumatized by what the Crey did to him that he feels he may lose his mind if he thinks about it too much.

He's got the best people skills of the entire Freedom Phalanx, but is absolutely not leadership material. He's a fun guy and has no trouble getting a date, but any woman who dates him expecting something long term is going wind up disappointed.

He's the most normal of the Freedom Phalanx in his outlook and keeps up with popular culture and sports. He's the one most likely to make friends with people outside of the business.

He's also the guy feeding Desperate Guy in Pocket D his lines he tries on Turndown Girl.

Positron: (with due respect to Dark Respite) probably has a bit of a crush on Ms. Liberty but his respect for Statesman-- and his reaction to Anti-Matter's obsession with Dominatrix-- will keep him from ever voicing it. He's a scientist in the "Professor of Gilligan's Island" mode. He can whip up practically any gadget that's needed in a heartbeat and never loses his cool in combat-- unless you hurt someone he cares about and then the kid gloves are off!

Manticore-- he's short, probably no more than 5'6" ... maybe even as short as 5'2". In a world where the average hero or villain seems to top 7 foot, he's the little guy without powers who uses gadgets, training, and physical conditioning to hold his own. At first glance, he may come across as Batman-lite with a bit of Spider-Man thrown in, but he's his own person.

He's driven, but not by guilt. He wants to make the world a better place, and he's not above using subterfuge to achieve his goals. He can be very flirty and charming with the ladies, and is the perfect host-- but probably the only one alive who really knows him is Sister Psyche and even she may be wrong.

He'll do what's right, and to heck with everyone else.

Citadel-- unlike most androids in popular fiction, he doesn't aspire to be human. He understands human emotion fairly well, but he has an outsider's view of the species. He trusts and admires his fellow Phalanxers, but doesn't really socialize with any of them. His closet friend and mentor is Rick Davies, the ex-hero Horatio whose suit was used to rebuild Citadel.

He envies the ease with which Luminary interacts with humanity but doesn't aspire to it. In fact, he worries that she may be too human for her own good.

Ms. Liberty- she's Mary Ann on the outside, but only on the outside. Inside, she probably shares more with her great-uncle than she'd be willing to admit: both can be ruthless and use questionable means to achieve their goals. She grew up idolizing her grandfather, and he's the closest thing to a father she's ever had. As she began to develop her own ideas on heroism, though, she became more estranged from Statesman-- a distance that has only increased since Statesman returned from his Praetorian captivity.

She hates Dominatrix because she's everything that she's not: sensual, self indulgent, and impulsive. She may not realize it herself, but she's jealous over the interest that Statesman paid in Dominatrix's welfare and is secretly glad that his effort to redeem the Praetorian villainess failed.

Okay, these are just my thoughts. Some of them are supported by Canon-- or at least seem to be to me-- others are just my own take based on my own thoughts about the characters.

Share yours. And don't feel that your assumptions have to jive with mine or those of anyone else who posts. I just wanted to see what other people think about these characters and any others they wish to talk about in this thread.

So someone share please!

It really depends on what you mean by a "good love story" IMO.

Love isn't always a positive force, and sometimes powerful stories can be told about that as well. The triangle between Guinevere, Lancelot, and Arthur destroyed a kingdom. People have gone against lifelong beliefs and done things they never would have believed possible because they loved the wrong person.

When writing Conscious of a King I came to the conclusion that, yes, The Clockwork King did truly love Penelope Yin with all his heart. The first time I did the Lady Grey TF I realized that she did NOT love him.

Honestly, the dialogue in Lady Grey TF left me not liking Penny all that much because of the way she reacted to CK. Upon reflection, though, I realized that asking an 18 year old girl to love an insane brain in a bottle was perhaps asking too much of her, so I wrote another story where Penny did grow to love him enough to make a great sacrifice on his behalf.

But I digress ... ;-)

Honestly, there are different types of love you can write about: first love, obsessive love, unrequited love, self-sacrificing love, true love between equals ...

Most love stories are not all roses and song for a reason. They tend to be about the quest rather than the maintenance of said goal once its achieved.

Happy Birthday!

Painstake told me that the Fortune Teller had mentioned that she spends a lot of time in Pocket D if he would like to buy her a drink sometime. Having rescued my share of Fortune Tellers in my career, I could fully understand Pain’s eagerness to accompany me, but I told him that I could handle it on my own.

Besides, I didn’t need a babysitter. Just because I don’t have powers any longer doesn’t mean that I can’t take care of myself.

More or less.

I do have to admit that I wondered if the bouncers were going to allow me to take the elevator up to the D. True, I had seen what looked like civilians there before, but I had no idea how they managed to get in and out as I had never seen them enter or leave the elevators. I did my best to hide my nervousness though, and just smiled at the bouncer as I jumped through the parked truck in King’s Row.

“Good to see you again, sir. Go right in. We were told to expect you.”

“DJ Zero?” I ask in surprise. I had spoken to him once or twice, and done him a favor—man, if I never see another Redcap again it’ll be too soon!—but given how many pies DJ’s got his fingers in, I certainly didn’t expect him to remember me.

“Someone else, sir. She said she was expecting you.”

Oh right. Guess it was kind of silly to expect that I was going to surprise a Fortune Teller.

“Thank you.” I take a deep breath, and I step into the elevator.

I’m sure it’s my imagination, but it feels like everyone is watching me when I step out. Robot arm notwithstanding, no one is going to mistake me for a hero now. Even though I wasn’t really all that well known, I can tell by the looks of pity that some of the heroes give me as I walk past them that they know either who I am or what I am.

I hate it.

I don’t want pity. I want information. I have to find Patchwork—he has my arm, he has my power. Everything he does—every one he kills—that’s blood on my hands.

I have to stop him. I will stop him.

I walk over to one of my favorite bartenders. “Hey, Isaac.”

“Hey, Blue! What can I get you?” He doesn’t ask a question about my civilian clothing or the metal arm. Guess that’s why he works at Pocket D; nothing phases him.

“I’m looking for a woman, Isaac.”

“You came to the right place, darling,” a Carnival of Shadows Ring Mistress said, sitting down beside me. She’s sipping her drink through a small straw that fits through her mask.

“Another time,” I tell her with a smile, feeling my skin crawl. I know about the Carnies. I know what they are. Trust me; I’d sooner date Barracuda than spend an evening with one of them. I turn back to Isaac. “I’m looking for a Fortune Teller. Her name’s Cassandra. I was told she might be here.”

“You’re one of hers, then?” I can hear the pout in the Ring Mistress’ voice, but of course the mask doesn’t move. “Perhaps we can play some other day. Have a ticket to one of our shows. They’re all the rage you know.”

“Thanks.” I take the ticket with my metal hand. “Tell Vanessa that Blue says hello.”

“Indeed.” The Ring Mistress glides away, heading in the direction of some young hero I’d never met before. “Hello, darling. Would you care to dance …?”

“Um, Blue …?”

“Yes, Isaac?”

“You might want to put that out. DJ doesn’t allow smoking here …”

“What?” I glance down at the ticket … and it’s on fire. “Now how did that happen?” I toss it into a glass of water. “Cute Carnie trick. She must have known who I was.”

“I wonder …” Isaac mutters.

“So … Cassandra?” I prompt him. “You know her? Have you seen her?”

“Cassie? Sure. She comes in here all the time. She’s probably upstairs playing poker right now.”

Poker? Who plays poker with a Fortune Teller?

“Thanks, Isaac.” I head upstairs.

There’s a civilian woman sitting at a table with an Arachnos soldier, a Council Warwolf, and a Longbow Warden. I don’t see anyone in a Fortune Teller’s outfit, but maybe they know where she’s at.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for a Fortune Teller named Cassandra …”

“Fortune Teller?” the Warwolf growls.

The Longbow and Arachnos soldier spit out curses and the woman glares at me as she throws her cards down on the table. “Thanks a lot, Blue. I was really going to clean up on this hand.”

She picks up her chips. “Sorry, boys. Looks like I’m going to have to cut this short.”

“If DJ Zero allowed fighting here,” the Warwolf growled. "I would--"

“Some other time, fuzzy,” the Fortune Teller smiles at him—surprisingly, she’s not really that attractive. Don’t get me wrong; she’s not ugly or anything, but she looks more like the people we rescue—that I used to rescue—than the heroines I’ve fought beside. "Come on, Blue."

“I wouldn’t have suckered them into a game if I’d been wearing my outfit,” she tells me as we sit down at the bar. “The usual, Isaac.”

“You knew I was coming, right?”

“Sure.”

“I have two questions.”

“Actually, you have three. But the two you’re thinking about now are: why did I start the game with them knowing you were coming and how did the Circle of Thorns manage to capture me given that I had to know they were after me?”

“Exactly.”

“I know the future. That doesn’t mean I can change it.”

“What about free will? Self determination?”

“There’s that too.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Sure it does. Take you, Blue.” She takes a sip of her drink and looks at me. “If I had met you—if I had told you the day you first put that armor on what you were going to lose—what it would cost you—would you have still done it?”

“Yes,” I answer instinctively.

“Why?”

“Because—“I close my eyes and think about the people I’ve saved. The people I’ve lost. The things I’ve done. The places I’ve been. “It was worth it.”

“And there’s your free will. You chose to do what you did. You would choose it again if you had the chance to do so. I knew you were going to show up before I won the big score, but I still did it because I love the game. I knew the Circle of Thorns were going to take me but I still chose to go to Perez Park because I knew it was necessary.” She takes a drink. “If I hadn’t been there to talk to Painstake—“

“If you hadn’t, then the Circle of Thorns would have killed us all.”

“Exactly.” She finishes her drink. “Fate—and self-determination.”

“You know why I’m here.”

“I believe we covered that.”

“So where can I find him—Patchwork?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“The whole fate thing? I have to figure it out myself?”

“You already know what you need to do to find him, Blue.”

“I do?”

“Think about it, Blue. King’s Row. Stolen body parts. Do I really need to draw you a diagram? Hit me, Isaac.”

“Vahzilok. He’s one of the Vahzilok.”

Cassandra takes a drink and raises her glass to me. “I knew you were a smart one. You know what that means, don’t you? You know how you’re going to find him.”

“Yes. Hit me, Isaac.”

“You don’t drink, Blue.” Isaac says, surprised.

“Hit him, Isaac. He’s going to need it.”

“Why?”

I take the shot and drain it in one gulp. The liquor burns down my throat and almost—almost—makes the words I’m going to say bearable. “Because there’s only one way I’m going to find Patchwork, Isaac. I have to talk to Dr. Vahzilok.”

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

On the other hand, past experience has shown me that complaining about such things on the Forums is a waste of energy.

We aren't going to change the Devs' minds.

I have a lot of respect for them, and they do listen, but in the end they're going to do what they think is right for the game and I don't think we are able to change their minds very often- if at all.

Hopefully, there's a reason why this has to be done, and why it has to be done now.

But it has sucked the enthusiasm I had for I14 right out the window.

[/ QUOTE ]

You had me until right there. Compared to every other game I've ever played the Devs for City Of are light years ahead when it comes to actually listening and taking input from us players.

I can read hedgehog but when some of the folks are saying that this change is a nerf to those who have pets and some are saying that it's a nerf to those who have to fight those who have pets I have to wonder if they don't cancel out a bit is all.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was here for ED, and if the howls that arose for that didn't change anything ...

And it could be a nerf to both.

Any set that depends on slows to mitigate damage is going to suffer when facing opponents that use pets now. Depending on what you usually fight, that may or may not seem like an issue to you.

Also, if you have pets, the simple fact that their attack rate is going down-- compared to what you're used to if you have SB or another power that boosts recharge rate-- then that's also going to be a nerf to you as well.

Also, this is the only MMO I've ever played. I'm not a MMO fan. I'm a super hero fan. If this game had been City of Pirates or City of Magicians I never would have tried it. I think there may be a fair percentage of us here who've had no experience with other MMOs.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
On the other hand, Illusion/Kin may take a hit here as most of its damage DOES come from its pets.

[/ QUOTE ]

I haven't seen a lot of testing outside of pet AI issues -- have people tried, say, and ill/kin or a stormie to see what the overall effect on performance is in the context of the entire set? That would be good to read about.

My experience playing my fire/storm was that LS was gravy. I hardly noticed the difference in LS's firing rate between when Hasten was up and when it wasn't because there were 83 other things going on. I rather suspect that for most stormies, this change will primarily have a marginal effect on the performance of the powerset as a whole.

I have less (almost no) experience with kinetics. But I'd still be pretty surprised if ill/kin actually takes much of a noticeable performance hit, except in extreme situations.

[/ QUOTE ]


I have tested it out, and it SEEMED like it took longer to clear a mission than it does on live, but I'm quite prepared to admit that I would need do substantially more testing than I have done so already in order to get an accurate answer ...

But I have to admit I've been playing Fire/Kin a lot lately rather than Illusion/Kin so I can't say for sure that impression is accurate.

I use almost nothing but generic IOs in my toons and this change doesn't thrill me at all.

The fix for the problem that the Devs have discovered thanks to IOs is going to have an impact on one of my favorite things in the game: /kinetic controllers.

Now as other people have stated, Fire/Kins are going to be fine as imps really aren't their major source of damage.

On the other hand, Illusion/Kin may take a hit here as most of its damage DOES come from its pets.

I happen to LOVE Illusion/KIN.

So, yeah. I'm not happy about it.

On the other hand, past experience has shown me that complaining about such things on the Forums is a waste of energy.

We aren't going to change the Devs' minds.

I have a lot of respect for them, and they do listen, but in the end they're going to do what they think is right for the game and I don't think we are able to change their minds very often- if at all.

Hopefully, there's a reason why this has to be done, and why it has to be done now.

But it has sucked the enthusiasm I had for I14 right out the window.

Good job again, Mr. G.

Wouldn't have thought of Ms. L as having quite the same mindset you do, but you sold me on it ... and I can actually see her not asking for help in learning how to shield her mind ...


Wouldn't have minded if you had mentioned how one of those guys she kept thinking about had a thing for the color blue ...

You're doing a great job of making Malaise come alive, Mr. G.

He's one of the characters I've never had a grip on.

Well done.

Every time she comes to Tyrant’s Throne Room she remembers Statesman.

Tyrant had kept his counterpart hoisted high above his throne as a kind of trophy. He had spent hours simply mocking the hero, jeering at his capture and failure to escape. He had laughed at Statesman and called him a weakling.

The laughter stopped when some heroes from Statesman’s world came to his rescue.

Tyrant had tasted defeat that day, and found it not to his liking. Even though he had personally slain every henchman who had been present that day to prevent news of his loss from becoming public, Domi and the others still knew of it. They were not foolish enough to speak of it— none of them were under the illusion they could stand up to Tyrant in single combat—but they all knew of it and took what comfort they could from the knowledge their invincible liege wasn’t so unbeatable after all.

But it had taken weeks for Statesman’s rescuers to find him, and not even Tyrant could spend every waking hour mocking his heroic counterpart. There were many opportunities for someone else to spend time alone with Statesman, and they had all done so—Mayhem, Marauder, Neuron, Anti-Matter—all of them. They had all wanted a chance to safely vent their frustration on Tyrant, if only in a secondhand fashion.

Marauder had been the one in charge of allocating the time. While none of them trusted each other, they all believed in Marauder’s impartiality. He was—if not honorable—then at least fair.

Domi had waited impatiently for her chance, chatting idly with Marauder while she waited her turn. She twisted her whip so strongly with her hands that they ached, but she otherwise revealed nothing of her inner thoughts. “Have you hurt him?”

“Honestly, I don’t think he can be hurt, Domi,” Marauder had said in his rumbling baritone. “I busted one set of my gauntlets trying, and just about broke my hands, too. He didn’t even blink. He just kept looking at me with those blasted eyes of his.” He shook his head. “And then he said that he wished I could meet Brawler.”

“Brawler?”

“Apparently, I have a goody-goody double over there too.” He laughed. “Can you imagine me as a hero, Domi?”

Yes, Domi wanted to say, but didn’t. He would be hurt to know that she doesn’t think of him as being as menacing as the others. “That is hard to imagine. Has Anti learned anything about how to make him talk yet?”

“Not yet. He keeps running tests and muttering to himself. I don’t think he’s even tried to [/i]hurt[/i] him yet.” Marauder cracked his massive knuckles. “I want to see that world of his, though. I’d teach that Back Alley Brawler a thing or two!”

“I bet you would, too. How much longer? I don’t know how much longer it’ll be before Tyrant comes back. You know he likes to stop by for some after dinner gloating.”

As if on cue, Mayhem walked out of the throne room, muttering angrily to herself, Malaise and Chimera trailing behind her like chastened puppies. “He should have been screaming … I will make him scream yet. I will make him scream.”

“Better luck next time, Mother,” Marauder had said cheerfully. “You’re up, Domi.”

Domi ran into the throne room, whip in hand.

“Jessica?”

Domi stopped in her tracks. The voice—the voice was the same. Not the overbearing, demanding voice of Tyrant, the mad ruler—but rat her the other voice … the one he used when he apologized to her over and over … “Sorry, my name’s not Jessica. I’m Dominatrix.” She smiled and licked her lips as she stared at the bound hero. “My friends call me Domi.” She uncoiled her whip. “I hope we’ll be friends, Statesman. Very good friends.”

She had beaten him until her whip had fallen out of her numb fingers.

Statesman hadn’t had a scratch on him. Not even his uniform had been torn. She had screamed in frustration.

“You don’t have to do this,” he told her. “You don’t have to work for Tyrant.”

“I don’t work for Tyrant. I’m his … friend. His special friend.”

Statesman had recoiled in horror from her words. Somehow, that gave Domi a surge of strength, of power. “Would you like me to tell you how special I am to Tyrant, Statesman?”

“No.”

His voice was very soft, almost a whisper.

“You have a granddaughter too, don’t you, Statesman?” She had dropped the whip and sauntered over to him. “She’s like me, isn’t she?”

“You look like her.”

“Is she your special friend, Statesman?”

He had snarled at her, then. Lightning had literally flashed in his eyes.

“Or maybe you just want her to be?” She had placed her finger on his lips. “Just how different from Tyrant are you, Statesman? Are you good because you’re a better person—or are you just afraid to do the things that you want to do?”

“I’m nothing like him.”

“Oh I don’t know about that. You look like him. You sound like him. If I were to kiss you, do you think you’d like it the way he does?”

“Don’t.”

“Maybe we should find out, Statesman. Would you like that? I think you would. Let’s find out.”

He had struggled then. He had struggled so fiercely that the bonds holding him had begun to flash warningly. The very ceiling of the Throne Room had begun to crack.

“Domi! Your time is up, girl! Get on out here!”

With a pout, Domi had released him and grabbed her whip. “Maybe next time, Statesman.” She had looked at him artfully over her shoulder. “You know you wouldn’t have fought so hard if you hadn’t been afraid you’d like it. Remember that, Statesman. Remember me.”

She had walked out feeling ten foot tall.

Next chapter is done, but again I'm reluctant to post it without someone else reading it first.

The second chapter is more intense than the first.

If someone could read it, I'd appreciate the feedback. If the general feeling is that it's not appropriate for the forum, I'll PM it to anyone who wants to read it.

So... can someone volunteer again?

I really like this, Mr. G.

Are you an artist yourself? You certainly managed to convey that aspect of Malaise in a believable fashion.

Well done, yet again!

Very nice, Mr. G.

I think that Infernal's speech patterns should be a little more formal, but it's a great start to a promising story.

New story.

Rather dark. Be warned.

Domi: A Praetorian Tale

Eyes. Eyes are the first thing she notices when she meets someone. Her mother always told her that if you can read someone’s eyes you can read his soul.

Of all the things that her mother told her, that was the only thing that Dominatrix still believed.

Lovers lie. Mothers deceive. They will tell you how much they love you even as they stick a knife in your back.

Or leave you with people who abuse you terribly, strip away your childhood, and destroy your faith in anything your mother told you.

Dominatrix was six years old when she learned her mother didn’t know everything. She was six when she learned that the people Miss Liberty claimed needed protection were more important to her than the welfare of her daughter. She was six years old the first time that one of the people that her mother said would keep her safe proved to her that safety—and her mother’s promises—were a lie.

She saw it in his eyes before he ever touched her.

She didn’t cry, not even once. She’s quite proud of that. She did not cry because he murdered the part of her that could shed tears of pain. She did not cry again from the time she was six until the time she turned fifteen. She did not cry again until her mother died …

And those—she tells herself this every time she thinks of that day—were tears of joy.

Her mother had died telling her that she loved her. She had died begging her—not to spare her, which Dominatrix had expected—but rather not to go to Tyrant. Not to go to Miss Liberty’s father.

She had died saying she loved her, but Dominatrix knew her mother had died fearing her, hating her. Why else wouldn’t she tell her who her father had been? Why else wouldn’t she tell Dominatrix why she had fled the opulence and luxury of Tyrant’s palace to raise her daughter in filth and hiding when she could have been a princess?

Now … now Dominatrix suspects she knows why Miss Liberty had left that life to bear her daughter away from Tyrant’s grasp. She knows, but she does her best not to think about it.

She does not have friends because she knows people too well. She knows how sick they truly are. She knows they hate her because she doesn’t shrink from the perversity of human nature—she glories in it, masters it.

Dominates it.

Marauder is almost a friend. He’s the one who first took her to Tyrant. He’s the one who started calling her Domi. They guard each other’s backs, and if he looks at her with fear, hatred, or lust, she cannot tell because he never takes his sunglasses off around her. Around him, she almost feels safe.

Almost.

Neuron mocks her. He whispers to her as she passes, asking her about her relationship with Tyrant, wanting her to tell him what happens when they’re behind closed doors. He seldom takes his visor off, but when he does Dominatrix sees that he wants her … if only because Anti-Matter does as well.

Anti …

She doesn’t want to think about Anti now. Not while she’s walking away from Tyrant’s rooms. She’s careful not to think about Anti when she’s around Tyrant because she knows that her grandfather can read eyes just as well as she can, perhaps better. She knows what would happen to Anti if Tyrant suspected that she felt anything but contempt for him, so she makes sure to display nothing but scorn for the armor clad scientist when there are other eyes to see.

Bobcat stands with her arms wrapped around Neuron. She’s nuzzling the neck of the speedster, whispering sweet nothings while she keeps one slitted eye on Dominatrix. Neuron is her world, and she loathes and fears Dominatrix because she fears what would happen if Domi decided she wanted Neuron.

Dominatrix does not want Neuron. She does not want any man, anyone, like that. She does not know the desires of the flesh. Lust is a weapon to her, nothing more. A means of control.

“Hello, Domi. Shouldn’t a little girl like you be asleep right now?” Mayhem--- she refuses to call anyone Mother—smiles evilly at her as Dominatrix passes by her. She has an old woman’s eyes in a young girl’s body. Dominatrix can still remember the screams that Aurora Borealis had made as Mayhem had ripped her mind to shreds to better occupy her nubile young body.

“Some of us don’t need as much beauty rest as others,” Domi tells the body stealer with a taut smile. She exaggerates the swaying of her hips slightly as she walks past Mayhem’s toys, Chimera and Malaise.

“We must work together soon, Dominatrix,” Malaise murmurs in his beautiful voice. “We would make such lovely art if we combined our talents.”

Dominatrix makes a promise to the madman with her eyes. She may even keep it. She feels so alive when she holds someone else in thrall—

It’s the only time she does feel alive.

“Don’t talk to her. Mother doesn’t like it,” Chimera slaps Malaise on the back of a head. He never does anything to displease Mayhem. He’s her puppet, and dances only to the tunes that the old woman plays.

“Is there a problem here?” Tyrant’s voice is deceptively mild as he opens his door. He’s wearing nothing more than a robe. There is the faintest tinge of power around his hands, a warning to his unruly court.

“No, no trouble, sir,” Marauder says, running interference for the others. “We were just wishing Domi goodnight.”

“I am gratified that you all show such concern for my granddaughter’s welfare.”

“Good night, sir,” Marauder makes an angry gesture to the others who hurriedly return to their own rooms.

“Megan?”

“Grandfather?”

“I enjoyed our conversation tonight. It was very relaxing.” Tyrant’s eyes are ever changing. Sometimes she sees the man he had been decades ago before he had found the Well of Furies. The man she thinks may actually love her. Other times … other times it’s the mad deity that makes the nights last forever … and not in a good way.

“Thank you, sir. I enjoyed it as well.” Her heart is pounding in her chest. She never knows what will happen next when it’s just the two of them.

“Good night, dear.”

“Good night, sir.”

She counts to 100 after the door is shut to force her heart rate to go down. She wants to run, but she makes herself walk. A slow, sedate walk.

Anti-Matter isn’t in his rooms, of course. He hasn’t slept there since he found himself trapped in his armor. No, he’s in his lab, surrounded by computers, robots, and metal.

Anti …

She hates this feeling. She hates being out of control, and she is never in control where Tyrant is concerned. She needs to find control again …

She needs Anti.

His lab door is locked to everyone else, but it’s never been locked to her. She walks through the door. “Anti-Matter!”

“What do you want, Dominatrix?” Miniature speakers in his armor distort his voice somewhat, adding an inhuman timber to it. He sounds as cold and unfeeling as his robots.

“Anti …” She walks up to him and wraps her arms around him. She lays her head on his shoulder.

“Domi?” The voice sounds the same, but she can hear the emotion in it now. She’s touching only hard, unfeeling metal, but she can tell the man inside the armor is shaking.

Good.

Powerful arms wrap themselves around her. Fingers that could rend steel like paper gently stroke her hair. It’s like being hugged by a statue come to life.

She cannot see his eyes. She has never seen his eyes. She cannot tell if he is lying when he says that he loves her.

She thinks that he does, though.

There can be no pleasure for him in holding her like this. He will never be able to touch her or kiss her. He cannot feel the hair he strokes. There can be no comfort in this for him; only a painful reminder of the things he can never have.

But he does it anyway. For her.

She hugs him as tightly as she can and begins to cry. She tells herself that the tears are nothing more than a ploy. That crying is like the smile she gives Malaise or the taunt she hurled in the face of Mayhem. She tells herself that she cries because she knows that it will bind Anti-Matter to her all the tighter.

She tells herself that it’s not real, and she almost believes it.

Almost.

don't have online. I'll pm it to you.

I've finished the first piece in my Dominatrix story. It turned out slightly different than I expected as it's more Domi's story than Tyrant's ...

Would someone mind reading it if for me before I post it to the forums? I think it should pass muster, but I could use another pair of eyes ...