Post by Fanservice Girl on Apr 15, 2008 2:18:26 GMT
((Any criticism, improvements or other help to make this better would be nice, if its the flow, the writing, making the character seem more like a dark version of FG or even my grammar! I'll put it on the main forums if it goes well and try get people to post their own, so I want this initial attempt to read good! It's long, but I had a scary amount of fun writing it!))
Praetorian Earth, an ugly mirror of our own world here people have led different lives and led themselves into a darker fate. What we'd know as Heroes are opportunistic criminals, cult icons are figure heads for oppression and some Villains, who in our world only think of themselves, now fight out against the system a beacon of hope in this otherwise bleak world.
Many people will never know of their Praetorian equivalents and this may well be for the best, as the truth is rarely a pleasant thing. In Praetorian world, happy stories are rare while horror stories are not fiction but a way of life.
(( Here's the Praetorian version of Fanservice Girl! Who never got the break she needed from Hero Corp or the moral guidance from Mei-Xiu and was raised in a world that impressed upon you that Might equals Right.))
Praetorian Fanservice Girl AKA Tantalize
Living rough on the streets of Paragon was never easy, especially in winter. When the cold frost settled on the ground the homeless would huddle together in groups trying to keep warm with each other, uncaring of the squalid conditions as long as they could eke out a few small moments of warmth. Many gathered round a man known only as Candle. Homeless from the age of five, Candle had a small gift but a precious one. Candle could create small fires, making them splutter to life and burn even on the frozen concrete of alleyways. He didn't know how why he could do it, one day he'd just known the way to pull heat out from a place where none was present.
This blessed relief kept many alive through the colder nights and slowly word spread among the community. Candle would always offer a kind word or a smile to those who helped others and slowly a small community sprung up around him. food was brought in, shelters built in abandoned areas and although life was still grim, the homeless that flocked too him still saw him as a hero, building their own ramshackle city out of nothing. This went on for years, their own little corner away from the world's troubles.
Word spread and eventually, ears listened. One day while Candle was helping pull together a shelter made of corrugated iron, a Black Van picked its way through the shanty town and pulled up beside him. The side door swung open and standing at the doorway was a small girl in a purple and black cat suit, a wide and happy grin on her face. With a cheerful lilt in her voice she called out to him.
"Candle isn't it? Hi I'm Tantalize! We've heard a lot about you, please, step in with me for a moment. I promise you won't regret it!"
The girl ushered Candle in, smiling happily all the while. Candle glanced at the others helping him with the shelter, a look of trepidation clear on his face. People didn't come down here as a rule, and this was definitely a first. With a shrug and a few nods in return Candle clambered into the van. The door slid shut behind him, inside the van was well light and comfortably laid out. A table and chairs had been arranged in the middle, the floor was carpeted and even the walls were covered with hangings, giving the small space a decadent but luxurious quality.
Tantalize skipped over to a chair and pulled it out for herself."Please sit! Don't be afraid, this is the start of something wonderful!" she said motioning to the free chair.
Sitting down in the leather seat, Candle eyed the girl warily slightly at unease with the strange situation. The girl smiled at him and started to pour herself a drink from a decanter on the table, before reaching over to pour Candle one, the smell of warm,mulled wine sweeping up from the glasses. With a gruff cough Candle spoke to Tantalize.
"Sorry Tantalize, I don't mean to be rude but.. why am I here?"
The girl took a sip of her drink, seemingly lost in thought, then with a jump came to focus . "Oh! Sorry! Of course, how rude of me. You're here because you're special Candle, you can do things no one else can! We're here to take you out of this wretched dump, away to a life of luxury! We'll help you gain control of your gift, become more powerful than you'd ever imagined, it's a wonderful opportunity and all we ask in return is your loyalty."
"She speaks fluently enough" Candle thought, "for one seemingly so jittery. Still perhaps she can help us all."
"Loyalty? My loyalty is to those people out there, I've helped them through rough times and I'll not leave them now. Will you help me with them though? So many die every year and more come, we can't build forever, eventually we'll need better places to live. Help us!"
Tantalize stared at the man as he spoke, swilling her glass and playing with her hair unconsciously with a free hand. As he finished she let out a small giggle.
"Oh dear! You think you're one of them? You're not Candle, you're so much better. Above and beyond. All this good you've done for them is admirable, but why should you have to break your back just to help those not willing to help themselves?You're a better person than all of them Candle, and you deserve this opportunity."
Candle was tempted, the offer was appealing. A roof, warm food, clean clothes, even the few on display in the van seemed like extravagance to him. But he couldn't help failing baited, and he wasn't the sort of man to leave people down on their luck.
"Sorry Miss, but you're wrong. I'm not better than them, I'm one of them. I've been with them since the beginning and unless you can help them all I'll be there for them until the end. If you leave them there, I'd say your no better either, please hel-"
Tantalizes face went wild, a flash of fury washed over her idly smiling face. With a snarl she reached across the table, grabbing Candle by the jaw. Candle tried to push back, but her grip was like a vice and he could put up no resistance as she hauled him out of his chair and up against the wall of the van with a painful thud. He tried to stand but she kicked his legs away from under him with brutal force, one of them popping free of its socket, and Candle fell. He swung his arms at the girl, but she ignored them as if they were no more than a gently fanning breeze, still clamping his jaw her eyes blazed with fury, her playful facade dispelled. Spitting venom, Tantalize
yelled right into his face.
"I am NOTHING like them. Ever since I became what I am things like that made fun of me, called me names, thought me clumsy. I was too scared to take the opportunity that my gifts had laid in front of me until one day I realized, their little taunts didn't matter. I was better than them and I proved it, I didn't leave a single one breathing. I formed a band of people JUST like me and now, now I don't need anything from them and they beg, BEG to serve me."
Tantalize stared into Candle's eyes, which were now rolling madly seeking a way out. With a sneer she started to close her hand, black spots exploding in front of Candle's eyes as he heard the snapping of bone. His mind reeled and his screams slowly become more and more muffled, until nothing but a thin gurgling escaped his lips. Pain blossomed in Candle's brain, he prayed to pass out but just didn't seem able. Wildly he summoned up fire to envelop the girl and the van, as her skin lit up she laughed at him a mad visage looking out through a halo of flames.
"Hurts doesn't it! I can't feel a thing, but to feel your pain through your eyes and your screams is wonderful, so.. invigorating! We know all about you Candle" she said, putting a mocking spin on his name.
"Did you know you have more than one power? I can crack every bone in your body and you'll not pass out, your body will keep you awake through it all. You can even heal over time, so don't expect me to get bored after doing that. Oh I'm going to have SO much fun with you!"
Candle felt his vision swim, flames enveloped everything but the black silhouette of the girl, but she wouldn't stop, couldn't anything stop her? The gas tank! The fog of crippling pain sweeping over his mind, he sent a lance of fire its way. The laughing demon in front of him was washed away by a ball of fire, the van rocked, the world shook.
Candle never lost consciousness, as the metal twisted and cooled the van burned like a pyre in front of him, he felt blistered all over and was in terrible pain. His friends dragged him away and tried to nursed him back to health.
Weeks passed and while Candle eventually healed enough to walk, if stiffly, his jaw was ruined and beyond repair. He kept it wrapped in bandages to hide the painful reminder of his misplaced trust. Unable to talk and having never learned to write Candle never got to tell people of his experience. People still looked up to him for guidance once he could stand, but his spirit was broken and his mind chased at night by a burning demon girl, rising up out of the husk of the van to finish him off. He was too scared to use his powers anymore, fearful of attracting any more attention. The shanty village fell into disrepair and the community broke down, soon only four were left with Candle, his closest friends and the sharers of his vision of a slightly better life.
The four huddled shivering on another cold winter night, wrapped together to try keep warm. Staring into the night sky, Candle drifted of into another sleep full of burning nightmares.
"Wake up sleepy!"
Candle's eyes shot open. That voice! No it can't be!
He tried to rise but his whole body was pinned to the floor, he raised his head and there outlined against the moon was the smiling girl that haunted his dreams. Her clothes absent, mud and grime covered her from head to toe. Her body was perfect though, unscathed and she was wearing a grin of pure contentment.
"Ugh! Do you know how long burns like that take to heal? I couldn't move for days. Some of your idiot friends buried me too, was it these ones? They won't be saving you this time Candle, I've wrung their measly littler necks. Clawing my way out of the grave you dug wasn't fun at all and I've been so lonely these past few weeks, so bored and hungry too! But now we're back together again! Let's carry on from where we left off, shall we?"
Tantalize brought her hands up, Candle's fingers intertwined with hers. She gave him a wide, mad, toothy smile and he tried to cry out, but could only gutter and gurgle pleas that never escaped his throat. Tantalize brought the clasped hands over his head, blocking the starry sky, starting to giggle to herself.
Then she squeezed.
Praetorian Earth, an ugly mirror of our own world here people have led different lives and led themselves into a darker fate. What we'd know as Heroes are opportunistic criminals, cult icons are figure heads for oppression and some Villains, who in our world only think of themselves, now fight out against the system a beacon of hope in this otherwise bleak world.
Many people will never know of their Praetorian equivalents and this may well be for the best, as the truth is rarely a pleasant thing. In Praetorian world, happy stories are rare while horror stories are not fiction but a way of life.
(( Here's the Praetorian version of Fanservice Girl! Who never got the break she needed from Hero Corp or the moral guidance from Mei-Xiu and was raised in a world that impressed upon you that Might equals Right.))
Praetorian Fanservice Girl AKA Tantalize
Living rough on the streets of Paragon was never easy, especially in winter. When the cold frost settled on the ground the homeless would huddle together in groups trying to keep warm with each other, uncaring of the squalid conditions as long as they could eke out a few small moments of warmth. Many gathered round a man known only as Candle. Homeless from the age of five, Candle had a small gift but a precious one. Candle could create small fires, making them splutter to life and burn even on the frozen concrete of alleyways. He didn't know how why he could do it, one day he'd just known the way to pull heat out from a place where none was present.
This blessed relief kept many alive through the colder nights and slowly word spread among the community. Candle would always offer a kind word or a smile to those who helped others and slowly a small community sprung up around him. food was brought in, shelters built in abandoned areas and although life was still grim, the homeless that flocked too him still saw him as a hero, building their own ramshackle city out of nothing. This went on for years, their own little corner away from the world's troubles.
Word spread and eventually, ears listened. One day while Candle was helping pull together a shelter made of corrugated iron, a Black Van picked its way through the shanty town and pulled up beside him. The side door swung open and standing at the doorway was a small girl in a purple and black cat suit, a wide and happy grin on her face. With a cheerful lilt in her voice she called out to him.
"Candle isn't it? Hi I'm Tantalize! We've heard a lot about you, please, step in with me for a moment. I promise you won't regret it!"
The girl ushered Candle in, smiling happily all the while. Candle glanced at the others helping him with the shelter, a look of trepidation clear on his face. People didn't come down here as a rule, and this was definitely a first. With a shrug and a few nods in return Candle clambered into the van. The door slid shut behind him, inside the van was well light and comfortably laid out. A table and chairs had been arranged in the middle, the floor was carpeted and even the walls were covered with hangings, giving the small space a decadent but luxurious quality.
Tantalize skipped over to a chair and pulled it out for herself."Please sit! Don't be afraid, this is the start of something wonderful!" she said motioning to the free chair.
Sitting down in the leather seat, Candle eyed the girl warily slightly at unease with the strange situation. The girl smiled at him and started to pour herself a drink from a decanter on the table, before reaching over to pour Candle one, the smell of warm,mulled wine sweeping up from the glasses. With a gruff cough Candle spoke to Tantalize.
"Sorry Tantalize, I don't mean to be rude but.. why am I here?"
The girl took a sip of her drink, seemingly lost in thought, then with a jump came to focus . "Oh! Sorry! Of course, how rude of me. You're here because you're special Candle, you can do things no one else can! We're here to take you out of this wretched dump, away to a life of luxury! We'll help you gain control of your gift, become more powerful than you'd ever imagined, it's a wonderful opportunity and all we ask in return is your loyalty."
"She speaks fluently enough" Candle thought, "for one seemingly so jittery. Still perhaps she can help us all."
"Loyalty? My loyalty is to those people out there, I've helped them through rough times and I'll not leave them now. Will you help me with them though? So many die every year and more come, we can't build forever, eventually we'll need better places to live. Help us!"
Tantalize stared at the man as he spoke, swilling her glass and playing with her hair unconsciously with a free hand. As he finished she let out a small giggle.
"Oh dear! You think you're one of them? You're not Candle, you're so much better. Above and beyond. All this good you've done for them is admirable, but why should you have to break your back just to help those not willing to help themselves?You're a better person than all of them Candle, and you deserve this opportunity."
Candle was tempted, the offer was appealing. A roof, warm food, clean clothes, even the few on display in the van seemed like extravagance to him. But he couldn't help failing baited, and he wasn't the sort of man to leave people down on their luck.
"Sorry Miss, but you're wrong. I'm not better than them, I'm one of them. I've been with them since the beginning and unless you can help them all I'll be there for them until the end. If you leave them there, I'd say your no better either, please hel-"
Tantalizes face went wild, a flash of fury washed over her idly smiling face. With a snarl she reached across the table, grabbing Candle by the jaw. Candle tried to push back, but her grip was like a vice and he could put up no resistance as she hauled him out of his chair and up against the wall of the van with a painful thud. He tried to stand but she kicked his legs away from under him with brutal force, one of them popping free of its socket, and Candle fell. He swung his arms at the girl, but she ignored them as if they were no more than a gently fanning breeze, still clamping his jaw her eyes blazed with fury, her playful facade dispelled. Spitting venom, Tantalize
yelled right into his face.
"I am NOTHING like them. Ever since I became what I am things like that made fun of me, called me names, thought me clumsy. I was too scared to take the opportunity that my gifts had laid in front of me until one day I realized, their little taunts didn't matter. I was better than them and I proved it, I didn't leave a single one breathing. I formed a band of people JUST like me and now, now I don't need anything from them and they beg, BEG to serve me."
Tantalize stared into Candle's eyes, which were now rolling madly seeking a way out. With a sneer she started to close her hand, black spots exploding in front of Candle's eyes as he heard the snapping of bone. His mind reeled and his screams slowly become more and more muffled, until nothing but a thin gurgling escaped his lips. Pain blossomed in Candle's brain, he prayed to pass out but just didn't seem able. Wildly he summoned up fire to envelop the girl and the van, as her skin lit up she laughed at him a mad visage looking out through a halo of flames.
"Hurts doesn't it! I can't feel a thing, but to feel your pain through your eyes and your screams is wonderful, so.. invigorating! We know all about you Candle" she said, putting a mocking spin on his name.
"Did you know you have more than one power? I can crack every bone in your body and you'll not pass out, your body will keep you awake through it all. You can even heal over time, so don't expect me to get bored after doing that. Oh I'm going to have SO much fun with you!"
Candle felt his vision swim, flames enveloped everything but the black silhouette of the girl, but she wouldn't stop, couldn't anything stop her? The gas tank! The fog of crippling pain sweeping over his mind, he sent a lance of fire its way. The laughing demon in front of him was washed away by a ball of fire, the van rocked, the world shook.
Candle never lost consciousness, as the metal twisted and cooled the van burned like a pyre in front of him, he felt blistered all over and was in terrible pain. His friends dragged him away and tried to nursed him back to health.
Weeks passed and while Candle eventually healed enough to walk, if stiffly, his jaw was ruined and beyond repair. He kept it wrapped in bandages to hide the painful reminder of his misplaced trust. Unable to talk and having never learned to write Candle never got to tell people of his experience. People still looked up to him for guidance once he could stand, but his spirit was broken and his mind chased at night by a burning demon girl, rising up out of the husk of the van to finish him off. He was too scared to use his powers anymore, fearful of attracting any more attention. The shanty village fell into disrepair and the community broke down, soon only four were left with Candle, his closest friends and the sharers of his vision of a slightly better life.
The four huddled shivering on another cold winter night, wrapped together to try keep warm. Staring into the night sky, Candle drifted of into another sleep full of burning nightmares.
"Wake up sleepy!"
Candle's eyes shot open. That voice! No it can't be!
He tried to rise but his whole body was pinned to the floor, he raised his head and there outlined against the moon was the smiling girl that haunted his dreams. Her clothes absent, mud and grime covered her from head to toe. Her body was perfect though, unscathed and she was wearing a grin of pure contentment.
"Ugh! Do you know how long burns like that take to heal? I couldn't move for days. Some of your idiot friends buried me too, was it these ones? They won't be saving you this time Candle, I've wrung their measly littler necks. Clawing my way out of the grave you dug wasn't fun at all and I've been so lonely these past few weeks, so bored and hungry too! But now we're back together again! Let's carry on from where we left off, shall we?"
Tantalize brought her hands up, Candle's fingers intertwined with hers. She gave him a wide, mad, toothy smile and he tried to cry out, but could only gutter and gurgle pleas that never escaped his throat. Tantalize brought the clasped hands over his head, blocking the starry sky, starting to giggle to herself.
Then she squeezed.