imeeji_frontstage | IT'S POETRY APPRECIATION HOUR

Who: This Kylo Ren-looking motherfucker
Where: The Library
When: Day 211, early evening

[the Live alert goes off and shows a new ☆Zrael sitting in one of the library pods with a large stack of books next to him. calmly he flips through the pages of one, seemingly in no hurry to get this show on the road. although he has never been here before, some of you may recognize him from griffin's memories.

eventually he stops flipping the pages and lifts the book to recite a passage from it:]

"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven."

[he closes the book with a soft thunk]

So wrote the author of this tale, yet I doubt he would have anticipated his metaphor to apply to our predicaments here. When one's mind is trapped in hell, one's inner hells might pale in comparison. Or one's inner heavens. Of course, this is also the same book in which the character of Satan so boldly claims it is "better to reign in hell, than serve in heaven." A fanciful thought, I'll admit, and not unappealing, but let's be honest: Satan, in his eternal anguish and despair, is hardly a role model, even for the truly desperate.

As I understand it, I'm to provide entertainment to the choruses of the damned as well as my fellow idols in this wretched place by playing the role of villain. So in order to understand my role, I have been studying tales of the most despicable and hated figures. One would think the stories of the Devil himself, Lucifer Morningstar, would be sufficient enough, but there is far too much authorial sympathy imbued in these pages to make for a truly monstrous character. The reader of this tome does not wish to despise Satan, far from it; nay, in reading of him, I feel a great empathy for him, doomed and despairing as he is. He is a reflection of man, of man's hubris and existential quandaries--he is a cursed hero, not a villain.

And so I think to myself, perhaps the villain one should aspire to embody is one that forsakes all elements of humanity. But thus far all the villains I read of have some spark of forgiveness in them, some bit of hope that keeps them from falling into darkness. Well, that's fine for now. Not everything can be solved in one afternoon.

But now, I have a curiosity, and I will pose it to you as a thought exercise. What is a villain? What makes someone villainous? Think on it. I shall be seeking the answer myself, and if, in the process, I bring you and your loved ones to the depths of despair...

[he chuckles, rises from his seat, and takes a sweeping bow before looking up]

Forgive me my hubris.

[the alert ends.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[can't believe you aggressively griffin'd at me so i'd pick a name. how dare you.]

Hmm. It'll do.

[it's what i do]

Well, Raven. I mean it when I said you should come over. I'll make food. You can meet the cats.

... I'll... let you know.

You can message me too. I mean, I'm sure ZRAEL's taking care of you-- but y'know.

They're... an interesting group. I'm still assessing them, as I'm sure they are me.

I don't know'em all, but Requiem and Morning Glory are good dudes. They're close to avante too.

Is this a mutual alliance between our units?

I don't think it's formal, but we do our best?

How much've they told you about what Games are like?

I heard Doodleman got sawed in half once.

...By a chainsaw?

Yes.

[Clicks tongue,]

Goddammit...! See, that's so fuckin' cool. I was so close t'being sawed in half, and then someone had t'steal the kill by beaning me in the head. God.

[

what the fuck

he bursts out laughing]

[No the correct response is, 'dang that seems like it must've been frustrating for you']

I mean, I guess it's kinda funny.

[he'll just have his hands on his face now, chuckling]

You have some questionable hobbies.

Well, when you just come back t'life anyway, dying kinda loses its luster.

But some games will fuck with your head, too. Honestly, I think that's worse. Sometimes it gets in you and forces you t'do shit or see shit... Hard t'hold a grudge when no one was in control of themselves, though. It's just a clusterfuck, all around.

At the very least, the kinda games where each unit has t'pick someone else to hurt? We try t'avoid damaging ZRAEL if we can.

Edited 2020-03-05 03:38 (UTC)

[the laughter dies down]

... I'm told Zrael is a frequent target during games because of our reputation.

Yeah. I remember one Game where teams had to dole out injuries to rack up points and protect themselves.

There was one round, ZRAEL came out - three of'em, each with a limb hacked off. That means at least three separate teams decided it was worth hurting'em that bad to save themselves.

[He huffs, darkly amused.] But y'know what? ZRAEL still won.

[his lip twitches with faint amusement]

Out of pure spite, it sounds like.

I'd believe it. ZRAEL and Baritones, both've you guys play hard and win big. Sure doesn't make you popular, though.

[something like a shadow of an expression passes over v's face, like worry or anxiety--and then it's gone]

So we've covered games, and communication, and unit alliances.

Um... anything else y'wanna know?

A great number of things, but nothing you can answer.

Except... how long have you been here?

[He thinks!]

...Y'know what?

It's almost been a hundred days. Huh.

A hundred days in hell...

(no subject)

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