#[I’ll Stand The Lonely] Nym the Jackal

[my-inverted-reality]

Welcome to the illusion: @the-twinventors 

The day was lovely, the autumn air not too hot, not too cold. Just cool enough for a thin, long sleeved shirt, and the green bandana that Nym would never be seen without while out in public. A latte in one hand, and phone in the other, by and far, Nym was not watching where he was going, not fully. So when he plowed rather unceremoniously into someone, his fresh coffee crushed and splashed between them, curses and frantic apologies were heard, arms moving to hopefully stabilize the other person before they could fall.

Walking into Nym was like walking into a brick wall after all. He might have been rather lithe, but he was built like a dense statue. Small in a sense, but strong. “Sincerest apologies. My attention was drawn elsewhere, otherwise I would have sidestepped. Are you alright?” Already, he had procured a kerchief for the stranger, offering it out with an apologetic gaze, chocolate-golden hues genuine in their authenticity. “And here I was just complaining about kids and their phones, yet find myself so immersed in my own that I failed to see you in my path. I do hope you’re alright.”

[my-inverted-reality]

Two Sides || Same Coin

Welcome to the lie: @chaosworthy

The sun shined brightly through the trees of the city park, illuminating the world beneath, and the many faces of mingling Mobians in it’s warm glow. Seeing this paradise? One could almost assume that this world was perfect. But this was nothing more than a fleeting peace. A temporary lull in the attacks while war raged on other parts of the planet, currently in the midst of total global takeover by the mad doctor.

Though even here in the city, so far untouched by the wars in other lands, the peace could be disturbed. And today, the disturbance came in the form of a sobbing woman at that very park, absolutely distraught that her child had run off during a moment of inattentiveness, and now she couldn’t find him anywhere.

As luck would have it, Nym also happened to reside in this city. But, he was nowhere near the park to offer aid the woman. That didn’t mean that fate wouldn’t bring them together this day though, because as he walked the downtown street, eyeing a vendor selling some hot goods, elongated ears perked high and began to swivel in alert at the sound of none other than a crying child. A young boy, a joey, sniffling and rubbing at his tear stained face as he tried in vain to stifle his sobbing.

And he was completely alone, standing on the corner of the street not feet ahead of the jackal himself.

The prospect of food wasn’t given a second thought in favor of the young boy, no older than perhaps five or six, Nym casual as he approached the small, shaking form.

“Hey there, sport. You lost?” His voice was calm, friendly. “Why don’t you tell me what happened, so we can get you back home, huh?” Kneeling down partially, to better be at eye level with the little kangaroo, he met the boy’s fear-stricken, and watery orbs, his own expression one of encouragement and gentleness. “Hey, hey. Let’s get rid of those tears, shall we? So, let’s hear it. I take it you lost your parents?” A kerchief was pulled from a pocket, and used to dab at the globs of saline that continued to spill free and the snot to sully a nose, another hic shaking the child’s form.

“I w-was at the park...with my mama...” A clenched hand, bearing a scattering of Mobiums was presented. What was a kid doing running around with money? Though it looked to be nothing more than chump change, it was an odd notion, at least to Nym. “I w-wanted an icecream. B-but then...” Another bout of shuddering cries threatened to start, the young boy blubbering the remaining words. “The ice-cream truck drove away! Before I could get there! I wanted ta be fast like S-S-Sonic, but I c-couldn’t catch u-up!”

Well, the money made sense now.

The child was an absolute emotional mess, but Nym didn’t panic. No, instead, he tapped a forefinger to the boy’s chin a few times and offered him a gentle smile. “Chin up, buddy. Do you want to see a magic trick?” After all, he’d helped many a time care for children in his younger years. Even after all these years, he hadn’t lost his knack for calming them, though the means by which he calmed the roo were different now.

That alone, seemed to be enough to distract the boy, his head nodded shakily through his tears. 

With his attention solely focused on him, Nym cast a swift, cautious glance around, thankful that they hadn’t drawn an audience. It seemed rather safe, no one paying them any mind, so turning back to the child, he winked. A hand was presented, empty, but fingers held together, as if holding an item. And with his other hand, he started at the base of his fingers, covering the area from view of the child. Slowly, the hand blocking the view rose, and with a little pulse of his power, a cone of ice-cream began to assemble behind said fingers, revealed little by little in a (thankfully) dulled crimson glow as his hand was raised. 

And when his palm finally reached the top, the child was grinning, eyes shimmering not just with tears, but that innocent excitement that pulled just a bit on the jackals heartstrings. The simple vanilla and chocolate swirl cone was offered to the child, the boy giggling in happy contentment now that he had something solid to distract himself with.

“Now, don’t go telling anyone about my magic, alright? It’s our secret.” A finger was brought to lips in an indication of ‘shh’, before he pushed himself to his feet and ruffled the joey’s mop of hair, then held a hand out. “You mentioned the park. You really ran a long way, kiddo. Let’s get you back to your mom, huh? I bet she’s worried sick.”

Hand in hand, the jackal led the way back to the park, the child trotting and hopping along at his side, cares forgone in favor of the sweet treat gifted to him. Sure, the ice-cream had been borne of an illusion, but it was as real as the two of them here and now. By the time Nym wandered too far away, keeping the illusion solid wouldn’t matter, as there would be nothing left of the ice-cream after it was eaten. And he doubted the child would notice it vanishing from his stomach later when the illusion was shattered.

The sight of the panicking mother came into view, a large gathering of concerned Mobians surrounding her, and many more searching about the park for the boy already. What a mess. And all over missing something as small as an ice-cream truck. “You were incredibly brave, child. Now, run along to your mother. And no more chasing after trucks, alright?”

Releasing the child’s hand, he watched as the joey sprung to his mother, throwing himself into her arms, her relief more than palatable. And Nym? Watched them silently for a few moments, his expression unreadable, then quietly tried to bow out before any attention was brought his way.

[my-inverted-reality]

Welcome to the illusion: @galaxies-unknown

Sitting atop a bench and silently watching the passer-by’s, Nym sipped at the warm tea he’d purchased a half an hour prior. Odd, how a man so reviled and detested could sit, and idly watch the beings he was meant to destroy without the barest hint of malice. He found fascination in their day to day activities, the simple things. And in recent days he’d taken to this very bench, near a playground, where kids screamed and played to their hearts content.

No matter his stance on morality, there was a certain line that he would never cross, even as ‘Cataclysm’. And that was intentionally harming a child. If they happened to get caught up in the aftermath, there was little he could do, but he would never go out of his way to bring harm to them.

Because they weren’t at fault for the world as it were. They weren’t the focus of his disdain and ire.

So he watched the children, he watched the adults, noted how they lived lives so drastically different from his own. How nice it must be to be ‘normal’. And perhaps that was why he did this. Watched them. Cast the illusion over himself to hide his identity so he could mingle with them without fear of them recognizing him for who he truly was.

A monster.

Nym exhaled softly through his nose, amber eyes drifting from face to face, his tea sipped in intervals. That had been until someone had seated themselves at his side. Blinking in surprise, he adjusted his position to give the stranger more of the bench, (considering he had taken up a majority of it to watch the children earlier), and offered them a partial smile. 

“A nice day, is it not?” 

Why not try to strike up some casual conversation?

[my-inverted-reality]

Falling For One’s Own Tricks-Drabble

Another town decimated, more lives displaced, more lives lost. The casualties today had been far less than the weeks and months before this. It seemed the Resistance had finally started to take his pre-emptive warnings to prepare seriously, Cataclysm never one to just appear and attack.

He always let them know before hand, with a few days leeway to allow as many civilians to flee as possible. More notably, the children. Even as he was now, he refused to harm a child unless his hand was forced, and even then, it would take a great deal to convince him it was necessary. No, in the off chance that he did happen upon a child, if the destruction hadn’t been enough to frighten them away, he chased them off with terrifying visages of monsters and nightmares via his tangible illusions.

The prolonged battle and day’s events had worn the jackal ragged, and after forgoing sleep for well over a week now, he was in dire need or rest, Ruby or no. After bidding the Doctor farewell, he had opened a portal, and descended into his haven, Null Space, the darkness embracing him like a vice. When the vortex of a portal was sealed behind him, only then did he shed his attire, the mask, gloves, and boots disintegrating into a flurry of softly glowing cubes. 

The world about him morphed, twisted, and then expanded, grass meeting his toes as he lowered himself from where he levitated. Casual clothing flickered into existence, adorning his body borne of his desire for it. A long sleeved off-white shirt, and a comfortable pair of loose-fitting, dark grey cotton trousers. Fingers lifted to pinch the bridge between his eyes, rubbing as his feet carried him along the familiar path toward a seemingly innocent cottage bordering the edge of a forest.

Here, he was free to do as he pleased. Here, there were no eyes to judge him, no ears to listen to his uneven breaths, no one to call him ‘weak’. The door of the cottage was opened with clawed fingers, Cataclysm stepping inside, the scent of anise and cloves washing over him. Nostalgic. It always had been ‘Nym’s’ favorite scent, even though ‘Zero’ had always complained it bothered his overly sensitive nose.

As he made his way to the bedroom, there was already a figure seated atop the mattress, a jackal reading a book on some new martial arts skillset, golden hues averting the book to meet with Cataclysms orbs of amber and crystal blue. The jackal atop the bed had shorter, almost blonde locks, where Clysm’s were a near stark white. A scar was seated just above the other males nose. He wore that familiar green bandana. Chaos, he never took that thing off.

“So, you’re finally home, Zero?” The name was garbled, a name that Cataclysm refused to remember, even here, even now. Remembering that name would surely break the illusion and cast him into a tumultuous cacophony of spiraling depression and yearning, for something he could never have again. Closing the space between himself and the jackal on the bed, Clysm climbed in, sighing softly as he moved to rest a head in the others lap, effectively taking up the place the book had just been and shooting the other an exhausted yet fond look. 

“It was a long day, Nym. May we just rest tonight?” The other jackal chuckled softly, his voice light and airy, if a bit cocksure, brows waggling suggestively. “You sure sleepin’s all you wanna do?” It seemed even in this façade of a life, his mate was just as annoying, just as irritating. Funny how what once would have aggravated Cataclysm to no end, now only hurt.

“Though I’ll admit, ya do seem beat. So, you rest up. I wanna finish this book, alright?” The other jackal, Nym returned to his book, while fingers began to card idly through the long tresses of Clysm’s hair, only leaving once every so often to turn a page. Heterochromatic orbs had already grown heavy with exhaustion, his lids half mast. He feared the nightmares that lingered just on the horizon, but more than that, he was reluctant to leave this illusion so soon.

Nym’s voice sounded once more, quieter this time, almost saddened. “You know...you can’t keep doing this right?” There was the faintest flicker of pain to glaze Clysm’s eyes, his heart aching, a shudder of a breath exhaled from between clenched fangs, his jaw tightening. How annoying, that even in this illusion, his lover happened to be the voice of reason still. “I know.” He would deny until his dying breath the way his voice had cracked in the middle of the admittance. “Just...let me stay here a little longer."

“You are one of the strongest men I know. I told you this the day I saved your life. You never would have caught my eye had you not been strong. It still holds true now.” There was a pause, an elongated silence, and then; “But...eventually, you have to let us go. The team, me... You know this. I can’t say or do anything that you don’t will into existence yourself.” Another page was turned, yet eyes weren’t reading the words. Even borne of his own mind, Nym felt as real as if he were actually there in the room. He was warm, soft, firm, exactly how Clysm remembered him.

“If I let the others go...If I let you go...I would have nothing left.”

“I don’t think you believe that.”

Rolling onto his back to stare up at his deceased mate, his other half, Clysm’s smile was broken, as shattered as his heart. His heterochromatic orbs filled with unshed tears, refusing to let them spill over. “Let me live this lie, just a little longer. Soon, everything will fall into place. Soon, my final act shall be put into motion. And soon, I’ll finally be able to join you and the others. But for now...allow me this moment of weakness.”

Sleep was encroaching fast, and despite his best effort, a tear had managed to fall free as those clawed digits continued to comb though his hair. But the next words would be seared into his memory for months to come.

“Is that really what you want, Zero?”

[my-inverted-reality]

Citizen Soldier: My Little Secret (Lyrics)

[my-inverted-reality]

Five Finger Death Punch: Wrong Side Of Heaven (Lyrics)

[my-inverted-reality]

Tag Dump:

[Out of Character] Mun Speaks [A Heart Made Of Stone Callous And Bone] Cataclysm [I’ll Stand The Lonely] Nym the Jackal [Musings and Ideations] Inner Thoughts [Spanning The Distance] Dash Commentary