#anyway sorry . scorn is good and probably much more enjoyable if you know nothing about it

[communistkenobi]

I don’t think games should have any marketing at all I want to encounter them completely separated from their advertisements

[mayjaymayjay]

Title: Eye of the Beholder Genre: Drama/Slight Horror Word Count:1616 Warnings: Death, Murder, Paranormal Phenomena, Police Mention, Delusions, Lying (If I missed anything, let me know!)

...

She stared out the skylight at the dark nothingness of the sky, smiling. She wondered what it would be like to live in the sky among the many stars. Would it be overwhelming or comforting? She would be considered beautiful since she would be a bright star, but that would be pointless really. She lived out in the middle of nowhere and was content with it. She never felt the bitter feeling of loneliness since she lived with her husband.

A husband she fell in love with since he ever muttered the first “hello” her way. He made her feel like a queen, with gorgeous jewels, perfumes, and unconditional love. She was devoted to him as much as he was devoted to her. He was not the most handsome man, in fact, she always complimented herself thinking his beauty was “in the eye of the beholder”. She closed her eyes and a tear fell down her cheek as she remembered the wonderful memories the two of them shared.

…

She walked over to her friend, a red-headed young lady, the wildest one among them. “Lindsey, what’s the point of this party again?”

“To celebrate my boss’s birthday.” She rolled her eyes at the thought of her loud-mouthed boss. “Trust me, I don’t want to be here as much as you do, but you owned me since that ice cream incident, Kendra.”

The two were at a formal event, full of cocktail dresses and cheap, gross cocktail beverages to accompany the snooty female coworkers. The two friends wore cocktail dresses as well, Lindsey wearing a fiery red one with her long, curled red hair trailing down to her waist while Kendra wore a soft green one with her black hair in a neat, perfect bun. The colors matched their personalities well, as aforementioned, Lindsey was the wilder one of the two and enjoyed going to wild parties, while Kendra was a lot calmer and would rather stay home and watch sappy chick flicks.

Kendra loved Lindsey as a sister. Lindsey had the power to lead Kendra to go out and do fun things, even if Kendra wasn’t into it, but the redhead had her way of making anything seemingly boring to an enjoyable experience. However, this birthday “party” had to be the only exception to that statement.

“I know, I know.” She waved a dismissing hand. “I would’ve come either way. Can we leave soon? I hate to say it, but there’s no way you or anyone could make this so-called party fun, and you’re the funniest person I know.”

“We can go now, I made an appearance, that’s all I had to do.” Lindsey hooked arms with Kendra. “Let’s go get some actual, good margaritas in our systems.”

She laughed. “Sounds like a plan.”

The two began to walk out, but a tall man caught Kendra’s eye.

“Whoa, wait.” She stopped, causing her friend to stop walking as well. “Who is that?”

“What guy?” The redhead asked.

“That tall guy with the brown hair,” she answered.

“Jeremey?” Lindsey saw who she was talking about now. “He’s a new guy. I haven’t talked to him that much, but, from the few encounters I’ve had, he’s a nice guy I guess.”

“He’s very attractive.” She continued to stare at him.

“Girl, you are drooling.” Lindsey raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, crap!” She wiped away the saliva that dripped from her mouth.

“Do you want to talk to him?”

“You’re gonna have to help me,” Kendra replied.

“Fine by me.”

…

Jeremy and Kendra, after a few months of dating, decided to elope. They didn’t care about anyone else at the time, only about each other. Kendra dropped all her family and friends, especially Lindsey. Lindsey hated the relationship since the beginning, claiming that Kendra was living a fallacy.

She inevitably got tired of the constant “warnings” of her so-called best friend and her family. So she got rid of her phone, she wouldn’t need them, all she needed was her darling husband.

Soon enough, the couple bought a nice house in the woods, in seclusion, away from the rest of the world. They didn’t need anyone else, just each other. They were content in their little world, but the world wanted to invade one last time.

Knock! Knock!

The soft knock felt like thunder to the couple inside the house. Did someone get lost in the woods and needed help? Wouldn’t have been the first time.

“I’ll get it.” Kendra smiled at her husband as he snuck off to the other room.

She cautiously opened the door, prepared to fight if need be. The door creaked loudly, she really did have to fix that. “Lindsey?”

“Kendra, hey,” she greeted, somewhat remorsefully. “How are you?”

“I’m… fine,” she replied. “What are you doing here?”

“I…” the redhead sighed. “Your family misses you, I miss you.”

“If you’re coming to warn me again then I don’t care.” She tried to shut the door, but Lindsey stopped it with her hand.

“I didn’t come to warn you about anything,” she lied. “I just want to be your friend again.”

Kendra hesitated, but let her in, leading her to the living room sofa.

“You have a very beautiful home,” Lindsey complimented.

“Thank you, my husband and I have good taste,” she chuckled.

There was a pause. Lindsey glanced at her tiny, silver wrist watch, it has only been two minutes and it felt like she had been there for hours.

“I’m sorry for the stuff I’ve said about you and… uh…” Lindsey half-apologized.

“Husband.” She finished her sentence for her. “It’s fine, I guess. I didn’t react that well either.”

“I probably would’ve reacted the same way,” the redhead shrugged. “Where is Jeremey, anyway?”

“Oh he’s in the bathroom I think,” Kendra answered. “Jeremey, come here! We have a guest!”

The tall man walked out of the room he was in. Lindsey scowled and shook her there. “I tried, but it’s still pointless.”

“Excuse me?!” Black haired lady exclaimed.

“THIS!” She gestured towards her ex-friend. “This is the problem here!”

“What problem?! I just called my husband out here!”

“No, you didn’t!”

“What are you talking about?! He’s right here!”

“No, he isn’t! He died in a car accident after the party!”

There was a pause, Kendra tightened her fist by her side. “Give me evidence.”

“Gladly!” Lindsey opened the front pocket of her red purse and pulled out a newspaper clipping. “Here!”

The black-haired young woman snatched the clipping and quickly scanned it. Her face turned from anger and scorn to a sad, bitter realization. “Then who gave me all those wonderful gifts?”

“Those were gifts from me and a few other people to try to make you feel better. Little did I know, you would take it like this.”

“Then all the dates and kisses we had,” she paused. “That was a dream?”

“As far as I know, yes,” she looked at her friend with sorrow and sincerity. “I’m really sorry, I tried to tell you, but it was like you were in a different world. If you want more evidence, look beside you.”

There was nothing there.

Kendra ran into her master bathroom, locking the door behind her. Lindsey tried to open the door, then began hitting it. “Kendra! Open the door!”

Kendra remained silent and continued to search the bathroom for a razor blade, she had enough, nothing was real, no one was real! She couldn’t trust anyone! She hated this and herself for being so naive and foolish. It was time for it to all end like it should’ve done so long ago.

“Kendra,” a male voice echoed through the room, causing the black-haired girl to turn around.

“Who’s there?” She couldn’t even hear Lindsey’s shouting anymore.

“Kendra” the voice repeated, a bit louder this time.

“… Jeremey?” She called back.

A dark figure slowly faded into existence right in front of her, forming into the shape of a tall man. To Kendra, it didn’t threaten her, instead, it felt comforting. The figure stepped toward her as she stood there, accepting it, her arms wide open so she could finally hold her lost love finally. “Kendra.”

The figure grabbed her neck, the comforting feeling going away as Kendra scratched at his hands to get them off. “J-Jeremy!” She choked out as they fell to the floor.

Lindsey already called the police after banging on the door for a few seconds, she wasn’t taking a chance, but continued slamming herself against the door, trying to knock it down. “Dammit!” She cried as she stepped back for a moment before taking a running start and slamming the door again. It didn’t budge at all.

“How in the h-?”

“Police! Open the door!” A man called from the other side of the front door.

Lindsey ran over to the door and opened it. “The bathroom is right over there!”

The police ran over to the direction she was pointing to.

They tried to bust down the door, but, again, it would not budge.

...

She stared out the skylight of her bathroom ceiling at the dark nothingness of the late night sky, smiling. The stars were not there anymore just like her internal lie. Her love had betrayed her with his demon, for he was angry and tired of her façade. Her smile faded away into a frown as the police took out the door finally but too late. The demon went away as her life did. She would no longer cry or laugh with her “husband”. She realized too late that his beauty was not in the eye of the beholder, but the facade was in the eye of the liar.

[stark-dynamic]

17th Sun of 3rd Umbral Moon, 1583

It is quiet. Too quiet. The four corners of the walls are completely tallied. No room for any more. Sieglinde is at her absolute limit: physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Thump thump.

Verdant eyes thrown wide, gazing ever so skyward, her appearance marred by lack of sleep. She can feel herself slowly dying from the magitek system in her body degrading, its life support slowly failing. With every breath it feels as though she gets drawn more...and more into the abyss.

“Tick tock…goes the clock…

She still has her Network linkpearl, right by her side. Her only form of solace. As the rays of sunlight shine through the window, her marred, emancipated figure is shown...it looks like she has stopped eating recently, her hair is too long and too undone. She looks like a living ghost. Yet she is still alive, her will is too strong to let her die. Or more like...both of her wills...

“Time is almost up.”

The madness within swells within the darkness, once again appearing to Sieglinde in the form of her own visage, except garnered in all black, looking much like a humanoid voidsent...or perhaps something more ancient, like one of the Dowager’s children. She scorns her weaker self, flashing the grin of the devil as the weakened child struggles with her damaged organs, now that the system keeping them functional is degrading.

“...I have to give you credit, my weaker self...living on your own, for five moons...in isolation... One would probably call it a miracle...although in your case...is it truly a worthy miracle...or a curse…? Hehehe…”

Sieglinde growls as she tries to get up from her bed despite her weakened state, but ends up flopping onto the floor, coughing a bit of blood. The madness within laughs at her, finding enjoyment in the struggle.

“You can barely move, let alone get up! That stupid thing inside your body may as well be the same as being confined to that bed, you cannot leave.”

“Shut...up…the answer...is still...no...!”

“We are stubborn, but this stalemate of ours has gone on long enough. It won’t be long until you move on from this realm, but you don’t have to let it end this way. I can feel it, the end is almost here, the work of Mother will soon come to fruition, and all will fall under Elysian...it is but a matter of time…”

She has managed to get up, but is still wobbling, and struggling. She carries the linkpearl in her hand, panting, she makes for the locked chest on the table with its key right nearby.

“You can still make the pledge. You can still live on, move past your mortality...there’s nothing left for you anyways. Why prolong the suffering? Your family is dead, your friends are gone, you are alone. And have been alone. You had a family with the Beloved, yet you threw that away. You are weak, you are a fool.”

She takes the key and inserts it into the lock, rotating it slowly until the chest unlocks, revealing its contents to be a handmade doll, looking like Sieglinde herself but in blue garbed gear, looking like a professional soldier or gunner…wait…

“...Irma Gerd...the other you...that you called a parasite.”

The madness within cannot help but laugh while Sieglinde takes out the Irma doll and starts to cry.

“...Irma...I’m sorry…”

“Might as well make your final farewells~, be it until you become something more or until you die. Either way, your time is up. It is time for you to choose. Are you with Mother, or against her?”

Thump thump...thump thump...

Sieglinde is silent on the question as she also pulls out a dagger from the chest, surprising the madness within.

“...What might you be doing now? No….”

Thump thump...thump thump..thump thump..

She aims the dagger towards her own chest, her hands shaking as she closes her eyes.

Thump thump..Thump thump..Thump thump..thumpthump..thumpthump..thumpthump..

“...I’m giving you my answer…”

Heart beat rises each instant, as she arches the dagger towards the chest when suddenly….

...she stops. Just before it could puncture her chest, puncture her damaged heart. She simply drops the knife as her body shakes.

“...I applaud the attempt. But that just proves to me your mettle, and your decision. You only...need to speak the words, Sieglinde...speak...and the pain will be over. I know you craaaaave this...”

“...I...Sieglinde Stark…”

“Goood~” The madness within seems to swell more over Sieglinde, its insanity about to takes it toil upon the poor woman. Red lines from the magitek system appear over Sieglinde’s body. “Keep going~...”

“...do hereby swear…from this moment on…that my life...to the service…”

The madness’s grin widens as the darkness caresses Sieglinde, almost there...almost there. Just needs one final push…

“...of those who would fight against the Dowager.”

“YES…WHAT?!” The madness’s expression turned from glee to shock as the darkness backs away a little bit.

“To prevent her will...from being carried out...to fight alongside those who would oppose her…”

“No…! What are you doing..!? STOP!!!” The darkness creeps away further, as the red lines turned into a serene blue.

“...And to protect those from being wrought upon...by her so-called...justice…! I bound myself...to this pledge...until oblivion takes me...or until the Dowager is slain once and for all!!!”

It is at that moment the darkness is swept clean away, the madness within Sieglinde screeching in both pain and anger as Sieglinde’s body calms, stops trembling, and stands up straight. She is still dying, but now she has the strength to keep on going. She takes the linkpearl, Irma’s doll, and makes her way downstairs, where the dolls of her family are still at the dining table.

“...You really ARE A FOOL!”

“Why? Because I pledged~?”

“I will not accept this. This pledge is false! You are condemning yourself to more suffering, when it can all be over! What about your mother!? Your father!? Your sister!? You could see them all again in Elysian, your own world!!!”

When Sieglinde looks at the dolls, she hallucinates them as her actual family, who smile at her and nod; she nods back with a smile and tears. She then glances back at her own madness.

“I know what they would want. They want me to live...to be happy. I almost went down a dark path...from which I would never be able to return…a path you tried to drag me down to...but then I remember them...and now...I remember her.”

The embodiment of her madness can only clench her teeth, as suddenly another Sieglinde appears behind the real Sieglinde, garbed in blue and in professional gear, giving the real Sieglinde a sincere calm smile and nod, before staring the madness in the face.

“Irma…you parasite!!!”

“No...not a parasite. She is the other me, the me that was born and lived on after I slept. I once thought she was a parasite who stole my body from me...but that was but delusion...no…” She looks towards Irma. “You were right...I’m not complete without you...and you without me.” Irma nods, and speaks back to her. “We’ll get through this, together. As one.”

Irma and the Stark family dissipates leaving Sieglinde and the madness again, as she makes her way to the front door.

“Ha! You’re still going to die, like you should have all those years ago…!”

As Sieglinde puts her hand on the door handle, she exhaled heavily, as the madness grins. Sieglinde then smiles as she slowly opens the front door, the warm light of the sun seemingly causing pain to the embodiment. Of course Sieglinde’s hallucinating her because of the madness, so it may be more symbolic.

“Irma...no...I know of some people who can help...who have helped me before...saved me once from the Dowager and her Fens...and hopefully...they will save me again.”

As Sieglinde walks outside, the rays of the sun overwhelming her at first but she then welcomes it with a cheery smile, while the madness within is suffering.

“You think they will listen..!? I bet they disabled that linkpearl of yours, because you can’t be trusted…! They’ll probably kick you out or kill you on sight! HAHA!!!!”

“...Now you’re just being pathetic.”

The madness is shot down by that simple statement, as Sieglinde starts to focus her aether, the best that she could in her weakened condition, but the magitek system is helping her.

“...You’ll..die…”

“I won’t, because I have hope. My mama told me to always have hope and believe in myself. I have faith they will listen to me. If not, I will at least die as a normal Hyur, than live as a monster…And by the way...I do not need a dream world to make my dreams come true. Even though they may be hard...I’ll make my dreams come true on my own. And my family...will be with me in spirit, as they always have...”

The madness embodiment slowly starts to dissipate away, as Sieglinde offers one last smile before beginning the teleport.

“...I had a good sleep...but now...it’s time to wake up.”