Carhartt winter coat womens
[STORE] 900+ KNIVES/GLOVES/SKINS, 50.000$+ INVENTORY. M9 Fade, M4 Poseidon, BFK Freehand, Crimson Kimono, Nomad Fade, Skeleton, Kara Lore, Bayo Autotronic, AWP Fade, Kara Damas, BFK Ultra, Kara Freehand, Kara Bright, M9 Damas, Omega, Tiger Strike, Flip MF, Bayo Tiger, Deagle Blaze, Talon & More
2023.06.03 23:16 _Triple_ [STORE] 900+ KNIVES/GLOVES/SKINS, 50.000$+ INVENTORY. M9 Fade, M4 Poseidon, BFK Freehand, Crimson Kimono, Nomad Fade, Skeleton, Kara Lore, Bayo Autotronic, AWP Fade, Kara Damas, BFK Ultra, Kara Freehand, Kara Bright, M9 Damas, Omega, Tiger Strike, Flip MF, Bayo Tiger, Deagle Blaze, Talon & More
Everything in my inventory is up for trade. The most valuable items are listed here, the rest you can find in My Inventory
Feel free to Add Me or even better send a Trade Offer. Open for any suggestions: upgrades, downgrades / knives, gloves, skins / stickers, patterns, floats.
All Buyouts are listed in cash value.
KNIVES
★ Butterfly Knife Freehand FN #1, B/O: $2500
★ Butterfly Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $822
★ Butterfly Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $616
⎯★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW #1, B/O: $1300
★ Bayonet Autotronic FN, B/O: $1050
★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW, B/O: $629
★ Bayonet Bright Water FT, B/O: $326
★ Bayonet Safari Mesh BS, B/O: $233
⎯★ Karambit Lore FT, B/O: $1110
★ Karambit Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $840
★ Karambit Freehand MW, B/O: $784
★ Karambit Bright Water MW, B/O: $759
⎯★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $751
⎯★ Nomad Knife Fade FN, B/O: $1156
★ Nomad Knife Slaughter MW, B/O: $544
★ Nomad Knife Blue Steel WW, B/O: $318
⎯★ Flip Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $646
★ Flip Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $574
★ Flip Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) MW, B/O: $552
★ Flip Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $257
★ Flip Knife Freehand FT, B/O: $255
★ StatTrak™ Flip Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $287
⎯★ Huntsman Knife Lore FN, B/O: $461
★ Huntsman Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $436
★ Huntsman Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $353
★ Huntsman Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $212
★ Huntsman Knife Bright Water FT, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT MW, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT BS, B/O: $123
★ StatTrak™ Huntsman Knife Rust Coat BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $375
★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $363
★ Bowie Knife Tiger Tooth FN, B/O: $269
★ Bowie Knife Crimson Web WW, B/O: $192
★ Bowie Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $159
★ Bowie Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $126
⎯★ Stiletto Knife Slaughter FN, B/O: $616
★ Stiletto Knife Crimson Web FT, B/O: $412
★ StatTrak™ Stiletto Knife Night Stripe FT, B/O: $227
⎯★ Falchion Knife Lore FT, B/O: $214
★ Falchion Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $192
★ Falchion Knife Scorched WW, B/O: $105
⎯★ Survival Knife Crimson Web BS, B/O: $216
★ Survival Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $198
★ Survival Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $111
⎯★ Shadow Daggers Fade FN, B/O: $368
★ Shadow Daggers Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $228
★ Shadow Daggers, B/O: $201
★ Shadow Daggers Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $108
★ Shadow Daggers Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $105
★ Shadow Daggers Black Laminate FT, B/O: $99
★ Shadow Daggers Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $85
⎯★ Gut Knife Doppler (Sapphire) MW #1, B/O: $1700
★ Gut Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $223
★ Gut Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $203
★ Gut Knife Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $191
★ Gut Knife Case Hardened BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife, B/O: $138
★ Navaja Knife Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $111
⎯★ Classic Knife Urban Masked FT, B/O: $146
★ StatTrak™ Classic Knife Stained BS, B/O: $168
⎯★ Ursus Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $476
★ Ursus Knife, B/O: $375
⎯★ Skeleton Knife, B/O: $1137
★ Talon Knife, B/O: $608
★ Paracord Knife, B/O: $305
★ Survival Knife Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $97
GLOVES
★ Moto Gloves Transport MW, B/O: $204
★ Moto Gloves Polygon BS, B/O: $142
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
⎯★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono WW, B/O: $1215
★ Specialist Gloves Tiger Strike FT, B/O: $672
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander FT, B/O: $305
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander BS, B/O: $140
★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Web BS, B/O: $137
★ Specialist Gloves Buckshot FT, B/O: $75
⎯★ Driver Gloves Crimson Weave FT, B/O: $359
★ Driver Gloves Imperial Plaid BS, B/O: $229
★ Driver Gloves Overtake BS, B/O: $77
★ Driver Gloves Racing Green FT, B/O: $48
⎯★ Sport Gloves Omega FT, B/O: $739
★ Sport Gloves Amphibious BS #2, B/O: $733
★ Sport Gloves Arid BS, B/O: $292
⎯★ Hand Wraps Giraffe MW, B/O: $212
★ Hand Wraps Leather FT, B/O: $160
★ Hand Wraps Desert Shamagh MW, B/O: $101
⎯★ Broken Fang Gloves Yellow-banded MW, B/O: $185
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point FT, B/O: $67
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point WW, B/O: $59
⎯★ Hydra Gloves Case Hardened BS, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald FT, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald BS, B/O: $62
WEAPONS
AK-47 Case Hardened BS, B/O: $130
AK-47 Bloodsport MW, B/O: $79
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Bloodsport FT, B/O: $70
AK-47 Neon Rider MW, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AK-47 Aquamarine Revenge FT, B/O: $72
⎯AWP Fade FN, B/O: $1039
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Wildfire MW, B/O: $95
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP Duality FN, B/O: $81
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Chromatic Aberration FN, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Electric Hive FT, B/O: $55
⎯Desert Eagle Blaze FN, B/O: $623
Desert Eagle Emerald Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $241
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Printstream FT, B/O: $54
⎯M4A1-S Blue Phosphor FN, B/O: $434
StatTrak™ M4A1-S Bright Water MW, B/O: $55
⎯M4A4 Poseidon FN, B/O: $1465
M4A4 Asiimov BS, B/O: $55
M4A4 Hellfire MW, B/O: $50
⎯USP-S Kill Confirmed MW, B/O: $72
USP-S Printstream FT, B/O: $69
StatTrak™ USP-S Kill Confirmed FT, B/O: $139
⎯AUG Flame Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $234
P90 Run and Hide FT, B/O: $147
Five-SeveN Candy Apple FN, B/O: $61
Trade Offer Link - Steam Profile Link - My Inventory
Some items on the list may no longer be available or are still locked, visit My Inventory for more details.
Send a Trade Offer for fastest response. I consider all offers.
Add me for discuss if there is a serious offer that needs to be discussed.
2023.06.03 22:14 bpdbestpussydisorder Breed match
Hoping for some breed recs and I’m not searching for a unicorn (like my current rescue mutt is).
Introduction 1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
A: no, I currently own two 50 lbs rescues
2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?
A: I prefer to buy from an ethical breeder.
3) Describe your ideal dog.
A: alert of their surroundings (alert barks to strangers on the property), affectionate and cuddly with me, indifferent towards strangers, able to catch onto training quickly, food motivated, enjoys playing tug and fetch, up for anything from couch cuddles to nature walks, patient with indoor cats, neutral towards other dogs. Prefers dogs that are intimidating looking as we live in a sketchy neighborhood and my current rescue gives me scary dog privilege to walk at night.
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
A: im not sure yet, I like the look of Dobermans, cane corso, bullmastiffs, giant breeds are cool but idk if they fit.
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
A: we would attend puppy classes together. I would also like to obtain a Canine Good Citizen Advanced and advanced trick dog title/award. In addition, I plan on task training for at home service work (not public access so a breed that isnt known for service work isn’t a deal breaker. I just plan on teaching the dog tasks to help me out with my BPD/PTSD at home). Teach basic commands, loose leash walking, following a lure, muzzle conditioning, and cooperative care. And whatever else may be needed.
6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
A: although I’m new to sports, I would like to try fastcat.
Care Commitments 7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
A: im a stay at home “dog mom” so I have ample time
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
A: about 1-1.5 hrs daily. Two 30 minute walks, swimming, fully fenced in backyard fetch, seasonal hikes- it just depends on how I’m feeling. I do not plan on going to the dog park as I don’t think they’re safe (my dog was attacked at one).
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
A: I would say a few minutes every week or so with a rubber curry brush (that’s what I do for my current dog), but prefer no trimming or professional grooming. Ok with baths when they get smelly and nail trims and ear cleaning, just no dogs that require haircuts.
Personal Preferences 10) What size dog are you looking for?
A: my ideal size would be 70 lbs, but I would prefer to go up in weight than to own a small dog. Just not my vibe. The biggest dog id own would be like 130lbs ish
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
A: my short haired dog sheds in the spring and fall and is pretty much lower shedding in between and that what I want at most. I don’t want a heavy shedding dog please (that includes labs, goldens, huskies, gsd, any thick coated double coated breed). Barking when play and when there’s a stranger on the property is fine, but not a dog that barks at anything (no overly vocal high pitched barkers, I prefer deep barks). Slobber when eating and when being baited with treats is ok, but I don’t really want to have a dog that will shake and paint my walls with slobber.
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
A: not the biggest priority, my current dog can’t be off leash and it’s not the end of the world. We walk on leashes and have a fully fenced in yard
Dog Personality and Behavior 13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
A: snuggle bug for sure, my current dog curls up next to me in bed and I love it.
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
A: eager to please
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
A: barking until I tell them to stop (current dog barks to strangers walking by and I don’t mind it, but he won’t bark at everyone-just things in the yard. He doesn’t bark at the neighbors across the street for example). I want my dog to ignore strangers ideally, and focus on me. Dogs that want to be everyone’s bff turn me off, I prefer loyalty.
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
A: I will if it’s the right breed, my male is ssa and we muzzle train and crate train. This will be the only dog in the house when we bring it home (with the exception of 3 indoor cats). But I prefer dogs that aren’t aggressive.
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
A: aggression towards me, stubbornness, heavy vocality, reactivity, chasing our cats.
Lifestyle 18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
A: probably just a few hours if I went to run an errand, but even that’s not every day. I’m home pretty much 24/7 (unless I’m out waking).
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
A: I live with my gf and she doesn’t mind as long as the dog fits my lifestyle. She will not be caring for the dog; I will.
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
A: yes we have three indoor cats
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
A: no we don’t have kids and don’t plan on having them
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
A: we own our home, no breed restrictions
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
A: live in Georgia, USA. None that I’m aware of.
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
A: July summers get to the upper 90s with 99% humidity; winters are snow free and at 20-30 degrees.
Any other questions just ask
submitted by bpdbestpussydisorder to dogs [link] [comments]
Introduction 1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
A: no, I currently own two 50 lbs rescues
2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?
A: I prefer to buy from an ethical breeder.
3) Describe your ideal dog.
A: alert of their surroundings (alert barks to strangers on the property), affectionate and cuddly with me, indifferent towards strangers, able to catch onto training quickly, food motivated, enjoys playing tug and fetch, up for anything from couch cuddles to nature walks, patient with indoor cats, neutral towards other dogs. Prefers dogs that are intimidating looking as we live in a sketchy neighborhood and my current rescue gives me scary dog privilege to walk at night.
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
A: im not sure yet, I like the look of Dobermans, cane corso, bullmastiffs, giant breeds are cool but idk if they fit.
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
A: we would attend puppy classes together. I would also like to obtain a Canine Good Citizen Advanced and advanced trick dog title/award. In addition, I plan on task training for at home service work (not public access so a breed that isnt known for service work isn’t a deal breaker. I just plan on teaching the dog tasks to help me out with my BPD/PTSD at home). Teach basic commands, loose leash walking, following a lure, muzzle conditioning, and cooperative care. And whatever else may be needed.
6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
A: although I’m new to sports, I would like to try fastcat.
Care Commitments 7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
A: im a stay at home “dog mom” so I have ample time
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
A: about 1-1.5 hrs daily. Two 30 minute walks, swimming, fully fenced in backyard fetch, seasonal hikes- it just depends on how I’m feeling. I do not plan on going to the dog park as I don’t think they’re safe (my dog was attacked at one).
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
A: I would say a few minutes every week or so with a rubber curry brush (that’s what I do for my current dog), but prefer no trimming or professional grooming. Ok with baths when they get smelly and nail trims and ear cleaning, just no dogs that require haircuts.
Personal Preferences 10) What size dog are you looking for?
A: my ideal size would be 70 lbs, but I would prefer to go up in weight than to own a small dog. Just not my vibe. The biggest dog id own would be like 130lbs ish
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
A: my short haired dog sheds in the spring and fall and is pretty much lower shedding in between and that what I want at most. I don’t want a heavy shedding dog please (that includes labs, goldens, huskies, gsd, any thick coated double coated breed). Barking when play and when there’s a stranger on the property is fine, but not a dog that barks at anything (no overly vocal high pitched barkers, I prefer deep barks). Slobber when eating and when being baited with treats is ok, but I don’t really want to have a dog that will shake and paint my walls with slobber.
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
A: not the biggest priority, my current dog can’t be off leash and it’s not the end of the world. We walk on leashes and have a fully fenced in yard
Dog Personality and Behavior 13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
A: snuggle bug for sure, my current dog curls up next to me in bed and I love it.
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
A: eager to please
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
A: barking until I tell them to stop (current dog barks to strangers walking by and I don’t mind it, but he won’t bark at everyone-just things in the yard. He doesn’t bark at the neighbors across the street for example). I want my dog to ignore strangers ideally, and focus on me. Dogs that want to be everyone’s bff turn me off, I prefer loyalty.
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
A: I will if it’s the right breed, my male is ssa and we muzzle train and crate train. This will be the only dog in the house when we bring it home (with the exception of 3 indoor cats). But I prefer dogs that aren’t aggressive.
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
A: aggression towards me, stubbornness, heavy vocality, reactivity, chasing our cats.
Lifestyle 18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
A: probably just a few hours if I went to run an errand, but even that’s not every day. I’m home pretty much 24/7 (unless I’m out waking).
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
A: I live with my gf and she doesn’t mind as long as the dog fits my lifestyle. She will not be caring for the dog; I will.
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
A: yes we have three indoor cats
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
A: no we don’t have kids and don’t plan on having them
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
A: we own our home, no breed restrictions
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
A: live in Georgia, USA. None that I’m aware of.
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
A: July summers get to the upper 90s with 99% humidity; winters are snow free and at 20-30 degrees.
Any other questions just ask
2023.06.03 22:00 JoshAsdvgi The Legend Of Eagleman
 | submitted by JoshAsdvgi to Native_Stories [link] [comments] The Legend Of Eagleman By Anna Moore Shaw IT WAS ON A SUMMER MORNING in the days before Se-eh-ha lost the love of the River People. Just as the sun came over the eastern hills, the Chief of Cactus Village stood on his brush arbor and shouted, "My people! The gods have favored us. We have stored enough food to last all winter. Our families are well fed. Tomorrow at dawn the warriors will go on a rabbit drive. Each man must have four arrows. Get busy and repair your weapons." The day was a busy one for the people. The men joked with one another and the village hummed with excitement. The women were busy roasting wheat, grinding it fine on their metates (stone grinders). Pinole would be good to take on the rabbit drive. Tall Flowers, a beautiful maiden, took the children to clean gourds at the spring. "Fill the gourds with fresh water," she said. The children all loved Tall Flowers and willingly obeyed her. Everyone worked for this special day. Before sunrise the hunters departed for their usual hunting grounds near Gagaurke-Slanting Mountain-or Superstition Mountain as we know it now. Suddenly a young brave whose name was Hick-vick (Woodpecker), cried, "I have only two arrows instead of four." "Go home and get the rest of your arrows," ordered the Chief. "We'll wait for you in the shade of this mesquite tree." Hick-vick ran back to the village. When he reached the spring near Slanting Mountain, he stopped to get a cool drink of water. He was surprised to hear a woman's voice. "I have some good pinole in this bowl. Please drink it, you look hungry. " The young brave eagerly drank the pinole. Every swallow caused little pin feathers to come out all over his body. "What is happening to me? I feel so strange," wailed Hick-vick. Soon he was changed into a huge eagle. "Ha, ha, ha," laughed the old witch. "I mixed ground eagle feathers in the pinole. Hereafter you will be Eagleman." In the meantime the hunters waited for Hick-vick to return. The Chief grew impatient. "What is keeping the boy?" He sent a runner to find out what was detaining him. The runner started at once. When he reached Slanting Mountain, he saw a large eagle sitting by the spring. The eagle had the head of Hick-vick but his body, wings, and talons were those of a huge eagle. Immediately the runner returned to tell the hunters his discovery. "Hick-vick has been changed to a big eagle. I saw an ugly old woman running to the mountain. She was carrying a bowl," related the runner. The Chief sadly nodded his head and recalled past events. He told the young braves about the legend. "Once the witch was a beautiful maiden. But she was proud and disobeyed her parents; the gods changed her into an ugly old witch. She lives in a cave on the side of Slanting Mountain, and now and then she comes out to bewitch someone," explained the Chief. "It means the gods are angry. Let us return to our village at once." When they passed near the spring they found Eagleman sitting with his bow and two arrows. The hunters aimed their sharp arrows at the bird, but he deftly caught the arrows with his talons. He flew to a palo verde tree and alighted on one of the branches, which broke under his heavy body. Then he flew away. When the hunters saw this they decided there was nothing to do but to return home and warn their people. Eagleman fiew over the land until he found a big cave near the top of a high cliff. There he made his home and hunted for game to satisfy his great appetite. When all the game was gone, Eagleman started to kill the people of Cactus Village. Those who escaped him lived in fear and anxiety. One day Eagleman swooped down on the home of Tall Flowers and carried her away to make her his bride. The people heard her cries for help, but were powerless to help her. The village of Cactus went into mourning for their beloved daughter. The Chief and his counselors held meetings to find a way to kill Eagleman. "He'll wipe out the whole tribe," reasoned the Chief. Tall Flowers' uncle remembered Elder Brother, a wise old man. "He'll help us." The next day a young runner went to the home of Elder Brother on top of Greasy Mountain (South Mountain). He returned with distressing words. "Elder Brother is not there. His house is deserted." The people were deeply disappointed. Every so often someone would go to see if Elder Brother had returned to his house, only to find it still empty. Finally, after a year, only a small number of the tribe remained alive in Cactus Village. A runner went again to Elder Brother's home and was relieved to find him there at last. "Elder Brother, I've been told to come and ask you to help us," explained the runner. "What's the trouble?" asked Elder Brother. "Eagleman has been killing our people and we're unable to stop him." "Go home and tell your people I'll come after four days have passed," said Elder Brother. The runner returned to his village and told the Chief that Elder Brother would not come to their aid for another four days. It was discouraging news. During those days Eagleman made his regular raids without trouble. At last the four days passed, and Elder Brother came to the village to give help to the people. The warriors went with Elder Brother to show him the high cliff where Eagleman lived. When they arrived, Elder Brother took out some stakes cut from very hard wood. He drove the first stake into the side of the cliff, using his stone ax. "Before I climb the cliff I want to ask you to return to your village and tell the people to watch my mountain home. If they see white clouds floating over Greasy Mountain, it is a sign I have killed Eagleman. But if black clouds appear you will know I've been killed by Eagleman," said Elder Brother. Elder Brother slowly ascended the high cliff, driving the hard stakes and using them as an isk-liff (ladder). It was a slow, difficult climb, but Elder Brother was used to all kinds of hardships. Besides, he wanted to help the people. When he reached the top of the cliff he found the cave, the home of Eagleman. Cautiously he peered into the dark cave, shading his eyes with his hands so as to see clearly. A small cry came from the dark cave. It was the glad cry of Tall Flowers. "My Elder Brother, you ought not to have come. It's risky," sobbed Tall Flowers. "I'll risk my life to save you, Tall Flowers. Stop your crying and tell me, when does Eagleman come home?" "He generally gets home at noon," answered Tall Flowers, drying her eyes. They quickly decided what course of action to take, for time was running short. "But the child will reveal your presence. He's very much like his father and takes great delight in killing the helpless little insects around here." "Don't worry. I'll be safe." Elder Brother took some ashes from the fireplace and made a mark across the child's mouth, rendering him unintelligible. In the distance they heard a great noise like peals of thunder. Eagleman was on his way home. Elder Brother quickly changed himself into a little fly and hid under a corpse which was in one part of the cave. When Eagleman arrived he dumped his load on top of the corpse, hiding Elder Brother more securely. His little son ran to his father and exclaimed, "A-pa-pa Chu-vich! A-pa-pa Chu-vich!" "What is the boy trying to tell me? I command you, Tall Flowers, to tell me." "There is nothing to tell. No one ever comes here, as you well know." "But someone is here." Eagleman searched the cave for any living creature but did not find anyone. He sat down and ate his meal. Afterwards he put his head on Tall Flowers' lap and took a nap. Tall Flowers sang a soft lullaby, whistling after each stanza. Eagleman heard and asked sleepily, "Why do you sing and whistle?" "Because I'm so happy to see you bring home plenty of meat. Eagleman finally went into a deep sleep and did not hear Tall Flowers' whistle. Elder Brother came out very quietly. With his stone ax he gave Eagleman a hard blow on his head, killing him instantly. The child met the same treatment. Elder Brother knew it was not a nice thing to do, but the people's safety was his first concern, and he wanted to make certain of their safety forever. He cut off the eagle's head and threw it to the east, and his body he tossed to the west Tall Flowers buried her face against the cliff outside the cave. Her heart was badly torn but she, too, felt that the safety of her people came first. So she leaned against the hard cliff to give her strength. Elder Brother came out after he had made sure his task was completed. As he started to help Tall Flowers climb down the ladder of stakes, the cliff swayed back and forth. Eagleman's power was felt even in death. When the rocking of the cliff stopped, Tall Flowers and Elder Brother descended. Her uncle welcomed her joyously and took her home. Meanwhile, the people patiently watched the mountain home of their Elder Brother. Their hearts were glad when they saw white clouds floating over Greasy Mountain. Eagleman was destroyed at last! |
2023.06.03 21:55 soya_1 How should me and my family deal with our evil(?) grandma
Before I start I want to say I'm sorry for any mistakes but I just want to get this of my soul to somebody and english isn't my first language. So, I don't even know if this is worth writing about but I just feel so bad and helpless. My grandma is 86 and ever since she moved in with us 5 years ago (bc my uncle whom she was staying with died BC OF HER but that's another story I might tell in the final part of this post after telling you all how she behaves it will make sense) she has been making our lives miserable (mostly me and my mother ironically because we are the ones mostly taking care of her, I give her food and meds and my mom can't). I am gonna start with the most awful and disgusting part. Because she is so old she wears adult diapers and that should help if she ACCIDENTALLY shts herself and yes, it does help in her case but what's very annoying about her is that: 1)she shits herself intentionnaly and doesn't even try to hold it in if one of us is in the bathroom; 2)she shits herself intentionally just so that my mom will have to clean her (she does this especially when she sees my mom is very tired or busy and my mother is the one cleaning her because she doesn't have a job and this grandma I am writing about is from my mother's side); 3)when mom isn't home she asks me to clean her (which I will never do and I am shocked she even askes me to like I am almost 18 but I don't want to and I know it will sound bad but I don't love her more like I can't love her because she never took care of me when I was a baby and because of her my mother had to be away from me so much when I was little and my dad was working so I was alone a lot of the time and one time my mother told me that the neighbours told her I threw some little pieces of eraser on my neighbour's window sill (that thing at the bottom of the window google told me the word) and I still think to this day that could've died because I opened the window by myself at 4 years old) oh I got so carried away I'm sorry I just write as things come to me sorry if it's annoying but as I said I want to tell this to somebody as fast as possible; 4) she shts herself and doesn't tell my mother or anyone and just sits there in her bed and if none of us notices it she just sits there for hours, but most of the timw we do notice because it smells so bad and one time she sat so long she got all her bedding dirty and her clothes and it was smelling so bad; 5)when nobody is home she goes to the bathroom and gets her slipers, the floor leading to the bathroom, the floor in the bathroom, the toilet, the toilet paper, herself and her clothes very dirty; I think that's all with the sh*ting. So me and my family do EVEYRHING for her because she had some heart problems but she is better now but still can't walk by herself and she doesn't want a cane and my mother walks her eveywhere. God I don't even know how to say the next things because it doesn't really seem like a big deal but for us it kind of is. So she does all sorts of straight up anoying things like wjen she first came to our house she wanted to sleep in a big bed my parents were sleeping in and make me and my mom sleep togheter and that happened for a few days but we could not sleep well so we moved her to HER OWN ROOM WHICH I WISH SO MUCH I HAD (I never had that room because we would also need to heat that space so we were saving money by not having anyone sleep in that room and of course as a teenager I want my own room and privacy so I just put up with it). For some reason she HAS TO sleep with some sort of light on so fine but when she goes to the bathroom she does not turn it off or when it isn't even night she turns it on even though she doesn't do anything like reading etc. or when she eats with the light on and goes to the bathroom she also doesn't turn it off or when she finishes eating she agreed to tell my mom but more recently she doesn't and just sits there with the light on (maybe this isn't so annoying but we most of the time love paycheck to paycheck so it matters that we try to save up everywhere we can). When we tell her she doesn't even look at us or if she looks she just shrughs or doesn't say anything like it's impossible to talk with that woman. Or the one thing I hate to most: she goes to the bathroom when we are there like she opens the door even thought we are there (and most of the time intentionally). There are days when I go to the bathroom and EVERY SINGLE TIME she comes and I have developed a reflex or like a trauma when I hear her slippers on the floor (she kinda slides them bc she holds on furniture when going to the bathroom) to stop eveything I am doing and hold on the door do that she doesn't enter and it's just so annoying that I can't even go to the bathroom without her coming. And the thing that made me want to write this after somehow coping with her for 5 years. Today I wanted to take a bath and she wanted to go right before the bath was ready (and yes she also does this a lot like when she hears one of us saying we want to go to the bathroom she rushes there) so I let her and after 5 minutes she had the audacity to OPEN THE DOOR WHEN I WAS FING NAKED and out of anger I screamed at her to leave and at least she did but this isn't the first time this happened to not only me and the most sad and annoying thing is that she does it intentionnaly just so she can kill us physically. That's how she killed my uncle whom she was living with before us. It was just the two of them living together (bc my grandpa died before that possibly also by her nagging or whatever she's doing I don't even know what to call it) and just like she does with us now, (only it was worse for my poor uncle bc he was alone with her) she kept making him do all the work around the house taking care of the cows (I honestly think she loved those cows more than her children because she sent her first two kids to college but she didn't care about my mom and the uncle I am talking about now because she didn't even want them to get a job or get married and kept teliing them to stay with her and take care of those damn cows everyday and sadlt she succeded with my uncle but my mom left) she kept nagging him about all the little things like buying her soda even though the city was 10km away from them and she kept worring him about the work (like their terrains and stuff like that) and she didn't help him she only watched him. When guests were coming over to their place she didn't care to make it a little clean she was dirty (she didn't clean herself like my mom was she never did that and their house was full pf bed bugs but sadly my uncle didn't have what to do because he was working all day on those terrains and that's also why I hated going over there because all my body would be full of stings and I couldn't wear t-shirts or dresses and I also hated going there and helping with the terrain (I started helping like when I was 10 every summer until she came to live with us) yes she did give me money but no more than 5 dollars)). When other neighbours were coming to help with the work she would pour them drinks and chat while me, my family and my uncle were working. I hated going there so much that I would pray to rain so that I wouldn't have to go. And my uncle was so sad he didn't have a proper job, nor a girlfriend and this grandma of mine kept annoying him and never helping him he started drinking and you know how this ends.... Another thing that frustrates us is her STARING. When she fistg mobed in with us she stayed on a chair in the kitchen with us and would watch TV sometimes but she would only stare (and when I say stare think STARE like she would want us do die like she is above us all) and would tell us "you didn't do that" yada yada so we moved her into her room all the time but she would still stare at us bc the door was opened and in the summer we close it but in the winter we can't otherwise it would be to cold for her. I can't even bring my friends over because of her, for example one time I was hanging out with my friends and she kept STARING AT US and I went up and told her nicely to stop and she did but after some time she just started again. I felt so bad towards my friends and they also said it was very creepy I wanted to cry so bad. So, she doesn't do anything she doesn't clean she doesn't make us any food she doesn't care about us only about her (not even that as she doesn't keep herself clean) we do it alk for her we take her on all the road trips we give her food cook her food she is washed she doesn't live alone she doesn't clean she just stays in bed all day (or stared out the window like a creep). Other women her age would be so grateful to have all that she has but her noo it's like she hates us the more we help her and I just don't undersant why and how can she hate the people that are caring for her. She was evil to my uncle and she is evil to my mom and they were/are the ones caring for her, but when she talks to her other children(those two uncles from before) she makes her voice high and cute and is nice and asks how they have been (but with us she speaks with hatred). I hate it so much, my friends tell me about how their grandmas spent time with then when they were little and they made nice food for them and they cleaned their house for them and I just wish I has something like that but if I can't have all that I just wish for a grandma that doesn't want to kill me and my mother physically and that just doesn't keep making problems for us. Please please if anyone even got to this part (because there would be so many more incidents buy I am sick of writing about her and spending so much time thinking about her) please tell me what should we do how should we approach her we treid telling her that other woman her age would not know how to be more grateful for all that she has but she just ignores us we treid telling my two other uncles(the ones I mentioned before) but they said we were over reacting (that's what they used to say to that uncle that died when he told them that, and I quote "she is killing me physically"). I probably sound patethic writing all this but I just want to tell it all to someone who might care, I hate hiw she makes us miserable you might not think it's that bad but it is it's so bad that eveyday when I wake up I pray that she is dead and I also pray to God to get rid of her and I know it's very bad to oray for that but I am so scared because what if she continues living when I go to college and the same thing that happened to my uncle happens to my mom, I could never forgive myself for not trying to do something. As for my dad, he doesn't care because he never takes care of her and he and mom get a lot into arguements because of her. Like I said I am afraid to leave my mom just with the two of them I don't even want to think about it, that's why we need to change something in how we act towards her but I just don't know what so please help me, tell me what should we do.
submitted by soya_1 to FamilyIssues [link] [comments]
2023.06.03 21:12 inboundnebula01 Xpel Fusion Ceramic Coating and Gyeon’s PPF Wash (Q2M)
Got my vehicle ceramic coated and ppf’d 3 months ago (Xpel shop). For winter, was using ONR and a big red sponge for regular washes.
Now that summer is finally here, purchase a low pressure foam gun (MaxShine), as well a Twister wash mitt, and Gyeon’s PPF wash.
Is it safe to use this PPF with a vehicle that was ceramic coated (and ppf’d)?
submitted by inboundnebula01 to AutoDetailing [link] [comments]
Now that summer is finally here, purchase a low pressure foam gun (MaxShine), as well a Twister wash mitt, and Gyeon’s PPF wash.
Is it safe to use this PPF with a vehicle that was ceramic coated (and ppf’d)?
2023.06.03 20:30 ClassicMoviesOnline Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor never looked so good together 🤤... Join our online watch party for "A Place in the Sun" on June 16th!
 | submitted by ClassicMoviesOnline to TurnerClassicMovies [link] [comments] |
2023.06.03 20:30 ClassicMoviesOnline Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor never looked so good together 🤤... Join our online watch party for "A Place in the Sun" on June 16th!
 | submitted by ClassicMoviesOnline to u/ClassicMoviesOnline [link] [comments] |
2023.06.03 20:25 jellyfishsongs List of OI Manhwa with English Physicals as of 6/3/23 (+ Google Doc of OI Mang/hwa)
Introduction
[post has been edited for formatting] Hi everyone. I decided to compile a list of manhwa series that have been licensed for physicals so far out of curiosity (and then ended up ballooning into adding manga). The parameters for the full OI mang/hwa list is that:a) the series has to have at least an announcement made by the publisher confirming that it will be released physically and
b) has to have been mentioned on this sub as an OI or OI adjacent series as outlined by "The 6 Basics of the Otome Isekai Genre."
This list is organized alphabetically by publisher and then by title. I’ve used “ongoing” and “complete” in this list to indicate if the publisher has confirmed that they’re still working on bringing more volumes. There’s some publishers on this list that I was unfamiliar with, so I’ve also included a little blurb to describe each one. I’ve additionally listed release dates of upcoming volumes if those dates are already available; many of those series are available through preorder via places like RightStufAnime and Barnes and Noble. For the manhwas listed below, I’ve written out their Korean publisher and their English digital distributer to maybe make predictions of who could potentially license what series. To collect all of this information, I’ve used a combination of Baka-Updates; publisher sites; publisher Twitter accounts’ announcements; shojosei Twitter accounts @shoujocrave and @ShoujoseiWorld; animanga Twitter account @WinterVenom91; and RightStufAnime. There's far more manga than manhwa are licensed, both for OI and in general, so the rest of this post will contain a list of all the OI manhwa. For the full OI mang/hwa list I compiled, please check out the Google Doc HERE.
ABLAZE Publishing
- Witch of Mine
- KR publisher: BookCube; Anibooks (KR print)
- ENG digital: Tappytoon
- 2 vols., ongoing
- Vol. 2 release date: 8/29/23
Ize Press
- My Gently Raised Beast
- KR publisher: C&C Revolution Inc.; Naver
- English digital: WEBTOON
- 4 vols., ongoing
- Vol. 3 release date: 7/18/23
- Vol. 4 release date: 10/24/23
- Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom
- KR publisher: A.Tempo Media; Daum; Kakao
- English digital: Tapas
- 1 vol., ongoing
- Vol. 1 release date: 8/22/23
- The Remarried Empress
- KR publisher: M Story Hub; Naver; YOUNG COM
- English digital: WEBTOON
- 4 vols., ongoing
- Vol. 3 release date: 6/23/23
- Vol. 4 release date: 10/19/23
- The Villainess Turns the Hourglass
- KR publisher: ANT Studio; Daum; Kakao
- English digital: Tappytoon; Tapas
- 1 vols., ongoing
- Vol. 1 release date: 11/14/23
- Villains are Destined to Die
- KR publisher: D&C Webtoon; Daum; Kakao
- English digital: Tapas
- 4 vols., ongoing
- Vol. 4 release date: 8/22/23
Manta Comics
- Disobey the Duke if You Dare
- KR publisher: Surreuk Comics, Manta Studios (Ridibooks)
- English digital: Manta Comics
- 1 vol., ongoing
NET Comics
- The First Night with the Duke
- KR publisher: eComiX (Ecomics)/NET Comics (Naver)
- English digital: WEBTOON
- 3 vols., ongoing
- Vols. 1-3 release date: 8/15/23
Seven Seas
- A Stepmother’s Marchen
- KR publisher: Carrotoon; Kakaopage
- English digital: Tapas
- 2 vols., ongoing
- Vol. 1 release date: 10/17/23
- Vol. 2 release date: 11/28/23
- Who Made Me a Princess
- KR publisher: Carrotoon
- English digital: Tapas/Tappytoon
- 3 vols., ongoing
- Vol. 2 release date: 9/12/23
- Vol. 3 release date: 11/7/23
Yen Press
- Daughter of the Emperor
- KR publisher: D&C Webtoon (D&C Media); Kakaopage
- English digital: Tapas/Tappytoon
- 4 vols., ongoing
- Vol. 4 release date: 6/20/23
- The Abandoned Empress
- KR publisher: D&C Webtoon (D&C Media); Kakaopage
- English digital: Tappytoon
- 6 vols., ongoing
- Vol. 5 release date: 6/20/23
- Vol. 6 release date: 9/19/23
- Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion
- KR publisher: D&C Webtoon (D&C Media); Daum; Kakao
- English digital: Tappytoon
- 4 vols., ongoing
- Vol. 4 release date: 7/18/23
Closing Thoughts on OI Manhwa Physicals
- Most manhwas with physicals right now have a relationship to Kakao in some way (though this is a very small sample size).
- Out of the manhwas that are aimed at women and getting physicals, a good portion of them are OI related.
- Most OI manhwas with English physicals right now are complete. Only 5 out of 13 are ongoing: Not-Sew Wicked Stepmom, The Remarried Empress, Villains are Destined to Die, Disobey the Duke if You Dare, and A Stepmother’s Marchen.
- Yen Press primarily does manga and light novels, calling Ize Press their Korean comic imprint. However, it seems like they’ll also continue to license a few manhwas under the Yen name despite now having the Ize imprint.
I don’t know why this is the case,,, - In general, Yen/Ize are the ones putting out the most manhwa right now, but it’s very likely that Seven Seas is going to expand their manhwa offerings, considering this job posting they put out very recently.
- Along with Disobey the Duke if You Dare, Manta also released samples of BL story Semantic Error in physical form (see here for an example), and could be releasing them soonish for general purchase. Unlike Disobey the Duke if You Dare, Semantic Error is not made in-house by Manta, but by a Ridibooks affiliate publisher Beyond, perhaps suggesting that Manta will be open to publishing any stories carried on their app.
- On mangatwt, user WinterVenom91 wrote a thread about how to suggest manga to publishers. Here is their tweet for how to contact Yen Press (which would also apply to Ize).
- At the beginning of every month, Seven Seas does a survey of what series people are interested from them, as detailed here by Twitter user WinterVenom91. On Seven Seas' website, there is a panel on the right underneath the search bar (on desktop) that will take you to their latest monthly survey. Generally their surveys focus on manga (and to a lesser extent danmei), but occasionally they do have a question specifically about manhwas/Korean webtoons readers are interested in. If they don’t have one the month you’ve decided to write in for, you can still write in your desired manhwa(s) (or other manga(s)) for the question What non-licensed COMIC, GRAPHIC NOVEL, or WEBTOON/WEBCOMIC from ANY COUNTRY would you like us to license and publish in English? You can fill out Seven Seas surveys out no matter where in the world you are, but you may only fill it out once a month.
2023.06.03 20:03 Ingifridh Book report: reviewing a 1912 Finnish/Swedish novel about the Titanic
A while ago, I ran into something very interesting in my local library: a 2012 reprint of a Finnish 1912 novel about the sinking of the Titanic, called “Titanicin perikato” (The Destruction of the Titanic) by Esko Waltala – the only Finnish novel ever written about the disaster!
I picked the book up and looked into it, and it turns out it’s actually a Finnish translation/adaptation (or, in modern terms, an instance of blatant plagiarism) of an original Swedish novel called “Dödsfärden” (The Voyage of Death) by Willy Grebst.
The novel claims to be based on survivor accounts and other facts, which is why I thought people on this sub might be interested in reading about it. While it’s not a fully accurate retelling, as you’ll soon find out, I think it’s a fascinating window into the way the story of the Titanic was perceived in the Nordic countries right after the disaster.
In a nutshell, these three are the most insufferable Mary-Sues/Gary-Stus I’ve ever encountered in a work of fiction.
They’re all learned young men, going to America to make it big. Vieremä is an engineer, traveling on the Titanic to learn about her machinery, while Laurila and Saarela have both graduated from the University of Helsinki. Their major is not mentioned, but I’m sure it must’ve been languages – seeing how each of them seemingly speaks six or seven of them fluently, allowing them to discuss with a variety of passengers onboard. Engineer Vieremä, then, steps in to play the role of Thomas Andrews: he’s studied the ship so carefully that when disaster strikes, he can accurately assess the damage and inform his friends about the ship being doomed.
Our heroes are remarkably brave, immediately deciding to do what they can for the women and children, stoically observing the sinking, and going into the water with the ship. Obviously, it then turns out all three of them are great swimmers and very resilient to cold temperatures. (I guess whatever free time they had between studying all those languages, they spent ice swimming in Finnish lakes.) One of them estimates that he is going to survive in the freezing water for at least four hours.
After going into the water, our trio of McGyvers build a raft from two planks of wood, their lifebelts, and some rope that one of them just happens to be carrying in his pocket. In friendly Finnish fashion, they then proceed to beat each other up to stay warm. The beatings work wonders: afterwards, they keep going back to the water like it’s nothing, in an effort to save several women and children. Unfortunately, they all perish before our heroes can get to them. They then pick up some cognac, bread, butter, and milk that’s floating in the water and have themselves a nice little picnic, waiting for the Carpathia to rescue them. And of course, they politely let every single other survivor board the rescue ship before boarding it themselves.
The cast of characters also includes an American family called McDean, traveling in the first class. Saarela falls in love with their daughter Alice, but unfortunately, she is engaged to another first-class passenger – an unpleasant, cowardly Italian prince/charlatan. In a dramatic moment during the sinking, Saarela is pushed into a lifeboat, but he climbs back and offers his seat to the prince instead, thus making a thoroughly unselfish sacrifice for Alice’s happiness. Taking note of this heroic behavior, and learning of her fiancé’s cowardly nature, Alice then ditches the prince on the Carpathia and confesses her love to Saarela instead. They’re married just weeks after the sinking. Jack and Rose who, this is the true love story of the Titanic!
In the finale of the novel, Alice, who’s lost both her parents in the sinking and is the sole heiress to their vast fortune, makes large donations to Laurila and Vieremä. Laurila, who has a fiancée waiting for him in Finland, decides he doesn’t want to make it big in America anymore, goes home, gets married, and starts a bunch of charities to improve his poor home village. The end.
The author and the translator of the novel have clearly read a lot of news coverage about the Titanic. They feature many real historical figures and have the basics of the event down, but they also take a lot of artistic liberty whenever it suits their fancy. For example, there are several remarks that show they know that the first and the second class had different dining salons, smoking rooms and such – but even so, the second-class heroes dine in the first class several times, so they can easily gossip about, get to know, and fall in love with the first-class passengers.
The word “unsinkable” is mentioned a lot, and much is made of the 16 watertight compartments. Every single character has been assured that the Titanic cannot sink, some of them by White Star Line representatives and others just by word of mouth. Even so, they’re all borderline obsessed about the possibility of a shipwreck. Several characters have premonitions about the ship sinking. A lengthy passage is dedicated to stories about former maritime accidents involving icebergs, featuring some real ships such as the SS Arizona and the SS Pacific.
When the Titanic finally does hit the iceberg, there are a bunch of inaccuracies and exaggerations, maybe because the authors had read false/sensationalized information, or maybe just to make that part of the story feel more exciting. For example, it’s mentioned that all the lights go out for a while. Panic sets in very soon after the collision. In a disturbing scene, we’re told that crew members with revolvers are holding third-class passengers back, threatening them with immediate death if they dare to move before being given permission. Archibald Butt is shown firing a revolver when chaos breaks out on the boat deck, which encourages several crew members to start firing theirs to bring back order.
Other parts are more accurate to our current understanding of the events, such as the near-collision of the Titanic and the SS New York early in the story, and the affair of lifeboat 13 drifting under lifeboat 15. Interestingly, the ship breaking up in two in its final minutes is mentioned. So is First Officer Murdoch committing suicide, which the narrative voice comments by saying it’s no one’s business to judge him for that decision.
The way the novel portrays Ismay is interesting. On the one hand, he’s definitely painted as the bad guy, a powerful CEO that even the captain has to obey that’s obsessed with going fast and breaking records. But on the other hand, the narrative voice points out that Ismay is only acting like this because White Star Line shareholders expect it of him – it’s his job to keep them happy, and going faster means more money to them.
Ismay also gets a moment of redemption during the sinking: he is shown helping two maids into a lifeboat. When the women protest, claiming they don’t deserve to be in the boat because they’re “only maids”, Ismay points out that all people are equal in the face of death. The last time Ismay is featured in the story is when the narrative voice reveals he’s in one of the lifeboats, and wonders about the state of his mind. Is he feeling regret, or coming up with excuses for his actions? Surprisingly, the narrative voice doesn’t shame him for entering a lifeboat; instead, in the same chapter, it encourages the reader to refrain from judging the survivors in general for fighting for their lives during the sinking.
Then there is the Hope Diamond nonsense. There’s a full chapter on its backstory, mostly made up of course, with plenty of details about how it’s been causing misfortune for centuries. Then it explains how it ends up onboard, and several characters remark upon its reputation as a cursed item, wondering if it’s going to cause trouble during the voyage. After the ship hits the iceberg, however, the diamond is practically forgotten about, only to be very briefly mentioned again.
In the last chapter of the novel, which is to my knowledge all written by the Finnish translator, the narrative voice has more to say about who’s to blame. First, it blames Ismay for “putting the ice warnings into his pocket without caring about them” (a weird claim to make, seeing how earlier in the story, Captain Smith is shown dealing with the ice warnings), but it also criticizes the British Board of Trade for their outdated lifeboat regulations. This is the only time the fact that there weren’t enough lifeboats is mentioned. The bulkheads only going up to E Deck is not mentioned at all. Instead, the narrative voice suspects that the doors between the watertight compartments likely didn’t close properly, allowing water to flow through.
The novel clearly reflects the attitudes of its time and its author(s) – and oftentimes, those attitudes are not pretty. Willy Grebst, the original Swedish author, had ties to an antisemitic newspaper, so it’s no big surprise that there are antisemitic remarks in the novel. There is also an instance of anti-Irish and anti-Italian sentiment, with people of those ethnic backgrounds portrayed as more cowardly/hysterical than their English and Nordic counterparts.
On the other hand, there are also some parts that feel somewhat progressive for the time: for example, there is a scene where someone has to leave a lifeboat because it’s too full and will sink otherwise, and several women argue that instead of defaulting to a man, all single and childless people regardless of gender should draw lots to decide who should die. (The scene then ends with not one but three American men voluntarily jumping overboard.) Greed and rich people not using their money for charitable ventures is also heavily criticized.
All in all, the novel leaves me wondering how its readers in 1912 felt about it. Did they think that inserting fictional elements into the story of a real, very recent disaster was in bad taste? Or was reading a fictional retelling like this helpful when dealing with the anxiety and sadness the news about the disaster had caused? To my modern-day taste, it’s a silly, tacky story – but a very entertaining one at that, so I’m glad to have come across it.
The Finnish translation/adaptation “Titanicin perikato” on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/57901/pg57901-images.html
submitted by Ingifridh to RMS_Titanic [link] [comments]
I picked the book up and looked into it, and it turns out it’s actually a Finnish translation/adaptation (or, in modern terms, an instance of blatant plagiarism) of an original Swedish novel called “Dödsfärden” (The Voyage of Death) by Willy Grebst.
The novel claims to be based on survivor accounts and other facts, which is why I thought people on this sub might be interested in reading about it. While it’s not a fully accurate retelling, as you’ll soon find out, I think it’s a fascinating window into the way the story of the Titanic was perceived in the Nordic countries right after the disaster.
The fictional characters and the plot
The original novel focuses on Swedish characters, but the Finnish edition I read has changed the focus to Finland. The story features three main characters: fictional Finnish second-class male passengers Onni Laurila, Toivo Saarela, and Niilo Vieremä.In a nutshell, these three are the most insufferable Mary-Sues/Gary-Stus I’ve ever encountered in a work of fiction.
They’re all learned young men, going to America to make it big. Vieremä is an engineer, traveling on the Titanic to learn about her machinery, while Laurila and Saarela have both graduated from the University of Helsinki. Their major is not mentioned, but I’m sure it must’ve been languages – seeing how each of them seemingly speaks six or seven of them fluently, allowing them to discuss with a variety of passengers onboard. Engineer Vieremä, then, steps in to play the role of Thomas Andrews: he’s studied the ship so carefully that when disaster strikes, he can accurately assess the damage and inform his friends about the ship being doomed.
Our heroes are remarkably brave, immediately deciding to do what they can for the women and children, stoically observing the sinking, and going into the water with the ship. Obviously, it then turns out all three of them are great swimmers and very resilient to cold temperatures. (I guess whatever free time they had between studying all those languages, they spent ice swimming in Finnish lakes.) One of them estimates that he is going to survive in the freezing water for at least four hours.
After going into the water, our trio of McGyvers build a raft from two planks of wood, their lifebelts, and some rope that one of them just happens to be carrying in his pocket. In friendly Finnish fashion, they then proceed to beat each other up to stay warm. The beatings work wonders: afterwards, they keep going back to the water like it’s nothing, in an effort to save several women and children. Unfortunately, they all perish before our heroes can get to them. They then pick up some cognac, bread, butter, and milk that’s floating in the water and have themselves a nice little picnic, waiting for the Carpathia to rescue them. And of course, they politely let every single other survivor board the rescue ship before boarding it themselves.
The cast of characters also includes an American family called McDean, traveling in the first class. Saarela falls in love with their daughter Alice, but unfortunately, she is engaged to another first-class passenger – an unpleasant, cowardly Italian prince/charlatan. In a dramatic moment during the sinking, Saarela is pushed into a lifeboat, but he climbs back and offers his seat to the prince instead, thus making a thoroughly unselfish sacrifice for Alice’s happiness. Taking note of this heroic behavior, and learning of her fiancé’s cowardly nature, Alice then ditches the prince on the Carpathia and confesses her love to Saarela instead. They’re married just weeks after the sinking. Jack and Rose who, this is the true love story of the Titanic!
In the finale of the novel, Alice, who’s lost both her parents in the sinking and is the sole heiress to their vast fortune, makes large donations to Laurila and Vieremä. Laurila, who has a fiancée waiting for him in Finland, decides he doesn’t want to make it big in America anymore, goes home, gets married, and starts a bunch of charities to improve his poor home village. The end.
The historical accuracy
So, there’s a lot of made-up stuff in this book, but what about the historical accuracy? Didn’t they claim it’s based on survivor accounts? Well, in short, the historical part of the story is a mixed bag.The author and the translator of the novel have clearly read a lot of news coverage about the Titanic. They feature many real historical figures and have the basics of the event down, but they also take a lot of artistic liberty whenever it suits their fancy. For example, there are several remarks that show they know that the first and the second class had different dining salons, smoking rooms and such – but even so, the second-class heroes dine in the first class several times, so they can easily gossip about, get to know, and fall in love with the first-class passengers.
The word “unsinkable” is mentioned a lot, and much is made of the 16 watertight compartments. Every single character has been assured that the Titanic cannot sink, some of them by White Star Line representatives and others just by word of mouth. Even so, they’re all borderline obsessed about the possibility of a shipwreck. Several characters have premonitions about the ship sinking. A lengthy passage is dedicated to stories about former maritime accidents involving icebergs, featuring some real ships such as the SS Arizona and the SS Pacific.
When the Titanic finally does hit the iceberg, there are a bunch of inaccuracies and exaggerations, maybe because the authors had read false/sensationalized information, or maybe just to make that part of the story feel more exciting. For example, it’s mentioned that all the lights go out for a while. Panic sets in very soon after the collision. In a disturbing scene, we’re told that crew members with revolvers are holding third-class passengers back, threatening them with immediate death if they dare to move before being given permission. Archibald Butt is shown firing a revolver when chaos breaks out on the boat deck, which encourages several crew members to start firing theirs to bring back order.
Other parts are more accurate to our current understanding of the events, such as the near-collision of the Titanic and the SS New York early in the story, and the affair of lifeboat 13 drifting under lifeboat 15. Interestingly, the ship breaking up in two in its final minutes is mentioned. So is First Officer Murdoch committing suicide, which the narrative voice comments by saying it’s no one’s business to judge him for that decision.
Who’s to blame?
The novel spends quite a lot of time trying to find someone or something to blame for the disaster. It comes to a twofold conclusion: in part, it was J. Bruce Ismay (and capitalism), but in part, it was the Hope Diamond that the fictional McDean family brought onboard.The way the novel portrays Ismay is interesting. On the one hand, he’s definitely painted as the bad guy, a powerful CEO that even the captain has to obey that’s obsessed with going fast and breaking records. But on the other hand, the narrative voice points out that Ismay is only acting like this because White Star Line shareholders expect it of him – it’s his job to keep them happy, and going faster means more money to them.
Ismay also gets a moment of redemption during the sinking: he is shown helping two maids into a lifeboat. When the women protest, claiming they don’t deserve to be in the boat because they’re “only maids”, Ismay points out that all people are equal in the face of death. The last time Ismay is featured in the story is when the narrative voice reveals he’s in one of the lifeboats, and wonders about the state of his mind. Is he feeling regret, or coming up with excuses for his actions? Surprisingly, the narrative voice doesn’t shame him for entering a lifeboat; instead, in the same chapter, it encourages the reader to refrain from judging the survivors in general for fighting for their lives during the sinking.
Then there is the Hope Diamond nonsense. There’s a full chapter on its backstory, mostly made up of course, with plenty of details about how it’s been causing misfortune for centuries. Then it explains how it ends up onboard, and several characters remark upon its reputation as a cursed item, wondering if it’s going to cause trouble during the voyage. After the ship hits the iceberg, however, the diamond is practically forgotten about, only to be very briefly mentioned again.
In the last chapter of the novel, which is to my knowledge all written by the Finnish translator, the narrative voice has more to say about who’s to blame. First, it blames Ismay for “putting the ice warnings into his pocket without caring about them” (a weird claim to make, seeing how earlier in the story, Captain Smith is shown dealing with the ice warnings), but it also criticizes the British Board of Trade for their outdated lifeboat regulations. This is the only time the fact that there weren’t enough lifeboats is mentioned. The bulkheads only going up to E Deck is not mentioned at all. Instead, the narrative voice suspects that the doors between the watertight compartments likely didn’t close properly, allowing water to flow through.
Some interesting details
- It’s mentioned that there were cows onboard the Titanic, so that the rich passengers could get fresh milk. According to the narrative voice, you can’t have cows on smaller ships because small vessels rock too hard in rough seas. Fair enough, I suppose it would be stressful having to deal with a bunch of seasick cattle.
- Speaking of exaggerated claims, the novel also talks about an onboard greenhouse, filled with thousands of fragrant flowers and palm trees. I suppose the author had heard about the Verandah Café and decided that some potted plants simply didn’t sound impressive enough for his book.
- There is an unnamed Thomas Andrews character (he’s only referred to by titles such as “the chief engineer at Harland & Wolff”) that keeps claiming the ship is unsinkable after it has struck the iceberg, and calls the panicking people cowards.
- The book features the lyrics (both in English and in Swedish/Finnish) and the music notes to Nearer My God to Thee. Feel free to sing along while you read the relevant scene, I guess!
- The Finnish translation/adaptation has several more chapters than the Swedish original. In one of them, the translator praises the Titanic’s engineers, highlighting how their choice to stay in the engine room meant that the lights stayed on and the pumps continued their work all the way through the sinking.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is quite a lot of accurate information to be found within the novel… but it gets lost between all the romanticized, saccharine nonsense the author and the translator have come up with to fluff the story up. Some of it is so over the top you can’t help laughing out loud.The novel clearly reflects the attitudes of its time and its author(s) – and oftentimes, those attitudes are not pretty. Willy Grebst, the original Swedish author, had ties to an antisemitic newspaper, so it’s no big surprise that there are antisemitic remarks in the novel. There is also an instance of anti-Irish and anti-Italian sentiment, with people of those ethnic backgrounds portrayed as more cowardly/hysterical than their English and Nordic counterparts.
On the other hand, there are also some parts that feel somewhat progressive for the time: for example, there is a scene where someone has to leave a lifeboat because it’s too full and will sink otherwise, and several women argue that instead of defaulting to a man, all single and childless people regardless of gender should draw lots to decide who should die. (The scene then ends with not one but three American men voluntarily jumping overboard.) Greed and rich people not using their money for charitable ventures is also heavily criticized.
All in all, the novel leaves me wondering how its readers in 1912 felt about it. Did they think that inserting fictional elements into the story of a real, very recent disaster was in bad taste? Or was reading a fictional retelling like this helpful when dealing with the anxiety and sadness the news about the disaster had caused? To my modern-day taste, it’s a silly, tacky story – but a very entertaining one at that, so I’m glad to have come across it.
Sources
The original Swedish novel “Dödsfärden” on Litteraturbanken: https://litteraturbanken.se/f%C3%B6rfattare/GrebstWA/titlaD%C3%B6dsf%C3%A4rden/sida/5/faksimilThe Finnish translation/adaptation “Titanicin perikato” on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/57901/pg57901-images.html
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2023.06.03 18:09 misterwulfz So who will be the summer maiden?
So far, all the maidens we have are women we’ve known or have a connection too.
Winter = Winter Raven = Spring Cinder = Fall
All that’s left is summer and I think we’re kinda out of choices fully, outside of the main cast.I suppose it could be someone new but what are some thoughts?
submitted by misterwulfz to RWBYcritics [link] [comments]
Winter = Winter Raven = Spring Cinder = Fall
All that’s left is summer and I think we’re kinda out of choices fully, outside of the main cast.I suppose it could be someone new but what are some thoughts?
2023.06.03 18:02 MaMcMu [discussion] My OC: Razi Bharx
For a while, I thought of this OC in Fairy Tail's canon with some adjustment towards the future arcs. This take place after the Tenrou Island arc. Well, here he is:
Name: Razi Bharx.
Age: 14.
Gender: Male.
Appearance: https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1066835543163404350/1066846774305767585/razi.jpg?width=669&height=422
Personality: He is very active, energetic and fun-loving. Razi is really gluttonous and will eat just about anything/everything that's edible. He's also shy around huge crowds, due to years of nonstop abuse because of his wolf features and is always trying to hide his sadness with a smile. He absolutely hates being called a dog, despite showing the traits of one (scratching his ears with his feet, hanging his head and tongue out of vehicle windows & etc). He's known to show less anger, in fear of becoming the monster a certain spell wants him to become; in fact, Razi outright tries to force himself to be happy no matter what because he believes that this dark side takes over if he even senses negative emotions impacting. Razi has a big fear of the cold and steers clear of anyone with Magic relating to it, Gray included. He's often called the most harmless member of Fairy Tail because of his unwillingness to harm people.
Likes: Food and his found family.
Dislikes: Winter and his own strength.
Strengths: Razi's speed is doubled when he's on all fours. His sense of smell and hearing are more higher than the average human's, next to the qualities of a Dragon Slayer.
Weaknesses: He's very literate, barely able to spell his name. His hesitance to strike harder makes him an easy target in combat.
History: A powerful demon named Xyroque rebelled against his creator and left to places unknown. He came across a remote village where he met a woman named Shauna. Acceptance came slowly, but they were warming up to him until he and Shauna fell in love. The year came when they have a half-breed baby and christened him "Razi". One night, a wicked priest came to his homeland and ordered genocide. Xyrouqe stayed behind to fend them off before telling his wife to take their son and run away. Unable to shake off the invaders, Shauna made the ultimate sacrifice; she silently hid her son in an empty barrel and, after a tearfully heart-breaking goodbye, she ran away before luring away the wicked leader and was hunted down. The barrel he was in got delivered to an orphanage, where he became the social punching bag. As a 7 year old, Razi left and barely survived the streets for a month. He was nearly starving to death because he lacks the courage to even steal, which gets even worse when nobody pitied him because of his canine features and is sadly jealous of the other children with their happy families. When the people went as far as to try and murder him that resulted in a fatal scar to the neck, Razi snapped; he painfully transformed into a monstrous, humanoid wolf and slaughtered many people, ransacked houses and laid waste to the town for a second month. Many guilds tried to take him down, but he was unstoppable until Gildarts from Fairy Tail pitched in and took care of it with ease. Before he can finish the job, however, he saw the monster turn back into a scared and malnourished child and throw away the offered money, disgusted that the people wanted him to kill a child. On his way to Fairy Tail, he carried Razi there and left him in the medic ward before leaving for the S-Class Trials. His coma lasted until Tenrou Island was destroyed by Acnologia, wondering why all these people are crying. For the 7 year timeskip, Razi was the only one who kept Fairy Tail going when they had no hope left, especially now that a Dark Guild called "Weasel Breath" took over their original building and hosted wild parties every night. The rest is history when the main muscle members return and he becomes a new member of Team Natsu.
Magic: Moonlight Magic; Razi has the power to create illuminating energy harnessed by the moon itself. If it's a sunny day, then his magic powers is halved.
Spells-
Midnight Palm; Razi's left and/or right arm and hand turns black and white as he punches the target.
Dark Hunter Howl; Razi unleashes a super sonic howl in the form of a black tornado. The louder his voice, the more powerful this spell is.
Ninja Attack; Razi summons multiple clones of himself from his shadow. Problem is that each clone has their own personality.
Dizzy Dust; Razi throws a star-coated cloud of dust at the opponent, instantly making them fall asleep.
Solar Eclipse; Razi summons a decoy moon that covers the sun. This is pretty useful to double his magic, but useless if the real moon is already out.
Shadow Sneak; Razi can phase/teleport into the shadows for sneaking purposes or mischief. It's also useful for spying.
Lunar Slash; Razi's tail turns white and curves like a crescent moon with a few spiky tips before he flips and slashes the target.
Phantom Whip; Razi summons all the surrounding shadows to create a large black whip coming out of his arm. This also works with both arms.
Pitch Thought; Razi can form a black star-ridden aura around himself that creates whatever he thinks of. This spell can only work if Razi keeps his eyes closed, so he must rely on his other senses.
Moon Shine; Razi summons a bright flash that momentarily blinds the opposition.
Fury of the Night; Razi only uses this spell as a last resort because he has no control over it as it painfully transforms him into a savage werewolf-like monster entitled The Lunarthrope" that will attack anyone who comes near him. His mentality is reverted to that of a violent monster and won't stop unleash all is slaughtered around him. The only way to pacify this spell is if someone uses Magic that can cancel other Magic or if then can manage to get through to Razi inside.
submitted by MaMcMu to fairytail [link] [comments]
Name: Razi Bharx.
Age: 14.
Gender: Male.
Appearance: https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1066835543163404350/1066846774305767585/razi.jpg?width=669&height=422
Personality: He is very active, energetic and fun-loving. Razi is really gluttonous and will eat just about anything/everything that's edible. He's also shy around huge crowds, due to years of nonstop abuse because of his wolf features and is always trying to hide his sadness with a smile. He absolutely hates being called a dog, despite showing the traits of one (scratching his ears with his feet, hanging his head and tongue out of vehicle windows & etc). He's known to show less anger, in fear of becoming the monster a certain spell wants him to become; in fact, Razi outright tries to force himself to be happy no matter what because he believes that this dark side takes over if he even senses negative emotions impacting. Razi has a big fear of the cold and steers clear of anyone with Magic relating to it, Gray included. He's often called the most harmless member of Fairy Tail because of his unwillingness to harm people.
Likes: Food and his found family.
Dislikes: Winter and his own strength.
Strengths: Razi's speed is doubled when he's on all fours. His sense of smell and hearing are more higher than the average human's, next to the qualities of a Dragon Slayer.
Weaknesses: He's very literate, barely able to spell his name. His hesitance to strike harder makes him an easy target in combat.
History: A powerful demon named Xyroque rebelled against his creator and left to places unknown. He came across a remote village where he met a woman named Shauna. Acceptance came slowly, but they were warming up to him until he and Shauna fell in love. The year came when they have a half-breed baby and christened him "Razi". One night, a wicked priest came to his homeland and ordered genocide. Xyrouqe stayed behind to fend them off before telling his wife to take their son and run away. Unable to shake off the invaders, Shauna made the ultimate sacrifice; she silently hid her son in an empty barrel and, after a tearfully heart-breaking goodbye, she ran away before luring away the wicked leader and was hunted down. The barrel he was in got delivered to an orphanage, where he became the social punching bag. As a 7 year old, Razi left and barely survived the streets for a month. He was nearly starving to death because he lacks the courage to even steal, which gets even worse when nobody pitied him because of his canine features and is sadly jealous of the other children with their happy families. When the people went as far as to try and murder him that resulted in a fatal scar to the neck, Razi snapped; he painfully transformed into a monstrous, humanoid wolf and slaughtered many people, ransacked houses and laid waste to the town for a second month. Many guilds tried to take him down, but he was unstoppable until Gildarts from Fairy Tail pitched in and took care of it with ease. Before he can finish the job, however, he saw the monster turn back into a scared and malnourished child and throw away the offered money, disgusted that the people wanted him to kill a child. On his way to Fairy Tail, he carried Razi there and left him in the medic ward before leaving for the S-Class Trials. His coma lasted until Tenrou Island was destroyed by Acnologia, wondering why all these people are crying. For the 7 year timeskip, Razi was the only one who kept Fairy Tail going when they had no hope left, especially now that a Dark Guild called "Weasel Breath" took over their original building and hosted wild parties every night. The rest is history when the main muscle members return and he becomes a new member of Team Natsu.
Magic: Moonlight Magic; Razi has the power to create illuminating energy harnessed by the moon itself. If it's a sunny day, then his magic powers is halved.
Spells-
Midnight Palm; Razi's left and/or right arm and hand turns black and white as he punches the target.
Dark Hunter Howl; Razi unleashes a super sonic howl in the form of a black tornado. The louder his voice, the more powerful this spell is.
Ninja Attack; Razi summons multiple clones of himself from his shadow. Problem is that each clone has their own personality.
Dizzy Dust; Razi throws a star-coated cloud of dust at the opponent, instantly making them fall asleep.
Solar Eclipse; Razi summons a decoy moon that covers the sun. This is pretty useful to double his magic, but useless if the real moon is already out.
Shadow Sneak; Razi can phase/teleport into the shadows for sneaking purposes or mischief. It's also useful for spying.
Lunar Slash; Razi's tail turns white and curves like a crescent moon with a few spiky tips before he flips and slashes the target.
Phantom Whip; Razi summons all the surrounding shadows to create a large black whip coming out of his arm. This also works with both arms.
Pitch Thought; Razi can form a black star-ridden aura around himself that creates whatever he thinks of. This spell can only work if Razi keeps his eyes closed, so he must rely on his other senses.
Moon Shine; Razi summons a bright flash that momentarily blinds the opposition.
Fury of the Night; Razi only uses this spell as a last resort because he has no control over it as it painfully transforms him into a savage werewolf-like monster entitled The Lunarthrope" that will attack anyone who comes near him. His mentality is reverted to that of a violent monster and won't stop unleash all is slaughtered around him. The only way to pacify this spell is if someone uses Magic that can cancel other Magic or if then can manage to get through to Razi inside.
2023.06.03 17:32 HeadOfSpectre The Soldier
"Think of this as a chance at revenge," Sweeney said.
Revenge.
What a moronically quaint idea.
This jumped up little shit had come into my home, interrupted my retirement and here he was talking to me about revenge, as if he knew the first thing about what I’d seen, what I’d been through, why I’d quit.
Looking into his eyes, I knew he didn’t understand. I knew he couldn’t.
I've been hunting vampires for most of my life. I've killed more of them than I can count. But Clementine Di Cesare was no ordinary vampire. Hell, none of the Di Cesares were ordinary vampires, but even among them Clementine was… unique. She was the one all the others quietly feared. The one who was even spoken of with reverence by the Di Cesares masters, those twin Immortals who could not be killed by any weapon of this world. Seeking revenge against her was like seeking revenge against death itself.
“Revenge?” I repeated, with a dismissive scoff.
“You’re really going to tell me that after what she put you through, you don’t want revenge?” Sweeney asked.
“If you knew what she did to me, you’d know why I don’t want revenge,” I replied.
“Really? Sorry Franklin, but I don’t buy that. Look, I get it if you’re reluctant to jump back into the fight. I do. You of all people know just how dangerous the Di Cesare’s are. Especially ‘La Morte’.”
I looked over at him as he said that name. It rolled off his tongue so irreverently. To him, it was just a name. An alias assigned to some vampire he’s only heard of stories. He didn’t utter it with the respect it deserved, and I almost couldn’t be bothered to correct him. Any words spent on this small minded glory hound were probably wasted.
“Yes, I do know.”
“Which is why I need you,” Sweeney said. He almost sounded as if he were pleading with me. “Think of this as an opportunity to set things right… to put that vampire bitch in the ground where she belongs, and save God only knows how many lives in the process!”
I sighed.
He just didn’t get it.
“Mark my words, Mr. Sweeney, if you chase after Clementine Di Cesare, you’ll end far more lives than you save. She didn’t get a name like ‘La Morte’ for nothing. She earned it. Purchased it with the blood of the tens of thousands she’s sent screaming into the maw of Hell. She is not something you chase, Sweeney.”
“She’s a vampire,” Sweeney said dismissively. “She’s another enemy to destroy.”
“That’s what George Bundy said,” I replied. “Then not too long after, he died.”
“I’m not George Bundy,” Sweeney said.
“No. You sure as hell ain’t,” I agreed, before looking the kid in the eye.
He thought he was an up and comer, climbing the ranks of the Brethren. He probably thought of himself as some sort of badass vampire hunter too, when in reality he could never have so much as dreamed of holding a candle to the likes of Bundy… or hell, any of the men who’d died in Brazil.
“You should watch your tone with me,” Sweeney warned.
“Or you’ll do what?” I asked, “You ain’t going to frighten me with vague threats, boy. I’ve walked through Hell, trying to kill the Devil. What have you done?”
Sweeney bit his lip but didn’t respond.
“There’s nothing you can say or do that will intimidate me,” I said, before lighting myself a cigarette. I stared at the road outside of my porch, old memories flooding back to me before looking over at Sweeney again. He sat in his chair beside me like a sulky child. This was the man who wanted to destroy the Di Cesare family? Pathetic.
“Exactly how much do you know about the Brazil Job?” I asked.
“I know it was a failure. Clementine Di Cesare killed most of the men the Brethren sent out… all except for you. You were the only one good enough to beat her.”
“Good enough…” I repeated with a huff, “Hardly… whatever picture you’ve got in your head of some glorified battle, throw it away. Trust me, the Brazil Job was anything but glorious. It was a two hour long trek through Hell. And I didn’t beat Di Cesare at the end of it. I survived her. They’re two different things entirely.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Sweeney said.
“You wouldn’t, would you?” I sighed and took another drag on my cigarette.
This kid wasn’t going to leave until I made him understand… so I told him my story. I told him everything even though I knew he’d learn nothing from it.
***
I’d joined up with the Brethren Knights of St. Fontaine back in the 1980s to hunt monsters. Back then, it seemed like the best use of my skills. I’d done my tours with the army, but even after I got out, I was still looking for an enemy to fight. So naturally, once I found out that vampires were real, I set my sights on them. It seemed like the most sensible thing to do at the time.
The Brethren Knights fancied themselves the descendants of the Knights Templar, and they insisted that their God given mission was to protect mankind from the things that lurked in the shadows. I didn’t really have much love for God at the time, but if the Bretheren were the ones fighting the monsters, then I was happy to tolerate the Jesus freaks in their ranks.
It was 1988 when we first heard whispers of the Imperium. A supposed cabal of vampires, trying to get them organized. At the time, it’d seemed too crazy to be true. Vampires generally went their own way, in my experience. At most, they might have a partner but other than they they didn’t really socialize with their own kind. But supposedly someone out there had the big fucking balls to keep them in line, and whoever they were, they scared the shit out of the Brethren.
They’d started targeting high profile vampires, trying to find someone who was involved in this ‘Imperium’, hoping that maybe they might get someone to talk. And it wasn’t long until they found someone who did.
From my understanding, the vampire they captured didn’t seem to know much about who was actually running the show. But they knew who their second in command was… and that was when I first head about the Di Cesare family.
The name was familiar to some of the higher ups in the Brethren, and I’d heard some stories. Not sure which were true, but the long and short of it was that the Di Cesare’s and the Brethren shared a bloody history, and didn’t particularly like each other too much.
George Bundy explained it to me like this at one point: ‘The Di Cesare’s are an old family. Most of them used to be witches, up until their Matriarch turned them into vampires. Now they’re a whole new kind of nasty. Far as I know, the only time anyone’s actually managed to kill one was about 200 years ago. Anyone who’s tried since has ended up dead, so most folks don’t even bother anymore.’
I guess it shouldn’t have been surprising they’d be involved in the Imperium, but the mere mention of their name ruffled some feathers higher up on the chain of command, and eventually they put out a kill order on them. Most of the Di Cesare’s were generally pretty hard to track down, but the top brass had a pretty good line on their matriarch, Bianca Di Cesare. Supposedly, she’d been spotted near the family’s private estate in Brazil and rumor had it that most of her daughters were there too.
Normally, the brass wouldn’t have sanctioned any kind of attack on them. The Di Cesare’s were already considered off limits, and attacking them at their private estate was considered damn near impossible. The estate was located in a small mining town outside of Manaus called Refugio de Julia, or just Julia for short. The town was fairly remote, being only accessible from a few backroads and most folks tended to avoid it, claiming they’d had various strange encounters in the area. Their accounts described unsettling pale figures with dark hair and large green eyes working in the mines, although some of the more disturbing stories we heard involved sightings of other creatures in the jungle surrounding the town. Massive spiders with humanoid faces, tending rotting corpses filled with stinging bees, giant howling beasts who tore through the forest, hunting prey, and beautiful women who would appear in the nearby towns, betwitching men into coming away with them only to reveal themselves as monsters who fed on the blood of their victims. Some had even claimed the Di Cesares themselves were such beasts… although those claims weren’t taken quite as seriously.
A skeptic might say the stories that surrounded Julia seemed like little more than just local superstition… but the Brethren had been dealing with the supernatural for long enough to recognize when something was probably real, and when it was probably fake and they knew damn well that most of the stories about Julia were probably true. None of them had ever dared set foot in Julia to find out for sure, since doing so would probably be suicide, but the theory was that the Di Cesares had created Julia as something of a refuge for other creatures. Other vampires, werewolves, arachne, karah and all sorts of other hellspawn. They offered them a home and safety in exchange for their labor in the mines. Hell, the name of the town more or less spelled it out.
Refugio de Julia
Julia’s Haven.
Julia had been the name of the only member of the Di Cesare family that the Brethren had ever killed, so I guess it was only fitting they named the town after her.
I honestly think using other creatures like them as a workforce was a bit inspired… since it made Julia damn near impenetrable. Reaching their estate at the far side of the town would have been impossible without being noticed by every creature of hell living in that town, and odds are they’d tear anyone apart long before they even reached the gates of the Di Cesare estate. And if one had the bright idea to approach the estate from another angle, they’d be trudging through miles and miles of rainforest to do so, only end up face to face with a massive stone wall that kept the rainforest out.
In effect - the Di Cesare estate was a fortress. Getting in would be no easy feat, to say nothing of confronting the vampires within. But with the fear of the Imperium gnawing at the back of their minds, the Brethren had finally set their minds to trying.
George Bundy had been the one in charge of planning the operation out.
I’d known Bundy before I’d joined up with the Brethren. Hell, Bundy was the whole reason I’d joined the Brethren. He’d been my CO a number of years back, and he’d earned his reputation as a hardass just about ten or twenty times over. Bundy was a gruff looking man with a bushy moustache and intense eyes. During the years I knew him, I don’t believe I ever once saw him so much as crack a smile. He only ever seemed to speak when he felt there was something he needed to say. Otherwise, he was usually dead silent.
He was somewhere in his late fifties back in 88. By all rights, he ought to have retired years ago. But he refused.
“I’m a soldier,” He said, when I asked him about it once. “That’s all I am. I don’t know what else to be.”
Bundy’s initial plan had been to hit the Di Cesare estate from the air. Come in fast and loud with a couple of helicopters and see how those vampires stood up to some good old American flak. The idea got shot down pretty quickly, so to speak. Apperantly, most if not all of the Di Cesares had cursed their own bodies, causing whatever wound one inflicted on them to appear on whoever it was who had wounded them. Going in guns blazing would have ended in a bloodbath… and not for them. There were also some concerns about drawing attention from Julia. With no conclusive data on just what they had living in that town, there was no guarantee we’d be safe in the air. A few eyewitnesses had described seeing giant nests in some of the trees in the jungle, supposedly consistent with the nests made by harpies.
Flying in guns blazing was out. So Bundy went back to the drawing board and what he came back with… well, it was ballsy, but it almost seemed like it just might work. During his reconnisance of the Di Cesare’s estate, he’d noticed a large but shallow tributary flowing into the amazon river that led right through the Di Cesare’s estate. Along the tributary was an abandoned water mill, that connected to the Di Cesare estate.
He’d suggested using the water mill to gain entry to the grounds, and from there, move on the Di Cesare’s. That plan had been approved, and Bundy had been allowed to handpick his team for the operation. He’d chosen fifteen men, all of them ex military, most of them having served under him before.
He’d told us we would be dividing into three teams of five men each. We would leave Manaus by boat, and land at three different areas near the tributary before making our way to the mill on foot, where we would regroup, before moving on the Di Cesares. The reason for the division was to ensure that if any of our teams ran into trouble upon making ground, the entire operation wouldn’t be compromised.
Team 1, led by Bundy himself would depart first and land to the west of the tributary. Team 2, led by a man named Ferdinand Hernandez would make land about fifteen minutes later near the mouth of the tributary and Team 3, to be led by me would land fifteen minutes later to the east.
On the day of the operation, I sat in my boat, watching as the other two left. It was twilight when we set out, and I remember that as my team and I carried out our final checks on our equipment, the only thing I felt was a familiar anticipation.
I’d hesitate to call it fear. Fear is what came later. Anticipation is the better word. I knew we could be walking into a tough situation… but I trusted Bundy. I trusted he’d run a smooth op. God knew, he’d done it a thousand times before.
The team assigned to me wasn’t anything particularly special. They were competent enough, but none of them would’ve been my first choices. Jack McMullen, for instance, who was about the same age as I was at the time. We’d both served under Bundy before, although while I respected Bundy, Jack was wholly devoted to him. I swear, if the man had told him to stuff a live grenade up his ass, Jack would’ve done it without a moments hesitation. I dunno if Jack simply saw him as the father he’d never had or what, but he damn near worshipped Bundy.
I can’t quite say the same for the other guys we had with us, though. One of them, some greenhorn by the name of Pearce Wilson struck me as an airheaded pretty boy who’d never actually had his boots on the ground before, while the other one, Scott Barber had left a bad taste in my mouth last time we’d worked together. Barber was capable… but he was violent. This was a kid with a hell of a chip on his shoulder, and it looked a hell of a lot like that Confederate flag patch he wore on his jacket. He wanted an excuse to shoot something, and I don’t think he cared what. Under most circumstances I’m not sure I would’ve fully trusted him with a gun.
The last one though, Joseph Feng… him I trusted. Feng was the one I knew the least about, and he didn’t seem much for conversation. But he handled himself competently enough and seemed to know when to sit down and shut up.
When Team 2’s boat was far enough away, we got the radio signal to follow. Barber was the one steering the boat, so I gave him the order to cast off and we ventured out into the twilight, unaware of just what was waiting for us out there.
***
We landed in our designated area fifteen minutes after Team 2 confirmed they’d touched down at theirs. Our landing was fairly uneventful. Feng, Barber, and I secured the boat before we radio’d Bundy to let him know we were in position. After that, it was just a matter of making it to the tributary.
As we ventured into the jungle, the world around us was quiet. There was wind, the whisper of the river behind us, and the sounds of animals. But little else. The river fell away behind us as we moved in single file toward the tributary, maintaining radio silence as we did.
It was about a half hour before we heard the gunshot.
Just one, echoing through the twilight. But it was enough to give us pause.
“The fuck was that?” I heard Barber ask. Immediately, the kid was on high alert, with his gun raised as if he were expecting every monster in Julia to come charging at us from all angles.
I just listened, waiting to hear if there was anything else. I half expected my radio to come to life, but it didn’t.
“Team 1, status?” I asked.
The radio crackled with static, but there was no response.
I tried it again, but still with no success. The radio was working, that much I was sure of. Something had to be blocking the signal.
“What’s going on?” Feng asked.
“Dunno,” I replied. “Comms are down.”
“Down?” Wilson asked, “So we’re flying blind out here, then?”
“More or less,” I replied.
“What do we do? Do we go back… if the comms are down…”
“Just because something’s jamming our signal doesn’t mean we’re made,” I said. “Relax. We keep moving for now. You keep your eyes wide open, and your head on a swivel. We’ll make it to the tributary and see if we can’t meet up with the other teams.”
I could tell Wilson wasn’t a fan of my answer, but I didn’t much care. We had a job to do, and I aimed to do it.
I pressed on without a further word and the others followed. Up ahead, I could hear the sound of running water and picked up the pace. I figured the tributary had to be close… and I was right.
I emerged from the brush into the stream, only to pause when I saw what was waiting for us in the water.
In the dying sunlight, it was impossible to mistake the bodies sprawled out on the rocks as anything else… and all I needed to do was look at their uniforms to know they were our people.
“Jesus…” I heard Wilson say under his breath. He froze up, lingering by the bank as I cautiously approached one of the bodies.
It belonged to a somewhat heavyset man with a thin mustache who I recognized as Hernandez. His eyes were still open, although lifeless and staring in different directions, and there was a clean hole in his forehead where a bullet had ended his life. The gunshot we’d heard earlier had likely been the sound of his death.
Looking at the bodies around him, I knew they had to be the rest of Team 2… although it was a little harder pinning down their cause of death. Some sort of bladed weapon, perhaps, judging by the state of them. I realized the odds were that they walked into some sort of ambush.
“What about Bundy and Team 1?” Jack asked, “Any sign of them?”
“No,” I said. “These bodies are all from Team 2… Bundy could still be ahead of us.”
“Then we need to keep going!”
Jack turned, heading up the stream and Barber was right behind him. Feng paused for a moment, thinking this over before following. Only Wilson remained.
“How do we know we’re not walking into a trap?” He asked.
“We’ll deal with that when we get to it,” I said before moving to follow the others.
“With all due respect, Sarge… that doesn’t sound like the best course of action!” Wilson argued, finally following me. “It sounds just like a good way to get killed!”
“Yeah?” I asked, “I’m gonna tell you an ugly truth, kid. That’s the job. Make your peace with it, and it’ll go a lot easier.”
Wilson didn’t like that answer either and trailed off behind me, watching as I continued upstream. For a moment, I half expected him to go back to the boat… but no. I dunno if he found his balls or just didn’t want to get left behind, but he started to follow us again.
I kept trying to raise Team 1 on the radio while we walked, although I still had no luck. The light above us slowly faded into darkness as we trudged through the water in silence, guns sitting comfortably in our hands and mosquitos biting at our necks.
It wasn’t until we lost Feng that I heard anybody so much as make a sound, and when we lost Feng… it happened almost instantaneously. One minute, he was at the head of the group, walking just ahead of Jack and I. The next, he was gone, only barely having the time to let out a scream as he fell into the river ahead of us.
The rest of us paused. Jack seemed to freeze and I pushed past him, calling out for Feng as I did. As punishment for my compassion, I almost went down after him. I only barely stopped myself from stepping on the slippery rocks that had helped send him to his demise.
I could see Feng’s body in the water, and I could see the blood pouring out of him. He twitched a few times, but I knew he was dead. The sharpened wooden spikes jutting out of him confirmed as much.
“What the hell…” Jack said under his breath, staring at Feng’s corpse in disbelief. “That’s a fucking spike trap!”
Yeah.
It was indeed a fucking spike trap.
I could see other spikes jutting out of the water ahead of us, just past a small dam of rocks that were just slippery enough to make it difficult to stop yourself from falling. Some of those spikes had other bodies on them… likely members of Team 1. I only counted two, although that still didn’t exactly bode well.
“They put a fucking spike trap in the goddamn stream…” Jack said, “Who the hell does that?”
“Somebody who’s expecting us to use the stream,” I replied.
“So they know we’re coming?” Barber asked.
“Clearly…” I replied. “And they’ve got a good idea on what our route is too.”
“Yeah, no shit!” Barber snapped. “Christ… let’s get the fuck out of here. There’s probably more fucking traps upstream!”
“Bundy’s orders were clear!” Jack argued.
“Bundy’s probably dead by now!” Barber replied, before looking at me. “Sarge, come on. You have to know this is suicide!”
“Suicide was part of the job description, was it not?” I asked.
“The job is to kill those fucking vampires, not to die in the goddamn process! We need to get out of the stream and into the woods!”
“Judging by the fate Team 2 met, I’m not sure the forest is someplace we want to be right now,” I replied.
“Excuse me?” Barber asked, “What the hell are you talking about, Sarge?”
“Five men dead, but only one gunshot. How did the rest die?”
Barber didn’t seem to be able to answer that.
“By now… yes. It’s clear we’ve walked into a trap. And yes, I understand that it makes sense to try and leave that trap… but I don’t know if we’ll be safer in the jungle. Something jumped Team 2. Cut them apart, and then shot Hernandez as a warning. They didn’t have to shoot him. They did it so we’d hear.”
“Your point being?” Barber asked.
“I don’t think this is just a trap, Barber. It’s a game. Stop playing, and you might just end up like our friends downstream.”
“A game?” Wilson asked, “Sarge, you can’t be serious!”
“From where I’m standing, we have a better chance of surviving in the stream,” I said. “Look, we’re at least halfway to the rendezvous point, and there have to be at least two members of Team 1 left. The safest thing to do right now is to follow them.”
“You’re off your fucking rocker, Sarge,” Barber spat, locking his eyes with mine. For a moment, I thought the boy was going to try and fight me. But no. He was wise enough to stand down.
“If you wanna get yourself killed, go right the fuck ahead. Just leave me out of it! Wilson, come on,” Barber said before trudging over to the edge of the stream. Wilson didn’t even hesitate, just looking back at Jack and I quietly before he disappeared into the forest with Barber.
“You’re not gonna stop them?” Jack asked.
“No,” I replied. “God willing, there’s a chance that pigheaded asshole is right… dunno how much of a chance, but a chance.”
“Then how come we’re not following him?” Jack asked.
“There’s also a chance he’s wrong.”
I turned, before making my way around the spike trap.
“Keep a slower pace,” I said. “Watch for traps.”
Jack hesitated for a moment, but he followed me without any further questions and we walked in silence for a little longer.
We heard nothing from the trees. Nothing that told us about the fate of Barber and Wilson. I wasn’t sure if that was good news or not.
In fact, I don’t think we heard a thing until about a half hour later, when we heard the explosion.
It came out of almost nowhere, but ahead of us I could see a flash of light and hear the screams of men. On instinct, I found myself picking up the pace and could hear Jack behind me. In the low light, I saw a shape float past me in the stream. It took me a moment to realize that it was a severed human arm.
In the water ahead of us, I could see a figure clinging to one of the rocks and trying to pick himself up. I recognized him as George Bundy.
Jack was at his side almost immediately, trying to help the old man to his feet.
“Sir! Are you alright?”
Bundy just wheezed, before his legs gave out from under him. I helped Jack drag him to the shore so he could sit and rest for a moment.
“What the hell was that?” I asked, looking back at the stream.
“Grenade trap… I think…” Bundy panted, “Fucking tripwire… Popkov tripped it, I think…”
Popkov… odds are he was one of the two mangled corpses lying in the river a few feet away from us. It seemed they’d taken the brunt of the explosion, although Bundy still had some shrapnel in his arm that Jack was tending to.
“Christ… whole fucking ops gone to shit…” Bundy spat. “Team 2 got taken out just about as soon as they landed. Someone killed them and dumped them in the goddamn river. Lost half my boys to the fucking spike trap and half to this…”
He looked up at us, before spitting onto the ground.
“Guess you two haven’t done much better.”
“Hard to say,” I replied. “Two of ours took off into the woods, trying to avoid the traps.”
“Then they’re dead,” Bundy replied. “I’ve seen her watching us… always just up ahead, always from a distance… she’s seeing how far we’ll go. How much we’ll take…”
“She?” I asked.
“La Morte. Should’ve figured she’d be the one to greet us.”
“La Morte?” I asked.
“It’s Italian. Supposedly, she earned that name around the time the Di Cesares fled Venice. It’s funny, the Brethren like to act like the Di Cesares leaving Venice was some big victory of theirs, since before they did, they finally killed one of them… hard to call it a victory though, considering how many corpses they made before they fled. And most of them came from La Morte…”
Bundy winced in pain as Jack bandaged his arm before he continued talking.
“See… when the Di Cesare’s left Venice, one of them stayed behind. Clementine, the Scorpio sister. Guess she was unwilling to leave the fight unfinished… and according to the stories, the death toll she personally amassed in the years after the Di Cesare’s left Venice make the bodies they claimed during the Venetian Massacre a hundred and fifty years prior look like a pittance. The Brethren still occupying the city started to call her La Morte. Death. Cuz wherever she went, death followed in her wake… and it seems we’ve walked right into her open arms, haven’t we, boys?”
“You’re sure it’s her?” I asked.
“She’s a Di Cesare… and the shit we’ve seen out here… I don’t see any other Di Cesare setting those traps. It’s her. I’m sure of it. She’s watching us. Seeing how far we’ll go. Seeing if we’ll turn tail…”
“Should we?” Jack asked, and Bundy finally seemed to acknowledge him.
“Excuse me?” He asked.
“Should we? Look, sir… I’d follow you into the mouth of Hell, but right now, we’re down from fifteen men to three. Can’t say I’m optimistic about our chances right now. If this woman is half as bad as you’re saying she is, maybe it’s time we took a step back!”
Jack looked at me, hoping I might back him up, but I remained silent.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Bundy asked.
“What I’m hearing here, is that as of right now, the vampire out there could kill us at any time. She hasn’t. Far as I’m concerned, that’s mercy. Maybe we should be taking it while it’s offered.”
Bundy stared at him, before chuckling. I think it was the first time I’d ever seen him laugh.
“Just walk away, then?” He asked.
“Walk away, and come back better prepared!” Jack corrected.
“Walk away,” Bundy said again. “We walk away now, and there won’t be a chance to come back better prepared. We get one shot at this. One. Failure is not an option. We go in there and we kill them or we die. End of discussion.”
“And how exactly are we even supposed to kill them?” Jack asked, “That curse they have… bullets aren’t gonna do shit, sir!”
“Yours won’t, mine will…”
Bundy pulled his pistol from his holster. I noticed some sort of pattern crudely engraved on it.
“I’ve been doing some research… studied the curse they put on themselves… and I think I’ve found a way to break it. Not sure if it’ll work yet… but we get one chance to test it.”
Jack stared at the gun, then back at Bundy.
“Sir… do you hear yourself?” He asked quietly, “You can’t be serious… right now, even with that gun we don’t stand a chance in he-”
The gunshot echoed through the forest and made me jump. Jack’s voice died in his throat as he hit the ground.
Bundy stared at him for a moment, before huffing and holstering his pistol again. He draped his coat over his shoulders, before looking over at me.
“No room for failure, Frank,” He said calmly.
I didn’t know what to say to that. I stared down at Jack’s body, my mouth hanging open slightly. When I looked back at Bundy, he was already back in the stream.
There was a tense silence between Bundy and I as I followed him along the final stretch of the tributary. He trudged on ahead, covered in sweat and straining with every step, but I could sense the quiet determination he had to see this through. Looking at him, you could’ve told me that George Bundy could wipe out the Di Cesare’s all by himself and I would have believed it in a second.
The night around us was full of sound, and each one drew my attention. I watched the forest, expecting to see some sign of La Morte watching us. But I saw nothing, except for what she wanted me to see.
“Mill’s just up ahead,” I heard Bundy say as we pressed on, although I noticed his steps faltering as he seemed to notice something in the trees above us. I stopped behind him, looking up before seeing what he saw, and when I saw it I felt my stomach turn.
I’d seen death before.
But what Di Cesare had left out for us… that was something else.
Pearce Wilson and Scott Barber weren’t dead.
But if they could have spoke, I’ve got no doubt they would have begged us to kill them. Wilsons pretty face was covered in blood and his pouty lips were parted as more trickled out of him. His curly blond hair was matted and I could see crimson there. Tree branches portruded from his ribs, while the loops of his entrails dangled out of his opened stomach. And Barber was in just about the same state, only he seemed to at least have the ability to turn his head to look at us.
I think he might have tried to speak, but the only sound he seemed to be able to make was a pained whimper.
“Jesus Christ…” I said softly.
“He had nothing to do with this,” Bundy replied. He took one last look at the two dying men hanging from the trees, before moving on.
“We should put them out of their misery, sir,” I said.
Bundy paused, before looking back at me.
“Don’t waste the ammo, Frank,” He replied. “They’re already dead.”
“Not yet they’re not!”
“Give them time. They chose to go into the woods. They can live with the consequences… for however long that lasts.”
With that, he left them. If I were a more compassionate man, I would have put them out of their misery. But no. Bundy moved on and so did I.
He approached the water mill, before examining it. It was an old building, made of stone that had long since been overgrown by moss, and sat right on the wall that separated the Di Cesares estate from the amazon. It hardly looked secure, even if the only entrance hadn’t just been an old wooden door secured with a padlock, finding a way in wouldn’t have been difficult. And it didn’t take much for Bundy to break through that door. All he needed was a couple of well placed kicks and it swung right open.
Drawing his gun, Bundy strode inside and I followed him.
“The Di Cesare’s will be in the main house,” He said. “We should find a way in through the back, try and catch them off guard. Main target should be the matriarch, Bianca. Her we should prioritize keeping alive… the rest are expendable.”
“Much as you are, I’m sure.” A voice called from deeper in the mill, and both Bundy and I froze.
I noticed movement on the floor above us, and through the shadows, I saw a tall woman watching us. She was dressed all in black, with blond hair tied back in a ponytail and the intense eyes of a soldier.
This had to be Clementine Di Cesare.
Bundy aimed his pistol at her, although she only barely seemed to notice.
“Only two of you left… I’m not sure the odds are in your favor,” The woman said. Her voice was low, calm and quiet.
“Only one way to find out,” Bundy growled.
“And only one way to walk out of this place alive,” Di Cesare countered. “You can put the gun down, turn and walk away. I won’t stop you. There’s no shame in living.”
“All the bodies you’ve left in your wake… that’s rich,” Bundy said.
“I don’t relish what I’ve done. I simply don’t know how to do anything else,” She replied. “Think about this, Bundy. Over my lifetime, there have been countless thousands who have come to kill me. All of them are dead, but I am not. Even if you could kill me… you could not kill my sisters. Not all of them. Not before they came for you.”
“Just you, would be enough…” Bundy said, before pulling the trigger.
I knew he’d hit her. I knew the bullet pierced her shoulder. But that woman… she didn’t even flinch. She simply dove out of the way before he could shoot again, taking cover and avoiding his next shot.
“Frank, upstairs!” Bundy snapped, “Flush her out!”
I went, trudging up the old wooden steps with my rifle drawn. Only to see Di Cesare vaulting over the railing and back down to the ground floor as soon as I made it up there.
Bundy shot at her again, only to miss for a second time. I saw Di Cesare’s arm move, and heard him cry out in pain. In the low light, I could see a dagger protruding from his shoulder. He stumbled back a step, leaving himself open for only a split second.
That second was all it took for Di Cesare to raise her own gun and fire just one shot.
George Bundy hit the ground without so much as a final scream. There was just a simple hole in his skull where she had shot him.
I felt my heart start to race faster. My eyes settled on Bundy’s gun, and I ran for the railing, vaulting it and dropping to the ground below with a thud. Di Cesare shot at me, and I felt the bullet tear through my leg. I reached out for the fallen gun and grabbed it before turning it on Di Cesare, only to find myself staring down the barrel of her own pistol. My finger rested on the trigger, but I didn’t have the guts to pull it.
"Kill me, and you will not see the sun tomorrow." She said, her voice still cold and calm.
“Killing you is part of the job…” I replied, but my finger still couldn’t squeeze the trigger.
“And is it worth your life?” Di Cesare asked. “You fail your mission either way.”
“And die with some goddamn honor…”
“There’s no such thing as honor. There is alive and there is dead. Choose.”
I knew what I was supposed to choose.
But my hands were shaking, as I stared into the face of death. My finger couldn’t squeeze the trigger.
The gun collapsed to the floor and Di Cesare kicked it away from me, before huffing and lowering her gun.
“Do not return,” She said softly. “Or next time, I will unleash a hell upon you that will make you beg for simple traps.”
She picked Bundy’s gun up off the ground, and then she was gone. After I finally picked myself up off the ground, I was gone too.
As I walked back along the stream… I passed the corpses of the men we’d left behind. Barber and Wilson, Jack, Feng, Hernandez, and his team. The flies were already feasting on them. Animals had already torn at them. And as I looked down at their cold corpses, I knew I had made the right choice.
I filed my report with the Brethren. Told them that Di Cesare had wiped us out, and a few months later I quietly retired. I never looked back.
***
“You walked away from her?” Sweeney asked in disbelief, “You had her dead to rights and you walked away from her?”
“I chose to live,” I replied. “Can’t say I regret the decision either. Because of the choice I made, I met my wife and had my kids. I’ve lived the life I had because I chose not to throw it away on some vampire.”
Sweeney just shook his head.
“You could have gotten the first confirmed kill on a Di Cesare in two centuries, and you threw it away you fucking coward! I could execute you for that!” I noticed his hand hovering over the gun on his hip.
“You could.” I replied, before quietly unholstering the pistol I kept at my side. I aimed it at Sweeney’s head.
He stared at me like a slack jawed idiot.
“Would you like to give it a try?”
“W-what…?”
“Would you like to give it a try, Mr. Sweeney? Or would you like to see the sun tomorrow?”
He stared down the barrel of my gun, and I already knew what his choice would be.
Sweeney took a step back. I saw his hand move away from his holster, and I lowered the gun with a huff.
“Thought so,” I said.
Mr. Sweeney left me without another word.
I knew he would not return.
submitted by HeadOfSpectre to TheCrypticCompendium [link] [comments]
Revenge.
What a moronically quaint idea.
This jumped up little shit had come into my home, interrupted my retirement and here he was talking to me about revenge, as if he knew the first thing about what I’d seen, what I’d been through, why I’d quit.
Looking into his eyes, I knew he didn’t understand. I knew he couldn’t.
I've been hunting vampires for most of my life. I've killed more of them than I can count. But Clementine Di Cesare was no ordinary vampire. Hell, none of the Di Cesares were ordinary vampires, but even among them Clementine was… unique. She was the one all the others quietly feared. The one who was even spoken of with reverence by the Di Cesares masters, those twin Immortals who could not be killed by any weapon of this world. Seeking revenge against her was like seeking revenge against death itself.
“Revenge?” I repeated, with a dismissive scoff.
“You’re really going to tell me that after what she put you through, you don’t want revenge?” Sweeney asked.
“If you knew what she did to me, you’d know why I don’t want revenge,” I replied.
“Really? Sorry Franklin, but I don’t buy that. Look, I get it if you’re reluctant to jump back into the fight. I do. You of all people know just how dangerous the Di Cesare’s are. Especially ‘La Morte’.”
I looked over at him as he said that name. It rolled off his tongue so irreverently. To him, it was just a name. An alias assigned to some vampire he’s only heard of stories. He didn’t utter it with the respect it deserved, and I almost couldn’t be bothered to correct him. Any words spent on this small minded glory hound were probably wasted.
“Yes, I do know.”
“Which is why I need you,” Sweeney said. He almost sounded as if he were pleading with me. “Think of this as an opportunity to set things right… to put that vampire bitch in the ground where she belongs, and save God only knows how many lives in the process!”
I sighed.
He just didn’t get it.
“Mark my words, Mr. Sweeney, if you chase after Clementine Di Cesare, you’ll end far more lives than you save. She didn’t get a name like ‘La Morte’ for nothing. She earned it. Purchased it with the blood of the tens of thousands she’s sent screaming into the maw of Hell. She is not something you chase, Sweeney.”
“She’s a vampire,” Sweeney said dismissively. “She’s another enemy to destroy.”
“That’s what George Bundy said,” I replied. “Then not too long after, he died.”
“I’m not George Bundy,” Sweeney said.
“No. You sure as hell ain’t,” I agreed, before looking the kid in the eye.
He thought he was an up and comer, climbing the ranks of the Brethren. He probably thought of himself as some sort of badass vampire hunter too, when in reality he could never have so much as dreamed of holding a candle to the likes of Bundy… or hell, any of the men who’d died in Brazil.
“You should watch your tone with me,” Sweeney warned.
“Or you’ll do what?” I asked, “You ain’t going to frighten me with vague threats, boy. I’ve walked through Hell, trying to kill the Devil. What have you done?”
Sweeney bit his lip but didn’t respond.
“There’s nothing you can say or do that will intimidate me,” I said, before lighting myself a cigarette. I stared at the road outside of my porch, old memories flooding back to me before looking over at Sweeney again. He sat in his chair beside me like a sulky child. This was the man who wanted to destroy the Di Cesare family? Pathetic.
“Exactly how much do you know about the Brazil Job?” I asked.
“I know it was a failure. Clementine Di Cesare killed most of the men the Brethren sent out… all except for you. You were the only one good enough to beat her.”
“Good enough…” I repeated with a huff, “Hardly… whatever picture you’ve got in your head of some glorified battle, throw it away. Trust me, the Brazil Job was anything but glorious. It was a two hour long trek through Hell. And I didn’t beat Di Cesare at the end of it. I survived her. They’re two different things entirely.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Sweeney said.
“You wouldn’t, would you?” I sighed and took another drag on my cigarette.
This kid wasn’t going to leave until I made him understand… so I told him my story. I told him everything even though I knew he’d learn nothing from it.
***
I’d joined up with the Brethren Knights of St. Fontaine back in the 1980s to hunt monsters. Back then, it seemed like the best use of my skills. I’d done my tours with the army, but even after I got out, I was still looking for an enemy to fight. So naturally, once I found out that vampires were real, I set my sights on them. It seemed like the most sensible thing to do at the time.
The Brethren Knights fancied themselves the descendants of the Knights Templar, and they insisted that their God given mission was to protect mankind from the things that lurked in the shadows. I didn’t really have much love for God at the time, but if the Bretheren were the ones fighting the monsters, then I was happy to tolerate the Jesus freaks in their ranks.
It was 1988 when we first heard whispers of the Imperium. A supposed cabal of vampires, trying to get them organized. At the time, it’d seemed too crazy to be true. Vampires generally went their own way, in my experience. At most, they might have a partner but other than they they didn’t really socialize with their own kind. But supposedly someone out there had the big fucking balls to keep them in line, and whoever they were, they scared the shit out of the Brethren.
They’d started targeting high profile vampires, trying to find someone who was involved in this ‘Imperium’, hoping that maybe they might get someone to talk. And it wasn’t long until they found someone who did.
From my understanding, the vampire they captured didn’t seem to know much about who was actually running the show. But they knew who their second in command was… and that was when I first head about the Di Cesare family.
The name was familiar to some of the higher ups in the Brethren, and I’d heard some stories. Not sure which were true, but the long and short of it was that the Di Cesare’s and the Brethren shared a bloody history, and didn’t particularly like each other too much.
George Bundy explained it to me like this at one point: ‘The Di Cesare’s are an old family. Most of them used to be witches, up until their Matriarch turned them into vampires. Now they’re a whole new kind of nasty. Far as I know, the only time anyone’s actually managed to kill one was about 200 years ago. Anyone who’s tried since has ended up dead, so most folks don’t even bother anymore.’
I guess it shouldn’t have been surprising they’d be involved in the Imperium, but the mere mention of their name ruffled some feathers higher up on the chain of command, and eventually they put out a kill order on them. Most of the Di Cesare’s were generally pretty hard to track down, but the top brass had a pretty good line on their matriarch, Bianca Di Cesare. Supposedly, she’d been spotted near the family’s private estate in Brazil and rumor had it that most of her daughters were there too.
Normally, the brass wouldn’t have sanctioned any kind of attack on them. The Di Cesare’s were already considered off limits, and attacking them at their private estate was considered damn near impossible. The estate was located in a small mining town outside of Manaus called Refugio de Julia, or just Julia for short. The town was fairly remote, being only accessible from a few backroads and most folks tended to avoid it, claiming they’d had various strange encounters in the area. Their accounts described unsettling pale figures with dark hair and large green eyes working in the mines, although some of the more disturbing stories we heard involved sightings of other creatures in the jungle surrounding the town. Massive spiders with humanoid faces, tending rotting corpses filled with stinging bees, giant howling beasts who tore through the forest, hunting prey, and beautiful women who would appear in the nearby towns, betwitching men into coming away with them only to reveal themselves as monsters who fed on the blood of their victims. Some had even claimed the Di Cesares themselves were such beasts… although those claims weren’t taken quite as seriously.
A skeptic might say the stories that surrounded Julia seemed like little more than just local superstition… but the Brethren had been dealing with the supernatural for long enough to recognize when something was probably real, and when it was probably fake and they knew damn well that most of the stories about Julia were probably true. None of them had ever dared set foot in Julia to find out for sure, since doing so would probably be suicide, but the theory was that the Di Cesares had created Julia as something of a refuge for other creatures. Other vampires, werewolves, arachne, karah and all sorts of other hellspawn. They offered them a home and safety in exchange for their labor in the mines. Hell, the name of the town more or less spelled it out.
Refugio de Julia
Julia’s Haven.
Julia had been the name of the only member of the Di Cesare family that the Brethren had ever killed, so I guess it was only fitting they named the town after her.
I honestly think using other creatures like them as a workforce was a bit inspired… since it made Julia damn near impenetrable. Reaching their estate at the far side of the town would have been impossible without being noticed by every creature of hell living in that town, and odds are they’d tear anyone apart long before they even reached the gates of the Di Cesare estate. And if one had the bright idea to approach the estate from another angle, they’d be trudging through miles and miles of rainforest to do so, only end up face to face with a massive stone wall that kept the rainforest out.
In effect - the Di Cesare estate was a fortress. Getting in would be no easy feat, to say nothing of confronting the vampires within. But with the fear of the Imperium gnawing at the back of their minds, the Brethren had finally set their minds to trying.
George Bundy had been the one in charge of planning the operation out.
I’d known Bundy before I’d joined up with the Brethren. Hell, Bundy was the whole reason I’d joined the Brethren. He’d been my CO a number of years back, and he’d earned his reputation as a hardass just about ten or twenty times over. Bundy was a gruff looking man with a bushy moustache and intense eyes. During the years I knew him, I don’t believe I ever once saw him so much as crack a smile. He only ever seemed to speak when he felt there was something he needed to say. Otherwise, he was usually dead silent.
He was somewhere in his late fifties back in 88. By all rights, he ought to have retired years ago. But he refused.
“I’m a soldier,” He said, when I asked him about it once. “That’s all I am. I don’t know what else to be.”
Bundy’s initial plan had been to hit the Di Cesare estate from the air. Come in fast and loud with a couple of helicopters and see how those vampires stood up to some good old American flak. The idea got shot down pretty quickly, so to speak. Apperantly, most if not all of the Di Cesares had cursed their own bodies, causing whatever wound one inflicted on them to appear on whoever it was who had wounded them. Going in guns blazing would have ended in a bloodbath… and not for them. There were also some concerns about drawing attention from Julia. With no conclusive data on just what they had living in that town, there was no guarantee we’d be safe in the air. A few eyewitnesses had described seeing giant nests in some of the trees in the jungle, supposedly consistent with the nests made by harpies.
Flying in guns blazing was out. So Bundy went back to the drawing board and what he came back with… well, it was ballsy, but it almost seemed like it just might work. During his reconnisance of the Di Cesare’s estate, he’d noticed a large but shallow tributary flowing into the amazon river that led right through the Di Cesare’s estate. Along the tributary was an abandoned water mill, that connected to the Di Cesare estate.
He’d suggested using the water mill to gain entry to the grounds, and from there, move on the Di Cesare’s. That plan had been approved, and Bundy had been allowed to handpick his team for the operation. He’d chosen fifteen men, all of them ex military, most of them having served under him before.
He’d told us we would be dividing into three teams of five men each. We would leave Manaus by boat, and land at three different areas near the tributary before making our way to the mill on foot, where we would regroup, before moving on the Di Cesares. The reason for the division was to ensure that if any of our teams ran into trouble upon making ground, the entire operation wouldn’t be compromised.
Team 1, led by Bundy himself would depart first and land to the west of the tributary. Team 2, led by a man named Ferdinand Hernandez would make land about fifteen minutes later near the mouth of the tributary and Team 3, to be led by me would land fifteen minutes later to the east.
On the day of the operation, I sat in my boat, watching as the other two left. It was twilight when we set out, and I remember that as my team and I carried out our final checks on our equipment, the only thing I felt was a familiar anticipation.
I’d hesitate to call it fear. Fear is what came later. Anticipation is the better word. I knew we could be walking into a tough situation… but I trusted Bundy. I trusted he’d run a smooth op. God knew, he’d done it a thousand times before.
The team assigned to me wasn’t anything particularly special. They were competent enough, but none of them would’ve been my first choices. Jack McMullen, for instance, who was about the same age as I was at the time. We’d both served under Bundy before, although while I respected Bundy, Jack was wholly devoted to him. I swear, if the man had told him to stuff a live grenade up his ass, Jack would’ve done it without a moments hesitation. I dunno if Jack simply saw him as the father he’d never had or what, but he damn near worshipped Bundy.
I can’t quite say the same for the other guys we had with us, though. One of them, some greenhorn by the name of Pearce Wilson struck me as an airheaded pretty boy who’d never actually had his boots on the ground before, while the other one, Scott Barber had left a bad taste in my mouth last time we’d worked together. Barber was capable… but he was violent. This was a kid with a hell of a chip on his shoulder, and it looked a hell of a lot like that Confederate flag patch he wore on his jacket. He wanted an excuse to shoot something, and I don’t think he cared what. Under most circumstances I’m not sure I would’ve fully trusted him with a gun.
The last one though, Joseph Feng… him I trusted. Feng was the one I knew the least about, and he didn’t seem much for conversation. But he handled himself competently enough and seemed to know when to sit down and shut up.
When Team 2’s boat was far enough away, we got the radio signal to follow. Barber was the one steering the boat, so I gave him the order to cast off and we ventured out into the twilight, unaware of just what was waiting for us out there.
***
We landed in our designated area fifteen minutes after Team 2 confirmed they’d touched down at theirs. Our landing was fairly uneventful. Feng, Barber, and I secured the boat before we radio’d Bundy to let him know we were in position. After that, it was just a matter of making it to the tributary.
As we ventured into the jungle, the world around us was quiet. There was wind, the whisper of the river behind us, and the sounds of animals. But little else. The river fell away behind us as we moved in single file toward the tributary, maintaining radio silence as we did.
It was about a half hour before we heard the gunshot.
Just one, echoing through the twilight. But it was enough to give us pause.
“The fuck was that?” I heard Barber ask. Immediately, the kid was on high alert, with his gun raised as if he were expecting every monster in Julia to come charging at us from all angles.
I just listened, waiting to hear if there was anything else. I half expected my radio to come to life, but it didn’t.
“Team 1, status?” I asked.
The radio crackled with static, but there was no response.
I tried it again, but still with no success. The radio was working, that much I was sure of. Something had to be blocking the signal.
“What’s going on?” Feng asked.
“Dunno,” I replied. “Comms are down.”
“Down?” Wilson asked, “So we’re flying blind out here, then?”
“More or less,” I replied.
“What do we do? Do we go back… if the comms are down…”
“Just because something’s jamming our signal doesn’t mean we’re made,” I said. “Relax. We keep moving for now. You keep your eyes wide open, and your head on a swivel. We’ll make it to the tributary and see if we can’t meet up with the other teams.”
I could tell Wilson wasn’t a fan of my answer, but I didn’t much care. We had a job to do, and I aimed to do it.
I pressed on without a further word and the others followed. Up ahead, I could hear the sound of running water and picked up the pace. I figured the tributary had to be close… and I was right.
I emerged from the brush into the stream, only to pause when I saw what was waiting for us in the water.
In the dying sunlight, it was impossible to mistake the bodies sprawled out on the rocks as anything else… and all I needed to do was look at their uniforms to know they were our people.
“Jesus…” I heard Wilson say under his breath. He froze up, lingering by the bank as I cautiously approached one of the bodies.
It belonged to a somewhat heavyset man with a thin mustache who I recognized as Hernandez. His eyes were still open, although lifeless and staring in different directions, and there was a clean hole in his forehead where a bullet had ended his life. The gunshot we’d heard earlier had likely been the sound of his death.
Looking at the bodies around him, I knew they had to be the rest of Team 2… although it was a little harder pinning down their cause of death. Some sort of bladed weapon, perhaps, judging by the state of them. I realized the odds were that they walked into some sort of ambush.
“What about Bundy and Team 1?” Jack asked, “Any sign of them?”
“No,” I said. “These bodies are all from Team 2… Bundy could still be ahead of us.”
“Then we need to keep going!”
Jack turned, heading up the stream and Barber was right behind him. Feng paused for a moment, thinking this over before following. Only Wilson remained.
“How do we know we’re not walking into a trap?” He asked.
“We’ll deal with that when we get to it,” I said before moving to follow the others.
“With all due respect, Sarge… that doesn’t sound like the best course of action!” Wilson argued, finally following me. “It sounds just like a good way to get killed!”
“Yeah?” I asked, “I’m gonna tell you an ugly truth, kid. That’s the job. Make your peace with it, and it’ll go a lot easier.”
Wilson didn’t like that answer either and trailed off behind me, watching as I continued upstream. For a moment, I half expected him to go back to the boat… but no. I dunno if he found his balls or just didn’t want to get left behind, but he started to follow us again.
I kept trying to raise Team 1 on the radio while we walked, although I still had no luck. The light above us slowly faded into darkness as we trudged through the water in silence, guns sitting comfortably in our hands and mosquitos biting at our necks.
It wasn’t until we lost Feng that I heard anybody so much as make a sound, and when we lost Feng… it happened almost instantaneously. One minute, he was at the head of the group, walking just ahead of Jack and I. The next, he was gone, only barely having the time to let out a scream as he fell into the river ahead of us.
The rest of us paused. Jack seemed to freeze and I pushed past him, calling out for Feng as I did. As punishment for my compassion, I almost went down after him. I only barely stopped myself from stepping on the slippery rocks that had helped send him to his demise.
I could see Feng’s body in the water, and I could see the blood pouring out of him. He twitched a few times, but I knew he was dead. The sharpened wooden spikes jutting out of him confirmed as much.
“What the hell…” Jack said under his breath, staring at Feng’s corpse in disbelief. “That’s a fucking spike trap!”
Yeah.
It was indeed a fucking spike trap.
I could see other spikes jutting out of the water ahead of us, just past a small dam of rocks that were just slippery enough to make it difficult to stop yourself from falling. Some of those spikes had other bodies on them… likely members of Team 1. I only counted two, although that still didn’t exactly bode well.
“They put a fucking spike trap in the goddamn stream…” Jack said, “Who the hell does that?”
“Somebody who’s expecting us to use the stream,” I replied.
“So they know we’re coming?” Barber asked.
“Clearly…” I replied. “And they’ve got a good idea on what our route is too.”
“Yeah, no shit!” Barber snapped. “Christ… let’s get the fuck out of here. There’s probably more fucking traps upstream!”
“Bundy’s orders were clear!” Jack argued.
“Bundy’s probably dead by now!” Barber replied, before looking at me. “Sarge, come on. You have to know this is suicide!”
“Suicide was part of the job description, was it not?” I asked.
“The job is to kill those fucking vampires, not to die in the goddamn process! We need to get out of the stream and into the woods!”
“Judging by the fate Team 2 met, I’m not sure the forest is someplace we want to be right now,” I replied.
“Excuse me?” Barber asked, “What the hell are you talking about, Sarge?”
“Five men dead, but only one gunshot. How did the rest die?”
Barber didn’t seem to be able to answer that.
“By now… yes. It’s clear we’ve walked into a trap. And yes, I understand that it makes sense to try and leave that trap… but I don’t know if we’ll be safer in the jungle. Something jumped Team 2. Cut them apart, and then shot Hernandez as a warning. They didn’t have to shoot him. They did it so we’d hear.”
“Your point being?” Barber asked.
“I don’t think this is just a trap, Barber. It’s a game. Stop playing, and you might just end up like our friends downstream.”
“A game?” Wilson asked, “Sarge, you can’t be serious!”
“From where I’m standing, we have a better chance of surviving in the stream,” I said. “Look, we’re at least halfway to the rendezvous point, and there have to be at least two members of Team 1 left. The safest thing to do right now is to follow them.”
“You’re off your fucking rocker, Sarge,” Barber spat, locking his eyes with mine. For a moment, I thought the boy was going to try and fight me. But no. He was wise enough to stand down.
“If you wanna get yourself killed, go right the fuck ahead. Just leave me out of it! Wilson, come on,” Barber said before trudging over to the edge of the stream. Wilson didn’t even hesitate, just looking back at Jack and I quietly before he disappeared into the forest with Barber.
“You’re not gonna stop them?” Jack asked.
“No,” I replied. “God willing, there’s a chance that pigheaded asshole is right… dunno how much of a chance, but a chance.”
“Then how come we’re not following him?” Jack asked.
“There’s also a chance he’s wrong.”
I turned, before making my way around the spike trap.
“Keep a slower pace,” I said. “Watch for traps.”
Jack hesitated for a moment, but he followed me without any further questions and we walked in silence for a little longer.
We heard nothing from the trees. Nothing that told us about the fate of Barber and Wilson. I wasn’t sure if that was good news or not.
In fact, I don’t think we heard a thing until about a half hour later, when we heard the explosion.
It came out of almost nowhere, but ahead of us I could see a flash of light and hear the screams of men. On instinct, I found myself picking up the pace and could hear Jack behind me. In the low light, I saw a shape float past me in the stream. It took me a moment to realize that it was a severed human arm.
In the water ahead of us, I could see a figure clinging to one of the rocks and trying to pick himself up. I recognized him as George Bundy.
Jack was at his side almost immediately, trying to help the old man to his feet.
“Sir! Are you alright?”
Bundy just wheezed, before his legs gave out from under him. I helped Jack drag him to the shore so he could sit and rest for a moment.
“What the hell was that?” I asked, looking back at the stream.
“Grenade trap… I think…” Bundy panted, “Fucking tripwire… Popkov tripped it, I think…”
Popkov… odds are he was one of the two mangled corpses lying in the river a few feet away from us. It seemed they’d taken the brunt of the explosion, although Bundy still had some shrapnel in his arm that Jack was tending to.
“Christ… whole fucking ops gone to shit…” Bundy spat. “Team 2 got taken out just about as soon as they landed. Someone killed them and dumped them in the goddamn river. Lost half my boys to the fucking spike trap and half to this…”
He looked up at us, before spitting onto the ground.
“Guess you two haven’t done much better.”
“Hard to say,” I replied. “Two of ours took off into the woods, trying to avoid the traps.”
“Then they’re dead,” Bundy replied. “I’ve seen her watching us… always just up ahead, always from a distance… she’s seeing how far we’ll go. How much we’ll take…”
“She?” I asked.
“La Morte. Should’ve figured she’d be the one to greet us.”
“La Morte?” I asked.
“It’s Italian. Supposedly, she earned that name around the time the Di Cesares fled Venice. It’s funny, the Brethren like to act like the Di Cesares leaving Venice was some big victory of theirs, since before they did, they finally killed one of them… hard to call it a victory though, considering how many corpses they made before they fled. And most of them came from La Morte…”
Bundy winced in pain as Jack bandaged his arm before he continued talking.
“See… when the Di Cesare’s left Venice, one of them stayed behind. Clementine, the Scorpio sister. Guess she was unwilling to leave the fight unfinished… and according to the stories, the death toll she personally amassed in the years after the Di Cesare’s left Venice make the bodies they claimed during the Venetian Massacre a hundred and fifty years prior look like a pittance. The Brethren still occupying the city started to call her La Morte. Death. Cuz wherever she went, death followed in her wake… and it seems we’ve walked right into her open arms, haven’t we, boys?”
“You’re sure it’s her?” I asked.
“She’s a Di Cesare… and the shit we’ve seen out here… I don’t see any other Di Cesare setting those traps. It’s her. I’m sure of it. She’s watching us. Seeing how far we’ll go. Seeing if we’ll turn tail…”
“Should we?” Jack asked, and Bundy finally seemed to acknowledge him.
“Excuse me?” He asked.
“Should we? Look, sir… I’d follow you into the mouth of Hell, but right now, we’re down from fifteen men to three. Can’t say I’m optimistic about our chances right now. If this woman is half as bad as you’re saying she is, maybe it’s time we took a step back!”
Jack looked at me, hoping I might back him up, but I remained silent.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Bundy asked.
“What I’m hearing here, is that as of right now, the vampire out there could kill us at any time. She hasn’t. Far as I’m concerned, that’s mercy. Maybe we should be taking it while it’s offered.”
Bundy stared at him, before chuckling. I think it was the first time I’d ever seen him laugh.
“Just walk away, then?” He asked.
“Walk away, and come back better prepared!” Jack corrected.
“Walk away,” Bundy said again. “We walk away now, and there won’t be a chance to come back better prepared. We get one shot at this. One. Failure is not an option. We go in there and we kill them or we die. End of discussion.”
“And how exactly are we even supposed to kill them?” Jack asked, “That curse they have… bullets aren’t gonna do shit, sir!”
“Yours won’t, mine will…”
Bundy pulled his pistol from his holster. I noticed some sort of pattern crudely engraved on it.
“I’ve been doing some research… studied the curse they put on themselves… and I think I’ve found a way to break it. Not sure if it’ll work yet… but we get one chance to test it.”
Jack stared at the gun, then back at Bundy.
“Sir… do you hear yourself?” He asked quietly, “You can’t be serious… right now, even with that gun we don’t stand a chance in he-”
The gunshot echoed through the forest and made me jump. Jack’s voice died in his throat as he hit the ground.
Bundy stared at him for a moment, before huffing and holstering his pistol again. He draped his coat over his shoulders, before looking over at me.
“No room for failure, Frank,” He said calmly.
I didn’t know what to say to that. I stared down at Jack’s body, my mouth hanging open slightly. When I looked back at Bundy, he was already back in the stream.
There was a tense silence between Bundy and I as I followed him along the final stretch of the tributary. He trudged on ahead, covered in sweat and straining with every step, but I could sense the quiet determination he had to see this through. Looking at him, you could’ve told me that George Bundy could wipe out the Di Cesare’s all by himself and I would have believed it in a second.
The night around us was full of sound, and each one drew my attention. I watched the forest, expecting to see some sign of La Morte watching us. But I saw nothing, except for what she wanted me to see.
“Mill’s just up ahead,” I heard Bundy say as we pressed on, although I noticed his steps faltering as he seemed to notice something in the trees above us. I stopped behind him, looking up before seeing what he saw, and when I saw it I felt my stomach turn.
I’d seen death before.
But what Di Cesare had left out for us… that was something else.
Pearce Wilson and Scott Barber weren’t dead.
But if they could have spoke, I’ve got no doubt they would have begged us to kill them. Wilsons pretty face was covered in blood and his pouty lips were parted as more trickled out of him. His curly blond hair was matted and I could see crimson there. Tree branches portruded from his ribs, while the loops of his entrails dangled out of his opened stomach. And Barber was in just about the same state, only he seemed to at least have the ability to turn his head to look at us.
I think he might have tried to speak, but the only sound he seemed to be able to make was a pained whimper.
“Jesus Christ…” I said softly.
“He had nothing to do with this,” Bundy replied. He took one last look at the two dying men hanging from the trees, before moving on.
“We should put them out of their misery, sir,” I said.
Bundy paused, before looking back at me.
“Don’t waste the ammo, Frank,” He replied. “They’re already dead.”
“Not yet they’re not!”
“Give them time. They chose to go into the woods. They can live with the consequences… for however long that lasts.”
With that, he left them. If I were a more compassionate man, I would have put them out of their misery. But no. Bundy moved on and so did I.
He approached the water mill, before examining it. It was an old building, made of stone that had long since been overgrown by moss, and sat right on the wall that separated the Di Cesares estate from the amazon. It hardly looked secure, even if the only entrance hadn’t just been an old wooden door secured with a padlock, finding a way in wouldn’t have been difficult. And it didn’t take much for Bundy to break through that door. All he needed was a couple of well placed kicks and it swung right open.
Drawing his gun, Bundy strode inside and I followed him.
“The Di Cesare’s will be in the main house,” He said. “We should find a way in through the back, try and catch them off guard. Main target should be the matriarch, Bianca. Her we should prioritize keeping alive… the rest are expendable.”
“Much as you are, I’m sure.” A voice called from deeper in the mill, and both Bundy and I froze.
I noticed movement on the floor above us, and through the shadows, I saw a tall woman watching us. She was dressed all in black, with blond hair tied back in a ponytail and the intense eyes of a soldier.
This had to be Clementine Di Cesare.
Bundy aimed his pistol at her, although she only barely seemed to notice.
“Only two of you left… I’m not sure the odds are in your favor,” The woman said. Her voice was low, calm and quiet.
“Only one way to find out,” Bundy growled.
“And only one way to walk out of this place alive,” Di Cesare countered. “You can put the gun down, turn and walk away. I won’t stop you. There’s no shame in living.”
“All the bodies you’ve left in your wake… that’s rich,” Bundy said.
“I don’t relish what I’ve done. I simply don’t know how to do anything else,” She replied. “Think about this, Bundy. Over my lifetime, there have been countless thousands who have come to kill me. All of them are dead, but I am not. Even if you could kill me… you could not kill my sisters. Not all of them. Not before they came for you.”
“Just you, would be enough…” Bundy said, before pulling the trigger.
I knew he’d hit her. I knew the bullet pierced her shoulder. But that woman… she didn’t even flinch. She simply dove out of the way before he could shoot again, taking cover and avoiding his next shot.
“Frank, upstairs!” Bundy snapped, “Flush her out!”
I went, trudging up the old wooden steps with my rifle drawn. Only to see Di Cesare vaulting over the railing and back down to the ground floor as soon as I made it up there.
Bundy shot at her again, only to miss for a second time. I saw Di Cesare’s arm move, and heard him cry out in pain. In the low light, I could see a dagger protruding from his shoulder. He stumbled back a step, leaving himself open for only a split second.
That second was all it took for Di Cesare to raise her own gun and fire just one shot.
George Bundy hit the ground without so much as a final scream. There was just a simple hole in his skull where she had shot him.
I felt my heart start to race faster. My eyes settled on Bundy’s gun, and I ran for the railing, vaulting it and dropping to the ground below with a thud. Di Cesare shot at me, and I felt the bullet tear through my leg. I reached out for the fallen gun and grabbed it before turning it on Di Cesare, only to find myself staring down the barrel of her own pistol. My finger rested on the trigger, but I didn’t have the guts to pull it.
"Kill me, and you will not see the sun tomorrow." She said, her voice still cold and calm.
“Killing you is part of the job…” I replied, but my finger still couldn’t squeeze the trigger.
“And is it worth your life?” Di Cesare asked. “You fail your mission either way.”
“And die with some goddamn honor…”
“There’s no such thing as honor. There is alive and there is dead. Choose.”
I knew what I was supposed to choose.
But my hands were shaking, as I stared into the face of death. My finger couldn’t squeeze the trigger.
The gun collapsed to the floor and Di Cesare kicked it away from me, before huffing and lowering her gun.
“Do not return,” She said softly. “Or next time, I will unleash a hell upon you that will make you beg for simple traps.”
She picked Bundy’s gun up off the ground, and then she was gone. After I finally picked myself up off the ground, I was gone too.
As I walked back along the stream… I passed the corpses of the men we’d left behind. Barber and Wilson, Jack, Feng, Hernandez, and his team. The flies were already feasting on them. Animals had already torn at them. And as I looked down at their cold corpses, I knew I had made the right choice.
I filed my report with the Brethren. Told them that Di Cesare had wiped us out, and a few months later I quietly retired. I never looked back.
***
“You walked away from her?” Sweeney asked in disbelief, “You had her dead to rights and you walked away from her?”
“I chose to live,” I replied. “Can’t say I regret the decision either. Because of the choice I made, I met my wife and had my kids. I’ve lived the life I had because I chose not to throw it away on some vampire.”
Sweeney just shook his head.
“You could have gotten the first confirmed kill on a Di Cesare in two centuries, and you threw it away you fucking coward! I could execute you for that!” I noticed his hand hovering over the gun on his hip.
“You could.” I replied, before quietly unholstering the pistol I kept at my side. I aimed it at Sweeney’s head.
He stared at me like a slack jawed idiot.
“Would you like to give it a try?”
“W-what…?”
“Would you like to give it a try, Mr. Sweeney? Or would you like to see the sun tomorrow?”
He stared down the barrel of my gun, and I already knew what his choice would be.
Sweeney took a step back. I saw his hand move away from his holster, and I lowered the gun with a huff.
“Thought so,” I said.
Mr. Sweeney left me without another word.
I knew he would not return.
2023.06.03 17:26 HeadOfSpectre The Soldier
"Think of this as a chance at revenge," Sweeney said.
Revenge.
What a moronically quaint idea.
This jumped up little shit had come into my home, interrupted my retirement and here he was talking to me about revenge, as if he knew the first thing about what I’d seen, what I’d been through, why I’d quit.
Looking into his eyes, I knew he didn’t understand. I knew he couldn’t.
I've been hunting vampires for most of my life. I've killed more of them than I can count. But Clementine Di Cesare was no ordinary vampire. Hell, none of the Di Cesares were ordinary vampires, but even among them Clementine was… unique. She was the one all the others quietly feared. The one who was even spoken of with reverence by the Di Cesares masters, those twin Immortals who could not be killed by any weapon of this world. Seeking revenge against her was like seeking revenge against death itself.
“Revenge?” I repeated, with a dismissive scoff.
“You’re really going to tell me that after what she put you through, you don’t want revenge?” Sweeney asked.
“If you knew what she did to me, you’d know why I don’t want revenge,” I replied.
“Really? Sorry Franklin, but I don’t buy that. Look, I get it if you’re reluctant to jump back into the fight. I do. You of all people know just how dangerous the Di Cesare’s are. Especially ‘La Morte’.”
I looked over at him as he said that name. It rolled off his tongue so irreverently. To him, it was just a name. An alias assigned to some vampire he’s only heard of stories. He didn’t utter it with the respect it deserved, and I almost couldn’t be bothered to correct him. Any words spent on this small minded glory hound were probably wasted.
“Yes, I do know.”
“Which is why I need you,” Sweeney said. He almost sounded as if he were pleading with me. “Think of this as an opportunity to set things right… to put that vampire bitch in the ground where she belongs, and save God only knows how many lives in the process!”
I sighed.
He just didn’t get it.
“Mark my words, Mr. Sweeney, if you chase after Clementine Di Cesare, you’ll end far more lives than you save. She didn’t get a name like ‘La Morte’ for nothing. She earned it. Purchased it with the blood of the tens of thousands she’s sent screaming into the maw of Hell. She is not something you chase, Sweeney.”
“She’s a vampire,” Sweeney said dismissively. “She’s another enemy to destroy.”
“That’s what George Bundy said,” I replied. “Then not too long after, he died.”
“I’m not George Bundy,” Sweeney said.
“No. You sure as hell ain’t,” I agreed, before looking the kid in the eye.
He thought he was an up and comer, climbing the ranks of the Brethren. He probably thought of himself as some sort of badass vampire hunter too, when in reality he could never have so much as dreamed of holding a candle to the likes of Bundy… or hell, any of the men who’d died in Brazil.
“You should watch your tone with me,” Sweeney warned.
“Or you’ll do what?” I asked, “You ain’t going to frighten me with vague threats, boy. I’ve walked through Hell, trying to kill the Devil. What have you done?”
Sweeney bit his lip but didn’t respond.
“There’s nothing you can say or do that will intimidate me,” I said, before lighting myself a cigarette. I stared at the road outside of my porch, old memories flooding back to me before looking over at Sweeney again. He sat in his chair beside me like a sulky child. This was the man who wanted to destroy the Di Cesare family? Pathetic.
“Exactly how much do you know about the Brazil Job?” I asked.
“I know it was a failure. Clementine Di Cesare killed most of the men the Brethren sent out… all except for you. You were the only one good enough to beat her.”
“Good enough…” I repeated with a huff, “Hardly… whatever picture you’ve got in your head of some glorified battle, throw it away. Trust me, the Brazil Job was anything but glorious. It was a two hour long trek through Hell. And I didn’t beat Di Cesare at the end of it. I survived her. They’re two different things entirely.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Sweeney said.
“You wouldn’t, would you?” I sighed and took another drag on my cigarette.
This kid wasn’t going to leave until I made him understand… so I told him my story. I told him everything even though I knew he’d learn nothing from it.
***
I’d joined up with the Brethren Knights of St. Fontaine back in the 1980s to hunt monsters. Back then, it seemed like the best use of my skills. I’d done my tours with the army, but even after I got out, I was still looking for an enemy to fight. So naturally, once I found out that vampires were real, I set my sights on them. It seemed like the most sensible thing to do at the time.
The Brethren Knights fancied themselves the descendants of the Knights Templar, and they insisted that their God given mission was to protect mankind from the things that lurked in the shadows. I didn’t really have much love for God at the time, but if the Bretheren were the ones fighting the monsters, then I was happy to tolerate the Jesus freaks in their ranks.
It was 1988 when we first heard whispers of the Imperium. A supposed cabal of vampires, trying to get them organized. At the time, it’d seemed too crazy to be true. Vampires generally went their own way, in my experience. At most, they might have a partner but other than they they didn’t really socialize with their own kind. But supposedly someone out there had the big fucking balls to keep them in line, and whoever they were, they scared the shit out of the Brethren.
They’d started targeting high profile vampires, trying to find someone who was involved in this ‘Imperium’, hoping that maybe they might get someone to talk. And it wasn’t long until they found someone who did.
From my understanding, the vampire they captured didn’t seem to know much about who was actually running the show. But they knew who their second in command was… and that was when I first head about the Di Cesare family.
The name was familiar to some of the higher ups in the Brethren, and I’d heard some stories. Not sure which were true, but the long and short of it was that the Di Cesare’s and the Brethren shared a bloody history, and didn’t particularly like each other too much.
George Bundy explained it to me like this at one point: ‘The Di Cesare’s are an old family. Most of them used to be witches, up until their Matriarch turned them into vampires. Now they’re a whole new kind of nasty. Far as I know, the only time anyone’s actually managed to kill one was about 200 years ago. Anyone who’s tried since has ended up dead, so most folks don’t even bother anymore.’
I guess it shouldn’t have been surprising they’d be involved in the Imperium, but the mere mention of their name ruffled some feathers higher up on the chain of command, and eventually they put out a kill order on them. Most of the Di Cesare’s were generally pretty hard to track down, but the top brass had a pretty good line on their matriarch, Bianca Di Cesare. Supposedly, she’d been spotted near the family’s private estate in Brazil and rumor had it that most of her daughters were there too.
Normally, the brass wouldn’t have sanctioned any kind of attack on them. The Di Cesare’s were already considered off limits, and attacking them at their private estate was considered damn near impossible. The estate was located in a small mining town outside of Manaus called Refugio de Julia, or just Julia for short. The town was fairly remote, being only accessible from a few backroads and most folks tended to avoid it, claiming they’d had various strange encounters in the area. Their accounts described unsettling pale figures with dark hair and large green eyes working in the mines, although some of the more disturbing stories we heard involved sightings of other creatures in the jungle surrounding the town. Massive spiders with humanoid faces, tending rotting corpses filled with stinging bees, giant howling beasts who tore through the forest, hunting prey, and beautiful women who would appear in the nearby towns, betwitching men into coming away with them only to reveal themselves as monsters who fed on the blood of their victims. Some had even claimed the Di Cesares themselves were such beasts… although those claims weren’t taken quite as seriously.
A skeptic might say the stories that surrounded Julia seemed like little more than just local superstition… but the Brethren had been dealing with the supernatural for long enough to recognize when something was probably real, and when it was probably fake and they knew damn well that most of the stories about Julia were probably true. None of them had ever dared set foot in Julia to find out for sure, since doing so would probably be suicide, but the theory was that the Di Cesares had created Julia as something of a refuge for other creatures. Other vampires, werewolves, arachne, karah and all sorts of other hellspawn. They offered them a home and safety in exchange for their labor in the mines. Hell, the name of the town more or less spelled it out.
Refugio de Julia
Julia’s Haven.
Julia had been the name of the only member of the Di Cesare family that the Brethren had ever killed, so I guess it was only fitting they named the town after her.
I honestly think using other creatures like them as a workforce was a bit inspired… since it made Julia damn near impenetrable. Reaching their estate at the far side of the town would have been impossible without being noticed by every creature of hell living in that town, and odds are they’d tear anyone apart long before they even reached the gates of the Di Cesare estate. And if one had the bright idea to approach the estate from another angle, they’d be trudging through miles and miles of rainforest to do so, only end up face to face with a massive stone wall that kept the rainforest out.
In effect - the Di Cesare estate was a fortress. Getting in would be no easy feat, to say nothing of confronting the vampires within. But with the fear of the Imperium gnawing at the back of their minds, the Brethren had finally set their minds to trying.
George Bundy had been the one in charge of planning the operation out.
I’d known Bundy before I’d joined up with the Brethren. Hell, Bundy was the whole reason I’d joined the Brethren. He’d been my CO a number of years back, and he’d earned his reputation as a hardass just about ten or twenty times over. Bundy was a gruff looking man with a bushy moustache and intense eyes. During the years I knew him, I don’t believe I ever once saw him so much as crack a smile. He only ever seemed to speak when he felt there was something he needed to say. Otherwise, he was usually dead silent.
He was somewhere in his late fifties back in 88. By all rights, he ought to have retired years ago. But he refused.
“I’m a soldier,” He said, when I asked him about it once. “That’s all I am. I don’t know what else to be.”
Bundy’s initial plan had been to hit the Di Cesare estate from the air. Come in fast and loud with a couple of helicopters and see how those vampires stood up to some good old American flak. The idea got shot down pretty quickly, so to speak. Apperantly, most if not all of the Di Cesares had cursed their own bodies, causing whatever wound one inflicted on them to appear on whoever it was who had wounded them. Going in guns blazing would have ended in a bloodbath… and not for them. There were also some concerns about drawing attention from Julia. With no conclusive data on just what they had living in that town, there was no guarantee we’d be safe in the air. A few eyewitnesses had described seeing giant nests in some of the trees in the jungle, supposedly consistent with the nests made by harpies.
Flying in guns blazing was out. So Bundy went back to the drawing board and what he came back with… well, it was ballsy, but it almost seemed like it just might work. During his reconnisance of the Di Cesare’s estate, he’d noticed a large but shallow tributary flowing into the amazon river that led right through the Di Cesare’s estate. Along the tributary was an abandoned water mill, that connected to the Di Cesare estate.
He’d suggested using the water mill to gain entry to the grounds, and from there, move on the Di Cesare’s. That plan had been approved, and Bundy had been allowed to handpick his team for the operation. He’d chosen fifteen men, all of them ex military, most of them having served under him before.
He’d told us we would be dividing into three teams of five men each. We would leave Manaus by boat, and land at three different areas near the tributary before making our way to the mill on foot, where we would regroup, before moving on the Di Cesares. The reason for the division was to ensure that if any of our teams ran into trouble upon making ground, the entire operation wouldn’t be compromised.
Team 1, led by Bundy himself would depart first and land to the west of the tributary. Team 2, led by a man named Ferdinand Hernandez would make land about fifteen minutes later near the mouth of the tributary and Team 3, to be led by me would land fifteen minutes later to the east.
On the day of the operation, I sat in my boat, watching as the other two left. It was twilight when we set out, and I remember that as my team and I carried out our final checks on our equipment, the only thing I felt was a familiar anticipation.
I’d hesitate to call it fear. Fear is what came later. Anticipation is the better word. I knew we could be walking into a tough situation… but I trusted Bundy. I trusted he’d run a smooth op. God knew, he’d done it a thousand times before.
The team assigned to me wasn’t anything particularly special. They were competent enough, but none of them would’ve been my first choices. Jack McMullen, for instance, who was about the same age as I was at the time. We’d both served under Bundy before, although while I respected Bundy, Jack was wholly devoted to him. I swear, if the man had told him to stuff a live grenade up his ass, Jack would’ve done it without a moments hesitation. I dunno if Jack simply saw him as the father he’d never had or what, but he damn near worshipped Bundy.
I can’t quite say the same for the other guys we had with us, though. One of them, some greenhorn by the name of Pearce Wilson struck me as an airheaded pretty boy who’d never actually had his boots on the ground before, while the other one, Scott Barber had left a bad taste in my mouth last time we’d worked together. Barber was capable… but he was violent. This was a kid with a hell of a chip on his shoulder, and it looked a hell of a lot like that Confederate flag patch he wore on his jacket. He wanted an excuse to shoot something, and I don’t think he cared what. Under most circumstances I’m not sure I would’ve fully trusted him with a gun.
The last one though, Joseph Feng… him I trusted. Feng was the one I knew the least about, and he didn’t seem much for conversation. But he handled himself competently enough and seemed to know when to sit down and shut up.
When Team 2’s boat was far enough away, we got the radio signal to follow. Barber was the one steering the boat, so I gave him the order to cast off and we ventured out into the twilight, unaware of just what was waiting for us out there.
***
We landed in our designated area fifteen minutes after Team 2 confirmed they’d touched down at theirs. Our landing was fairly uneventful. Feng, Barber, and I secured the boat before we radio’d Bundy to let him know we were in position. After that, it was just a matter of making it to the tributary.
As we ventured into the jungle, the world around us was quiet. There was wind, the whisper of the river behind us, and the sounds of animals. But little else. The river fell away behind us as we moved in single file toward the tributary, maintaining radio silence as we did.
It was about a half hour before we heard the gunshot.
Just one, echoing through the twilight. But it was enough to give us pause.
“The fuck was that?” I heard Barber ask. Immediately, the kid was on high alert, with his gun raised as if he were expecting every monster in Julia to come charging at us from all angles.
I just listened, waiting to hear if there was anything else. I half expected my radio to come to life, but it didn’t.
“Team 1, status?” I asked.
The radio crackled with static, but there was no response.
I tried it again, but still with no success. The radio was working, that much I was sure of. Something had to be blocking the signal.
“What’s going on?” Feng asked.
“Dunno,” I replied. “Comms are down.”
“Down?” Wilson asked, “So we’re flying blind out here, then?”
“More or less,” I replied.
“What do we do? Do we go back… if the comms are down…”
“Just because something’s jamming our signal doesn’t mean we’re made,” I said. “Relax. We keep moving for now. You keep your eyes wide open, and your head on a swivel. We’ll make it to the tributary and see if we can’t meet up with the other teams.”
I could tell Wilson wasn’t a fan of my answer, but I didn’t much care. We had a job to do, and I aimed to do it.
I pressed on without a further word and the others followed. Up ahead, I could hear the sound of running water and picked up the pace. I figured the tributary had to be close… and I was right.
I emerged from the brush into the stream, only to pause when I saw what was waiting for us in the water.
In the dying sunlight, it was impossible to mistake the bodies sprawled out on the rocks as anything else… and all I needed to do was look at their uniforms to know they were our people.
“Jesus…” I heard Wilson say under his breath. He froze up, lingering by the bank as I cautiously approached one of the bodies.
It belonged to a somewhat heavyset man with a thin mustache who I recognized as Hernandez. His eyes were still open, although lifeless and staring in different directions, and there was a clean hole in his forehead where a bullet had ended his life. The gunshot we’d heard earlier had likely been the sound of his death.
Looking at the bodies around him, I knew they had to be the rest of Team 2… although it was a little harder pinning down their cause of death. Some sort of bladed weapon, perhaps, judging by the state of them. I realized the odds were that they walked into some sort of ambush.
“What about Bundy and Team 1?” Jack asked, “Any sign of them?”
“No,” I said. “These bodies are all from Team 2… Bundy could still be ahead of us.”
“Then we need to keep going!”
Jack turned, heading up the stream and Barber was right behind him. Feng paused for a moment, thinking this over before following. Only Wilson remained.
“How do we know we’re not walking into a trap?” He asked.
“We’ll deal with that when we get to it,” I said before moving to follow the others.
“With all due respect, Sarge… that doesn’t sound like the best course of action!” Wilson argued, finally following me. “It sounds just like a good way to get killed!”
“Yeah?” I asked, “I’m gonna tell you an ugly truth, kid. That’s the job. Make your peace with it, and it’ll go a lot easier.”
Wilson didn’t like that answer either and trailed off behind me, watching as I continued upstream. For a moment, I half expected him to go back to the boat… but no. I dunno if he found his balls or just didn’t want to get left behind, but he started to follow us again.
I kept trying to raise Team 1 on the radio while we walked, although I still had no luck. The light above us slowly faded into darkness as we trudged through the water in silence, guns sitting comfortably in our hands and mosquitos biting at our necks.
It wasn’t until we lost Feng that I heard anybody so much as make a sound, and when we lost Feng… it happened almost instantaneously. One minute, he was at the head of the group, walking just ahead of Jack and I. The next, he was gone, only barely having the time to let out a scream as he fell into the river ahead of us.
The rest of us paused. Jack seemed to freeze and I pushed past him, calling out for Feng as I did. As punishment for my compassion, I almost went down after him. I only barely stopped myself from stepping on the slippery rocks that had helped send him to his demise.
I could see Feng’s body in the water, and I could see the blood pouring out of him. He twitched a few times, but I knew he was dead. The sharpened wooden spikes jutting out of him confirmed as much.
“What the hell…” Jack said under his breath, staring at Feng’s corpse in disbelief. “That’s a fucking spike trap!”
Yeah.
It was indeed a fucking spike trap.
I could see other spikes jutting out of the water ahead of us, just past a small dam of rocks that were just slippery enough to make it difficult to stop yourself from falling. Some of those spikes had other bodies on them… likely members of Team 1. I only counted two, although that still didn’t exactly bode well.
“They put a fucking spike trap in the goddamn stream…” Jack said, “Who the hell does that?”
“Somebody who’s expecting us to use the stream,” I replied.
“So they know we’re coming?” Barber asked.
“Clearly…” I replied. “And they’ve got a good idea on what our route is too.”
“Yeah, no shit!” Barber snapped. “Christ… let’s get the fuck out of here. There’s probably more fucking traps upstream!”
“Bundy’s orders were clear!” Jack argued.
“Bundy’s probably dead by now!” Barber replied, before looking at me. “Sarge, come on. You have to know this is suicide!”
“Suicide was part of the job description, was it not?” I asked.
“The job is to kill those fucking vampires, not to die in the goddamn process! We need to get out of the stream and into the woods!”
“Judging by the fate Team 2 met, I’m not sure the forest is someplace we want to be right now,” I replied.
“Excuse me?” Barber asked, “What the hell are you talking about, Sarge?”
“Five men dead, but only one gunshot. How did the rest die?”
Barber didn’t seem to be able to answer that.
“By now… yes. It’s clear we’ve walked into a trap. And yes, I understand that it makes sense to try and leave that trap… but I don’t know if we’ll be safer in the jungle. Something jumped Team 2. Cut them apart, and then shot Hernandez as a warning. They didn’t have to shoot him. They did it so we’d hear.”
“Your point being?” Barber asked.
“I don’t think this is just a trap, Barber. It’s a game. Stop playing, and you might just end up like our friends downstream.”
“A game?” Wilson asked, “Sarge, you can’t be serious!”
“From where I’m standing, we have a better chance of surviving in the stream,” I said. “Look, we’re at least halfway to the rendezvous point, and there have to be at least two members of Team 1 left. The safest thing to do right now is to follow them.”
“You’re off your fucking rocker, Sarge,” Barber spat, locking his eyes with mine. For a moment, I thought the boy was going to try and fight me. But no. He was wise enough to stand down.
“If you wanna get yourself killed, go right the fuck ahead. Just leave me out of it! Wilson, come on,” Barber said before trudging over to the edge of the stream. Wilson didn’t even hesitate, just looking back at Jack and I quietly before he disappeared into the forest with Barber.
“You’re not gonna stop them?” Jack asked.
“No,” I replied. “God willing, there’s a chance that pigheaded asshole is right… dunno how much of a chance, but a chance.”
“Then how come we’re not following him?” Jack asked.
“There’s also a chance he’s wrong.”
I turned, before making my way around the spike trap.
“Keep a slower pace,” I said. “Watch for traps.”
Jack hesitated for a moment, but he followed me without any further questions and we walked in silence for a little longer.
We heard nothing from the trees. Nothing that told us about the fate of Barber and Wilson. I wasn’t sure if that was good news or not.
In fact, I don’t think we heard a thing until about a half hour later, when we heard the explosion.
It came out of almost nowhere, but ahead of us I could see a flash of light and hear the screams of men. On instinct, I found myself picking up the pace and could hear Jack behind me. In the low light, I saw a shape float past me in the stream. It took me a moment to realize that it was a severed human arm.
In the water ahead of us, I could see a figure clinging to one of the rocks and trying to pick himself up. I recognized him as George Bundy.
Jack was at his side almost immediately, trying to help the old man to his feet.
“Sir! Are you alright?”
Bundy just wheezed, before his legs gave out from under him. I helped Jack drag him to the shore so he could sit and rest for a moment.
“What the hell was that?” I asked, looking back at the stream.
“Grenade trap… I think…” Bundy panted, “Fucking tripwire… Popkov tripped it, I think…”
Popkov… odds are he was one of the two mangled corpses lying in the river a few feet away from us. It seemed they’d taken the brunt of the explosion, although Bundy still had some shrapnel in his arm that Jack was tending to.
“Christ… whole fucking ops gone to shit…” Bundy spat. “Team 2 got taken out just about as soon as they landed. Someone killed them and dumped them in the goddamn river. Lost half my boys to the fucking spike trap and half to this…”
He looked up at us, before spitting onto the ground.
“Guess you two haven’t done much better.”
“Hard to say,” I replied. “Two of ours took off into the woods, trying to avoid the traps.”
“Then they’re dead,” Bundy replied. “I’ve seen her watching us… always just up ahead, always from a distance… she’s seeing how far we’ll go. How much we’ll take…”
“She?” I asked.
“La Morte. Should’ve figured she’d be the one to greet us.”
“La Morte?” I asked.
“It’s Italian. Supposedly, she earned that name around the time the Di Cesares fled Venice. It’s funny, the Brethren like to act like the Di Cesares leaving Venice was some big victory of theirs, since before they did, they finally killed one of them… hard to call it a victory though, considering how many corpses they made before they fled. And most of them came from La Morte…”
Bundy winced in pain as Jack bandaged his arm before he continued talking.
“See… when the Di Cesare’s left Venice, one of them stayed behind. Clementine, the Scorpio sister. Guess she was unwilling to leave the fight unfinished… and according to the stories, the death toll she personally amassed in the years after the Di Cesare’s left Venice make the bodies they claimed during the Venetian Massacre a hundred and fifty years prior look like a pittance. The Brethren still occupying the city started to call her La Morte. Death. Cuz wherever she went, death followed in her wake… and it seems we’ve walked right into her open arms, haven’t we, boys?”
“You’re sure it’s her?” I asked.
“She’s a Di Cesare… and the shit we’ve seen out here… I don’t see any other Di Cesare setting those traps. It’s her. I’m sure of it. She’s watching us. Seeing how far we’ll go. Seeing if we’ll turn tail…”
“Should we?” Jack asked, and Bundy finally seemed to acknowledge him.
“Excuse me?” He asked.
“Should we? Look, sir… I’d follow you into the mouth of Hell, but right now, we’re down from fifteen men to three. Can’t say I’m optimistic about our chances right now. If this woman is half as bad as you’re saying she is, maybe it’s time we took a step back!”
Jack looked at me, hoping I might back him up, but I remained silent.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Bundy asked.
“What I’m hearing here, is that as of right now, the vampire out there could kill us at any time. She hasn’t. Far as I’m concerned, that’s mercy. Maybe we should be taking it while it’s offered.”
Bundy stared at him, before chuckling. I think it was the first time I’d ever seen him laugh.
“Just walk away, then?” He asked.
“Walk away, and come back better prepared!” Jack corrected.
“Walk away,” Bundy said again. “We walk away now, and there won’t be a chance to come back better prepared. We get one shot at this. One. Failure is not an option. We go in there and we kill them or we die. End of discussion.”
“And how exactly are we even supposed to kill them?” Jack asked, “That curse they have… bullets aren’t gonna do shit, sir!”
“Yours won’t, mine will…”
Bundy pulled his pistol from his holster. I noticed some sort of pattern crudely engraved on it.
“I’ve been doing some research… studied the curse they put on themselves… and I think I’ve found a way to break it. Not sure if it’ll work yet… but we get one chance to test it.”
Jack stared at the gun, then back at Bundy.
“Sir… do you hear yourself?” He asked quietly, “You can’t be serious… right now, even with that gun we don’t stand a chance in he-”
The gunshot echoed through the forest and made me jump. Jack’s voice died in his throat as he hit the ground.
Bundy stared at him for a moment, before huffing and holstering his pistol again. He draped his coat over his shoulders, before looking over at me.
“No room for failure, Frank,” He said calmly.
I didn’t know what to say to that. I stared down at Jack’s body, my mouth hanging open slightly. When I looked back at Bundy, he was already back in the stream.
There was a tense silence between Bundy and I as I followed him along the final stretch of the tributary. He trudged on ahead, covered in sweat and straining with every step, but I could sense the quiet determination he had to see this through. Looking at him, you could’ve told me that George Bundy could wipe out the Di Cesare’s all by himself and I would have believed it in a second.
The night around us was full of sound, and each one drew my attention. I watched the forest, expecting to see some sign of La Morte watching us. But I saw nothing, except for what she wanted me to see.
“Mill’s just up ahead,” I heard Bundy say as we pressed on, although I noticed his steps faltering as he seemed to notice something in the trees above us. I stopped behind him, looking up before seeing what he saw, and when I saw it I felt my stomach turn.
I’d seen death before.
But what Di Cesare had left out for us… that was something else.
Pearce Wilson and Scott Barber weren’t dead.
But if they could have spoke, I’ve got no doubt they would have begged us to kill them. Wilsons pretty face was covered in blood and his pouty lips were parted as more trickled out of him. His curly blond hair was matted and I could see crimson there. Tree branches portruded from his ribs, while the loops of his entrails dangled out of his opened stomach. And Barber was in just about the same state, only he seemed to at least have the ability to turn his head to look at us.
I think he might have tried to speak, but the only sound he seemed to be able to make was a pained whimper.
“Jesus Christ…” I said softly.
“He had nothing to do with this,” Bundy replied. He took one last look at the two dying men hanging from the trees, before moving on.
“We should put them out of their misery, sir,” I said.
Bundy paused, before looking back at me.
“Don’t waste the ammo, Frank,” He replied. “They’re already dead.”
“Not yet they’re not!”
“Give them time. They chose to go into the woods. They can live with the consequences… for however long that lasts.”
With that, he left them. If I were a more compassionate man, I would have put them out of their misery. But no. Bundy moved on and so did I.
He approached the water mill, before examining it. It was an old building, made of stone that had long since been overgrown by moss, and sat right on the wall that separated the Di Cesares estate from the amazon. It hardly looked secure, even if the only entrance hadn’t just been an old wooden door secured with a padlock, finding a way in wouldn’t have been difficult. And it didn’t take much for Bundy to break through that door. All he needed was a couple of well placed kicks and it swung right open.
Drawing his gun, Bundy strode inside and I followed him.
“The Di Cesare’s will be in the main house,” He said. “We should find a way in through the back, try and catch them off guard. Main target should be the matriarch, Bianca. Her we should prioritize keeping alive… the rest are expendable.”
“Much as you are, I’m sure.” A voice called from deeper in the mill, and both Bundy and I froze.
I noticed movement on the floor above us, and through the shadows, I saw a tall woman watching us. She was dressed all in black, with blond hair tied back in a ponytail and the intense eyes of a soldier.
This had to be Clementine Di Cesare.
Bundy aimed his pistol at her, although she only barely seemed to notice.
“Only two of you left… I’m not sure the odds are in your favor,” The woman said. Her voice was low, calm and quiet.
“Only one way to find out,” Bundy growled.
“And only one way to walk out of this place alive,” Di Cesare countered. “You can put the gun down, turn and walk away. I won’t stop you. There’s no shame in living.”
“All the bodies you’ve left in your wake… that’s rich,” Bundy said.
“I don’t relish what I’ve done. I simply don’t know how to do anything else,” She replied. “Think about this, Bundy. Over my lifetime, there have been countless thousands who have come to kill me. All of them are dead, but I am not. Even if you could kill me… you could not kill my sisters. Not all of them. Not before they came for you.”
“Just you, would be enough…” Bundy said, before pulling the trigger.
I knew he’d hit her. I knew the bullet pierced her shoulder. But that woman… she didn’t even flinch. She simply dove out of the way before he could shoot again, taking cover and avoiding his next shot.
“Frank, upstairs!” Bundy snapped, “Flush her out!”
I went, trudging up the old wooden steps with my rifle drawn. Only to see Di Cesare vaulting over the railing and back down to the ground floor as soon as I made it up there.
Bundy shot at her again, only to miss for a second time. I saw Di Cesare’s arm move, and heard him cry out in pain. In the low light, I could see a dagger protruding from his shoulder. He stumbled back a step, leaving himself open for only a split second.
That second was all it took for Di Cesare to raise her own gun and fire just one shot.
George Bundy hit the ground without so much as a final scream. There was just a simple hole in his skull where she had shot him.
I felt my heart start to race faster. My eyes settled on Bundy’s gun, and I ran for the railing, vaulting it and dropping to the ground below with a thud. Di Cesare shot at me, and I felt the bullet tear through my leg. I reached out for the fallen gun and grabbed it before turning it on Di Cesare, only to find myself staring down the barrel of her own pistol. My finger rested on the trigger, but I didn’t have the guts to pull it.
"Kill me, and you will not see the sun tomorrow." She said, her voice still cold and calm.
“Killing you is part of the job…” I replied, but my finger still couldn’t squeeze the trigger.
“And is it worth your life?” Di Cesare asked. “You fail your mission either way.”
“And die with some goddamn honor…”
“There’s no such thing as honor. There is alive and there is dead. Choose.”
I knew what I was supposed to choose.
But my hands were shaking, as I stared into the face of death. My finger couldn’t squeeze the trigger.
The gun collapsed to the floor and Di Cesare kicked it away from me, before huffing and lowering her gun.
“Do not return,” She said softly. “Or next time, I will unleash a hell upon you that will make you beg for simple traps.”
She picked Bundy’s gun up off the ground, and then she was gone. After I finally picked myself up off the ground, I was gone too.
As I walked back along the stream… I passed the corpses of the men we’d left behind. Barber and Wilson, Jack, Feng, Hernandez, and his team. The flies were already feasting on them. Animals had already torn at them. And as I looked down at their cold corpses, I knew I had made the right choice.
I filed my report with the Brethren. Told them that Di Cesare had wiped us out, and a few months later I quietly retired. I never looked back.
***
“You walked away from her?” Sweeney asked in disbelief, “You had her dead to rights and you walked away from her?”
“I chose to live,” I replied. “Can’t say I regret the decision either. Because of the choice I made, I met my wife and had my kids. I’ve lived the life I had because I chose not to throw it away on some vampire.”
Sweeney just shook his head.
“You could have gotten the first confirmed kill on a Di Cesare in two centuries, and you threw it away you fucking coward! I could execute you for that!” I noticed his hand hovering over the gun on his hip.
“You could.” I replied, before quietly unholstering the pistol I kept at my side. I aimed it at Sweeney’s head.
He stared at me like a slack jawed idiot.
“Would you like to give it a try?”
“W-what…?”
“Would you like to give it a try, Mr. Sweeney? Or would you like to see the sun tomorrow?”
He stared down the barrel of my gun, and I already knew what his choice would be.
Sweeney took a step back. I saw his hand move away from his holster, and I lowered the gun with a huff.
“Thought so,” I said.
Mr. Sweeney left me without another word.
I knew he would not return.
submitted by HeadOfSpectre to HeadOfSpectre [link] [comments]
Revenge.
What a moronically quaint idea.
This jumped up little shit had come into my home, interrupted my retirement and here he was talking to me about revenge, as if he knew the first thing about what I’d seen, what I’d been through, why I’d quit.
Looking into his eyes, I knew he didn’t understand. I knew he couldn’t.
I've been hunting vampires for most of my life. I've killed more of them than I can count. But Clementine Di Cesare was no ordinary vampire. Hell, none of the Di Cesares were ordinary vampires, but even among them Clementine was… unique. She was the one all the others quietly feared. The one who was even spoken of with reverence by the Di Cesares masters, those twin Immortals who could not be killed by any weapon of this world. Seeking revenge against her was like seeking revenge against death itself.
“Revenge?” I repeated, with a dismissive scoff.
“You’re really going to tell me that after what she put you through, you don’t want revenge?” Sweeney asked.
“If you knew what she did to me, you’d know why I don’t want revenge,” I replied.
“Really? Sorry Franklin, but I don’t buy that. Look, I get it if you’re reluctant to jump back into the fight. I do. You of all people know just how dangerous the Di Cesare’s are. Especially ‘La Morte’.”
I looked over at him as he said that name. It rolled off his tongue so irreverently. To him, it was just a name. An alias assigned to some vampire he’s only heard of stories. He didn’t utter it with the respect it deserved, and I almost couldn’t be bothered to correct him. Any words spent on this small minded glory hound were probably wasted.
“Yes, I do know.”
“Which is why I need you,” Sweeney said. He almost sounded as if he were pleading with me. “Think of this as an opportunity to set things right… to put that vampire bitch in the ground where she belongs, and save God only knows how many lives in the process!”
I sighed.
He just didn’t get it.
“Mark my words, Mr. Sweeney, if you chase after Clementine Di Cesare, you’ll end far more lives than you save. She didn’t get a name like ‘La Morte’ for nothing. She earned it. Purchased it with the blood of the tens of thousands she’s sent screaming into the maw of Hell. She is not something you chase, Sweeney.”
“She’s a vampire,” Sweeney said dismissively. “She’s another enemy to destroy.”
“That’s what George Bundy said,” I replied. “Then not too long after, he died.”
“I’m not George Bundy,” Sweeney said.
“No. You sure as hell ain’t,” I agreed, before looking the kid in the eye.
He thought he was an up and comer, climbing the ranks of the Brethren. He probably thought of himself as some sort of badass vampire hunter too, when in reality he could never have so much as dreamed of holding a candle to the likes of Bundy… or hell, any of the men who’d died in Brazil.
“You should watch your tone with me,” Sweeney warned.
“Or you’ll do what?” I asked, “You ain’t going to frighten me with vague threats, boy. I’ve walked through Hell, trying to kill the Devil. What have you done?”
Sweeney bit his lip but didn’t respond.
“There’s nothing you can say or do that will intimidate me,” I said, before lighting myself a cigarette. I stared at the road outside of my porch, old memories flooding back to me before looking over at Sweeney again. He sat in his chair beside me like a sulky child. This was the man who wanted to destroy the Di Cesare family? Pathetic.
“Exactly how much do you know about the Brazil Job?” I asked.
“I know it was a failure. Clementine Di Cesare killed most of the men the Brethren sent out… all except for you. You were the only one good enough to beat her.”
“Good enough…” I repeated with a huff, “Hardly… whatever picture you’ve got in your head of some glorified battle, throw it away. Trust me, the Brazil Job was anything but glorious. It was a two hour long trek through Hell. And I didn’t beat Di Cesare at the end of it. I survived her. They’re two different things entirely.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Sweeney said.
“You wouldn’t, would you?” I sighed and took another drag on my cigarette.
This kid wasn’t going to leave until I made him understand… so I told him my story. I told him everything even though I knew he’d learn nothing from it.
***
I’d joined up with the Brethren Knights of St. Fontaine back in the 1980s to hunt monsters. Back then, it seemed like the best use of my skills. I’d done my tours with the army, but even after I got out, I was still looking for an enemy to fight. So naturally, once I found out that vampires were real, I set my sights on them. It seemed like the most sensible thing to do at the time.
The Brethren Knights fancied themselves the descendants of the Knights Templar, and they insisted that their God given mission was to protect mankind from the things that lurked in the shadows. I didn’t really have much love for God at the time, but if the Bretheren were the ones fighting the monsters, then I was happy to tolerate the Jesus freaks in their ranks.
It was 1988 when we first heard whispers of the Imperium. A supposed cabal of vampires, trying to get them organized. At the time, it’d seemed too crazy to be true. Vampires generally went their own way, in my experience. At most, they might have a partner but other than they they didn’t really socialize with their own kind. But supposedly someone out there had the big fucking balls to keep them in line, and whoever they were, they scared the shit out of the Brethren.
They’d started targeting high profile vampires, trying to find someone who was involved in this ‘Imperium’, hoping that maybe they might get someone to talk. And it wasn’t long until they found someone who did.
From my understanding, the vampire they captured didn’t seem to know much about who was actually running the show. But they knew who their second in command was… and that was when I first head about the Di Cesare family.
The name was familiar to some of the higher ups in the Brethren, and I’d heard some stories. Not sure which were true, but the long and short of it was that the Di Cesare’s and the Brethren shared a bloody history, and didn’t particularly like each other too much.
George Bundy explained it to me like this at one point: ‘The Di Cesare’s are an old family. Most of them used to be witches, up until their Matriarch turned them into vampires. Now they’re a whole new kind of nasty. Far as I know, the only time anyone’s actually managed to kill one was about 200 years ago. Anyone who’s tried since has ended up dead, so most folks don’t even bother anymore.’
I guess it shouldn’t have been surprising they’d be involved in the Imperium, but the mere mention of their name ruffled some feathers higher up on the chain of command, and eventually they put out a kill order on them. Most of the Di Cesare’s were generally pretty hard to track down, but the top brass had a pretty good line on their matriarch, Bianca Di Cesare. Supposedly, she’d been spotted near the family’s private estate in Brazil and rumor had it that most of her daughters were there too.
Normally, the brass wouldn’t have sanctioned any kind of attack on them. The Di Cesare’s were already considered off limits, and attacking them at their private estate was considered damn near impossible. The estate was located in a small mining town outside of Manaus called Refugio de Julia, or just Julia for short. The town was fairly remote, being only accessible from a few backroads and most folks tended to avoid it, claiming they’d had various strange encounters in the area. Their accounts described unsettling pale figures with dark hair and large green eyes working in the mines, although some of the more disturbing stories we heard involved sightings of other creatures in the jungle surrounding the town. Massive spiders with humanoid faces, tending rotting corpses filled with stinging bees, giant howling beasts who tore through the forest, hunting prey, and beautiful women who would appear in the nearby towns, betwitching men into coming away with them only to reveal themselves as monsters who fed on the blood of their victims. Some had even claimed the Di Cesares themselves were such beasts… although those claims weren’t taken quite as seriously.
A skeptic might say the stories that surrounded Julia seemed like little more than just local superstition… but the Brethren had been dealing with the supernatural for long enough to recognize when something was probably real, and when it was probably fake and they knew damn well that most of the stories about Julia were probably true. None of them had ever dared set foot in Julia to find out for sure, since doing so would probably be suicide, but the theory was that the Di Cesares had created Julia as something of a refuge for other creatures. Other vampires, werewolves, arachne, karah and all sorts of other hellspawn. They offered them a home and safety in exchange for their labor in the mines. Hell, the name of the town more or less spelled it out.
Refugio de Julia
Julia’s Haven.
Julia had been the name of the only member of the Di Cesare family that the Brethren had ever killed, so I guess it was only fitting they named the town after her.
I honestly think using other creatures like them as a workforce was a bit inspired… since it made Julia damn near impenetrable. Reaching their estate at the far side of the town would have been impossible without being noticed by every creature of hell living in that town, and odds are they’d tear anyone apart long before they even reached the gates of the Di Cesare estate. And if one had the bright idea to approach the estate from another angle, they’d be trudging through miles and miles of rainforest to do so, only end up face to face with a massive stone wall that kept the rainforest out.
In effect - the Di Cesare estate was a fortress. Getting in would be no easy feat, to say nothing of confronting the vampires within. But with the fear of the Imperium gnawing at the back of their minds, the Brethren had finally set their minds to trying.
George Bundy had been the one in charge of planning the operation out.
I’d known Bundy before I’d joined up with the Brethren. Hell, Bundy was the whole reason I’d joined the Brethren. He’d been my CO a number of years back, and he’d earned his reputation as a hardass just about ten or twenty times over. Bundy was a gruff looking man with a bushy moustache and intense eyes. During the years I knew him, I don’t believe I ever once saw him so much as crack a smile. He only ever seemed to speak when he felt there was something he needed to say. Otherwise, he was usually dead silent.
He was somewhere in his late fifties back in 88. By all rights, he ought to have retired years ago. But he refused.
“I’m a soldier,” He said, when I asked him about it once. “That’s all I am. I don’t know what else to be.”
Bundy’s initial plan had been to hit the Di Cesare estate from the air. Come in fast and loud with a couple of helicopters and see how those vampires stood up to some good old American flak. The idea got shot down pretty quickly, so to speak. Apperantly, most if not all of the Di Cesares had cursed their own bodies, causing whatever wound one inflicted on them to appear on whoever it was who had wounded them. Going in guns blazing would have ended in a bloodbath… and not for them. There were also some concerns about drawing attention from Julia. With no conclusive data on just what they had living in that town, there was no guarantee we’d be safe in the air. A few eyewitnesses had described seeing giant nests in some of the trees in the jungle, supposedly consistent with the nests made by harpies.
Flying in guns blazing was out. So Bundy went back to the drawing board and what he came back with… well, it was ballsy, but it almost seemed like it just might work. During his reconnisance of the Di Cesare’s estate, he’d noticed a large but shallow tributary flowing into the amazon river that led right through the Di Cesare’s estate. Along the tributary was an abandoned water mill, that connected to the Di Cesare estate.
He’d suggested using the water mill to gain entry to the grounds, and from there, move on the Di Cesare’s. That plan had been approved, and Bundy had been allowed to handpick his team for the operation. He’d chosen fifteen men, all of them ex military, most of them having served under him before.
He’d told us we would be dividing into three teams of five men each. We would leave Manaus by boat, and land at three different areas near the tributary before making our way to the mill on foot, where we would regroup, before moving on the Di Cesares. The reason for the division was to ensure that if any of our teams ran into trouble upon making ground, the entire operation wouldn’t be compromised.
Team 1, led by Bundy himself would depart first and land to the west of the tributary. Team 2, led by a man named Ferdinand Hernandez would make land about fifteen minutes later near the mouth of the tributary and Team 3, to be led by me would land fifteen minutes later to the east.
On the day of the operation, I sat in my boat, watching as the other two left. It was twilight when we set out, and I remember that as my team and I carried out our final checks on our equipment, the only thing I felt was a familiar anticipation.
I’d hesitate to call it fear. Fear is what came later. Anticipation is the better word. I knew we could be walking into a tough situation… but I trusted Bundy. I trusted he’d run a smooth op. God knew, he’d done it a thousand times before.
The team assigned to me wasn’t anything particularly special. They were competent enough, but none of them would’ve been my first choices. Jack McMullen, for instance, who was about the same age as I was at the time. We’d both served under Bundy before, although while I respected Bundy, Jack was wholly devoted to him. I swear, if the man had told him to stuff a live grenade up his ass, Jack would’ve done it without a moments hesitation. I dunno if Jack simply saw him as the father he’d never had or what, but he damn near worshipped Bundy.
I can’t quite say the same for the other guys we had with us, though. One of them, some greenhorn by the name of Pearce Wilson struck me as an airheaded pretty boy who’d never actually had his boots on the ground before, while the other one, Scott Barber had left a bad taste in my mouth last time we’d worked together. Barber was capable… but he was violent. This was a kid with a hell of a chip on his shoulder, and it looked a hell of a lot like that Confederate flag patch he wore on his jacket. He wanted an excuse to shoot something, and I don’t think he cared what. Under most circumstances I’m not sure I would’ve fully trusted him with a gun.
The last one though, Joseph Feng… him I trusted. Feng was the one I knew the least about, and he didn’t seem much for conversation. But he handled himself competently enough and seemed to know when to sit down and shut up.
When Team 2’s boat was far enough away, we got the radio signal to follow. Barber was the one steering the boat, so I gave him the order to cast off and we ventured out into the twilight, unaware of just what was waiting for us out there.
***
We landed in our designated area fifteen minutes after Team 2 confirmed they’d touched down at theirs. Our landing was fairly uneventful. Feng, Barber, and I secured the boat before we radio’d Bundy to let him know we were in position. After that, it was just a matter of making it to the tributary.
As we ventured into the jungle, the world around us was quiet. There was wind, the whisper of the river behind us, and the sounds of animals. But little else. The river fell away behind us as we moved in single file toward the tributary, maintaining radio silence as we did.
It was about a half hour before we heard the gunshot.
Just one, echoing through the twilight. But it was enough to give us pause.
“The fuck was that?” I heard Barber ask. Immediately, the kid was on high alert, with his gun raised as if he were expecting every monster in Julia to come charging at us from all angles.
I just listened, waiting to hear if there was anything else. I half expected my radio to come to life, but it didn’t.
“Team 1, status?” I asked.
The radio crackled with static, but there was no response.
I tried it again, but still with no success. The radio was working, that much I was sure of. Something had to be blocking the signal.
“What’s going on?” Feng asked.
“Dunno,” I replied. “Comms are down.”
“Down?” Wilson asked, “So we’re flying blind out here, then?”
“More or less,” I replied.
“What do we do? Do we go back… if the comms are down…”
“Just because something’s jamming our signal doesn’t mean we’re made,” I said. “Relax. We keep moving for now. You keep your eyes wide open, and your head on a swivel. We’ll make it to the tributary and see if we can’t meet up with the other teams.”
I could tell Wilson wasn’t a fan of my answer, but I didn’t much care. We had a job to do, and I aimed to do it.
I pressed on without a further word and the others followed. Up ahead, I could hear the sound of running water and picked up the pace. I figured the tributary had to be close… and I was right.
I emerged from the brush into the stream, only to pause when I saw what was waiting for us in the water.
In the dying sunlight, it was impossible to mistake the bodies sprawled out on the rocks as anything else… and all I needed to do was look at their uniforms to know they were our people.
“Jesus…” I heard Wilson say under his breath. He froze up, lingering by the bank as I cautiously approached one of the bodies.
It belonged to a somewhat heavyset man with a thin mustache who I recognized as Hernandez. His eyes were still open, although lifeless and staring in different directions, and there was a clean hole in his forehead where a bullet had ended his life. The gunshot we’d heard earlier had likely been the sound of his death.
Looking at the bodies around him, I knew they had to be the rest of Team 2… although it was a little harder pinning down their cause of death. Some sort of bladed weapon, perhaps, judging by the state of them. I realized the odds were that they walked into some sort of ambush.
“What about Bundy and Team 1?” Jack asked, “Any sign of them?”
“No,” I said. “These bodies are all from Team 2… Bundy could still be ahead of us.”
“Then we need to keep going!”
Jack turned, heading up the stream and Barber was right behind him. Feng paused for a moment, thinking this over before following. Only Wilson remained.
“How do we know we’re not walking into a trap?” He asked.
“We’ll deal with that when we get to it,” I said before moving to follow the others.
“With all due respect, Sarge… that doesn’t sound like the best course of action!” Wilson argued, finally following me. “It sounds just like a good way to get killed!”
“Yeah?” I asked, “I’m gonna tell you an ugly truth, kid. That’s the job. Make your peace with it, and it’ll go a lot easier.”
Wilson didn’t like that answer either and trailed off behind me, watching as I continued upstream. For a moment, I half expected him to go back to the boat… but no. I dunno if he found his balls or just didn’t want to get left behind, but he started to follow us again.
I kept trying to raise Team 1 on the radio while we walked, although I still had no luck. The light above us slowly faded into darkness as we trudged through the water in silence, guns sitting comfortably in our hands and mosquitos biting at our necks.
It wasn’t until we lost Feng that I heard anybody so much as make a sound, and when we lost Feng… it happened almost instantaneously. One minute, he was at the head of the group, walking just ahead of Jack and I. The next, he was gone, only barely having the time to let out a scream as he fell into the river ahead of us.
The rest of us paused. Jack seemed to freeze and I pushed past him, calling out for Feng as I did. As punishment for my compassion, I almost went down after him. I only barely stopped myself from stepping on the slippery rocks that had helped send him to his demise.
I could see Feng’s body in the water, and I could see the blood pouring out of him. He twitched a few times, but I knew he was dead. The sharpened wooden spikes jutting out of him confirmed as much.
“What the hell…” Jack said under his breath, staring at Feng’s corpse in disbelief. “That’s a fucking spike trap!”
Yeah.
It was indeed a fucking spike trap.
I could see other spikes jutting out of the water ahead of us, just past a small dam of rocks that were just slippery enough to make it difficult to stop yourself from falling. Some of those spikes had other bodies on them… likely members of Team 1. I only counted two, although that still didn’t exactly bode well.
“They put a fucking spike trap in the goddamn stream…” Jack said, “Who the hell does that?”
“Somebody who’s expecting us to use the stream,” I replied.
“So they know we’re coming?” Barber asked.
“Clearly…” I replied. “And they’ve got a good idea on what our route is too.”
“Yeah, no shit!” Barber snapped. “Christ… let’s get the fuck out of here. There’s probably more fucking traps upstream!”
“Bundy’s orders were clear!” Jack argued.
“Bundy’s probably dead by now!” Barber replied, before looking at me. “Sarge, come on. You have to know this is suicide!”
“Suicide was part of the job description, was it not?” I asked.
“The job is to kill those fucking vampires, not to die in the goddamn process! We need to get out of the stream and into the woods!”
“Judging by the fate Team 2 met, I’m not sure the forest is someplace we want to be right now,” I replied.
“Excuse me?” Barber asked, “What the hell are you talking about, Sarge?”
“Five men dead, but only one gunshot. How did the rest die?”
Barber didn’t seem to be able to answer that.
“By now… yes. It’s clear we’ve walked into a trap. And yes, I understand that it makes sense to try and leave that trap… but I don’t know if we’ll be safer in the jungle. Something jumped Team 2. Cut them apart, and then shot Hernandez as a warning. They didn’t have to shoot him. They did it so we’d hear.”
“Your point being?” Barber asked.
“I don’t think this is just a trap, Barber. It’s a game. Stop playing, and you might just end up like our friends downstream.”
“A game?” Wilson asked, “Sarge, you can’t be serious!”
“From where I’m standing, we have a better chance of surviving in the stream,” I said. “Look, we’re at least halfway to the rendezvous point, and there have to be at least two members of Team 1 left. The safest thing to do right now is to follow them.”
“You’re off your fucking rocker, Sarge,” Barber spat, locking his eyes with mine. For a moment, I thought the boy was going to try and fight me. But no. He was wise enough to stand down.
“If you wanna get yourself killed, go right the fuck ahead. Just leave me out of it! Wilson, come on,” Barber said before trudging over to the edge of the stream. Wilson didn’t even hesitate, just looking back at Jack and I quietly before he disappeared into the forest with Barber.
“You’re not gonna stop them?” Jack asked.
“No,” I replied. “God willing, there’s a chance that pigheaded asshole is right… dunno how much of a chance, but a chance.”
“Then how come we’re not following him?” Jack asked.
“There’s also a chance he’s wrong.”
I turned, before making my way around the spike trap.
“Keep a slower pace,” I said. “Watch for traps.”
Jack hesitated for a moment, but he followed me without any further questions and we walked in silence for a little longer.
We heard nothing from the trees. Nothing that told us about the fate of Barber and Wilson. I wasn’t sure if that was good news or not.
In fact, I don’t think we heard a thing until about a half hour later, when we heard the explosion.
It came out of almost nowhere, but ahead of us I could see a flash of light and hear the screams of men. On instinct, I found myself picking up the pace and could hear Jack behind me. In the low light, I saw a shape float past me in the stream. It took me a moment to realize that it was a severed human arm.
In the water ahead of us, I could see a figure clinging to one of the rocks and trying to pick himself up. I recognized him as George Bundy.
Jack was at his side almost immediately, trying to help the old man to his feet.
“Sir! Are you alright?”
Bundy just wheezed, before his legs gave out from under him. I helped Jack drag him to the shore so he could sit and rest for a moment.
“What the hell was that?” I asked, looking back at the stream.
“Grenade trap… I think…” Bundy panted, “Fucking tripwire… Popkov tripped it, I think…”
Popkov… odds are he was one of the two mangled corpses lying in the river a few feet away from us. It seemed they’d taken the brunt of the explosion, although Bundy still had some shrapnel in his arm that Jack was tending to.
“Christ… whole fucking ops gone to shit…” Bundy spat. “Team 2 got taken out just about as soon as they landed. Someone killed them and dumped them in the goddamn river. Lost half my boys to the fucking spike trap and half to this…”
He looked up at us, before spitting onto the ground.
“Guess you two haven’t done much better.”
“Hard to say,” I replied. “Two of ours took off into the woods, trying to avoid the traps.”
“Then they’re dead,” Bundy replied. “I’ve seen her watching us… always just up ahead, always from a distance… she’s seeing how far we’ll go. How much we’ll take…”
“She?” I asked.
“La Morte. Should’ve figured she’d be the one to greet us.”
“La Morte?” I asked.
“It’s Italian. Supposedly, she earned that name around the time the Di Cesares fled Venice. It’s funny, the Brethren like to act like the Di Cesares leaving Venice was some big victory of theirs, since before they did, they finally killed one of them… hard to call it a victory though, considering how many corpses they made before they fled. And most of them came from La Morte…”
Bundy winced in pain as Jack bandaged his arm before he continued talking.
“See… when the Di Cesare’s left Venice, one of them stayed behind. Clementine, the Scorpio sister. Guess she was unwilling to leave the fight unfinished… and according to the stories, the death toll she personally amassed in the years after the Di Cesare’s left Venice make the bodies they claimed during the Venetian Massacre a hundred and fifty years prior look like a pittance. The Brethren still occupying the city started to call her La Morte. Death. Cuz wherever she went, death followed in her wake… and it seems we’ve walked right into her open arms, haven’t we, boys?”
“You’re sure it’s her?” I asked.
“She’s a Di Cesare… and the shit we’ve seen out here… I don’t see any other Di Cesare setting those traps. It’s her. I’m sure of it. She’s watching us. Seeing how far we’ll go. Seeing if we’ll turn tail…”
“Should we?” Jack asked, and Bundy finally seemed to acknowledge him.
“Excuse me?” He asked.
“Should we? Look, sir… I’d follow you into the mouth of Hell, but right now, we’re down from fifteen men to three. Can’t say I’m optimistic about our chances right now. If this woman is half as bad as you’re saying she is, maybe it’s time we took a step back!”
Jack looked at me, hoping I might back him up, but I remained silent.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Bundy asked.
“What I’m hearing here, is that as of right now, the vampire out there could kill us at any time. She hasn’t. Far as I’m concerned, that’s mercy. Maybe we should be taking it while it’s offered.”
Bundy stared at him, before chuckling. I think it was the first time I’d ever seen him laugh.
“Just walk away, then?” He asked.
“Walk away, and come back better prepared!” Jack corrected.
“Walk away,” Bundy said again. “We walk away now, and there won’t be a chance to come back better prepared. We get one shot at this. One. Failure is not an option. We go in there and we kill them or we die. End of discussion.”
“And how exactly are we even supposed to kill them?” Jack asked, “That curse they have… bullets aren’t gonna do shit, sir!”
“Yours won’t, mine will…”
Bundy pulled his pistol from his holster. I noticed some sort of pattern crudely engraved on it.
“I’ve been doing some research… studied the curse they put on themselves… and I think I’ve found a way to break it. Not sure if it’ll work yet… but we get one chance to test it.”
Jack stared at the gun, then back at Bundy.
“Sir… do you hear yourself?” He asked quietly, “You can’t be serious… right now, even with that gun we don’t stand a chance in he-”
The gunshot echoed through the forest and made me jump. Jack’s voice died in his throat as he hit the ground.
Bundy stared at him for a moment, before huffing and holstering his pistol again. He draped his coat over his shoulders, before looking over at me.
“No room for failure, Frank,” He said calmly.
I didn’t know what to say to that. I stared down at Jack’s body, my mouth hanging open slightly. When I looked back at Bundy, he was already back in the stream.
There was a tense silence between Bundy and I as I followed him along the final stretch of the tributary. He trudged on ahead, covered in sweat and straining with every step, but I could sense the quiet determination he had to see this through. Looking at him, you could’ve told me that George Bundy could wipe out the Di Cesare’s all by himself and I would have believed it in a second.
The night around us was full of sound, and each one drew my attention. I watched the forest, expecting to see some sign of La Morte watching us. But I saw nothing, except for what she wanted me to see.
“Mill’s just up ahead,” I heard Bundy say as we pressed on, although I noticed his steps faltering as he seemed to notice something in the trees above us. I stopped behind him, looking up before seeing what he saw, and when I saw it I felt my stomach turn.
I’d seen death before.
But what Di Cesare had left out for us… that was something else.
Pearce Wilson and Scott Barber weren’t dead.
But if they could have spoke, I’ve got no doubt they would have begged us to kill them. Wilsons pretty face was covered in blood and his pouty lips were parted as more trickled out of him. His curly blond hair was matted and I could see crimson there. Tree branches portruded from his ribs, while the loops of his entrails dangled out of his opened stomach. And Barber was in just about the same state, only he seemed to at least have the ability to turn his head to look at us.
I think he might have tried to speak, but the only sound he seemed to be able to make was a pained whimper.
“Jesus Christ…” I said softly.
“He had nothing to do with this,” Bundy replied. He took one last look at the two dying men hanging from the trees, before moving on.
“We should put them out of their misery, sir,” I said.
Bundy paused, before looking back at me.
“Don’t waste the ammo, Frank,” He replied. “They’re already dead.”
“Not yet they’re not!”
“Give them time. They chose to go into the woods. They can live with the consequences… for however long that lasts.”
With that, he left them. If I were a more compassionate man, I would have put them out of their misery. But no. Bundy moved on and so did I.
He approached the water mill, before examining it. It was an old building, made of stone that had long since been overgrown by moss, and sat right on the wall that separated the Di Cesares estate from the amazon. It hardly looked secure, even if the only entrance hadn’t just been an old wooden door secured with a padlock, finding a way in wouldn’t have been difficult. And it didn’t take much for Bundy to break through that door. All he needed was a couple of well placed kicks and it swung right open.
Drawing his gun, Bundy strode inside and I followed him.
“The Di Cesare’s will be in the main house,” He said. “We should find a way in through the back, try and catch them off guard. Main target should be the matriarch, Bianca. Her we should prioritize keeping alive… the rest are expendable.”
“Much as you are, I’m sure.” A voice called from deeper in the mill, and both Bundy and I froze.
I noticed movement on the floor above us, and through the shadows, I saw a tall woman watching us. She was dressed all in black, with blond hair tied back in a ponytail and the intense eyes of a soldier.
This had to be Clementine Di Cesare.
Bundy aimed his pistol at her, although she only barely seemed to notice.
“Only two of you left… I’m not sure the odds are in your favor,” The woman said. Her voice was low, calm and quiet.
“Only one way to find out,” Bundy growled.
“And only one way to walk out of this place alive,” Di Cesare countered. “You can put the gun down, turn and walk away. I won’t stop you. There’s no shame in living.”
“All the bodies you’ve left in your wake… that’s rich,” Bundy said.
“I don’t relish what I’ve done. I simply don’t know how to do anything else,” She replied. “Think about this, Bundy. Over my lifetime, there have been countless thousands who have come to kill me. All of them are dead, but I am not. Even if you could kill me… you could not kill my sisters. Not all of them. Not before they came for you.”
“Just you, would be enough…” Bundy said, before pulling the trigger.
I knew he’d hit her. I knew the bullet pierced her shoulder. But that woman… she didn’t even flinch. She simply dove out of the way before he could shoot again, taking cover and avoiding his next shot.
“Frank, upstairs!” Bundy snapped, “Flush her out!”
I went, trudging up the old wooden steps with my rifle drawn. Only to see Di Cesare vaulting over the railing and back down to the ground floor as soon as I made it up there.
Bundy shot at her again, only to miss for a second time. I saw Di Cesare’s arm move, and heard him cry out in pain. In the low light, I could see a dagger protruding from his shoulder. He stumbled back a step, leaving himself open for only a split second.
That second was all it took for Di Cesare to raise her own gun and fire just one shot.
George Bundy hit the ground without so much as a final scream. There was just a simple hole in his skull where she had shot him.
I felt my heart start to race faster. My eyes settled on Bundy’s gun, and I ran for the railing, vaulting it and dropping to the ground below with a thud. Di Cesare shot at me, and I felt the bullet tear through my leg. I reached out for the fallen gun and grabbed it before turning it on Di Cesare, only to find myself staring down the barrel of her own pistol. My finger rested on the trigger, but I didn’t have the guts to pull it.
"Kill me, and you will not see the sun tomorrow." She said, her voice still cold and calm.
“Killing you is part of the job…” I replied, but my finger still couldn’t squeeze the trigger.
“And is it worth your life?” Di Cesare asked. “You fail your mission either way.”
“And die with some goddamn honor…”
“There’s no such thing as honor. There is alive and there is dead. Choose.”
I knew what I was supposed to choose.
But my hands were shaking, as I stared into the face of death. My finger couldn’t squeeze the trigger.
The gun collapsed to the floor and Di Cesare kicked it away from me, before huffing and lowering her gun.
“Do not return,” She said softly. “Or next time, I will unleash a hell upon you that will make you beg for simple traps.”
She picked Bundy’s gun up off the ground, and then she was gone. After I finally picked myself up off the ground, I was gone too.
As I walked back along the stream… I passed the corpses of the men we’d left behind. Barber and Wilson, Jack, Feng, Hernandez, and his team. The flies were already feasting on them. Animals had already torn at them. And as I looked down at their cold corpses, I knew I had made the right choice.
I filed my report with the Brethren. Told them that Di Cesare had wiped us out, and a few months later I quietly retired. I never looked back.
***
“You walked away from her?” Sweeney asked in disbelief, “You had her dead to rights and you walked away from her?”
“I chose to live,” I replied. “Can’t say I regret the decision either. Because of the choice I made, I met my wife and had my kids. I’ve lived the life I had because I chose not to throw it away on some vampire.”
Sweeney just shook his head.
“You could have gotten the first confirmed kill on a Di Cesare in two centuries, and you threw it away you fucking coward! I could execute you for that!” I noticed his hand hovering over the gun on his hip.
“You could.” I replied, before quietly unholstering the pistol I kept at my side. I aimed it at Sweeney’s head.
He stared at me like a slack jawed idiot.
“Would you like to give it a try?”
“W-what…?”
“Would you like to give it a try, Mr. Sweeney? Or would you like to see the sun tomorrow?”
He stared down the barrel of my gun, and I already knew what his choice would be.
Sweeney took a step back. I saw his hand move away from his holster, and I lowered the gun with a huff.
“Thought so,” I said.
Mr. Sweeney left me without another word.
I knew he would not return.
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2023.06.03 17:08 ShodaimeSakurakage Naruto fan fiction Idea:
Comparing Orochimaru-style characters: Marvel: Loki (Marvel Comics) - Like Orochimaru, Loki is a cunning and manipulative character with a thirst for power and immortality. Both characters are willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve their goals and are known for their shapeshifting abilities. DC: Ra's al Ghul - Ra's al Ghul, an adversary of Batman, shares similarities with Orochimaru in terms of their immortality-seeking goals and their willingness to experiment on themselves and others. Both characters are skilled in combat and possess vast knowledge. Dragon Ball: Frieza - Frieza, a major antagonist in Dragon Ball, bears some similarities to Orochimaru in terms of their obsession with power and immortality. Both characters are known for their ruthless nature, willingness to betray allies, and their ability to revive or transfer their consciousness. Bleach: Mayuri Kurotsuchi - Mayuri, a captain in the Gotei 13, possesses a similar scientific and experimental mindset to Orochimaru. Both characters enjoy experimenting on others, pushing ethical boundaries, and have a lack of empathy towards their subjects. One Piece: Caesar Clown - Caesar Clown, an antagonist in One Piece, shares Orochimaru's scientific experimentation and desire for immortality. Both characters are willing to sacrifice others for their own gain and have a knack for manipulation and deception. Digimon: Piedmon - Piedmon, a villain in the Digimon series, shares Orochimaru's penchant for manipulation and desire for eternal life. Both characters are skilled in illusionary techniques and are willing to use others as pawns to achieve their goals. Pokémon: Team Rocket's Jessie and James - While not as dark as Orochimaru, Jessie and James from Pokémon exhibit similar traits of constant scheming and a desire for power. Both characters are known for their persistence and willingness to employ any means necessary to achieve their objectives. Star Wars: Emperor Palpatine - Emperor Palpatine, the primary antagonist in the Star Wars saga, shares Orochimaru's thirst for power and immortality. Both characters are highly manipulative and use others as pawns in their grand schemes. Star Trek: Khan Noonien Singh - Khan, a genetically enhanced superhuman from the Star Trek franchise, exhibits similarities to Orochimaru in terms of his ambition, thirst for power, and disregard for ethical boundaries. Both characters are driven by their desire for superiority. Harry Potter: Lord Voldemort - Lord Voldemort, the main antagonist in the Harry Potter series, shares Orochimaru's quest for immortality and his willingness to perform dark magic and experiments to achieve it. Both characters are feared and known for their ruthlessness.
Comparing Danzo-style characters: Marvel: Alexander Pierce - Alexander Pierce, a character from the Marvel Comics and portrayed by Robert Redford in the MCU film "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," shares similarities with Danzo in terms of their secretive and manipulative nature. Both characters operate behind the scenes, pulling strings to achieve their desired outcomes. DC: Amanda Waller - Amanda Waller, also known as "The Wall," is a character from DC Comics who is often portrayed as a ruthless and morally ambiguous government official. Like Danzo, Waller is willing to make difficult decisions and sacrifices for what she believes is the greater good, even if it means resorting to morally gray tactics. Dragon Ball: Dr. Gero - Dr. Gero, the creator of the androids in Dragon Ball, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their willingness to sacrifice others and manipulate events for their own goals. Both characters operate in secret and are willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve their objectives. Bleach: Sōsuke Aizen - Aizen, the main antagonist in the Bleach series, shares similarities with Danzo in terms of their secretive nature and manipulation of events from behind the scenes. Both characters are highly intelligent and have a knack for planning and orchestrating complex schemes. One Piece: Spandam - Spandam, a high-ranking member of the World Government in One Piece, shares traits with Danzo in terms of their power-hungry nature and willingness to use others as pawns. Both characters are known for their underhanded tactics and lack of empathy towards their subordinates. Digimon: Machinedramon - Machinedramon, a villainous Digimon, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their authoritarian and manipulative tendencies. Both characters seek to control others and are willing to use force and coercion to achieve their goals. Pokémon: Team Rocket's Giovanni - Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket in the Pokémon series, shares traits with Danzo in terms of his secretive nature and manipulation of events. Both characters operate from the shadows, using their organization to achieve their personal ambitions. Star Wars: Grand Moff Tarkin - Grand Moff Tarkin, a high-ranking Imperial officer in Star Wars, exhibits similar traits to Danzo in terms of his authoritative nature and willingness to make ruthless decisions for the sake of the Empire. Both characters prioritize order and control over individual freedoms. Star Trek: Section 31 - Section 31, a clandestine intelligence agency in Star Trek, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their secretive operations and willingness to operate outside of standard protocols for the sake of security and control. Harry Potter: Dolores Umbridge - Dolores Umbridge, a character from the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Danzo in terms of her authoritarian and manipulative nature. Both characters seek power and control and are willing to suppress others to maintain their authority.
Comparing Naruto-style characters: 1. Marvel: Spider-Man (Peter Parker) - Spider-Man shares similarities with Naruto in terms of their youthful energy, determination, and sense of responsibility. Both characters face personal challenges while striving to protect their loved ones and maintain their moral compass. 2. DC: The Flash (Barry Allen) - The Flash, known for his superhuman speed, mirrors Naruto's energetic and optimistic personality. Both characters have a strong sense of justice and use their powers to help others. 3. Dragon Ball: Goku - Goku, the protagonist of Dragon Ball, exhibits similar traits to Naruto, including his determination, strong moral compass, and the desire to protect his friends and loved ones. Both characters have an unwavering belief in their own potential and a never-give-up attitude. 4. Bleach: Ichigo Kurosaki - Ichigo shares similarities with Naruto in terms of their impulsive nature, strong sense of justice, and the willingness to protect their loved ones at all costs. Both characters undergo personal growth throughout their respective stories. 5. One Piece: Monkey D. Luffy - Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, has a similar carefree and optimistic personality to Naruto. Both characters have a strong sense of loyalty, fight for their dreams, and gather friends to support them on their journeys. 6. Digimon: Tai Kamiya - Tai, the leader of the DigiDestined in the Digimon series, shares Naruto's determination, bravery, and willingness to protect his friends. Both characters grow as leaders and develop strong bonds with their companions. 7. Pokémon: Ash Ketchum - Ash, the main character of the Pokémon anime series, embodies Naruto's enthusiasm, determination, and unwavering spirit. Both characters strive to become the best in their respective fields and form deep connections with their Pokémon partners. 8. Star Wars: Luke Skywalker - Luke Skywalker, the iconic Jedi Knight, exhibits similarities to Naruto in terms of their journey from a naive and inexperienced youth to a powerful and compassionate hero. Both characters face personal struggles and ultimately become symbols of hope. 9. Star Trek: James T. Kirk - Captain Kirk, the charismatic leader of the Starship Enterprise, shares Naruto's passion, resourcefulness, and willingness to take risks. Both characters inspire and lead their teams through challenging situations. 10. Harry Potter: Harry Potter - Harry, the titular character of the Harry Potter series, mirrors Naruto's courage, determination, and desire to protect his loved ones. Both characters face overwhelming odds and learn valuable lessons about friendship and sacrifice. Comparing Sasuke-style characters: 1. Marvel: Wolverine (Logan) - Wolverine shares similarities with Sasuke in terms of their brooding and solitary nature. Both characters struggle with their inner demons and carry a deep sense of pain and loss. Additionally, they possess extraordinary abilities and are formidable fighters. 2. DC: Batman (Bruce Wayne) - Batman, known for his dark and driven personality, can be compared to Sasuke in terms of their intense dedication to their goals and their willingness to operate outside the norm. Both characters seek justice but are haunted by their past traumas. 3. Dragon Ball: Vegeta - Vegeta, a Saiyan prince in Dragon Ball, exhibits a similar personality to Sasuke in terms of his pride, desire for power, and intense rivalry with the main protagonist. Both characters undergo personal growth and develop a sense of redemption. 4. Bleach: Byakuya Kuchiki - Byakuya, a captain in the Gotei 13, shares similarities with Sasuke in terms of his stoic and aloof demeanor. Both characters have a complex past and struggle with conflicting loyalties. They prioritize personal missions and can be seen as anti-heroes. 5. One Piece : Roronoa Zoro - Zoro, a swordsman and member of the Straw Hat Pirates, can be compared to Sasuke in terms of his serious and determined nature. Both characters possess great skill in combat and have a strong desire to become stronger. 6. Digimon: Ken Ichijouji - Ken, a character from the Digimon series, shares traits with Sasuke in terms of his initial coldness and desire for power. Both characters undergo a journey of redemption and eventually find their place among friends. 7. Pokémon: Silver - Silver, a rival character in the Pokémon games, exhibits similarities to Sasuke in terms of his abrasive and driven personality. Both characters are initially antagonistic but later show growth and develop a sense of purpose beyond their rivalry. 8. Star Wars: Kylo Ren (Ben Solo) - Kylo Ren, a central character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, shares traits with Sasuke in terms of his internal conflict, desire for power, and struggle to find his identity. Both characters walk a fine line between light and dark. 9. Star Trek: Spock - Spock, the Vulcan science officer in Star Trek, can be compared to Sasuke in terms of his logical and reserved nature. Both characters grapple with their emotions and have internal struggles that impact their relationships with others. 10. Harry Potter: Severus Snape - Snape, a complex character in the Harry Potter series, exhibits similarities to Sasuke in terms of his brooding and secretive personality. Both characters have a tragic past and their actions are driven by a desire for revenge and protection. Comparing Sakura Haruno-style characters: 1. Marvel: Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) - Black Widow shares similarities with Sakura in terms of their intelligence, strategic thinking, and combat skills. Both characters are determined, independent, and capable of holding their own in dangerous situations. 2. DC: Wonder Woman (Diana Prince) - Wonder Woman can be compared to Sakura in terms of their strength, resilience, and determination. Both characters are skilled warriors and possess a compassionate and caring nature. 3. Dragon Ball: Android 18 - Android 18, a powerful fighter in Dragon Ball, exhibits traits similar to Sakura in terms of her physical strength, determination, and the ability to hold her own in battles. Both characters display a balance of strength and femininity. 4. Bleach: Rukia Kuchiki - Rukia shares similarities with Sakura in terms of their growth as characters and their initial underestimation by others. Both characters possess inner strength, intelligence, and a desire to protect their loved ones. 5. One Piece: Nami - Nami, a member of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece, can be compared to Sakura in terms of their resourcefulness, intelligence, and ability to think strategically. Both characters contribute to their teams with their expertise and support. 6. Digimon: Sora Takenouchi - Sora, a character from the Digimon series, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her strong-willed nature, determination, and willingness to step up and protect her friends. Both characters evolve from initially being more reliant on others to becoming self-reliant. 7. Pokémon: May - May, a Pokémon Coordinator in the Pokémon anime series, exhibits similarities to Sakura in terms of her growth as a character and her development of her own skills and abilities. Both characters strive to become stronger and more independent. 8. Star Wars: Leia Organa - Leia, a central character in the Star Wars saga, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her intelligence, leadership skills, and ability to handle herself in difficult situations. Both characters are strong-willed and have a compassionate nature. 9. Star Trek: Seven of Nine - Seven of Nine, a character in Star Trek: Voyager, exhibits similarities to Sakura in terms of her determination, intelligence, and growth as a character. Both characters show resilience and adaptability. 10. Harry Potter: Hermione Granger - Hermione, a central character in the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her intelligence, determination, and loyalty. Both characters are driven, capable, and play crucial roles in their respective stories. Comparing Hinata Hyuga-style characters: 1. Marvel: Jean Grey (Phoenix) - Jean Grey shares similarities with Hinata in terms of their shy and reserved nature, as well as their hidden inner strength. Both characters develop into powerful forces and exhibit unwavering loyalty to their loved ones. 2. DC: Raven - Raven, a character from DC Comics, can be compared to Hinata in terms of their quiet demeanor and internal struggles. Both characters possess hidden depths of power and exhibit a gentle and caring nature. 3. Dragon Ball: Gohan - Gohan, the son of Goku in Dragon Ball, shares traits with Hinata in terms of their initial shyness and gentle personality. Both characters possess immense power and show tremendous growth and courage when pushed to their limits. 4. Bleach: Orihime Inoue - Orihime, a character in Bleach, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her kind-hearted nature, shyness, and unwavering loyalty to her friends. Both characters find strength within themselves and show tremendous growth throughout their respective stories. 5. One Piece: Nico Robin - Robin, a member of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece , shares traits with Hinata in terms of her reserved and introverted personality. Both characters have a tragic past and gradually open up and find their place among their friends. 6. Digimon: Kari Kamiya - Kari, a character from the Digimon series, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her quiet and caring nature. Both characters possess inner strength and provide support and encouragement to their friends. 7. Pokémon: Eevee - Eevee, a popular Pokémon known for its multiple evolutionary paths, can be compared to Hinata in terms of its shy and gentle demeanor. Both characters exhibit a quiet strength and have the potential to evolve and grow. 8. Star Wars: Rey - Rey, a central character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, shares traits with Hinata in terms of her humble beginnings, inner strength, and loyalty to her friends. Both characters undergo personal growth and discover their true potential. 9. Star Trek: T'Pol - T'Pol, a Vulcan science officer in Star Trek: Enterprise, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her reserved and introspective nature. Both characters provide a calm and rational presence within their respective stories. 10. Harry Potter: Luna Lovegood - Luna, a character from the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Hinata in terms of her quiet and unique personality. Both characters possess a kind and caring nature, with a touch of eccentricity, and offer unwavering support to their friends. Comparing Jiraiya-style characters: 1. Marvel: Tony Stark (Iron Man) - Tony Stark shares similarities with Jiraiya in terms of their charismatic and larger-than-life personalities. Both characters possess a playful and confident nature, while also being skilled in their respective fields. 2. DC: Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) - Green Arrow can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of their adventurous and wise-cracking personalities. Both characters have a knack for getting into trouble and possess a deep sense of loyalty to their friends. 3. Dragon Ball: Master Roshi - Master Roshi exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of their perverted and eccentric behavior, as well as their mentorship roles to younger characters. Both characters are powerful fighters with a mischievous side. 4. Bleach: Kisuke Urahara - Urahara shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his playful and enigmatic nature. Both characters are knowledgeable mentors who provide guidance and support to the main protagonists. 5. One Piece: Silvers Rayleigh - Rayleigh, a former pirate and mentor to the protagonist, exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of his wise and carefree demeanor. Both characters possess vast experience and provide crucial guidance. 6. Digimon: Gennai - Gennai, a recurring character in the Digimon series, can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of his mentorship and wise demeanor. Both characters guide the protagonists and possess hidden depths of knowledge. 7. Pokémon: Professor Oak - Professor Oak, a character from the Pokémon series, shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his mentorship and adventurous nature. Both characters provide guidance and encouragement to young trainers. 8. Star Wars: Qui-Gon Jinn - Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi Master in Star Wars, exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of his wise and unconventional approach to the Force. Both characters possess a deep understanding of their respective worlds. 9. Star Trek: Jean-Luc Picard - Captain Picard, the captain of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: The Next Generation, can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of his charismatic and wise leadership style. Both characters inspire and guide their teams. 10. Harry Potter: Albus Dumbledore - Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his wisdom, playful nature, and mentorship role. Both characters possess immense knowledge and provide guidance to young heroes. Comparing Tsunade-style characters: 1. Marvel: Jessica Jones - Jessica Jones shares similarities with Tsunade in terms of their strong-willed and independent nature. Both characters have a no-nonsense attitude and possess remarkable physical strength. 2. DC: Amanda Waller - Amanda Waller, a character in the DC universe, exhibits traits similar to Tsunade in terms of her authoritative and no-compromise attitude. Both characters are strong leaders who make tough decisions for the greater good. 3. Dragon Ball: Android 18 - Android 18 can be compared to Tsunade in terms of their strength, resilience, and no-nonsense personality. Both characters are fierce fighters and demonstrate determination and power. 4. Bleach: Unohana Retsu - Unohana, a captain in the Gotei 13, shares similarities with Tsunade in terms of their healing abilities and calm demeanor. Both characters possess immense skill and are respected leaders. 5. One Piece: Boa Hancock - Hancock exhibits traits similar to Tsunade in terms of her assertive and strong-willed personality. Both characters command respect and have exceptional combat skills. 6. Digimon: Yolei Inoue - Yolei, a character from the Digimon series, can be compared to Tsunade in terms of her determined and assertive nature. Both characters are strong-willed and play crucial roles in their respective groups. 7. Pokémon: Cynthia - Cynthia, a powerful Pokémon Champion in the Pokémon games, shares traits with Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership and formidable abilities. Both characters are respected figures in their respective worlds. 8. Star Wars: General Leia Organa - Leia Organa, a central character in the Star Wars saga, exhibits similarities to Tsunade in terms of her leadership skills, resilience, and determination. Both characters are strong women who command respect. 9. Star Trek: Kathryn Janeway - Captain Janeway, the captain of the USS Voyager in Star Trek: Voyager, shares traits with Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership and determination. Both characters face challenges head-on and inspire their crews. 10. Harry Potter: Minerva McGonagall - McGonagall, a professor and later Headmistress of Hogwarts, exhibits similarities to Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership, no-nonsense attitude, and dedication to her students. Both characters are formidable and respected figures in their respective institutions.
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Comparing Danzo-style characters: Marvel: Alexander Pierce - Alexander Pierce, a character from the Marvel Comics and portrayed by Robert Redford in the MCU film "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," shares similarities with Danzo in terms of their secretive and manipulative nature. Both characters operate behind the scenes, pulling strings to achieve their desired outcomes. DC: Amanda Waller - Amanda Waller, also known as "The Wall," is a character from DC Comics who is often portrayed as a ruthless and morally ambiguous government official. Like Danzo, Waller is willing to make difficult decisions and sacrifices for what she believes is the greater good, even if it means resorting to morally gray tactics. Dragon Ball: Dr. Gero - Dr. Gero, the creator of the androids in Dragon Ball, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their willingness to sacrifice others and manipulate events for their own goals. Both characters operate in secret and are willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve their objectives. Bleach: Sōsuke Aizen - Aizen, the main antagonist in the Bleach series, shares similarities with Danzo in terms of their secretive nature and manipulation of events from behind the scenes. Both characters are highly intelligent and have a knack for planning and orchestrating complex schemes. One Piece: Spandam - Spandam, a high-ranking member of the World Government in One Piece, shares traits with Danzo in terms of their power-hungry nature and willingness to use others as pawns. Both characters are known for their underhanded tactics and lack of empathy towards their subordinates. Digimon: Machinedramon - Machinedramon, a villainous Digimon, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their authoritarian and manipulative tendencies. Both characters seek to control others and are willing to use force and coercion to achieve their goals. Pokémon: Team Rocket's Giovanni - Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket in the Pokémon series, shares traits with Danzo in terms of his secretive nature and manipulation of events. Both characters operate from the shadows, using their organization to achieve their personal ambitions. Star Wars: Grand Moff Tarkin - Grand Moff Tarkin, a high-ranking Imperial officer in Star Wars, exhibits similar traits to Danzo in terms of his authoritative nature and willingness to make ruthless decisions for the sake of the Empire. Both characters prioritize order and control over individual freedoms. Star Trek: Section 31 - Section 31, a clandestine intelligence agency in Star Trek, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their secretive operations and willingness to operate outside of standard protocols for the sake of security and control. Harry Potter: Dolores Umbridge - Dolores Umbridge, a character from the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Danzo in terms of her authoritarian and manipulative nature. Both characters seek power and control and are willing to suppress others to maintain their authority.
Comparing Naruto-style characters: 1. Marvel: Spider-Man (Peter Parker) - Spider-Man shares similarities with Naruto in terms of their youthful energy, determination, and sense of responsibility. Both characters face personal challenges while striving to protect their loved ones and maintain their moral compass. 2. DC: The Flash (Barry Allen) - The Flash, known for his superhuman speed, mirrors Naruto's energetic and optimistic personality. Both characters have a strong sense of justice and use their powers to help others. 3. Dragon Ball: Goku - Goku, the protagonist of Dragon Ball, exhibits similar traits to Naruto, including his determination, strong moral compass, and the desire to protect his friends and loved ones. Both characters have an unwavering belief in their own potential and a never-give-up attitude. 4. Bleach: Ichigo Kurosaki - Ichigo shares similarities with Naruto in terms of their impulsive nature, strong sense of justice, and the willingness to protect their loved ones at all costs. Both characters undergo personal growth throughout their respective stories. 5. One Piece: Monkey D. Luffy - Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, has a similar carefree and optimistic personality to Naruto. Both characters have a strong sense of loyalty, fight for their dreams, and gather friends to support them on their journeys. 6. Digimon: Tai Kamiya - Tai, the leader of the DigiDestined in the Digimon series, shares Naruto's determination, bravery, and willingness to protect his friends. Both characters grow as leaders and develop strong bonds with their companions. 7. Pokémon: Ash Ketchum - Ash, the main character of the Pokémon anime series, embodies Naruto's enthusiasm, determination, and unwavering spirit. Both characters strive to become the best in their respective fields and form deep connections with their Pokémon partners. 8. Star Wars: Luke Skywalker - Luke Skywalker, the iconic Jedi Knight, exhibits similarities to Naruto in terms of their journey from a naive and inexperienced youth to a powerful and compassionate hero. Both characters face personal struggles and ultimately become symbols of hope. 9. Star Trek: James T. Kirk - Captain Kirk, the charismatic leader of the Starship Enterprise, shares Naruto's passion, resourcefulness, and willingness to take risks. Both characters inspire and lead their teams through challenging situations. 10. Harry Potter: Harry Potter - Harry, the titular character of the Harry Potter series, mirrors Naruto's courage, determination, and desire to protect his loved ones. Both characters face overwhelming odds and learn valuable lessons about friendship and sacrifice. Comparing Sasuke-style characters: 1. Marvel: Wolverine (Logan) - Wolverine shares similarities with Sasuke in terms of their brooding and solitary nature. Both characters struggle with their inner demons and carry a deep sense of pain and loss. Additionally, they possess extraordinary abilities and are formidable fighters. 2. DC: Batman (Bruce Wayne) - Batman, known for his dark and driven personality, can be compared to Sasuke in terms of their intense dedication to their goals and their willingness to operate outside the norm. Both characters seek justice but are haunted by their past traumas. 3. Dragon Ball: Vegeta - Vegeta, a Saiyan prince in Dragon Ball, exhibits a similar personality to Sasuke in terms of his pride, desire for power, and intense rivalry with the main protagonist. Both characters undergo personal growth and develop a sense of redemption. 4. Bleach: Byakuya Kuchiki - Byakuya, a captain in the Gotei 13, shares similarities with Sasuke in terms of his stoic and aloof demeanor. Both characters have a complex past and struggle with conflicting loyalties. They prioritize personal missions and can be seen as anti-heroes. 5. One Piece : Roronoa Zoro - Zoro, a swordsman and member of the Straw Hat Pirates, can be compared to Sasuke in terms of his serious and determined nature. Both characters possess great skill in combat and have a strong desire to become stronger. 6. Digimon: Ken Ichijouji - Ken, a character from the Digimon series, shares traits with Sasuke in terms of his initial coldness and desire for power. Both characters undergo a journey of redemption and eventually find their place among friends. 7. Pokémon: Silver - Silver, a rival character in the Pokémon games, exhibits similarities to Sasuke in terms of his abrasive and driven personality. Both characters are initially antagonistic but later show growth and develop a sense of purpose beyond their rivalry. 8. Star Wars: Kylo Ren (Ben Solo) - Kylo Ren, a central character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, shares traits with Sasuke in terms of his internal conflict, desire for power, and struggle to find his identity. Both characters walk a fine line between light and dark. 9. Star Trek: Spock - Spock, the Vulcan science officer in Star Trek, can be compared to Sasuke in terms of his logical and reserved nature. Both characters grapple with their emotions and have internal struggles that impact their relationships with others. 10. Harry Potter: Severus Snape - Snape, a complex character in the Harry Potter series, exhibits similarities to Sasuke in terms of his brooding and secretive personality. Both characters have a tragic past and their actions are driven by a desire for revenge and protection. Comparing Sakura Haruno-style characters: 1. Marvel: Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) - Black Widow shares similarities with Sakura in terms of their intelligence, strategic thinking, and combat skills. Both characters are determined, independent, and capable of holding their own in dangerous situations. 2. DC: Wonder Woman (Diana Prince) - Wonder Woman can be compared to Sakura in terms of their strength, resilience, and determination. Both characters are skilled warriors and possess a compassionate and caring nature. 3. Dragon Ball: Android 18 - Android 18, a powerful fighter in Dragon Ball, exhibits traits similar to Sakura in terms of her physical strength, determination, and the ability to hold her own in battles. Both characters display a balance of strength and femininity. 4. Bleach: Rukia Kuchiki - Rukia shares similarities with Sakura in terms of their growth as characters and their initial underestimation by others. Both characters possess inner strength, intelligence, and a desire to protect their loved ones. 5. One Piece: Nami - Nami, a member of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece, can be compared to Sakura in terms of their resourcefulness, intelligence, and ability to think strategically. Both characters contribute to their teams with their expertise and support. 6. Digimon: Sora Takenouchi - Sora, a character from the Digimon series, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her strong-willed nature, determination, and willingness to step up and protect her friends. Both characters evolve from initially being more reliant on others to becoming self-reliant. 7. Pokémon: May - May, a Pokémon Coordinator in the Pokémon anime series, exhibits similarities to Sakura in terms of her growth as a character and her development of her own skills and abilities. Both characters strive to become stronger and more independent. 8. Star Wars: Leia Organa - Leia, a central character in the Star Wars saga, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her intelligence, leadership skills, and ability to handle herself in difficult situations. Both characters are strong-willed and have a compassionate nature. 9. Star Trek: Seven of Nine - Seven of Nine, a character in Star Trek: Voyager, exhibits similarities to Sakura in terms of her determination, intelligence, and growth as a character. Both characters show resilience and adaptability. 10. Harry Potter: Hermione Granger - Hermione, a central character in the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her intelligence, determination, and loyalty. Both characters are driven, capable, and play crucial roles in their respective stories. Comparing Hinata Hyuga-style characters: 1. Marvel: Jean Grey (Phoenix) - Jean Grey shares similarities with Hinata in terms of their shy and reserved nature, as well as their hidden inner strength. Both characters develop into powerful forces and exhibit unwavering loyalty to their loved ones. 2. DC: Raven - Raven, a character from DC Comics, can be compared to Hinata in terms of their quiet demeanor and internal struggles. Both characters possess hidden depths of power and exhibit a gentle and caring nature. 3. Dragon Ball: Gohan - Gohan, the son of Goku in Dragon Ball, shares traits with Hinata in terms of their initial shyness and gentle personality. Both characters possess immense power and show tremendous growth and courage when pushed to their limits. 4. Bleach: Orihime Inoue - Orihime, a character in Bleach, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her kind-hearted nature, shyness, and unwavering loyalty to her friends. Both characters find strength within themselves and show tremendous growth throughout their respective stories. 5. One Piece: Nico Robin - Robin, a member of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece , shares traits with Hinata in terms of her reserved and introverted personality. Both characters have a tragic past and gradually open up and find their place among their friends. 6. Digimon: Kari Kamiya - Kari, a character from the Digimon series, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her quiet and caring nature. Both characters possess inner strength and provide support and encouragement to their friends. 7. Pokémon: Eevee - Eevee, a popular Pokémon known for its multiple evolutionary paths, can be compared to Hinata in terms of its shy and gentle demeanor. Both characters exhibit a quiet strength and have the potential to evolve and grow. 8. Star Wars: Rey - Rey, a central character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, shares traits with Hinata in terms of her humble beginnings, inner strength, and loyalty to her friends. Both characters undergo personal growth and discover their true potential. 9. Star Trek: T'Pol - T'Pol, a Vulcan science officer in Star Trek: Enterprise, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her reserved and introspective nature. Both characters provide a calm and rational presence within their respective stories. 10. Harry Potter: Luna Lovegood - Luna, a character from the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Hinata in terms of her quiet and unique personality. Both characters possess a kind and caring nature, with a touch of eccentricity, and offer unwavering support to their friends. Comparing Jiraiya-style characters: 1. Marvel: Tony Stark (Iron Man) - Tony Stark shares similarities with Jiraiya in terms of their charismatic and larger-than-life personalities. Both characters possess a playful and confident nature, while also being skilled in their respective fields. 2. DC: Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) - Green Arrow can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of their adventurous and wise-cracking personalities. Both characters have a knack for getting into trouble and possess a deep sense of loyalty to their friends. 3. Dragon Ball: Master Roshi - Master Roshi exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of their perverted and eccentric behavior, as well as their mentorship roles to younger characters. Both characters are powerful fighters with a mischievous side. 4. Bleach: Kisuke Urahara - Urahara shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his playful and enigmatic nature. Both characters are knowledgeable mentors who provide guidance and support to the main protagonists. 5. One Piece: Silvers Rayleigh - Rayleigh, a former pirate and mentor to the protagonist, exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of his wise and carefree demeanor. Both characters possess vast experience and provide crucial guidance. 6. Digimon: Gennai - Gennai, a recurring character in the Digimon series, can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of his mentorship and wise demeanor. Both characters guide the protagonists and possess hidden depths of knowledge. 7. Pokémon: Professor Oak - Professor Oak, a character from the Pokémon series, shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his mentorship and adventurous nature. Both characters provide guidance and encouragement to young trainers. 8. Star Wars: Qui-Gon Jinn - Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi Master in Star Wars, exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of his wise and unconventional approach to the Force. Both characters possess a deep understanding of their respective worlds. 9. Star Trek: Jean-Luc Picard - Captain Picard, the captain of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: The Next Generation, can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of his charismatic and wise leadership style. Both characters inspire and guide their teams. 10. Harry Potter: Albus Dumbledore - Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his wisdom, playful nature, and mentorship role. Both characters possess immense knowledge and provide guidance to young heroes. Comparing Tsunade-style characters: 1. Marvel: Jessica Jones - Jessica Jones shares similarities with Tsunade in terms of their strong-willed and independent nature. Both characters have a no-nonsense attitude and possess remarkable physical strength. 2. DC: Amanda Waller - Amanda Waller, a character in the DC universe, exhibits traits similar to Tsunade in terms of her authoritative and no-compromise attitude. Both characters are strong leaders who make tough decisions for the greater good. 3. Dragon Ball: Android 18 - Android 18 can be compared to Tsunade in terms of their strength, resilience, and no-nonsense personality. Both characters are fierce fighters and demonstrate determination and power. 4. Bleach: Unohana Retsu - Unohana, a captain in the Gotei 13, shares similarities with Tsunade in terms of their healing abilities and calm demeanor. Both characters possess immense skill and are respected leaders. 5. One Piece: Boa Hancock - Hancock exhibits traits similar to Tsunade in terms of her assertive and strong-willed personality. Both characters command respect and have exceptional combat skills. 6. Digimon: Yolei Inoue - Yolei, a character from the Digimon series, can be compared to Tsunade in terms of her determined and assertive nature. Both characters are strong-willed and play crucial roles in their respective groups. 7. Pokémon: Cynthia - Cynthia, a powerful Pokémon Champion in the Pokémon games, shares traits with Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership and formidable abilities. Both characters are respected figures in their respective worlds. 8. Star Wars: General Leia Organa - Leia Organa, a central character in the Star Wars saga, exhibits similarities to Tsunade in terms of her leadership skills, resilience, and determination. Both characters are strong women who command respect. 9. Star Trek: Kathryn Janeway - Captain Janeway, the captain of the USS Voyager in Star Trek: Voyager, shares traits with Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership and determination. Both characters face challenges head-on and inspire their crews. 10. Harry Potter: Minerva McGonagall - McGonagall, a professor and later Headmistress of Hogwarts, exhibits similarities to Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership, no-nonsense attitude, and dedication to her students. Both characters are formidable and respected figures in their respective institutions.
2023.06.03 17:05 Proletlariet Connery Bond
The original British man of mystery, James Bond was first brought to life on the screen by Sean Connery. Dressed to the nines in a tuxedo and armed with a number of concealed gadgets, Bond was sent across the world to stop high scale crimes. His quick wit and commendable physicality has saved the world a half dozen times over.
This Bond, being the traditional mid-century spy, uses many tricks to get a leg up over the enemy. He’s a very clever, wily agent, although he’s not above just brute forcing his problems with great strength. His Q Branch equipment is disguised as everyday items, so he’s used to being prepared when infiltrating an organization.
The films included in this thread are Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, and Diamonds are Forever. Hover over a feat to see which film it’s from.
Unarmed
Reconnaissance/Detection
Aston Martin DB5
submitted by Proletlariet to u/Proletlariet [link] [comments]
This Bond, being the traditional mid-century spy, uses many tricks to get a leg up over the enemy. He’s a very clever, wily agent, although he’s not above just brute forcing his problems with great strength. His Q Branch equipment is disguised as everyday items, so he’s used to being prepared when infiltrating an organization.
The films included in this thread are Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, and Diamonds are Forever. Hover over a feat to see which film it’s from.
Physicals
Strength- Resists the force of rushing water inside a pipe
- Flips a table with two men on top of it into the water
- Avoids an assassin’s poisoned kicks by pinning her to a wall with a chair
- Holds himself up on the ceiling and drops on a guard when he walks into Bond’s cell
- When his sleeve is pinned to a large wooden cabinet, he pulls the cabinet down
- Picks up and throws a chair at a man, knocking him out
- Fights off an attacker with a damn couch
- Breaks a wooden board with a downward strike
- Throws a man around, sending him through two Japanese screen walls
- When he’s held underwater by two women, Bond surfaces and holds both of them underwater with one hand each
- Resists being garroted long enough to grab a knife, stabbing his attacker and turning the garrote wire back on him
- [Limit] Knocked out by a pistol whip to the back of the head
- Keeps fighting after getting a wooden chair broken over his back
- OK after being dropped on his face into a vent
- Stays conscious after strikes from Oddjob
- Keeps fighting through a vase to the head
- Fights on through hits with a fireplace poker
- Keeps swimming despite grenades being detonated around him
- Keeps running despite being shot in the calf
- Breaks free of a rear hold after being punched in the face twice
- Takes a beating from two acrobats, Bambi and Thumper
- [Limit] Knocked out by an urn to the back of the neck
- Dodges Oddjob’s hat
- While on the ground, he dodges katana swings
- Chases down an assassin, tackling him
- Performs a front flip off a ledge
- Rolls and pulls a lever to incapacitate a gunman with a machine
- Traverses the underside of an oil rig by swinging on a rope, then walking a tightrope
Skill
CombatUnarmed
- Catches a kick, then throws the attacker back
- Judo flips an attacker, then punches him
- Breaks a hold from behind by a man who wrestles alligators
- Brawls with Dr. No before leaving him to die in the radioactive waters
- Punches out a man in a hazmat suit in one blow
- Commandeers a speedboat, throwing the two men off of it
- Dispatches a guard with a neck strike
- Fights evenly with Grant in a train car, with both men getting in hits before Grant begins garroting Bond with a concealed wire
- Sweeps Pussy Galore to the floor, then reverses her judo throw attempt
- Sneaks up on a guard, then sweeps the leg to knock him out
- Silently KOs a man, then steals his equipment to blend in with a scuba crew
- Knocks out six men when fleeing on a rooftop
- Starts thrashing technicians until one pulls a gun
- Wrestles with Hans before flipping him into a piranha pond
- Wrestles a man in a crowded elevator, using the windows and door as weapons
- Kicks a man off of his vehicle and steals it
- Smacks a dame
- Stealthily kills a man in a river with a knife
- Closes a truck’s hood on a man’s hand, then punches him out
- Brawls with an assassin in a hotel room before throwing him into a bathtub and knocking a fan into the water, electrocuting him
- Runs up on a guard and slams his head into a car, knocking him out
- Kills Oddjob by using exposed electrical wiring on a metal cage that Oddjob was touching
- Breaks a man’s neck with a fireplace poker
- Pulls a would-be assassin through a window
- Identifies an assassin hiding in the shower, then takes him out with the shower and a nearby door
- Kicks a man’s alcohol bottle, then ignites the contents with a woman’s lighter, allowing him to escape the car
- While diving, Bond wrestles with another diver before cutting his breathing device
- Disarms a diver, then uses the harpoon gun to shatter their goggles
- Defeats three men in the confined space of a ship’s cockpit
- Kills a man with his own knife in one maneuver
- Disarms a man of a spear and stabs him fatally
- Tears off a woman’s bikini top and chokes her with it
- Sprays a man with a fire extinguisher, then strikes him off a ledge with it
- Throws flammable alcohol onto an assassin, lighting him on fire
- While being choked from behind, Bond throws the attacker off of himself, then ties a time bomb to his coat and throws him off a boat
- Shoots a gunman atop a bridge
- Using a sniper rifle, Bond shoots a man in a helicopter, causing him to drop his grenade inside
- Using a flare gun, Bond fires on floating oil drums, causing an explosion to consume enemy boats
- Grabs Goldfinger’s gun and fires on an airplane window, sucking the villain out of the plane
- Efficient in skeet shooting
- Turns and immediately shoots a harpoon, killing a stealthy assassin
- Shoots a gunman despite their being behind a column for cover
- Shoots three pursuing men
- Right after waking up, he shoots a ninja in the dark
- Outshoots a man in a hallway
- [Stealth] Knowing that a man is coming to kill him, Bond waits behind a door, then holds the attempted killer at gunpoint
- [Stealth] Uses a hollow reed to hide underwater from guards and dogs
- [Deception] Tricks Grant into opening a rigged case, which disperses tear gas in his face
- [Sleight of Hand] Slips a tracking device and a note into a gangster’s coat pocket
- [Disguise] Steals an assassin’s clothing, pretends to be the assassin and is personally carried back to the villain’s headquarters
- [Stealth] Hides in plain sight by pretending to be making out, but it’s actually just his own arms wrapped around himself
- [Stealth] Sneaks into the back of a van while his partner distracts the driver
- [Identification] Identifies an assassin he’s never seen before by the scent of their aftershave
- Loses a pursuing driver by driving under an obstacle
- Weaves around a parking lot, causing a dozen cop cars to crash into themselves, walls or parked cars
- Briefly drives on two wheels to slip through a narrow alley
- [Observation] Notices an attacker in the reflection of a woman’s eye, then uses her as a human shield to block a strike
- [Observation] Notices shadows under a door while snooping, allowing him to hide
- [Human Shield] Uses his dancing partner as a human shield when he notices a concealed gunman’s pistol
- [Foreign Language] Learned several Asian languages at Cambridge
- [Alcoholism] Can tell the temperature of alcohol after one sip
- [Accuracy] Throws three scalpels into a man’s arm and chest
- [Diving] Dives off an oil rig into the ocean below
Equipment
Weapons- Carries a Walther PPK, a discreet pistol with excellent stopping power
- A collapsible Armalite AR-7 sniper rifle with an infrared sight, allowing for use in the dark
- A knife, kept in his boot
- A grenade, for use underwater
- A projectile launcher disguised as a cigarette, gifted to Bond by a ninja master
- Once carried a throwing star, a gift from a ninja organization
Reconnaissance/Detection
- Has a small sensor to detect a listening device on the telephone
- A recorder disguised as a camera, with audio sent automatically to MI6
- A waterproof geiger counter in his watch
- A waterproof camera with infrared compatibility
- Grapnel gun, used to quickly scale a wall and take out the guard on the other side
- A grappling gun and cord that attaches to his pants, allowing him to scale the outside of a skyscraper
- Parachutes near an oil rig in an inflatable sphere that floats on the surface of water
- A scuba tank with a forward-facing projectile launcher
- Briefly wore a ninja outfit with suction cups on the palms and knees, used to scale down metal walls
- Flies away from a fight with a jetpack
- A gas mask
- Scuba gear with a head attachment, meant to make Bond look like a harmless water fowl
- A pocket rebreather that works for about four minutes
- Carries what is effectively a mousetrap in his jacket, so that when a guard reaches in to take his gun, he gets his fingers trapped
- Uses a fake fingerprint to assume another man’s identity
- Two small transmitters, the larger of which is magnetic
- Can detect his transmitters on the DB5’s radar
- Smaller transmitter can be placed in Bond’s shoe if he needs to call for backup or rescue
- A leather case with numerous hidden components, like ammunition holders, throwing knives, a folding sniper rifle and 50 gold coins
- A long tube of plastic explosive and a detonator
- A small device to aid in safe cracking
- A small explosive, used to blow a lock off a cell door
Aston Martin DB5
- A modified Aston Martin DB5 with bulletproof windows and revolving license plate
- Also has defenses mechanism controls in the center console and ejector seat
- Dual water cannons on the rear of the car
- A helicopter that can be quickly constructed by four workers
- Dual machine guns and dual heat-seeking rocket launchers
- Backwards facing flamethrowers
- Can drop miniature bombs directly beneath the helicopter
Miscellaneous
- Puts powder on his bag and a strand of hair on a closet door to detect if intruders were in his room
- If a woman is distracting him, he swats her away like a fly
- He only has sex for King and Country, it gives him no pleasure, he swears
- Once faked his death and burial at sea to go undercover
- Gets a disguise to look like “a Japanese”
- Uses an escape pod as an wrecking ball to destroy the computers that operate a laser satellite
2023.06.03 17:00 Proletlariet Composite Bond - Main Body
I admire your luck, Mr...?
Bond. James Bond.
Bond generally wields a sidearm with lethal efficiency, along with a number of incredible gadgets developed by the geniuses at Q Branch. With his remarkable physical ability and ever-changing bag of tools, there isn't an international crime organization that Bond has failed to take down. The only thing that could possible distract Bond are his own vices: women or booze, both of which have gotten one over on him in the past.
Sean Connery- 1962 to 1967, once more in 1971. Physically strong, numerous gadgets disguised as everyday items. Adept in traditional spy skills, like infiltration and observation.
George Lazenby- Once in 1969. Very similar to Connery in his craftiness, skilled specifically in winter sports.
Roger Moore- 1973 to 1985. Downright campy, making use of almost cartoonish skills that actually work in-universe. Skilled driver and pilot with a variety of gadgets.
Timothy Dalton- 1987 to 1989. Colder and more quick to become violent than the others. Usually carries a firearm and a lethal gadget to kill enemies.
Pierce Brosnan- 1995 to 2002. Best variety of gadgets of any Bond. Great feats of endurance and athletic ability.
Daniel Craig- 2006 to 2021. The most realistic Bond, yet has some of the most impressive physical abilities in any of the movies. Low variety of gadgets, but excels in gunfights.
Hover over a feat to see the film it’s from. Additionally, the name of any gif on Gfycat contains the last name of the actor that accomplished it.
Physicals
You have a nasty habit of surviving.Strength
Well, you know what they say about the fittest.
Striking
- Breaks a wooden board with a downward strike
- Tackles a man through two bathroom stalls
- Barrels through a temporary construction wall
- Punches through drywall and wood to access a hidden room
- Picks up and throws a chair at a man, knocking him out
- Fights off an attacker with a couch
- Picks up and slides a man across a table
- Tosses a chain onto a low-flying helicopter to cause it to crash
- Holds a man above a ledge by the hair
- When he’s held underwater by two women, Bond surfaces and holds both of them underwater with one hand each
- Holds onto a small plane while the pilot tries to shake him off
- Catches a rope on a blimp and holds on even after it rises high into the air
- Holds onto the top of a speeding car, even when the driver attempts to shake him off
- Avoids falling out of a plane’s airlock by grabbing onto some netting
- Holds onto the outside of a moving seaplane, even after the pilot attempts to shake him off
- Holds onto the bottom of an elevator car as it rises up a skyscraper
Other
- After being buried in snow by an avalanche, Bond climbs out and is relatively okay about a minute later
- Wrestles with a large constricting snake before killing it with a poison injector
Blunt Force
- Keeps fighting after getting a wooden chair broken over his back
- Stays conscious after strikes from Oddjob
- Fights on through hits with a fireplace poker
- Jumps from a bridge to a passing boat, falling through the roof and onto a wedding cake
- While hanging onto a blimp, he’s smacked into the Golden Gate Bridge and quickly starts climbing up
- He’s knocked down a ladder, but recovers by the time he gets to the bottom rung
- Continues fighting Stamper after a number of blows to the face
- Falls from a low hot air balloon onto a domed structure, and he recovers by grabbing some nearby cables
- When jumping off a low crane, Bond stumbles, falling into a metal air vent. He’s up and running moments later.
- Recieves cock and ball torture by Le Chiffre’s rope, at first barely responding, then laughing in his torturer’s face
- Falls one or two stories onto the top of a bus, but gets up quickly
- Fights on after being hit across the back with a metal pipe four times
- Keeps fighting through repeated strikes from Hinx, like getting thrown into walls or getting thrown through thin walls
- [Limit] Has a recurring weakness to blunt force trauma to the back of the head
- Keeps running despite being shot in the calf
- Keeps fighting after being cut across the chest and being shot up by a nail gun
- Gets shot in the shoulder by a handgun, but operates mostly unimpeded
- Resists being garroted long enough to grab a knife, stabbing his attacker and turning the garrote wire back on him
- Takes over 12 Gs of force before destroying the machine with an armor-piercing dart
- Real-life astronauts are typically trained to withstand up to 9 Gs of force.
- Gets electrocuted with a gauntlet that can output 100,000 volts, which leaves him writhing in pain but conscious
- Bond is shot by a sniper rifle and falls off a high bridge into water. After three months, Bond is mostly physically able again, although his aim is more noticeably affected.
- Endures having a small surgical drill bore into the back of his skull and into the part of the brain that deals with recognition, seemingly to no negative neurological effect
Movement
- Chases down an assassin, tackling him
- Takes a running jump up to a rising platform
- Catches up to an aircraft taking off on the runway
- Runs and jumps into a closing metal door
- Catches up to an airplane during takeoff, jumping into the plane through the landing gear
- Catches up to a fleeing truck on a runway, although it obviously hasn’t accelerated to full speed
- Escapes a CIA squad with just a moment's warning
- Runs away from a fireball caused by a house-sized explosion
- While on the ground, he dodges katana swings
- Dodges a thrown knife, then pulls it out of the wood behind him to kill the assassin
- Dodges a dune buggy at close range
- Evades shotgun fire from a pursuer
- Evades rifle fire, then shoots the enemy gunman
- Evades handgun fire with a roll, then avoids some distant machine gun fire
- Dodges a harpoon underwater
- When a man attempts to shoot Bond’s knees from nearly point blank range, Bond moves his legs to avoid the shots
- Uses an enemy to block gunfire
- While sitting in the passenger seat, Bond grabs the driver’s arm before they can shoot him
- Rolls away from an incendiary grenade’s detonation moments after noticing it
Combat Skill
Problem solver?Unarmed Combat
More of a problem eliminator.
Quick Knock Outs
- Judo flips an attacker, then punches him
- Dispatches a guard with a neck strike
- Silently KOs a man, then steals his equipment to blend in with a scuba crew
- KOs a guard with a judo chop
- Stealthily KOs a guard from behind cover
- Knocks a man out with one kick to the head
- Ends an attempted fistfight with an elbow and then slamming the man on a table
- Knocks out a man by slamming him into the walls of an elevator twice
- Punches a guy out in two strikes
- Consistently one-punches goons
- From a sprint, Bond jumps and kicks a man in the face to knock him out
- Breaks a hold from behind by a man who wrestles alligators
- Fights evenly with Grant in a train car, with both men getting in hits before Grant begins garroting Bond with a concealed wire
- Sweeps Pussy Galore to the floor, then reverses her judo throw attempt
- Wrestles with Hans before flipping him into a piranha pond
- Flips a man with judo throws twice
- Defeats a strong, tough guy in the hotel
- Has an awesome fistfight with a heavyset henchman, ending with Bond punching him off a rooftop
- Fights an assassin while dangling outside of a moving plane
- Has an extended fistfight with Alec Trevylyn, former agent 006, ending with Alec grabbing a handgun to hold Bond at gunpoint
- During a fight, he breaks a man’s arm, then punches him off a ledge
- Brawls with a martial artist on the outside of a crane
- Knocks out six men when fleeing on a rooftop
- Starts thrashing technicians until one pulls a gun
- Defeats four guards in hand-to-hand combat
- Knocks out two attackers who ambushed him
- Drops about four men in a bar fight
- While handcuffed, Bond knocks out four surrounding MI6 agents in an elevator
- Drops two guards with one strike each
- Kicks away a gunman's gun, then beats him up in the ocean
- Disarms an armed woman with one hand
- While unarmed, Bond fights with a knife-wielding villain, with Bond disarming him and tackling him into water
- Disarms a woman and puts her in a painful armhold
- Disarms a gunman and knocks him down some stairs
- Has an extended fight with a man with a machete while in a confined space. Bond himself was unarmed, although he did ball up his jacket to block some strikes.
- Takes out a CIA riot officer with an elbow to the face
- While completely unarmed, defeats a man wielding an axe, even tricking him into slicing his own foot
- Brawls with an assassin armed with a sniper rifle before dropping him out of a skyscraper
- Intentionally breaks the ice on a frozen lake to bring a gunman down into the water, then Bond chokes him to death with his leg
Blades
- Kills a man with his own knife in one maneuver
- In just a few moves, Bond defeats a henchman in a machete fight, throwing him into a container full of snakes
- Steals a man’s knife, then pins his tie to a nearby counter
- Swordfights with a trained fencer, eventually switching to broadswords, where Bond draws first blood from the torso
- While being held at knifepoint, Bond turns and kills the man with his own knife after a struggle
- Breaks a man’s neck with a fireplace poker
- Disarms a diver, then uses the harpoon gun to shatter their goggles
- Using an oar, Bond fights off a man with a large hook
- Uses a ski to knock a man off of a cliff, then kills another man after a struggle
- While unarmed, Bond is attacked by an assassin with a knife, but manages to kill the assassin with a pair of scissors
- Spots an attacker in the reflection of a bronze decoration, then uses the decoration to bludgeon them
- Fights off four men who were beating him with a bat moments before, making heavy use of furniture and blunt items
- Defeats three men in the confined space of a cockpit
- Throws flammable alcohol onto an assassin, igniting him
- Beats down a guard with a door, then five strikes
- Takes out two motorcycle-riding assassins with a long plank of wood
- Uses a ski pole to set a trap for a motorbike-riding assassin
- Knocks out a prison guard while handcuffed, at one point using the cuffs on the man's face
- Defeats two men in a crumbling building, using exposed wiring and a nail gun to dispatch them
- Brawls with an assassin in a hotel room before throwing him into a bathtub and knocking a fan into the water, electrocuting him
- Kills Oddjob by using exposed electrical wiring on a metal cage that Oddjob was touching
- Tricks Jaws into hitting a wood column, knocking a wooden structure over himself
- Brawls with Jaws atop a cable car
- Fights off three hockey player assassins in a hockey rink, taking one out with the zamboni
- Judo throws a goon onto a bed of spikes
- While pinned to a wooden door by knives, he opens the door and kills an assassin with one of the knives
- Smacks a henchman with a plane’s antenna, throwing him off the plane
- Tosses maggots at a gunman, then knocks him out and judo throws him into the maggots
- Bond drags a guard into water and drowns him
- Bond ties a rope around Mr. Hinx’s neck and attaches it to a weight, then kicks that weight off the train to pull Hinx away
Accuracy
You wouldn’t kill me. You’d miss me.Pistols
I never miss.
- Grabs Goldfinger’s gun and fires on an airplane window, sucking the villain out of the plane
- Shoots a gunman despite their being behind a column for cover
- Right after waking up, he shoots a ninja in the dark
- Poses as a wax figure and shoots Scaramanga
- Shoots three soldiers with his Walther P5, two of them being headshots
- Accurately hits a gunman from a moving speedboat
- Shoots a gunman through a wooden floor
- Uses a human shield to block bullets, then returns fire, killing a gunman
- Turns and fires on a man before he can fire
- Shoots a man while hanging upside-down by the leg
- Disarms and shoots two policemen
- Disarms the man holding him at gunpoint, then kills four other armed men in seconds
- Shoots two fire extinguishers to obscure the room and allow hostages to safely escape
- While handcuffed and at gunpoint, Bond steals the gun to shoot his captors
- Uses the Walther PPK to shoot out a dune buggy’s front tire
- Fires a Taurus PT92 into the engine of an oncoming Jeep, disabling it
- From a speedboat, Bond accurately hits a helicopter’s engine enough with a handgun to cause it to crash
- Using a sniper rifle, Bond shoots a man in a helicopter, causing him to drop his grenade inside
- Fires a rifle, killing three goons, while sliding down a bannister
- Kills at least 8 men with a submachine gun in a short timeframe
- Turns around and shoots a gunman before he can kill his hostage. Note that Bond turns and fires right after the gunman receives orders to kill the hostage.
- Spots a sneaking soldier dressed in black and kills him with a rifle
- Fires on a guard before the guard can fire his weapon
- From a speeding hovercraft, Bond hits small land mines to detonate them on his pursuers
- Uses a Sa vz. 58 Compact to escape Blofeld’s facility, killing nearly a dozen guards, even at extreme range
- Turns and immediately shoots a harpoon gun, killing a stealthy assassin
- Takes out a distant sniper by firing a shotgun
- Accurately shoots a sniper’s rifle with his own, rather than kill her
- Escapes a crowd of divers by stealing a harpoon gun and firing it into a nearby seaplane, pulling himself away
- Throws three scalpels into a man’s arm and chest
- Throws a knife into a specific date on a calendar from across a room
- When the auto-targeting system fails, Bond manually shoots down a capsule full of viruses with a laser cannon
- Kills a man with a climbing spike
Other Skills
I always enjoyed learning a new tongue.Athletics
You always were a cunning linguist, James.
- Dives off an oil rig into the ocean below
- Avoids machine gun fire while skiing
- Continues skiing after losing a ski
- While skiing, Bond jumps and twists to smack two gunmen with his skis
- Goes rock climbing on a nearly vertical rock wall
- Temporarily outswims the pull of an industrial fan before destroying it with his air tank
- Performs a HALO jump into water, then immediately begins scuba diving
- Swims outside of a submarine, scaling the surface until he can re-enter the vessel on the other side. He had to hold his breath for almost two minutes while scaling the outside of the submarine.
- Infiltrates North Korea by simply surfing onto the coast of the country
- Parasurfs off a collapsing iceberg
- Leaps from a crashing plane, catching up to his partner and using her parachute to save them both
Driving
- Weaves around a parking lot, causing a dozen cop cars to crash into themselves, walls or parked cars
- Briefly drives on two wheels to slip through a narrow alley
- Drifts a double decker bus, causing a couple cops to crash their motorcycles
- Jumps over a river in a car using a broken bridge as a ramp
- While driving, he knocks over barrels onto enemies, then drives on two wheels to block bullets
- Drives a car over a ramp, onto a bus, then back to ground level
- Picks up a villain's wheelchair with a helicopter, then drops him into a smokestack
- Avoids a heat-seeking missile while piloting a small plane, redirecting it into an enemy hangar
- Dodges a stinger missile by driving a semi-truck on only the left hand wheels
- Starts a helicopter in midair and lands safely
- While flying a much less maneuverable plane, Bond tricks a fighter jet into crashing into a mountainside by producing smoke from a damaged engine
- Ejects a pilot from a helicopter, then pulls the helicopter out of freefall
- Jumps a speedboat over a small patch of land
- Drifts a tank, then drives through a building to cause untold property damage
- Performs a front flip off a ledge
- Traverses a ski lift wire with nothing more than a pair of mittens
- Traverses the underside of an oil rig by swinging on a rope, then walking a tightrope
- Jumps on the back of a couple alligators to escape a swamp
- Swings on vines like Tarzan to escape pursuers
- Traverses the side of a moving train
- Uses a long pole to safely travel down a building, then releases the pole to smack a pursuing officer
- Performs a combat roll down stairs to avoid handgun fire
- Runs up a crane to reach the top of a building under construction
- Climbs up a vertical I-beam
- From the top of a moving truck, Bond runs and flips through the open windshield
- Jumps down a story onto stone, rolling to avoid impact damage
- Uses a hollow reed to hide underwater from guards and dogs
- Hides in plain sight by pretending to be making out, but it’s actually just his own arms wrapped around himself
- Evades a crowd of police
- Lowers his heart rate to trick medical staff and an EKG, then dispatches the staff and escapes the hospital
- Broke into M’s house to use her computer
- [Observation] Notices an attacker in the reflection of a woman’s eye, then uses her as a human shield to block a strike
- [Foreign Language] Learned several Asian languages at Cambridge
- [Alcoholism] Can tell the temperature of alcohol after one sip
- [Deception] Poses as a genealogist under the pseudonym Sir Hillary Bray. After a few days, Blofeld sees through the ruse and has Bond captured.
- [Underwater] Ties a boat to a large rock with the rope he’s bound in, causing the boat to break the rope, freeing Bond
- [Sleight of Hand] Switches out a priceless Faberge egg for a fake copy
- [Animal Commanding] Commands a wild tiger to sit, and it actually listens
- [Gambling] Wins a quarter of a million dollars at a high stakes gambling table
- [Invention] Descends a tall building with some rope and an unconscious body
- [Seduction] Seduces a married woman to learn more about her husband’s criminal activity
- [Preparation] Puts shotgun shells under the floorboards in order to fire on intruders when they step on them
- [Observation] Identifies a hidden door based on a tiny sliver of light through the crack
Equipment
Right, now pay attention 007. I want you to take great care of this equipment. There are one or two rather special accessories.Weapons
Q, have I ever let you down?
Frequently.
Firearms
- Carries a Walther PPK, a discreet pistol with excellent stopping power
- A collapsible Armalite AR-7 sniper rifle with an infrared sight, allowing for use in the dark
- Bond carries a S&W model 29 revolver in early Moore films, then later switches to his iconic Walther PPK, then, finally, uses the Walther P5
- Carries a very small firearm, the Beretta 950 Jetfire
- Has a firearm disguised as a camera. Additionally, the device is programmed to Bond’s own palm signature, meaning only he can fire the weapon.
- A suppressed UMP-9, used to fire on Mr. White’s leg at range
- A Walther PPK with a palm-print sensor coded to Bond’s hand, meaning only he can fire it
- A heavily modified Glock 17, with laser sight and microphone attachment
- A combat knife
- A projectile launcher disguised as a cigarette, gifted to Bond by a ninja master
- A grenade disguised as a ballpoint pen
- A grenade disguised as a lighter
- A flashbang explosive disguised as a handgun, used to stun three gunmen, allowing Bond to dispatch them
Mobility
- A grappling gun and cord that attaches to his pants, allowing him to scale the outside of a skyscraper
- Briefly wore a ninja outfit with suction cups on the palms and knees, used to scale down metal walls
- Flies away from a fight with a jetpack
- A belt with a hidden high-tensile cord, enough to support Bond’s own weight
- A small explosive, used to blow a lock off a cell door
- Has a small safe-cracking device disguised as a cigarette case
- Special glasses to see through tinted glass
- Photocopier disguised as a checkbook
- A digital skeleton key disguised as a gift card
- Binoculars built into a pair of glasses
- Sunglasses with built in X-ray vision, allowing Bond to detect concealed weapons and see through women’s clothing
- A powerful camera, used to identify the faces of high profile criminals with just a few pixels
- A cell phone that acts as a fingerprint scanner, a powerful taser and as a remote control for a BMW
Continued in Comments
2023.06.03 16:59 Chazzyphant Fun with apps: Acloset AI suggestions: do they work? Let's investigate
I started a contest with my husband where every day that passes, starting on June 1, is $1--for him no YouTube and for me no clothing shopping. Whoever cracks first has to pay the other person the accumulated dollars when/if they crack. Well I cannot be the first one to crack, especially since he's so convinced it's going to be me!
Therefore it's time to find other ways to enjoy fashion and style without shopping. I downloaded a new closet app, Acloset, after watching a Youtube video (heh) about it. I've downsized my wardrobe in the recent past--about 200 items total (including special occasion wear, winter sweaters, summer linens, etc) so it only took a couple hours to upload and detail all the items.
I suspect the "AI" is a tool that works like the front end of Whering's paper doll function, where it simply loads your items on a carousel and uses tags to combine them, which is fine. It's fun to see what they come up with.
The AI outfit suggestions are amusing and inspirational (to a point), there's multiple categories:
Outfit based on occasion: I really like this. When setting up one's wardrobe, there are tags to specify the occasion (work, party, daily, etc). So the AI presumably pulls from those tags to make suggestions. The options are casual, smart casual, and formal.
How about we add a pop of [color]? This is the most amusing to me as they include white, beige, gray, and black. Is there such as thing as a "pop of beige", Acloset? At any rate, the app choses 1-2 items in that color and makes an outfit.
Just right for the weather: this is based on your location. It's typically rather bland business-casual or smart casual suggestions with either sweaters and boots or dresses and sandals type thing.
[Specific garment] outfit ideas: I like this--it basically wardrobes your one item with multiple suggestions.
Features: this I really like: you can instruct the AI not to pair certain items as mismatched categories. For example, the system kept pairing a bulky, boxy sweatshirt with a slim, narrow, lightweight coated canvas jacket. It also kept pairing a dress with a shirt (?) and a sweater or similar. It's easy to instruct the AI to cut that out. Like this this really irritates me as who is going to wear a full length dress marked formal, a dress shirt, a blazer, and sneakers. I actually love the sneakers + formal dress but come on. That's the type of thing you mark "mismatched categories".
You can save outfits and add to them (similar to other apps) or delete items.
Pros: I really like the multiple approaches--occasion, weather, wardrobing an item. I always enjoy building outfits and seeing how AI combines clothing. It gives me tons of new ideas.
Cons: The outfits feel random--much more random than OpenWardrobe.
The app does not consider weight or texture of them item or comfort--for example, it paired a snug, sheer skirt with over the knee boots (one of the single most uncomfortable outfits I've ever tried on) because the skirt is cream and black and the boots are black (or that's my guess at least). Urg.
The app seems very focused on a few items to the exclusion of others. For example, I have a single sweatshirt loaded, a "Grailed"-style item I found in a vintage store. It's a paint splattered Sherman Williams sweatshirt that I cut the cuffs off of and hardly ever wear as it's not conventionally flattering, but it's a hella cool item. For whatever reason, Acloset has made dozens of suggestions with this damn thing, to the point I'm tempted to tell the app to exclude it from suggestions. My guess is that I didn't upload many casual tops and therefore whenever the outfit calls for a casual top, that gets picked. But come ON.
The app makes outfits without shoes. It includes bags on the reg but not shoes. I mean...
Shoes are often the most difficult part of an outfit to me, so much so that I've built outfits "shoes up" rather than adding shoes last. So a full outfit with shoes is a valuable function of the app. So much so that I'm tempted to remove or forbid bags and see if the app will put in shoes instead.
Okay the best part: outfit examples:
Flatlay 01: Banana Republic silk camisole, Lilith blazer, FP pants, Donna Karan Collection bag, no shoes suggested
Result in person okay I don't hate it. The top handle bag + camisole and blazer feels a little mumsy to me, despite the funkiness of the blazer and the artsy details on the bag. These FP pants I had the hem lowered and they are still really hard to pair shoes other than sandals with. A B+ outfit.
Flatlay: the sweatshirt, By Marlene Birger skirt, Tory Burch boots an adorable idea, SUPER uncomfortable outfit. It can be styled two ways
Style option 01
Style option 02, which I prefer you can tell by the look on my face I find this a little ridiculous.
Would not wear in real life, so a fail. I will say I did put the boots on over bare legs/feet which was a very unpleasant experience, and one I wouldn't do in real life. So the idea of a shorter skirt, OTK boots and a boxy, oversized top is not misplaced. Just not for a warm, humid late spring day after a full day of work.
Flatlay 03 Universal Standard dress, Prada mules, Target clutch. Wow do I love this. The app stumbled on exactly what works about all three of these items--the sleek yet artistic / interesting minimalism of them all. I would love to find an occasion to which to wear this.
In person I just love this. I look very "over it" in the pictures but that's just my face, heh. Totally chic and interesting outfit, A+.
Flatlay 04 Madewell shoes, Target clutch, That Freaking Sweatshirt, Wit and Wisdom jeans
It's cute I mean, it's not reinventing any wheels and it's not something I wouldn't come up with on my own, but I do love the idea of a clutch with casual clothing. A- because LET IT GO on the sweatshirt, app.
Flatlay 05 Anine Bing tee, Lilith blazer, Vince pants, Donna Karan bag, no shoes suggested
It's...fine it's a business casual inoffensive outfit. I paired it with loafers because that seemed like the best bet. So the thing is...that tee shirt is not a layering piece. It's oversized and draped and it doesn't fit under the snug arms of the coated canvas jacket. B+
Unrelated to the app, I'm also questioning the Donna Karan bag, as it seems really mumsy and staid and 'St. John Knits' with these outfits? Maybe it's the pin + paracord, which I added. Maybe not? Anyhoo, it's in purgatory because it's not quite working for me and I have MANY bags.
I'm also iffy on the Vince pants, which makes me REAL sad. They're lightweight and long enough for me, which never happens. But they wrinkle so severely at the slightest touch, which makes them look cheap and sloppy. They were an outlet find so they weren't that pricey but do I need them? I dunno. I'm wary of getting rid of items during a time I can't replace them, so maybe "purgatory" while I figure it out.
Alright, so there you have it, Acloset review! Do you use Acloset or other apps? Share to us!
submitted by Chazzyphant to fashionwomens35 [link] [comments]
Therefore it's time to find other ways to enjoy fashion and style without shopping. I downloaded a new closet app, Acloset, after watching a Youtube video (heh) about it. I've downsized my wardrobe in the recent past--about 200 items total (including special occasion wear, winter sweaters, summer linens, etc) so it only took a couple hours to upload and detail all the items.
I suspect the "AI" is a tool that works like the front end of Whering's paper doll function, where it simply loads your items on a carousel and uses tags to combine them, which is fine. It's fun to see what they come up with.
The AI outfit suggestions are amusing and inspirational (to a point), there's multiple categories:
Outfit based on occasion: I really like this. When setting up one's wardrobe, there are tags to specify the occasion (work, party, daily, etc). So the AI presumably pulls from those tags to make suggestions. The options are casual, smart casual, and formal.
How about we add a pop of [color]? This is the most amusing to me as they include white, beige, gray, and black. Is there such as thing as a "pop of beige", Acloset? At any rate, the app choses 1-2 items in that color and makes an outfit.
Just right for the weather: this is based on your location. It's typically rather bland business-casual or smart casual suggestions with either sweaters and boots or dresses and sandals type thing.
[Specific garment] outfit ideas: I like this--it basically wardrobes your one item with multiple suggestions.
Features: this I really like: you can instruct the AI not to pair certain items as mismatched categories. For example, the system kept pairing a bulky, boxy sweatshirt with a slim, narrow, lightweight coated canvas jacket. It also kept pairing a dress with a shirt (?) and a sweater or similar. It's easy to instruct the AI to cut that out. Like this this really irritates me as who is going to wear a full length dress marked formal, a dress shirt, a blazer, and sneakers. I actually love the sneakers + formal dress but come on. That's the type of thing you mark "mismatched categories".
You can save outfits and add to them (similar to other apps) or delete items.
Pros: I really like the multiple approaches--occasion, weather, wardrobing an item. I always enjoy building outfits and seeing how AI combines clothing. It gives me tons of new ideas.
Cons: The outfits feel random--much more random than OpenWardrobe.
The app does not consider weight or texture of them item or comfort--for example, it paired a snug, sheer skirt with over the knee boots (one of the single most uncomfortable outfits I've ever tried on) because the skirt is cream and black and the boots are black (or that's my guess at least). Urg.
The app seems very focused on a few items to the exclusion of others. For example, I have a single sweatshirt loaded, a "Grailed"-style item I found in a vintage store. It's a paint splattered Sherman Williams sweatshirt that I cut the cuffs off of and hardly ever wear as it's not conventionally flattering, but it's a hella cool item. For whatever reason, Acloset has made dozens of suggestions with this damn thing, to the point I'm tempted to tell the app to exclude it from suggestions. My guess is that I didn't upload many casual tops and therefore whenever the outfit calls for a casual top, that gets picked. But come ON.
The app makes outfits without shoes. It includes bags on the reg but not shoes. I mean...
Shoes are often the most difficult part of an outfit to me, so much so that I've built outfits "shoes up" rather than adding shoes last. So a full outfit with shoes is a valuable function of the app. So much so that I'm tempted to remove or forbid bags and see if the app will put in shoes instead.
Okay the best part: outfit examples:
Flatlay 01: Banana Republic silk camisole, Lilith blazer, FP pants, Donna Karan Collection bag, no shoes suggested
Result in person okay I don't hate it. The top handle bag + camisole and blazer feels a little mumsy to me, despite the funkiness of the blazer and the artsy details on the bag. These FP pants I had the hem lowered and they are still really hard to pair shoes other than sandals with. A B+ outfit.
Flatlay: the sweatshirt, By Marlene Birger skirt, Tory Burch boots an adorable idea, SUPER uncomfortable outfit. It can be styled two ways
Style option 01
Style option 02, which I prefer you can tell by the look on my face I find this a little ridiculous.
Would not wear in real life, so a fail. I will say I did put the boots on over bare legs/feet which was a very unpleasant experience, and one I wouldn't do in real life. So the idea of a shorter skirt, OTK boots and a boxy, oversized top is not misplaced. Just not for a warm, humid late spring day after a full day of work.
Flatlay 03 Universal Standard dress, Prada mules, Target clutch. Wow do I love this. The app stumbled on exactly what works about all three of these items--the sleek yet artistic / interesting minimalism of them all. I would love to find an occasion to which to wear this.
In person I just love this. I look very "over it" in the pictures but that's just my face, heh. Totally chic and interesting outfit, A+.
Flatlay 04 Madewell shoes, Target clutch, That Freaking Sweatshirt, Wit and Wisdom jeans
It's cute I mean, it's not reinventing any wheels and it's not something I wouldn't come up with on my own, but I do love the idea of a clutch with casual clothing. A- because LET IT GO on the sweatshirt, app.
Flatlay 05 Anine Bing tee, Lilith blazer, Vince pants, Donna Karan bag, no shoes suggested
It's...fine it's a business casual inoffensive outfit. I paired it with loafers because that seemed like the best bet. So the thing is...that tee shirt is not a layering piece. It's oversized and draped and it doesn't fit under the snug arms of the coated canvas jacket. B+
Unrelated to the app, I'm also questioning the Donna Karan bag, as it seems really mumsy and staid and 'St. John Knits' with these outfits? Maybe it's the pin + paracord, which I added. Maybe not? Anyhoo, it's in purgatory because it's not quite working for me and I have MANY bags.
I'm also iffy on the Vince pants, which makes me REAL sad. They're lightweight and long enough for me, which never happens. But they wrinkle so severely at the slightest touch, which makes them look cheap and sloppy. They were an outlet find so they weren't that pricey but do I need them? I dunno. I'm wary of getting rid of items during a time I can't replace them, so maybe "purgatory" while I figure it out.
Alright, so there you have it, Acloset review! Do you use Acloset or other apps? Share to us!
2023.06.03 16:47 FightingUrukHai The Development of Aluwa
Prehistoric Aluwa is often thought of as a primitive society, but although the progress was slow, over the centuries they continued to advance their knowledge in every facet of their life.
Arguably the most significant advancement of this time was the gradual development of tanning leather. First, a deerskin would be cleaned by soaking it in water and scraping it with flint or clamshell tools. Then, it would be soaked again, this time in the same lime solution used in nixtamalization, in order to remove the fat and grease. Finally, the hide would be worked with deer brains, preferably the brains of the deer from which the skin had come – this was thought to improve the durability of the leather, since it was all from one animal – and stretched over an oak fire. The combination of enzymes from the brains and tannin from the woodsmoke would soften the hide and convert it into buckskin leather. The lime soaking and oak smoking also had ritual significance, being linked to similar processes in food preparation; it is thought that these elements were used in deerskin preparation for at least a century before the brains were added to the mix.
The development of tanning caused significant changes to Aluwa society. Now that buckskin clothing could be expected last for many years, it became much more common for people to wear pants and shirts during the spring and autumn, instead of only during the coldest days of winter. They also began decorating their clothing with chalk and ochre, both as a fashion choice and as a signifier of tribe loyalty. These didn’t replace earlier traditions of wearing short skirts and loincloths or decorating themselves in body paint (face painting in particular continued to be a major feature in Aluwa fashion, since it would be visible even when dressed in full buckskin), but it did begin a parallel development that would gradually overtake them in importance. Leather also replaced earlier materials for many other purposes, from wigwam coverings to waterskins to sandals.
Even as leather became more prevalent in Aluwa society, hunters themselves were becoming more marginalized. In Aluwa spirituality, birds and mammals were considered a higher tier of being than reptiles, amphibians, fish, or invertebrates. Hunters, who killed deer and gamebirds as a way of life, were viewed with suspicion. The development of tanning only increased this suspicion – the noxious smells the process produced meant that it had to be done at the border of the village, so the hunters, who also did the leatherworking, ended up living at the edge of society.
But it was not only hunters who were making technological innovations at this time. The herb-gathering wise men who had learned to identify medicinal plants improved their knowledge of healing. They invented splints made of wood and palm fiber rope, which could be used in an early form of bone-setting. The results can be seen in the healed bones of skeletons from people who lived at the time, many of which have growth patterns showing that they lived for decades after the injuries that would have been otherwise deadly.
Other gatherers, less wise in the ways of herblore, developed a new type of axe with a long wooden handle and a head made of flint or bronze. This was much more effective than earlier tree-felling tools, and the ani’Aluwa used it to clear away farmland at a significantly faster rate, the fallen trees becoming fuel for their cookfires or material for their houses and boats. With the new ease of acquiring wood, these houses and boats slowly started increasing in size, with larger constructions becoming a status symbol for powerful tribal matriarchs and wealthy seafaring merchants.
Aluwa fisherman were also innovating. Previously, the gathering of clams and oysters had been entirely passive, but now the ani’Aluwa began to shape their environment to fit their needs. They built long, low stone walls parallel to the coast, which trapped sediment that would otherwise wash out to sea and extended the width of the tidal zone. They would also clear out rocks and churn up the sand to provide an ideal environment for bivalves, and harvest said bivalves in a sustainable way. Using these new clam beds, they were able to greatly increase the clam and oyster harvest, providing more meat and more mother-of-pearl, which became quite popular for use in jewelry and decorations.
New technologies also changed the way of life for women back in the village. Previously, maize (nixtamalized into hominy) and cassava had been treated much like beans, squash, peppers, or sweet potatoes, being cooked and smoked but otherwise left in their natural state. During this period, however, Aluwa women first began to grind maize and cassava into flour using handheld grindstones. This led to the innovation of new foods: hominy flour (masa) would be baked into a flatbread called Yatilu, while cassava flour would be formed into dumplings called Plopayam, which were most frequently used in Globiplo, cassava dumpling soup. A uniquely Aluwa dish was Ha’uwam, a ball of dough like a swallow made by pouring either masa, cassava flour, or a combination of both into boiling water and stirring it until it had enough consistency to stick together. These dishes would prove to be the staple foods around which Aluwa cuisine would grow.
At the intersection of different Aluwa lifestyles and gender roles was the domestication of citrus. Aluwa lies at the intersection of the native ranges of various wild citrus fruits – wild oranges (Citrus indica) to the west, wild citrons (Citrus medica) to the northwest, wild mandarins (Citrus reticulata) to the northeast, and wild limes (Citrus hystrix) to the southeast. Male gatherers had begun the practice of grafting fruit- and nut-bearing trees centuries earlier, which reached new heights as they combined the different citruses, breeding them into a new form with bigger fruits that had smaller rinds. The result was the Hihuwi, or Aluwa yellow lime, a somewhat bitter fruit that became a mainstay in Aluwa cooking, especially when combined with chili peppers.
The changes this brought to Aluwa society were less to do with the fruit itself than with its cultivation. Wild plants of the forest were the domain of men; cultivated plants of the farm were the domain of women. Lime trees were trees, descended from wild cultivars, but required constant careful tending and were short and shrubby enough to grow alongside other domesticated plants. In the end, the question of who should be in charge of tending the limes came down to practicality: the most efficient place to plant the lime trees was among the farms around the village, and the women were already working those farms. This represented the first step of women, who were for the most part expected to spend their whole lives in and around their home village, expanding into the broader territory of a domain that had once been exclusive to men – even if, in this case, the trees came to the women rather than the women to the trees. Still, it was at around this time that myths and legends began to include rare examples of female heroes venturing forth to wander the world like their male counterparts had long been doing.
submitted by FightingUrukHai to DawnPowers [link] [comments]
Arguably the most significant advancement of this time was the gradual development of tanning leather. First, a deerskin would be cleaned by soaking it in water and scraping it with flint or clamshell tools. Then, it would be soaked again, this time in the same lime solution used in nixtamalization, in order to remove the fat and grease. Finally, the hide would be worked with deer brains, preferably the brains of the deer from which the skin had come – this was thought to improve the durability of the leather, since it was all from one animal – and stretched over an oak fire. The combination of enzymes from the brains and tannin from the woodsmoke would soften the hide and convert it into buckskin leather. The lime soaking and oak smoking also had ritual significance, being linked to similar processes in food preparation; it is thought that these elements were used in deerskin preparation for at least a century before the brains were added to the mix.
The development of tanning caused significant changes to Aluwa society. Now that buckskin clothing could be expected last for many years, it became much more common for people to wear pants and shirts during the spring and autumn, instead of only during the coldest days of winter. They also began decorating their clothing with chalk and ochre, both as a fashion choice and as a signifier of tribe loyalty. These didn’t replace earlier traditions of wearing short skirts and loincloths or decorating themselves in body paint (face painting in particular continued to be a major feature in Aluwa fashion, since it would be visible even when dressed in full buckskin), but it did begin a parallel development that would gradually overtake them in importance. Leather also replaced earlier materials for many other purposes, from wigwam coverings to waterskins to sandals.
Even as leather became more prevalent in Aluwa society, hunters themselves were becoming more marginalized. In Aluwa spirituality, birds and mammals were considered a higher tier of being than reptiles, amphibians, fish, or invertebrates. Hunters, who killed deer and gamebirds as a way of life, were viewed with suspicion. The development of tanning only increased this suspicion – the noxious smells the process produced meant that it had to be done at the border of the village, so the hunters, who also did the leatherworking, ended up living at the edge of society.
But it was not only hunters who were making technological innovations at this time. The herb-gathering wise men who had learned to identify medicinal plants improved their knowledge of healing. They invented splints made of wood and palm fiber rope, which could be used in an early form of bone-setting. The results can be seen in the healed bones of skeletons from people who lived at the time, many of which have growth patterns showing that they lived for decades after the injuries that would have been otherwise deadly.
Other gatherers, less wise in the ways of herblore, developed a new type of axe with a long wooden handle and a head made of flint or bronze. This was much more effective than earlier tree-felling tools, and the ani’Aluwa used it to clear away farmland at a significantly faster rate, the fallen trees becoming fuel for their cookfires or material for their houses and boats. With the new ease of acquiring wood, these houses and boats slowly started increasing in size, with larger constructions becoming a status symbol for powerful tribal matriarchs and wealthy seafaring merchants.
Aluwa fisherman were also innovating. Previously, the gathering of clams and oysters had been entirely passive, but now the ani’Aluwa began to shape their environment to fit their needs. They built long, low stone walls parallel to the coast, which trapped sediment that would otherwise wash out to sea and extended the width of the tidal zone. They would also clear out rocks and churn up the sand to provide an ideal environment for bivalves, and harvest said bivalves in a sustainable way. Using these new clam beds, they were able to greatly increase the clam and oyster harvest, providing more meat and more mother-of-pearl, which became quite popular for use in jewelry and decorations.
New technologies also changed the way of life for women back in the village. Previously, maize (nixtamalized into hominy) and cassava had been treated much like beans, squash, peppers, or sweet potatoes, being cooked and smoked but otherwise left in their natural state. During this period, however, Aluwa women first began to grind maize and cassava into flour using handheld grindstones. This led to the innovation of new foods: hominy flour (masa) would be baked into a flatbread called Yatilu, while cassava flour would be formed into dumplings called Plopayam, which were most frequently used in Globiplo, cassava dumpling soup. A uniquely Aluwa dish was Ha’uwam, a ball of dough like a swallow made by pouring either masa, cassava flour, or a combination of both into boiling water and stirring it until it had enough consistency to stick together. These dishes would prove to be the staple foods around which Aluwa cuisine would grow.
At the intersection of different Aluwa lifestyles and gender roles was the domestication of citrus. Aluwa lies at the intersection of the native ranges of various wild citrus fruits – wild oranges (Citrus indica) to the west, wild citrons (Citrus medica) to the northwest, wild mandarins (Citrus reticulata) to the northeast, and wild limes (Citrus hystrix) to the southeast. Male gatherers had begun the practice of grafting fruit- and nut-bearing trees centuries earlier, which reached new heights as they combined the different citruses, breeding them into a new form with bigger fruits that had smaller rinds. The result was the Hihuwi, or Aluwa yellow lime, a somewhat bitter fruit that became a mainstay in Aluwa cooking, especially when combined with chili peppers.
The changes this brought to Aluwa society were less to do with the fruit itself than with its cultivation. Wild plants of the forest were the domain of men; cultivated plants of the farm were the domain of women. Lime trees were trees, descended from wild cultivars, but required constant careful tending and were short and shrubby enough to grow alongside other domesticated plants. In the end, the question of who should be in charge of tending the limes came down to practicality: the most efficient place to plant the lime trees was among the farms around the village, and the women were already working those farms. This represented the first step of women, who were for the most part expected to spend their whole lives in and around their home village, expanding into the broader territory of a domain that had once been exclusive to men – even if, in this case, the trees came to the women rather than the women to the trees. Still, it was at around this time that myths and legends began to include rare examples of female heroes venturing forth to wander the world like their male counterparts had long been doing.
2023.06.03 16:42 ShodaimeSakurakage Characters compares
Do you guys and gals agreed with the ChatGPT?
Comparing Orochimaru-style characters:
submitted by ShodaimeSakurakage to fictionalpsychology [link] [comments]
Comparing Orochimaru-style characters:
- Marvel: Loki (Marvel Comics) - Like Orochimaru, Loki is a cunning and manipulative character with a thirst for power and immortality. Both characters are willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve their goals and are known for their shapeshifting abilities.
- DC: Ra's al Ghul - Ra's al Ghul, an adversary of Batman, shares similarities with Orochimaru in terms of their immortality-seeking goals and their willingness to experiment on themselves and others. Both characters are skilled in combat and possess vast knowledge.
- Dragon Ball: Frieza - Frieza, a major antagonist in Dragon Ball, bears some similarities to Orochimaru in terms of their obsession with power and immortality. Both characters are known for their ruthless nature, willingness to betray allies, and their ability to revive or transfer their consciousness.
- Bleach: Mayuri Kurotsuchi - Mayuri, a captain in the Gotei 13, possesses a similar scientific and experimental mindset to Orochimaru. Both characters enjoy experimenting on others, pushing ethical boundaries, and have a lack of empathy towards their subjects.
- One Piece: Caesar Clown - Caesar Clown, an antagonist in One Piece, shares Orochimaru's scientific experimentation and desire for immortality. Both characters are willing to sacrifice others for their own gain and have a knack for manipulation and deception.
- Digimon: Piedmon - Piedmon, a villain in the Digimon series, shares Orochimaru's penchant for manipulation and desire for eternal life. Both characters are skilled in illusionary techniques and are willing to use others as pawns to achieve their goals.
- Pokémon: Team Rocket's Jessie and James - While not as dark as Orochimaru, Jessie and James from Pokémon exhibit similar traits of constant scheming and a desire for power. Both characters are known for their persistence and willingness to employ any means necessary to achieve their objectives.
- Star Wars: Emperor Palpatine - Emperor Palpatine, the primary antagonist in the Star Wars saga, shares Orochimaru's thirst for power and immortality. Both characters are highly manipulative and use others as pawns in their grand schemes.
- Star Trek: Khan Noonien Singh - Khan, a genetically enhanced superhuman from the Star Trek franchise, exhibits similarities to Orochimaru in terms of his ambition, thirst for power, and disregard for ethical boundaries. Both characters are driven by their desire for superiority.
- Harry Potter: Lord Voldemort - Lord Voldemort, the main antagonist in the Harry Potter series, shares Orochimaru's quest for immortality and his willingness to perform dark magic and experiments to achieve it. Both characters are feared and known for their ruthlessness.
- Marvel: Alexander Pierce - Alexander Pierce, a character from the Marvel Comics and portrayed by Robert Redford in the MCU film "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," shares similarities with Danzo in terms of their secretive and manipulative nature. Both characters operate behind the scenes, pulling strings to achieve their desired outcomes.
- DC: Amanda Waller - Amanda Waller, also known as "The Wall," is a character from DC Comics who is often portrayed as a ruthless and morally ambiguous government official. Like Danzo, Waller is willing to make difficult decisions and sacrifices for what she believes is the greater good, even if it means resorting to morally gray tactics.
- Dragon Ball: Dr. Gero - Dr. Gero, the creator of the androids in Dragon Ball, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their willingness to sacrifice others and manipulate events for their own goals. Both characters operate in secret and are willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve their objectives.
- Bleach: Sōsuke Aizen - Aizen, the main antagonist in the Bleach series, shares similarities with Danzo in terms of their secretive nature and manipulation of events from behind the scenes. Both characters are highly intelligent and have a knack for planning and orchestrating complex schemes.
- One Piece: Spandam - Spandam, a high-ranking member of the World Government in One Piece, shares traits with Danzo in terms of their power-hungry nature and willingness to use others as pawns. Both characters are known for their underhanded tactics and lack of empathy towards their subordinates.
- Digimon: Machinedramon - Machinedramon, a villainous Digimon, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their authoritarian and manipulative tendencies. Both characters seek to control others and are willing to use force and coercion to achieve their goals.
- Pokémon: Team Rocket's Giovanni - Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket in the Pokémon series, shares traits with Danzo in terms of his secretive nature and manipulation of events. Both characters operate from the shadows, using their organization to achieve their personal ambitions.
- Star Wars: Grand Moff Tarkin - Grand Moff Tarkin, a high-ranking Imperial officer in Star Wars, exhibits similar traits to Danzo in terms of his authoritative nature and willingness to make ruthless decisions for the sake of the Empire. Both characters prioritize order and control over individual freedoms.
- Star Trek: Section 31 - Section 31, a clandestine intelligence agency in Star Trek, can be compared to Danzo in terms of their secretive operations and willingness to operate outside of standard protocols for the sake of security and control.
- Harry Potter: Dolores Umbridge - Dolores Umbridge, a character from the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Danzo in terms of her authoritarian and manipulative nature. Both characters seek power and control and are willing to suppress others to maintain their authority.
- Marvel: Spider-Man (Peter Parker) - Spider-Man shares similarities with Naruto in terms of their youthful energy, determination, and sense of responsibility. Both characters face personal challenges while striving to protect their loved ones and maintain their moral compass.
- DC: The Flash (Barry Allen) - The Flash, known for his superhuman speed, mirrors Naruto's energetic and optimistic personality. Both characters have a strong sense of justice and use their powers to help others.
- Dragon Ball: Goku - Goku, the protagonist of Dragon Ball, exhibits similar traits to Naruto, including his determination, strong moral compass, and the desire to protect his friends and loved ones. Both characters have an unwavering belief in their own potential and a never-give-up attitude.
- Bleach: Ichigo Kurosaki - Ichigo shares similarities with Naruto in terms of their impulsive nature, strong sense of justice, and the willingness to protect their loved ones at all costs. Both characters undergo personal growth throughout their respective stories.
- One Piece: Monkey D. Luffy - Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, has a similar carefree and optimistic personality to Naruto. Both characters have a strong sense of loyalty, fight for their dreams, and gather friends to support them on their journeys.
- Digimon: Tai Kamiya - Tai, the leader of the DigiDestined in the Digimon series, shares Naruto's determination, bravery, and willingness to protect his friends. Both characters grow as leaders and develop strong bonds with their companions.
- Pokémon: Ash Ketchum - Ash, the main character of the Pokémon anime series, embodies Naruto's enthusiasm, determination, and unwavering spirit. Both characters strive to become the best in their respective fields and form deep connections with their Pokémon partners.
- Star Wars: Luke Skywalker - Luke Skywalker, the iconic Jedi Knight, exhibits similarities to Naruto in terms of their journey from a naive and inexperienced youth to a powerful and compassionate hero. Both characters face personal struggles and ultimately become symbols of hope.
- Star Trek: James T. Kirk - Captain Kirk, the charismatic leader of the Starship Enterprise, shares Naruto's passion, resourcefulness, and willingness to take risks. Both characters inspire and lead their teams through challenging situations.
- Harry Potter: Harry Potter - Harry, the titular character of the Harry Potter series, mirrors Naruto's courage, determination, and desire to protect his loved ones. Both characters face overwhelming odds and learn valuable lessons about friendship and sacrifice.
- Marvel: Wolverine (Logan) - Wolverine shares similarities with Sasuke in terms of their brooding and solitary nature. Both characters struggle with their inner demons and carry a deep sense of pain and loss. Additionally, they possess extraordinary abilities and are formidable fighters.
- DC: Batman (Bruce Wayne) - Batman, known for his dark and driven personality, can be compared to Sasuke in terms of their intense dedication to their goals and their willingness to operate outside the norm. Both characters seek justice but are haunted by their past traumas.
- Dragon Ball: Vegeta - Vegeta, a Saiyan prince in Dragon Ball, exhibits a similar personality to Sasuke in terms of his pride, desire for power, and intense rivalry with the main protagonist. Both characters undergo personal growth and develop a sense of redemption.
- Bleach: Byakuya Kuchiki - Byakuya, a captain in the Gotei 13, shares similarities with Sasuke in terms of his stoic and aloof demeanor. Both characters have a complex past and struggle with conflicting loyalties. They prioritize personal missions and can be seen as anti-heroes.
- One Piece
- Digimon: Ken Ichijouji - Ken, a character from the Digimon series, shares traits with Sasuke in terms of his initial coldness and desire for power. Both characters undergo a journey of redemption and eventually find their place among friends.
- Pokémon: Silver - Silver, a rival character in the Pokémon games, exhibits similarities to Sasuke in terms of his abrasive and driven personality. Both characters are initially antagonistic but later show growth and develop a sense of purpose beyond their rivalry.
- Star Wars: Kylo Ren (Ben Solo) - Kylo Ren, a central character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, shares traits with Sasuke in terms of his internal conflict, desire for power, and struggle to find his identity. Both characters walk a fine line between light and dark.
- Star Trek: Spock - Spock, the Vulcan science officer in Star Trek, can be compared to Sasuke in terms of his logical and reserved nature. Both characters grapple with their emotions and have internal struggles that impact their relationships with others.
- Harry Potter: Severus Snape - Snape, a complex character in the Harry Potter series, exhibits similarities to Sasuke in terms of his brooding and secretive personality. Both characters have a tragic past and their actions are driven by a desire for revenge and protection.
- Marvel: Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) - Black Widow shares similarities with Sakura in terms of their intelligence, strategic thinking, and combat skills. Both characters are determined, independent, and capable of holding their own in dangerous situations.
- DC: Wonder Woman (Diana Prince) - Wonder Woman can be compared to Sakura in terms of their strength, resilience, and determination. Both characters are skilled warriors and possess a compassionate and caring nature.
- Dragon Ball: Android 18 - Android 18, a powerful fighter in Dragon Ball, exhibits traits similar to Sakura in terms of her physical strength, determination, and the ability to hold her own in battles. Both characters display a balance of strength and femininity.
- Bleach: Rukia Kuchiki - Rukia shares similarities with Sakura in terms of their growth as characters and their initial underestimation by others. Both characters possess inner strength, intelligence, and a desire to protect their loved ones.
- One Piece: Nami - Nami, a member of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece, can be compared to Sakura in terms of their resourcefulness, intelligence, and ability to think strategically. Both characters contribute to their teams with their expertise and support.
- Digimon: Sora Takenouchi - Sora, a character from the Digimon series, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her strong-willed nature, determination, and willingness to step up and protect her friends. Both characters evolve from initially being more reliant on others to becoming self-reliant.
- Pokémon: May - May, a Pokémon Coordinator in the Pokémon anime series, exhibits similarities to Sakura in terms of her growth as a character and her development of her own skills and abilities. Both characters strive to become stronger and more independent.
- Star Wars: Leia Organa - Leia, a central character in the Star Wars saga, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her intelligence, leadership skills, and ability to handle herself in difficult situations. Both characters are strong-willed and have a compassionate nature.
- Star Trek: Seven of Nine - Seven of Nine, a character in Star Trek: Voyager, exhibits similarities to Sakura in terms of her determination, intelligence, and growth as a character. Both characters show resilience and adaptability.
- Harry Potter: Hermione Granger - Hermione, a central character in the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Sakura in terms of her intelligence, determination, and loyalty. Both characters are driven, capable, and play crucial roles in their respective stories.
- Marvel: Jean Grey (Phoenix) - Jean Grey shares similarities with Hinata in terms of their shy and reserved nature, as well as their hidden inner strength. Both characters develop into powerful forces and exhibit unwavering loyalty to their loved ones.
- DC: Raven - Raven, a character from DC Comics, can be compared to Hinata in terms of their quiet demeanor and internal struggles. Both characters possess hidden depths of power and exhibit a gentle and caring nature.
- Dragon Ball: Gohan - Gohan, the son of Goku in Dragon Ball, shares traits with Hinata in terms of their initial shyness and gentle personality. Both characters possess immense power and show tremendous growth and courage when pushed to their limits.
- Bleach: Orihime Inoue - Orihime, a character in Bleach, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her kind-hearted nature, shyness, and unwavering loyalty to her friends. Both characters find strength within themselves and show tremendous growth throughout their respective stories.
- One Piece: Nico Robin - Robin, a member of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece
- Digimon: Kari Kamiya - Kari, a character from the Digimon series, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her quiet and caring nature. Both characters possess inner strength and provide support and encouragement to their friends.
- Pokémon: Eevee - Eevee, a popular Pokémon known for its multiple evolutionary paths, can be compared to Hinata in terms of its shy and gentle demeanor. Both characters exhibit a quiet strength and have the potential to evolve and grow.
- Star Wars: Rey - Rey, a central character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, shares traits with Hinata in terms of her humble beginnings, inner strength, and loyalty to her friends. Both characters undergo personal growth and discover their true potential.
- Star Trek: T'Pol - T'Pol, a Vulcan science officer in Star Trek: Enterprise, exhibits similarities to Hinata in terms of her reserved and introspective nature. Both characters provide a calm and rational presence within their respective stories.
- Harry Potter: Luna Lovegood - Luna, a character from the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Hinata in terms of her quiet and unique personality. Both characters possess a kind and caring nature, with a touch of eccentricity, and offer unwavering support to their friends.
- Marvel: Tony Stark (Iron Man) - Tony Stark shares similarities with Jiraiya in terms of their charismatic and larger-than-life personalities. Both characters possess a playful and confident nature, while also being skilled in their respective fields.
- DC: Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) - Green Arrow can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of their adventurous and wise-cracking personalities. Both characters have a knack for getting into trouble and possess a deep sense of loyalty to their friends.
- Dragon Ball: Master Roshi - Master Roshi exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of their perverted and eccentric behavior, as well as their mentorship roles to younger characters. Both characters are powerful fighters with a mischievous side.
- Bleach: Kisuke Urahara - Urahara shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his playful and enigmatic nature. Both characters are knowledgeable mentors who provide guidance and support to the main protagonists.
- One Piece: Silvers Rayleigh - Rayleigh, a former pirate and mentor to the protagonist, exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of his wise and carefree demeanor. Both characters possess vast experience and provide crucial guidance.
- Digimon: Gennai - Gennai, a recurring character in the Digimon series, can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of his mentorship and wise demeanor. Both characters guide the protagonists and possess hidden depths of knowledge.
- Pokémon: Professor Oak - Professor Oak, a character from the Pokémon series, shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his mentorship and adventurous nature. Both characters provide guidance and encouragement to young trainers.
- Star Wars: Qui-Gon Jinn - Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi Master in Star Wars, exhibits similarities to Jiraiya in terms of his wise and unconventional approach to the Force. Both characters possess a deep understanding of their respective worlds.
- Star Trek: Jean-Luc Picard - Captain Picard, the captain of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: The Next Generation, can be compared to Jiraiya in terms of his charismatic and wise leadership style. Both characters inspire and guide their teams.
- Harry Potter: Albus Dumbledore - Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series, shares traits with Jiraiya in terms of his wisdom, playful nature, and mentorship role. Both characters possess immense knowledge and provide guidance to young heroes.
- Marvel: Jessica Jones - Jessica Jones shares similarities with Tsunade in terms of their strong-willed and independent nature. Both characters have a no-nonsense attitude and possess remarkable physical strength.
- DC: Amanda Waller - Amanda Waller, a character in the DC universe, exhibits traits similar to Tsunade in terms of her authoritative and no-compromise attitude. Both characters are strong leaders who make tough decisions for the greater good.
- Dragon Ball: Android 18 - Android 18 can be compared to Tsunade in terms of their strength, resilience, and no-nonsense personality. Both characters are fierce fighters and demonstrate determination and power.
- Bleach: Unohana Retsu - Unohana, a captain in the Gotei 13, shares similarities with Tsunade in terms of their healing abilities and calm demeanor. Both characters possess immense skill and are respected leaders.
- One Piece: Boa Hancock - Hancock exhibits traits similar to Tsunade in terms of her assertive and strong-willed personality. Both characters command respect and have exceptional combat skills.
- Digimon: Yolei Inoue - Yolei, a character from the
- Pokémon: Cynthia - Cynthia, a powerful Pokémon Champion in the Pokémon games, shares traits with Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership and formidable abilities. Both characters are respected figures in their respective worlds.
- Star Wars: General Leia Organa - Leia Organa, a central character in the Star Wars saga, exhibits similarities to Tsunade in terms of her leadership skills, resilience, and determination. Both characters are strong women who command respect.
- Star Trek: Kathryn Janeway - Captain Janeway, the captain of the USS Voyager in Star Trek: Voyager, shares traits with Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership and determination. Both characters face challenges head-on and inspire their crews.
- Harry Potter: Minerva McGonagall - McGonagall, a professor and later Headmistress of Hogwarts, exhibits similarities to Tsunade in terms of her strong leadership, no-nonsense attitude, and dedication to her students. Both characters are formidable and respected figures in their respective institutions.
2023.06.03 16:36 EffectSubstantial909 Lost Terran - 4
a somewhat short chapter as I’m busy
(story start)—————— 4
A few hours later
Another devil cam to the front of the warehouse entrance and dropped off a tray of what seems to be alien food before swiftly leave.
Then the devil he was talking to retrieved the food and showed it to him, she then gestured to the tray of food and said
“(Food)”
Before playing a video of a devil eating food, before taking one her self and eating it.
Naturally Franz is alert when being offered food and demands to knows its composition, as he doesn’t know if it’s harmful for him to eat.
“Explain… composition”
Unknown to Franz the Cre’taxians still thought he was a robot and that the food was for the newly appointed negotiator to eat.
At Franz’s response the devil…. No the Cre’taxsian frowns as those 2 words are still not within the database and it the first time she’s hearing it.
It took awhile for Franz to realize his mistake and took out his phone to show the appearance of an atom.
The Cre’taxsian negotiator seems interested in his phone’s design but understands it functions the same as her crystal iPad.
“Atom”
He then shows a few more drawings of atoms and said “Atom” each time
Then he shows a compound H2O (water) and said “composition”
He swipes back to the Atoms that makes up water and points at them before pointing back at the compound.
“Compound”
He then shows a few more simple compounds and points out their atomic make up.
With all that done Franz points to blue alien sand which and said “compound”
The Cre’taxsian frowns a bit before turning on her coms to communicate with the scientists who were watching their interactions.
After a brief back and forth the negotiator taps her pad to show him a bunch of compounds.
Franz squints a bit as they showed him the compounds as 3D model of atoms bonding each other to form a compound.
Like it’s understandable that they didn’t show him the hexagon diagram with English letters on it.
Franz was pretty good chemistry and biology back in high school so he recognizes the fats and amino acids.
‘Those chains of Carbon and 2 Hydrogen must be fats and those….. hmm… everything looks fine to me’ he thought, while he’s no expert chemist he’s saving up money to continue his studies.
Of course the thought that the devils might be lying to him did cross his mind but that still doesn’t change the fact that he’s still trapped in a building surrounded by them.
Not taking their food despite being offered to him might seem rude, especially since the negotiator personally demonstrated that the food is safe to eat by eating one herself.
Besides that do they actually know what’s harmful to a human? Judging by the fact that they’re trying to transcribe English for the last few hours should be a great indicator that this is the first time they meet a human.
After some careful thinking Franz decided to take them up on the offer and took off the respirator covering his face.
Hisssss
“(Gasp)”
The moment he took off his respirator that covers his lower face, the negotiator gasped hard and eyes went wide at the sight.
“(Oh My Goddess! he was an actual man!)” the fresh academy recruit exclaims over the coms —————————————— In the conference room
Everyone was stunned silence for a while as they didn’t quite believe what they’re seeing.
“(he’s actually a male!)”
“(Just by looking at that jawline I can tell that he must have a gorgeous face)”
Discussion broke out amongst the staff
The district commander like the rest of the staff was stunned at first the frowns before contemplating how to deal with this situation.
She the then brought up what she knows about him so far, then she rewatches a brief compilation of the incredible feats he has done so far.
From jump wall to wall to climb a 4 stores building to his mostly recent one beating 3 Hasperax Enforcer mechs.
As she was thinking what to do when an urgent coms request came
She looks at the sender and cursed before sighing
‘Just great’ she thought as the call is from her mother, news must have spread of the 30 or so elite enforcers tactical group along with 3 Hasperax Enforcer mech got wiped out.
Her mother being a senator in pay a lot of attention to reputation.
‘Well then here goes nothing’ she sighs before picking it up.
“(Hello mother……)”
A while later after a long scolding and explanation she puts the communicator back down.
She looks around the room before saying “(It’s out of our hands now)”
She sighs as she sits back down in her chair —————————————————————
Back to Franz
He finished up the alien sandwich before he suddenly hears a commotion out side.
He rushes to a near by window to see what’s happening.
‘Oh boy’ he thought as the troops outside just got replaced by new ones, what’s more is that the new troops are even more armed and armored than the previous one.
The previous ones primarily made up of uniformed officers while these new arrivals are all wearing the same armor that seems fairly high tech.
‘So these must be their military’ Franz thought as the previous bunch must have just been their police force.
At this time the negotiator’s coms suddenly became busy as it seems that a new development has happened.
After their conversation the negotiator turns to Franz and attempted to convey what was happening, unfortunately the vocabulary list is still too short and so could understand.
As the negotiator was still trying convey what was going a dozen of the armored soldiers came rushing through the entrance with their weapons drawn.
Seeing them rushing in Franz leaps towards the side and picks up 2 alien rays guns on the floor before taking cover behind a support column.
As the soldiers in fancy armor pointed their guns at him, he returned the courtesy on by pointing both the ray guns that he has acquired back at them.
…..
After awhile tension slowly rosed
The situation only got diffused when the voice of an angry Cre’taxsian was heard.
Only then did the soldiers lowered their weapon.
Like wise Franz also lowers his weapon.
Then a Cre’taxsian female with a fancy coat and hat arrives, she then looks at the situation within the warehouse.
A bunch of still unconscious elite Enforcers, the wrecks of 3 Hasperax Enforcer mechs and the still standing alien male without a single scratch.
Looking at the pile of unconscious Elite Enforcers that littered the back one of her eyes visibly twitched before she barked a string of orders to the negotiator who quickly salutes and replied in short sentences.
Franz doesn’t know what they’re talking about but he can make an educated guess.
After a brief conversation the negotiator turns to him and said
“Weapon…. Ground” she then gestures for the ray gun in his hand then to the ground.
‘You want me to drop my weapons?’ Franz wondered as he looks at the weapon then to her then back to the ground.
He thoughts for a bit before doing as she suggested and drops the ray guns to the floor.
Drop Drop
Seeing that he drops the ray guns to the floor the 2 of the soldiers then slowly makes their way to him.
These 2 are especially fancier than the rest as they wore capes.
‘What do they want now?’ Franz wondered as he stood still not sure what these 2 caped soldiers want to do.
‘Maybe a fancy ceremony?’ He wondered
When they reached his sides, one on each side then they suddenly leaps into action as they tried to detained him.
‘Mother fuckers!’ Franz cursed as they betrayed his trust.
The enraged Franz easily broke free from their grip, pushed them aside before kicking a ray gun that he has just dropped up.
Franz caught it in mid air before shooting the caped bastard in the head
Beam
The shot hit her helmet but besides a burn mark it didn’t seemed to do anything, seeing that it barely done anything Franz used the alien gun as a club and smacked her hard.
Smack
‘That seems to have done something’ Franz thought as the caped alien he has just smacked in the head got knocked to side.
The alien’s helmet got dented and the gun he used to smack her crumbled into its individual components.
Then Franz turns his attention to the other caped alien, he grabs her by the neck and lifts her off the ground.
Choke
The aliens wisses and flails around as she tries to get his hand off her neck.
Franz then moves the alien that he’s chocking mid air to between himself and the formation of alien soldiers in case they tries to take a potshot out of him.
Oddly enough despite the commotion the rest of the soldiers didn’t moved, the alien with the fancy coat also just stood by and just watched the event happening infront of her.
Since they’re not ganna do anything Franz continues to choke the caped alien mid air.
Meanwhile the other caped alien has gotten back up and tries ti tackle him, unfortunately for her Franz just picks up his stun baton and just smacks her again.
Smack Zaaaaaaaap “(eeeeep!)”
With a yelp she fell to the cold.
With that the only caped soldier left is the one he was still choking mid air.
Franz didn’t rush to zap this other one with his baton as it would make a better meat shield if it’s still flailing around like this.
Besides that he highly doubt that the commander would just stand by watch him slowly chokes her soldier to death in front of her.
It didn’t take long before she muttered something.
Franz then turns to the translator to translate
“Cre’taxsian….. Ground….” The negotiator then gestures to the dangling soldier then to the ground.
Franz looks at the negotiator, the soldiers at that back that still hasn’t moved, the women with a fancy coat alternately for a bit before eventually letting go.
Slop
The caped soldier fell to the ground before frantically taking her helmet off before desperately taking in air.
As the soldier desperately taking in air the women in fancy coat moves forward.
She went to where the fallen soldier who’s desperately catching her breath.
She said something to her before kneeling down and ripping a badge off her chest, she did the same to the unconscious one before turning back to Franz and handing it to him.
Franz stares a bit not quite sure how to make of the current situation but even so he just accepts the badges and stuffs them into his pocket.
Then the women in the fancy cape gestures to the entrance of the warehouse where the soldiers are already line up on both sides.
‘Okay?’ He frowns a bit before cautiously walking towards the entrance, he walks in between the 2 rows of soldiers and out of the warehouse.
The rows of soldiers seems to lead to an aerial vehicle of some sort with its door open.
At this point it’s pretty clear where they want him to go.
Besides that up in the sky there’s a whole lot more alien helicopters flying around, some of them looks like gunships with large canon attached to the bottom.
One thing to note about the aerial vehicles of this place is that they don’t seems to use fan blades or thrusters to fly.
Anyways Franz boarded the alien flyer.
submitted by EffectSubstantial909 to HFY [link] [comments]
(story start)—————— 4
A few hours later
Another devil cam to the front of the warehouse entrance and dropped off a tray of what seems to be alien food before swiftly leave.
Then the devil he was talking to retrieved the food and showed it to him, she then gestured to the tray of food and said
“(Food)”
Before playing a video of a devil eating food, before taking one her self and eating it.
Naturally Franz is alert when being offered food and demands to knows its composition, as he doesn’t know if it’s harmful for him to eat.
“Explain… composition”
Unknown to Franz the Cre’taxians still thought he was a robot and that the food was for the newly appointed negotiator to eat.
At Franz’s response the devil…. No the Cre’taxsian frowns as those 2 words are still not within the database and it the first time she’s hearing it.
It took awhile for Franz to realize his mistake and took out his phone to show the appearance of an atom.
The Cre’taxsian negotiator seems interested in his phone’s design but understands it functions the same as her crystal iPad.
“Atom”
He then shows a few more drawings of atoms and said “Atom” each time
Then he shows a compound H2O (water) and said “composition”
He swipes back to the Atoms that makes up water and points at them before pointing back at the compound.
“Compound”
He then shows a few more simple compounds and points out their atomic make up.
With all that done Franz points to blue alien sand which and said “compound”
The Cre’taxsian frowns a bit before turning on her coms to communicate with the scientists who were watching their interactions.
After a brief back and forth the negotiator taps her pad to show him a bunch of compounds.
Franz squints a bit as they showed him the compounds as 3D model of atoms bonding each other to form a compound.
Like it’s understandable that they didn’t show him the hexagon diagram with English letters on it.
Franz was pretty good chemistry and biology back in high school so he recognizes the fats and amino acids.
‘Those chains of Carbon and 2 Hydrogen must be fats and those….. hmm… everything looks fine to me’ he thought, while he’s no expert chemist he’s saving up money to continue his studies.
Of course the thought that the devils might be lying to him did cross his mind but that still doesn’t change the fact that he’s still trapped in a building surrounded by them.
Not taking their food despite being offered to him might seem rude, especially since the negotiator personally demonstrated that the food is safe to eat by eating one herself.
Besides that do they actually know what’s harmful to a human? Judging by the fact that they’re trying to transcribe English for the last few hours should be a great indicator that this is the first time they meet a human.
After some careful thinking Franz decided to take them up on the offer and took off the respirator covering his face.
Hisssss
“(Gasp)”
The moment he took off his respirator that covers his lower face, the negotiator gasped hard and eyes went wide at the sight.
“(Oh My Goddess! he was an actual man!)” the fresh academy recruit exclaims over the coms —————————————— In the conference room
Everyone was stunned silence for a while as they didn’t quite believe what they’re seeing.
“(he’s actually a male!)”
“(Just by looking at that jawline I can tell that he must have a gorgeous face)”
Discussion broke out amongst the staff
The district commander like the rest of the staff was stunned at first the frowns before contemplating how to deal with this situation.
She the then brought up what she knows about him so far, then she rewatches a brief compilation of the incredible feats he has done so far.
From jump wall to wall to climb a 4 stores building to his mostly recent one beating 3 Hasperax Enforcer mechs.
As she was thinking what to do when an urgent coms request came
She looks at the sender and cursed before sighing
‘Just great’ she thought as the call is from her mother, news must have spread of the 30 or so elite enforcers tactical group along with 3 Hasperax Enforcer mech got wiped out.
Her mother being a senator in pay a lot of attention to reputation.
‘Well then here goes nothing’ she sighs before picking it up.
“(Hello mother……)”
A while later after a long scolding and explanation she puts the communicator back down.
She looks around the room before saying “(It’s out of our hands now)”
She sighs as she sits back down in her chair —————————————————————
Back to Franz
He finished up the alien sandwich before he suddenly hears a commotion out side.
He rushes to a near by window to see what’s happening.
‘Oh boy’ he thought as the troops outside just got replaced by new ones, what’s more is that the new troops are even more armed and armored than the previous one.
The previous ones primarily made up of uniformed officers while these new arrivals are all wearing the same armor that seems fairly high tech.
‘So these must be their military’ Franz thought as the previous bunch must have just been their police force.
At this time the negotiator’s coms suddenly became busy as it seems that a new development has happened.
After their conversation the negotiator turns to Franz and attempted to convey what was happening, unfortunately the vocabulary list is still too short and so could understand.
As the negotiator was still trying convey what was going a dozen of the armored soldiers came rushing through the entrance with their weapons drawn.
Seeing them rushing in Franz leaps towards the side and picks up 2 alien rays guns on the floor before taking cover behind a support column.
As the soldiers in fancy armor pointed their guns at him, he returned the courtesy on by pointing both the ray guns that he has acquired back at them.
…..
After awhile tension slowly rosed
The situation only got diffused when the voice of an angry Cre’taxsian was heard.
Only then did the soldiers lowered their weapon.
Like wise Franz also lowers his weapon.
Then a Cre’taxsian female with a fancy coat and hat arrives, she then looks at the situation within the warehouse.
A bunch of still unconscious elite Enforcers, the wrecks of 3 Hasperax Enforcer mechs and the still standing alien male without a single scratch.
Looking at the pile of unconscious Elite Enforcers that littered the back one of her eyes visibly twitched before she barked a string of orders to the negotiator who quickly salutes and replied in short sentences.
Franz doesn’t know what they’re talking about but he can make an educated guess.
After a brief conversation the negotiator turns to him and said
“Weapon…. Ground” she then gestures for the ray gun in his hand then to the ground.
‘You want me to drop my weapons?’ Franz wondered as he looks at the weapon then to her then back to the ground.
He thoughts for a bit before doing as she suggested and drops the ray guns to the floor.
Drop Drop
Seeing that he drops the ray guns to the floor the 2 of the soldiers then slowly makes their way to him.
These 2 are especially fancier than the rest as they wore capes.
‘What do they want now?’ Franz wondered as he stood still not sure what these 2 caped soldiers want to do.
‘Maybe a fancy ceremony?’ He wondered
When they reached his sides, one on each side then they suddenly leaps into action as they tried to detained him.
‘Mother fuckers!’ Franz cursed as they betrayed his trust.
The enraged Franz easily broke free from their grip, pushed them aside before kicking a ray gun that he has just dropped up.
Franz caught it in mid air before shooting the caped bastard in the head
Beam
The shot hit her helmet but besides a burn mark it didn’t seemed to do anything, seeing that it barely done anything Franz used the alien gun as a club and smacked her hard.
Smack
‘That seems to have done something’ Franz thought as the caped alien he has just smacked in the head got knocked to side.
The alien’s helmet got dented and the gun he used to smack her crumbled into its individual components.
Then Franz turns his attention to the other caped alien, he grabs her by the neck and lifts her off the ground.
Choke
The aliens wisses and flails around as she tries to get his hand off her neck.
Franz then moves the alien that he’s chocking mid air to between himself and the formation of alien soldiers in case they tries to take a potshot out of him.
Oddly enough despite the commotion the rest of the soldiers didn’t moved, the alien with the fancy coat also just stood by and just watched the event happening infront of her.
Since they’re not ganna do anything Franz continues to choke the caped alien mid air.
Meanwhile the other caped alien has gotten back up and tries ti tackle him, unfortunately for her Franz just picks up his stun baton and just smacks her again.
Smack Zaaaaaaaap “(eeeeep!)”
With a yelp she fell to the cold.
With that the only caped soldier left is the one he was still choking mid air.
Franz didn’t rush to zap this other one with his baton as it would make a better meat shield if it’s still flailing around like this.
Besides that he highly doubt that the commander would just stand by watch him slowly chokes her soldier to death in front of her.
It didn’t take long before she muttered something.
Franz then turns to the translator to translate
“Cre’taxsian….. Ground….” The negotiator then gestures to the dangling soldier then to the ground.
Franz looks at the negotiator, the soldiers at that back that still hasn’t moved, the women with a fancy coat alternately for a bit before eventually letting go.
Slop
The caped soldier fell to the ground before frantically taking her helmet off before desperately taking in air.
As the soldier desperately taking in air the women in fancy coat moves forward.
She went to where the fallen soldier who’s desperately catching her breath.
She said something to her before kneeling down and ripping a badge off her chest, she did the same to the unconscious one before turning back to Franz and handing it to him.
Franz stares a bit not quite sure how to make of the current situation but even so he just accepts the badges and stuffs them into his pocket.
Then the women in the fancy cape gestures to the entrance of the warehouse where the soldiers are already line up on both sides.
‘Okay?’ He frowns a bit before cautiously walking towards the entrance, he walks in between the 2 rows of soldiers and out of the warehouse.
The rows of soldiers seems to lead to an aerial vehicle of some sort with its door open.
At this point it’s pretty clear where they want him to go.
Besides that up in the sky there’s a whole lot more alien helicopters flying around, some of them looks like gunships with large canon attached to the bottom.
One thing to note about the aerial vehicles of this place is that they don’t seems to use fan blades or thrusters to fly.
Anyways Franz boarded the alien flyer.