.are you /TRIPPING/ yet?

[S p e c t r a]

Like the crack of the whip I snap attack
Front to back in this thing called rap
Dig it like a shovel rhyme devil
On a heavenly level
Bang the bass turn up the treble

The sky swirls with clouds like a film on fast-forward. Blues, purples, pinks, oranges all reflect and undulate as if the sky was made of water, reflecting a sunset. And then other colours uncharacteristic of a sunset blend in: green, yellow, brown, grey, black. The sky is a kaleidoscope of colours and patterns, enough optical illusions to make a mortal's head spin. Thankfully, dear, I'm no mere mortal. So how do you like the show? Pretty par for the course over here. We're chock full of wacky shit, know what I mean? They don't call it Chaos for nothing. Well, I should say we don't call it Chaos for nothing, since the only things in Imbros that we didn't name was ourselves. And the mortals, but they have no class anyway. There's a reason I need to get away from them sometimes. Okay, most of the time. They're entertaining all right, but rather petty as well. It's all I can do to stir up some action with those sedate creatures, they're so passive and easily fall into peace. Peace doesn't entertain me, people. I want action. And as for the current terrible and action-filled situation in the land, well, that might have been me. It also might have just happened on its own. I'll leave you guessing. But usually if trouble's afoot, I'm the one behind it. I've probably indirectly influenced every major downturn in the history of this place. But I'm not usually one to brag. Wink wink, nudge nudge.

Now I would say joking aside, except joking is never aside. Not in my books. But on a slightly more serious and modest note... hang on, gimme a moment to stop snickering... okay, in all honesty I did not tell Tartarus to do what he did. That was his decision. I'm quite proud of how creative the spindly guy can be when given a decent motive. Not that I gave him a motive. Oh heck, all this political correctness is killing me! I had a few chats with him, but I didn't give him any specifics. Got it? Is the record straight now, can we move on? I hate it when people don't take good enough care of those records. Yeah, they're outdated, but handle them with care! You can probably sell 'em on eBay for a pretty penny if you don't bend or break 'em. So let's set it straight and sell it to the highest bidder. With pictures of Angelina Jolie's babies to boot. Sell it all to the press, let them twist your lives into entertainment dollars. Who needs a reality show when you've got fake reality all around you? Look at the stupid drama, the dead-end lives, the sellouts. You don't need to make a deal with the devil to get that. It's everywhere already. Just watch, and keep on watching, because you never know when you're getting what. There's no TV guide for reality, you don't know when you're going to get an episode of a tragedy or a comedy. And usually it doesn't resolve in one pretty package, so you're going to have to stay tuned for the next episode.

Hmm, I'm walking but not getting anywhere. I need a change of scenery, maybe a stretch of grass here in a deep vermilion, an ocean boiling at a mellow purple, something complementary and just plain crazy. Seriously, if I had my way, nature would never bloom the same way twice. No two blades of grass would be the same hue. Can you imagine such a lovely multicoloured carpet? Maybe not the kind of stuff you'd be keen on eating, but hey, a little variety never killed anyone. Well, it probably did, but they were probably boring and deserved it anyway. I don't have time to deal with boring. Scenery can only be so enthralling though. Sometimes you need something with a little more life in it to keep things interesting. How about a sea monster? That's pretty neat. Why stop at just one? Big snakelike ones with spines along the top. Aaaaand, let's pattern them all differently, with psychedelic checkerboard on one, blue swirls on another, and random splashes of colour and design on the third. Better. At least I have a little company, and company that isn't pathetic. One can only stand the company of mortals for so long. I've been around so long I've lost count, so hanging around with such inexperienced creatures is much like watching the silly games of foals. Entertaining, endearing, but only for so long. It grows tiresome to watch after a while. It's a good thing those fools have me to make their lives have more worth, more meaning. Things would be a lot less interesting in Imbros without me to mess things around. And things would be a lot less interesting for me if my sister wasn't always trying to counteract my actions.

Radical mind day and night all the time
Seven to fourteen wise divine
Maniac brainiac winning the game
I'm the lyrical Jesse James
I've got the power
-- The Power, Snap

[sinsonte.!]

My hoof falls resound my despair as I trudge through this wonderland. A broken heart, ripped at the seams shortly after being sewn back together. The metaphorical stitches hurt even before being torn apart. My reunion with Collateral was dramatic and filled with passion so deep that thinking of it made my chest ache and left my soul begging for mercy. My chapped kissers tremble as I collapse, his name upon my breath. There's nothing I can do now. He's gone. I must accept such a harsh fact. Truth hurts. A soft cry leaves me as I give in and just lay here. Sorrow taking over me. The rage is over, Thane will be punished. My son will take care of him and earn back Amaryllis Falls in the process. Thane's fate is Secondhand Smoke's destiny, that I have made sure of. All that I can do now is cross my heart and hope to die.

Chaos. The mythical dwelling of the two fates, Artemis and Apollo. What tragedy would lie in store for me shall I continue to suffer here, only they would know. Unpredictable, much like my old self. As old as time, much like love, rage, and despair. Most highly powered. Do with me what they want, death is all I wish for at the moment. Suicide. Grim Reaper, can you not come fast enough? Your scythe is what I long to witness, the Styx what I long to enter.

Vengeance is needed. Of high demand. Nothing else matters, only Colateral. My world revolves around him. Our love, our life, our passion. Our son is of no concern to me anymore. He is strong, stronger than I. No longer can I hold on. I fear that insanity is bound to set in shall I continue forth with life in this dreary manner.

Death is the only answer for such a hollow corpse. This feeling I have... I'm no longer whole. Not without my other half, Cole. I grieve for him so deeply I cry for mercy yet again. Letting my carcass go limp, I close my eyes and let the images of our life together fill my crania. How could everything have gone so wrong? Why have the Fates delivered me such heartache? Have mercy! Give me a life to live! I can no longer stand such torment. This is no life, this is emptiness. Nothing. Can you not give me something? Death, a purpose maybe. My screams can only get so loud!

Color and madness is all I see. Set the revolver, it will come in handy. However, I would never pull the trigger. Not until I know that I have fulfilled my destiny, my fate. My future is uncertain, yet to be determined. That is why I am here. Guidance is what I need. Call to me dear Fates, whisper in my audit of what lies before me. I trust you. I have to...

OOC: The plot did not change, Sinsonte is just suicidal at the moment... I think if I keep up this rag-doll feeling that posting for her will come very naturally again. I miss myself, and Sinsonte is exactly that, I guess, maybe...

[S p e c t r a]

Quality I possess something I'm fresh
When my voice goes through the rest
Of the microphone that I am holdin'
Copywritten lyrics so they can't be stolen

Mist swirls around my shining form like a living thing, coiling around me with the slow deliberate progress of either a killer or a lover. Like a boa constrictor it wraps its billowing clouds about me, but even that fails to choke out my light. I fell myself burning like the sun now, great flames licking out from what would be my physical form if ever I were confined to one. I get to pick and choose, you see, whether any blow makes contact or simply passes through me like vapour. I like a bit of fun, I like the element of surprise, so I don't ruin the moment by vapourizing anyone who so much as lifts a hoof or a harsh word against me. Fear is delicious but I like for the mortals to be around long enough for me to savour it. Oh, and my darling sister does get so vexed when I kill too many worthless pawns in a century. See, the key is to make them do the dirty work. There can be no complaint when it's the damned mortals doing the killing. They're foolish and ignorant, like ugly screaming babies cast into adulthood suddenly and unceremoniously. I hold no great love for the mortals, is it that obvious? Though I agree with Artemis's desire to keep them around, after all something has to keep us occupied against the ever-stretching millennia. It is also for this same reason that neither of us had ever attempted to kill the other. We may be perpetually at odds, and even feel some annoyance bordering on hatred from time to time, but we are the only two of our kind. Were one of us to be destroyed, the other would likely go mad with loneliness in a century or two, and destroy all of Imbros in their lapse of reason. And then what the hell would they do? Yeah, you get where I'm coming from? That's why I don't put the bitch in her place. I just... make things a little difficult for her. I mess up her plans, stir up war when she'd rather sit back and mingle with a more peaceful society. So I have my tricks, and she knows she's never going to escape them. The mortals though? Clueless as newborns.

Now where was I? The swirling dark cloud is frozen in time, pierced in places by bright beams of sunlight emanating from my body. I resume thinking about it and it snaps into motion like a paused picture allowed to play. Sometimes I like to have a little more dominion over my phenomena, you see. I let the landscape and sea monsters go on without me, but anything dramatic I just won't stand to miss. And here, well, I am absolutely entitled to make the world wait for me. Don't you agree? And, well, I'm just putting on a stellar light show over here, going through the motions of a struggle when it's really quite plain that this smoke will never mask my light. It twirls in a menacing column up towards the sky, filling it with storm clouds. Lightning flashes here and there, jumping between them, and then a great CRACK-BOOM resounds as a bolt leaps to the ground. What can I say? I'm dramatic, but part of the drama is keeping it real. I mean, a freakin' plasma storm isn't so scary when you have no idea what you're dealing with. Or is it? Heavens to Betsy, I must be getting out of touch. I don't even know how to properly terrorize my own subjects anymore! Well I guess this calls for some "field research", eh? Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. But first, let us not forget my grand finale! With a great leap, my flaming form bursts through the dark twister, its funnel cut short and fading away into wisps. My light shines brighter, flames rising higher, and the storm clouds pull away. It is then that I see you, sweetcheeks, and I extinguish my fiery disguise so I can approach you without roasting you alive. Hmm, that sounds like a good torture tactic, I should save that one for a rainy day. Oh who am I kidding, it only rains here when I will it to! See that's why I don't prance around outside of Chaos so much, I'm not supposed to interfere so much out there.

Well well well, darling, I commend your efforts. Don't tell me you're lost, only those who know exactly where they want to end up ever make it here. And you must have had a damn good reason, otherwise the barrier would never have let you through, I said to you coyly, my lyrics almost always playful and mischievous. Damn girl, you're a sight for a mortal! And you look like you've had your share of lousy hands in this card game, I can nearly taste the desolation radiating off you. You're a pathetic little beast, but I'm a superficial cow and I'll put up with a pretty face if it has half a brain behind it. The good thing with you damaged damsels is that you usually have some spunk kicked into you, so I'm hoping you'll show me some of that Grammy-winning emotion before I decide what the hell I'm going to do with your body. Now dear, let's do this the old-fashioned way, 'kay? You tell me why the hell you're here, and I won't have to go digging through your mind to find it, I offered, my tone soft but the meaning of my words was less than such. Now be a good sport, sugar, or this encounter is gonna turn sour real fast. I could use a doll for honing my eternal-torture skills. You look like the worst damn thing I could do to you is prolong your pathetic existence. Well don't worry sweetie, I'm not so great at the prolonging-life part. My toys tend to break fast.

If they are snap
Don't need the police to try to save them
Your voice will seize so please stay off my back
Or I will attack and you don't want that

[sinsonte.!]

A final ragged breathe. Warm luminance shines upon me, forcing me to open my eyes out of curiosity. Who was it? None other than… Apollo. He must have heard my thoughts. However, due to his words, possibly not. His tall figure looms over my carcass as I gaze at him in awe, my jaw slightly ajar as I pull in shallow breathes. Struggling greatly, I slowly rise, my bones creaking and legs trembling. A thin form, skin clinging to bones that have become brittle. I may seem like I belong to the Weaklands, though such is incorrect. The estranged lead mare of Amaryllis Falls, my identity, my mask. Painfully, I bow before the higher authority dubbed Apollo. Then my accented tenor eludes my quivering kissers. “Apollo. Digging through such emptiness will get you nowhere, as we all are aware. I have perfect reason to enter your realm of fantasies, shall I indulge you in such dreary banter, then the answer you shall find.” Taking a step back from his warm bod, I hang my head, my nares quivering with such pathetic emotions. Directing my cold stare at the sun god, I continue, struggling for the breath to supply my syllables. “Figuratively speaking, my life has been stripped from my possession. The love of my life has been slaughtered by his own kin, leaving my lands with a new ruler beside me. My own progeny has left me, the only shard of sanity, the blood of my love, gone. Now all that is left of me is what you see. The stress and overwhelming sadness of which I bare has created all that remains. A pathetic, useless, damsel. No longer the beauty I once was, as you can tell.”

Feeling faint, I pause. Such powerful emotions reside within my hollowness. This is not life, this is the verge of death. I have starved myself. Abused my figure. Abandoned my wits. I am personally surprised my sentences are complete and coherent. Again, my smoky accent returns to bore the air, and possibly lull Apollo to slumber. “Dashing Apollo. I come here, to your world of mystery, in search of an answer. The question itself is unknown. You have a task now. Extinguish my life, or give me purpose. That is all I am asking of your highly powers.”

My limbs feel as if they are about to give beneath me. I sense another episode of pathetic emotions. The thought of Cole enters my mind, bringing me to my knees. How weak must I look to such a powerful god as Apollo? The very god whom had marked my bodice with the passion between Cole and I, producing a colt of such power, not even I can control his heated emotions of rage and his need for vengeance. Surely, Apollo would know what lies within my broken record of a brain, for the images keep coming back. The memories torture me. The point of insanity is so near, I can feel it. How much longer am I able to go on like this? Only the Fates know.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]
Wow. This little five-hundred-some-odd word post took three days to write. I hope it is good enough for now. Want me to change anything, just yell. I personally am disappointed in myself, then again, how much can I do when I am unable to think straight myself?

[S p e c t r a]

A devil in a midnight mass,
He prayed behind stained glass
A memory of Sunday class
Resurrected from the past

Thick smoke peeled back from his glowing golden form, rippling out across the landscape as if it had been bidden away. And it had. Small puffs of the substance still rose from every place where his hooves disdained to touch the earth, rising and snaking around his legs as if its greatest hope was to remain in contact with him as long as possible. Everything in this land worshiped him, and Apollo was well aware of this. The ground sighed at his touch, the sky shimmered gladly at his presence. But it wasn't enough. None of that mattered quite as much, because he had made it so. That was why Apollo so often ventured from his ever-shifting home. Because sometimes a bit of good old-fashioned irrationality was refreshing, and that's what mortals were for. Wasn't he just a lucky creature to have his entertainment just walk right in on him! He didn't even have to leave the comfort of the realm he controlled so recklessly and with abandon. The ground was shifting slowly, but the sun god's sure hooves carried him across the terrain as if nothing was amiss. A particularly elegant plaid sea dragon raised its horned head from the strangely-hued waters to watch them, its tongue flicking out quizzically. Apollo chuckled to himself and let the beast be. He hadn't endowed the sea life with enough cognitive ability to comprehend what was going on. In fact, the thing was barely self-aware! It was little more than a pretty design moving across the wall of his bachelor pad. He could dismiss it into thin air with a thought, and he had brought it into being in the same manner. Was it even alive at all in that case? All it took was a few clouds to dampen Apollo's mood and the patterned monster would be vaporized into oblivion. The palomino male was not well-known for valuing life highly.

Do you take me for a fool? I say smoothly, my voice showing no anger, only a powerful calm, Life doesn't take from the mind, it gives. And you are ever so full of experiences. Shall we revisit some of them? He teased, knowing full well that she loathed the idea of dwelling on all that she had lost. He could feel it so strongly, being near to her and her mind buzzing with activity that he only had to reach out and tap into. His thoughts were running at a casually blinding pace. The physical equivalent being a warehouse full of supercomputers running calculations faster than they could be displayed. Apollo was running scenarios through his head, weighing the options. What would he do with this broken femme? She wasn't good for much, but she was tenacious, determined. She had nothing left to throw herself into, except his service. Why had she come to him? She knew already that he was the main mischief-maker in this world. She must know that he was not entirely innocent in the matters that had ruined her so. Evidently he was the alpha, the highest bidder, and she was ready to sell her soul to anyone. But that didn't mean he was just going to permanently alter her without making damn sure that she knew what she was getting into. Mortals were fickle that way, they thought they would sacrifice everything and then all of a sudden they see the magnitude of the cost and they falter. Even when they think they have nothing left to lose, there is always something left to lose. And that was usually what Apollo required of them.

I find your suffering far more intriguing than your beauty ever was, he chuckled, All right then, you've caught me in a good mood. I've divined a purpose for you. But you must be prepared to lose your identity in this, or you'd better scram while you still have the chance. I will render you unrecognizable. You will be everyone and no one, a chameleon. The perfect spy. He ran figurative fingers through the torrent of emotions washing past him as he sifted through her thoughts. Still on board? She hadn't completely rejected the idea outright, so it seemed convenient to continue. You will abandon your former alliance and relay information on the South to the Northern ranks. They'll be hard on you, you'll have to be hard back. They're a lot more fun than the pansies chasing after soulmates in the South, you'll notice, he said with a wry grin. Are you ready to suck up your grief and get on with your life? Are you ready to make a difference for once in your pathetic existence? Are you ready to play for the other team? Honey, you came to the wrong Fate if you were looking to be sent on buttercup-gathering missions. This is the big leagues, and you have to demand to be heard. Otherwise you'll be worse than a nobody. He knew she had nothing better to do, he could see in her thoughts that she was ready to give up anything. Even her morals? But he wanted to hear it from her own lips. He wanted to hear her give up on everything she had ever been and had ever believed in. He was waiting. A single thought and her transformation would begin.

Hold your breath and count to four
Pinky swears don't work no more
Footsteps down the hallway floor
Getting closer to my door
I was alive but now I'm singing
- Devil in a Midnight Mass, Billy Talent


OOC: Sorry, that was harder to reply to than I thought! I had to switch to 3rd person for most of it.

[sinsonte.!]

Pathetic. I watched at the earth shifted, water vapors clung to the golden stud, and the clueless sea monster made movement. I know you can do much better than that, Apollo, as do you. This little wonderland is merely that of a sprinkle, why not make it pour? I knew full well he would most likely be able to hear my thoughts, as I light-heartedly mocked him.

Apollos words mingled with my empty soul, practically bringing me back to life. Practically, however, not literally. A purpose was good enough for me. Besides, the way he said it made it seem like something the old me would have done. The reckless, unchaste, and highly dangerous Sinsonte that Cole had known. There was no quiver in my chapped lips as I thought of he and I during our better days together.

That was most surely a sign.

Arching my neck with confidence, I flicked my thick tail, revealing absolute determination as I moved in closer toward the Fate. He was trouble, but fun trouble. And hadn't trouble been my thing when I was with Cole? My smoky tone unleashed itself to mingle with the air, a different sound to it, less cold and boring, though still thick with a Spanish accent. "Sure as hell sounds like a plan to me, Apollo. There will be consequences, I realize, however, those would become mere twigs and pebbles in my path and I'll be damned if I fail myself, or you."

Oh, what truth I spoke. This clever Fate, so full of ideas and creativity that he probably took for granted. His powers are immense and masterful, though hardly paid any attention to by himself. Well now, I suppose I shall experience the magnitude of such power.

"Lets get this over with so that I may begin. The sooner, the better, and the more fun." Casting one last glance at the sun god, I lightly closed my eyes. My entire bodice twitched with excited anticipation for the task at hand. I would bring up my queries for the Fate later, for now was the time for business.

It feels so good to be back!
Congrats on moving, have fun with that!

[S p e c t r a]

Silent night for the rest of my life
Silent night for the rest of my life
Violent knight cutting into your life
"Forgive me Father!" won't make it right
Silent night for the rest of my life
Silent knight cutting into your life
You're Guilty!

Well here we have it, a puppet willingly handing over the strings to the master who's been yanking them all along. A touching symbolic moment, I'm sure, but damned if I'm going to focus on such trivialities. I'm just too good. Look at this! If Artemis wasn't always throwing her goody-two-shoes little ponies in my way I'd surely have open warfare by now! Not to mention victory. Not to worry, she can delay the inevitable as long as she likes, it's nothing but a blink of an eye compared to the eternity we've spent tangoing around each other like this. Sometimes I wonder if she genuinely hates me by now. Or am I just the annoyance that gives her purpose? She never seemed quite like the valiant type to me before, but as my trickster ways lead me farther into the darkness, so it would seem I force her into the light of good. A strange coincidence really, since I ought to be the one in light and she in darkness. Perhaps it is better suited to describing our methods. I often flaunt myself, even in disguise. Why go for a modest one when I can pick any form I like? She would rather skulk around under cover of night and hide her exceptional abilities. It's really a shame, she's missing out on so much fun. Maybe it's her inability to have fun that endears her to that grumpy guts Theseus of hers. Sometimes I wonder if I could turn him to suit my needs, but his thinking is so narrow it's difficult to manipulate to my liking. Better to have him killed than waste my time messing with his head. I have a lovely plan for his demise, a perfect soldier to carry it out. Atlas. You've never failed me yet. Do you know you owe it to me that Tartarus chose you as his captain and confidant? No, I don't suppose you would know that. Even a flashy puppet master has to stay behind the screen.

Now where was I? Oh yes, stripping you of your recognizable identity. All the while I'm peeling away layers of your solid state, weaving silver threads of deception into your tapestry. To the drafts you will be draft. To the naked-fetlocked you will be not. When you gaze into a pool of water you will no longer see yourself, you will see what they see. Only when you are alone can you glimpse the bay maiden you once were. Under the eyes of others you will be forever foreign to yourself. Know that it is your appearance, your illusion, that changes, and not your physical self. That would be just too much shapeshifting for a mere mortal, you would come undone. And should a draft and non-draft view you at once, you might explode or something. Seriously, this is why we do things my way. I think of these potential-explosion scenarios, and I avoid them. Though watching an equine rip itself in half between two forms would be kind of hilarious. Hey, don't look at me funny if you don't get my sense of humour! You try bumming around this place for a few hundred thousand years and see how tasteful your pastimes are! I'm not evil, I just want something good to watch while I'm watching your petty little drama unfold. I mean, no one's died today! What's a guy to do? Watch flowers grow. Not a chance. Maybe I should go make some drafts pissed enough to kill something. That would be better than nothing. It would be, in fact, something. Do I have to do everything interesting around here? Artemis is such a buzzkill.

This next bit might hurt a little. And by "might" I mean it most certainly will, unless you're nerve-dead which you aren't. And by "a little" I mean a lot, I said, smirking like the clever devil I am. With a flourish I am air, and I scrape through your wind-tunnel like shards of glass. I'm opening you up, tearing your insides out and blasting a million tiny holes in your outside shell. You have nothing left to scream with by the time it might occur to you to put a voice to your agony. But don't worry, darling, I'm magical and I'm going to put you back together with stealth in your blood. Seeing as I've spilled all your regular stuff, might as well soup it up before squishing it all back in. I enlarge your heart and lungs to better cover distance, and begin to reassemble your other organs and your skeleton around it. Your hide I paint with quicksilver and sunspot black, solar gold and brushfire red. I sew it up with a few strands of my flowing locks, and my clever mirror spell is complete. You're a chameleon, baby. What, you were expecting it all to happen with a "bippity boppity boo"? Don't be a sour puss now, you're the one who waltzed in here seeking to serve me, consequences be damned! Are you having fun yet? I say coolly, having reappeared behind you and striding casually past, admiring my handiwork. I'm a freaking genius, I tell you. How do I come up with this stuff? You, darling, had better put this work of art to good use. Go forth, and carry out my will.

A devil in a midnight mass,
killed the boy inside the man
The holy water in his hands
Can never wash away his sins

[Schatt [Institutionalized]]

[ooc: Hey, Artemis heard her name, and I thought I'd ask. If you guys are just about done here, or if you'd rather keep the thread just between you two, that's fine, but I've never RPd Artemis in Chaos before and I thought it might be interesting if two Fates showed up in one day. Again, totally your choice. :)]

[S p e c t r a]

OOC: I think we're just about done, but I'm flexible. Sinsonte might want to get started on her spy-work right away, it's up to her.