Post by Dean Harper on Feb 9, 2023 6:21:40 GMT
The camera comes on to Dean sitting on the hood of a rusted out old truck.
“Surprise bitch, bet you saw the last of me.”
Dean smiles widely.
“Sorry, its a meme. You know me. I can’t pass up a good old reference.”
Dean leans back.
“But we can go into the why. But no one really wants to know the why. A scorpion does what’s in it’s nature. And what’s in mine is for better or worse the ring. I tried to take the injury and just exit. Try that apple pie life everyone loves talking about. I mean, that’s what other people do when they leave right? They find some way to make peace with it.”
Dean shrugs.
“Never my bag. I did try. And I feel like that should be credited. But the phone call came… and like that scene from the godfather part 2, I was dragged back in. I’m a man of simple wants. And JC knew what to offer.”
Dean looks up at the sky for a moment.
“But that’s not what anyone cares about this week. This week is if I can handle things on my own. It’s been a good solid couple months since I’ve had to handle business on my own. As confident as I am, I remember being fresh faced taking advantage of more veteran talent who were overconfident in their abilities. One moment. That’s all it really takes to make a big impact. One moment and things completely change course.”
Dean looks back at the camera.
“And that moment is not happening at Odyssey.”
“Are you ready for bed Damien?”
“Are you and Warren still fighting?”
“We weren’t fighting.” His father kissed him on the top of the head as she tucked the covers around him.
“But I heard raised voices.”
“Warren was just surprised by something I did, that’s all.”
“Did you lie?”
“Omissions can sometimes feel like lies.” His dad sat on the bed and held Damien close, “Do you want a story before bed?”
“Yes.”
Damien wanted to ask for more, but he already felt so tired.
“I love you. You know that, right?”
“Love you too.” Damien said sleepily.
“Never forget how much, okay? No matter what.”
“Okay.”
“Hello Alek.”
Dean smiles.
“I am going to assume you are going to bring up something about what I said last week. About fate.”
Dean gestures as if to prompt a sudden response.
“Suppose I should go first.”
Dean jumps off he hood of the rusted out truck.
“Let me say this specific and clear. I don’t want anyone to get confused here. Fuck Fate. Fuck your little god. Fuck your cult. And fuck your team and the ‘family’ it’s meant to build.”
Dean bounces on his heels.
“Do you need me to say it louder?”
Dean cups his hands around his mouth.
“FUCK FATE. FUCK YOUR LITTLE GOD.”
Dean drops his hands to his side.
“Clear? We’re all on the same page? Good.”
Dean flashes another smile.
“Oh no, but clearly I don’t understand, right? I couldn’t possibly know. Because Fate is different. I’m making assumptions and painting your little book club with the same brush The Pack was? Because it’s different with you. She speaks to you and its like you are the only thing in the world right? Like you were nothing before her and she makes you bigger and stronger and better?”
Dean nods.
“Yeah. I know what that is. I drank that koolaid. I recruited others to drink that koolaid. I love bombed and tortured others to drink it. Because that’s the thing about gods. They need you to believe that they care. They need you to believe that you re their favorite little bootlicker. That you are the first best defense against the heretics and the bullshit. That you know them better than anyone. That they love you.”
Dean lets out a low whistle.
“But they don’t. They don’t give a shit about you. Gods will use you but they will not help you. They help themselves. And the sooner you realize that, Alek, the better you will be.”
Dean smiles.
“Which is why I’m so happy to help you here. You need a helping hand to see that Fate is bullshit. So I’m going to put my foot on your throat until you see the truth for what it really is.”
Dean leans closer to the camera, as if sharing a secret.
“I’ll even do you the favor of killing her for you if that helps break her hold. Trust me. Nothing breaks unshakeable faith like the death of a loved one. Nothing like the cold empty eyes of someone you cherished to really free one to see hard truths.”
Dean licks his teeth.
“Hell, I’ll fucking tear your whole order apart piece by piece. You’ll be mad about it at first. You may even call me a monster, but it’s okay. I’m just helping.”
Dean claps his hands together.
"Because when everything you believed was true - when the spires of your faith, when the chorus of your community, when your God itself is dragged down into ruination? When everything you defined yourself by, everything you gave your soul to, everything you thought was holy and immortal is razed to the ground? It will give you the chance to look deep inside that withered and broken pit that you call a heart and find who you truly are. I should know."
He offers a wide, manically savage grin. "It did wonders for me!"
“Surprise bitch, bet you saw the last of me.”
Dean smiles widely.
“Sorry, its a meme. You know me. I can’t pass up a good old reference.”
Dean leans back.
“But we can go into the why. But no one really wants to know the why. A scorpion does what’s in it’s nature. And what’s in mine is for better or worse the ring. I tried to take the injury and just exit. Try that apple pie life everyone loves talking about. I mean, that’s what other people do when they leave right? They find some way to make peace with it.”
Dean shrugs.
“Never my bag. I did try. And I feel like that should be credited. But the phone call came… and like that scene from the godfather part 2, I was dragged back in. I’m a man of simple wants. And JC knew what to offer.”
Dean looks up at the sky for a moment.
“But that’s not what anyone cares about this week. This week is if I can handle things on my own. It’s been a good solid couple months since I’ve had to handle business on my own. As confident as I am, I remember being fresh faced taking advantage of more veteran talent who were overconfident in their abilities. One moment. That’s all it really takes to make a big impact. One moment and things completely change course.”
Dean looks back at the camera.
“And that moment is not happening at Odyssey.”
“Are you ready for bed Damien?”
“Are you and Warren still fighting?”
“We weren’t fighting.” His father kissed him on the top of the head as she tucked the covers around him.
“But I heard raised voices.”
“Warren was just surprised by something I did, that’s all.”
“Did you lie?”
“Omissions can sometimes feel like lies.” His dad sat on the bed and held Damien close, “Do you want a story before bed?”
“Yes.”
His family were considered blessed and godly. They had inherited the most powerful element.
Fire
It was an element that was considered untamable. Most people strayed away from learning the fire element, but not his family. His ancestors mastered it and were given respect. Their descendants were taught discipline and were mentally and emotionally trained to handle this powerful element.
One spark was all it needed for his family to become burned.
It was a terrible incident, his father was badly poisoned and nearly killed everyone in their house. He could recall the screams his family let out as his father released powerful heat of fire.
Just because they mastered it, didn't mean they were immune.
His mother had managed to save him by shielding him from his father's powerful fire blast. Once the carnage was done, the smelt of human fleshing burning was seared into his mind.
The people that worshipped his family, turned their backs on him. They treated him like scum.
Monster
Is what they called him.
He cried for help, but no one came to it. His once friends turned their backs on him, no longer extending a hand. The young kindling saw how cruel the world could be. Fire was supposed to warm people up. It was supposed to make people safe from the dark.
The child now resided in a cave, it was cold and damp. He was hungry and tired. He could feel the small spark within him. It called out for revenge. He shook his head, he could not use his powers for evil. He did not want people to fear the fire element. But he wanted revenge for whoever poisoned his father. He wanted to kill the person who was responsible for killing his family. The boy cried out when a huge bursts of fire escaped his body and filled the entire cave. He was shocked at this sudden burst of power that came from him. He calmed his breathing, remembering the teaching his parents had taught him.
"Why do you suppress your powers young one?" The cave started to rumble as a low and powerful voice rang out. A large shadow appeared and the boy was surprised. A red colored dragon appeared in front of him. It's underbelly was a colored gold but it's horns were black. It looked down on him with its gold colored eyes.
The boy steadied his breathing. "Because I am a danger to everyone. I harness the elemental power of fire."
"Indeed you do," smoke came out of the dragon's nose, "fire is a powerful and destructive element. Many people fear it because it is hard to control."
The boy nodded, "Yes it is. I thought my family had control of it..." he looked down, trying to hold back the tears, "but in the end they were burned by it."
"Yes they were, but not you. You were spared."
"My mother shielded me."
The dragon tilted its head, "She did, but I'm sure other children were protected by their parents. Were they not?" The boy nodded. "And yet you survived. Why is that?"
"Because the gods thought to punish my family by keeping me alive. For me to see the failure of my family, who thought they could tame fire."
"Perhaps, or perhaps the gods themselves have betrayed your family."
The boy glared at the mighty beasts, "They would not! The gods are just and kind."
"But they were not kind to you, were they?" The dragon moved its head close to the boy.
"Dragons like me boy, we are the gods of this world. And I have seen them scheme their evil schemes." The dragon straightened its body. "You see boy, my element was never meant to be tamed, it was only meant to cause destruction. When my fellow elemental dragons saw what your family had done, they had begun to prepare your lineage's downfall. It all started with me being caged and banished from the sky realm."
The boy could not believe it, the gods not only betrayed his family but their fellow dragon. The boy was mumbling something but the dragon could not hear it.
"Speak up boy."
The boy snapped his head up, his eyes filled with fire. "You help me burn this world to the ground, and I will help you burn the heavens."
The dragon let out a laugh and it's golden eyes glowed brightly and a red aura surrounded the powerful fire dragon. "Very well boy. Let the world know, that fire cannot be controlled. Let us color the world in ash."
Damien wanted to ask for more, but he already felt so tired.
“I love you. You know that, right?”
“Love you too.” Damien said sleepily.
“Never forget how much, okay? No matter what.”
“Okay.”
“Hello Alek.”
Dean smiles.
“I am going to assume you are going to bring up something about what I said last week. About fate.”
Dean gestures as if to prompt a sudden response.
“Suppose I should go first.”
Dean jumps off he hood of the rusted out truck.
“Let me say this specific and clear. I don’t want anyone to get confused here. Fuck Fate. Fuck your little god. Fuck your cult. And fuck your team and the ‘family’ it’s meant to build.”
Dean bounces on his heels.
“Do you need me to say it louder?”
Dean cups his hands around his mouth.
“FUCK FATE. FUCK YOUR LITTLE GOD.”
Dean drops his hands to his side.
“Clear? We’re all on the same page? Good.”
Dean flashes another smile.
“Oh no, but clearly I don’t understand, right? I couldn’t possibly know. Because Fate is different. I’m making assumptions and painting your little book club with the same brush The Pack was? Because it’s different with you. She speaks to you and its like you are the only thing in the world right? Like you were nothing before her and she makes you bigger and stronger and better?”
Dean nods.
“Yeah. I know what that is. I drank that koolaid. I recruited others to drink that koolaid. I love bombed and tortured others to drink it. Because that’s the thing about gods. They need you to believe that they care. They need you to believe that you re their favorite little bootlicker. That you are the first best defense against the heretics and the bullshit. That you know them better than anyone. That they love you.”
Dean lets out a low whistle.
“But they don’t. They don’t give a shit about you. Gods will use you but they will not help you. They help themselves. And the sooner you realize that, Alek, the better you will be.”
Dean smiles.
“Which is why I’m so happy to help you here. You need a helping hand to see that Fate is bullshit. So I’m going to put my foot on your throat until you see the truth for what it really is.”
Dean leans closer to the camera, as if sharing a secret.
“I’ll even do you the favor of killing her for you if that helps break her hold. Trust me. Nothing breaks unshakeable faith like the death of a loved one. Nothing like the cold empty eyes of someone you cherished to really free one to see hard truths.”
Dean licks his teeth.
“Hell, I’ll fucking tear your whole order apart piece by piece. You’ll be mad about it at first. You may even call me a monster, but it’s okay. I’m just helping.”
Dean claps his hands together.
"Because when everything you believed was true - when the spires of your faith, when the chorus of your community, when your God itself is dragged down into ruination? When everything you defined yourself by, everything you gave your soul to, everything you thought was holy and immortal is razed to the ground? It will give you the chance to look deep inside that withered and broken pit that you call a heart and find who you truly are. I should know."
He offers a wide, manically savage grin. "It did wonders for me!"
Well howdy there pardner.