For the last part of Gynock’s story, includes the breakdown of how the game mechanics actual would work in the game sessions.
The Pandora’s Box campaign worked really well, and I was sorry to see it end. I’ve often thought of maybe taking the conceit of the story (the spirits of the gods released upon the word) and reworking it into a publishable form.
Part four is the deescalation of action … for now. Destinee is not one to share her husband for every long.
Debating a moment, but deciding that she wanted to investigate her target and until then Moonblossom was safe, Gynock returned to his quarters and got his handheld and sunglasses. Until Destinee calmed down, he feared for the goddess’s life.
After over an hour of discovering more of the myths behind the woman he loved, which was not the easiest task set before him. Destinee had worked as the secretary and business manager for the dojo and was much more technically savvy than him. The search was slow going until he heard the brunette “Aha!”
Gynock came around the desk to stand behind her to see what she had discovered. For a moment the smell of his leathers and her sweat distracted him, but he pushed it back with annoyance. His mind should be set on higher things then the adolescent fantasy that had held him enthralled for so long. He looked at the display, not seeing what had caught her attention even when she pointed them out with her fingers. “What?” he finally asked.
“Balhr, Bright Beauty” she read patiently from the screen. “All that looked upon him fell in love with him and promised not to hurt him. Only little mistletoe, which lived in the shadows, and never saw him, didn’t make the oath.” She leaned back in the chair and looked up at him. “You, my dear husband, are a creature of shadows. When you are in the light, the spell binds you, but darkness returns to your true nature.”
Confounded by the implication that something other than his real emotions controlled him at the moment, and that when they had been clawing each other earlier he had been in his right mind, his shook his head doubtfully.
She stood up and faced him directly, leaning against the desk because of the small amount of space between them. “No really, you care for me because you care me, not because I manipulated you into it.” She laid her hand on his cheek.
Still shaking his head in disbelief, he said. “So if I just call the shadows…” and he did so, action and thought being nearly the same thing to him, instantly proving her theory. “Oh god.” He kissed his true love gently on the forehead and leaned into her strength. “What are we going to do?”
“I noticed you didn’t try to step away just now when earlier you couldn’t touch me.” She commented, making eye contact with him despite the total absence of light.
“So what’s the idea now, was it sex or time in the shadows breaking the spell?”
“Maybe both, could be fun trying to figure out.” She flirted.
It was good that the omnipresent cameras couldn’t record activity in his shadows; otherwise the territorial Alexander would have had a few words about how they used his office.
***
Taking a break to allow his powers to recharge, since he couldn’t maintain the darkness at all times, they walked back to their quarters. Returned to the light mode of thoughts, he couldn’t quite believe their discoveries even while he enjoyed the back view of the woman in front of him. There was no love in his heart for her, but she still was the sexiest thing he knew. The goddess was something to be adored and protected. This demon was dangerous and stimulating. He loved the goddess just a little more, because she needed him, but the mortal was temptation walking because she should be forbidden.
Something struck him and he asked, “Are you certain you can spend so much time in the shadows?”
Looking over her shoulder, she stopped a moment and grabbed his hand. After tapping it twice, she drew him into a side corridor that used to lead to LuEllen’s rooms. A couple of the walls had been clawed by the Sphinx as she learned about her talons before she had moved permanently in with the Redwoods. Destinee stopped in front of one such area and did the silent code for clean.
Expanding on his earlier question, he stated. “I killed at least a dozen people with shadows earlier today and drove others insane. At least that is what they told me. Normals like you.” Even now he felt no remorse; he would do anything to protect his goddess.
He watched the thoughts tumble through her head. To most people, her face was a blank mask but he always watched her expressive eyes. “So far I am good.” She answered carefully.
“Even the others, the ringwearers, don’t like it. They say it feels cold, evil … and they hear things.”
She nodded. “I hear things too, people I’ve killed, but I know I beat them, and other things. … I think most people haven’t faced their darker side and it scares them. The good are scared it will conquer them and evil know it will consume them someday … I’ve faced all that long ago.” She glanced around before continuing. “Besides, it’s your noir and when I am in it I feel …. safe. Truly, I am okay with it.”
***
The next morning, the unit meeting had both of them sipping coffee so black that it was melting the plastic straws. He seemed to have a handle on his emotions; he was totally and deeply in love with two women and wanted to protect them both. Then the prisoner videos started and the need to worship and protect Moonblossom surged. He squirmed in his seat fighting the need to run to her aid; there was no way he would be successful if he tried right now. Destinee watched him from where she was taking notes and he realized any action he took would result in Moonblossom’s death.
Suddenly the need for action passed as he realized that if Destinee killed the goddess’s body, then the energy would transfer to his wife. His lack of movement seemed to upset her more, and soon thereafter she dragged him to the sparring room.
A whispered warning, acknowledging that the spell had rule of him, fell upon his ears as she had him in a momentary hold. “If you dare have anything further to do with that Thing, I will destroy it.”
Rolling away, enjoying the fact that now he could beat her instead of the other way around, he responded with great satisfaction, “If you kill her, she will take you over.” Either way he would win; if she did nothing, Moonblossom would remain safe; otherwise both of his loves would be in the same body.
She smiled as she shook her head and feinted on his weaker side before taking advantage of having a lower center of gravity. As he fell and tried to regain his breath, he heard her say “I didn’t say kill, I said destroy.” For a moment he froze as he grasped the difference. “I will find a way, somehow.”
Realizing that his wife has never made an idle threat in her life, he put thoughts of rescue to the back of his mind. Better that the goddess be alive and captured then dead and destroyed. His wife was very possessive.
***
Game Effects discovered over the next few days:
- The longer Gynock is separated from his wife (like on trips), and the more exposed to daylight the less strong his natural feelings for her. His feelings for Adonis do not change. The obsessive love the spell (for lack of a better word) commands, requires a halo effect destruction on all other loves including self. Strangely, his emotions towards his daughter do not change. His emotions will go from love, to sexual attraction, to toleration, to active hatred over time (restoration works in reverse). It takes about a week (or a single hour if exposed to Adonis directly) to reach hatred. This includes a near suicidal need to keep Adonis safe; “it matters not what happens to this wretched body so long as she lives on.”
- Restoration time is required to return the emotions of his wife to normal. That is time in the shadows with her. The longer the time away, the more “sessions” in the shadows are needed to restore most of his mind to normal. (Again, the obsession never goes away while he is in the light.)
- Only when either his daughter or wife is in his shadows WITH him, is the spell rendered inert. If he creates a shadow around them, but does not enter, the obsession remains. If they are outside the shadow and he within, the obsession remains at full strength. The minute either enters the cloud with him, the obsession disappears from his thoughts. They are the lodestones to his true nature.
- His shadows seem to have no detrimental effect on his family. They seem to be able to see as good as him in the black, they don’t get cold (in fact they say it is a comforting warmth), and can hear in and out of the cloud just fine, furthermore, the tentacles cannot be made to harm them (ever since his wife said the safe word, they “know” how hard they can squeeze her without hurting her). In addition, obfuscate abilities seem to have no effect on them. He can sneak up on them using normal skills, but the “superpowers” do not make any difference on how successful he is.
- He really is faster and stronger than his wife and can beat her in hand-to-hand (most of the time).
- The ring makes no comment on the obsession and seems to have quieted down now that it is located in Gynock’s palm.
(words 1,193; first published 8/9/2020)
