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magic_fratboyWe're flirtin' with disaster ya'll damn sure know what I mean.
You know the way we run our lives it makes no sense to me
I don't know about yourself or what you plan to be, yeah
When we gamble with our time we choose our destiny
=============================
“You can’t do this.”
“I have to.”
“Tommy Karras, if you think for an instant that I’m going to sit here and let you commit suicide--”
“It’s not suicide if I succeed!!”
He still wasn’t convinced of his own argument, but he really had no choice in the matter now. A crowd had gathered, the dealership had made the agreement…and if he tried to run, dozens of human lives were at stake.
The same humans he stood in front of, eyes on the ground instead of the crowd. He couldn’t look up, not if he wanted to do this, not yet…
The Darkness was there. In the faces, there was one he would never be able to see unless it revealed itself, and if it did he would die. No hope, no human could save him, Channing, or anyone present. He could only fight by driving it out…by owning the people waiting to see him kill himself on a bed of nails.
Head still bowed, he prayed for strength, for courage. He was terrified, and he prayed for bravery.
Zee…if the dead can really hear the thoughts of the living, please help me.
Spreading his arms abruptly, he opened himself to the power and let truth come out of his mouth, into their ears.
“I’m an avatar. Look at me…see me. See yourself. See the things that take place here, and take away one fact: I am you. I’m no stronger, no different…I’m here to show you that this thing I’m gonna do tonight? It’s in all of you.”
The thread was moving closer to the eye of the needle as he finally dared to look up. Eyes were riveted to him, young and old, male and female. They were watching…they were listening. To him.
Holy shit, what the hell am I doing out here?
Though the desert air was cold in the night, Tommy stripped off his t-shirt slowly and tossed it aside. In the parking lot of the Mirage, he had no music or fancy lighting as he disrobed, removing next his earrings and his cross, then his talisman and finally his rings. He wore jeans and boots now, and with an elastic around his wrist he tied his hair back.
Facing the crowd again, he spread his arms. The air was too cold against his bare torso. The night was too thick, too dark.
“This stunt is crazy. Don’t try it.” He ordered, fighting to keep his voice from shaking. “But help me. I can’t do this alone. An avatar is only as strong as the thing he represents. So everyone here tonight? Give me something to stand for. Your greatest obstacle, your fondest wish. Give it to me, give me your strength…believe.”
He turned away sharply and walked over to the waiting bed of nails. Naked to the waist, hair back, he was exposed and stripped bare of every barrier, every place he could hide. He was a man, small and lean in stature with no more strength than any other.
No one made a sound. His head started to pound…but in the dark, heat was building.
Shutting his eyes, Tommy willed his heart to slow as he discreetly gestured to Mike Kellar and Jacob Fillmore, Channing’s stage manager. He could hear them walk up, felt himself being tipped and lifted. Other hands joined theirs, stagehands and friends that had arrived to help him with the stunt…
He was moving. He was being lowered. Breathe in, breathe out…slow the heart. Feel his own weight. Lighter than air, bear the pain…
The nails were cold against his back, but his strength held under the weight of the darkness. He struggled to focus on the rising heat as the board was laid against his chest, propped at one end against a support rod that would hold the weight of one wheel. When the Hummer drove up, he’d bear a third of its weight for as long as he could.
“Push up when I tell you, all right?”
Tommy nodded at Jacob’s instructions, controlling his breath as he heard the engine turn over. The rumble of it drew closer, reinforced steel creaking as it slowly rolled up onto the frame…
The second the promise of its weight started rolling onto his chest, he felt the shadows close over him.
You can’t do this. Ziyah’s waiting for you. Let it go…let her come for you.
The nails burned his back. His head throbbed as his pulse began to race, his blood pressure spiking.
“Tommy? You ready?”
You’re not ready. You’ll fail. You’ll die. I can bring it quickly…open your eyes.
Breath caught around him. The humans could feel it, the avatars were sickened by it.
Gathering the last of his strength, Tommy focused his thoughts and formed words for The Darkness, hoping he could be heard.
You first.
“Pull the rod, Jake. Now.”
Pushing against the board, Tommy felt the wood give as his order was obeyed, and over four thousand pounds of pressure tried to crush him.
The icy touch of the nails beneath his back sank into his skin. The Hummer was too heavy, too much…he couldn’t hold himself up beneath its weight and hold up the vehicle, too. He was losing strength too fast…
Help me. Zee…help me. Don’t let me die. I can’t do this…
He screamed and kept screaming. He held the Hummer. There was warmth in the desert night, he just had to find it…
“Believe…believe…believe…believe…”
It took him a while to realize that it wasn’t his own thoughts, but the crowd. An eerie, quiet sort of chant had begun, rolling back and forth between the spectators and the crew surrounding him. It cut through the chill, cut to his core…it never rose above a quiet murmur, and yet it filled him with the kind of adrenaline he’d only ever felt at a stadium concert full of the screaming faithful.
“Believe…believe…believe…believe…”
“Fifteen seconds, that’s long enough! Get it off him!”
“Believe…believe! Believe! BELIEVE! BELIEVE!!”
“Move it, come on!”
The pressure lifted and his body began to shake in protest of the lost weight. Struggling to keep himself suspended on the bed of nails, he waited until he felt himself being lifted before he relaxed his control and let go.
On his feet, he collapsed in a heap. Warmth poured over him as the crowd began to cheer and scream. His head was screaming in pain, his body ravaged by the icy finger of evil that had touched him.
You’re good. I’m better.
So are they. He shot back through the pain. So show your face or get away from my people.
A small, delicate female hand gently rubbed his bleeding back. Human heat surrounded him, soaking into him, but the voice that suddenly touched his ears then was arctic. It was only a taste, a memory of the real thing…but it was enough.
Not just yet…watching you fade will be a lot more satisfying than watching you fall, Titan.
It was the last thing Tommy heard before he lost consciousness.
Muse: Tommy Karras
Fandom: Original Character
Words: 1,182
You know the way we run our lives it makes no sense to me
I don't know about yourself or what you plan to be, yeah
When we gamble with our time we choose our destiny
=============================
“You can’t do this.”
“I have to.”
“Tommy Karras, if you think for an instant that I’m going to sit here and let you commit suicide--”
“It’s not suicide if I succeed!!”
He still wasn’t convinced of his own argument, but he really had no choice in the matter now. A crowd had gathered, the dealership had made the agreement…and if he tried to run, dozens of human lives were at stake.
The same humans he stood in front of, eyes on the ground instead of the crowd. He couldn’t look up, not if he wanted to do this, not yet…
The Darkness was there. In the faces, there was one he would never be able to see unless it revealed itself, and if it did he would die. No hope, no human could save him, Channing, or anyone present. He could only fight by driving it out…by owning the people waiting to see him kill himself on a bed of nails.
Head still bowed, he prayed for strength, for courage. He was terrified, and he prayed for bravery.
Zee…if the dead can really hear the thoughts of the living, please help me.
Spreading his arms abruptly, he opened himself to the power and let truth come out of his mouth, into their ears.
“I’m an avatar. Look at me…see me. See yourself. See the things that take place here, and take away one fact: I am you. I’m no stronger, no different…I’m here to show you that this thing I’m gonna do tonight? It’s in all of you.”
The thread was moving closer to the eye of the needle as he finally dared to look up. Eyes were riveted to him, young and old, male and female. They were watching…they were listening. To him.
Holy shit, what the hell am I doing out here?
Though the desert air was cold in the night, Tommy stripped off his t-shirt slowly and tossed it aside. In the parking lot of the Mirage, he had no music or fancy lighting as he disrobed, removing next his earrings and his cross, then his talisman and finally his rings. He wore jeans and boots now, and with an elastic around his wrist he tied his hair back.
Facing the crowd again, he spread his arms. The air was too cold against his bare torso. The night was too thick, too dark.
“This stunt is crazy. Don’t try it.” He ordered, fighting to keep his voice from shaking. “But help me. I can’t do this alone. An avatar is only as strong as the thing he represents. So everyone here tonight? Give me something to stand for. Your greatest obstacle, your fondest wish. Give it to me, give me your strength…believe.”
He turned away sharply and walked over to the waiting bed of nails. Naked to the waist, hair back, he was exposed and stripped bare of every barrier, every place he could hide. He was a man, small and lean in stature with no more strength than any other.
No one made a sound. His head started to pound…but in the dark, heat was building.
Shutting his eyes, Tommy willed his heart to slow as he discreetly gestured to Mike Kellar and Jacob Fillmore, Channing’s stage manager. He could hear them walk up, felt himself being tipped and lifted. Other hands joined theirs, stagehands and friends that had arrived to help him with the stunt…
He was moving. He was being lowered. Breathe in, breathe out…slow the heart. Feel his own weight. Lighter than air, bear the pain…
The nails were cold against his back, but his strength held under the weight of the darkness. He struggled to focus on the rising heat as the board was laid against his chest, propped at one end against a support rod that would hold the weight of one wheel. When the Hummer drove up, he’d bear a third of its weight for as long as he could.
“Push up when I tell you, all right?”
Tommy nodded at Jacob’s instructions, controlling his breath as he heard the engine turn over. The rumble of it drew closer, reinforced steel creaking as it slowly rolled up onto the frame…
The second the promise of its weight started rolling onto his chest, he felt the shadows close over him.
You can’t do this. Ziyah’s waiting for you. Let it go…let her come for you.
The nails burned his back. His head throbbed as his pulse began to race, his blood pressure spiking.
“Tommy? You ready?”
You’re not ready. You’ll fail. You’ll die. I can bring it quickly…open your eyes.
Breath caught around him. The humans could feel it, the avatars were sickened by it.
Gathering the last of his strength, Tommy focused his thoughts and formed words for The Darkness, hoping he could be heard.
You first.
“Pull the rod, Jake. Now.”
Pushing against the board, Tommy felt the wood give as his order was obeyed, and over four thousand pounds of pressure tried to crush him.
The icy touch of the nails beneath his back sank into his skin. The Hummer was too heavy, too much…he couldn’t hold himself up beneath its weight and hold up the vehicle, too. He was losing strength too fast…
Help me. Zee…help me. Don’t let me die. I can’t do this…
He screamed and kept screaming. He held the Hummer. There was warmth in the desert night, he just had to find it…
“Believe…believe…believe…believe…”
It took him a while to realize that it wasn’t his own thoughts, but the crowd. An eerie, quiet sort of chant had begun, rolling back and forth between the spectators and the crew surrounding him. It cut through the chill, cut to his core…it never rose above a quiet murmur, and yet it filled him with the kind of adrenaline he’d only ever felt at a stadium concert full of the screaming faithful.
“Believe…believe…believe…believe…”
“Fifteen seconds, that’s long enough! Get it off him!”
“Believe…believe! Believe! BELIEVE! BELIEVE!!”
“Move it, come on!”
The pressure lifted and his body began to shake in protest of the lost weight. Struggling to keep himself suspended on the bed of nails, he waited until he felt himself being lifted before he relaxed his control and let go.
On his feet, he collapsed in a heap. Warmth poured over him as the crowd began to cheer and scream. His head was screaming in pain, his body ravaged by the icy finger of evil that had touched him.
You’re good. I’m better.
So are they. He shot back through the pain. So show your face or get away from my people.
A small, delicate female hand gently rubbed his bleeding back. Human heat surrounded him, soaking into him, but the voice that suddenly touched his ears then was arctic. It was only a taste, a memory of the real thing…but it was enough.
Not just yet…watching you fade will be a lot more satisfying than watching you fall, Titan.
It was the last thing Tommy heard before he lost consciousness.
Muse: Tommy Karras
Fandom: Original Character
Words: 1,182
