H.P. Lovecraft: Fucking people from alien cultures is WRONG and BAD!!!! It leads to genetic and cultural degradation!!!! Let me demonstrate with this helpful fish-person metaphor: You wouldn’t fuck a fish-person-monster, now would you? Guillermo Del Toro:
I saw nothing but a poisoned haze and crippling blackness curling towards me, it filled my vision before choking me out, the feeling of hot and cold shot through my body like creeping tendrils. And I was no more.
~~~~~~
“Oh good, you’re awake.” Chimed a soft, mechanical voice. “I was worried for a second but, I’ve finally found you.”
Slowly fading in, the saturated view of a rainforest canopy calmed and lulled me into a sense of comfort after such a rude awakening. “Guardian? Are you alright?” The voice cooed. Following that inquiry were a few low whirs of what I could only guess were concern. “I am fine, my friend. What is going on?” I say this as I let out a soft groan, hoisting myself from a pile of rubble to examine my surroundings lazily.
“Well, you see, you’ve been dead for quite some time.”
Blinking the light generously into my senses, I felt my hand creep up my body to my throbbing forehead. “You said, dead?” My gaze eventually rested on a small hovering machine. It’s single, centered eye glowed a sweet cyan as it’s disconnected body swiveled in anticipation.
“Yes! For approximately 427 years.” It said this so.. matter-o-factly.
“Alllrighty, then.” Rescanning my surroundings I attempted to soak in my newly acquired knowledge. Dead, aye? That’s a surprise, as was everything else under current circumstances. Though I was in a bit of a shocked state, the earthy smell of a recent downpour reigned in my heart rate. I sighed deeply. “And who might you be, little light?”
It’s shell rearranged itself before piping up. “I am a piece of the travelers light, designated with the duty to find and resurrect a guardian, my guardian, you.” It seemed absorbed in thought for a moment, then continued. “Now that I have found you, I will serve you in your journey to quell the darkness. But first, I must get you back to the city. It’s the only safe place left on Earth.”
Earth, that sounded right in an odd way. The small bit she could remember was the existence of certain planets. The words ‘Mars’ and ‘Venus’ flashed into her mind for a brief moment, she could only guess that they were other worlds. “Alright-” she yawned, accompanied by loud pops as her spine readjusted from the long, and assumed, forcibly induced slumber. “-Let’s get moving.”
{{1}}
As we arrived at the base known as ‘The Tower’ my being was manifested on the deck of the main part of the complex. I turned in time to see my recently commandeered airship carefully retract from the platform and fly off. This in itself concerned me. “Where is the ship going? And how exactly?” In my mind, I could here the little light’s voice.
“I have sent it to the storage bay. As soon as we’re ready to go, it’ll be here.” His explanation only confused me further.
The logic of this world was very strange to me but I was sure I would come to understand it thoroughly with time. “I see..” my voice trailed off. Turning again, my back to the railing of the high up tower, I watched as many other presumed guardians strolled around haphazardly. Many were adorned with rough but workable looking weapons and armor the likes of which I’d never seen. It was a mix of space suit and combat armor. I roamed the tower for a while, ogling at each and every person that passed me by, wholly enthralled by the amazing technology which surrounded me. I continued to walk, happily taking in every bit of the scenery.
Though he wanted me to take it slow, and let me look much longer than he had probably originally intended, he finally spoke up again. “I know you are very confused but we-”
At that moment, I caught a glimpse of myself in a passing window, which stopped me in my tracks. “I.. am I a robot as well?” I cut him off, going bright red once I realized I had done so. He manifested himself in front of me, not seeming offended in the slightest.
“You’re body was too heavily damaged, and needed to be augmented around your mind. You’re now what’s known as an ‘Exo’”
I stared at him lost for a moment, then simply nodded.
“I see.. and.. what was it you were going to say?”
He seemed concerned again, but obliged my need to change the subject as I moved away from the window. I don’t really know what I had expected, but shimmering metallic white had not been it.
“Well,” he said softly. “From what I can tell, you seem to be a hunter, and it’s time you met your vanguard.” I tilted my head confusedly as we continued to walk towards a flight of downwards heading stairs. I didn’t need to speak, as he had already guessed what newly plagued my mind.
“There are three separate types of guardians. Titans, Warlocks, and those who are like you, Hunters. The titans are defenders of the weak, they push back hard and hit harder. They go head first into a fight, and protect all who need it. Warlocks were granted special gifts from the traveler, light that endows them with magic-like powers. They are a force to be reckoned with and protect their squadrons with their lives. Hunters are quick on the trigger, and even deadlier with a blade. They are the assassins and rogues of the guardians, they hit hard with their firepower and harder with their cunning.”
His explanation spanned the entirety of their trek into the headquarters of the tower, past a shady looking woman with her eyes bandaged over and a behemoth of a man adorning a helm with a single horn, its duplicate on the other side having been snapped off. She could only assume he was a titan. She could only gather assumptions of everything she saw. The horned man nodded in her acknowledgment as she passed.
Coming upon an open room, there was a large table in its center surrounded by three people. A dark skinned woman with a shaven head, a fair, blue skinned man with broad shoulders and, a thinner man similar to me with a triangular point protruding from his forehead. At my entrance, the Exo man adorned in a long hooded cape swiveled on a heel, holding his arms out in a warm welcome. “Guardiaaaan! You’re a new one aren’t you?” This caught the attention of the other two, and the pale blue man man joined in. “Ah! You look strong and level headed, I’m sure your a titan!”
I scratched my head and looked to the side a bit. “Well, actually, my uh…”
“Ghost.”
“Ghost? Ghost! Erm.. believes me to be a hunter, actually.” I covered my face flustered, upset I was seeming like a confused child to them.
A deep sigh escaped them all except for the Exo man, whose arms shot up in the air. “Yes! Another hunter to scout those beautiful plague-lands!” The other two rolled their eyes and resumed what they had been doing as I walked up to him. The woman muttered. “Only you, Cayde.”
“You know it!” He chuckled. “So, hunter, have you acquired any gear?”
I shrugged. “What? Am I meant to find something in a pristine chest in the middle of a wasteland?”
Wagging a finger at me he laughed. “You’d be surprised!”
I chuckled excitedly, scratching the back of my head as I grinned. I knew already I would enjoy this man as whatever sort of leader he was meant to be. Nodding to his ghost, I saw an emblem flash across my view, informing me that I had gained something.
“There,” he said. “I gave your ghost some basic gear to get you started. Now get out there and adventure! Then tell me everything you do out there. I’ve been locked up in this tower for so long I’m feeling like rapunzel in here missing all that action!”
Confusion covered my face and one of my eyebrows shot up. I had no clue what he was referencing.
“Never mind, never mind. Just get out there and do some good, hunter.” He shooed me off and I headed back through the hall to the stairway. A new purpose I had no knowledge of filled my chest with warmth and I so badly wanted to search out what awaited me in this new world.
“Guardian!” A thundering voice jolted me from my thoughts, making me jump. I swung my head around to see the horned man, no longer surrounded by other guardians seeking his guidance, looking directly at me. I walked swiftly but calmly over to him and stopped only a couple feet in front of him.
“Hunter, are you a newly resurrected guardian?” He asked firmly. I nodded in reply, showering the man in my crimson gaze as I examined him. He was definitely a titan, even larger than the fair skinned man in the headquarters. Fists firmly planted on his hips, he continued.
“Well then, you should consider participating in the crucible! It’s a perfect place for you to hone your skills in combat and meet other guardians to storm the plague-lands and so many more places that are infested by the darkness with. It’s always good to have a trustworthy friend by your side out in the wastes.”
I pondered for a bit, wholeheartedly considering it, but shaking my head in the end.
“Hm?” His head tilted ever so slightly and his arms crossed over his chest. “What seems so disagreeable about it, hunter?”
That last word had a sharpness to it that I interpreted as a challenge, causing me to grin cheekily. Meeting what I thought to be his gaze past his heavily tinted visor, I replied evenly.
“No disrespect..-”
“Shaxx, Lord Shaxx. I run the crucible.”
I giggled even more and smiled brightly. “I mean no disrespect, Lord Shaxx. Simply that.. one on one training seems like it would be more productive to me.”
His posture loosened again and he laughed. “Is that a challenge, newbie?”
In my mind I heard my ghost sigh worriedly. “Are you sure this is the best of ideas? You didn’t even know what you were a few minutes ago.”
“I’ll be fine, little light.” I assured him.
“You should listen to your ghost guardian, you’re in for a hell of a lesson otherwise.”
I stretched out my arm above my head then shrugged. “Come on man, I’ve been sleeping for what? Four or so centuries? I wanna have a little fun, I’ve missed out on a lot. Let’s see what happens, aye?”
"Ok, Guardian.” He snorted. “Let’s see if that bite of yours is as harsh as your bark.”
