I'm pretty sure that Hippolyta and I would love to call each other out as crazy and chalk everything up to bullshit, but I don't think I can.
The inflections when she says her daughter's name, "Princess Diana" and acknowledges her being "Wonder Woman" is so sincere that it's not something I can't deny…no matter how stubborn I want to be.
Of course, it could just be a coincidence, but I've never been that lucky. Clearly Princess Diana is coming, whether I like it or not. The true problem problem is whether or not this is the well a DC universe hopefully it's one of the tamer ones and it's the Princess Diana of Justice League and not some of the comics where she's a total psychopath.
Hippolyta must have seen something cross my face, "Something troubles you…further?" Genuine concern for me carried through her voice and facial expressions.
I swallow thickly, "Yeah? Maybe. Probably…depends on your daughter at this point."
Another raised eyebrow and a motion for me to continue, "Princess Diana wouldn't happen to be your and Hades's daughter would she?" Shocked gasps echo around the room and the sound of the captain drawing her sword makes me flinch but I put some steel in my spine and stand up…as Hippolyta stumbles backwards a confused almost fearful look on her face, as if I've said something…not only terror inducing but also dangerous, "I…I shaped my daughter from Clay…" Hippolyta mutters now I may not be a Laso of truth but I can usually tell when someone is lying to me.
Seeing Hippolyta trip on a marble step to her throne I throw myself forward and catch her though her weight nearly makes me topple over on top of her, the blade at me throat belonging to the captain nearly makes me piss myself but the teary-eyed look on Hippolyta's face tells me all I need to know about Wonder Woman's birth and confirms some suspicions I had towards the Justice League cartoon as a kid.
"I made her from clay." Hippolyta repeats again while I hold her up her fist gripping my shirt tightly like she desperately wants me to believe her…not for me but for the lie and illusion she's built for her people for her daughter if they all learned this place wasn't safe that Diana was a rape baby it'd make the Amazonians fall apart.
A long, ragged sigh explodes out of me… "I believe you, man you must be one heck of an artist…though I've only seen animated drawings and the like of Princess Diana in my universe…just wow you did an amazing job." The smile Hippolyta gives me is frail and uncertain but she motions for the captain to sheath her sword.
"Hippolyta…I don't mean to be rude, but you are either incredibly heavy…or I am incredibly weak…my arms are about to give out." I try to joke and get a small smile out of Hippolyta that barely reaches her eyes.
"Would you like to hear about my daughter?" Hippolyta asks me as she stands on her own two feet and my arms throb in relief.
"Yeah I'd love to, has she been Wonder Woman since the 40's…also was there ever a Steve Trevor that she fell in love with?"
Hippolyta looks slightly guarded as she answers, "Yes, she helped defeat the Axis powers as part of the All-Star Squadron. This is common knowledge…do not ever mention that monster of a beasts name again, he tricked Diana into falling for him and then abused her!" The snarl at the end is shocking to say the least.
"Oh…well…I didn't know that, I hope he is being eternally tortured in the worst pits of Tartarus…if that's a thing…"
"Also say perhaps that knowledge is not so common where I'm from…Wonder Woman might be an important fictional icon…in some circles…but…" I trail off before another explosive sigh escapes me at the look Queen Hippolyta has in her eyes.
"I take it, ya want me to expand on what I've said so far?"
"I will have the truth." There is a threat in her tone of voice that tells me Hippolyta will have me executed with no hesitation.
Well dang, when you put it that way, "Where I'm from, you're all comic book characters. Have been for roughly eighty years... though the comics are roughly inspired by mythology."
Understandably, there is a moment of stunned silence that seems to stretch on indefinitely.
Unexpectedly, Queen Hippolyta presses her nose against mine staring straight into my eyes and my instincts scream for me to run, that this is a fight I can't win, I try to back away. Key word being, "try," because Blondie and captain grabs my arm and keep me firmly planted in place. Their hands are cold, and their grips harshly bite into the soft under flesh of my arms.
Hippolyta is almost nose to nose with me, 'Huh we're the same height…damn it's really hard to concentrate on anything but how beautiful she is even in this situation.' Hippolyta's eyes are narrow into two tiny blue slits as she searches my face for any trace of deception.
Hippolyta finally backs away and lets out a loud snort like some kind of animal…I breathe out a sigh of relief…at night being dead…
"Yout perfume…smells really nice…Lilacs, and vanilla…I think?" I ask and Hippolyta rolls her eyes as she steps further away, and sits back down on her throne, her left hand starts gripping her staff with a white knuckled grip.
{For a sound deduction you receive +1 WIS.}
The message appears again in the same blue textbox. The box is a deep shade of blue, not like the ocean or the sky, but like a jewel or a fabric maybe…very similar to Hippolyta's eyes color…though unlike staring into her eyes, looking at this blue notification is strangely soothing…the text itself is Times New Roman in white.
The woman in the cloak from earlier has been hiding along the side of the chamber since we got here, but she seems to have been provoked by my system notification like earlier, as she rushes in front of Hippolyta and smacks the butt of her gnarled staff on the ground twice. She points at me, says something in a raspy almost pained sounding voice in Greek, maybe it would more aptly be referred to as Themysciran Greek.
As this hooded priestess, if I remember correctly, spins to point at me, her hood flies up a bit revealing her face.
'Holy shit…this woman, I think…I remember something about a Greek priestess that was so beautiful Aphrodite tried melting her face off but Zeus or someone was in love with her...and because of that she was allowed to live, though scared for eternity.' Blondie and the Captain quickly back away from me.
'Fuck I know I'm ugly but next to this woman I look like a super fluffy male supermodel.' If her features were just plain or out of proportion it wouldn't bother me so much; these things happen, and her face would just be a face. But everything I can see of this woman is strange. Her hair pokes out of her hood and is shiny with grease; thick and wiry. Her brow is essentially a brick jutting out of a wall, hanging over a weirdly wide, upturned nose. The eyes in her face are too small, and almost yellow, like an animal's. Her cheeks are thin, and I can see the muscles of her jaw move from where I'm standing. Reedy, rubbery lips encircle a too wide mouth and I can see jagged teeth.
"Did, Aphrodite…do that to you?" The words tumble out of my mouth before my brain can stop me making the woman flinch and pull her hood back over her face.
The priestess lets out a choked sob from underneath her hood making me feel like a real piece of shit for not knowing how to control my mouth.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to…"
"It is not your fault the mere mention of the goddesses name brings dear Magala pain... regardless of the language spoken." Hippolyta waves off my apology but doesn't make my sense of guilt ease.
The priestess turns back to Hippolyta and begins whispering to her once more in a raspy and pained voice and Hippolyta for her part listens to her attentively, while staring at me with a discomforting intently in her eyes at the same time.
"Magala is our court sorceress. She has just sensed another pulse of magic from you. Do you know what caused it?"
'Ahh Shhhiiittt, okay so I can either try and bullshit, deflect or I can come clean…better come clean now than have it forced out of me when the Lasso of Truth.'
"OHHhhh, right I kinda forgot about that…so even though the Court Sorceress can feel…sense these notifications none of you can see them, right?" I say then ask while pointing to the textbox in question with my bound hands.
Hippolyta looks very tense all of a sudden, "What am I supposed to be seeing?"
"A blue textbox with white writing within it."
"What does the writing say?"
"Well, this one currently says I have gained a point of wisdom, the last two times before that was a point for wisdom and intelligence." I tell her while also mentioning the first two textboxes I saw back when I surrendered at the beach…along with the health bar at the top left hand corner of my vision that is leaving yellow and just entering green on the range…I think it's at 75% Health Percentage, there's another bar below the HP bar that is a very light blue color that says 100%.
Hippolyta develops a considerate/pensive look on her pretty face for a moment before motioning to Blondie with her chin, Blondie who though backed away at the sight of the Priestesses face…from me is still standing close enough to run me through with her sword.
While the Captain seems to be stuck between moving closer to Hippolyta's throne, avoiding getting close to the Priestess Magala as if what was done to her is contagious…along with staying close enough to take my head off.
Hippolyta says something else in Greek, I make out what I believe are names, Mala and Clio, and a woman I hadn't noticed before comes out of nowhere holding what I think is a clipboard and a writing utensil with a piece of writing lead or charcoal bound at the end of it…while Blondie steps beside me and professionally turns me towards her to cut me loose with a dagger from her belt.
She gives me a curious, almost mystified look, 'Guess she's surprised that they aren't going to keep my wrists bound together anymore…'
Hippolyta takes the ancient Greek clipboard from who I assume is Clio, along with the lets call it a pencil…Hippolyta flips to a clean page before handing me the items and says, "Write out exactly what your boxes say."
The stuff I'm writing on doesn't feel like paper…at least none I've ever used before… 'Papyrus…hmm, wasn't that an Egyptian thing?'
{For accurately recalling forgotten knowledge you receive +1 INT.} I flinch while writing and make an ugly line across the "paper" substitute. My reaction doesn't go unnoticed if the look Hippolyta gives me is anything to go by.
"Another blue box." Hippolyta offers and it's not a question but her tone is tinged with concern that is directed at me.
"Yeah…"
She points to the papyrus, "Please write that down as well…" I nod to her as she seems genuinely concerned for my health, I begin to write in cursive once more and I figure it would probably generate a better opinion of me.
Hippolyta makes a soft noise in the back of her throat which makes me look up at her.
"In print…most Amazon's are unused to cursive." Hippolyta almost sounds embarrassed by her admission…which tells me she is unused to cursive.
"Oh-uhh…sure, sorry for the wasted paper." I offer and feel my face heat up in embarrassment, a few minutes of quick writing I write down all the notifications I've seen so far Hippolyta points to the first box and asks, "What does double-you--eye-ess stand for?"
I hum slightly while trying to order my thoughts, "In most games that have this sorta system…like Role Playing Games, it stands for wisdom…and wisdom is usually connected to decision making and mana regeneration."
"Role Playing Games?" The Blondie guard that has been with me since the beach who I have a sneaking suspicion is Mala, while the one who is probably a scribe named Clio seems confused by what I'm saying…not surprising though…given their lack of connection to the modern world.
"Role Playing Games are a very popular type of game for entertainment that stimulates the imagination…the genre became really popular in the 1970's I think? Anyway, in these types of games, you and possibly others go on an adventure where numbers represent various traits about your character. Depending on the numbers your character has assigned to them, you can perform certain roles or do certain actions, like use a sword or use magic or something."
Hippolyta points to the second message, "And what does heigtch-pee stand for?"
"Hit points or Health Percentages allow the player to track their General health, how close they are to death…and generally how much damage they can take before dying." I offer a description but feel like I'm not quite doing a good job at it.
Hippolyta is trying very hard to appear calm…but I can see that she is quite jarred by this information and that there is the slightest noise in her voice that betrays her anxiety as she asks, "How many hit points do you have, Mason Fitzgerald?"
"I dunno exactly, after that hit on the chin I took earlier I was in the red and close to death but now the bar is approaching green but has a ways to go before it's full again…I'll have to see if I have a status-"
{For surviving and recovering from a nearly fatal head injury you receive +1 VIT.}
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
Mason Fitzgerald
The Gamer
Lv: 1
EXP:0.0%
HP: 85%
MP: 240
STR: 11
VIT: 7 +(1)
AGI: 3
INT: 38 +(2)
WIS: 20 +(2)
LUK: 11
DESCRIPTION: A depressed man living in the middle of nowhere in Upstate New York. Mason seems to have been transported to a universe based on the DCAU with some alterations made to his body. He also seems to possess a currently ill-defined power known as "The Gamer."
(Status effect: Near Fatal Injury, -74% HP!)
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
"Woah…" I can't help but gasp…especially Hippolyta commands, "Write it down quickly before you forget!"
'I'm pretty sure I've seriously fucked over Oriana…she didn't seem like a bad lady…but the near fatal part of my injury lessens my desire to see her not receive any punishment.' Hippolyta seems rather incensed…as apparently, Amazons are supposed to be better than "Men" by not beating unarmed docile prisoners to death.
"Dispatch a runner for the Althea!" Hippolyta barks out in English and the throne room bursts into activity.
'I guess that's one of the advantages to being a Queen…you get shit done without red tape…'
"Hippolyta, I appreciate trying to get me medical treatment, I'm not sure there's any point in summoning this Althea…if I understand my stats correctly…I'm physically whole and healthy…and even if I only had 1%HP left I'd still be fully capable of what my body is capable of when uninjured in my old world…" I offer which makes Hippolyta glare at me in a stern maternal way that has some part of me going "Mommy!"
'I'm not sure how reliable their medical sciences are here…given that the entire population here is mostly made up of women that are or are approaching three thousand years of age who all look to be in their physical prime while being at minimum above Olympic athletes in all physical categories…at the minimum.' But in the end even though I don't think I need medical attention I still appreciate the gesture of concern Hippolyta is showing for me.
'As I never really had too much time to play games I don't really know if my stats are good or bad or if they're too low or too high…but if I'm to guess I'd say anything below ten at level 1 is bad and anything above it at level 1 well may not be great is advantageous…levels may not even be all that important as I've already gained stat points just by being myself. From what I do know about this type of thing it's usually experience points…but this system shows a percentage much like the health percentage…so that's a little off…but the bigger question is how do I even gain Experience to level up I mean most games you get experience for fighting/killing…and if the games have it crafting, driving etc etc…there is probably a quest function if I remember right that's a popular thing with these types of things…though you'd think I would have gotten one by now.'
Letting out a quickly muttered "Stats." I then reach out and touch the word [Stats] that appears above my actual status window.
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
Stats: Stats are a measure of your body's general capabilities. You want your stats to be as high as possible to perform at your absolute best. Stats can be gained at any time through special actions or training, such as running, lifting weights, martial arts training, brain training etc etc. You gain five stat points upon leveling up. For an idea of scale, the average baseline human adult can manage around 50 for two to three stats, with peak humans having between 75 and 80, with stats beyond becoming increasingly super human.
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
'Wow…I'm super fucking weak yo…but then again comparing myself to a DC universe average human being to my world's average human being is laughable at best…though it's still a little depressing…even if it's not exactly surprising either.
Clicking on the little abbreviations for the individual stats I get a little 411.
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
STR: Strength is a measure of physical might. This stat determines how much you can carry and how hard you can hit. A minimum level of strength may be required to effectively use certain weapons, armor and skills. Cosmetically, this stat affects the size of one's muscles…but will never go beyond what is healthy for your body's natural build/body type in appearance.
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
'Makes sense…the last bit is a bit concerning…does it mean that even though I won't look like a roid brain body builder I could still do some serious damage to myself by jacking my strength up too high?'
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
VIT: Vitality is a measure of physical wellbeing. This stat determines your maximum HP and physical stamina. A minimum level of vitality may be required to use certain weapons, armor and skills. Cosmetically, this stat affects how healthy one looks, and lessens the chance of blemishes or scars appearing. At higher levels physical idealization can occur.
NOTE: Base HP= 50+VIT(5). Level up= +VIT(5). HP recovery= +VIT per minute. Health will always show as a percentage of an even 100% for easier tracking.
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
'Ooooookay…hope I'm not the only one that finds that fucking confusing as fuck…just gonna dump points into Vitality and become Wolverine!'
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
AGI: Agility is a measure of dexterity, flexibility and coordination. This stat determines your chance to dodge, and movement speed. A minimum level of agility may be required to use certain weapons, armor or skills. Cosmetically, this stat affects how toned one's musculature is.
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
'Seems like the simplest one to understand besides strength!'
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
INT: Intelligence is a measure of the total amount of knowledge you can retain and use. This stat determines your maximum MP and spell strength. A minimum level of intelligence may be required to use certain weapons, armor and skills.
NOTE: Base MP= 50+INT(5). Level up= +INT(5). NOTE: High INT does not compensate for poor decision making, additionally Mana will always show as a percentage of an even 100% for easier tracking.
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
'Okay…another duzzy…but I'm a bit of a dumbass and I tend to make dumbass decisions…often so I won't put any faith in this stat even though it's my highest.'
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
WIS: Wisdom is a measure of perception, both physical and spiritual. This stat determines MP recovery rate and acuity of the senses, as well as potential deductive skills. A minimum level of wisdom may be required to use certain weapons, armor and skills.
NOTE: MP recovery= +WIS per minute. NOTE: High WIS does not compensate for poor decision making.
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
LUK: Luck is a measure of how fortunate you are. This stat slightly improves all stats in practical settings, as well as loot drops. May also occasionally affect random chance.
~ — — — — — — — — — — — ~
'Loot, I get LOOT?!!! Do I have to carve shit up for precious materials or does it just appear on the ground? Loot loot loot…can't wait to get me some Loot!'
"What are you doing?" Mala, the blonde guard questions as she watches me with a wary expression on her face…not surprising since Blondie…I mean Mala has been watching me poke at the air and stare at the space in front of me for an extended period of time.
'I must look like a fucking crazy person.'
"I was just looking over my powers." She gives me an unimpressed look, "More blue boxes." I offer as explanation to Mala while I pop down and take a seat in the steps leading up to Hippolyta's throne.
Leaning back my back comes into contact with Hippolyta's legs which makes every other woman in the throne room gasp.
Hippolyta mutters something and I hear multiple jaws snapping shit as Hippolyta's very gentle hands start combining through my shaggy, curly…slightly too long black and copper hair.
"I miss when my Diana would do this." Hippolyta hums softly and I can't stop the pleasured rumbling that vibrates in my chest like I'm some kinda cat.
"I'll gladly do this any time…it's been a long while since anyone's run their fingers through my hair like this…it's the best." A bit of childishness slips into my voice and it draws a soft laugh from Hippolyta as she leans over my shoulder.
"Please add in any of the new information you have gained." Hippolyta asks me and though I know I shouldn't be giving this information away I need both sanctuary and aid…the Amazonians having a rather colored and sordid history I'd rather keep relations pleasant as they are now.
As I finish writing everything down I'm surprised my hands aren't aching from Arthritis that has plagued me since middle school…and no it's not from beating my meat.
Suddenly Hippolyta's hands stop running through my hair making me make a pathetic sound for more only to get a soft laugh from Hippolyta and a slight nudge from her big toe that makes me look up.
I notice that who is most likely Althea has arrived…she's gorgeous like every woman here she has brown hair, skin, and eyes…she is wrapped in a clean linen-looking robe with a satchel in her left hand…that is practically see through revealing that there is nothing hiding her ripe cantaloupe size tits, wide hips and long legs besides Hippolyta..she has the softest/finest non-muscle Mommy body so far.
This woman stops dead in her tracks when she sees me, clearly surprised…that I'm sitting in front of the Queen with my back resting against her legs, I can't see it but from the audible and visual gulping I can tell that Hippolyta is giving her a flat look, that makes her flinch and continue forward to examine me.
Althea quickly…professionally and a bit rougher than necessary checks me over…everywheres to the point she pulls my pants down and shows off to everyone that I'm a grower not a shower, as she beats my dick to hardness I angle my head to look at Hippolyta for mercy but notice she is rather focused on my rapidly growing cock it reaches full size to the point that Althea can't touch her middle finger to her thumb, and stands at about 8 inches long.
There are rather appreciative hums from all the women in the room which makes me flush out of shame and arousal… "I-I think that's enough…still works!" I groan out pausing every few syllables to catch my breath.
This dark skinned beauty takes out a capped glass container and pours some honey or something amber colored onto my cock while huffing something and looking around me to speak to the Hippolyta.
Hippolyta nods her head and motions for her to continue while wrapping her arms around my middle, making me let out an indignant noise as her medium sized breasts press against my back.
Althea swallows before pressing her lips to the head of my cock and slowly taking me into her mouth inch by inch while looking up at me with a heated/grating glare as I rest my hands on the sides of her head.
"Fff-uuu-ccckkk!" I groan and notice every woman in the room is either blushing in excitement or disgust.
Althea continues her working of my shaft, a hand at the base stroking, while she starts moving her head back and forth.
"Althea is our most experienced healer, she will verify that you're…healthy and able bodies beyond your injuries…" Hippolyta murmurs and I have to actively resist the urge to thrust my hips as my knees start to shake.
'I'm so confused about how to feel right now!' I groan in my head as I feel a pained warning in my balls, and it feels like my release is burning along its pathway while I lean back against Hippolyta as my knees go fully weak.
Althea gulps down the first few ropes, but quickly becomes overwhelmed…and pulls away from my cock her hand still stroking as massive ropes continue to shoot from my cock coating Althea's face and clothes.
"The man appears to be uninjured, your majesty…and able…his seed is strong, potent and healthy, aside from him being…" Althea gestures at me as she stands from the ground absolutely glazed in my cum like she just stared in a bukkae porno…her words trailing off at the end.
"Besides being male, fat? Ugly?" I supply for her while giving her a crooked smile to let her know I don't take offense.
Althea looks a bit surprised before nodding uncertainly.
I sit back down on the steps after Hippolyta pulls my pants back up after cautiously making sure my dick gets safely tucked away.
'Gotta admit I enjoy having Hippolyta touch my dick is much more enjoyable than Althea doing so.' looking over my shoulder Hippolyta gives me a dry look and raises one of her imperious eyebrows… 'I guess my particular brand of humor is unappreciated.' I offer Hippolyta a shy shrug in response and apology.
Hippolyta sighs and decides to let it go for now, "Is regenerating from serious wounds normal in these Role Playing Games?"
I shrug again, "More or less, yeah. With how much HP I have and the way damage has been calculated so far, it looks like I'm supposed to get hurt and keep fighting pretty much constantly…though typically there are things called HP potions or Mana Potions that regenerate/heal wounds/energy." I offer while scratching at my cheek. 'It's weird not having a full thick beard there and only this scruff from like when I was a teenager.
"Ya know when I got hit n' knocked on the ground earlier, I wasn't outta breath or anything. I know this sounds like some macho alpha dude shit, but I was mostly just surprised. 'Cuz I could still feel everything, my vision wasn't blurred by tears and my ears weren't ringing or anything."
Hippolyta nods, "So long as you have this heigtch-pee, you fight at full strength?" I nod, which makes Hippolyta shake her head and roll her eyes in a rather undignified…unqueenly manner.
"Man's World is a strange place and has made/done many strange things, but this feels particularly odd. It is quite unrealistic when compared with taking injuries in actual combat."
I squirm, "No argument here I haven't seen the type of fighting you have or what your subjects train for but I've been in plenty of pub brawls…so I know what it feels like to get hit…but maybe that is the point?"
Hippolyta's eyes narrow, "What would be the- bah, no matter. We will wait for Diana to arrive, and then we will know the truth of your words."
"I…why would I lie to you? But to answer your question." The challenging look in Hippolyta's eyes tells me that I shouldn't have gotten so used to feeling comfortable here…or with her yet I still find myself unable to move.
I wince at the look she gives me, and nod… "The Lasso of Truth…sounds frightening, though I stand by the fact that I haven't knowingly lied to you since I arrived here…even if that doesn't mean anything to you, as for the question you asked before. Imagine a soldier…no warrior that can be stabbed, shot, burnt, run through…but still keep going, keep fighting, never slowing down…but still feeling pain but not to the point of being debilitated by it."
"Yes…" Hippolyta nods her eyes growing distant as if seeing a past painful memory.
'Great…I've never been the person I've wanted or dreamed of being, and now a bunch of strangers will probably have all of my faults laid out for them by my own mouth.'