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Post by DornKoon on Oct 20, 2024 22:20:17 GMT
"Ah yes, Auntie Mania," Aladdin's voice grew softer, and a slightly sympathetic smile appeared. "Delirium, she is the youngest. Once the personification of pleasure and joy, she was known as Delight; not even Destiny knew how or why she changed. As her name suggests, Delirium is scatterbrained and easily distracted; she often forgets the thread of her conversations and comes out with offbeat and seemingly inconsequential observations. She represents the mind, sapience, and madness."
The djinn looked to Alejandra.
"I would stay well clear from Delirium if I were you; nothing good can ever come from getting tangled with her," he explained. "I'm not saying this because I dislike her; far from it, she's precious. But because she is unpredictable, she can easily cause your mind to snap if insulted or annoyed. Still, I should not be worried too much; she is not one to seek people out and mostly hound Dream these days unless she is roped into some scheme by my mother."
Aladdin paused, thinking if he had missed something.
"Yeah, that would be the lot of them. A very dysfunctional family, but lovely in their own way... for the most part."
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Post by lvsphinx on Oct 21, 2024 20:09:12 GMT
It seemed like a bit of a shame that Aladdin warned her away from meeting Delirium, who sounded like the most interesting of the seven Endless to Alejandra. However, Alejandra didn't know if there was any worth in meeting any of them, so she was in no rush. At the very least, she was certain to meet Death in the end.
Family felt like a strange word to give to these abstract beings, but Alejandra could think of no better word for the group. It felt like such a personal, intimate word for these godlike entities. Family was something relatable. Something grounded that Alejandra had plenty of experience with.
"Sounds like you get along with them, your family," replied Alejandra, floating on her back and looking up at the sky again. "What's it like, being godlike? You're so old, and you'll exist for so much longer. You have the power of a god at your fingertips. What's it like?"
"Is there anything that you haven't seen that you wish to see? Is there anything you regret?"
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Post by DornKoon on Oct 27, 2024 13:45:04 GMT
Aladdin regarded Alejandra and her words, but he never regarded himself as a god. Gods were created from things like faith, or in some cases, they were just powerful enough to call themselves gods. Sure, his family could claim godlike powers, but they were not gods; they were concepts given life.
"I don't think about it; life blends into itself when you live for what feels like eternity. I've not bothered to think about the passing of time for ages. It feels like nations are born and fall when I look away and back." He explained, keeping his voice slow and measured. "Power--" He let out a sigh. "You sure like asking difficult questions; I am sometimes disagreeably attached to power; when you can do so much just by willing it, it becomes difficult not to."
He swirled his fingers, summoning small orbs of light that moved between his fingers.
"I hate violence; I think it is a waste of power to use it for destruction. I like to create things, change them..."
He flicked a finger, and several beautiful flowers began to grow around the pool, climbing the walls until they were both surrounded by what looked like a thick forest. Each flower glows like small twinkling stars. Aladdin watched his handiwork for a moment, smiling. Then he looked to Alejandra again.
"A lot of things, and too many to count," he replied.
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Post by lvsphinx on Oct 28, 2024 20:54:18 GMT
"You don't think about it. That makes sense. Still, I bet that you've done some incredible things to not be bored."
Alejandra felt slightly soothed by the water by now, though her bones still ached horribly. She quietly swam towards Aladdin and slowly, gingerly pulled herself out of the pool, sitting on the edge. Her eyes followed the flowers as her backyard suddenly blossomed, the woman leaning over to take a quick sniff of one.
"I like power a lot, too," she said honestly. "I'd rather be able to change the world than be subject to it." She couldn't agree on disliking violence though; Alejandra reveled in it.
She kicked her feet out over the pool, the woman shedding her burnt and wet suit jacket. "Ever since I was little, I've been captivated by great rulers. Conquerors. I don't know why. The idea of being a Queen that took stuff simply sounded great. I've always wanted to rule an empire, or something like it. The cartel is enough, most days..."
Alejandra looked around, making sure they were alone, before continuing. She was expressing personal thoughts, thoughts mostly meant for herself or family, not her servants or her men. However, she trusted Aladdin, an entity so far removed from what she was. She didn't feel a trace of her usual temper around him, knowing that any lash or barb would be pointless towards him. He was a humbling, grounding presence for Alejandra.
"I know I could just wish to rule an empire. Or to be President of Mexico. Or for all the rival cartels to merge into mine. But I wouldn't have earned it. I want to build my empire myself..."
She laid herself back onto the grass, her gaze finding the sky once more. "What would happen if I wished for your freedom, Aladdin? Has anyone tried?"
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Post by DornKoon on Oct 29, 2024 10:36:36 GMT
Aladdin listened as Alejandra made her little confession about power, and he could not help but let out a small chuckle.
"You do remind me of one," he commented, " a Queen, even your mastery of heat and being a mutant. Her name was Zana, and she was one of three rulers of Atlantis. She did things with fire, so not entirely the same, but close enough. Zana and her two siblings were regarded as gods due to their incredible powers. She may well have been one of the first mutants in the world, at least as far as humanoids go on this planet."
The djinn leaned back, taking in his green creation and letting his words sink in. He did not bother to answer her comment about being president; it was not a wish the djinn could grant because such a thing would require altering more than a few hearts.
"I think you're wise to want to get it for yourself; trust me, I've seen too many idiots wish themselves for higher power, only to fall once the wishes run dry." He shook his head. "But, you're not fully what you were anymore. Not even I know what this will do to you in the long run. The primal forces are primal and ancient. Only time will tell how you chose to use them..." Would she embrace this new life? He was a little curious to find out for sure.
Aladdin's brow furrowed.
"Yes, a few have," he replied calmly. " and should you try, nothing would happen. Sadly, it's not like the Disney movie. As much as I love what they did with me in it, Williams was perfect, and he inspired me not to take myself too seriously at times. King Salomon's curse was empowered by The Almighty, and the Lamp would not let me go that easily."
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Post by lvsphinx on Oct 30, 2024 20:22:04 GMT
The Almighty. "Dios." Just the affirmation that God was real is enough for Alejandra to make the sign of the cross on reflex. The confirmation is at once both a great relief and a great fear. A relief because there is certainty after death now. A fear because that also implied there was a hell. With the amount of blood she had spilt, Alejandra had no doubt which direction she was heading.
"So something like the Hand of God is necessary to break your curse," hypothesized Alejandra aloud, stroking her chin before getting up from the grass. Slowly, as though injured or sick, she rose to her feet and took an unsteady shuffle forward. She stopped for a moment, swaying in place, before taking more certain steps forward, heading back into her home. That Château Lafite-Rothschild 1982 wasn't exactly something that suited her tastes, but she still wanted to drink the rest of the bottle. She felt like she earned it.
"Queen Zana of Atlantis," murmured Alejandra, Aladdin's historic references getting her thinking. "La Reina de Juarez. Heh." She shook her head after trying out the title, grinning. "I still like "La Jefa" better."
Alejandra propped herself up against the walls and furniture as she moved through her home, grinning to herself upon reaching the bottle. However, as she reached out to take it, she noticed her hand shaking from the pain radiating from inside them, and paused. "Mierda..."
She withdrew her shaking hand, deciding against pouring that rare bottle herself, instead crossing her arms. Everything was a reminder of her second wish, for a power even other mutants would not have, and already she had doubts. She shifted her hands for a moment, gritting her teeth and groaning for a few seconds before shifting them back. Would it hurt this much every time? "I doubt I'll be using my shifting power much any time soon, if it's going to hurt this much. My bones...do I need a new diet or something? Maybe drugs?"
She frowned. "I need to heal before I can train. After I train, I'll need to heal before I can train again. Just how long will this take?" she asked, mostly to herself. "I've killed plenty, but I don't know how to fight." she added, thinking of Deathstroke's sword. "Do you know how to fight?"
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Post by DornKoon on Oct 30, 2024 20:48:17 GMT
Aladdin shrugged. "Maybe, but the holy father has never been forthcoming," he said, " and Salomon was a sharp man, and I was overconfident, which are never good when combined into one. Suppose I should feel flattered God saw fit to aid in my punishment. But here we are. I would not waste a wish on something that might not even work, much less the last one."
The djinn calmly walked after Alejandra, watching her struggle to walk until she reached the bottle. He sighed softly before stepping forward and taking the bottle. He said nothing as he poured a drink from the bottle before giving Alejandra the glass. "I suggest calcium and vitamin D. Fish, Figs, Tofu, or dairy." He replied with a slight smile. "I don't think you'll need to change your life that much; I suspect you may need to eat more because the body is going to... pardon the pun... burn a lot of resources."
"That's usually how training works, at least the extreme kind." There was a pause after she asked if he knew how to fight. "Nope, well... I would not know how to use a sword, or gun, but I know how to defend myself using magic, but I prefer to stay away from violence, when you live long enough fights become less fun and more annoying. I do know how to mess with people when I want to. Bugs Bunny has always inspired me to mess with others." He winked as he said this.
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Post by lvsphinx on Oct 30, 2024 21:57:44 GMT
"Thank you," said Alejandra with sincere gratitude as she took the glass of wine. She took a long swig, letting out a soft "Mmm..." as she savored the vintage. "You didn't have to help me, but thank you, nevertheless."
As Aladdin described bone-healthy food, Alejandra could feel her stomach rumble. Food sounded good right now. So did entertainment, instead of more work, a choice she hadn't made in a long time. "Bugs Buggy, huh? So you can draw holes in the ground and then pick those holes up? Do you pull things out of thin air?"
Alejandra took a couple of minutes to take a few more swigs of wine, draining her glass and setting it down before starting her long walk to the kitchen. "I'm not bad with guns, but fighting someone like Deathstroke clearly requires...expertise." They had both walked away from that encounter largely unscathed, but it was still an utter failure in Alejandra's eyes. She didn't reach her quarry, or leave any lasting damage on Deathstroke. At least she had enough of a sense of humor to smile somewhat at the ridiculousness of her destroying an entire casino in their fight.
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Post by DornKoon on Oct 31, 2024 18:22:43 GMT
Aladdin cocked one eyebrow with what could be described as a playful grin; just as Alejandra finished the thin air part, the djinn pulled a large bucket with what looked like sand from thin air and immediately tipped the content into a hole that had appeared on the ground, and a few rooms away they could hear a muffled cry of surprise, followed by swearing in Spanish. Without looking away, Aladdin picked up the hole and tossed it into the pool, where it immediately started to suck up a lot of water, with the result of even more screams in the other room... and then he snapped a finger, and the portal vanished.
"I'm not much of a drawing person, but it does help when one can bend space," he replied, " Besides, magic should be used to do fun things; one of the few joys I have is messing with morons. No offence to your people, but he was sleeping on the job."
Aladdin walked along with her, but he did not give any assistance; she would need to use her body all over again, and he would not help her by helping her. "Yes, the difference is Deathstroke has spent most of his life training to kill; his reputation says it all; and he is not one to play around," Aladdin said, "You're powerful, control over magma is a skill few could boast, but you're not an assassin or a soldier. Perhaps, if you want my advice, if you wish to destroy Cobblepot, destroy what he likes most: his assets. Fight him on the stage you both share..." He snapped a finger, and the floral display he created in the area of the pool vanished, withering away to dust before disappearing into thin air. "Ruining his Casino was a smart move from that perspective."
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Post by lvsphinx on Oct 31, 2024 20:08:13 GMT
"A smart move", he called it. This was the first time she had considered it anything close to smart instead of desperate. She killed the arena instead of the man. From a more generous perspective, destroying the Iceberg Lounge was a smart move, but Alejandra was not generous, not even to herself. Still, this consolation prize was just that: a prize.
"Destroying that casino is poor revenge for my family's life, in my eyes," admitted Alejandra as she walked slowly to the fridge. She wasn't particularly close to that cousin, but that didn't matter as much as the principle: that family was family. And if you killed Ruiz family members, you died. There was no exception to this law in Mexico. Why should some wobbling American experience things any differently? "He still lives. Unforgivable, on my part. If I were my own sicario, I'd be afraid to report back alive."
Alejandra arched a brow as she heard swearing and crashing from another part of the house, the woman now certain that part of her lavish home was now a miniature beach. She sighed and shook her head, knowing that she brought that upon herself. "If he was sleeping on the job, I guess I don't mind you messing with my men." The help immediately came running in response to the noise, to which Alejandra barked a quick "Solo límpialo." They nodded and immediately set themselves on the task of cleaning up the water and sand, though they occasionally glanced at Aladdin. "Ignore him," said Alejandra, using one hand to wave them away.
Some of her men, noticing her slowly walking to the kitchen, approached to aid her, but Alejandra shook her head and refused them, telling them "Dame algo de espacio." They looked to each other and nodded, though one of them still went to fetch a new set of unburnt and dry clothes for her. He placed the clothes on the sofa in the living room before leaving with the other men, her sicarios giving Alejandra the space she wanted.
Once Alejandra reached the refrigerator, she swung both doors open, letting the cold air rush out. Calcium and vitamin D, huh? Aladdin had mentioned fish, and Alejandra just happened to have some cold leftover sushi in the fridge. This would do for now. She took out the three takeout containers of sushi before opening one and popping a piece of yellowtail into her mouth.
"It'd be easier to cripple his business if we were in the same country. A sustained war against the Penguin from here in Juarez would be difficult. No...I'll just have to wait, revisit Gotham, and try my hand at his life again. These debts are not something I forget."
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Post by DornKoon on Oct 31, 2024 20:53:56 GMT
Aladdin shrugged his shoulder. "Perhaps I do know what it feels like losing family, even more, since my family is meant to be... well, endless." he replied; he did not understand the need mortals had with clinging to the short existence that was their lives; it was not like their journey ended because they died; there were so many more... places Aladdin could never go to. "Well, if that is your problem, perhaps you need a hitman to finish the job?" He suggested calmly. "No offence, but you'd make a horrible hitman. If you truly want to harm Cobblepot, strike at his family. If he has any, I could never imagine anyone wanting to sleep with him, but then again, you can get a lot with money."
The djinn did not say anything as Alejandra's people came with new clothes, and he casually made himself comfortable, levitating in the air as if sitting in an invisible armchair. "Your people care about you," he noted, "doesn't seem to be an obligation or based on fear either."
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Post by lvsphinx on Nov 3, 2024 18:23:51 GMT
Alejandra looked up from her sushi at Aladdin after his last comment. She popped a piece of a spicy crab roll int her mouth, chewing thoughtfully for a few moments before answering. "They rely on me to keep things stable. As much as I enjoy the bloody side of work, the less violent a cartel has to be, the more efficiently it's usually running. The less warfare and violence my cartel engages in, and the better I run the business, the more stable life is for everyone in the cartel. Working for my family should come with security and stability, and I pay well too. I've also known most of the servants and some of my men for most of my life. I guess it's only natural that I treat them well."
"And I make a fine hitman," replied Alejandra, clearly taking some offense. "Before I became leader, I was one of the cartel's top sicarios. I know how to kill someone quietly. I just didn't know what to do when confronted with legendary resistance."
"His family would be an idea if I wanted to send a message," she murmured, popping a piece of sashimi into her mouth. "But I don't want him or his own just harmed. I want him dead."
She slowly took the three containers of leftover sushi over to the living room, setting them down on the center table before starting to change into the fresh clothes left behind by her men. As she changed her damp clothes for fresh ones, she thought about the possibility of hiring outside help for this grudge. Alejandra had called hits before, but had always used her own men or done the job herself. "I hate asking for help, but for the Penguin, I may not have a choice..."
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Post by DornKoon on Nov 16, 2024 14:31:53 GMT
Aladdin was not in the line of judging people for their actions, he left that to others. No, he saw no reason to sway anyone one way or the other, if she was set on killing The Penguin, who was the djinn to say anything? It was not his horse, or his race. He calmly found a comfortable seat, making himself at home in the living room.
"No, suppose Deathstroke was not part of the equation, the league's been very active lately."
He watched her for a moment, perhaps...
"Maybe you're first order of business would be to find out why Slade was there in the first place?" He suggested, "Had the bird just hired him as protection? Seems awfully expensive as a bodyguard. Or is someone very insisted to keeping Cobblepot alive? If that is the case, who and why?"
Aladdin paused, just to give Alejandra some time to take in what he had just said.
"If you find that out, you might have an easier time finding where he is hiding."
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Post by lvsphinx on Nov 18, 2024 19:46:09 GMT
"Hmm."
Alejandra thought over the Justice League. No hero, international or domestic, has tried to stop her operations yet. Maybe it was because all of her fighting had only been with other criminal organizations, or maybe it was because the Juarez Cartel did things quietly and efficiently under her leadership. Still, if a caped hero did try to intervene, Superman could just fling her into the sky. Wonder Woman could outfight Deathstroke and had that rope of hers, which may or may not be burnable. Her lack of knowledge in melee combat was starting to feel like a glaring weakness. At least she didn't get impaled by Deathstroke...
"I'm no detective...but I'm a good stalker. Still, I need help. I need an assassin that's great at tracking people. You wouldn't happen to know of anyone, would you?"
She ate a few more pieces of sushi before talking the (now) long walk to her bedroom to grab her laptop. After the slow shuffle there and back, she opened her laptop and immediately started doing research on the dark web. Aladdin's questions ate at her mind. Why did Deathstroke intervene? It was true, it seemed unlike the Penguin to keep such expensive help just as a hired bodyguard. Was there another player involved with an interest in Penguin's continued life? Alejandra was no Gotham insider, so she couldn't say, but if someone else was keeping her from her goal through Deathstroke, that was just another person to add to her list.
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