“It’s a Good Life” by Jerome Bixby,
One of the most terrifying horror stories ever written in the English language, and the smiles pasted over the sheer horror remind me of this point in Abbadon’s story.
It’s my impression that the deal with the Worm is more terrifying than Big Worm Puppet…but that they’re all the worm, big puppet, the stilt walker, the other big puppet, those worshipping the puppets…
So yes you’re right The Big Puppet is the worm, but they’re all the worm, I think
I mean, not to put a damper on the mysteriousness, but doesn’t the balloon one like, actually have Gog’s key right now? Unless I’m mistaking the green dot on the Balloon and the red one on the big boy in the back
Why bless my soul, but it’s your friend and mine, Gog-agog! Along with Gog-agog, Gog-agog, and I could be wrong but it looks like, yes, that’s definitely Gog-agog!
I can’t believe Gog-agog and Gog-agog are in the same party currently. Last I heard, they couldn’t stand each other due to their argument with their mutual friend Gog-agog
It seems the Beast brings her festivities to the heart of the apocalypse. For who does she perform? The devout in the temple, the imprisoned God?
Or does she sing for herself.
The sound of bells, the tramp of feet, the calls of celebrants
All these alert and awaken the town.
For who comes ? It is the Clowns !
Clowns, minstrels , dancers, giant puppets and puppeteers !
Always they process through the town to announce The Show.
Giant Puppets ! Stilt Walkers ! Clowns ! A Parade !
Celebration, Fun ! A parade awakens and stirs everyone.
The townsfolk turn out to see and to cheer the clowns.
Hearts are uplifted. People laugh at the antics of dancing puppeteers
Delight enters the hearts of the young and the old.
In Throne..the passage of the Gog Parade evokes Dread.
Fear freezes the hearts of onlookers and they tremble.
For the Folk know they see Gog-Agog Herself.
See ! Witness !
A Multitude of One Parades through the shattered moonscape of Arihorr.
Some ask to be Taken to become One.
The rest shrink and turn away from the Passage of the Great Beast.
Hollow ringing Clangs, and the chant of her multitude, echoes
“Ya Heya Heya Hey.
Ya Heya Heya Hey.”
Ya Heya Heya Hey,”
As though to say,
“Witness my Glory, My Celebration of Self.”
Striding through the dust of a dead sector,
Cavorting under the Sphere Tenebrae,
Gog-Agog dances defiance beneath the feet of a Destroyer.
What is her message ?
A thumbing of her nose at one bearing a flaming sword.
“Smash the Cities, Burn the Worlds
I will Persist and Play in the Dust.
For All The Wheel is my Playground.
You Cannot Destroy Me
– Unless you Destroy ALL.”
The translated lyrics eerily mirror parts of the story too.
庭師King / Niwashi King / The Gardener King
With a single swing you sound out the source of the rain,
and with two swings you learn the anger of the sea
With blessings thrice you find lodgings in this world,
and with magic’s aid you fence in the four winds (1)
Without rest, oh King You will work, oh King
until the garden of humanity has everything it needs
Within a single sleepless night you know this world’s every star,
and with the second dawn you listen to the sunshine’s song
Within the three worlds’ plains you become the father of all, (2)
and with the four pillars you prop up the sky
Without rest, oh King You will work, oh King
until the garden of humanity has everything it needs
Blow in great amount, oh wind most refreshing
Fill this shirt to bursting, ‘till it billows like a sail
Blow in great amount, oh wind, within the cosmos of the human body (3)
Work on, oh Gardener Without rest, oh King
With the pride of a single ear of rice you adorn yourself,
and with a two-character word you carry out a pious act (4)
With the third step of your stride you discover your own name,
and within the fourth throne I let you catch your breath
Without rest, oh King You will work, oh King
until the garden of humanity has everything it needs
Blow in great amount, oh wind most refreshing
Fill this shirt to bursting, ‘till it billows like a sail
Blow in great amount, oh wind, within the cosmos of the human body (3)
Work on, oh Gardener Without rest, oh King
Blow in great amount, oh wind most refreshing
Fill this shirt to bursting, ‘till it billows like a sail
Blow in great amount, oh wind, within the cosmos of the human body (3)
Work on, oh Gardener Without rest, oh King
Take worm only as proscribed. See your doctor if masochistic and comedic hive mind is not achieved within four seconds. Worm may counteract and run opposite of other demiurgic proscriptions.
ooh.
At least someone is having a fun time
Are they? They seem like they’re on autopilot.
“It’s a Good Life” by Jerome Bixby,
One of the most terrifying horror stories ever written in the English language, and the smiles pasted over the sheer horror remind me of this point in Abbadon’s story.
Holy hecking heck you just gave me the answer to a ttrpg problem. Also this is a pretty gnarly story. Thanks!
As expected, one with the epiteths “The Great Devourer” and “Scourge of Worlds” is not exactly hard to find.
On the contrary, Allison stands before her in her horrid multiplicity.
macy’s thanksgiving day parade is different from what i remember
That Marge Simpson balloon has seen better days.
Here I am taking the bet, that the big puppet on top is actually the Worm themselves.
i mean anyone with worms in them is the worm herself
It’s my impression that the deal with the Worm is more terrifying than Big Worm Puppet…but that they’re all the worm, big puppet, the stilt walker, the other big puppet, those worshipping the puppets…
So yes you’re right The Big Puppet is the worm, but they’re all the worm, I think
Don’t forget the confetti 🎊
We’ve seen that the worms just sort of appear or grow or wiggle out
of any surface. Gog is assumed to be everywhere at once, as i understood it.
I thought those were the remnants of the Gogs-Agog that were present in the arena when Jagganoth nuked it, rather than new worms?
I thought those were the remnants of the Gogs-Agog that were present in the arena when Jagganoth nuke
I mean, not to put a damper on the mysteriousness, but doesn’t the balloon one like, actually have Gog’s key right now? Unless I’m mistaking the green dot on the Balloon and the red one on the big boy in the back
Hey ya! (Uh oh) Hey yaaaa!
Y’all don’t wanna hear me, ya just wanna dance.
The Worm walks.
But where to?
Its devouring star?
Wormhood is a continuous devouring motion.
I am going to be honest. That is way too many clowns
Could use a few more. You ready to join yet?
Why bless my soul, but it’s your friend and mine, Gog-agog! Along with Gog-agog, Gog-agog, and I could be wrong but it looks like, yes, that’s definitely Gog-agog!
I can’t believe Gog-agog and Gog-agog are in the same party currently. Last I heard, they couldn’t stand each other due to their argument with their mutual friend Gog-agog
You see a frozen wasteland, future ground zero of a multiversal-apocalypse.
Gog sees a prime opportunity to buy up real estate, one imagines.
Ahh, I knew it would come to Paprika nightmare fanfare; I knew it!
YA HEYA HEYA HEEEEYAAAEYAAEYAA
what’s going on?
oh, be cursed! now I will be unable to read it as anything else!
He-Man version, of course.
It seems the Beast brings her festivities to the heart of the apocalypse. For who does she perform? The devout in the temple, the imprisoned God?
Or does she sing for herself.
“Beast Parade”
The sound of bells, the tramp of feet, the calls of celebrants
All these alert and awaken the town.
For who comes ? It is the Clowns !
Clowns, minstrels , dancers, giant puppets and puppeteers !
Always they process through the town to announce The Show.
Giant Puppets ! Stilt Walkers ! Clowns ! A Parade !
Celebration, Fun ! A parade awakens and stirs everyone.
The townsfolk turn out to see and to cheer the clowns.
Hearts are uplifted. People laugh at the antics of dancing puppeteers
Delight enters the hearts of the young and the old.
In Throne..the passage of the Gog Parade evokes Dread.
Fear freezes the hearts of onlookers and they tremble.
For the Folk know they see Gog-Agog Herself.
See ! Witness !
A Multitude of One Parades through the shattered moonscape of Arihorr.
Some ask to be Taken to become One.
The rest shrink and turn away from the Passage of the Great Beast.
Hollow ringing Clangs, and the chant of her multitude, echoes
“Ya Heya Heya Hey.
Ya Heya Heya Hey.”
Ya Heya Heya Hey,”
As though to say,
“Witness my Glory, My Celebration of Self.”
Striding through the dust of a dead sector,
Cavorting under the Sphere Tenebrae,
Gog-Agog dances defiance beneath the feet of a Destroyer.
What is her message ?
A thumbing of her nose at one bearing a flaming sword.
“Smash the Cities, Burn the Worlds
I will Persist and Play in the Dust.
For All The Wheel is my Playground.
You Cannot Destroy Me
– Unless you Destroy ALL.”
The exposure looks really cool! I’m impressed
Beware the Wonder Worm, who always appears at the most inconvenient of times!
Because maybe
You’re gonna be the one to enslave me
And make me squirm
You’re my Wonder Worm
Cool
This is one rollercoaster of a page.
Here’s the alt text link, if you don’t want to get it yourself:
“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZmxV1SdfDI (Susumu Hirasawa – Niwashi King)”
helpful, thanks
The translated lyrics eerily mirror parts of the story too.
庭師King / Niwashi King / The Gardener King
With a single swing you sound out the source of the rain,
and with two swings you learn the anger of the sea
With blessings thrice you find lodgings in this world,
and with magic’s aid you fence in the four winds (1)
Without rest, oh King You will work, oh King
until the garden of humanity has everything it needs
Within a single sleepless night you know this world’s every star,
and with the second dawn you listen to the sunshine’s song
Within the three worlds’ plains you become the father of all, (2)
and with the four pillars you prop up the sky
Without rest, oh King You will work, oh King
until the garden of humanity has everything it needs
Blow in great amount, oh wind most refreshing
Fill this shirt to bursting, ‘till it billows like a sail
Blow in great amount, oh wind, within the cosmos of the human body (3)
Work on, oh Gardener Without rest, oh King
With the pride of a single ear of rice you adorn yourself,
and with a two-character word you carry out a pious act (4)
With the third step of your stride you discover your own name,
and within the fourth throne I let you catch your breath
Without rest, oh King You will work, oh King
until the garden of humanity has everything it needs
Blow in great amount, oh wind most refreshing
Fill this shirt to bursting, ‘till it billows like a sail
Blow in great amount, oh wind, within the cosmos of the human body (3)
Work on, oh Gardener Without rest, oh King
Blow in great amount, oh wind most refreshing
Fill this shirt to bursting, ‘till it billows like a sail
Blow in great amount, oh wind, within the cosmos of the human body (3)
Work on, oh Gardener Without rest, oh King
THE LAST TRIBULATION
For a brief time, cosmically speaking, I wondered if you got tired of drawing Weird Clowns.
How foolish of me.
What is a dead world but a worm waiting to hatch?
Parade of monstrosity
(Though personally, I prefer the parade song from Paprika 2006; from the same composer I believe)
I’m pretty sure that song has also appeared in the title text of a previous page. A very, very long time ago.
Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised, Hirasawa has a mountain of great songs, many of which would be a good aesthetic for this story.
Take worm only as proscribed. See your doctor if masochistic and comedic hive mind is not achieved within four seconds. Worm may counteract and run opposite of other demiurgic proscriptions.
A most fitting choice of song.
That parade is giving me big Paprika vibes.