Here is May's installment of The Adjusters, “DIK-Bash”, wherein the long-awaited party gets underway, and various characters come together, with various outcomes.
Warning: this installment contains scenes that may be disturbing to younger readers.
As usual, comments welcome.
I'll also remind you that we have a Speculation Thread available for discussion. (A thread which I read but do not comment on.)
The Adjusters #28 - DIK-Bash
Daniel was nervous as he climbed the front steps of the Delta Iota Kappa fraternity house right behind Jackson. He tugged at the black scarf with eye holes that he had wrapped over the upper half of his face in the manner of Zorro, and adjusted the heavy sash that crossed his chest. He was fidgeting, he knew, but could not really help it. His main focus was devoted to fighting the sense of dread that was suffusing him since he had donned this pirate's costume and met up with Jackson--dressed as Thor from the current Marvel movies.
The mission for the evening was clear: get in, locate Jenn and Kyra, subdue them with the narcotic-laced needleless syringe he had stashed away in an inside pocket, then get them out of the house to bring them to Doctor Cargyle so that he can cure them. They could deal with Biff and the rest of the sorry bunch afterwards, possibly even saving the other girls. Like Serena. Daniel cringed at the thought that he would not be able to do anything for her tonight, but he swore that he would get her out from under the brothers' thrall before the week was out.
When Jackson was stopped by the bouncer at the door of the house, Daniel stepped up next to him. The large man asked for tickets, which Jackson presented promptly. The bouncer took them, glancing at the fraternity ring on Jackson's finger, and then examined the tickets, running them under a portable light that illuminated thin concentric purple circles hidden in the paper. He examined the tickets for a long time, once in a while glancing up at Jackson and Daniel, sizing them up. He finally handed them back, asked for the two young men to give him the back of their hands, and he stamped them with what had to be an invisible stamp.
Continue reading...
Next month: “The Fall of the House of Cusker”.
You just love sudden major fails, don't you?
ReplyDeleteThey do have their appeal, from a drama point of view...
DeleteI am not really sure how to respond to this episode.
ReplyDeleteI am glad the story is moving forward and I am not really surprised all or most of Daniel's plans are going to fail epically. I like the twists and I am looking forward how Daniel is moving onward.
Based on the title of next month's episode I really hope Biff is out of the picture soon. Bulgroz characterized him as a very one-dimensional personality which had served a certain purpose but my believe is, he served that purpose and Bulgroz should move past him, soon.
The reason I am quite ambiguous about this episode is the obligatory sex scene. This time, in my opinion, it was no sex scene at all. The idea of disfiguring a girl during sex is sickening. I like the idea of some sexy pircings putting a girl on display, but the 'slut' tattoo Biff 'forced' on Jenn is something close to my limit what I consider acceptable even in a fantasy sex story.
I really hope you won't use this kind of stuff, including pedophility, in the future, especially within sex scenes that have no or only small effects on the overall storyline.
Astardis
Lots of good points. I do like to explore the limits of even what I'm comfortable with, although I recognize that it's different from my perspective because I'm the one setting those limits.
DeleteDon't worry, I have no particular interest in playing things that dark for sex. I wasn't even aiming at titillation, at least not in the classical sense. I was looking at the cliff that makes one veer from arousal to shock, which is always an interesting place to be in.
I remember the first time I experienced such a feeling: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 (Dream Warriors)—corny, I know. But the nurse scene, when that character dreams up the beautiful nurse that turns into... well... Freddy—let's just say that that scene stayed with me for many years.
Don't know if that makes any sense...
What a cliffhanger!
ReplyDeleteSex scene did not do much- mutilation just is not sexy and appealing to me. Trish is going to be screwed up for a long time as it sounds like the cuts are not deep enough to cause significant blood loss, but will be disfiguring.
Not shocked at how Biff entered- like a king greeting his subjects. And clearly had his guys waiting in a room for Kevin and Nils.
Serena might have really hurt her friends with what she did- though it was her adjusting that did it.
Plot advanced some, but feel like this is the set up for the next chapter- e.g. the following:
Was the man in the silver part of the company?
How will Biff hurt Daniel now- his fantasy is to make Daniel watch him and Jenn screw, etc.
-I can't see how Daniel gets Jenn back by the epilogue.
-Clearly Kyra loves being a sub.
-Interesting about Cindy's thoughts at Daniel's place.
Again, all excellent points. Most should be answered soon.
DeleteOne question I do not understand: "Was the man in the silver part of the company?" Not sure who the man in the silver refers to....
"Daniel glared at one of the guests who was staring at them, and the
Deleteman, wearing a silver suit, looked away quickly. "
I thought that the company was monitoring/raiding the party. This guest was near Daniel when he approached Biff
Ah. Yes. That guy. No, he's just a party goer with a strange silver fetish, and a tendency to look at other people when they start fighting...
DeleteTantalising cliffhanger indeed. Bulgroz has shown he is ruthless and many of his stories do not have happy endings. Who knows where he will take the adjusters? Marjorie : brain dead and a mindless sex slut sold off to sexual slavery, the doctor & Bernie dead, Radu killed by Serena no less, all the Dik girls used shamelessly, Jen permanently in slut mode - which was what overloaded Marjorie, and she was programmed by Bernie, presumably far less skilled than the doctor. Many clues throughout the various chapters but there are quite a number of tangled threads. I'm happy to go along for the ride.
ReplyDeleteBut now with Trish permanently scarred, which will be rather hard to hide and who unless she disappears is going to be a major problem, the death of Radu, the active and virtually public antics going on at Dik Bash - It all looks like its about to come crashing down as strongly indicated by the next chapter's title.
Given everything so far I have little feel for what is going to be the ultimate fate of Jen & Daniel. Jen has been seen to become addicted to sex against her will and locked away real mind. What role and fate of Cindy? Will Biff get his comeuppance? And what of Serena and Kyra? Obviously the company is going to have further say in how the conclusion pans out. And in a major way I'm looking forward to being kept largely in the dark, it could literally go anywhere, which is one of the attractions and hooks of the story. And remember there is going to be a part 3, so at least some characters have to survive ... Maybe even Marjorie can be recovered/restored, but as she was never developed as a character, I feel this is unlikely. Who knows what capabilities the company has? Much more is yet to be revealed.
Hopefully Bulgroz can hold it all together for a satisfying conclusion. Even if it is likely to be quite dark.
Great analysis. Hopefully, what I have in mind will satisfy you indeed.
DeleteAnd there is a happy ending. Just maybe not a Disney one.
danny 123 - here are my thoughts, etc., about the story. I have posted some suggessted correctins on the other website.
ReplyDeletePoor Trish. I am not a big fan of mutilation even in fiction. Yet I can accept it, if it proves a point or moves the story along. In this case, to me, it proves how vulnerable the girls are and that there are sick people who would gladly take advantage of it. I cannot see how someone like Trish would ever recover from it. And I did and do really like Trish. I think the other point it reinforces is how deeply programmed the women are. Serena is able to kill Radhue without hesitation and Trish continuing wanting Lawrence even after he began cutting her.
Jackson turned out to be the liability I thought he would be. Turn around being fair play. He was very willing to use the DIK girls until he fell for Kyra. Even then he was willing to use the programming to his benefit. I do wonder how Serena knew that it was Daniel in his costume. Also, how the chief of police is going to feel about his “pet” being used by the fraternity the way she was.
Given the title of the next episode, will we see a battle breakout between Biff’s supporters and Kevin’s? I feel that this is when the company will make its move on the fraternity. With the guests scattering and fighting breaking out, it would serve as a wonderful cover. It may also serve as a cover for the killing of several people as evidence could be left behind that the fraternity was at the center of a sex slave ring and the killings were related to a failed takeover. The company can even take some or all of the girls with them, reprogram them, send some back to the college with a story of how they were forced via blackmail to serve the fraternity.
I suspect that the next installment will see the capture of Cindy (hoping she is not killed off). I also wonder if this is where we see Jenn’s meltdown when she is removed from Biff. Given the title of Book III, it only serves to continue my interest in the story. What shape will Jenn be in mentally when Daniel does rescue her? The same question could be asked of Daniel too. I feel like the story is the trail and tribulations of Daniel. Like the ancient Greek stories of the hero who has to do battle against the gods and overwhelming odds before arriving home or being victorious.
Great analysis as usual, danny123. You may want to post it on MCforum as well, as some of the folks there may enjoy it too.
Delete> I do wonder how Serena knew that it was Daniel in his costume.
Oops. Plot hole. Serena was supposed to learn about Jackson's costume at the pre-party get-together, and spot him at the party, and then recognize Daniel (she knows him well enough to recognize him through a silly pirate's costume), but it looks like I dropped the relevant part in #27. Will be fixed in the revision.
> Also, how the chief of police is going to feel about his “pet” being used by the fraternity the way she was.
Yeah, that's probably not going to fly over well...
Will not spoil the next installment, obviously, but I like the way you're thinking.