Darth Wiki / The Caged Phoenix

After a long drawn-out battle with a gigantic evil mind-altering squid, Olapen plunges into the depths of despair- as she confronts her alternate personality then has a long debate about the philosophies of living for eternity. Much Mind Screw ensures as they both argue and there's two observers watching them... It's a WIP (work in progress) and a direct Deconstruction of my character. I made an Fan Vid of this series :D It's my first truly psychological horror series.It deals with the issues of 'social isolation' and the more psychological ramifications of loneliness and more importantly, mental illness. The story was also inspired from when I was watching the movie called Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Note: This story takes place a full three and a half years after A Rouge's Tale... But Now I Must Go

Lotus (Part I)

• A Change They Will All Understand: As a rather bizarre scenario: The evil squid itself takes a disturbing form called the 'Contemplator of Eminence' so everyone doesn't think it's a threat- as a green Adorably Precocious Child with giant tentacles and red eyes AND a weird Singing Voice Dissonance. Rayne is not amused as only Rayne and Kratos can see it.
• Alternate Universe: Olapen 'views' her human-self, Ophelia who has brown hair. Understandably, she becomes confused as to the nature of her existence...
• Amnesia Loop: This keeps happening over a span of five-thousand years
• Technical Pacifist: Olapen doesn't like hurting people or their feelings.
• Alternate Identity Amnesia: Whenever Odaxitar appears, this always happens...
  • Amnesiacs are Innocent: Self-explanatory... Then subverted once Odaxitar reawakens.
• Appearance Is in the Eye of the Beholder: All succubi/incubi in my stories have this ability.
  • Attractiveness Isolation: Zorbak uses Olapen's attachment to others to his advantage.
• Alice Allusion: Federico wears a Pocket-watch... There's a chess-board and the whole dream is illogical.
  • Always Need What You Gave Up: Poor Olapen.
• All Girls Want Bad Boys: Odaxitar's main reason with sticking with blonde Zabrei Tsuruno... Subverted as poor Zabrei has a pathetic love/hate relationship with her after a one-night stand, she soon realises she doesn't feel anything for Alex any-more.
• Anachronism Stew: A lot. For starters, Odaxitar wears sunglasses... in a Medieval Stasis world.
  • Later she uses an advanced computer with her back away from Olapen.
• Apologises a Lot: Olapen, to the annoyance of all who 'hear' her...
• Arc Words: "Completely encased. You're caged in." The hypnotic Compelling Voice of the evil squid
• A Threesome Is Hot: Uh, no it's not.
• A Tragedy of Impulsiveness: The whole ending is a stalemate and Odaxitar loses their resolve by the end...
• Audience Shift: This is a completely serious story with a jaded outlook.
• Bad Samaritan: What led Olapen into this situation in the first place, following rather bad advice from Necromancer Zorbak (who had some rather valid proof against her before-hand)
• Badass on Paper:
• Better Living Through Evil: Odaxitar's current 'reason for being' (Raison d'être).
  • Believing Their Own Lies: Also, 'Bluefish' is prone to this.
• Be Yourself: The ultimate Broken Aesop, but even Olapen was rather troubled with this whole concept.
• Black Bug Room: Odaxitar had 'originated' from there, until the squid let her loose- now Olapen is trapped there.
• Breather Episode: Kratos and Federico's frequent conversations range from the mundane to the weird, reflecting the atmosphere.
• Book Ends: It begins with a simple desire ("I hope...") and by the end of their dream scenario Olapen desires Rayne takes her to whenever her own fate leads her. Reaper Rayne gladly obliges.
• BSoD Song: Prisoner of Love by Utada Hikaru for Olapen, Ash Like Snow for Odaxitar
• Beat Them at Their Own Game: Olapen resorts to use this tactic against Odaxitar, however the sequence doesn't quite work to plan- as Bluefish still wins.
• Book Limbo:
• Burn the Witch!: Subverted, the town people actually try to drown Olapen in the lake, where she met the squid.
  • Semen Lust: Olapen gets 'overpowered' by this act, no thanks to bandit Exilnor 'cutting' his arm accidentally, the rest is a nightmare...
• But I Would Really Enjoy It: Olapen admits this several times in a row.
• Broke and Punching the Squid: This is what happened.
• Can't Stay Normal: Olapen flees from her Medieval Stasis life, only to end up in the squid's clutches.
  • Catchphrase:
  Olapen: (happily) ♪Shalya~♪ and Yatta! "When the sun rises, time to start a new day..."
  Odaxitar: This is our punishment, henceforth our failure... followed by Life is suffering and yelling out loud: "Wǒ shǐzhōng kùnrǎozhe bùxìng! Wǒ zài kě pà de bùxìng, bì shàng nǐ de gōngjī?!"^note I've always been plagued by misfortune! I experienced a terrible misfortune, shut your mouth?! "You were words of Love" to Olapen.
• Chained by Fashion: One way to tell Odaxitar apart from Olapen- she's 'always' wearing silvery chains...
• Chain of Deals: Starts to become like this halfway through.
• Cheshire Cat Grin: Odaxitar sports this as part of her own Axe-Crazy 'nature'
  • Continuity Nod: Several: Odaxitar displays her nanobot powers from Her Unbound Captors, Olapen mentions her first meeting of Alex from A Rouge's Tale and Odaxitar mentions her hatred of Jojo and Pirate May.
• Counterpoint Duet: They engage in this occasionally, hilarious as Olapen is worse at singing.
  • Parting-Words Regret: Olapen talks about missing Diaglo, her 'half-brother'
• Creating Life Is Awesome: Zabrei has the ability to create some very strange entities later...?
• Chess Motifs: Lots. Which quickly becomes very bizarre- as they're making up the rules as they're timing...
• Continuity Reboot: This is a mini-reboot.
  • Curse Cut Short: Kratos says this to Federico after 'he' finds out about 'his' ruse.
• Curse Escape Clause: Olapen wants out of this confined place, however Odaxitar doesn't...
  • Cannot Dream: Odaxitar cannot even have this ability due to the squid's 'curse'
• Dark Is Not Evil: Just a little misunderstood...
• Dark Magical Girl: Olapen embodies most of this by now.
• Dead All Along: One of the more dramatic twists, as Olapen had actually drowned... At least until (best friend) Misako informed her.
• Deconstructed Trope: Shows the downsides of being forever Love Hungry, In Harm's Way and also Chaste Hero.
• Death's Hourglass: Kratos keeps one.
• Dream Walker: Misako Irwa.
• Don't call me Olapen: Odaxitar yells this to an intimidated Zabrei, after a few chapters.
• Doppelgänger: The Twist Ending.
• Downer Ending: ... Ambiguous mind-screw- Dream Apocalypse
• Empathic Environment: It's raining half the time, but for Odaxitar it's always winter due to their Sugar-and-Ice Personality...
• Emphasize EVERYTHING: Federico has a tendency to do this to Kratos, which is very funny...
• Enclosed Space: Until part II.
• Environmental Symbolism: Not telling.
• Explaining Your Power to the Enemy: Odaxitar does this to the bandit in a roundabout fashion.
• Exposition Fairy: Federico to Kratos (and Olapen).
• Erotic Dream: Odaxitar has 'delusions' of these sort quite frequently.
• Fallen Hero: Olapen, tragically.
• First Love: Olapen openly admits that 'Rogue' Alex was her

first love, which is why she's so bitter towards him now.

• Fake Memories: I told you this would be a total screw... Although the Squid did it.
  • Faustian Rebellion: Odaxitar makes this commentary to the squid, while doing a Finger-Licking Poison gesture.
• Fate Worse than Death: Odaxitar gives 'Bandit Exilnor' some of her immortality... But with a decomposing skeleton-hand, with half his arm soon to follow the same fate.
• Failure Knight: Olapen for varying reasons, she's still very loyal to Alex
  • Finishing Each Other's Sentences: Used to weird effect, made more-so with the ongoing Mills and Boon Prose.
• Four Is Death: Federico makes four rotations of their game-board so Kratos cannot gain the upper hand. Also, the squid 'repeats' information four times.
• The Fog of Ages: Olapen has been around for SO long, that this happens to her, excluding The Reset.
  • Freak Out: Implied that this was what indirectly happened to Olapen after she finds out this...
• Forgotten Fallen Friend: Eventually almost everyone will in future forget about Olapen's current situation, except for one alien: Misako Irwa. Even Odaxitar refuses to even rectify this dilemma.
• Jekyll & Hyde: Part of the Gender Flip...
  • Jacob Marley Warning: Olapen appeals to Odaxitar about this?
• Greek Chorus: Though 'invisible' to the main characters, Federico and Kratos both serve this function, respective to the Theory of Vision
  • Babylonian Mythology: This is also my Dark Fantasy version of the myth of Ishtar.
    • Near-Death Clairvoyance: It is implied Olapen has this weird 'ability' in the story... which is near useless considering her own circumstances.
  • Why does Odaxitar sound like a 'smart-alec' compared to Olapen? Maybe she's doing this or just so...
• Green-Eyed Epiphany: Odaxitar to Alexander.
• Ghost in the Machine: Self-explanatory, but there are two of them...
  • Eldritch Location: Wherever Kratos/Federico are.
• Glamour Failure / True Sight: Exilnor 'sees' her Game Face... and screams skyward as a result...
• Gory Discretion Shot: See Nightmare-Fuel below.
• Grey Goo: Olapen can never completely perish due to this...
• Living Memory/ Split at Birth: Olapen is considered one for Odaxitar
• Hellish Pupils: Odaxitar also sports this as her niche.
  • It's a Wonderful Plot: The squid is punishing Olapen with this scenario and she must correct everything else.
• Let's Get Dangerous!: Reawakened Odaxitar to the hired bandit. This doesn't end well- for the bandit that is.
• Literal Split Personality: Odaxitar, under the control of Cthulhu.
• Love Is a Drug: See below.
• Literary Allusion Title: The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
• Here We Go Again!: Olapen being trice unlucky over and over.
  • Helpless Good Side: Not so helpless...
• Corrupted Soul-Gem: Odaxitar's main weakness...? (No Kokoro)
• I Know Your True Name: Zorbak uses this against 'Olapen', forcing her to follow his orders exactly- Then he gave that to the Squid It goes way downhill from here...
  • What's her true name^note Paloma Jinitro?
• Immortality Hurts: Olapen learnt this the rather hard way.
  • Inner Monologue Conversation: Prepare for many pages dedicated to this concept! (The whole concept is similar to Time's Arrow- except without the rewinding)
• Internal Reveal: The audience already knows their dilemma, so let's see how it plays out...
• I Need a Freaking Drink: Federico in one of the funnier scenes of the novella, telling this to Kratos now acting as a bartender. It all sounds like random rambling
• Intoxication Ensues: A vital clue. The squid bit Olapen with its beak full of hallucinating toxin- and this itself is making Odaxitar act loopier by the day... which causes insomnia and insanity This is mirrored by Federico asking for more drinks and Kratos complying... As a Running Gag, Olapen through most series is very suggestible using this method.
• Ironic Nursery Rhyme: Death and the Lady and this little ditty...
• Invisible to Normals: Federico and Kratos are unseen... Which serves Federico and Kratos very well.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy Odaxitar's Start of Darkness stems from desire, but naturally Zorbak twisted this.
• Louis Cypher: Very subtle.
• Journey to the Center of the Mind This is considered one for Olapen herself.
• Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge: Lady Odaxitar serves that function.
  • Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places:
• Magic from Technology: Odaxitar's Nanotechnology powers is rather indistinguishable from 'magic' to Exilnor, which is rather unfortunate for the suffering Bandit. He calls her a Witch after this event.
• Medical Rape and Impregnate: Jacaranda's darkest secret...
• Memory Gambit: This also comes into play.
• Mental World/Mental Story: Rather scary one at that as Time Stands Still in this novel.
• Meaningful Rename: This significant detail apparently didn't work so well after the Reset...
• Mind Screw: In order to escape a Dream Apocalypse Downer Ending indeed.
• Missing Time:
• Minimalist Cast: The author tries to work with this in mind (to exercise constraint).
  • Mundane Afterlife: Odaxitar actually fears this concept...
• Morality Chain: Alexander
• Musical World Hypotheses: ...
• My Future Self and Me: Part of the Temporal Paradox.
• Nanobot-Enhanced Succubus 'Lightning Magician': Olapen
• Be Careful What You Say: "I want to see Daichii/Diaglo again!" to Zorbak.
  • Mind-Control Eyes: Olapen sports these through the entire story, indicating she's under a Restraining Bolt
    • My God, You Are Serious!: One word. Self Cest.
• My Nayme Is: Apparently, Olapen sounds WAY better than the name Paloma
• Magic Unicorn: Odaxitar has a familiar called Zaghur... who is an unruly, untameable black Unicorn steed.
• Nightmare Fuel Coloring Book: That's implied.
• Non-Human Lover Reveal: Why Olapen can never be with Rogue Alex as 'more than a friend'...
• Nothing Is the Same Anymore: A main theme in the novel.
• Oblivious to His Own Description: Odaxitar describes Exilnor as a pitiful thing that doesn't deserve any mercy, in French. He doesn't seem to realise.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Olapen did this to a bandit called Elixnor, that should have been the first sign that something was wrong
• Offscreen Teleportation: Rayne Daie to everyone's shock.
  • Offstage Waiting Room: Due to the weird nature of this novel, most other characters are still here.
• Ontological Mystery: The whole novella relies on this aspect.
• Our Homunculi Are Different: Federico and Kratos are 'artificial constructs' respective of their owner's personalities
• Paradox Person: Self-explanatory, but Rayne says that Vixen was the original Paradox.
• Personality Makeover: Emphasised due to Colour-Coded Characters AND Limited Wardrobe.
  Olapen: Blue/Orange and the opposite colours for Odaxitar.
• Poster-Gallery Bedroom: Olapen's and Odaxitar's rooms are really different...
• Psychological Thriller: Similar to Angel Heart and High Tension...
• Playboy Bunny: Kratos, a male variant... Complete with actual 'bunny ears'.
• Please, Don't Leave Me:
• Questionable Consent: Uhhhh...
  • Rape Leads to Insanity Odaxitar likes this concept.
• Shrodinger's Butterfly:
• Random Number God: The dice- Olapen keeps rolling a 4...
• "Rear Window" Witness: Reaper Rayne. He saw everything...
• Supernaturally Silver Eyes: Olapen's main trait.
• Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: Odaxitar.
• Shout-Out: The song sums up Olapen's feelings for Alex. Where as this song denotes opposite feeling of Odaxitar.
  • A very quick reference to Fight Club:
  Odaxitar: I'd rather not 'show' my deck of cards to you. It's-
  Olapen: It's the Ace of Hearts?
  Odaxitar: ... Correct.
  • The further homages to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and A Clockwork Orange.
  • There may be an Inception reference later (or even Ever17).
• Sins of Our Fathers: The curse is like this...
• Sliding Scale of Free Will vs. Fate: Type 3 (Fighting fate is HARD!)
• She Is All Grown Up: Odaxitar is implied to be Olapen a few years down the track, but eviller if that's even possible!
• Stringy-Haired Ghost Girl: Misako for reasons unknown
• Sympathy for the Devil: Guilt and misunderstanding
• Technobabbling: Odaxitar talks like this some of the time, whereas poor Olapen doesn't understand any of those conventions.
• Teach Her Jealousy: Zorbak made Olapen so angry and rather envious that she inadvertently invokes this... which leads to her downfall at the hands of the townspeople.
• The Chew Toy: Exilnor- literally...
  • Clipped-Wing Angel: Odaxitar does this to scare Exilnor away, but after doing this, she faints due to exhaustion. Ineffective.
• The Cameo: Shadow-Tamer and Rayne Daie
• The Corruption: Olapen with a hefty dose of the squid's influence
• The Insomniac: Odaxitar.
  • The Soulless: Odaxitar is implied to be 'cursed' in a certain way.
  • The Swarm: Exilnor, to his own terror.
• Thinks Like a Romance Novel: Olapen, but this soon begins to slide...
• The Mind Is a Plaything of the Body: Happens most of the time.
  • Third-Option Love Interest: Zabrei to Odaxitar.
• The Problem with Fighting Death: The horrific realisation.
• Translation Convention: Odaxitar speaks in a dialect sounding like a demon, which is thankfully translated
• Tomato in the Mirror: Odaxitar was a Dark Action Girl with Fake Memories of being just another 'normal' magician.
• Time Skip: A subtle one at that... Three years...
• The World Is Not Ready: Demons in societies at large would throw world into mass panic, which is why there are so many secrets and they have Humanoid Alien disguises.
• Trippy Dimension: One of the direct problems of a Mental World...
• The Pollyanna: Subverted as usual...
• Twist Ending: ... not telling
• Unusual Euphemism: Odaxitar is very fond of using those...
• Unwanted Assistance: AKA Federico, the unhelpful hallucination
• World of Symbolism: ... Dice are an important motif.
• Who Wants to Live Forever?: A rather negative take on this question.
• Who's Laughing Now? or Then Let Me Be Evil: Exilnor is toast by then...
• Why Don't You Marry It?: Odaxitar says this explicitly about Olapen's 'magic wand'
• Why did it had to be FIRE?!: They're both scared of fire...
• Write What You Know: Somewhat reflects the author's ongoing depression and slow rehabilition, to me depression IS like drowning...
  • Coincidentally, even though it's actually separate from my earlier idea, Paranoid Doll is very similar to my novel :( I've been planning The Caged Phoenix for many years since before Paranoid Doll
• You Called Me "X"; It Must Be Serious: Odaxitar states this about Olapen.
• X Meets Y: Pure Lovecraftian horror meets Shatterday (Twilight Zone)
  • Yin-Yang Clash: It had to be said.
• You Are Worth Hell: Odaxitar says this repetitively, comparing herself to Timon of Athens
• Your Soul Is Mine!: The squid says this.

Zhēngqì Realm (part II)

• Ambiguous Clone Ending:
• Armor-Piercing Question: How did I rescue you from the mad scientist?
  • A Glitch in the Matrix: Olapen suspects this when something isn't right.
• Art Shift: The whole realm is like a shadow-puppet play.
• Auction of Evil: Odaxitar finds herself in one of these...
• Backup from Otherworld: Sheriff Misako acts like this for Olapen.
• Body Horror: Olapen meets a being called the Shabbaléth, which depiction is scary, she runs away from it. Shabbaléth is a mirage
• Chains of Love:
  • Character Filibuster: Odaxitar, humourously, talking about love
• Dreaming the Truth:
  • Water Prison:
• Dream People: Federico and Kratos are revealed to be this and they start to fade away...
• Dismantled MacGuffin:
• Foreshadowing: Too good to be true, Ola? It's likely to be an illusion
• Fanservice
• Guarding the Portal Durrrr.
• House of Broken Mirrors: Misako's maze is like this, which indicates Sanity Slippage after being stuck in Olapen's Mental World for too long.
• I Love You Because I Can't Control You: Misako to Odaxitar.
• Living Dream: Odaxitar is revealed to be one for Olapen.
• Kill and Replace: What Odaxitar wants to do to Olapen all along.
• Mirror Morality Machine: The whole gist.
• Mysterious Mist
• Name That Unfolds Like Lotus Blossom: Odaxitar introduces herself this way to Misako.
• Narrating the Obvious: Odaxitar, with dry wit.
• Rasputinian Death: Olapen is INFAMOUS for pulling this off during her lifetime.
• Secret Test of Character:
• The Loner: Odaxitar
• Through the Eyes of Madness
• The Western:
• Two-Person Love Triangle: Inevitable.
• The Sheriff: Misako, a former friend of Olapen, who spouts Little Known Facts about life and love. Her opinion on Odaxitar is that 'Bluefish is just a Paper Tiger'. Misako also wears a black cloak, which means she's a ghost
  • A Million Is a Statistic: According to The Multiverse theory
• You Can See Me?: Misako.
  • Motor Mouth: Misako.
  • Kiss of Life: Misako eventually administers this to Olapen after their journey. Cue a Shattered World being repaired instantaneously, which brings Olapen to the beginning of Chapter 21 of Officer Misako
• Trapped in Another World: Seems like this at first.
• Your Mind Makes It Real: Olapen, in her total despair finally realises this.
• Vision Quest:
• Bittersweet Ending: Headed for one of these.

Dreamer's Plunge (Part III)

• Beast in the Maze: Kotone
• Back for the Finale:
• End-of-Series Awareness: Akashic
• Glamour Failure: Misako's eye-colour turn permanentally golden hued, indicating that she's just a vessel.
• The Man in the Mirror Talks Back: Misako's reflection answers her a few times.
• Platonic Kissing: Done by Misako and Olapen to each other.

Paradiso (Part IV)

• Awesome Underwater World: The final part of the dream takes place underwater, where the Dragon-King lives in his underwater palace.
• I Choose to Stay: Misako decides to stay in the dream world.
• Ocean Punk: This whole chapter is full of this!
• Off-into-the-Distance Ending: Misako and Olapen part ways.
• The Phoenix: The long-suffering wife of the Dragon-King.
• Void Between the Worlds: