Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Imagine

Apparently I'll be appearing at the Imagine Festival in London this Monday, the 17th. I had a blast last year, where I showed clips from movies, but I'm not entirely sure what I'll do this time. I might read from one of the new short stories. I'd read from the ninth book, but there is nothing from the early sections finished, and anything read from later on would be a spoiler, so...

Oh, and speaking of Book 9, I have just reached the 75,000 word mark. Judging by this, the finished book will be at least 100,000 words, which is Mortal Coil length, and could be longer. LSODM will stay the longest, I reckon, simply because of the massive amount of characters involved. But because most of those characters are now DEAD, Book 9 allows me a smaller, more intimate story — while remaining as heart-rendingly traumatic as anything I've written before.

And speaking of heart-rendingly traumatic, I've actually written the last few chapters. Not to completion, of course, but I've written enough to know what happens, and how it ends, and who lives and who dies, and all I can say is...

I am MEAN.

4,947 comments:

  1. Yes! I'm so happy! I feel like my life is finally complete! wait...no. i still need Book 9.

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  2. *hits Derek really hard* OI I WILL EXPLODE YOU SO GOD HELP ME IF YOU LEAVE IT ON A CLIFF HANGER OMG YOU WILL DIE A PAINFUL PAINFUL DEATH AND I SHALL DANCE AROUND YOUR BLOODY ASHES LAUGHING

    AND I WILL EXPLODE COUNTY DUBLIN!!!! AND SEND THE MEOW MIXES AFTER YOU

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  3. wait...will he leave a cliffhanger for book nine? is that what your saying?...oh god...if he does...

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  5. He will. Little prick. Little potato little Irish potato.

    Oooh if he ever comes here I'm smacking him if he does. Ooh yes.


    AND A CERTAIN GOLDEN GOD FORGOT TO MENTION MY BIRTHDAY MMM ALMOST A MONTH AGO

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  6. *explodes England bitterly*

    Well if I can punch Skulduggery I'll be happy. I mean I'm content as Grand Mage.

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  7. haha... my birthday was the same as yours so if he mentions yours, might as well mention mine :)
    I wish he comes here... my life will be MORE complete.

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  8. We already know that you are evil, Mr. Landy. You hardly have to prove it.

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  9. See I picture the ending like this: Skulduggery finally has a shot to kill Vallyrie. He has to there is no other way. And Darquesse fights and pretends to be Valkyrie, he falters and she squishes him killing him. And then Darquesse goes off to do what she wants.

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  10. Derek... *Tuts*

    Also, thank you Sir

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  11. It was nothing, Ms. Dark. You would have seen this post eventually.

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  12. *Raises an eyebrow* How do I do that, pray tell?

    (Just re-posting that...)

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  13. Actually, I might not have. Unless someone tells me, I usually don't check.

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  14. Right. Kill it.

    ...

    That wasn't very specific. Kill it how

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  15. No, we were just continuing our rp conversation from the previous post, Amethyst.
    -

    *Adra pushes herself to her feet, stretches out her legs, then moves to work on pulling the scourgeweed out- and, having grown her own plants, is exceedingly efficient at it*

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  16. ...ok.

    I was wondering, now that there are two posts we can comment on, how does this work? Should we first fill up the other one or should we do both or what?

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  17. Yeah they're still rping Amethyst. Sorry. Ugh I think I may sleep but i feel happier after talking to my brother!

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  18. Oh we fill this one and go back to the old one when we fill this up

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  19. What Zaf said, we usually go back to the next available post..

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  20. We move to the newest one, and when that inevitably fills up, we move to the older one.

    #ChaseForBook9

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  21. We can thank our elders for that. Well we usually started on the newest because Derek commented and all. Now we have to hope for a teeny tiny comment

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  22. *She has quite a pile of uprooted scourgeweed, her feet sore*
    *Runs a hand through her hair* Right... *Breathes out* Why don't we call it a night? I'm exhausted, and you'll have to conserve your energy..

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  23. K with that Zaffy wanders to bed.

    *smacks Derek hard* you break Em even more I break you.

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  24. *explodes the Latin sheet for Adra and then goes back to sleep cuddling dynamite*

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  25. *nods* *falls back asleep and explodes any other work annoying Adra* *really isnt here* *hits Derek with a frying pan*

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  26. I'm going to go now! Have a wonderful rest of the day! I'm going to eat dinner...

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  27. 'Because most of those characters are now DEAD'

    ...

    Way to rip out my heart.

    September can not come fast enough!

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  28. No, we've only done about one, maybe two percent of it. I'll keep going, you rest.

    #ChaseForBook9

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  29. No, we've only done about one, maybe two percent of it. I'll keep going, you rest.

    #ChaseForBook9

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  30. Goodbye, both Amethyst and Zaf!
    -
    *Her shoulders slump, and she reaches out, putting her hand on his arm* Trip, please...?

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  31. *Sighs, knowing that this is incredibly selfish of her to wheedle him into it*
    *Slides closer under his arm, wrapping her arms around him* *Gives him her best pleading eyes*

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  32. *Smiles* Good.
    And tomorrow, we can get the rest of it- that's probably when the help that I called in will arrive, but they can help get rid of the rest of it, okay?

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  33. *Gently pulls on his arm* Come on, then- you've been down here for god knows how long.

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  34. *Sighs heavily*

    Let me ask this- even if I did manage to get you up to your room, where you could actually sleep peacefully on a comfortable bed, the moment that I fell asleep, would you just come back down here to work?

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  35. *Nods* Of course you will. Of course.
    Well.
    *Puts her bag down, and kicks a few things aside, clearing space*
    *Pulls out a blanket and a longer pillow, putting both down*
    *Sits on the blanket* I'm going to be here.

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  36. *She pulls out a blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders, and then pulls one out for him, placing it in his lap before digging around in her bag*
    *Pulls out a couple items* Eh, I have some fruits, vegetables, and a couple sandwiches to eat, if you want..
    *Leans back so she's sitting flat on her back- a habit she's gotten into since lying on her side is uncomfortable nowadays*
    *Blinks up at the ceiling, as if searching for something*

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  37. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  38. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  39. *Half- smiles, reaching down and finding his hand, and finds herself losing her fight with fatigue, after having missed two night's of sleep*
    *Falls out of consciousness, asleep*

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  40. I'm probably going to go now. Thanks for sticking around, although it's a worry how late you stay up...

    Tsk.

    *Hugs* *waves*
    *Whisks away*

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  41. Yeah, I'm not in Colorado or anything. Heh. Why would you even suggest such an unlikely thing?

    #ChaseForBook9

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  42. Waiaiaiaia

    what

    Are you serious?

    Uh
    I'm going to colorado thursday.

    Well

    I was going to, but I can't now

    What even

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  43. I legitimately hate my life so much right now.

    Whereabouts are you? I was going to Keystone in the mountains for snowboarding.

    -no but seriously i'm so pissed-

    HOW DO YOU GO ALL PLACES

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  44. I AM A TELEPORTING DEMONIC NINJA VAMPIRE!

    Also, I'm skiing in the Rockies. I'm no good at physical geography.

    #ChaseForBook9

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  45. I am so done with this world

    Like

    really

    I COULD MEET MY INTERNET FRIEND IN MY HOME TURF

    BUT I HAD TO TELL MY DAD I CAN'T GO BECAUSE SCHOOL WAS CAUSING ANXIETY

    I AM FURIOUS AT THE WORLD.

    And, one doesn't just go skiing, you MUST be at some resort. I've been to all of them- Vale, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe...?

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  46. No but srsly my life is a cosmic joke sometimes this isn't even funny

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  47. *Hits her head against the wall* And I know where that is too..

    *Jumps into her dark little hole*
    *Whispers* I swear to god this must be karma.

    *Shouts to the sky* I DIDn'T ASK FOR THIS LIFE.

    -_-

    And no- next time I go to England (mark my words, it WILL be happening) whether or not you want to, you're going to meet me.
    Capische?
    Capische.

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  48. YOU AREN'T ANYTHING MORE.

    Okay I really need to go now because this is legitimately upsetting and yeah bye

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  49. Omg I feel so stupid... I was sitting back on the old post for 2 hours wondering where people where... such a moron... *cries*

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  50. There are about 50 crickets outside chirping and I cannot concentrate on my homework... I think I may kill someone

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  51. Yay! I'm 84th! (or something)
    And DEREK! Please, whatever you do, do NOT kill Skulduggery or Valkyrie. Or else you'll have at lease one VERY angry Minion after you... :P

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  52. And I'm all alone? Eh.
    *disappears into the non-existent mist*
    Farewell!
    And Derek, remember, if you leave us on a cliffhanger...... *points to number of followers on the blog* You'll have THAT many people chasing you down. :)

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  53. Of course Derek is going to kill one of them, if not both. You can see it in his evil subtext. And if he doesn't? Well, I'll be very surprised. Now excuse me, I must continue tomread the dictionary,.

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  55. Yay! I'm not alone on here!
    And Snow, you just ripped out my soul, tore it to smithereens, gave it to Zafira to explode, got it back, and in front of my eyes destroyed it.
    Let me at least have some hope, Snow.... *rocks back and forth in corner*
    *cries*
    :)

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  56. Yes, this is the first time I have been in the first 100 comments! Actually, the first time on the first page!


    #ChaseForBookNine

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  57. And I have also chosen my magic type! I am a energy thrower

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  58. Anyone on here? Snow? Duck? Any other Aussies I have missed out on? Or just any random one?

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  59. I'm going to go now, not that anyone will really bother, as I'm all alone on here! Anyway:


    #ChaseForBookNine

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  60. I have no doubt you're mean. What is the point of writing if you can't traumatise people occasionally? Looking forward to it immensely all the same.

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  61. I'm calling it

    Skulduggery and Valkyrie dies and Stephanie gets to live happily ever after

    or I could be wrong

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  62. Hey, guys, we should all have a massive party for when the ninth book comes out! I'm pretty sure, that if we all pull together, then we will have the most amazing party ever!!!!! Now who's with me?!

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  63. Looks like I'm the only one! Oh well, it was worth a try!

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  64. I must say, many of the characters I love have already died.
    I wonder who's left that will surprise me.

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  65. I've always needed a skin specialist!

    Especially because I live in Delhi!

    WOW!

    (must be the henna, guys)
    *I am not here AT ALL*

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  66. Aw, man, why must you scare me so?

    I am dreading August.

    I hope it doesn't come.

    I just want it to pass us by and fly away.

    Actually, we could do what the Romans did and skip a month... Although THEY did it because their calendar was just pathetic, but still.

    Then we could just go merrily along and enjoy Christmas and talk about the release of book nine NEXT year.

    How does that sound?





















































































    I am so not joking right now.













































































































    Let's do this, Landy.











































































    Also, while you're writing those extra bits for... NEXT year ~wink wink~ could you add Israel Elysium and Nights Raven?






















































    Please?














    We have been desperately wishing to be in a book since the beginning, and I when I write a book, I swear I'll dedicate it to you 8]








































































    Seeeeee ya 'round Epic Author of Amazingness incarnate!!






































    8]
    -Skyril, your most devoted since '09 [and even before ~chuckles~ Yup....]

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  68. Oh God, Derek...
    I am so scared!
    I just finished Book 7 which is the latest one out in Germany and I'm so scared of how everything will get worse and worse...

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  69. HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

    Probably wbd.

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  70. Hey! You should come to London Comic-con in May!

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  71. ...Oh God, Derek. Now I'm scared. PLEASE say you didn't kill everyone we ever loved.

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  72. mother of god. i've been putting off reading lsodm for so long because it's the penultimate book. it's gonna hurt so much, and from the way my best friend talks about it, i think you'll be paying for our therapy, derek.

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  73. In history we were discussing Black Death. I was grinning thinking of Nic

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  74. I listened to Iowa yesterday when I was trying to get to sleep, thinking it would be quite relaxing (repetitive drumming beat, you know). I think I scared myself. O_O

    "You will live forever."
    *shivers*

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVjF-oe84Mw&list=PLTslNdjmKxFvz82_82YflzFzAn1Nltzi7&index=45
    (That's the first half of the song. The second half comes just after it on the playlist, but here's the link anyway - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIA7dP4CjLk&list=PLTslNdjmKxFvz82_82YflzFzAn1Nltzi7&index=46 )

    *wbd, doing string art*

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  75. Oh god! You've killed someone! Oh wait, not some one everyone. Any ways. Can't wait for Armageddon Outta Here and .....the....last....b..oo...k.

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  76. If Derek's calling himself mean... We're gonna be dead

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  77. @Corvo: I'm trying my best not to think about it. :P

    When I DO think about it, I die slightly.

    Bloostained chartreuse tablecloths and Derek being mean . . .

    My future is a gloomy thing full of despair. D:

    (Even worse than that, though, is that it's the LAST BOOK.)

    (No.)

    (I don't care how horrible SP is to me, I don't want it to end! D:)


    (I would rather it ended on a good note, though, than if the series went on and got progressively worse . . . it's not nice when that happens.)

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  78. Oh god... he admitted he was mean... We. Are. Screwed...







    oh and hi

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  79. Hello!
    If the end of the series wasn't gonna kill us, I'm sure Derek will

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  80. @Corvo: Probably.
    But does it matter?
    I'm dead anyway. D:

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  81. Hey corvo, hey star.

    @corvo I agree so much. If the book doesn't kill us, he will.

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  82. @Corvo: *nods*

    *or floating, if we happen to be bubbles*

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  83. Bubbles! Let's hope we survive with a shread of... humanity? No. ERM... care? Love? Feelings?

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  84. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AdWqlsQjWo

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  85. Derek should really think about his safety. I mean, if I were him I'd be cared to do the book signings after the release date...that could be a very dangerous time...

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  86. *nods*
    Some people may just attack him

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  87. (Do you people actually know about me being a bubble?)

    (Because I'm a bubble.

    I've been insisting it for a long time now. :P)

    Hey Dragona! :)

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  88. @corvo many people may attack him. Especially if he does something stupid like kill china or skulduggery...or Alice.

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  89. I've heard about your bubbleness (is that even a word?) and find it epic.
    Hi Dragona *waves*

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  90. @star is it fun floating around in the air just above the reach of children, being carried by the wind, soaring and flying...

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  91. HE'D BETTER NOT KILL ALICE! SHE'S DONE NOTHING WRONG!!!!


    Then again neither did Ghastly but at least he wasn't a baby...
    But if he kills Skul I'd be so peeved.
    China... meh

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  92. @Corvo: Thanks! :) :)

    @Silente: I'm not sure. It can be rather peaceful, I suppose. :P

    If he kills Alice . . .
    He can't.
    She's a BABY. O_O

    Hey Kal! :)

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  93. Okay so Ghastly didn't deserve to die and neither did Shudder (SPOILER ALERT FOR BOOK 8) And in those visions both Alice, Desmond AND her mum die. And skulduggery. Oh god. What has he done? WHAT HAS HE DONE?!?!

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  94. If he kills those people...

    Derek Landy is a dead man walking (and not the good kind)

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  95. damn

    I just joined this website and THIS PERSON HAS JUST BEEN SO NICE TO ME I ONLY JUST MET THEM WHY ARE THEY SO NICE HELP

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  96. Oh god the horror! Guys he might actually do it. This is Derek, the golden God. Mr evil. The killer of the characters who usually doesn't admit his evilness. And he's admitted his evilness. He has done something really bad. Grab your torches and sharpen you pitchforks! We may need to go to war with the golden god.

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  97. In that case we need to know where Sanguine hid those weapons. We'll need the God-Killers, he is the Golden God after all.

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  98. Or, you know, we could just get the book, read it then cry and scream in our bedrooms until it gets slightly better.,.

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  99. Ah yes the god killers. Anyone know how to hire a hit man deluxe?

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  100. Sorry I poofed.


    The video is just a load of explosions and stuff. But it's good. It was at least fun to do.

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  101. *shrugs* I have no idea. I don't make a habit of hiring hit men lol

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  102. Yeah crying/screaming takes less effort, and time. Plus we don't have to get our hands dirty. We'll just do that then. And kill him slowly at the signings. We'll drowned him in our tears!

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  103. I don't believe that violence is the answer.

    (Of course it isn't the answer. Violence is the QUESTION. The answer is to hug it over a bowl of Skittles.)

    (No, in all seriousness, though, violence isn't the answer. :P)

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  104. Violence is what has killed our feels to start with. We shall leave violence to Derek and kill him with the guilt of our dead feels.

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  105. Son worry we won't kill or hurt anyone, we might be a bit soggy at the signings but we won't hurt him.

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  106. "When the waves close over me, I dive down to fish for pearls."

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  107. Violence is definitely an answer. It just depends on the question.

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  108. Hullo fellow Insane Skuttlebugs!!!!! How are you all today?

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  109. I'm good. I found TFIOS so. How are you?

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  110. Hey Rhydi we are talking about violence!

    Life depends on change and renewal-DW

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  111. Not my own quote. :P

    @Dragona: I know what you mean. :)

    @Silente: An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.
    (One of my favourite quotes, that.)

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  112. Good good good.

    Damn I love it here :)

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  113. Answers are easy, its asking the right questions which is hard

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  114. CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THE HELL PEOPLE ARE SO NICE ON THIS WEBSITE I JUST FOUND WHY.

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  115. For some people, small, beautiful events are what life is all about.

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  116. So many amazing quotes being passed around the place atm...I'm in Heaven!

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  117. They're either really nice like us, or really creepy like some of us.

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  118. I can't make your dream come true forever but I can make it come true for today

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  119. Still front page? Wow... *not really here*

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  120. (It's actually a little pressurising.)

    (When everyone is so nice, that raises the expectations on how
    you should behave. :P)

    @Silente: Yes. And sometimes, you don't know the question, and then you're expected to find the answer.

    My physics teacher doesn't teach us things and then gets annoyed with us for not knowing them. It's like telling us to paint without giving us a paintbrush.

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  121. I adore quotes.

    The other day I just opened my school notebook and wrote quotes in coloured pencil all over a page.

    I didn't fill the page. Ran out of time. :P

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  122. Success is never final and failure is never fatal.

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  123. @Corvo: Both, probably. XD

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  124. Over 900 years of time and space and I've never met anyone who was unimportant before

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  125. Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. Its not the time that matters its the person.

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  126. You can't sink someone else's end of the boat and still keep your own afloat.

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  127. @Silente: I KNOW.
    My friend said one that she could find more adventure in a room than most people would find in their entire lives.
    And she thought it was a bad thing.
    (She's amazing, I swear. When I'm with her, I just see the world differently.)

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  128. We have too many warriors, the world has enough heroes.

    Then what do I do?

    Be a Doctor...

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  129. Unseen darkness creeps
    It hides inside you and me
    An evil, hidden

    Me. I made that one.

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  130. @Silente: Cool!

    Family doesn't end with blood.

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  131. @Rhydian: Yes. Then again, Skulduggery would disagree. :P He would say, in a smart funny kind of way, that some people and just boring and waiting to die, really.
    It depends on the person as to what things you find important.
    I find lots of things important that people don't give a shit about.

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  132. You clearly don't comprehend the level of insane I operate at.

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  133. Yeah I keep doing that at he moment, coming up with random hiaku. I don't even know why. It just happens

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  134. Hello Silente! Haven't we already greeted? Oh well hello again! I'm good thanks, yourself?

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  135. When the world falls down,
    The end to all those civil
    The true colours fly

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  136. I'm fine Rhyd. Just writing hiaku. Cuz I'm sooo normal.

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  137. Everyone is perfectly normal, but everyone's normal is perfectly different.

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  138. @Corvo: Wow. O_O Can I quote you on that?

    @Silente: :) Post haikus if you want. We'll enjoy reading them. :)

    #ChaseForBookNine

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  139. May I point out that a combination hybrid of a Black Widow, a Swordfish and an Eagle would destroy all life in the world.

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