Ha!
I cannot BELIEVE they've let me use that title!
Ladies and gentlemen, the collection I've been promising you, the book that scoops up all those little short stories and provides you with some brand new ones, has been unleashed. There won't be a Spoiler Zone post because it's not one of the "book" books, but even so, try to limit the amount you give away about the endings.
Of the new stories included, I'm finding it hard to pick a favourite. The Horror Writers' Halloween Ball is the most out-and-out comedy of the lot, but Across A Dark Plain is a WESTERN, for god's sake, and it was SO much fun changing my writing style slightly to convey that mood.
But I think Get Thee Behind Me, Bubba Moon is probably my favourite. Much like The End of the World (which is also collected here), it's told from the point of view of an outsider, in this case a middle-aged American man. I didn't mean it to be quite so long, but it grew from a short story to a novella before I knew what was happening. The tone of this one is different, too — until a certain pair of intrepid detectives wander in with their bickering and their jokes...
Anyway, I hope you like it. I hope you ALSO like the sample chapter from The Dying of the Light. It is VERY well written, if I do say so myself.
Oh, and speaking of TDOTL, tomorrow I shall be revealing an awesomely cool limited edition alternative cover.
And it ROCKS.
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«Oldest ‹Older 3201 – 3400 of 4344 Newer› Newest»(Viv can't be controlled)
(Can Leri move her arms again or not?)
James: *teleports him and Elleni to the clearing*
Do not fail me.
*looks up ans grins at Elleni*
*sees James next to her*
*runs away*
*grabs sceptre and fires it at James again*
Zanida: *draws lance and sends it towards James's neck*
Zanida: SILENTE DO NOT HUG HER SHE HAS ORDERS TO KILL YOU!!!
*stops and turns*
El?
*steps forwards, wary*
*looks at James*
*shakes her head and backs up*
El...
(His true name was sealed without him knowing what it is. Therefore he can never use the power of his true name but can't be controlled. It became a standard Cleaver procedure after someone figured out that if someone like the white Cleaver found out their true name it would be trouble.)
*tackles Elleni*
James: *teleports away to a watching place, a grin on his face*
*tracks James' signal again and starts following*
*sends Silente another message: "BE CAREFUL"*
(Be right back)
*softens slightly*
Course not El.
*smiles at her*
He's teleported somewhere, I know not where.
Zanida: Loki, use the sceptre on El.
*gives the sceptre to Zanida* I can't possibly control Elleni if I can barely aim the sceptre. Use it, I'm best with daggers. *sends a dagger at El's eye*
Zanida: *takes sceptre and fires at El*
((I thought James teleported himself.-Loki
(El has a point. James wasn't anywhere near the clearing originally...he teleported him and El there)
*judges up her options*
*she's faster and stronger than El*
*she's beaten El before*
*takes a step closer*
(James teleported him and El to the Medical place, miles from blogland. He teleported them both back. He teleported away alone)
((Okay so attacking El works then?-Loki))
*takes another step towards El*
El? Are you....okay?
*meets her eyes*
*is moving towards James, but sees Elleni and Silente* *changes direction*
Silente! Don't trust Elleni. She's under James' control!
*aims shotgun at Elleni, and combat drone takes aim with its electricity blaster*
*hisses and clambers back to her feet feeling 5 tons heavier*
El!
*turns and runs*
(Leri took aim - she didn't fire. Also her shotgun doesn't fire bullets.)
Okay then, this is quite pointless.
Zanida: Agreed.
Keep the sceptre for now. I'm not damaging my arm or wrist any further.
((So...I'm not going to find you then...? That's a bit annoying as Zanida and I wouldn't be able to track you.-Loki))
*falls over and turns to look at El again*
I'm sorry
*taps the sigils on her forearms and throws her arms wide, sending an energy wave at Elleni*
*runs again*
(Forgive me, El)
*whips a metal chain around Elleni's body, trapping her*
*runs after Silente*
*fires a high explosive plasma round at Elleni*
*advances, firing shotgun which ionises the air and fires a beam of electrical energy*
*runs smack into the wall*
*taps the sigils on her collar bones*
*jumps, her wings extending, and takes to the skies*
I really don't think this is a good idea.
*pours all his metal into making a giant spring*
*springs into the air with the same force as an ejector seat*
*pauses and looks down at what's happening*
(Oh and Elleni - assuming that the plasma round hits you, it will cause a burning effect which will melt through armour and burn skin and stuff and it lasts for like 10 seconds or something after the first impact.)
*swoops to catch Viv*
*sees el coming towards them*
*crises and flies as fast as she can, slightly slower that usual due to the extra weight*
((Well this is so fun. Guess I'll leave.-Zaf
*runs after Elleni, firing a mass of supercooled subatomic particles at her capable of freezing her solid if they collide*
*swoops and swerved desperately to avoid the fire*
ELLENI STOP!
*fires another mass of supercooled subatomic particles*
*refuses to attack Elleni*
*folds in her wings and dives straight for the ground holding Viv tightly*
*swerves up at the last second hoping Elleni will knock herself out or something*
Drop me Sil.
I'll survive.
At least throw me at Elleni.
Okay.
*swoops back down and lands letting go of Viv*
*goes back to running*
*runs next to Silente, picking up metal as he goes*
*steps out of the way of the cryo blast and keeps running after Elleni*
(Throw you at her?! Not bloomin likely!)
(*presses pause*)
Throw you at her? Seriously?
(Throw him like a Javelin. Would be funny.)
I wasn't thinking how it would sound ok.
MINE!
Can we end this pause?
Oh. Or not.
It wouldn't be funny! It would just distract Silente more! She's already occupied keeping everyone alive!
(yes because El is back)
*screams and struggles not wanting to damage El*
Wait, I thought we were in freeze frame.
(Yeah we pressed play as Elleni appeared.)
(Grr)
*starts working on a giant catapult*
(God damn it.
Ok, I dedicate this page to those like biscuit-straw things. I don't know what they're called.
They're like twists of wafer with like chocolate in the middle.
Also to Freddos.
And skittles.
And tortilla wraps.
And bagels.
And scotch pancakes.
Ok, food dedications over.
As well as food, I dedicate this page to Venus Fly Traps. Because, y'know, they're deadly (if you're a fly) and awesome and I have one which I call Veni.
And also, oddly enough, to slippers.)
((So you press play for her and say fuck Zaf and her characters lets all teleport away so Zaf cant participate! How thoughtful.-Zaf
*looks down*
*Almost laughs at the irony*
*places her feet against El's chest*
*pushes, launching herself away from El*
*splays her wings and flies quickly away*
((Btw, Zaf. If Viv turned himself in would you give him a fair trial?))
(Zaf you know we didn't mean it like that. He wasn't likely to fight when there were 2 gods there.)
(Oh, come on Zaf. You can't honestly believe that people teleported just in spite of you.
I didn't get teleported. And do you see me complaining? No, I just kept joining in.)
((Probably. She didn't witness the fight so she'd go off word of those who did. -Zaf
((And I don't particulary like fighting multiple people at once but I don't randomly teleport away and continue elsewhere.-Zaf
*decides that a catapult will take long and makes a giant pair of stilts*
*screams as her wings are bent tears flooding her eyes*
*taps her collar bones and the wings dissolve, leaving her to catapult head over heels towards the ground*
((You were there one of the times I attempted an assassination on your predecessor))
Vivanus, can you provide some metal? I have an idea.
*taps the sigils again and her wings reform*
*smiles and slows her descent*
*lands and goes back to running, keeping an eye on the sky*
((Hmm yeah lets let 2 gods walk around aimlessly to find you when they don't know Blogland that well. Not like I can magically track people. They don't have that technology in Asgard. If there was trouble on a realm Heimdall would tell them. Zaf or Aro would track you but how will they if Zan and Loki are wanted, they won't go and ask Zaf.-Zaf
*runs to intercept Silente, leaving the stilts on the ground*
Yes Leri, I'm all yours.
((She'd be fair, unless you really piss her off, but you haven't blown up bits of the US so you're fine.-Zaf
(Not literally)
I need you to make a gun-shape. But leave the top off because I will need to manufacture the internal systems.
I need you to make a gun-shape. But leave the top off because I will need to manufacture the internal systems.
((@Zaf: Just say they managed to find them. We don't exactly obey things to the letter in Blogland. :P
Also - you can't really blame Silente for in-character decisions . . . :/))
((Of course I haven't...*cough*))
((@Elleni: It's a bit annoying when everyone else is roleplaying and you're stuck though, you have to admit.))
*runs into the forest, cursing at the sight of Elleni*
*piles on more speed*
*realises shes surrounded herself with flamable material while running from an elemental*
*swears very loudly*
*hands Leri the gun*
*runs as fast as she can, trying to race ahead of the fire*
*waterfall*
*she knows there's a waterfall near here*
*looks back at El and falls over*
*gasps and curls around the dagger crying out*
El.....please......
*struggles*
*she'd rather flames than be killed by her friend*
*lays the gun down on the floor, and takes apart her shotgun, extracting its core*
*takes one of the components out of her computer and fits them inside the gun, then wires it altogether* *fits the top in place*
*grabs Zan and vanishes and appears where Silente and them are*
Zanida: *looks for Elleni, firing the sceptre at her*
((I'm trying to stay true to the Asgardians, if t was ZafTC I'd say eh rules can bend.-Zaf
*cries at when she lands at the knife in her stomach shifts*
*stumbles to her feet and keeps moving, whimpering quietly at the burning*
*starts getting dizzy and ends up crawling*
*finds the waterfall and slides into the miniature clearing*
*thanks god*
*puts the shotgun on her back and looks around with the new weapon*
*puts the shotgun on her back and looks around with the new weapon*
*puts the shotgun on her back and looks around with the new weapon*
((If I poke you with it in the heart- whichever god had it you'll be under their control. If I fire it at you, the blast has enough force that in The Avengers I managed to make a car flip over 3 times and take down a helicopter. -Loki))
*sends a knife at Eleni's throat*
(;and you have permission to kill Zan but she must be in a revivable state.-Zaf))
Zanida: *moves closer firing the sceptre again*
*makes multiples of self, and sends a knife at El's head*
*looks at the knife protruding from her stomach*
*starts admiring it*
*serrated edge, painful to remove, leather coated hilt, ruby pummel stone*
*if only it wasn't in a stomach*
*slips towards the water and further away from the trees*
(Neither in my case.)
*aims at Loki's sceptre with the weapon and pulls the trigger* *an electrical charge passes through the core of her shotgun and a beam of energy strikes the sceptre and increases its mass by several thousand times*
(So Loki and Zanida are worth more than Zaf?
(natural argumentative streak coming in here. :P You're allowed to ignore me.
We were talking about our English discussion assessments today and F said that she hadn't really known what to say so she'd said blahdiblah and I immediately began arguing against her before realising "Wait. The situation isn't even real. She's your friend. This is pointless."
:P)
I really get what you mean, though. There's a higher obligation to be correct when the characters aren't your own . . .
. . .
Oh.
I just argued against myself.
And now I get it.
So that first question is now invalid.
Um . . .
*facepalm*
Sorry.))
(El.....don't be dead.)
Zanida: *pokes El in the heart with the sceptre*
(good)
*curls up around her stomach*
*vaguely wonders if she's dying*
*stares at the water falling*
*its hypnotic*
((I can explain the mind control thing if you like, guys.-Zaf
(er...I don't know. TECHNICALLY you were/are in a state of undeath.......)
Hello everyone :)
(Zaf - Leri increased the mass of the Sceptre by a few thousand times.)
(Hey Chione! How are you?)
(I kinda want to cry, but i'll be strong. For...no reason.)
(hey Chi!)
*blinks*
*wonders why her stomach is so cold*
*looks down at the knife in it*
*doesn't quite understand*
*blinks*
(*hugs Chi* its okay...)
*sees Silente injured with the knife sticking out of her stomach*
*runs towards her*
Hecate: walks around the forest on her daily stroll that she's allowed (Chione is so kind)
*sees Silente laying down*
Oh for Christ sakes... *rolls eyes and walks over*
*looks at Leri*
*blinks*
H..h...h...hey
*her teeth are chattering*
*cold*
((Okay then I'd say Zan. The way the sceptre works is I say an order and it opens your mind to think okay Zan or Loki makes so much sense I ought to follow.-Zaf
*looks at Hecate*
*tired*
*cold*
*lays her down on the ground*
Put some pressure on the wound, Silente. I just need to think about what to do...
*is looking at his broken arm, and peels his sleve back to see a bone sticking out* Wonderful.
*looks at Leri*
*she sounds so distant*
*stares at her*
((Well its up to you guys, does El's heart still beat? If not then the sceptre has no effect.-Zaf
(Well...she's sort of a zombie who can use magic if she's like the black cleaver...)
*goes back to staring at the waterfall*
*puts pressure on the wound herself and slowly pulls the knife out as carefully as she can*
*activates her computer and applies a salve to the knife wound which contains a clotting agent and an anaesthetic to aid healing, reduce pain and it also causes a seal so no infections can pass through*
Hecate: *heals Silente*
what did you do this time?
(No. Leri laid her on the ground.)
Zanida: *takes hold of Loki, and the look for James
*blinks coming back to herself*
Uh. Got stabbed.
*looks up at the skies*
If a random flying person attacks me don't kill them
*is washed away but quickly gets to her feet again*
*raises weapon at Elleni*
*looks up at Elleni*
((Silente can I send the Asgardians after James?-Zaf
Elleni, if I fire this weapon I will reduce your mass so you are lighter than the air. I don't think trying to kill Silente is a very good idea.
(yes Zaf.)
*Zanida and Loki search a bit for James until Loki finds him*
Zanida: James of Midgard, the game is over.
James: *is watching all this via cameras in....er......the place*
*the place is a bar*
*yea*
James: *turns to face the gods* Hello. What brings you to the place? *smirks*
*there are mortals all over*
Zanida: I am not a protector of Midgard, I have no caring.
*grabs James, and Zan and appears in an empty clearing*
Zanida: *draws lance* You are going to pay. You pissed two gods off, you almost beat Alastair's record of three gods at once.
(Bye then El!)
(should we pause with the El part and focus on getting James?)
(Elleni - you'll float away, basically. Taking no damage, but it's not easy to attack when you're slowly flying upwards uncontrollably.)
James: *grins*
Ah. Guess I'll have to try harder next time.
*casually puts his glassers away*
(That's fine, Silente.)
((Well the Asgardians are going after James.-Zaf
(I think I might change my RP character for now. Leri isn't much of a fighter... technology is fine but yeah she's rather weak in terms of abilities.)
Zanida: *aims lance at James's heart* You, are a dead man. You try to kill me, Loki and I kill you.
James: *blocks the lance with air*
If you remember rightly I made no attempt on wither life.
**either
(Test.)
(YOUR GOING WITH THE DARK SHADOW?!)
You ordered it, that counts. *sends dagger at him* You're a coward, you know not how to fight. Your actions annoyed two gods, you ought to be kneeling before me and begging for me to spare your pathetic life, you mewling quim.
(Yes. I think that would be apparently obvious. :P)
James: Begging? No thank you. You brought me to a muddy clearing.
*it hits the air barrier and falls*
*darts from shadow to shadow until it appears near Loki*
Such big worrrddssssss... from someone who uses a stickkkkkk
(*glares* and thats how he started the end.)
Zanida: Afraid, James? Come on, fight.
You do not have the guts to even do a thing to us.
James: I have common sense. I won't attack two gods. Not when I'm safe in my bubble and theirs a creepy shadow near them.
Amazing, shadows speak? Pity, they do not.
Zanida: What happened to killing me to hurt Silente?
James: This happened to that. I'm fine with Elleni being her end.
That'sssss what you thinkkkkkk... For a goddddd you are not very cleverrrrrr... Hardly deserving of being eaten, hmmmm? Your flimsy powerrrrr would not lassssttt lonnnggggg
Zanida: James, I have an idea. Do you know where we are?
Zafira: *comes down from the treehouse* Bloody hell, you're James.
James: *looks at Zafira* I am. Forgive me for not bowing but your hardly worthy of such respect.
I just wanted to say- for the record- that I never want anyone, ever, to refrain from hitting me because they think girls are fragile.
Also that if Loki really is well trained in combat like he claims to be, he would punch people's jaws, where it's actually effective, instead of wasting time breaking noses.
But really, I just wish we didn't all have to fight so often out of character about the roleplay.
That is all, for now.
#ChaseForBook9
*forms in a shadow near James*
*moves quickly in front of him and screams, extending its jaw more than humanly possible so it looks as if it could eat his head, and shows its sharp fangs, then vanishes back into the shadows*
((Uhm....I don't fight irl....I don't know....*sighs irritably* I hate when people pick on my way of rping.-Zaf
I think I'm taking my leave for a few I'm extremely annoyed, and I'm sick of critisism in every little thing I do.-Zaf
(chew pretty)
*jumps at the sight of the shadow letting out a manly yell*
*looks around when its gone*
(Hey)
Jamesssssss... scareddddddd, hmmmmm?
(Hello Silver. How's bes yous?)
(OMG MY FINAL BABY TOOTH IS WOBBLY!)
*glares and throws flames in the direction of the noise*
Aahhh sorry
I meant to direct that at Loki, Zaf, not at you
You know, just because I don't appreciate him trying to ruin my friends
But yeah, that was just meant to be directed at him
Sorry
#ChaseForBook9
*emerges from the shadows again, opens its mouth and swallows all the flames, then screams them back out in a funnel of fire*
James: *stares*
Fine, I hope so. *sighs* I'm not really happy irl.-Zaf
James, you could at least fight.
Aretha, you are one to talk. I know girls can fight, I have seen Sif fight, I have seen Zanida fight. In Asgard women can train as warriors, Frigga went after Malikith before she died.
Fireeee... good for a snackkkkkkkkk... Maybe you will be the mainnnnn course, Jamessssssss
*licks lips*
Actually. The first part of that was more general, though provoked by Silver's comment, the middle at Loki, and the third was also just general.
#ChaseForBook9
James: I think I'll leave you to the shadow...
*throws them the thing to fix Elleni*
*teleports away*
(Sorry. Been having some.....troubles.....recently. Don't know when I'll be back. Probably when my moods more stable. Bye)
*flits to Loki*
You claimmmm to be powerfullll, hmmmmm?
Very well, Aretha. So this is the famous Aretha Tesla, the girl Zafira spoke highly of.
((Bye Silente. *hugs* I hope you feel better!))
Yes. We've met before. You tried to poke me with your stick, and it didn't work, and then you tried to kill my friends. And that didn't work, either.
#ChaseForBook9
My sceptre you mean, also I learned to not underestimate you. *looks down at Zanida, who is sitting against a tree looking in extreme pain* I think Zanida learned that too.
Zanida: Hi there. I think I have a few broken ribs.
Hi. Did I do that...? *trails off, reflecting on the night she fought them* *she never thinks, or feels, while she's fighting*
#ChaseForBook9
Zanida: No, I was helping out with Silente and James ordered someone to kill me, but I survived. They also tried to kill Loki, that's why I have his sceptre.
Oh.
...You were helping Silente?
#ChaseForBook9
*appears next to Zanida*
A stickkkkkkk... Primitive...
Hi, Elleni!
#ChaseForBook9
Zanida: Silente's enemy James had El and Viv turned against her to kill her. We helped...I'm pretty certain I'm going to get killed one day.
One dayyyyyy? Ittttt mayyyyy be closerrrrr than you thinkkkkkk...
(The shadow kind of... Scared him off, Elleni.)
((Hi Dragona, too!))
Well, of course you'll be killed one day. You're not immortal. Are you...?
*her eyes flit to The Dark Shadow, and she slips instinctively halfway into her fighting stance* Hello... My name is Aretha. Nice to meet you. I hope.
#ChaseForBook9
We live and die just as the Midgardians, give or take five thousand years.
Zanida: Yup, so we're not totally immortal our life span is just a lot longer.
Arethaaaaaa...
*flits in front of her and screams, showing its white triangular eyes, and extends its jaw more than humanly possible, showing its long fangs*
*disappears into the shadows again*
*gasps before she can stop herself, and sinks deeper into her fighting stance, her face quickly losing all signs of emotion* What? I'm going to assume that that isn't how you typically greet people...
Well, that's nice to know, Loki.
#ChaseForBook9
You did ask.
Zanida: I don't even know who can heal, bah!
I cannot help you, Zanida.
Zanida: I know. I really want to hurt Alastair.
(I can't keep active for very long... And yes I'm going to poof again.)
*adresses Zanida without taking her eyes off Dark Shadow* Why? What did he do to you guys that made you so fixated on him?
#ChaseForBook9
((Hey Chione! How are you?))
#ChaseForBook9
Of courseeeee it isssssss...
Thisssss placeeee... Infestedddd by people who claimmmmm to be godssss...
They do nottttt seeeeeee what trueeeee power issss...
*shadows collect from all around, tendrils begin knotting together to form black shadowy limbs*
*emerges from the darkness as a cloaked and hooded figure, white eyes the only thing visible of its face*
*relaxes a little- but only barely* Oh. It is? Sorry, then... I'm not sure exactly where you're going with true power, but there are definitely a lot of self proclaimed gods around here.
#ChaseForBook9
He is a threat to my plan.
Zanida: He's insane, and I want to stop him killing people.
Doesn't Loki also kill a lot of people, though? And, besides that, Alastair hasn't killed anyone in weeks. I don't think that's happened since he was a teenager.
I don't really see how he's a threat to your plan, either, really- sure, he doesn't expect it to work, but he's not actively against it.
#ChaseForBook9
I am here to feeeedddddd, Arethaaaaaa...
Gods make... Snackkksssss...
Zanida: He's killed, and Lok paid for it.
I heard he wants my true name.
Who did you hear that from?
...Oh. I see. How about humans?
#ChaseForBook9
Others who met him, I do not want to die.
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