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.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
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«Oldest ‹Older 3001 – 3200 of 4344 Newer› Newest»Zanida: We are not going to kill you.
I want Alastair dead, that's what I want.
So I'm going to be killing people for you? I don't know if I'm cool with that...
Persons, not people
Hello :)
*acts as if that was a headline*
If I wanted you to kill, you would be killing.
Okay. I give up.
-She flings her arms back in defeat-
(Hello Inky)
Hi Flick
Hi Inky
(whats happening,,bach?)
I never will understand you Midgardians.
Zanida: *sighs* Loki, I feel like crap.
(?)
(fyi, 'bach' is just a welsh way of calling someone "how are you bach?" and so on)
And we are supposed to understand you? Just tell me when you want me to do something. My brain is goin haywire...
I want norhibg from you right now, Silver.
(back.)
*glares at Loki, a small growl forming in the back of her throat*
You can't just claim people as soon as you see them Loki!
(hey Silente)
(*Slaps himself for not knowing that*)
Alright... Just, you know, do something... If you want me...
-She slips into unconsciousness-
(Hey Flick)
(Viv don't slap yourself.)
Stay out of it, vampire.
(don't slap urself)
(don't slap urself)
(Inky just totally told me up and I was admitting defeat)
*in a mocking voice* stay out of it vampire
*barks out a laugh*
You're not the boss of me Loki! Even that stupid toy of yours can't control me!
*stalks over to where Silver is*
Now. If I remember rightly all El did with Zaf was shock her. Easily done.
*smiles at Silver*
-She struggles back to consciousness to see the vampire leering down at her. She lets out a small shriek of fear and wars her hand in front of Silente's face, making her slip into a coma-
Zanida: *runs at Silente and grabs her wrist, attempting to encase her in ice*
(...SERIOUSLY? I was going to HELP you!)
*her vision clouds and she falls to the ground*
(what has happened in the rp so far?
@vivanas, Don't slap ur self)
(Yes, I'm aware. I'm just saving me from another blow to the head because he would don't again.))
*and is apparently encased in ice just for good measure*
Zanida: Now that is awesome.
Wonderful! The vampire is out of comission. Well done, Silver.
Hello.
(I despise Loki so much right now. How long do you plan to keep me in a coma for?)
HI Dragona
-She flicks two fingers off her forehead in a mock salute-
Thanks... Anytime...
*looks around and frowns, not that anyone could see because of the helmet*
(I don't know. I might wake you up a bit earlier than half an hour? At most. If I fall asleep, then just wake up.)
Vampire ice sculpture.
Zanida: Deliver it to Viv?
Sure.
(Actually, a few minutes, Silente.)
(Okay then.)
(Hey Draggie)
*activates combat drone which melts the ice which has frozen Silente*
(
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JNvxb_VkGCc
)
(Ha. Hahaha. Very funny Loki and Zan. Hahahaha. NOT)
(CAN ANYONE ANSWER MY QUESTION?)
(Flick
Silver is under Loki's control.
Silente is in a coma.
That's pretty much it.)
(What question?)
(I think I'm going to try and see if sleep is ready for me. Goodnight, all.
Silente, wake up.))
(Thnx...where shall I come in?)
*draws shotgun* Loki, two on one are your kind of odds, right? Freezing a girl put into a coma already? How brave of you, bosh'tet.
*holds Zanida close to self and vanishes*
(Thank youp! Nah night.)
*blinks her eyes open*
Ugh. Yey. That's just swell. Someone who puts people in comas.
*gets up*
*slaps Loki and stalks off*
(Where ever ya want Flick)
(Im not sure where to fit in, so...)
*bursts into the room*
*yanks a phone out of her pocket as she stalks off*
*flips it open and clicks some buttons*
*holds it to her ear and waits*
*still walking*
Wait up, Silente!
*activates computer and listens in on the phone call*
*walks over to Silente*
Zanida: Why did you take us elsewhere?
I had to, I know you well enough.
*doesn't wait up*
*phone is answered*
YOU! Okay you. How dare you call the deal off!
James: It didn't benefit me at all.
No! You can't just-
james: I can and I have.
Thats not fair!
James: aw. does sil not like being hunted.
Jame-
James: or is scared she'll enjoy what she gets?
James! You know that's not what this is!
*approaches Silente*
... Why did you make a deal with that bosh'tet?
*pulls out his own phone*
*speed dials someone*
Yep
*hangs up*
What the... Silente?
James: No. It's because you want to protect your friends
You said you won't hurt them
James: and I called the deal off
You don't want them James
James: No. I want yo. And iI will get you. Even if that means going through your friends.
James you wont hurt them.
James: thats what you think.
DON'T hurt them
James: Give yourself up.
*uses the mobile phone signal to hack into James' phone and sends him spam messages by the thousands*
*reaches over and takes Silente's free hand*
I'm not afraid.
Silente...HANG UP ON THAT STUPID POTATO NOW!
*makes a shush movement at everyone*
What?
James: give yourself up and i'll spare your friends.
You won't go after them!
James: oh but I will
No. You won't.
James: give yourself up and I won't.
I'm not giving myself up!
James: we'll see about that. You have one chance now to give in.
*hesitates*
(Draggie the Sims in the phones are untraceable.)
(That's fine - Leri wasn't after his location.)
*appaears near the vampire* You ought to listen to them.
James: must I remind you of what I've done before when you have denied this offer?
*grits her teeth*
James: I'm waiting Silente
*looks at the others*
James: I'll kill them. All of them. Unless you say yes.
*hesitates*
(Hi El :))
*remotely disconnects James' phone from the mobile network*
*points shotgun at Loki*
Be quiet, bosh'tet.
(hey El)
(Draggie seriously the phone are protected. It took Silente a lot of time to make them. You can't just disconnect them that easily)
*starts humming along to chase the morning *
(Silente - they're mobile phones. They're connected to a network. Anything with a network you can hack. Anything you can hack you can disconnect. Especially with the technology Leri has. It'd be like downloading music illegally from the internet for her.)
James: Silente. I don't have all day.
*licks her lips, eyes flitting from face to face*
I'll talk about this later James. Give me time.
James: Hang up and history will repeat itself.
(Fine Draggie. But let me put when it disconnects. I can do it at a good point..)
Shoot me, I dare you.
Zanida: LOKI LAUFEYSON!!! FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME, CAN YOU NOT VANISH WHEN I GO TO CLEAN THE BLOOD OUT OF MY HAIR?!
No, Viv is waiting to hear why he was dragged away.
Sure. And by the way, before you think of using your glowstick on me, it won't do a thing. My suit will simply absorb the energy and increase my shield strength in the process.
*fires shotgun at Loki - it ionises the air and fires a beam of electrical energy*
Yep.
*smiles*
James: answer. Now.
My answer is-
-BEEP-
*looks at the phone as it disconnects*
Oh.
*it hits and Loki's image disappears and appears several feet away* Will you ever not fall for that?
Because, I don't need to look for him anymore. He'll come to me.
*Runs to find a bathroom nearby*
*gets lost, don't know where I am*
*fires a high explosive plasma round at Loki*
*turns to Silente*
What would your answer have been?
*looks at Leri*
*is about to speak but then stops*
Whatever was right to say. Doesn't matter now. It's too late.
I'm glad I disconnected the call. I didn't want you saying anything you would regret.
Unfortunately for James, his phone is full of advertising text messages and he can no longer receive a signal.
I like it here. So many networks.
Of course...maybe. It'll be fun.
*points Inky in the right direction*
*smiles sadly*
I never regret a good decision.
*frowns*
Where'd Viv go.
Thnx *runs for the bathroom*
I don't know...
Do you think James has any other devices I could hack into?
James has lots of devices.
James: *steps from the shadows near Viv and El*
Goodbye.
*lowers the death bubble that had been surrounding them both, taking with it their life forces*
What kind of devices? I need to know so I can search for it.
*steps out of bathroom, goes to others*
(OW OW OW OW OW OW OW ANGRY SILENTE IN MY HEAD! SHOOT! JAMES FIX IT NOW)
(I think the clue's in the name... a bubble of death.)
(@El like in DB. At the ball.)
(Death Bringer)
(James: Yes Elleni. Both you and Viv. I have been merciful to Silente. Well now I say no more.)
(So... wait. James just like instantly killed both Viv and Elleni?)
Silente, what kind of devices does James have?
James: *smiles at the bodies*
Fear not. I have use of you yet.
*collects both bodies and teleports away just as Silente reaches them*
NOOOO!
*runs to the spot where she last saw James*
NOOOOOOOOOO!
*sinks to her knees*
No.
*starea wide eyed*
(Silente - I'm sorry but that's just stupid. You can't just instantly kill people's characters.)
Oh my...
*kneels next to Silente*
(Don't worry. After words with James we have reached a deal of sorts.)
(It doesn't matter, Silente. You can't go around killing other people's characters, even if a deal might bring them back. You just can't.)
(Food brb.)
(I swear I wouldn't just kill them! I'm not that type of person! James is but I'm not! Just wait!)
(Actually James much prefers his new plan.)
James: *ties both the bodies to surgical beds*
*puts needles pumping black fluid into their veins*
*smiles at the pure white vials next to him*
*stares numbly*
El.....Viv.....
Did he just kill two Midgardians at once? I like this guy.
Better you lot then myself or Zanida.
Zanida: I'm not sure James would want two gods.
He won't, he's a cowardly Midgardian.
What if the two Asgardians wish to help kill you, you may want to factor that into the plan.
(You would do)
James: *tinkers slightly with the machines also attached to each body*
*decides to focus on El*
*sorts out all the vials, speeding up the process*
*doesn't hear Loki's words*
*stares blankly straight ahead*
*grabs Silente* Do you want your little friends back or not? Two gods against a Midgardian who has an ego, I believe Zanida and I can take him.
Zanida: Loki I thought-
Silence!
Ill help take down James! I have a score to settle
*snarls and slaps Loki in a blind rage stumbling backwards wide eyed*
*watches Elleni for signs of awakening*
Hit me, and I kill your pathetic friends. For once I am on the side of the angels.
(yes El)
(Soz got an email. Look at the competition section on the website)
S-sorry Loki..
-------------------------
James: *smiles at Elleni*
Hello.
(brb gotta play pool with bro)
(Back.)
James: Sit up.
*looks at the machines*
*not finished yet*
(wb Draggie)
(oh. Idk then El...)
James: *smiles*
*stabs a knife into her arm and pulls it out*
*watches to see it heal*
How do you feel?
Im back
OMG IVE GOTTA DRAW A MASK NOW!!!
((That's my question. I'm gonna Tweet Derek-Zaf
(Idk. That's up to you.)
(If there is one thing wrong with RPing on this blog, it's the people who RP as gods and have strong powers which are definite hits. Allowing someone no chance is just ridiculous. It isn't fair. It defeats the object of a role play. How are you supposed to make a story with other people when you're telling their characters they can do nothing to prevent it?)
((I sent Derek a tweet, we'll see what he says, shall keep you guys posted.-Zaf
James: *nods*
What's your name.
*hacks into James' devices*
*creates a mutating, intelligent virus and uploads it to his equipment, which begin to delete all his files*
(Draggie I've talked to El and she says its fine. I'll talk to Viv as well. Calm down.)
I never actually force people to agree to be under my control, people can dodge the sceptre, look at Alastair. People can easily dodge my attacks, though portraying a god, in all technicality, Zanida and I would be considered gods, so that's not Zafira's fault.
James: Elleni Jazz...
*rolls the name around in his mouth*
*nods*
Discipline?
(Silente - you should have asked them BEFORE you killed their characters. What if they weren't fine with it? What James did to them is stupid. You just killed their characters. You allowed them no chance to do ANYTHING to prevent their deaths. It's just ridiculous.)
*grabs hold of Zanida and vanishes, appearing behind James* Loki Laufeyson, discipline- mischief.
Zanida: Zanida Laufeydottir, discipline: Fire and ice.
*sends a dagger at James's neck*
*Left-diagonal-up-down-straight one-backwards-forward-curvy-circular-multiple direction-invisivble directions-non-existent directionsfully to Adra, Iggy. :P
(Well sorry Dragona. El is fine with it as you can see. I made a mistake. I get it. Get off my back.)
James: Are you a good Elemental or no. On a scale of Skulduggery to.... A frog.
(Hey Star! How are you?)
James: Elleni protect me!
*dodges the dagger*
Zanida: *makes an ice dagger form in her hand, and her entire body turns blue and her eyes red* Did I mention I'm a Frost Giant? No? Well I am. *moves close to James, sending the ice shard at his heart*
(Silente - you said that his phone was untraceable. What about his other devices?)
(James: I should hope so Elleni. This is meant to cause problems)
Zanida: What...? *can't get near James*
How pathetic, you hide behind an innocent girl, James.
(His other devices have firewalls and all that other protective malarci but COULD be traced if you managed to het through the magic and mortal protections.)
((Ravel is probably like if the scale is 1-10, 10 being Skul, he's about a 9.-Zaf
James: It is better than death.
Elleni protect the boys as well. But i'm your main priority. You two will both heal quicker than me.
*begins hacking*
*easily bypasses all the firewalls, but then reaches a magical protection*
*begins to create a simple virtual intelligence, which doesn't take long considering the codes have already been saved on her computer*
*the VI bypasses the magical firewalls*
*traces James' location and heads that way*
(Boy. He means Viv's body.)
(Washing up brb.)
Zanida: *makes a ring of fire around Viv* Do not touch him
((The fire won't burn anything unless Zan wills it, if anyone but Zan or Loki touch or step through it, they burn.-Zaf))
James: Very good Elleni.
*walks up to Loki and Zanida*
Flies on a windscreen.
*looks at Elleni, furious* Zan, she's going to pay.
Zanida: Uh, yeah when we're no longer on a wall.
James: and now you understand what im doing, Loki. Your pride was hurt and now you want the girl to pay.
*smiles at him*
James: Don't kill them Elleni. I do not wish to see them dead.
*looks at Zanida*
Well. Maybe her. Silente seems to like her.
*smiles at Loki*
Would you like to see that? Your sister slowly crushed against a wall?
(Idk. Thats what I'm wondering. I'm thinking of what Silente might wear....so probably one covering the eyes and going down the nose.)
You could at least keep us alive.
Zanida: Don't kill us, James. Alastair nearly killed me once, and Thor came down and it wasn't pretty.
*is quiet now, realizing that he's probably going to end up dead*
Zanida: *lets out a scream*
Leave my sister alone. *points the sceptre at James, firing it* ((Put it this way, if it hits you, in The Avengers I fired it at a car and the car flipped over three times, and I shot down a helicopter with it.))
James: You do have a point Zanida. I would rather not fave your husband's wrath. Elleni. Pause for a moment.
*smiles at Loki*
Why so quiet?
*dives to the side to avoid the scepters fire*
*sends his own wave of air to knock it from Loki's hand*
((Well Zaf wouldn't wear a mask...But if I have to create one I'm makig it something a Necromancer would wear. Technically Zaf would have been invited because of her status of Grand Mage, I would love to attend in character maybe via Skype. If only....-Zaf
*keeps a tight grip on it, and fires again* I'm a god, Midgardian. A little air will not rip a sceptre from me.
James: *dives again*
Elleni! Disarm Loki!
((I would so do it if Derek would let me, I have the perfect reasons: I'm Grand Mage, I'd have been invited either way! I love talking in character as Zaf irl, it'd be so cool to see people who read the books and all! I should drop to my hands and knees and kneel before Derek begging to do that in character of Zaf.-Zaf
Uh. So many comments . . . D:
Took like an hour. -_-
Wbd. Homework.
(Back.)
*steps up behind Loki and breaks his arm*
*turns to James*
(WB Dragona. And Viv.)
James: Boy. What's your name.
I wish I could enter... Designing masks has always been on of my strong suits.
I mean, I have a really cool bought mask as well, but...
That's how the nickname "glitter ninja" actually got started. Because I did really cool glittery eyes on my mask for a dance recital.
...
Which was stolen before I could perform with it. If I ever find out who took it, they die painfully.
But yeah, it was a awesome mask, and I love making masks and just yeah.
Who, me?
*steps closer to James*
(Aww! You could design one anyway Fabio....put us all to shame!)
*reaches where James is*
*looks around*
Oh...
James: Yes. You. The one who Silente believe she is in love with.
(She's staring blankly in shock. Still in the clearing.)
I'm Vivanus Keen. Basically Iron Man's worst nightmare.
*steps right up into James' face*
Also, I really want to kill you.
*draws shotgun and aims at James*
(I get it from Loki)
James: Step back Vivanus.
Elleni. Come.
I don't think I will.
*a spike shoots from his suit stabbing James in the chest*
Chest bump?
*drops the sceptre* God damn it!!!
James: *uses the air to block the attack*
How are you disobeying?
Elleni, here now.
(Yes, Leri is an alien.)
(What??)
*activates combat drone which flickers into existence*
James: Elleni get ready. As soon as you see Silente Tempest you are to kill her. You will not stop until she is dead. Understood?
((Can Zanida and I move or no?-Loki))
(@El speaking here as the author not as Silente....she's probably going to run straight at you to hug you.)
*prepares to fire a high explosive plasma round at Elleni*
Elleni, don't. You don't kill her.
*quickly connects to a mobile phone network with her computer and sends Silente a message about how Elleni and Viv are under James' control*
*combat drone begins to fire missiles at Elleni*
*the drone ionises the air and electricity arcs towards Elleni*
*receives the text*
*blinks*
*reads*
what...they're dead....
*gets up*
James: You are to give it your all. Take her out. I want her dead Elleni.
*lays a hand on Elleni's shoulder*
*closes his eyes and concentrates*
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