Author Topic: Writers round table  (Read 42574 times)

Offline Kristine

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 8075
  • You can have your own truth, not your own facts
    • View Profile
Re: Writers round table
« Reply #105 on: April 18, 2008, 10:00:23 PM »
(if I'm wrong on car type--let me know!)  - Frances did have a Camaro when he first got the Wildfire but he wrecked it and the magic saved his life - Nothing says he couldn't have a sentimental attachment to that year of car and bought another one though  ;D
Trouble was--it wasn't quite fast enough.

The first bullet smashed through the back windshield and imbedded itself in the dashboard inbetween the radio and the air vents.  As if that would not have been bad enough a blue spark flashed from the hole it made as if it had struck something electrical but, through the wildflower, I felt the conection to the magic of my native homeworld.  Who ever had made the bullets must have been fairly powerful because I could sense the difficulty of pulling the magic from this very non-magic world.  The magic reacted sluggishly at first like something pulling against suction but once it came loose some very large nasty looking hairy legged bugs poured from the where the slug was spinning some kind of magic.

Frances wretched the car to one side of the street slamming on the breaks as we heard 3 more bullets pierce the metal of the car's body.  I was trying to become one with my seat back through sheer osmosis, pushing with my legs, away from the insects.  As disoriented, disturbed and reactionary as I was, the wildflower threw information up to my reeling brain.

The insects were normal, earth bugs, but the slugs were creating some kind of spacial anomoly that punched a hole into thier nest far away.  I was no entomologist but i was willing to bet that they were not harmless or friendly (not that I would know a freindly bug from an angry bug).  I also could feel that the magic the wildflower would have to draw from, was slow and difficult to manipulate so we would have half the nest in the car before I could pull any new magic into the situation.

Frances yelped and slapped at the couple of insects that had made it over onto his leg.  definitely not friendly.  I acted on instinct the same way I had pushed myself back into the seat, and reached out to the only magic I could get to - the bullet iteself.  I thought about plugging the hole with something but that would require me to pull energy to- that wasn't going to be possible in a pinch.

I had always gotten the creeps from bugs.  I wanted them gone so I moved the hole's other end to the only place I could think of that would take them back, away from me.  It wasn't exactly a well thought out manuver.

The bullet sized hole into the vacuum of deep space almost immediately sucked out all the bugs, then it drew in a stray gum wraper from off the floor and created a brisk breeze within the car as nature tried to fill the vacuum of deep space with the air inside the Camero.
"When I was 5 years old my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when i grew up. I wrote down “Happy”. They told me i didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. "
-John Lennon-

Offline meg_evonne

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 5264
  • With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony
    • View Profile
Re: Writers round table
« Reply #106 on: April 18, 2008, 10:32:44 PM »
The Camaro had ended up on the curbing, near a light pole and a bunch of empty garbage cans.  Frances was swearing up a storm and bullets were still raining into the car.  Suddenly we heard gunshots from in front of us, only they sounded more like a cannon.  Instead of fum, fum, fums, they were whoom, whoom, whooms.  From behind the garbage cans came a slender, small figure with one hell of a handgun held police style--straight out with both arms locked against what had to be a monstrous kickback.  She blasted non-stop rounds and calmly walked up to my side of the car, ignoring the intial shooter who shifted aim from our car to her, inadvertently punching holes in the garbage cans.

An SUV's brakes squelled and stopped next to us.  Frances and I both ducked, thinking the bad guys had backup, but it proved to be the sex goddess Sarah Carrolton.  She visually confirmed we were not injured, pulled a lever on her dashboard and holy hell fired out the back of her car towards the shooters.  It sounded like a nuclear blast when it hit.  "Eat that James Bond," we heard her yell. 

The car door opened on my side and the fearless gunwoman slipped in beside me, pushing me over, with a "Hi ya, Joey Gardner. How ya doing?"  She turned around and fired a couple more rounds at the smoke pile of a vehicle behind us that must have housed the shooters. 

Frances gave a thumbs up to Carrolton, backed his car with blinding speed, shifted gears and tore off heading away from the nuk cloud.  Carrolton taking point.

I had turned around in my seat to check out the nuclear cloud.  As it got smaller in the rear view window, I twisted back around.  I grabbed the woman beside me in a bear hug.  "It's good to see you, Debbie.  They call me Joey Capp now.  I have a Interpol ID card and everything."

She smiled back.  "That's cool."

« Last Edit: April 19, 2008, 10:47:59 PM by meg_evonne »
"Calypso was offerin' Odysseus immortality, darlin'. Penelope offered him endurin' love. I myself just wanted some company." John Henry (Doc) Holliday from "Doc" by Mary Dorla Russell
Photo from Avatar.com by the Domestic Goddess

Offline Qualapec

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 230
    • View Profile
Re: Writers round table
« Reply #107 on: April 19, 2008, 07:08:10 PM »
Quote
"It's good to see you, Debbie.  They call me Joey Capp now.  I have a Interpol ID card and everything."

She smiled back.  "That's cool."

I was both happy and grateful to see her. Grateful, obviously, because she'd just saved my very pasty ass, and happy because...well...

Seeing her made me realize how alone I'd felt kind since I'd returned to my world. Frances had a connection to the Wildflower, true, so there was a bit of kinship there. But I hadn't been in as many terrifying situations with him as I had with Debbie. Nor were we friends beforehand. And she wasn't like Carrolton, who gave me looks like I belonged in the loony bin. Debbie knew all about it, she knew the ins and outs of the worlds surrounding us.

More importantly, I knew for an absolute fact I could trust her. There was always that doubt with other people, but Debbie had proven to me that for a thief she was rather honest.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, with a little more adrenaline driven anger than he'd intended to. "I mean," He added quickly, "Not that I'm complaining, we would have been bug food if you hadn't showed up..."

She shrugged, "I was in the neighborhood..." She cast a suspicious look to Frances.

"You can talk in front of him, he's cued in," I felt so cool for saying it, I don't know why. Something about it gave me a sense that I knew what I was doing (which I'll remind you, I never do, it's my natural state). "He was the wild-bound before me."

An inexplicable emotion crossed Debbie's face as she looked from me, to Frances, back to me again.

At the moment, I wrote it off as suprise.

I was in the process of formulating an explaination of the last 24 hours, when suddenly something slammed into the side of the car hard enough to send us into the opposing lane. The suddenness and loudness of the impact shocked me first. They're always louder than you expect them to be. The second thing that shocked me was the fact that a semi-truck was barreling towards us.

"Shit!" Frances yelled before quickly swerving again into the lane we'd originated in, barely avoiding a collision that would have squished our car like a can crusher. I gathered my wits and struggled to see the thing that had hit us.

When I finally did catch a glimpse of it, I wished I hadn't.

It was almost cartoonish in shape. With humorously large appendages and paws. It's face was that of a fearsome, yet humorous gargoyle, the spiraling rams horns coming off of the top of it's head also seemed over dramatized, and the dramatic wings looked heavier than the body itself. Its skin seemed to be made of molten rock. It was amazing that it managed to maintain flight. It had to be using magic, which was impressive seeing as how difficult it was to call magic on this plane of existence. Which meant that it was either very enterprising and clever or...

...or it had a surplus of spiritual energy that could be used to keep it aflight.

Oh crap...

It flew above the car, and landed on the top, crasping at the insides of the windows with it's massive claws. "Frances!" I yelled, I needed him to park the car so I could fight this thing. I didn't trust my skills to fight something of that kind of power in such cramped quarters, with two other people there. I grabbed the Wildflower, expecting it to lend us just a teency bit help, even if this world wasn't its natural state.

Still, it needed to detach itself from the car before we could park. I frantically grabbed at the lightsabre in the shoulder holster, in a brilliant flare of light and power it became the sword it had been in Wildfire. It was still glowing with transformation as I thrust it through the roof of the car up to the hilt, as quickly as I could.

It couldn't have been a worse plan, the thing must have dodged, twisting it's body in another direction to avoid the blade. The center of gravity in the moving car shifted and to keep from tipping over we jerked to the left. Right into a telephone pole. The sudden stopping sensation sent me flying forewards into the car seat in front of me. I banged my head hard enough for a sharp snap to come from my nose, followed by pain and a gush of blood. Frances' airbag kicked in when we impacted, so I didn't know how hurt he was. Debbie had used some of her magic at the last second, and had somehow slowed or prevented her impact into the drivers seat.

Worse than the telephone pole. The Thing was  now on all fours, and paused at the back of our car. In it's hand a ball of firey energy was developing.

I sensed the power gathering, and found myself cursing loudly. There was enough energy in that little ball of fire to blow us halfway over the goddamn moon.

It released the ball of fire before there was anything I could do to stop it. I braced myself for the impact, flowing energy into the Wildflower in the hope that it would help us survive.

The explosion came in a rush of scarlet and fire, and dust, lots of dust. All around us the cars windows burned with crimson energy, while fire gushed behind them. Maintaining the momentum of an incredibly violent explosion.

Very interesting, I'd never been on the inside of an explosion before. More importantly it was very interesting how, while all of this was happening, we were not being blown halfway over the goddamn moon. The momentum from the explosion died down, but enough dust had been kicked up that the crimson still surrounding us was coated with it, obscuring us from the world beyond.

I smiled, a shield. A shield had come up at the last moment and saved us. The shield dropped seconds after I realized it for what it was. The dust that settled on it was tossed up again, and I barely registered a figure leaping down from the roof of the Camero to the ground. But after a few seconds I could see him clearly through the broken rear window.

He looked only a couple years older than me, with feathery blond hair and a fedora. A young, shaven John Schneider cosplaying as Indiana Jones, with a beautiful Chinese sword in one hand, reworked since I'd last seen him.

"Great balls of fire," He said with a Cheshire cat smile I knew all to well. "Sorry I'm late, Mr. Gardner."

Offline meg_evonne

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 5264
  • With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony
    • View Profile
Re: Writers round table
« Reply #108 on: April 19, 2008, 10:32:53 PM »
I kicked open the Camero's door that had crumpled in the accident and leaped out, Wildfire flaming lights outwards.  Debbie instantly was beside me, her cannon handgun reloaded and ready.

"Good to see you, friend.  I see Humbert got your hand back on again.  As good as new I hope?"  I asked and took three long steps and I was on his right, the Wildflower free in my right hand.  Debbie closed in on his left, her cannon once more extended and ready.  "

Andre snarked back, "You cut my fucking hand off, Joey.  Don't think I've forgiven you."

Molten Rock Beast was on its four legs, wings furled tight to its body,in some sort of ground attack mode.  It's upper body tipped upwards from it's broad base and two arms flickered weak green energy.   Somehow Andre had interferred with the beast's ability to form fireballs.  On the other hand, the flickering seemed to be lengthening, strengthening.  I figured it would be back up to maximum power soon enough to do us damage.

Carrolton and Frances joined the party.  Carrolton was sporting a similar cannon gun to Debbie's.  Frances had pulled out a sword from somewhere, maybe from under the dashboard of his Camero.  The airbag and the seatbelts must have caused some damage and had to hurt like hell, given his fierce expression of concentration and his difficulty breathing.  'Wait airbags in a old, but restorable Camero?'  Obviously Frances' restoration job must have begun with some practical features before he moved to the outside.  Then again---if he fixed the outside up, it would probably just get 'beercanned'* by some supernatural power again  Frances grimaced as he raised his sword.  'Damn, he's probably broken a rib or two.'   I'm going to have to remember that he's only a knowledgable human and no real magic.'

We fanned out, Andre at point, Debbie and I next.  Frances slippped into place behind Debbie and Carrolton stepped behind me.  Carrolton's attitude towards me was night and day from the crime scene.  She eyed me and the lighted Wildflower as if we were starter plates.  'God, the woman was a sexual barracuda.'   I'd deal with that later.  Right now, I had a Molten Rock Beast to handle. 

We stepped out as one.
 
(click to show/hide)


Edited: Yeah, my system has developed it's own shortcut and keeps posting for me with a click before I'm ready.  Frustrating....
If this isn't Andre, let me know so I can make adjustments...


« Last Edit: April 19, 2008, 11:04:13 PM by meg_evonne »
"Calypso was offerin' Odysseus immortality, darlin'. Penelope offered him endurin' love. I myself just wanted some company." John Henry (Doc) Holliday from "Doc" by Mary Dorla Russell
Photo from Avatar.com by the Domestic Goddess

Offline Anduriel

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 120
    • View Profile
Re: Writers round table
« Reply #109 on: April 20, 2008, 12:24:59 AM »
Quote
We stepped out as one.

Joey

This would have looked much cooler if Rocky Bal-lava hadn’t flown back into the air, leaving us stranded. Hitting a moving target is hard. Trying to hit a moving target that can fly, whilst you have no projectiles, is just a joke.

“Uh, anybody know what that is?”

“Garathmor.” Was Andre’s reply; as if that should explain everything.

It didn’t.

“A freaking lava demon!?!” Debbie exclaimed as she explained “But only He has access to those…”

“Oh.” Master of linguistics; that’s me.

By this time, the demon was high in the air, and it looked as though another fireball was in the making. Andre cursed loudly.

“I can’t sling spells and protect us at the same time, not enough magic here. Debyone, are you strong?”

“I’ve got enough energy, but… you know I suck at target practice. Plus it’s a demon, aren’t they impervious to magics?”

At that moment Carrolton broke formation and went to the trunk of her SUV.

“I think I may be able to help there.”

When she returned, she was packing an honest to god rocket launcher. I swear.

                                                                ***

Meanwhile

Reza

                              Somewhere on Wildfire

Explanations.

There comes a time in every person’s life, when an explanation is demanded of them; a detailed reasoning as to the results of a certain set of events. It was my turn to make such an explanation. Which is why after Debyone and Andreska departed, I was summoned here; to mount T’orth Kuru.

T’orth Kuru is a grand mountain set deep in the valleys of Londorn. Deep set into this mountain is a maze of catacombs and at the end of one tunnel is a chamber. Now this chamber has seen many a purpose over the eons, first and foremost a door to an inter-dimensional gateway.

There also comes a time in one’s life when you must choose a side, choose your allegiance in the battles to come. There are more forces vying for the worlds than just the emperor. I have chosen my side. And now I must pay my dues.

She was already here before I arrived at the mountain. She had been waiting for me, though I could not see Her.

A chilling voice rang throughout the cavern. Feminine, a voice one could feel as much as hear, it was as sweet as it was foreboding.

“You know why you have been summoned here, child of Wildfire?”

“I do.”

“Then let us begin.”

I had told Mr Gardner that either way, whatever the outcome; I would win.

I had lied.

Offline meg_evonne

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 5264
  • With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony
    • View Profile
Re: Writers round table
« Reply #110 on: April 22, 2008, 06:35:44 PM »
Anduriel said they wouldn't post more of Reza until we got more of the fight going...more please?

"When she returned, she was packing an honest to god rocket launcher. I swear."  Anduriel Joey thread.

The Molten Beast overhead was huge, as in block out the sun huge.  With slow intentness, it formed a glowing green bowling ball of energy.  In our formation we made a good impression of bowling pins.  As Carrolton raced to her car, Debbie called up her air power and lofted skywards, hands extended overhead with her cannon weapon.  I heard the whoom sounds again.  Debbie shot up under the Beast's front legs, twisting in her ascent as she reappeared under the things chest and pumped cannon rounds into the area beneath the Beast's exposed throat near its head. 

The Beast roared and the energy ball fell from its front paws to the ground nearby.  We ducked bits of flying ashpalt made by it's new crator.  Debbie, soared on past the head of the Beast, barely escaping it's snapping jaws.  That's when Carrollton, on one knee beside me, let loose with the rocket launcher's payload.  Rounds blasted through the Beast's chest.  It roared one last time and fell dead to the ground with an earth shaking thud.  Andre, who had been directly underneath it, leaped for safety and used an energy shield to shove it's head back away from us and the car.  Debbie lowered back to the ground.  Then we stood staring at the dead Beast. 

There was a loud chain reaction of brakes and horn honking as cars that had been behind us slowed to a halt or continued on past us with gawking heads turned to the Beast.  As luck would have it a news van pulled up near the Beast's tail.  A short red haired camera woman leaped out with her camera rolling.  Andre ducked his head down, hiding his face from the camera, and Debbie turned away just as quickly hurrying back to Frances' car. 

I was left looking like a deer caught in the headlights of the new media circus.  Carrolton rushed up to me, handed me the rocket launcer.  "Put it back in the back of the SUV.  I'll handle the camera crew."  She pulled out her ID, different from the one I'd seen her flash at the crime scene, and I heard her say she was with NSA from the US.  Frances joined her with his ID from Interpol. 

I put the rocket launcher back in the SUV.  Several of the gawking drivers pulled out their cellphone cameras and started snapping photos.  I looked down at Wildflower, it was back to Star Wars mode.  "Great."  I mumbled as I headed over to Debbie who opened the car door and made room for me inside.  I don't know where Andre went, but he was gone, vanished, whatever he can do.  "I can see the promos now, 'Star Wars fan wipes out pre-historic flying dinosaur.  News at 6.'   I want a hat like Andre's to hide behind." 

I hoped the Beast would fade into nothingness, but it just lay there, dead. Evidence for anyone that things existed that weren't supposed to be there.  "Geez, flying dragon attacks vehicles on local street."

Debbie didn't look pleased as she concurred.  "This one isn't going to be swept under the carpet.  Magic has been found--alive and well on Earth.  What do you think will happen now, Joey?" 

I shook my head and tried to imagine what I would have thought if someone started showing pictures of flying dragons on the news.  "Debbie, I don't have the slightest idea."



« Last Edit: April 22, 2008, 06:37:20 PM by meg_evonne »
"Calypso was offerin' Odysseus immortality, darlin'. Penelope offered him endurin' love. I myself just wanted some company." John Henry (Doc) Holliday from "Doc" by Mary Dorla Russell
Photo from Avatar.com by the Domestic Goddess

Offline Qualapec

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 230
    • View Profile
Re: Writers round table
« Reply #111 on: July 30, 2008, 02:18:23 AM »
Quote
Debbie didn't look pleased as she concurred.  "This one isn't going to be swept under the carpet.  Magic has been found--alive and well on Earth.  What do you think will happen now, Joey?" 

I shook my head and tried to imagine what I would have thought if someone started showing pictures of flying dragons on the news.  "Debbie, I don't have the slightest idea."

There wasn't much we could do. We were surrounded by a force far scarrier than the armed guards of Wildfire or wizard-turned-spider-monsters of the Emperor: the American media. All around me there large, black machines that could only be cameras. They obscured the faces of the cameramen, making them seem like strange alien probes instead of people.

Though...if the cameras were the alien probes...the men and women in sleek business suits and slick hair were the alien ambassadors hassleing you in some bizzare greeting custom in a language unlike anything you've ever heard.

Andre...was visably suffering. Even though the majority of his face was obscured by his hat, I could see the hard clench to his jaw. He was a carreer thief; staying to the shadows had kept him alive for centuries. His proffession was the very definition of 'low-key'. It had to be killing him to have all of that attention on him.

Debbie was doing considerably better, much to my suprise. As we forced our way through the crowed of reporters she was right beside me the entire way. Occasionally her spitfire nature shown through, and she would shove her hand in the face of a camera that got too close. Once she even pushed hard enough to send the cameraman sprawling back into a collection of his fellows.

Frances was still suffering from head trauma. He stumbled through the crowd following Andre. I'm not even sure he still knew what was going on.

Carrolton handled it like a pro. Giving orders and the most beaurocratic bull I had ever heard about an escaped mutant, one in a trillion thing, it would never happen again, nothing to worry about folks, blah, blah, blah.

My senses returned to me again about the time I crawled into the big SUV Carrolton had called for us. Normally I dislike those ridicules, huge cars, but in this particular case I was happy to crawl into the behemoth with tinted windows. We all crawled in, everything got quiet as the doors closed and the driver went about trying to drive though the crowed of people that had gathered.

Debbie was the first to break the silence, "...Well, I think we can all join hands in a collective 'oh shit'."

I glanced back and Andre, "Didn't you teach her better than to use language like that."

"I used your modern parenting methods of self-reliance," He quipped back. "But Mr. Gardner, you are a walking 'oh shit' you know that?"

I glanced back at Debbie, whispering, even though I had to lean across Andre to get to her, "Why is he calling me 'Mr. Gardner'? I think I recal saving his ass?"

Debbie leaned over too, so we met halfway across Andre, she whispered too, "He's still angry about the hand."

Jeez...you miss the power limiting bangle just once and you're marked for life. "He grew it back."

Andre, finally seeming to get fed up with my very adult and not in the least bit juevanile behavior, grabbed me by the hair and pulled me back, "You're breath smells like rotten eggs."

"You little-" I began, before realizing the other adults in the car were staring at me.

Carrolton 'ahemed' from her seat opposite us, and turned her attention to Andre. "So, do you mind telling me what that thing was?"

Andre leaned back in his chair, "It was a low-level demon." He leaned foreward for effect. "And notice how I say, 'low level'. As in, if you think that's bad, wait till you see what's coming." He eyed the crowd around the SUV, "Although. You'll excuse me if I don't feel inclined to talk under such pathetically insecure conditions?"

Carrolton smiled a business woman's smile, "Naturally-Driver, take us to Mr. Clapp's apartment."

"It's Capp." I insisted childishly. Somehow I felt that between Andre acting like a snot, and Carrolton acting like a snob, that this was going to be a very long night

Offline Kristine

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 8075
  • You can have your own truth, not your own facts
    • View Profile
Re: Writers round table
« Reply #112 on: July 31, 2008, 01:56:58 PM »
Carrolton smiled a business woman's smile, "Naturally-Driver, take us to Mr. Clapp's apartment."

"It's Capp." I insisted childishly. Somehow I felt that between Andre acting like a snot, and Carrolton acting like a snob, that this was going to be a very long night.

I wasn't disappointed either, but not for the reasons I thought it would seem long.

When we all got to my apartment we took turns cleaning up in the single bath.  Finding, once again, no food - I started to order pizza, then made the mistake of asking other people what they wanted.  Debbie wanted vegie, I wanted pepperoni, Frances was hoping for a supreme and Sarah wanted meat lovers.

We ordered Chinese.

When the doorbell rang, I immediately assumed that the delivery guy forgot something, but when I opened the door I found a shortish heavy woman with wavy brown hair who seems to expand to someone twice her girth below the waist.

"Hi" she said pleasantly when I opened the door, "I'm Amy, you must be the new flower power"

I looked back into the apartment for a minute in surprise.  The description seemed to be derogetory on it's face but the tone in which she said it made it, simply a statement of fact.

"I'm Joey...uh...Yeah.  And you must be..." I thought of several words to describe her and none of them were complimentary.

"I am one of the First on earth" she said pleasantly and motioned that she would like to be let into our gathering.  I shrugged and stepped aside to let her in.

"The First what?"I asked, trying to sound intelligent.

The rest of the gathering greeted her by name as if they knew her and I felt a little better about letting her in.

She gave a general 'Hello' and turned back to me.  "The first wizard of earth." she saw something on the table she liked and picked up a container and some chopsticks. " If Earth is no longer the furthest world from the center then magic is going to start cropping up all over.  I'm the first one that has shown the kind of power you see on other worlds in wizards, or shaman or whatever you want to call them."

"When I was 5 years old my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when i grew up. I wrote down “Happy”. They told me i didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. "
-John Lennon-

Offline Qualapec

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 230
    • View Profile
Re: Writers round table
« Reply #113 on: July 31, 2008, 09:39:38 PM »
Quote
She gave a general 'Hello' and turned back to me.  "The first wizard of earth." she saw something on the table she liked and picked up a container and some chopsticks. " If Earth is no longer the furthest world from the center then magic is going to start cropping up all over.  I'm the first one that has shown the kind of power you see on other worlds in wizards, or shaman or whatever you want to call them."

Andre and Debbie looked up, and exchanged glances as Amy greeted Frances and Carrolton. I was glad I wasn't the only one who still had no idea what the hell was going on. I was glad, that was, until Debbie stood up frantically and looked Amy up and down.

Amy just stood there, looking at Debbie like she had two heads. She glanced at Frances, "Is she human?"

"No," Debbie growled, "She's a wizard just like you. And no no no no no no NO!" Debbie met Amy's eyes, "You're a wizard." She whirled around to Andre, "She's a wizard! Earth's development shouldn't be that far...developed!"

Panic seemed to set in to all the people in the room who weren't savvey to what she was saying. Carrolton spoke first, "So, you're saying that earth is developing faster than it's supposed to? Is that bad?"

Debbie whirled on her, "You tell me. How will the masses of this planet respond when thousands of people suddenly have magical powers? How did they react in the middle ages when they THOUGHT thousands of people had magical powers? I've read X-Men, and I've read about the Inquisition. It. Will. End. Badly. You humans aren't nearly mature enough as a race to handle that kind of thing."

"I'll ignore the 'you humans' bit," Carrolton's eyes narrowed. "What do you suggest we DO about it? Our resources are already stretched to the max."

Debbie didn't like it when people she didn't like got that closer to her, "Just what is 'YOUR resources', hmm?"

Debbie had a point on that. Carrolton had told everybody she was there for an insurance company, but I think at this point we could all drop that little fantasy. But still...Gah. A catfight. I felt like banging my head against a wall. Debbie...had a temper, and I realise now why she was never afraid to get into a confrontation with random people in the street. She could twitch her nose and turn them into dust. Thankfully, it seems that one of Amy's talents was to nullify conflicts. I didn't even notice her mumbling a spell under the veil of her Chow Mein. A strange light enveloped Debbie and Carrolton. Debbie looked at her, with a smile that seemed fake, as if she was trying to be angry but couldn't. "You used an...emotional binding spell on me?"

Amy's eyes widened, "That's what it's called? Then, yes." She got a sort of far-off look on her face, "I don't like when people fight."

Andre looked curious. I was expecting some kind of a quip, but he spoke gently, "Isn't that ironic? An empath that specializes in canceling out sour emotions in people. You're very lucky Ms. Amy, most empaths go crazy." He sighed, "Although...I did wish you would be another combat wizard. Especially with what's to come."

I did not like the sound of that. A part of me knew that Andre and Debbie wouldn't have come to this world just to save my ass. Debbie might, but not Andre. Inside I suppose I had already known that the Situation Was Bad. Still, it sucked to have it confirmed by the dark tone in his voice. I sat down in front of him on the coffee table and met his shaded green eyes, "What's to come?"

He motioned to the large, old book he was holding. It looked like one of those spellbooks in those MMORPGs. But there was an eloquent script that I didn't recognize. It was all lines, like Sanscit, with thick and over exageratted lines and dots like medival Latin letters. He flipped through the book and everybody gathered around. "I had a hunch, so I did some research on the beastie we killed earlier."

"What 'we'?" Carrolton asked, she was ignored as Andre flipped to a page with what looked like a rought black and white painting of the Lava monster.

"Garathmor," Andre read allowed as his finger traced the name. "I remember hearing horror stories about them as a child. How, during the Age of Demons, they ran rampant on the world, feeding on magical energies to sustain their own lives. They served great Demon Overlords, who feared giving magical power to humans. They stamped it out wherever they could, when they weren't going to war against each other, that is."

"Age of Demons?" I asked, that sounded bad.

It was bad. Debbie explained, "The age in which demons ruled the innermost world, and by extention all worlds surrounding it."

Andre continued, "But after the Age of Demons, when powerful wizards began to rise against the Overlords, they lost most of their power. For ages we picked them off whenever we found them. Garathmor are relatively weak in comparison to the other things around, especially without their Overlords to protect them."

Carrolton was the first to catch on, "And it took a rocket launcher to kill ours..."

"One point to that lady. It was strong. I felt the strain against my shield when it attacked. I shouldn't feel the strain unless-"

I can be smart when I need to, I understood with a sudden moment of terror, "-Unless it had an Overlord to protect it."

Andre rubbed a hand through the side of his blond locks, not disrupting his hat, "Yes. But the problem is, the Overlords were destroyed thousands of years ago. They're EXTINCT. Which means one of three things is happening." He raised a hand, and numbered off the different scenarios, "In order of what would be best for us: Setting 1, the wizards missed an Overlord all those millenia ago. It's been in hiding, gathering power, and waiting for a weak world in its magical infancy to show up and crate a new Demonic Age on that world. Setting 2, the theory has been discussed that the reason Earth is suddenly excellerating in its development is that there is another world coming to life on the outside, forcing Earth in. If that world is...something else, another primordial soup of spiritual energies, another Center world, then the Demonic Age could simply be starting again and bleeding into this world. Setting 3, last but definatly worse, is that magic, demons, monsters, is all bleeding into Earth from beyond the other worlds, but also from time and space."

Debbie looked shocked, and I felt a sick feeling rise in my stomach as I asked, "Why is that last? It doesn't sound the worst..." I was trying to convince myself."

Andre continued, "That isn't supposed to happen. Some higher beings can travel through time, but for a creature from one time to bleed across the boundaries of another time...it's not supposed to happen. There are walls, FAILSAFES, set up to prevent that. If this is what's going on then that means something far more terrible than a new Demonic Age on Earth or Earth becoming the battleground for a clash of titans, it means the walls are breaking down."

"Well?" I said impatiently, even as the fearful bile rose in my stomach, "How do we stop it?"

Debbie reached out for my hand, "That's just it. We can't. If the walls of the universe are fading then...there's nothing we can do about it."

Everyone stayed quiet for a long time.

I was ready to fight demons, monsters, palace guards, emperors, floating clouds of gas. But if it was as bad as Andre was saying, this would be an enemy that I couldn't fight. It scared me, and I suddenly realized how, although the things I had fought up until that point scared the crap out of me, I would have given anything to have one of them. To have something I could trade blows with instead of just sit around waiting for the end of the world.

Then I considered Andre's other two, better options, both of which seemed pretty damned dismal.

Debbie was right, this called for a collective 'oh shit'.

Oh shit.

Offline Qualapec

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 230
    • View Profile
Re: Writers round table
« Reply #114 on: August 29, 2008, 08:45:21 PM »
Quote
Debbie was right, this called for a collective 'oh shit'.

Oh shit.

AN: I'm sorry to double-post, it's just been a while since anybody posted on this, and I kinda wanted to write something for these guys and hopefully get somthing going again! So, here goes! Continuing the "meanwhile, Reza" lines that Anduriel started.

Reza

Reza wrapped the furs tighter around herself as she decended into the cave. It seemed as if the temperature had dropped the second she entered...Usually magic generated some heat, even ice-centered spells resulted in a slight rise in temperature outside of the effected area.

Not here. Never here. The wraiths of the dead were not meant to be warm.

All around her, she felt them. They reached out cold, ghostly hands to touch her as if she were a holy savior decending into their hell. Occasionally one was corporeal enough for her to feel a corpse-hand run down her leg. But she was concerned with larger spectors. The closer she got to the bottom of the cave the more she felt it.

Raw power. Coming from a creature pratically made of nothing else. And Reza knew that She had put great spells in place to control the impact of her magic on visitors...and still Reza felt the pressure weighing down on her. What a magnificent being.

Eventually, she saw the faint glow of red firelight at the end of the tunnel. The darkness slowly became a bloody red glow, and the wraiths that had been following her crept backward. Warmpth was not meant for the dead, and neither was light. It was their curse, to be lacked all things of life except the memories of it.

The tunnel she entered was filled with rings of the red fire.  Calmly she stepped over each of them. 81 in total. She didn't worry about touching it, in a place like this, even the fire lacked warmpth.

She entered a great hallway. It must have one point been a part of some citadel or the center of an empire. Now it was buried by the millenia beneath the sand and rock, forgotten by all but a few.

The accursed few.

Reza was never a religious woman, but here...she felt like making the Sign Against Evil, even though she knew the creatures here were not evil. No matter how they came across, no matter how She came across...they were not evil. They were driven by the needs of the universe. Sometimes this resulted in the pain of lower beings. Reza knew this, and it was what kept her from making the Sign.

At the end of the great hall...Reza found Her. She sat on a throne of cold marble carved from the same piece of rock as the wall behind it. It was large, and carved with endless circles and incantations meant to keep Her power in check.

She was not so impressive herself. A girl who looked no more than her teens was not what Reza expected every time she decended to the Hall of Ancients. Her eyes and hair were black, her skin the same caramel color as Reza's. Her dress was black, and in the style of the Earth medieval, with sleeves dropping all the way to the floor.

"Child of Wildflower," when She spoke, Reza felt the urge to run. "You know why you have been summoned here?"

"I do," Reza answered.

"You did not try to run?"

"Why run when there is nowhere to hide?"

She seemed pleased with Reza's answer. At least as pleased as she could be. "And I take it that you understand the consequences of your actions."

"Of course."

She rose from her seat, "The Universe is in chaos. I feel it. The turmoil and pain wrapping around all things like a dark blanket." She rose from her seat. "I will give you one chance to explain yourself, Child of Wildfire, before I cast judgment."

"I did not throw all things into chaos for personal power if that's what you're implying. I know better than that." Reza sighed, "Things needed to change. The Emperor was not fit to rule. He needed to be forced from power. The resulting turmoil was not my intention. I had thought that the Essence of the Emperor would pass to his son the moment he was gone, thereby keeping universal balance."

The woman on the throne nodded, listening carefully, "I understand. I truly do. But the Emperor is an important part of the Balance maintained between worlds. You gambled, and it may result in the end of all things. Whatever you're intentions, I cannot let a single being get away with taking such risks."

Reza nodded, bowing her head. She had known this would come from the beginning. It was the cost of her dream. "I accept my punishment, Your Majesty."

Slowly rising and descending from the throne. The carvings glowed with the same red fire-light Reza had seen in the hallway leading to the Great Hall. As She walked down the steps, each lighting up with the same powerful carvings.

All the while, Reza felt as if the pressure behind her eyes would force it's way out through her forehead. Standing so close to Her made Reza's skin burn and her lungs gasp for air. It forced her to her knees.

"I, Queen Among the Dead and Living sentence you, Reza of Wildfire, to the Land of Wraiths. There you shall remain for all eternity. Your torment shall be to watch the lines of the suffering dead grow, all because of your actions." She raised a hand and Reza forced her eyes shut.

The magic slammed into her with the force of a runaway golem. Picking her up by the chest and hurling her across the length of the Great Hall. She contacted the marble, seperating her shoulder joints. She slid along the marble as the magic pulled her closer to her end. Inside, she felt her body become numb, touch, sight, taste, hearing all faded into a muffled darkness. She screamed, a single, wordless cry of failure. But then...

She stopped. The magic stopped. hovering just an inch from the hallway now consumed by red fire.

It took her a moment to realize that it hadn't dragged her into the depths of the Wraiths' land.

The Queen Among the Dead and Living walked towards her, slowly. Across the great hall it took much time for her to reach Reza. She wasn't one for rushing things. She came to Reza, and placed a cool hand on Reza's forehead. Suddenly, the pain subsided, and her senses returned to her.

"I am," the Queen spoke, "granting you temporary leave of this sentence. Fix it, however you can. If you fail, or if you die in the process, remember what awaits you. And if you succeed...keep in mind that not all will be forgiven, but your sentence will be lessened. Now go, Reza of Wildfire, mend the whirlwind you have sewn."

Offline Kristine

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 8075
  • You can have your own truth, not your own facts
    • View Profile
Re: Writers round table
« Reply #115 on: August 31, 2008, 02:12:55 AM »
Then I considered Andre's other two, better options, both of which seemed pretty damned dismal.
Debbie was right, this called for a collective 'oh shit'.
Oh shit.

Amy didn't seem as phased and kept eating Chow Mein for a few seconds more as she looked around the room expectantly, then sighed getting everyone's attention.  "I know I'm new to this, but some of you have known me for years..." She looked pointedly at Frances, "...and know I'm not inclined to participate in panic or conflict.  For what ever reason we have 'other worldly' influences breaking through to this world and, in our favor, a large group of the people of this world will soon be coming into power that they didn't know they had." She paused sucking something out of her teeth, "all we have to do is find them and begin to secure against the powers that are coming."

Debbie blinked, "All we have to do?  That could take years and if things are starting to ...get into this world now, we don't have time."

Carrolton seemed to pick up the idea though, "If wizards are developing as fast as the things coming in -as sort of a compensation -then the people who are the most powerful will be almost overwhelmed.  They should be easy to find."

Andrea jumped in with a more cautious note, "If they are being overwhelmed with power they don't understand they may go mad and add to the chaos before they realize what is going on."  He turned to look at Amy who was picking her teeth with a little fingernail, "You worked with Frances's governmental division for years as an adept before coming into this power didn't you?"

Amy stopped picking her teeth to rejoin the conversation, "Yeah, in fact this increased power just came to me a few weeks ago, I thought it was because of some practice I had done or some power that was seeping through from another world but when I pull on it, it comes from here, and I can pull a lot more than I ever could before.  I also have an innate sense of what needs to be done, a direction that we need to go to survive.  That's why I'm here.  Did you all think I happened along by accident?"

Frances seemed vaguely amused by this, "No, I thought someone at the office told you, and you came to lend a hand." he gestured to the world outside the closed verticle blinds that we couldn't see, "we couldn't exactly keep that fight on the freeway quiet."

Amy chuckled, "Yeah, that was a mess.  Well I'm here now, and we have a desperate situation that is coming at us quickly how do you all want to do this?  Oh wait, " she interrupted, before anyone could answer, "lets have introductions all around, just so we know what we are working with."

Everyone nodded reluctantly with more than a few glances at other parties in the room.  Amy looked around to make sure everyone was on board, "I'll start.  My name is Amy Aubrence and I am an agent of the Supernatural Happenings International Team, division of Interpol " she waved off Frances who was about to correct her, "I know, that's the joke name for the division, I'm also one of the first of three native Wizards here on earth." 

Andrea snorted his laugh and the name even got a smirk out of Debbie, I didn't get it for a minute then I realized what the acronym would be for the joke name.  Amy gestured at Carrolton who looked like she would rather bite someone then talk to the group.

"My name is Carrolton and I represent interests of those of us who are of mixed heritage residing here on earth."  Amy nodded at the women as teacher would a star pupil, "See that wasn't so hard."  She gestured at Frances, "Go ahead Frances."

"I'm Frances from Interpol," he gave Amy a withering look, "and ex-wildflower bonded." 

Amy ignored his look and turned to gesture at me.  At this point I hadn't slept in too long and my sense of absurdity got the best of me.

"Hi, My name is Joey, and I'm an addict." That got everyone's attention, "No, no, I'm just kidding. I'm Joey and I'm the new Wildflower bound."  Geez, one possible universe splintering discovery and everyone loses their sense of humor.

Andrea shook his head and pointedly ignored me. Sometimes I really dislike that guy.  He gestured to get everyone's attention, "Andre, wizard of Wild Fire," he gestured to Debbie, "This is my Daughter Debbyone.  Now that we know who everyone is - how are we going to find the earth wizards."

Everyone looked to Amy for an answer but I shocked everyone in the room, including myself, as the answer came to me through my connection with the Wildflower.
"When I was 5 years old my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when i grew up. I wrote down “Happy”. They told me i didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. "
-John Lennon-

Offline Qualapec

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 230
    • View Profile
Re: Writers round table
« Reply #116 on: September 07, 2008, 06:14:58 AM »
Quote
Everyone looked to Amy for an answer but I shocked everyone in the room, including myself, as the answer came to me through my connection with the Wildflower.

The soft, subtle energy thrummed through me, steadying my rampant thoughts and easing the anxiety in my chest. It didn't so much carry the idea with it, but it allowed me a moment of meditation to ponder.

"Amy's the First Wizard on Earth, from Earth, right?" I asked.

Amy nodded. "That's what I feel. I mean, I'm new at this so I could be wrong, but...that's the general consensus."

I turned to Andre. "And wizards get more powerful the older they get?"

Andre shook his head. "Not necessarily, it depends on the person. But yes, that's generally how it happens."

I nodded like I was listening to him intently and using the information to form a brilliant plan in my head. Wouldn't you know it? For the first time that brain of mine really was working. Really. It was. "So, that means that you, Debbie and myself are the only real defence earth has against supernatural baddies. It's already been decided that the wizards of Earth need to be looked out for, but we can't do that. It would be like the Justice League catching street thugs instead of stopping the big freakin' meteor plumetting towards the planet. However, we can't just let the wizards come into their power by themselves."

This was it, my moment of brilliant glory. The one time since I'd taken on the Wildflower that I had an actual plan.

I opened my mouth to tell everyone how clever I was.

And freaking Andre took the freaking words right out of my freaking mouth.

"Alright, here's the plan. We contact Humbert and his people to help with the selection and training process, while Debbie, I, and..." he paused, and his mouth made an odd motion as if it made him sick to say it, "Mr. Gardner, will try to get to the bottom of the disturbance."

Debbie gave him a smile that should have been mine, "That's a great idea! I can't believe I didn't think of it!" She looked up at me. "Joey, I know you guys have been antagonistic in the past, but I really think you could learn from the old man here."

...and still, the night managed to get worse.

Offline Kristine

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 8075
  • You can have your own truth, not your own facts
    • View Profile
Re: Writers round table
« Reply #117 on: September 09, 2008, 04:20:54 AM »
Debbie gave him a smile that should have been mine, "That's a great idea! I can't believe I didn't think of it!" She looked up at me. "Joey, I know you guys have been antagonistic in the past, but I really think you could learn from the old man here."

...and still, the night managed to get worse.

Suddenly I wanted to shoot holes in my own plan.  Childish, I know, but I just couldn't stop myself, "I think Humbert and his crew will draw as much attention as the Demons."

Andrea and Debbie looked at me as if I had wet myself, "I think they can do magical disguises better than that" Debbie said as if talking to an idiot.  Okay, yes, that was probably true...

"I..." What?  It was a perfectly good plan that I had thought of first and if is saved the world was I willing to be that petty? "I think Frances's people in interpol should help them out - that way there is someone from this plane to help them with official stuff."  Almost. My self-respect breathed a sigh of relief.

Andrea waved his hand as if shooing flies, "I guess if you think something like that would be necessary."

I was about to try to think of other things to add to show how clever I could be first (and to appease the tantrum throwing child within me) when a small amount of energy from Wild Flower flowed through me and I had the sudden insight that, with his dismissal of my logical suggestion, the child inside Andrea was doing a heady pout as well.  I had forgotten that he and Debbie had not been close until just recently and my pointing out flaws in his plan might not be looked on as suggestions for better saving the universe.

"Yeah, it would be a good idea if nothing else than to keep other agencies at bay." Frances responded, completely unaware of the two little boys playing king-of-the-hill.  He looked over at Carrolton, "anybody in the 'mixed heritage' crowd wanna volunteer to help save the world?"

Carrolton seemed to consider for an instant, "Some, I'm sure will leave and try to find a safer plane to hide on.  Some will help though.  Nothing like being a mentor to a native wizard for helping your political causes."

Suddenly her help didn't sound like such a good idea.


"When I was 5 years old my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when i grew up. I wrote down “Happy”. They told me i didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. "
-John Lennon-