“What do you think?” Christian, Keith, Tobias, Gabriel, DJ, and Angel huddled in the shadows, scanning the entrance to the building. Guards with sub-machine guns were stationed at annoyingly regular intervals.
“We could do a Princess Bride with Keith on fire and DJ creating a voice illusion,” Tobias said.
DJ hummed thoughtfully. “I think you’d have a better chance of doing a Sebastien Foucan from Casino Royale up to that third floor mezzanine.”
“Gabriel’s here,” Keith said. “We could walk right past the guards and do a Boondock Saints ice the Russians up in the penthouse suite instead.”
“We do have rope,” Christian said.
“That was a stupid idea and a stupid movie,” Gabriel said. “If we’re going to go Hollywood, why not just have Angel go Carrie at the prom?”
The other five stared at him.
“Carrie?” Keith echoed. “Really?”
Gabriel fought to not blush. “What? He’s totally capable of it –”
“How about a little X-Men?” Tobias said. He curled his hand into a fist, and bone claws sprouted from his knuckles. Keith snapped his fingers, and flames appeared over his fingertips.
DJ sketched a rune, and then he had a solid sphere of ice ready for the throwing.
Christian rubbed his hands together, and blue-gold energy crackled. He scooped up a fallen pipe, and Gabriel saw it spark.
“So we’ve got Wolverine, Pyro, Iceman, and Gambit,” he said. Then he frowned. “Wait a minute, does that mean I’m Dr. X?”
“Pretty much,” DJ said. He peered over the hedge. “And Angel is Dr. Grey.”
Angel squawked. “Wait, I’m a bloody bird?”
“But Angel, you love the ladies.” Keith grinned, and he launched a fireball toward the guards. It was go time.
(286 words)
Friday, April 1, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Listening to Classic Rock
“So you think you can tell heaven from hell.”
Sam took a deep, shuddering breath. She’d been careful not to be left alone with any of the choirboys on either side, to always have someone else there to ground her to reality, but now she could hear their voices.
She’d know Abbadon’s voice anywhere.
Some people didn’t believe in angels - but many did.
Most people refused to believe in Satan.
Sam was pretty sure she heard his voice - or something close to it. Abbadon had been to Satan what Gabriel had been to God during the War in Heaven. And now he was on earth, seemingly at the beck and call of the hollow-eyed boy sitting on the floor next to the radiator, fidgeting with a broken pencil
“Blue skies from pain?” another voice asked.
Another angel. Sam didn’t know any of their names besides the one that had first spoken to her when she was a child - Asrael - but this must have been the one accompanying the skinny moppet of a blonde girl who was curled in the cage in the corner.
A cage.
The things the government did that the people didn’t know, didn’t care about in their fear.
“What?” Abbadon asked.
Neither Abbadon’s singer nor the girl were reacting, and Sam couldn’t be sure that she wasn’t just hearing voices. She’d taken her meds. Hadn’t she? No one at the Bureau could know.
“Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail? A smile from a veil? Do you think you can tell?” that second voice said, almost sing-song, taunting.
“You know nothing,” Abbadon spat. “You’ve not yet seen hell, not seen half of the horrors –”
“And did they get you to trade your heros for ghosts?” the other voice continued.
Abbadon let out a snarl.
And then the blonde girl said, “Chill out. It’s just a song.” And she began to sing, “We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year.”
Sam straightened up. “You taught an angel classic rock?”
The blonde girl sat up. “You’re a Listener?”
(350 words)
Sam took a deep, shuddering breath. She’d been careful not to be left alone with any of the choirboys on either side, to always have someone else there to ground her to reality, but now she could hear their voices.
She’d know Abbadon’s voice anywhere.
Some people didn’t believe in angels - but many did.
Most people refused to believe in Satan.
Sam was pretty sure she heard his voice - or something close to it. Abbadon had been to Satan what Gabriel had been to God during the War in Heaven. And now he was on earth, seemingly at the beck and call of the hollow-eyed boy sitting on the floor next to the radiator, fidgeting with a broken pencil
“Blue skies from pain?” another voice asked.
Another angel. Sam didn’t know any of their names besides the one that had first spoken to her when she was a child - Asrael - but this must have been the one accompanying the skinny moppet of a blonde girl who was curled in the cage in the corner.
A cage.
The things the government did that the people didn’t know, didn’t care about in their fear.
“What?” Abbadon asked.
Neither Abbadon’s singer nor the girl were reacting, and Sam couldn’t be sure that she wasn’t just hearing voices. She’d taken her meds. Hadn’t she? No one at the Bureau could know.
“Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail? A smile from a veil? Do you think you can tell?” that second voice said, almost sing-song, taunting.
“You know nothing,” Abbadon spat. “You’ve not yet seen hell, not seen half of the horrors –”
“And did they get you to trade your heros for ghosts?” the other voice continued.
Abbadon let out a snarl.
And then the blonde girl said, “Chill out. It’s just a song.” And she began to sing, “We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year.”
Sam straightened up. “You taught an angel classic rock?”
The blonde girl sat up. “You’re a Listener?”
(350 words)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Beyond and Beyond
"Where are you going?" James asked. He stood to the side as he watched his friend packing an old leather backpack; the type you would associate with a long journey.
"I don't really know. Not yet at least," Brandon replied as he placed another item in the bag. Piled along side the bag was a long walking stick and a map, a rain coat and a pair of sturdy boots.
"I guess a better question would be why are you going?" James said.
Brandon mumbled something under his breath.
"I didn't quite catch that mate," James said and he leaned closer.
"Beyond the East the sunrise, beyond the West the sea. And East and West, the wanderthirst that will never let me be. It works in me like madness to bid me say goodbye. For the seas call and the stars call, and oh, the call of the sky," Brandon quoted.
James blinked in surprise at the intensity. Not only of his friend but also of the poem. In those few lines he began to understand what drove his friend to travel.
"Would you mind if I joined you?" James asked after a moment, the words of the poem still echoing in he mind, reverberating with a hidden power.
"I wouldn't mind at all," Brandon said with a smile, "long roads seem shorter with a friend at your side."
"I don't really know. Not yet at least," Brandon replied as he placed another item in the bag. Piled along side the bag was a long walking stick and a map, a rain coat and a pair of sturdy boots.
"I guess a better question would be why are you going?" James said.
Brandon mumbled something under his breath.
"I didn't quite catch that mate," James said and he leaned closer.
"Beyond the East the sunrise, beyond the West the sea. And East and West, the wanderthirst that will never let me be. It works in me like madness to bid me say goodbye. For the seas call and the stars call, and oh, the call of the sky," Brandon quoted.
James blinked in surprise at the intensity. Not only of his friend but also of the poem. In those few lines he began to understand what drove his friend to travel.
"Would you mind if I joined you?" James asked after a moment, the words of the poem still echoing in he mind, reverberating with a hidden power.
"I wouldn't mind at all," Brandon said with a smile, "long roads seem shorter with a friend at your side."
Monday, March 28, 2011
Friends Forever
“You can’t go out there,” Kyle said quietly. He caught Cody by the wrist.
“Who else is going to go out there?” Cody looked steadily at Kyle and watched, for the first time, defeat darken the boy’s blue eyes. Elise was gone; Marsh was gone; both their angels had descended in a fury of feathers and unearthly power, the trumpets of Armageddon and the entropy of the universe coming to bear on the forces of the Fallen, but it hadn’t been enough, and now the Fallen were at their door, and the only place to go was down.
Kyle glanced over his shoulder at Gabriel, who was clutching the wound in his side and trying to look as stoic as possible.
“Are you sure?” Kyle asked.
Cody smiled and said, “Maiorem dilectionem nemo habet ut animam suam quis ponat pro amicis suis.”
Kyle blinked.
“I can say it in Greek for you,” Cody said.
In the corner, Gabriel blinked, confused and amused.
Asrael curled a hand on Cody’s shoulder, and Cody said, “μείζονα ταύτης ἀγάπην οὐδεὶς ἔχει ἵνα τις τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ θῇ ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ.” He reached for the doorknob.
Kyle said, “You’ve been reading the New Testament.”
“I had time on my hands,” Cody said.
Asrael leaned down and whispered, “Time’s up.”
Cody nodded and opened the door, stepped out into the sunlight.
Kyle sketched a handful of Hebrew letters, turned the wall into a one-way mirror, and he and Gabriel watched Cody go to face their enemies.
Gabriel was smiling. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Kyle said, “I didn’t realize he thought of us as friends,” and watched Cody step back over the cliff.
(291 words)
“Who else is going to go out there?” Cody looked steadily at Kyle and watched, for the first time, defeat darken the boy’s blue eyes. Elise was gone; Marsh was gone; both their angels had descended in a fury of feathers and unearthly power, the trumpets of Armageddon and the entropy of the universe coming to bear on the forces of the Fallen, but it hadn’t been enough, and now the Fallen were at their door, and the only place to go was down.
Kyle glanced over his shoulder at Gabriel, who was clutching the wound in his side and trying to look as stoic as possible.
“Are you sure?” Kyle asked.
Cody smiled and said, “Maiorem dilectionem nemo habet ut animam suam quis ponat pro amicis suis.”
Kyle blinked.
“I can say it in Greek for you,” Cody said.
In the corner, Gabriel blinked, confused and amused.
Asrael curled a hand on Cody’s shoulder, and Cody said, “μείζονα ταύτης ἀγάπην οὐδεὶς ἔχει ἵνα τις τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ θῇ ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ.” He reached for the doorknob.
Kyle said, “You’ve been reading the New Testament.”
“I had time on my hands,” Cody said.
Asrael leaned down and whispered, “Time’s up.”
Cody nodded and opened the door, stepped out into the sunlight.
Kyle sketched a handful of Hebrew letters, turned the wall into a one-way mirror, and he and Gabriel watched Cody go to face their enemies.
Gabriel was smiling. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Kyle said, “I didn’t realize he thought of us as friends,” and watched Cody step back over the cliff.
(291 words)
Project #85: Allusions
Apologies for getting this in a day late. This week's assignment is to quote something, allude to something, reference something in your piece, 100-350 words. It can be pop culture or esoteric ancient scripture, it can be an idea or a song lyric or a poem, a famous aphorism or a whisper on the wind. Make it obvious, make it subtle, throw it in or make it the title. It's up to you! Time to put that education to use.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Overview #84: Deadlines
So...I was pretty dissatisfied with my work earlier in the week. I'm getting the hang of the Seraph-verse kids and their Angels, which makes me happy, but it seemed like I wasn't doing anything too unique with the prompts. And then on the last two days I just failed altogether, so there's that to take into consideration too. In the end the post I liked most was the Dagaz one, probably because I went back to my roots where the words were a prompt and not the theme, which likely deviated from the assignment, but I went with it. Still, considering I started a new job this week, I think I did all right.
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