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The Greenthorpe Saga

 
 
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The SlaYeR

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Aug 9, 2004, 01:18 AM
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I could do that as well, i'll let you know.
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Aug 9, 2004, 01:28 PM
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Chapter 17:

Tony climbed back into the cockpit of his ship to retrieve a few things he’d need. He opened a small emergency hold, which would normally be in the floor, but in these circumstances it happened to be in the ceiling. A small pistol, several days’ rations and a folded tent fell out onto his head. After a few more curses, Tony gathered his equipment and set off towards the building.
As he got closer, Tony began to see that this building was a mansion. “Well, there certainly seems like there’d be lots of room in there,” remarked Tony, “I can see it’s a bit run down, though. Probably nobody lives there anymore. Dang!” Indeed, the wood looked slightly unstable, and the iron fence surrounding the place had rusted over. Beggars can’t be choosers, however, and Tony stayed on a beeline towards the mansion.
When Tony got to the front of the mansion, he had a chance to survey the surroundings. A sign told Tony in fancy letters that this mansion was the Greenthorpe Mansion. There was a lake next to the mansion, and it looked like a nice place to swim if he had to stay here for a while. A small path led away from the mansion, and Tony could see a small village not far away.
“Going to the town would be a good idea,” thought Tony. He took a few steps towards the inviting village, but his curiosity got the better of him. “…But I want to see what this mansion is like, first.” He pushed on the rusted gate, and it fell over with a soft clang. Tony blinked and stood there for a few seconds, before shrugging and walking up the path to the Greenthorpe estate. The door was open when he got there, and Tony could peer in to see a hallway that had maybe once been neat and tidy, but now had broken furniture strewn across it. The pictures on the wall were crooked, with a few that had fallen on the floor, and a vase had smashed, spreading a strange brown ooze across the floor. Tony walked into the mansion, carefully avoiding the splintered chairs and brown goo, and entered a room at random. Almost immediately, he realized why random is not good. A knife was stuck in the blood-covered floor, and a few rabbits lay obviously dead. Tony carefully backed out of the room, shutting the door as he went. He would have bolted, but a strange morbid curiosity made him decide to explore a little more, possibly to see what could have committed such a crime. He ducked through a living room filled with cobwebs and entered a storage room of sorts. He noticed a large wooden case in the corner, whose doors were opened slightly, as if a weight were pushing at them from inside. Tony walked up to the case, and opened the doors. A dead body fell on him with an unceremonious flop. That was all the encouragement Tony needed, and he sprinted out of the mansion, screaming.
A ways away from the mansion, Tony stopped to catch his breath. He knew it would be stupid to go into the forest, and far worse to go back to the mansion. That left only the village as an option of where to go, so he started along the path to the village, eating one of the tasteless but life-giving rations he had brought with him.
Once he arrived at Greenthorpe Village, Tony immediately scoped out a tavern. Hoping he’d find someone who could tell him how to get off the planet, or at least room and board, Tony walked under a sign explaining this inn was called “The Crooked Carrot” and through the door. None of the patrons lifted their eyes from their drinks or card games as Tony walked in and seated himself at the bar. The barkeeper, a young rabbit girl, looked up at Tony and put on a fake smile, saying, “What can I get for you?”
“Just a glass of water, thanks,” replied Tony. He had never had the stomach for anything stronger than milk. As the barkeeper was getting his drink, Tony scanned the bar. It seemed respectable; there were few if any stains and the patrons were sipping their drinks in silence. Tony made a mental note to remember this place; it was a nice break from bars like the infamous War Tavern where the patrons would begin a huge brawl at the drop of a hat.
The barkeeper returned and placed Tony’s water in front of him. Tony pulled out a small machine and pressed a few buttons, which made the machine pop out 10 small bronze coins. These he gave to the barkeeper. It was important to have an ITCM (Intergalactic Trade Credit Machine) when you traveled as much as Tony. The device had a value of money stored on it, and could replicate just about any currency used within known space.
After drinking half of his water, Tony asked the rabbit behind the counter, “Do you know if there are any spaceports near here?”
The barkeeper thought about this for a moment, before responding, “Well, there’s one in Oakloma, but that’s a ways away. You could get there by catching a plane in Prestbury.”
“Ok, where’s Prestbury?”
“Follow the road out of Greenthorpe towards the mansion, but when the road branches follow the road into the forest instead. There should be a branch a few miles in, take that path and it should take you to Prestbury. I wouldn’t suggest leaving tonight, though, the forest can be dangerous at night.”
“Oh, I can take care of myself,” said Tony, standing up. “Thank you for your help, here’s a tip.” Tony pressed a few more buttons on his ITCM, giving the barkeeper 5 more coins. “Goodbye.”
“I can take care of myself... God, what was I thinking?!” Tony was walking through the forest, and the sun had completely left the sky. To make matters worse, it was overcast, blocking any light from the moon or stars. Tony fumbled around in the dark, wishing he had had the sense to bring a light source. A while later, Tony’s foot collided with something, sending him facedown into the dirt. He got up, muttering, “Who the heck puts a flippin’ wall in a forest?!” He carefully checked his location, noting the position of the wall and the broken foliage around him. He began his trek again, only to trip over an inconveniently placed tree root and fall into a burrow-like hole. He tumbled head-over-heels, downward further and further into the hole, until he bowled into a group of rabbits. As he looked up into the faces of the rabbits, he noted that leaving at night definitely wasn’t one of his brightest moves.



Sorry about the short chapters, I'm not very good at writing big chapters.

Edit: Hallway now isn't neat and tidy.
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Last edited by acid; Aug 10, 2004 at 08:56 AM.
The SlaYeR

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Aug 10, 2004, 04:22 AM
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It is a nice chapter though.
Btw, the hallway wasnt neat and tidy, the fight between Louie and the other guy took place there.

For the rest, its ok though, just to make sure, we are the rabbits right, Majo, Thomas and me?

Friendly note to everyone: Please dont start the war on Carrotus for another two rounds yet, i have a few things i want to do b4 the war starts, thanks in advance. (Plus it'll stretch the stories length.)
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Aug 10, 2004, 08:50 AM
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Ok, I'll edit the part about the hallway. You are correct that the rabbits are Louie, Majo and Thomas.
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Strato

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Aug 10, 2004, 09:03 AM
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Can't wait til my turn.
The SlaYeR

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Aug 13, 2004, 02:06 AM
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DUCKY!!!

Can someone contact Ducky trough aim or whatever? It's her turn, and this isn't getting anywhere if all of the writers are absent the entire time.
I have her on my list but she''s on at ridiculous times (normal for her but i have to get up every morning at 6:30)

Thanks in advance.
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Aug 13, 2004, 06:41 PM
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Well, if it is indeed going by turns, I shouldn't need to worry about... unintentionally slacking off here.

Ferp.
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The SlaYeR

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Aug 30, 2004, 05:57 AM
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We decided that soemone else should put Ducky into their chapter, preferably the next person in line, but anyone else would do i guess.
Shame the last few messages couldn't be restored.
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Sep 1, 2004, 03:32 PM
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Oh dear.

Hi, everyone. My formal apology is in order. I'm really sorry to have backed you all up(tho I didn't know that the JCF went down). I had uber-ISP problems which resulted in my service being terminated for this past month and I had no other access.

I'm very sorry both for this and slacking the whole mod thing.
Anyway, I don't suppose people can fill me in? If not, I am jobless at the moment and therefore have the entire week to do nothing but read everything if necessary. (There was just...rather a lot. So.)

Thanks all. Sorry Slay. <3
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Sep 2, 2004, 06:48 AM
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Ducky no read stuff. Ducky write next chapter. Do soon, we need it for happy making.
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The SlaYeR

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Sep 3, 2004, 06:14 AM
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You should really read everything, that way you keep up with the story and you are involved. I myself have started the editing and translation process (since i will try to find a publisher in my country, for obvious reasons) so far i have edited my own beginning up to the part where the boys flee the mansion, and it has grown from 1.070 (something) characters to 2.400 characters, i think this progress is quiet good. I have used a lot more detail since for me it's a little easyer to write in Dutch. Don't worry Ducky just don't keep us waiting for another month, i will need more then enough time to get everything up to now edited and stuff (The story so far could be about 100 to 200% bigger if i keep this up) i have though up several things to expand this story but make it logical, for instance i have included a small bit about how the characters of Lawrence and Audry Greenthorpe came to die and i think it looks absolutly fantastic.

(And DD, not reading stuff is pretty dumb, she would need to to see where everything is going, the smallest detail could make a lot of difference)
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Sep 3, 2004, 11:19 AM
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If you haven't already begun writing, Ducky, I was interested in our characters crossing paths (if you've been keeping up with the story, it's logical). If you think that could work out, try to contact me on AIM (spazticjj2) or some other medium (IRC maybe, or even PMs) so that we can discuss the details. But if not then you can write whatever you like and I will think of something else =P

Slayo, remember not to do way too much to the story - part of the charm of the idea is that there are a large group of us doing this and our writing styles will make things more interesting. So, make it coherent but don't overly edit it (unless it needs it desperately).
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The SlaYeR

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Sep 3, 2004, 12:30 PM
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Alright, if you don't mind having a story that moves way to quickly then ill try not to do to much editing. Charm doesn't sell but i'll try to edit as little as i can, im not holding back on editing my own chapter, the problem would be this.

My chapter - 40 pages
Yours - 5 pages

If you are ok with this then i'm ok with it, maybe you are not and you would like to try a little harder and make your own chapters bigger.

If im going to bring this to a publisher and have a book with several huge chapters mixed in with tons of chapters that don't even fill a page i think he will not take me serious and he'll wish me a lot of luck trying to find another publisher.
Good luck on that.
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Sep 3, 2004, 01:39 PM
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It's your own problem for thinking that you can actually take a story made by a dozen people and turn it into a professional work.
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Sep 3, 2004, 02:46 PM
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You said you were making sweeping editorial changes in Dutch. That's not really fair - not all of us can read Dutch, so we can't have any idea whether or not we approve of the changes.

Oh, and "Charm doesn't sell"? Yes it does. There's quite a large market for charming books. And, let's face it, if this thing ever does get published, the gimmicky way it was written will play a significant role.
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Sep 3, 2004, 03:00 PM
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Okay. I've read through all the chapters(and also the summaries were outrageously helpful) and I'm half done with mine. I've done all my personal stuff that I need to, and now I'm going to start interacting, I guess.
So Spaztic, talk to me on AIM. My screenname is lullabyinCminor and I have you added, but I haven't seen you on for the past few days. When are you usually on?
I will hopefully have this done for you by Monday.
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Sep 3, 2004, 04:31 PM
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As long as I can see the changes made and approve them, then I'm set. Sadly, such an undertaking is already very hard, and sending a book to everyone to read of stuff they already wrote would take a long long time.
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Sep 4, 2004, 08:36 AM
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First of all, im sorry for that last reply, i was in a xionesque mood.

Risp im putting a lot of effort in this, if all you can do is be so negative then i would like it very much if you left.

TB, im sorry for not putting what i said into better words, i am writing this in Dutch because i am going to publish it in Dutch, but after i am done writing every chapter for myself i will translate it and send it to the respected writer and see if he/she approves of it, if he/she does, i will ask Spaztic to put it on the Ritopia site that will hopefully soon be online for our group of writers to read.

Stratn, thanks for your trust, ill show you the edited chapter when im done.

All of you that are not serious about this, leave. I know it's harsh but it's already a hard project to get realized and we need people that are dedicated and support this for 100%, and i get the feeling that some of you aren't all that dedicated, if you are then please continue to write, if you are not, then stop writing and leave.


On a sidenote, i have edited my chapter and turned 3 pages into 6 pages, and i must say, i am very proud of it so far. Again, sorry for my previous reply and have fun writing.
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Sep 4, 2004, 08:37 AM
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The reason it is in Dutch is because my Dutch is far much better then my English, and i think it's only logical that im going to try and find a publisher here unless you all want to chip in and fly me over to the states.
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Sep 4, 2004, 11:43 AM
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Oh, I still care to write. I just doubt that this is a good way to make a published story.
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Sep 4, 2004, 12:35 PM
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I should probably leave, in that case. I would be interested in finding out what would happen to my characters, but I have little or no belief that this will get published. Besides, the very fact that you are taking stories made in the Jazz Jackrabbit universe, removing all references, and translating them into another language without (unless I missed something) getting our permission kind of annoys me. A group effort should be a group effort, not something in which you make all the decisions and kick out anyone who disagrees.
Good luck to anyone who chooses to stay with this project, though. You obviously have more trust in it than I do.
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Sep 4, 2004, 06:41 PM
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I think you mised somthing, rad my reply again
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Sep 4, 2004, 11:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SlaYo
All of you that are not serious about this, leave. I know it's harsh but it's already a hard project to get realized and we need people that are dedicated and support this for 100%, and i get the feeling that some of you aren't all that dedicated, if you are then please continue to write, if you are not, then stop writing and leave.
What is there to miss? I am in no way dedicated to this project, I do not think it will get published, and if you're going to get rid of anything which gives the chapters a setting, it's not really a Jazz 2 Story, is it? Whether or not I missed something, I do not like what you are doing here, and if I stay around, it will only lead to arguments.
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Sep 6, 2004, 08:54 AM
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If you're serious about publishing, I better delete my crap because I'm going to screw up your chances of making money. And it would be kinda hard to convince someone that you wrote a serious story about a bunch of humanoid rabbits. But good luck.
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Sep 6, 2004, 12:03 PM
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Maybe a second project should be started just like this one, except without the intention of publishing it.

Anyway, I look forward to seeing the story continue.
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Sep 6, 2004, 02:05 PM
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I agree.
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Sep 6, 2004, 04:28 PM
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Monolith has a very good idea. The idea of this story is good, however bringing the publishing / translation / copyright issues in here makes it a lot more difficult and a lot less interesting for many of us.

As for the published story, I think I'll drop out as well. I'm not interested in getting published yet, and if I did try to get published, it would be my own work rather than a collaboration. I'm going to leave my chapters up here, but don't include them in the published work.
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Sep 6, 2004, 07:47 PM
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I think that we should do the inverse of monon's idea, where we save this thread, but start a different one intent for being published. This one is already started, and if 90% of the writer's drop out then it's not going to fly.
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Sep 6, 2004, 09:40 PM
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I much as I hate to say that this story shouldn't be the one to be seriously editted and reformatted for publishing, it does seem like a good idea to start a new thread where it is clear the intent is to publish. However, I plan on writing anyway.

Ducky, I have been idling on AIM on invisible lately, but I've added you and will be usually viewable, so I'll try to talk.
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Sep 7, 2004, 07:04 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spaztic
I much as I hate to say that this story shouldn't be the one to be seriously editted and reformatted for publishing, it does seem like a good idea to start a new thread where it is clear the intent is to publish. However, I plan on writing anyway.

Ducky, I have been idling on AIM on invisible lately, but I've added you and will be usually viewable, so I'll try to talk.
Ah, thanks. You and me were the ones that were especially interested in getting this published, i worked a few days on publishing so far. No big deal but i could have saved myself a lot of time. Lets just forget about the whole publishing this thing deal and if there are any serious people that would like to work on a project like that then let me know and don´t enter if your not commited to doing a thing like that, also i think we should only do it with no more then 4 or 5 people to save us a whole bunch of time arguing. And i look forward to seeing the next chapter in this story in about 6 months Ducky, carry on then.
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Sep 7, 2004, 03:32 PM
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Okay, sounds good. Are you still planning on writing for this story Slayo? And will the new stuff be on the JCF or what? And what of Ritopia?
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Sep 8, 2004, 04:23 AM
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Edited for dramatic effect
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Sep 8, 2004, 07:20 PM
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By 'the new stuff' I meant the new story that will be planned on getting published - I didn't know if you wanted it on the JCF or not - but just getting finished literature from each participating author and only puting it on Ritopia would work well.

The original plan for Ritopia was going to have any good writing by anyone "worthy" - so I personally don't see a problem with the story we're writing now being on there, too, along with any other writing that is in good condition. It -would- have to be editted before it made it to Ritopia, though, because I had planned on rigorous quality control.

By the way, me and Ducky have finally discussed what's going to happen, and she said her chapter should be on the way soon. So.. patience =P.
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Sep 8, 2004, 09:04 PM
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Okay, don't ***** at me please. I'm not having a good life here. I love you Slay, but I can't deal with everything all at once. I said I'm sorry.

Chapter Next: In Which Not Very Much Happens and The Chapter is Very Short.



Eddie shuffled out into the tavern as Verity was locking the door. It was 3 AM, but most rabbits slept during the day now. It seemed safer.
"Verity," he said, easing onto a barstool, "I've been in contact with a team of...shall we say, renegades, for about a month or so. They're a posse of Eddies-of-all-trades, but they need someone who's forte is really computers. I haven't mentioned your name to them, but I thought you might be interested. You're good with a gun, you're unstoppable with machines, and you can mix a **** good drink. Also, your cooking isn't half bad either," he said as an afterthought.
"That's why I work here, Eddie," said Verity wearily. "How deep in are they?"
"You're going to have to get down and dirty, I think, darling."
Verity stared out the grimy window.
"I'll have to close the tavern?" she said.
"Unless you want the commute. They're out of Carrotus."
Verity anxiously brushed a paw over her face, angered and guilty at her emotions. She wanted to leave this war behind. She wanted nothing more than for it to end. But she couldn't leave it. She was fighting it.
"I'll look them up tonight. Leave me a name?"
Eddie nodded and slid off his stool, but the gentle tapping on the tavern door made them both stiffen. Verity's lop ears pricked as much as they could.
"Get behind the bar," she hissed at Eddie. She approached the door, cautiously peering through the peephole.
"Raphael!" She swung the door open, flinging her arms around a tall yellow cat whose bushy tail dripped muddy water. Verity pressed her lips to his, kissing him closely. "Darling, where have you been? I've been so worried. I thought for sure you would come in last night, and then you didn't come in tonight either. I was so afraid--"
Eddie straightened up from behind the counter.
"Good to see you, Raphael," he said courteously. Raphael didn't repsond to him.
"What's the matter?" Verity anxiously brushed his long hair aside to look into his yellow eyes.
Raphael smiled wryly at Verity and returned her kiss for a long moment. He held her hands tightly, then touched her cheek. "Verity, I hope you know that I'm doing this for the best. I love you, sweetheart. I'm only trying to end this war, the same as you are."
Verity stared at him. "What- wait, what are you-" she backed away a step.
From behind the cat's frame stepped three creatures, two of them blue-scaled lizards and the third a rabbit upon whose coat the grime hid any trace of what was once white fur. All three of them held fusion lasers in their claws.
Verity pressed her paws to her mouth, uncomprehending, but the lizards stalked past her and aimed their weapons behind her neat bar. She didn't have time to turn around before the scream of the lasers rammed into Eddie's body. He was dead before he slammed into the rack of glasses behind the bar and fell to the ground in a shower of broken glass. The smell of burning flesh filled Verity's nostrils as Raphael strode by her, needlessly placing his finger on Eddie's melted carotid.
"We've been looking for him for quite a while," said the white rabbit, "but it looks like we won't have to worry about him getting into our things anymore. Nosy varmint, he was." he glanced carelessly at Verity.
"He did a lot of damage. I'd hate to think what any students of his could do. And you know, I don't really want to have to deal with anyone trying to get revenge on him, either, so let's just finish the job now, shall we?" Verity heard the smash of computer monitors in the back room as the white rabbit levelled his weapon with her eyes.
"You won't do any more damage either, will you? Oh no. I think I'm going to damage you now."
"Jonathan! I told you not to touch--" Verity's and the white rabbit's heads both turned to see Raphael leaping toward them. The white rabbit swung his laser into Verity's face. She crashed into a table and slid to the ground, blood trickling from the gash over her broken cheekbone. Slipping in and out of consciousness, the last thing she saw was the white rabbit turning to aim his beam at Raphael's unprotected body. The laser blasted a hole right through his chest.


1 Month Later
Verity folded a red coat on top of her laptop for more padding and zipped the bag closed. The scars on her cheeks were nearly healed now, the white traced through the grey. She pulled her two bags onto her shoulders and tucked her RF blaster into her belt. Her room was empty and the taffeta curtains on the windows hung despondently.
The door clicked shut behind her and she turned and walked down the empty hallway. The key she sealed in an envelope and left in the mailbox- if she ever came back, it would probably still be there.
Verity set her feet for the ports. If she was going to Carrotus, she needed a ship. And to get a ship...

"I can't figure out what's wrong with it," said the black-furred rabbit, rubbing sweat off his forehead. He straightened up from where he had been crouched in front of the ship's central intelligence unit. He squinted at his companion frustratedly.
"I asked the bartender to ask around the cafes, see if anyone's docking or coming in who can check it out. I know nothing about the computer systems in these machines... my father always had it fixed up for me before I headed out."
Icarus took the drink Naomi handed him. "How long do you think that will take?"
"I don't know," she said, "it was fine when I docked. And I hate to think of the price that some local bimbo is going to haggle us into, what with the wars here and all. I don't want to stay here any longer than necessary."
Icarus opened his mouth to speak, but-
"Excuse me."
The two companions looked around for the speaker. Verity's light green eyes stared levelly into Icarus's indigo ones, then Naomi's.
"I hear you're looking for a technician. The bartender was putting up a notice when I came in. He sent me out here." She glanced at the ship, then back at the two rabbits.
Icarus raised an eyebrow at Naomi.
"That was much quicker than I expected."
"See? You're such a man. Can never ask for help!" She smiled at Verity. "You're a lifesaver, if you can help us. The CIU is acting up and we don't have a clue...I'm not one for the mechanical side, but Icarus is, and for the life of us we don't know what's going on. Could you take a look at it and see if you can do anything for us?"
Verity shifted her bag, sizing up the two rabbits. "I can fix the computers. How about we head inside and talk about terms?"
Icarus and Naomi seated themselves opposite Verity, who declined a drink.
"So my situation is this. I'm headed to Carrotus- the sooner, the better, but I don't have a ship and almost less money then that. I'm looking to hitch a ride off this planet as far as I can get- I don't know where you're going, but I'll put in my time on your ship for a lift."
Icarus rested his elbows on the table. "Well, I did taxiing for a long time, but I'm quitting the biz. And since you're trying to barter your way on, I'd say...you're in luck. We're going to Carrotus and I want to be there in a few days, if I can. And since we can't move without a technician, I guess we're in luck too." He smiled warmly at Verity, a face she wanted to trust. Icarus extended his paw across the dirty counter.
"The name's Icarus. This is Naomi." The golden rabbit smiled at Verity as she shook their paws.
"I'm Verity. It's good to do business with you. Now.. I just have a few conditions." She looked levelly at them.
"I don't want to think about my past, much less talk about it. Two, I work alone and I have no friends or family, and if you ever come across someone who's looking for me, I'm much rather that you didn't know me. Okay?"
Icarus nodded. "Well, we only have one. We've got a few...stops to make, on the way there. Should only take us a couple days longer. Is that acceptable?"
Verity nodded. "I'm not in that big of a hurry. I haven't been out in the galaxy much for a few years anyway, what with the war and all."
"Indeed. It's been pretty confining, I know. Well- shall we?" Icarus nodded to the door.
"I'll put your bags in the cabin," said Naomi, sliding out from the bench.
At the ship, Verity switched on the main computers and peered into the screens. Naomi placed Verity's bags on one of the tiny bunks in the main cabin, then as an afterthought, tucked them into the tiny, 1 person room she had been residing in. She joined Icarus outside, jumping neatly down the ladder.
"So what do you think of our new associate?" she said, staring at the dully gleaming hull of the ship.
Icarus glanced at her, his hands in his pocket and shoulders hunched against the drizzling rain that was just starting from the drowsy clouds.
"She seems like she won't be any trouble. Just a war child trying to get out of here too."
"War child?" Naomi peered at Icarus. "She's older than us, you know."
"Well, she's just fixing the ship. I hope we can trust her. Maybe we can find something out about her just to check."
"You can ask around. But be careful. She's our ticket out of here. I don't want to offend her."
In the insulated cockpit, Verity glanced at the two young people standing outside before setting to work on the machines. She hoped that things would go smoothly. The kids seemed nice and innocent.
Verity tried to remember when she was innocent.
The screens flickered dazedly around her, then angrily as she began tapping into the systems, interpreting the garbled coding.




Sorry it's so insanely short. I hope next time to do better.
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Last edited by Ducky; Sep 8, 2004 at 09:24 PM.
The SlaYeR

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Sep 9, 2004, 07:08 AM
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I'm sorry Ducky, i had no intention to rush you. I don't even have time to read the chapter, school is waiting. Ta ta.
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acid

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Sep 9, 2004, 04:09 PM
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That chapter wasn't short, Ducky. My chapters are shorter than that, and your chapter is better written than mine are, anyways. I'd say you did a good job, especially if you were being rushed.
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Doubble Dutch

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Sep 10, 2004, 09:28 AM
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Chapter After Next In which again not a lot happens, but there's a lot of talking.


He knew they were there, his condition allowed him to sense others without having to see them. They had been skulking around in the trees all morning, watching him. Nevermind, it was a sunny day and he'd deal with them when the need arose.
Tier lay in the sun listening to the sounds of the forest with his eyes closed. He didn't sleep, but this soon after feeding he could just lie back relax and almost forget his life. Almost.

"Okay you sick #$%@, get up!"
Blast. Just when he was enjoying it too. Tier resignedly stood up and looked at his aggressor. What surprised him was her youth; she couldn't be older than sixteen. But he knew the look in her eyes, he was going to be shot, it was just a matter of time.
The rabbit pointed the gun at his head; it was old fashioned, solid projectile, probably loaded with silver.
"That’s right you bloodsucking *******, how does it feel to know you're going to die? Did my brother get the chance to feel that way?"
Inwardly Tier groaned, this could get messy. Had the rabbit he'd killed last nigh been with others? Had they been tracking him?" He spoke softly and slowly. "Shooting me won't do you any good; we can sort this out if-"
"SHUT UP!" screamed the rabbit "I don't want to listen to your lies!"
Quickly Tier stepped forward and grabbed the girls arm. Several things happened at once. Tier heard a dull crack as the rabbit’s foot broke his shell near the waist, then a disorienting buzz as the top of his head was blown off. When he refocused his eyes he saw the rabbit staring at his regenerating head with an expression of disgust and shock. She let the gun fall noiselessly onto the grass.

Again Tier spoke slowly. "Now that we've demonstrated the uselessness of that course of action, could we please try a more peaceful solution?"
The rabbit recovered quickly. "So you're a zombie then, if you try anything, I'm not going down easy."
"Actually, would you mind leaving; I was rather enjoying the morning."
The rabbit backed off and stared at him in silence for a full minute. "That was impressive, can you grow back easily?"
"Regenerate? Sure, after any injury, always grows back a little more dead though."
There was another pause. "So guns, fire, vampires...?"
"No problem, in fact, I've killed a few vampires."
The rabbit looked thoughtful. "Okay then, you're coming with me to Greenthorpe."
"Excuse me, I'm coming with who to where, why?"
"A ******* vampire killed my brother in Greenthorpe a few days ago. You, Mr. Immortal are going to help me find them."
Tier thought it over. What was the worst that could happen? He'd get killed? "Sure." he said. "I haven't got anything better to do."
"One last thing" the rabbit said.
"No." said Tier authoritively “I'm not going to infect you, and there's no point in arguing the fact."

Tier walked confidently along the track. Years of roaming the forests had allowed him to move easily without even a hint of light. Beside him the rabbit (whose name apparently was Michelle) walked stiffly carrying the tiniest red torch, its light barely bright enough to see. She was gradually getting used to the rigor mortis, and the bite on her wrist was already regenerating. Things had progressed at a somewhat rapid pace that day. Tier was still unnerved about what he'd done. It wasn't that he had infected another, or even that Michelle had wanted to be infected, after all many people would want his regenerating capacity. What unnerved him was that she hadn't been uninformed and ignorant, indeed she'd questioned him thoroughly and still wanted to become infected. And she'd had such strong conviction too, something about her demeanor had made it somehow imminent that he infect her. That was worrying. He'd underestimated her before and got a broken shell and shot head as a result. Whoever this vampire was, he was in trouble.

Their visit to the town had been brief. Michelle had stolen some booze to disguise her odd way of walking and had barely stayed long enough for the funeral before setting out after her brother’s killer. That was lucky. The townsfolk seemed suspicious. They'd accepted Michelle's story that he was an offworld assassin, but he could still almost hear them whispering behind his back, pointing out the little oddities, his unblinking eyes, lack of breathing. It had been a relief to get away; he hadn't been in a town for too long. Michelle had an easier time, who could blame a grieving sister if she got tipsy? The fact that her draining body fluids made her weep helped. Apparently she believed in 'the Kennedy constant'; "Don't cry, get even." She even seemed to take the loss of sleep in her stride, using it to gain ground on her target.

Tier broke the silence. "So are we going walk all night like this or are you going to even attempt a conversation?"
"And break my concentration? Its hard enough to track in such a stiff body and what’s more its so smegging cold."
"You'll get used to it; at least your nose has stopped running."
Tier sighed, it was like talking to a brick wall, or maybe he'd simply forgotten how to make conversation. Having no one to talk to but yourself wasn't a worry, it was when you answered back that was. Still, he didn't blame her, from what little information he could obtain she'd worked with her brother and father on the remote transmitter stations before her brother moved off to Greenthorpe. That alone explained her silence, servicing the remote stations was a lonely and dangerous job. It also explained her deep affection toward her brother and her quick fighting reflexes. Tier had seen many remoter servicers and they had to survive a lot, bandits, wild animals, isolation, and if they got injured, well, very few broke a leg twice. She'd have to be feeling the first stirrings of The Hunger though. As they continued to track their folly Tier wondered how long such a stubborn mind would hold out.
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scatman

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Sep 10, 2004, 12:33 PM
L33t chapter, a lot of people come together in the story now...

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Kaz

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Sep 10, 2004, 03:30 PM
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Hm, forgot I have a lot to read, oh well, 7th page is mine >D.
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