I wasn't sure whether to post this here or in an IC forum, since all of
the stories are presented IC, but I'm not sure that it fits anyone, so
here it is.
Many thanks to everyone who came out to the event. I was happy with the
way that it turned out. Thanks in particular to all those who read
stories, and especial thanks to DJ Fox, who proved again that she truly
knows how to tailor the feeling of music to the environment.
I captured (almost) all of the relevant chat to separate into individual
stories to post here. I have no way to color text as it appeared in the
chat window at the event, but what I have done is highlighted each
reader's chat so that you can see the reactions but the presentation is
set apart.
(A small comment about my own story: this is something I wrote several
years ago in a different setting. I had no idea when I created the event
what I was going to do, and it was only about a week ago that I
realized that it would work here. It's a complete rewrite, but a very
easy one, given that all of the pieces have been in place for years.)
Also: SubRoc was true to his word, and produced a story like no other.
Well, except... Whatever it was, it had me laughing, and I would
strongly recommend reading it, even stories or the topic are not your
thing.
[Chie]: Valentine's Day always is painted as
wonderful day of love, but sometimes love is not so wonderful. Or the
wonder is with a cost, and I wished to hear stories of this. Chie looks at her notes [Chie]: The first to tell story will be Wolfcry, if he is? Chie looks around *Boom-Booms sighs with a happy look on his face Wolfcry clears his throat and nods to Chie. "Sure, if that's what you want." Chie nods. "Welcome, and yes, please." Eikki finishes the massage. No chat command or script named "cist" available. SubRoc dabs at his eyes [*Boom-Booms]: I owe you my life Eli. Do you want a taco? [Eikki]: Sure.. Wolfcry glances around, then spreads his arms slightly. "I'll just stay right here while I tell it, if no one minds." Chie nods at Wolfcry Fortune gazes over toward the speaker. Wolfcry folds his hands loosely behind his back, as he begins. [Wolfcry]: Francesco was a good man, and
Graziana knew that without a doubt. He was a blacksmith in their
hometown of Firenze, making the finest horseshoes and strongest swords
he could manage. [Wolfcry]: He would never be known as the
best or greatest blacksmith in all of Italy, or even in Firenze itself,
but that didn’t matter to him. He simply wanted to be an honest man, a
dependable man. What he wanted most of all, however, was to be a great
husband to Graziana. Krogen crosses his hands behind his back and listens intently to the bardic trade with a heavy heart. [Wolfcry]: The blacksmith created beautiful
gifts for his wife. Pewter candle holders and cutlery. Shining jewelry.
He had crafted their wedding rings in his forge, and he counted them
among his greatest achievements. [Wolfcry]: In one room of their home, there
was a collection of metal toys for the baby they were hoping to
conceive. Francesco dreamed of the day he would be a loving father to
his children. *Boom-Booms hands Eli one of the many Tacos he seems to have in his pockets Eikki whispers a thanks so as not to interrupt the story. [Wolfcry]: They were happy. She was kind. He was devoted. Need more be said? [Wolfcry]: Yes. Morado cracks a grin and nods. [Wolfcry]: The year was 1347 and a new
disease had recently arrived from China. It was the most horrible
disease that anyone had ever seen. Outwards from the ports, into the
cities and the Italian countryside it moved, killing men, women and
children with no discrimination. [Wolfcry]: Church bells rang day and night, as it was the hope of many that the sound would drive out the wickedness. [Wolfcry]: Others thought even the smell of
the dead carried the disease, and so they walked about with scented
handkerchiefs over their faces. Incense burned everywhere. It mingled
with the stench of death. Wolfcry pauses a moment, clearing his throat
again. His tone is even, with a nondescript, accessible accent for all
to understand. [Wolfcry]: One afternoon, Graziana felt a
fever. She retired to her bedroom to take a nap, and when she awoke that
evening she discovered a boil the size of an egg in her groin. There
was swelling under her armpits. She knew that the Black Death had found
her. [Wolfcry]: In the kitchen, Francesco was
preparing dinner. From the bedroom, Graziana screamed. She shouted for
him to leave immediately. She had caught the illness and everyone knew
there was no cure, no hope. She demanded that her husband run to save
himself. [Wolfcry]: All sounds from the kitchen
stopped. Graziana lay in her bed, listening to the silence of the house.
Then, after a time, pots and pans began to clink and clatter, almost
loud enough to muffle the sobs coming from Francesco. [Wolfcry]: Her heart ached for him, but she knew she could not comfort him. [Wolfcry]: The clanking continued for quite
some time, then finally stopped. To her dismay, she heard Francesco’s
footfalls as he came down the hall towards their bedroom. She yelled and
cursed at him, insisting he stay away, but he still appeared in the
doorway with some pasta and wine. [Wolfcry]: Francesco entered the room,
telling her she would feel better if she ate, even just a little. He set
the food and drink down, sat beside her on the bed. She stared at him
incredulously, even more so when moved to kiss her. [Wolfcry]: Graziana tried to pull away. She
punched and slapped, but her husband used his blacksmith’s strength to
keep her close. She was kissed, firmly and with purpose and at length.
Soon enough, the reality set in, and she fought no longer. He had chosen
his fate, and there was nothing to be done about it. Wolfcry glances through the crowd as he speaks, gauging reactions and interest as he goes along. Umbra-Larua watched intently. [Wolfcry]: The couple ate a little, drank a
little, and lay down together. The last thing Graziana saw that night
was his sleeping face, and when she awoke the next morning, there he
remained. [Wolfcry]: Her fever was already terrible.
Francesco calmly touched a forming dark spot on her skin. Graziana wept,
and Francesco held her. By afternoon, she fell into the worst of it. Krogen nods to Wolfcry to go on holding his composure. [Wolfcry]: For three days, Graziana went
about dying horrendously. He continued to hold her and care for her. He
told her stories of swans and miracles and great loves. Of beauty and
passion. [Wolfcry]: On the third night, Francesco was
woken by her tortured breathing. He turned her face to his. Her gaze
was glazed and already distant, her skin sickeningly pale. Wolfcry takes in a slow breath, his arms falling to his sides from their previous position. [Wolfcry]: Francesco mustered a smile, and kissed his wife a final time. [Wolfcry]: He held his dead lover’s hand in
his, staring out the window at the moon. He was now deeply ill as well,
and it would not be long. [Wolfcry]: “La luna e tenera,” he murmured. The moon is tender. [Wolfcry]: Church bells rang incessantly in the distance. SubRoc bites his lip, stilling a quiver. Wolfcry steps back to the circle proper, falling silent. [Wolfcry]: ((Adapted from a short story within The Gargoyle, a novel by Andrew Davidson)) SubRoc applauds Wolfcry. *Boom-Booms nods slowly at Wolfcry Jinand claps for Wolfcry. Shay gives snaps. She's sure she's seen people wearing too much black do that. Zenocide leans over toward SubRoc to whisper. Iksian applauds Wolfcry. Umbra-Larua grins and then lightly claps for Wolfcry. Krogen tears silently fall from his eyes as he claps for Wolfcry. Ammonite rubs her eyes. Cen claps for Wolfcry. Chie bows her head to Wolfcry Morado claps along, conspicuously louder than most. SubRoc looks abashed at whatever Z just said and screws his face into a semi-gangster scowl. Lyrici applauds. Fortune nods at the speaker. Wolfcry inclines his head to Chie, offering kind smiles to the others who applaud. [Chie]: And what perfect music to end the story [Ammonite]: A nice happy ending. Chie blinks Chroi exhales softly, inclining her head to Wolfcry. *Boom-Booms holds out a coffee and taco for Vik Cen nods. "I like happy endings."
[Chie]: I believe Morado has a story for us now Arnbjorn looks at Jules and shakes his head. Philosophus cheers for Wolfcry. Philosophus cheers for Morado. Umbra-Larua shifts his attention to Morado. Eikki wipes tears from her eyes. Wolfcry smirks in Cen's general direction *Boom-Booms mumbles at Garvik, "I woke up with Tacos -everywhere-, you got to help me get them eaten...." Morado steps forward. "Right. Hello, everybody." [Chroi]: Well, chances are he likely would
have died anyway the way the Black Death was transmitted...him choosing
to spend his days with his love was romantic so neither were alone. Chie nods at Bryn [Chroi]: Florence had a 90% mortality rate during the Black Death. Eikki checks the messages on her phone. A moment later she blinks, and begins looking around anxiously. [SubRoc]: "I totally woulda made it." Arnbjorn mumbles back at Jules. "Get lost." Morado looks over the group with a wide smile. "This one's not so high-flung, I'm afraid, but maybe some of you can relate." Iksian 's face darkend during talk of the black death. [Zenocide]: I don't know why he didn't just punch it really hard. [Morado]: Not long ago, and not far from
here, there lived a man named Alex. Alex was a part-time burglar, an
occasional murderer, but most of all he was a full-time scoundrel. What
began his career of crime isn't very important. What matters is how it
ended: he met a woman. *Boom-Booms gives Garvik a long look and then just shakes his head before walking back to the wagon [Morado]: This wasn't just any arbitrary
woman, of course. Perhaps you or I wouldn't spot her in a crowd, but
Alex did. He saw her on some unremarkable day and was smitten. Morado holds up a hand. "And if this premise
sounds cliched to you, don't worry. This wasn't just love at first
sight, but it was also star-crossed. This woman was so pure and kind
that she would never associate with a seedy fellow like him. It was time
for Alex to clean up his life." [Morado]: So far so good, right? He did
honest work, made honest friends, and soon he was ready to approach this
woman. Of course, honest pay is often meager pay, and Alex feared he
still had no chance. [Morado]: "It won't matter if I do this just
once more," he told himself as he robbed a neighbor's home. And it was
true! Alex never broke into a house again, he won his woman's heart, and
gradually they began a life together. [Morado]: All was well, if modestly so. They
had a modest home full of modest belongings, and were modestly happy.
But Alex's passions were not modest. His love deserved more. SubRoc listens raptly to the man's tale. [Morado]: Now, do you all remember how I said our friend never broke into a house again? *Boom-Booms nods at the speaker Morado leans forward, grinning. "Well it's true. This time he mugged someone." [Morado]: "Just once more," Alex said as he
drew the knife from the fresh corpse. It wasn't his fault that the man
fought back. It also wouldn't be the last time he killed for cash. SubRoc snorts involuntarily. [Morado]: His love, bless her, never knew.
In the ensuing years she never knew how very hard Alex worked to give
her what she deserved, or how much blood he spilled along the way. She
didn't hear the cries of angry ghosts as they lurked around the couple. *Boom-Booms shakes his head, a sad look on his face [Morado]: They didn't mind, though. It was Alex they wanted. [Morado]: During the day, Alex was a decent
man, a pillar of society. During the day, Alex could lie. At night,
though, when everyone was asleep, he was left alone with his lies and
his ghosts. Wolfcry nods to himself as he listens. It's a subtly approving nod, but for what aspect it's hard to say. Bella-Mbriana waves at Grems. Morado spreads his hands hopelessly. "And
what could he do? Admit to his love of so many years that their life was
a farce? Beg forgiveness for crimes he refused to cease? In the end,
Alex could think of only one option." [Morado]: "Just once more," he said as he put the gun to his head. "Just once more." Baudolino frowns SubRoc suppresses another lip quiver and mops generally at his face. Zenocide nudged SubRoc with his elbow. *Boom-Booms looks over his shouler and smiles at Luce Morado leaves a measured silence before
concluding, "Most stories tell you that love makes you better. In the
end, though, it forces you to be honest." And with that he takes a step
back into the circle proper. Chie nods thoughtfully at Morado Umbra-Larua tilts his head and applauds lightly. Eikki smiles a bit and waves at Luce. SubRoc burst into applause. "Bravo!" [SubRoc]: *bursts Cen claps for Morado. Fortune nods at the speaker. Vanai smiles, tapping Shizuka on the shoulder and giving her a wave before clapping. [Chie]: Thank you, Morado Philosophus cheers for Morado. Krogen claps for Sighing Forest Spirit. Jinand claps for Morado. Krogen claps for Morado. Iksian applauds. Eikki looks around again. [Cen]: I thought that was a good morality tale, did you Ma'am? Morado performs a low, theatrical bow. What a ham. SubRoc applauds Morado. Wolfcry claps for Morado. Eikki retrieves the box from the table.
[Chie]: Lyrici has offered to tell her tale next. [Lyrici]: I think my own tale will not be so much by sadness stained, but for all that I hope you all will still be entertained. Cen glances at Nizu and shrugs. Chie smiles at Lyrici Krogen is glad he had brought his handkerchief with him today. Eikki just stands quietly. *Boom-Booms follows Eli with a look as he see her walk to where Garvik is standing Philosophus cheers for Lyrici. Lyrici starts a Travis-style alternating bass line tune in 4/4 on her nylon-string. Krogen claps for Lyrici. *Boom-Booms leans towards Luce to whisper a few words [Lyrici]: Dugan’s wife said ta him “Yer not gonna drink no more!” [Lyrici]: As all twenty stone of her crushed him down upon the floor. [Lyrici]: Dugan did as he always did, when crushed by his wife's fat [Lyrici]: He nodded and agreed, to keep from becomming flat. Morado tosses his head back and laughs. Lyrici adds a trill. Wolfcry smiles broadly at the performer SubRoc bops a bit to the rhythm. Umbra-Larua furrowed his brow and leaned across to Chie and whisper loudly. "She was made of stones?" [Lyrici]: But Dugan’s love for whiskey, won out over his fear of the wife [Lyrici]: And so, after three weeks dry, he was willin’ ta pay his life [Lyrici]: So late at night he sneaked and ran, the local pub to try Chie whispers to Manni [Lyrici]: He’d once again taste the amber stuff, even if it meant he'd die. Lyrici adds another trill. [Lyrici]: There his hand lovingly held his bottle when there came a mighty crash [Lyrici]: His wife charged through the door right at him, lookin’ his new love to smash. [Lyrici]: He swilled as much as he could, before her fist did meet his jaw Umbra-Larua nodded. *Boom-Booms shrugs [Lyrici]: He got the feeling he was flying, and stars were all he saw. Lyrici throws in a slightly fancier trill. [Lyrici]: He landed in a twisted heap, after smashing into the wall Morado claps along, grinning from ear to ear. [Lyrici]: She’d not gone for distance, or she’d have knocked him down the hall. [Lyrici]: But her rage was not abated, when she saw that in his hand [Lyrici]: The bottle sat unbroken, uncaring of her plan. Lyrici trills around a minor chord apeggio. [Lyrici]: She ran at him a-roaring, like some kind of animal wild [Lyrici]: And commenced to give him a beating, like an unruly child [Lyrici]: She used ever tool at her disposal, hands, elbows, knees and feet [Lyrici]: Three chairs, a vase and a table leg were also used to beat. Lyrici tosses in a rapid series of knocks on the guitar body. Lyrici then goes uptempo for the bridge. *Boom-Booms looks at Lyrici with a confused look on his face [Lyrici]: Well she clawed him, pawed him, held him down and gnawed him. [Lyrici]: Bitein' him, fightin' him, cussin’ him and spitin’ him. [Lyrici]: She smacked him, cracked him, and liked to never stop [Lyrici]: But the bottle didn’t crack, didn’t break, and didn’t spill a drop. Lyrici draws out the last chord to catch her breath. [Lyrici]: So she laid her hands upon him and with force she spun him ‘round [Lyrici]: And the last thing she remembers seeing was just a flash of brown. [Lyrici]: Seems the arm the held the bottle just swung around instead [Lyrici]: And the bottle that she made a foe, left a dent upside her head! SubRoc bops along, rapt. Lyrici ends on sudden note, and then starts back more slowly. [Lyrici]: Waking up and seeing her, all laid out upon the floor [Lyrici]: Dugan kissed the bottle and, drank it down, and wished for more. [Lyrici]: The pub gave the bottle a place of honor, and put it high up on a shelf [Lyrici]: He didn’t beat her with the bottle, the bottle beat her by itself! Lyrici slows down futher. Lyrici becomes almost romantic. [Lyrici]: Now when Dugan tell his wife that he’s going for a drink [Lyrici]: She looks up, smiles, and nods, while doing dishes in the sink. [Lyrici]: She still didn't like the bottle o' whiskey, thought it was a waste of glass Morado swsays along with the melody. [Lyrici]: But even Dugan's wife gave respect to something that could knock her on her ass. Lyrici finishes with a decending-scale flurry and a final trill. Lyrici bows to Lyrici. Chie grins and applauds lyrici Vanai claps her hands, a wide grin on her face. Krogen applauds Lyrici. SubRoc applauds Lyrici. Umbra-Larua applauds the woman and her song lightly. Cen claps for Lyrici. hamishbond applauds Lyrici. Wolfcry chuckles with a shake of his head, clapping as the song ends. Zumia waves at Diochra. Eikki resettles the box in her hands and claps for Lyrici. Philosophus cheers for Lyrici. *Boom-Booms chuckles and applauds Lyrici Fortune claps lightly. SubRoc bursts into a huge round of enthusiastic applause. Vanai smiles at Erin. Morado cheers for Morado. Shay gives light snaps. Morado cheers for everyone else too. (( Derp. )) Lyrici fiddles with the guitar that has again gone out of tune, despite her best efforts. Chie checks her notes [Zumia]: Hey Erin *smiles* [Diochra]: Ah, Zee! There you are! Sorry I'm late. [Zumia]: Glad you made it! [Chie]: thank you, Lyrici, I did enjoy Ammonite claps belatedly. [Zumia]: So how are you Erin?
I'm going to take the liberty of extracting Lyrici's verses separately.
Though the context is important to the telling, the song deserves to be
seen as a song also.
Dugan’s wife said ta him “Yer not gonna drink no more!”
As all twenty stone of her crushed him down upon the floor.
Dugan did as he always did, when crushed by his wife's fat
He nodded and agreed, to keep from becomming flat.
But Dugan’s love for whiskey, won out over his fear of the wife
And so, after three weeks dry, he was willin’ ta pay his life
So late at night he sneaked and ran, the local pub to try
He’d once again taste the amber stuff, even if it meant he'd die.
There his hand lovingly held his bottle when there came a mighty crash
His wife charged through the door right at him, lookin’ his new love to smash.
He swilled as much as he could, before her fist did meet his jaw
He got the feeling he was flying, and stars were all he saw.
He landed in a twisted heap, after smashing into the wall
She’d not gone for distance, or she’d have knocked him down the hall.
But her rage was not abated, when she saw that in his hand
The bottle sat unbroken, uncaring of her plan.
She ran at him a-roaring, like some kind of animal wild
And commenced to give him a beating, like an unruly child
She used ever tool at her disposal, hands, elbows, knees and feet
Three chairs, a vase and a table leg were also used to beat.
Well she clawed him, pawed him, held him down and gnawed him.
Bitein' him, fightin' him, cussin’ him and spitin’ him.
She smacked him, cracked him, and liked to never stop
But the bottle didn’t crack, didn’t break, and didn’t spill a drop.
So she laid her hands upon him and with force she spun him ‘round
And the last thing she remembers seeing was just a flash of brown.
Seems the arm the held the bottle just swung around instead
And the bottle that she made a foe, left a dent upside her head!
Waking up and seeing her, all laid out upon the floor
Dugan kissed the bottle and, drank it down, and wished for more.
The pub gave the bottle a place of honor, and put it high up on a shelf
He didn’t beat her with the bottle, the bottle beat her by itself!
Now when Dugan tell his wife that he’s going for a drink
She looks up, smiles, and nods, while doing dishes in the sink.
She still didn't like the bottle o' whiskey, thought it was a waste of glass
But even Dugan's wife gave respect to something that could knock her on her ass.
[Chie]: I have the next story. It is science
fiction, and I have had help with language. The parts that are not so
good, they are probably mine. [Diochra]: Glad to be here. Love yer outfit, as usual. [Diochra]: And I'm alright. Umbra-Larua looks toward Shizuka. Chie takes a small bow [Chie]: Amaya is the scent of honeysuckle in the evening cool. Shay gives preemtpive snaps for chie. [Chie]: So she was when we met, golden light
casting long shadows, and so she remains, four years after her passing,
and almost as long since I learned the depth of her deception. [Zumia]: I have never been here before today. Took some finding but i made it*gives Erin a smile* Umbra-Larua looks to his right at the two women talking. "Silence," he said softly but firmly. [Chie]: Understanding is a painful gift. [Chie]: In flower-infused evening air she
intercepted me as I left the research lab. Mori Amaya, she said. One of
the project's funders. [Chie]: Bowing, I introduced myself, Suzuki Riye, though she nodded with a slight smile as though she already knew. [Chie]: "Yoshido-sensei's brightest student," she said. [Chie]: I felt my face burn. "I am the least of the..." [Chie]: "No," she interrupted, with an edge.
"Yoshido-sensei is brilliant, but he is from an outdated tradition and
is unable to recognize a woman as having a mind that challenges his. I
have seen your work." [Zumia]: *nods and goes quite* [Chie]: "You are a physicist?" I asked. [Chie]: She nodded. "Was. Now, I invest. I believe you have reservations about the project. I would like to hear them." Morado cocks his head to one side as the story unfolds. Chie takes a breath and glances over the paper [Chie]: Over coffee, I explained my objections to the project theory. [Chie]: "The test results fit
Yoshido-sensei's solution, but I do not believe he has shown it to be
unique. What if the general case is unstable?" [Chie]: "Two questions," the woman asked. "Why would it matter, and why do you suspect this is the case?" [Chie]: "Our prediction is that the time
distortion remains contained in a small bubble," I replied, "but if our
understanding is flawed, how do we know that it will remain small? [Chie]: And because this solution seems - not elegant. There are variations away from the center that it does not predict. [Chie]: Yoshido-sensei dismisses these as irrelevant. Perhaps they are." [Chie]: "Then you know where to begin," she
said. "I would like to see you confirm his theory or show where he's
wrong before full testing. I will support you." Morado frowns quizzically. [Chie]: So we began to meet regularly,
usually at Mori's house. I worked late, and she critiqued me, often
finding fault, frequently praising my insight. [Chie]: She persuaded me to move into a spare room for efficiency. [Chie]: Her house, well outside the city,
was isolated in its own grounds - Mori was clearly wealthy - and we
would walk together in the evenings to talk over my work, dressing
warmly against the winter cold. [Chie]: When the honeysuckle returned to
bloom, filling the air with its sweet, pervasive presence, I realized
that I was in love. [Chie]: I think Amaya was, too. [Chie]: As I look back on what was, and on what is to come - more than anything in my life I wish this to be true. Chie picks up her glass of water and takes a sip [Chie]: And I found what I sought in my work. Yoshido-sensei's work fit a special case of a higher-dimensional theory. [Chie]: If I were correct, his solution was highly unstable and potentially catastrophic. [Chie]: I requested a meeting with
Yoshido-sensei, but he again dismissed my concerns, visibly angry that I
had spent so much time questioning my work, and redefined my role to be
an observer, monitoring the experiment remotely. "A position of
safety," he said. [Chie]: Amaya took the news with a bleak expression. She seemed more upset than I, so I held her, and we comforted each other. [Chie]: This became the first night we spent
toghether, and Amaya became my first lover. She told me later that I
was her second, but her eyes filled with tears and she never spoke of
this again. [Chie]: That was the first time I saw her cry. The second, and last, was the night before the experiment. [Chie]: I supposed then that she worried for me. In a way I know this to be true, but at the time she would not explain. [Chie]: And so I was in my observation room,
my purgatory, denied both heaven and hell, when the experiment went as
horribly wrong as it could. [Chie]: I saw on the remote monitors the
time bubble form, a distortion in the air that blurred into a mirror
finish, then stretched beyond its containment markers. [Chie]: I slapped my emergency stop button,
but the project goal had always been for the bubble to become a
self-sustaining source of power, and it continued to grow, mirrored tail
lashing out, tearing through the equipment. [Chie]: Yoshido-sensei and his all-male team tried to approach the machine, but collapsed, faces becoming mottled and bloody. [Chie]: As I stood, clenching my fists in helpless panic, a movement on another monitor caught my eye. [Chie]: Amaya - my Amaya - dove towards the machine, something clutched in her hand. [Chie]: She threw the device before collapsing to the ground, and a moment later the monitors flared white. [Chie]: The sound of the explosion reached me a heartbeat later. Eikki gasps a bit at the story. Chie shuffles the top sheet of paper down and continues with the next [Chie]: The accident claimed most of the
project data along with the researchers. And Amaya, whose body with
theirs was too burned for autopsy. [Chie]: My conjecture is that the time
gradient disrupted blood flow and caused hemorrhaging. Closer in, the
effects were more extreme, and the volume was growing. Vanai chewed her lip. [Chie]: Had Amaya not sacrificed herself to
overload the bubble, burning it out before it consumed the lab, its
growth could not have been stopped. SubRoc brushes away something that must have gotten in his eye. [Chie]: I know that now, though my equations break down after our entire gravity well becomes a time-singularity. [Chie]: Amaya's will named me her sole heir
and beneficiary, which left me astounded. After the investigation, I was
more wealthy than I could ever have dreamed - and emptier than I could
have imagined. [Chie]: I threw myself into my work,
unencumbered by the project or financial concerns. Of an evening I would
sit outside in the ever-present sweet scent of honeysuckle, and
remember. Chie takes another sip of her water and blinks at the sheet Morado drags the sole of one shoe along the ground. Scuff scuff. [Chie]: I came to understand the mechanism of the bubble. The higher-order equations were elegant and quite beautiful. [Chie]: I found in them the weak point
during the bubble's expansion phase, and as a mind-experiment, thought
through what Amaya must have done to destroy it. [Chie]: I realized I could make the device
she used. But how would she have been able to know what was needed? No
one had considered the theory. [Chie]: As far as I was aware, with the end of the project, no one else in the world was working along the same lines. [Chie]: And who would know of a need to disrupt the bubble? Only... [Chie]: Only me. [Chie]: When understanding came, I was physically sick. [Chie]: I cowered, alone in my beautiful
house, for days, not able to face reality, burying myself in my bed. In
the bed we had shared. SubRoc feels the hairs on his neck rise, paying rapt attention. [Chie]: But in the end, I had no choice. I think I have never had one. Chie rubs her eyes and refocuses on the paper Fortune chews on her lip while watching the speaker intently. Morado rubs at his face to hide a grimace. [Chie]: It took several months for me to
find what I knew must be present in my theory, and several more to test
and assemble the equipment I need for a one-time connection. [Chie]: I have my disks with years of market data and sports results to build my fortune quickly. [Chie]: I have undergone some minor cosmetic
surgery, and allowed my hair to return to its native black. I have cut
honeysuckle from the grounds, enough that the room is fragrant, and that
will be the sense that I take with me as I step through the gateway. [Chie]: My notes are - shredded, mostly.
Hard drives wiped, and incendiary devices taped to the flimsy frame I
will pass through. [Akhenaten]: sounds like I got the shrooms just in time. [Chie]: I do not believe in suppressing
research, but in this, humanity must learn from someone other than me.
Perhaps the next time will end in catastrophe. [Chie]: And perhaps the paradox this causes will prevent it from happening. [Chie]: Perhaps the future must exist
because the past cannot be destroyed, and possibilities must converge on
a solution that permits this. [Chie]: Perhaps I am the sacrifice required by time. [Chie]: We all know that we are mortal. But
to have every day numbered, counting down to the fixed point beyond
which you will no longer be; to know what choices you are compelled to
make before that point... [Chie]: that is hard knowledge to wake up to every morning and take to bed every night. Chie takes a deep breath [Chie]: In a courtyard scented with
honeysuckle, I will meet a girl. I will become her first lover, and she
my second - and last. SubRoc sobs a bit. [Chie]: This is all there is. I hope it is enough. Chie bows her head Umbra-Larua applauds. Boom-Booms applauds . Eikki looks a bit perplexed. Fortune claps softly. Zumia claps for Chroi. Lyrici claps quietly. Shay gives snaps. Eikki applauds as well. Jinand claps for you. Morado applauds, still looking mildly baffled. Science, whoa. SubRoc stands silent and stunned, mouth agape. Cen cheers for you. Iksian claps. [hamishbond]: claps very slowly and solemnly Ammonite giggles at the finger-snapping. Stafie applauds. Philosophus cheers for you. [Cen]: What a splendid love story! Umbra-Larua looks a little stunned. [Cairn]: applauds. Hygeia applauds. [Ammonite]: I'm still a little confused, but it was a great telling. Cairn claps. Braidy claps, looking a little confused. [hamishbond]: talk about Self love, whoa! SubRoc looks at Chie with a look of great sadness. Chie nods at Jimmy. [Ammonite]: Oooooooooooooh... I get it now. That's kinda.... warped. Vanai smiles softly, wiping at her eyes. [Morado]: The love quarrels must be odd, yeah?
[Chie]: Subroc has offered the next story. He says it will be awesome, a story like no other Wolfcry looks up after a moment. He's been
clearly lost in thought after the story. His applause is delayed and
quiet, but still sincere. Zenocide rolls his eyes. [Shay]: ..I'm scared [Ammonite]: Talking to herself has a whole new meaning. Philosophus cheers for SubRoc. SubRoc dabs at his eyes and shuffles forward. He coughs a bit, and toes the ground. [Cairn]: grins, this should be good. [SubRoc]: Uh. Hello. As some of you may
know, my name is Rodrigo. Rodrigo Rodriguez. Sorry, I'm uh, feeling
pretty emotionally vulnerable right now, 'cause I'm about to lay bare
the some of the deepest personal wounds I bear. This is a 100% true
story that really happened to me called: Fortune snaps out of some thought or another and glances at the bald man. [SubRoc]: RODRIGO & JULIE [SubRoc]: While I hold myself out to be a
native New Yorker, I should confess that I actually grew up in Wyoming,
in a small hardscrabble oil town called um, Montgomery. My mother taught
in the local grade school and my father worked his way up in the oil
business, amassing a small fortune and eventually getting himself
elected mayor in the early 1980s. Command is missing parameters. Try "/help tell" to see the required parameters. [SubRoc]: Anyway, the next town over was a
shitty town called uh, Capstone. And make no mistake, we Montgomeries
hated the Capstonites. Not just because our high school football teams
were bitter rivals. But because of oil. Black Gold. Texas Tea. Yeah,
there was a giant shared deposit of oil under our respective towns. And
the Montgomeries and Capstonites fought bitterly over their efforts to
exploit the most of the oil deposit. Ammonite gives some light pre-emptive clapping. [SubRoc]: Just as an aside: the oil business
is super cutthroat and brutal. In fact, I will never forget the exact
words my father used to sum up the Montgomery-Capstone feud: Morado smiles suddenly. "Ha!" [SubRoc]: "Drainage! Drainage, Eli! You boy.
Drained dry. I'm so sorry. Here, if you have a milkshake, and I have a
milkshake, and I have a straw. There it is, that's a straw, you see? You
watching? And my straw reaches acroooooooss the room, and starts to
drink your milkshake! I... drink... your... milkshake! Slurp! I drink it
up!!" [Morado]: HA! [SubRoc]: Yeah, for some reason his nickname for me was Eli. Not sure what that was about. Anyway. Drainage. [SubRoc]: So if anyone has ever grown up in a
small town in Wyoming, then you know it was pretty boring, nothing to
do really except drink booze, drive around in Camaros, and throw toilet
paper at houses. So like, one day me and my best friend, uh, Freddie
Mercury (no relation) drove to Capstone to drink booze and TP some
houses. Because the Capstonites were pretty gangster, Mercury and I were
both packing some serious ILLEGAL GUNS. Super good ones. Like Glocks.
Not crappy Berettas. [Wynnifred]: romeo hillbilly [Shay]: Sh! [SubRoc]: So we got to Capstone and were at
this point pretty hopped up on peach schnapps and wine coolers and got
the idea to TP the Capstone mayor's house. We snuck over the hedges and
were really letting lose on that McMansion. But I guess we must have hit
a window because all of a sudden the most amazing-looking girl came to
the window all “WTF!” And I was all: [SubRoc]: But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? [SubRoc]: It is the east, and this chick is totally the sun. [SubRoc]: Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, [SubRoc]: Who is already sick and pale with grief, [SubRoc]: That thou her maid art far more fair than she: Chie frowns and whispers to Manni Grems scratches her head. [SubRoc]: Be not her maid, since she is envious; Ammonite rolls her eyes at the speaker and supressses a giggle. [SubRoc]: Her vestal livery is but sick and green [SubRoc]: And none but fools do wear it; cast it off. Umbra-Larua tilted his head and whispered back. SubRoc coughs and gathers his composure. [SubRoc]: Anyway as you can imagine she was
blown away and was all "OMG my name is Julie and I'm totally feeling
you." And I was all "fuck yeah! I'm Rodrigo, bro!" And she was like "how
come I never see you in school?" And I was like "dude I'm from
Montgomery!" Then she gets a look. Like an Eikki look plus like
crushing, hopeless sadness. And she's all: [SubRoc]: O Rodrigo, Rodrigo! wherefore art thou Rodrigo? Eikki blinks. Fortune facepalms. Grems smirks. Cen grins. [SubRoc]: Deny Montgomery and refuse thy football team; Shay snerks. Then remembers she's dark and gloomy today and goes bak to all srsly. Chie frowns at Manni and then opens her eyes wide. Vanai chuckles softly. [SubRoc]: Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, [SubRoc]: And I'll no longer be a Capstonite. [SubRoc]: Regardless, I chilled for a bit in
the yard talking up to her in the window. Mercury cleaned up the toilet
paper some to be nice while I played her some Peter Gabriel from a
boombox I held up over my head. It was getting pretty late and she was
getting super worried that Mercury and I were lingering there in
Capstone and honestly wondered how the hell we even got there. She was
all: [hamishbond]: "Oi!" [SubRoc]: How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore? [SubRoc]: The interstate is super bumpy and hard on the suspension, [hamishbond]: "DOBLER!" [SubRoc]: And this place death, considering who thou art, [SubRoc]: If any Capstonite football players find thee here. [SubRoc]: And I was all: Zenocide is slowly shaking his head as the story is told. [SubRoc]: In my bitchin’ Camaro did I o'er-drive here; [SubRoc]: For stony limits cannot hold love out, *Boom-Booms tries to suppres a chuckle [SubRoc]: And what love can do that dares love attempt; [SubRoc]: Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me. [Ammonite]: ((Zenocide... purple: not a good font colour. [SubRoc]: Anyway we were pretty trashed and
my boombox batteries were dying, warping "In Your Eyes" pretty badly and
it was getting close to dawn so I was all, “I gotta bounce,” and she
was all: Jinand lifts her fingers to her lips and tries her hardest not to laugh, mumbling an 'Oh, shit...' Morado gives up on suppressing his own laughter. Chie is grinning [SubRoc]: Sweet, so would I: [SubRoc]: Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. [SubRoc]: Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow, Umbra-Larua whispers to Chie. [SubRoc]: That I shall say good night till it be morrow. [SubRoc]: So Mercury and I get back in the
Camaro and we're ready to break the hell out when Julie’s douchebag
brother comes tearing out of the house and bumrushes the car with a
sawed-off. Mercury was all “COME AT ME BRO,” and Tyrone was all: [SubRoc]: You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, and you [SubRoc]: will give me occasion. [SubRoc]: Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries Chie shrugs. [SubRoc]: That thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw. [SubRoc]: Anyway me and Mercury reach under
our seats for our ILLEGAL GUNS but we aren’t fast enough and Tyrone is
like chk-chk BOOM and totally blasts Mercury. As you can guess Mercury
was pretty fucking pissed about the situation, dying from a sucking
chest wound and all: [SubRoc]: Help me into some house, Rodrigo, Ammonite is shaking from suppressed laughter. [SubRoc]: Or I shall faint. A plague o' both your houses! [SubRoc]: They have made worms' meat of me: I have it, Umbra-Larua looks back to SubRoc, listening intently. [SubRoc]: And soundly too: your houses! Shay smirks. All srsly and moody like. Wolfcry raises a hand to rub at his
forehead. He's really making a poor attempt at masking the amused grin
on his face as he listens. By the time his hand drops, he's back down to
a smile. [SubRoc]: I was seriously bummed too,
cradling his head on my lap and looking up at the sky and screaming
"NOOOOOO" and then getting contemplative and smoothing his hair as he
coughed his last lifeblood out: [SubRoc]: This gentleman, Whitesnake's biggest fan, [SubRoc]: My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt [SubRoc]: In my behalf; my reputation stain'd [SubRoc]: With Tyrone's slander,--Tyrone, that an hour [SubRoc]: Hath been my bro! O sweet Julie, [SubRoc]: Thy beauty hath made me effeminate [hamishbond]: WHITESNAKE! reallly??? [SubRoc]: And in my temper soften'd valour's steel! [DJ-Fox]: Shhhh Umbra-Larua looks to Jimmy. "Silence." [SubRoc]: It was man-up time! I grab my
ILLEGAL GUNS and do like an awesome slow-mo jump away from something
that exploded right near me for whatever reason, firing them both
holding them sideways and Tyrone is all like “ARRRRRRR” in a slo-mo
voice while he bucks about from the impact of a hail of bullets to the
chest. Pwnt. [Morado]: Womp-womp. Cen grins. [SubRoc]: When I realized what deep shit I
was in I was like: “O, I am fortune's fool!” and got back in the Camaro
and hauled ass back to Montgomery. Shay laughs. She can't help it. Shay laughs. [SubRoc]: After that Julie and I went on a
couple of dates but honestly she had kind of an annoying laugh and I
wasn’t really digging her so we broke up. We sorta promised each other
we’d stay friends but yeah, you know how that works. [SubRoc]: I Googled her the other day and
found her Facebook page. Turns out she’s in Madison, Wisconsin teaching
literature. And I’m pretty badass. So I guess it kind of worked out in
the end. Nizu glances about, half expecting the need
to fend off an angry zombie Shakespeare. Turning over in the grave
probably isn't enough. [Morado]: You dodged a bullet, mate! [SubRoc]: Except for the nano-bug part. Jinand is totally speechless. SubRoc coughs again, looking down, trembling a bit from the emotion. Chie laughs Eikki cheers for SubRoc. *Boom-Booms starts a slow-clap for SubRoc Umbra-Larua lightly applauds Subroc [SubRoc]: "Anyway, that's my story." Zenocide gives a slow clap. Jinand cheers for SubRoc. Wolfcry claps slowly along with Boom Cairn claps for Sighing Forest Spirit. [Zenocide]: That was fucking epic. Shay gives snaps. with BOTH hands. Cen claps for SubRoc. Fortune lowers her eyelids. Morado whoops and claps. You cheer for SubRoc. Ammonite falls over laughing. Iksian claps for SubRoc. Zumia claps for SubRoc. Philosophus cheers. Jinand nods in agreement. "Stellar. So fucking stellar." Grems claps for SubRoc. Diochra laughs hysterically. Cairn claps for SubRoc. [*Boom-Booms]: That touched me man. Deep in here. Vanai laughs and claps. Braidy gives up trying not to laugh, shaking her head. *Boom-Booms puts a hand on his chest hamishbond cheers for SubRoc. Jinand rubs SubRoc's back. "It's okay. Let it out, big guy." Morado tries to start a chant. "Ro-dri-go! Ro-dri-go!" Diochra claps for SubRoc. SubRoc dabs at his eyes and looks at the floor, nodding in appreciation for the well wishes [Chie]: That was - unexpected, SubRoc. And yes, it was a story like no other. Thank you. Ammonite sits up, still shaking a bit, and wipes her eyes. "That was great."
Dr. Phineas Phlux, known to us all as DJ Quantum, penned a story
specially for the event, but realized that he wouldn't be able to read
it for us. Manni Graham ("Umbra-Larua") graciously agreed to read the
story for him.
[Chie]: Dr. Phlux, DJ Quantum, has written a story for us [hamishbond]: "SUBROC SUBROC SUBROC!!!!!" [Zumia]: Well that was a story i was not expecting [Shay]: whoo! [Chie]: Unfortunately, he was not able to be here Jinand hands SubRoc a tissue. Shay calms down, goes bak to srsly. "I mean.. whoo." [Chie]: I have asked Manni to read, and he has agreed, so Manni will be next. Vanai bumps her hip into Seanne, grinning. Umbra-Larua moves to stand, pulling some
papers out from his pocket. He looked down at them his eyes straining,
but then removed his glasses and placed them in a hardcase which he
tucked away in a pocket. Shay laughs, bumps back. [Ammonite]: pffts at Shay, with an amused look. Umbra-Larua looks across the people,
narrowing his eyes as they blur to him. "This tale is titled 'Cure' and
it has been written by Doctor. If you enjoy it, do tell him." Umbra-Larua looks back down, clears his throat and begins. [Umbra-Larua]: A lifetime spent, or wasted
if you asked some, creating what lay on the table before him. A
creature, unlike any other, sublime in its perfection, not mechanical,
nor entirely flesh, but an amalgam of both. She, for he thought of his
creation as female, had started as a mere thought experiment, but even
those can take on a life of their own. Many years later, the scientist
beheld the ultimate conclusion of that experiment. [Umbra-Larua]: An injection of chemicals,
and the her eyes slowly fluttered, then opened. Sitting up on the table
the creature beheld the stark white laboratory that was the place of her
birth, then her eyes fell upon her creator. A long, awkward pause, then
she spoke his name, with tears in her eyes. Her mind, programmed with
the knowledge of a lifetime, recognized who the man looking at her was. [Umbra-Larua]: They stared at each other for
many long moments, then the scientist spoke. His voice was soft and
gentle: he inquired about how she felt, asked questions to ascertain
that her mind was as it should be, and then, when this was done, they
ate together. The rest of the day passed in a blur, with much
conversation about the outside world, and surprisingly to the scientist,
conversations about himself and what had led him to build her. [Umbra-Larua]: As the day waned, the
scientist showed his creation to the room he had prepared for her, a
lavish suite with clothing and elegant furniture. She was taken aback by
the luxury he afforded her, but accepted gratefully and graciously.
That night she dreamed of a void filled with a billion bright pinpoints
of white light, one of which was her, and the other her scientist. [Umbra-Larua]: The next day, the scientist
took his creation out into the world. He wanted her to see the sights of
the city and experience life as most people do. They went shopping. She
enjoyed this greatly, trying on a myriad of colorful outfits before
picking two she liked. Then she insisted her scientist do the same; with
some grumbling he acquiesced. Eventually he left with a dapper white
suit that both of them liked. [Umbra-Larua]: Afterward the scientist took
his creation to the movies. He selected the film at random, choosing
something non-violent that she might enjoy. It turned out to be a
romantic comedy. She did not understand all the humor at first, so in
whispers the scientist explained the nuances to her, which resulted in
several fits of giggling. Her voice was like music to him, and he adored
the sound of her laughter. After the movie, they ate at a quiet
restaurant where the creation saw a couple who were obviously in love
and kissed several times while they were there. [Umbra-Larua]: It had been a long day, so
the creation wished the scientist a good evening and went to lay down.
As she prepared for bed, a strange sensation came over her, followed by a
moment of vertigo, but it quickly passed and she crawled into her
spacious bed, quickly drifting off to sleep. She dreamed again, the same
dream as before, but this time the lights were all slightly bigger and
brighter, except the light she knew was her creator. That one seemed
dimmer for some reason. [Umbra-Larua]: The next day at breakfast,
the scientist noted a strange look in his creation's eyes. He started to
ask her about it, but thought better of it, and instead simply spoke to
her of their outing yesterday and made small talk. After a time, she
put down her utensils and stared at the scientist for several long
moments before simply stating, “I love you.” The scientist for his part
managed not to drop the glass of orange juice he had been drinking as
this revelation was blurted across the table. [Umbra-Larua]: There was a long pause that
went well beyond even what could be called an awkward silence. It seemed
to go on for an eternity, before the scientist replied, his voice full
of emotion, “I love you too.” There was no awkwardness, they stepped
from the table and rushed to each other to embrace and kiss. It was a
clumsy kiss, as neither really had experience with doing so, but what it
lacked in finesse, was more than made up for with passion. [Umbra-Larua]: The scientist felt a twinge
of guilt. This was after all his creation, only days old. She only knew
what he had programmed her to know and that which she had picked up
since coming to life. Was he taking advantage of her? He thought perhaps
he might be, and started regretting his own confession of love to her.
As if sensing this, she took his hand and lead him upstairs to her room.
He began to protest, but she places a finger on his lips and shook her
head, then began to undress him. Umbra-Larua smirked. [Umbra-Larua]: Sometime much later, she got
up and quietly padded downstairs to get some water. She was in the
kitchen when the wave of vertigo hit. This time it was worse and she
nearly fell to the floor, saving herself only by dint of grasping the
counter. She closed her eyes and the dizziness passed. She drank her
water then went back to bed, yet again having the same dream, though
once more the lights were brighter, all but her scientist's. [Umbra-Larua]: The following day they spent
together, not as the scientist and his creation, but as a couple. They
walked in the park and then had a picnic, they fed the ducks in the pond
nearby, then went to see another movie, a comedy this time. The
scientist selected it solely so he could hear her laughter, which made
him happier than any other sound in his life had previously. They ended
the day alone together, exploring each others' bodies to quiet music and
candlelight, falling asleep in each others' arms. Ammonite pulls out her phone and looks at it... shakes it a couple times, glares and then stuffs it back in her pocket. [Umbra-Larua]: The days flew by in a state
of bliss for the scientist, and also for his creation. So caught up in
each others' love that neither saw what was coming. She had noticed the
dizzy spells getting worse, and the nose bleed concerned her, but it
stopped almost as soon as it started. She felt it was a trivial matter
not worth bothering her creator and lover about. When it finally
happened in his presence, they were dancing and she felt the vertigo hit
her like an avalanche. Just as the feeling reached its peak, she felt a
warm trickle running down her nose and across her lips, tasting the
coppery flavor of blood on her tongue. Then the world went black. SubRoc watches Manni with misty eyes. [Baudolino]: Oh God, blood! [Umbra-Larua]: "Silence!" Umbra-Larua looks back to the paper and continues. [Umbra-Larua]: She drifted among the
pinpoints of light, in the dream again. This time she could not see her
scientist, and the other lights were each as bright as tiny suns, though
the brilliance was warm and comforting rather than painful. There was
something new as well, a dazzling brilliance that seemed to be an
opening like a tunnel made of light. It called to her, but she resisted
it's lure, as something warned her that she would never see her creator
again if she entered it. As she recoiled from the tunnel there was the
feeling of something snapping into place and once again the world went
dark. [Umbra-Larua]: Her eyes fluttered open and
she immediately knew where she was, the lab where she had been created
in the first place. She was laying on the bed where she had first opened
her eyes and, as before, as she looked over there the scientist was, in
his labcoat, watching her as she awoke. This time he looked very
different. He looked old and haggard; his eyes were red and sunken. She
knew something was dreadfully wrong. [Umbra-Larua]: A small smile came to the
scientist's face as he saw her awaken, but then it faltered. Now he had
to face the dilemma he had been agonizing over since she had fallen
unconscious several days ago, whether to tell her that she was dying. He
had been sure of the calculations when constructing her brain but,
nevertheless, something had gone wrong and her brain was degrading
rapidly. She had only been alive for a few weeks and would only live for
a few more. [Umbra-Larua]: He started to speak, to tell
her, but then she smiled in that special way that filled him with such
joy and immediately he decided he simply couldn’t. She didn’t need to
know or fret about it; he would try to save her and, failing that, make
her last few days as enjoyable as possible. The scientist helped his
creation off the lab table and suggested she get dressed. She got up and
as she dressed watched her scientist even as he watched her. The
feeling that something was amiss seemed almost palpable in the air, yet
she refused to ask him, trusting that he would tell her if she needed to
know. [Umbra-Larua]: The couple seemed to settle
back into their previous routine. They spent many hours together,
dancing, laughing, talking and enjoying intimate moments when they
could. However the scientist would sneak into his lab whenever she would
rest and would desperately work on trying to understand what had gone
so terribly wrong. All his experiments and all his tests reached the
same horrifying conclusion, their love was killing her. [Umbra-Larua]: As absurd as it sounded, it
was all there in his calculations. Her brain, as beautiful as it was
constructed, could not bear the constant impulses and flood of chemicals
brought about by the complexities of love, it was literally burning out
her mind. Therein was the solution, the cure that would save her life.
But the cost would be so high, would it be worth it? It only took him a
fraction of second to reach the answer for that question. Anything.
Anything to save her. SubRoc gives an involuntary sob. [Umbra-Larua]: The next day the scientist
set his plan into motion. At breakfast he had a newspaper, which he
steadfastly read as his creation chattered away pleasantly to him, as
she always did. He did not reply, rather he seemed to ignore her in
favor of the paper. She understood of course and finished her breakfast
in silence. Later that day she asked if they could go on a picnic. He
declined, telling her that he was simply too busy in his lab. Then at
the day's end, she wished for him to make love to her, he refused
claiming he felt unwell. Morado quirks a brief smile. [Umbra-Larua]: As days passed, he began to
pull away from her, not even showing up at meals and staying deep within
his lab, seemingly engrossed in some experiment or other. When she
wanted to do something with him, he made an excuse, when she wanted to
be intimate, he was never there. After several days of this, he examined
her again, taking several blood sample. Unlike his previous
ministrations which were gentle and kind, this time he was cold and
clinical in a way that hurt her feelings. Fortune tugs at her sleeve as she listens. Eikki dabs at her eyes. [Umbra-Larua]: Mixed emotions swirled around
the scientist, he was elated at the test results, his “treatment” was
working. As he pulled away from her, her brain had started to stabilize;
the nosebleeds had even stopped. She would live if he continued in his
present course of action. But he hated it so, it tore at his heart every
time he feigned disinterest in her, and the look in her eyes when he
finished his last examination made him feel like he was dying inside. [Zumia]: wipes away a tear [Umbra-Larua]: He kept up the charade, and
increased his efforts, being cruel to her whenever she made a mistake.
During lunch she spilled her drink, he yelled at her, calling her
clumsy. When she wished to go out, he replied that he had better things
to do than babysit her. She cried and fled. So did he. It hurt him as
much as it did her, but he refused to relent. To save her, he would
destroy her love for him. [Umbra-Larua]: The killing blow came late
one night after supper. She went to bed early after suffering another
coldly silent meal with the man she had once adored. She sat alone in
her bed chamber until she heard the scientist go into his own adjoining
room and shut the door to sleep. She crept into his room and slipped
silently into bed with him, then woke him gently and began to kiss him,
like she once had, and to her surprise and joy he returned it. For a
moment, then the moment was gone as he roughly pushed her away. He
called her a useless creature, informing her that he'd had his fun with
her body and was done with her, then yelled for her to leave his room at
once. [Umbra-Larua]: She fled as commanded, tears
streaming down her face as she sobbed. Once his own door was closed, he
too began to weep, burying his face in his hands to muffle the sounds of
his anguish at the cruelty he had felt force to inflict on the woman he
loved above all else. After many hours he reclined back into his bed
and drifted off into a restless and dreamless sleep. Eikki gasps softly, lifting a hand to her mouth in an emotional gesture. Grems stomps her foot in anger. SubRoc mops at his face, swallowing. [Umbra-Larua]: The next day the scientist
was at breakfast as normal, paper in hand, ready to continue his
charade. He dreaded this, he wanted so badly to tell her it was all a
sham, a lie that he felt forced to act out to save her life. But, as
much as he longed to undo the damage he had done and hold her in his
arms again, he felt that last night had done irreparable damage and that
even if he found another cure for what was killing his creation,
nothing would ever be the same. [Umbra-Larua]: He sat in the silence with
these thoughts running through his head for quite a long time, before he
realized she hadn't come down to join him. He presumed she had taken
breakfast elsewhere in the large sprawling house that they shared but
something was nagging in the back of his mind, a tiny feeling of dread
that urged him to check on her anyway. He wandered the house checking
her usual haunts, but there was no sign of her anywhere. That feeling of
ominous dread increased as he began to search for her in earnest. Then
he came to her bedroom and opened the door slowly so as not to disturb
her in whatever she might be doing. Cecily shivers [Umbra-Larua]: He stepped into the room
slowly, the light from the hallway spilling into the dim chamber and
illuminating her still form on the bed. Then he saw the crimson stains
everywhere, and one of his scalpels loosely clutched in her lifeless
hand. He had gravely underestimated her love for him, and in trying to
save her with his cruel facade, had killed her, as surely as if he had
bled her out himself. Eikki still has her hand pressed tight to her mouth and shakes her head. [Umbra-Larua]: Whatever was still left of
his already broken heart fell to tatters in that moment of realization
as did his world and his sanity. Walking to her body he leaned down and
pressed one final kiss to her cold lips, as he took the scalpel from her
fingers and lay down in the bed beside her. He was beyond tears, beyond
grief, and soon, he would be beyond pain. As he felt the warm red life
flow out of himself, he drifted into a dream. In this dream he saw a
billion tiny pinpoints of brilliant white light. She was one of them and
had been waiting for him. They embraced together and moved towards a
tunnel of golden radiance which beckoned them both. Wolfcry gives a grim little nod at that. [Zumia]: looks sad with tears in her eyes Umbra-Larua looks up from the paper. "The End." Wolfcry claps for Umbra-Larua. Cen claps for Umbra-Larua. Jinand claps for Umbra-Larua. Shay gasps. Morado claps politely. Anokatos claps politely. Iksian claps for Umbra-Larua. Eikki sniffles as tears spill over her cheeks. *Boom-Booms clears his throat, as if lacking words, and slowly claps Fortune claps for Q via proxy of the blonde boy and peers at the ground. hamishbond claps. [Zumia]: takes out a hankie and wioes her eyes Umbra-Larua folds the paper and tucks it away. "When you see Doctor, you all tell him your thoughts on his story." Sunlight claps for Iksian. [SubRoc]: oh my god )) Lyrici applauds while turning her head a bit. SubRoc bursts into uproarious applause. Ammonite clasp [Chie]: Thank you Manni, and Phineas, of course. Umbra-Larua nods. [Ammonite]: claps* [hamishbond]: thats messed up Eikki rubs at her eyes, that still spill tears. [Zumia]: dabs away her tears them puts the hankie away Cecily cheers for the storyteller, heavily disguised by her hat and sunglasses. Shay gives a few tentative snaps.
[Chie]: Fortune will read something for us next. Chie looks around Fortune tries to fight off stage-fright as
she shuffles toward the center. "...Today my therapist declared that
this tale should be shared." Umbra-Larua looks to the next storyteller, narrowing his eyes so she is less blurry. Jinand blinks a couple times. Fortune glances nervously about at the crowd. "I'm... not good at sharing grief, so this story will be brief." Cen peers at Fortune trying to memorize her face. [Fortune]: A girl traveled in July to meet
the apple of her eye But instead, she found a note, and this is what her
bethrothed wrote: [Fortune]: "Hon, your smile's bright as dawn, but when you see this I'll be gone. [Fortune]: Even though our time was fun, it's time for me to up and run. Eikki cradles the box in her arms and tries to dry her eyes. [Fortune]: I've found another heart that's true. So sorry that it isn't you. [Fortune]: Oh, PS: Up on the shelf I left some biscuits. Help yourself!" Morado shakes his head and smiles. "Hnf." [Fortune]: In two weeks they were to wed, but now her heart and soul were dead. [Fortune]: She ripped the note and burned the house that belonged to her would-be spouse. [Fortune]: And then the girl ran far away because she knew she could not stay. Cen grins. [Fortune]: She Lamented to the sky above for finding the cruel truth of love: [Fortune]: Love is terror, love's a lie. Love will haunt until you die. [Fortune]: Love is evil. Love's despair. It always cheats, does not play fair. [Fortune]: Love is sorrow, love is pain. It binds you with it's heavy chain. [Fortune]: Love's just an exuse, you see to hurt someone quite terribly. [Fortune]: Now true love was understood ...though the biscuits were quite good. Morado nods along, looking supremely satisfied. Cecily chuckles Fortune peers around at the crowd as the tale ends and shrugs apologetically. "Though not a lot, that's all I got." Umbra-Larua applauds. SubRoc bursts into applause! Morado applauds Fortune. Iksian claps. Shay laughs and snaps. SubRoc cheers for Fortune. Sunlight claps. Chie cheers [Zumia]: claps for Fortune Cecily claps for Fortune, still smiling Wolfcry claps for Fortune. *Boom-Booms nods, a small smile on his face, and applauds Blair [Chie]: Thank you, Fortune! Cen claps for Lyrici. Fortune nods softly. [Cen]: ((derp))
I have to apologize here, that I missed capturing part of the story.
(Please, please, can we have chat logging?) I had been faithfully
marking sections when I copied them, but when the final story was read
there was far more chat than I'd realized, and my last marker had
scrolled off. Fortunately, Iksian still had the text available, but
there is a little audience reaction missing right at the end.
[Chie]: We have one more story, from Iksian. Chie nods to Iksian Wolfcry glances over his shoulder at Fortune after she's retreated. He offers a reassuring smile to her. [Iksian]: "Hello everyone." he smiles
brightly, yellowed teeth flashing rather crudely. "I won't keep you all
much longer...but to begin my name is as the young lady said...Iksian.
And I have lived, no, existed for a long time. I have many stories to
choose from. Love, being the strange fluid that it is, has filled and
emptied my heart many times in my life time. Unrequited for the nature
of my being." Wolfcry turns back to the next storyteller, brow raising slowly at something, eyes narrowing slightly. [Iksian]: "With such a new, young audience
present I decided to share one particular story still fresh on my mind.
One that I hope you will carry with you as a reminder of the burden you
carry." Fortune glances at Wolfcry a moment, then back at the speaker. [Iksian]: ((yippy! sorry)) Umbra-Larua raises a brow. Gentle looks interested at the speaker. Cecily watches the storyteller with intent Wolfcry smirks, crossing his arms with chin slightly raised, ready to hear it. [Iksian]: "It was in the early prohibition
era in America. New York was dry and I had made quite a bit of money as a
moonshiner. I had a friend. A fellow secret worlder who was a doctor.
He was bright, hopeful, full of ideas and dreams to radical to make
reality. I admired his enthusiasm and his spirit. But back then I was
jaded. To many years. To many losses. The world then was dark and I
simply existed to carry on a duty I thought was mine until the end of
time." [Iksian]: "However we both met a girl then.
She knew little of the world we lived in. And we both fell hard for her.
However being what I am I stood by as he engaged the young lady. She
had hair like the sun and a studder that popped up every time she tried
to talk excitedly. She didn't like me much and I could understand why. I
didn't blame her. But I wanted to be there. For her, for him." [Iksian]: "They were a light at the end of a
long tunnel. A hope that things could be better. That this world
wouldn't swallow all things whole. We continued on our work. They got
married. I was the best man and By God what a wonderful wedding. But
work continued. We delved into the strange, the wicked, and we helped
those who had lost hope. I started to believe again." Ammonite pulls out her phone again and sighs, muttering something in a middle-east sounding language. Wolfcry looks right. Gentle eyes Chie with a frown on his face and after a while starts throwing little twigs at her, to get her attention. [Iksian]: "But this life...it has a habit of
swallowing things. It consumes us when we least expect it. It was
another night after we'd returned home from south africa. He had
suffered a rather serious injury while we were aiding the natives there
from a beast we couldn't quite identify before it fled into the woods. I
was in my lab when I heard the scream. I rushed as soon as I could to
the kitchen where I saw him. Face twisted, eyes wide like the devil
pulled his lids open, a smile from a carnival's twisted memories. His
hands were around her throat. She didn't know what was going on. We'd
done well to hide the life from her but we never anticipated it
following us home." Sunlight yawns. Cecily would love to hear the end of the story but gets a phone call and runs off. Umbra-Larua looks back at John with narrowed eyes. Eikki looks worried as she listens. Chie glances to her right [Iksian]: "We never thought that it would
get to one of us. I managed to pull him off. During the fight I managed
to pull him off. His skin was discolored, his laughter was inhuman. I
did what I'd been taught to do. I told her to run, to head upstairs and
lock the door and not to come out." [Iksian]: "I took him out back and...the
death was messy. The clean up was worse. Each chop of the ax tore into
my heart. I looked up and there she was in the window. Staring down at
me. The police later got involved but things quieted down. She...never
recovered from the incident. She wasted away at her mothers home.
Refused to eat, refused to sleep. Eventually it caught up with her." [Iksian]: He clears his throat. "I'm here
because I was unable to move on. She died because she was unable to move
on. What I'm saying right now is we have to be careful with our hearts.
Learn when to follow it, and when it might be best to step back. Duty
and this life. It can swallow us all. And our hearts can become torn to
bits by the maelstrom of it all." (A couple of lines of reaction from the logs are missing here.
Question reconstructed from Wolfcry's recollection; after that logs
continue.) Wolfcry speaks up suddenly, his question coming out almost as a statement. "How long?" Iksian: How long? Wolfcry: How long have you been alive. Sunlight claps for Iksian. Umbra-Larua dips his head in a nod at the whispered words. [Iksian]: "Around." he said lightly. "When I
was alive, I was a plague doctor." he nods to Wolfcry, then he nods to
the rest before he walks back. Cen frowns at the rude question. [Wolfcry]: Around, then. Wolfcry shrugs, seemingly satisfied with the answer. Hazel eyes shift to Cen, settling firmly.
