Give Core MembershipThe crime scene had not changed. Reinald watched Fourteen kneel besides the chalk outline, and with her back to them, extent a crooked forearm alongside it, as if measuring the length. None of them spoke as Anna and Reinald left her to it to look over the bullet, burns and teeth, trying to anticipate what sort of mystery was meant to be set up despite them all knowing the ending already.
"Hey, so… whenever we've done whatever we're supposed to, we're going to get divided again," Flume said after a time.
"Most likely," Reinald agreed.
"So I guess… good luck, if you two go on ahead. And I'm glad we could at least have understood why this is happening."
There was defeat in what she had said, where it might have been optimism, and she waited for one of them to reprimand her as they had when she had spoken of gods. Neither did.
"I don't know what a character could do to stand up to an entity as powerful as t
Star-Seal
The Wuggliest of UmpsBreach Part 10
1 Comment
Newest Deviations
Peep and Pearl
Star-Seal
11
7
Literature
TBOS Round 5.7
Star-Seal Star-Seal
1
0
Literature
TBOS Round 5.6
Reinald hesitated only a moment before he gave Anna a meaningful look and followed her, pressing his teeth together at the heavily implied threats.
"Why are we walking away?" Anna hissed, glaring over her shoulder as a black-furred butler appeared to reshelf their work.
"Because the last time I declined the books prompt to be a monster, it made my friend into one and made us kill him," Fourteen answered. "What is predictable in murder stories?"
Reinald looked to Anna, remembering her horror movie comment. She snorted. "The first person to leave the group gets killed first," she said. "The murderer's a character you've already met. The murderer's close to the main characters, or even working with them. The body-"
"Wait, I thought of something more important," Fourteen cut in, eyes suddenly brightening. She looked at the pair of them, and said, straight faced, "Which of you two is the main character?"
"…Does there need to be one
"Why are we walking away?" Anna hissed, glaring over her shoulder as a black-furred butler appeared to reshelf their work.
"Because the last time I declined the books prompt to be a monster, it made my friend into one and made us kill him," Fourteen answered. "What is predictable in murder stories?"
Reinald looked to Anna, remembering her horror movie comment. She snorted. "The first person to leave the group gets killed first," she said. "The murderer's a character you've already met. The murderer's close to the main characters, or even working with them. The body-"
"Wait, I thought of something more important," Fourteen cut in, eyes suddenly brightening. She looked at the pair of them, and said, straight faced, "Which of you two is the main character?"
"…Does there need to be one
Star-Seal Star-Seal
0
0
Literature
TBOS Round 5.5
Reinald didn't see much use in looking through novels, but then again, he supposed they were in a book, after all.
While he and Anna looked over them Fourteen returned to the small shelves and poked through them. After several minutes, she said, "Did you ever fight a big animal with water?"
"…Yeah," he said, looking up. She held a thin volume out to him.
It was illustrated in graceful inks, in the style of an artist mimicking the oriental aesthetic. Frowning, he closed it to read the title. He looked through the pictures, reading a paragraph here and there.
Dmitri and the Guardian with Three Eyes.
He gave it to Anna, who looked just as confused. After a time, Fourteen offered them another book; free of illustrations and in the format of a cheap horror.
Englehart and the Chemical Monster.
"This one's my version, if you wanted more details," Fourteen said in a dry tone, giving him another paperback. With a tone in
While he and Anna looked over them Fourteen returned to the small shelves and poked through them. After several minutes, she said, "Did you ever fight a big animal with water?"
"…Yeah," he said, looking up. She held a thin volume out to him.
It was illustrated in graceful inks, in the style of an artist mimicking the oriental aesthetic. Frowning, he closed it to read the title. He looked through the pictures, reading a paragraph here and there.
Dmitri and the Guardian with Three Eyes.
He gave it to Anna, who looked just as confused. After a time, Fourteen offered them another book; free of illustrations and in the format of a cheap horror.
Englehart and the Chemical Monster.
"This one's my version, if you wanted more details," Fourteen said in a dry tone, giving him another paperback. With a tone in
Star-Seal Star-Seal
0
0
Literature
TBOS Round 5.4
It was in the library that she felt a potential to get a hold of the crystallizing emotions inside her and try to think rationally. It was of course nothing like anything at home; who grew paper trees in spaceships after all- but she knew what it was, and it was a store of knowledge, and that at least was familiar.
She lifted a hand and trailed it over the spines, feeling their fabric, leather, or cardboard bindings. Her fingertips lingered at the top of one for a moment and then pulled, gently, so it started to come free from among its fellows. Flume watched it, holding it up half out of the shelf, then let her hand fall. The book smacked into the floor, flipping open at random. She breathed out and continued on.
In an alcove near the back she stopped again, rubbing her toes on the carpet. The shelves here were plainer, and smaller than the others, and the books were somehow more eye-catching, though she could not have
She lifted a hand and trailed it over the spines, feeling their fabric, leather, or cardboard bindings. Her fingertips lingered at the top of one for a moment and then pulled, gently, so it started to come free from among its fellows. Flume watched it, holding it up half out of the shelf, then let her hand fall. The book smacked into the floor, flipping open at random. She breathed out and continued on.
In an alcove near the back she stopped again, rubbing her toes on the carpet. The shelves here were plainer, and smaller than the others, and the books were somehow more eye-catching, though she could not have
Star-Seal Star-Seal
0
0
Literature
TBOS Round 5.3
The new style of the ship was a hokey hybrid of her familiar universe and that of the ones the others had come from, which was nothing new. Flume set her jaw as she stalked through the room, keeping her senses open for any hint that the Book might have an unpleasant development set up for her.
She was going to look for the murderer and solve everything, alright. But if that fucking stack of paper thought it could impress her by killing someone off it had miscalibrated sorely. It would take more than that to get her traipsing along in docile bliss for its stupid stories.
In the dining hall Flume found a table laden with day-old food, evidently abandoned in light of recent events. She picked up a few familiar things and shoved them in her mouth, chewing vengefully. This wouldn't be so irritating if the Book didn't feel the need to hybridize her settings with other people's clichés.
Who was she kidding, yes it
She was going to look for the murderer and solve everything, alright. But if that fucking stack of paper thought it could impress her by killing someone off it had miscalibrated sorely. It would take more than that to get her traipsing along in docile bliss for its stupid stories.
In the dining hall Flume found a table laden with day-old food, evidently abandoned in light of recent events. She picked up a few familiar things and shoved them in her mouth, chewing vengefully. This wouldn't be so irritating if the Book didn't feel the need to hybridize her settings with other people's clichés.
Who was she kidding, yes it
Star-Seal Star-Seal
0
0
Literature
TBOS Round 5.2
Sinclair looked down at Flume, feeling his chest tighten at the crestfallen, lifeless way she moved her limbs as they stepped into the airlock and she reached up to punch in an opening code. They both winced, eyelids narrowing against the sharpness of the sudden sunlight.
Sinclair felt a small sense of gratitude for that brightness; it was healthy and safe and natural, a powerful deterrent against so many of his own monsters. Flume, who had been so moved when she had first found herself upon the surface of a planet and under its glorious sun, was unmoved now. She looked tired down to her molecules, moving with the listless mechanic quality of a player who had been unwittingly enjoying his game until it was revealed his opponent had cheated.
Sinclair squinted through the sunlight, getting a look at the shiny, steel outer hull of the craft they had just exited, peering down through the grated ramp they walked down towards the dock.&
Sinclair felt a small sense of gratitude for that brightness; it was healthy and safe and natural, a powerful deterrent against so many of his own monsters. Flume, who had been so moved when she had first found herself upon the surface of a planet and under its glorious sun, was unmoved now. She looked tired down to her molecules, moving with the listless mechanic quality of a player who had been unwittingly enjoying his game until it was revealed his opponent had cheated.
Sinclair squinted through the sunlight, getting a look at the shiny, steel outer hull of the craft they had just exited, peering down through the grated ramp they walked down towards the dock.&
Star-Seal Star-Seal
0
0
Literature
TBOS Round 5.1
"What," Anna said coolly, as she regarded their host, "in the actual nature of fuck."
Transitions, it seemed, were beginning to lose their flavor. Anna had not spoken to Reinald as they threaded through the forest, through the rip, and into this next story. There was no fancy curling of medium this time, just a languid morphing of their clothing and a flicker of some short-lived sense of duty that didn't bother truly fighting to establish itself in their chests.
They were standing under the overhang of a great and splendid Victorian mansion, politely sheltered from the shivering drizzle of rain that blanketed the surroundings well enough to leave them ambiguous. It was night-time, and the porch lights were a sallow, old-fashioned yellow.
The creature before them might have been a shapeshifter, if it had been trying to turn into a wrinkly red dog-giraffe and got stuck somewhere in the middle. It was taller than both of them by almo
Transitions, it seemed, were beginning to lose their flavor. Anna had not spoken to Reinald as they threaded through the forest, through the rip, and into this next story. There was no fancy curling of medium this time, just a languid morphing of their clothing and a flicker of some short-lived sense of duty that didn't bother truly fighting to establish itself in their chests.
They were standing under the overhang of a great and splendid Victorian mansion, politely sheltered from the shivering drizzle of rain that blanketed the surroundings well enough to leave them ambiguous. It was night-time, and the porch lights were a sallow, old-fashioned yellow.
The creature before them might have been a shapeshifter, if it had been trying to turn into a wrinkly red dog-giraffe and got stuck somewhere in the middle. It was taller than both of them by almo
Star-Seal Star-Seal
1
0
Loch Again
Star-Seal
8
1
Giraffipede
Star-Seal
8
5
Literature
TBOS Round 4.7
The silence that followed was ominous. She broke it, twice, to call out. Flume looked at Sinclair, uncertain, and at the screen. Perhaps it wasn't…
And a voice came out of the computer. A vicious, viscous, ugly voice. It was deep, and cruel, and angry, and it was hurt, and it hated. It wasn't Smarmadine's voice. Only it was; because the underside was nasally and crinkly and familiar. And that made it all worse.
"Flume. I was wondering. When. I would hear from you again."
His tone grated up out of the intercom. Hearing her own name through it was enough to make Flume wince; it was like a curse.
"I'm here, Smarmadine. Are you…" She stopped. Stupid.
"I'm not alright!" His voice blasted, furiously mocking. "I'm not alright, Flume, you stupid, you despicable- is Sinclair with you?"
And a voice came out of the computer. A vicious, viscous, ugly voice. It was deep, and cruel, and angry, and it was hurt, and it hated. It wasn't Smarmadine's voice. Only it was; because the underside was nasally and crinkly and familiar. And that made it all worse.
"Flume. I was wondering. When. I would hear from you again."
His tone grated up out of the intercom. Hearing her own name through it was enough to make Flume wince; it was like a curse.
"I'm here, Smarmadine. Are you…" She stopped. Stupid.
"I'm not alright!" His voice blasted, furiously mocking. "I'm not alright, Flume, you stupid, you despicable- is Sinclair with you?"
Star-Seal Star-Seal
3
14
Literature
TBOS Round 4.6
Sinclair watched his odd companion, at a loss as to what to do, as she collapsed onto her knees, pressing the heels of her palms hard against her mouth and dry retching violently. He could feel the elevator rising, hear humming from the walls around them, and the horrible choking, gagging noises coming from the alien.
He wanted to say something, he needed to say something, to comfort, to ask, but every statement that formed in his head was petty and tasteless; weak against her obvious torment. He just waited.
"I- I can't," she wheezed between gasps. "I can't do this, I can't, I can't, I can't, I-"
"Calm down!" Sinclair said, loudly and firmly. Vampire hunter that he was, he was hardly shaken by what they had witnessed, but then, he barely understood that the black creature had even been. The sight of its decapitation had been horrible, certainly, but Flume's sick wheezing and erratic repetition was disturbing him far m
He wanted to say something, he needed to say something, to comfort, to ask, but every statement that formed in his head was petty and tasteless; weak against her obvious torment. He just waited.
"I- I can't," she wheezed between gasps. "I can't do this, I can't, I can't, I can't, I-"
"Calm down!" Sinclair said, loudly and firmly. Vampire hunter that he was, he was hardly shaken by what they had witnessed, but then, he barely understood that the black creature had even been. The sight of its decapitation had been horrible, certainly, but Flume's sick wheezing and erratic repetition was disturbing him far m
Star-Seal Star-Seal
3
4
Literature
TBOS Round 4.5
Sinclair considered the half-covered, spindly creature favoring its burnt side. Now that its face was showing and he could look in its eyes it wasn't nearly as threatening.
He indicated the bodies.
"Did you kill these?"
It looked at them, and frowned. "No. I thought you did."
"Me?"
"They told me you were doing terrible things to the Geezles. And…" it pointed to his knife.
He shook his head firmly. "I attacked a few, back there. "
"So you were attacking Geezles! Why would you attack Geezles? I mean- they don't do anything!"
Sinclair shook his head. Like the demons- 'geezles?'- he was content to leave it be so long as it behaved itself, despite the strong impression that he should be attacking all these things.
"They seemed evil," he said. He still wasn't sure they weren't. He looked at the bodies, and at the discarded black plates smoking holes through the ground, and t
He indicated the bodies.
"Did you kill these?"
It looked at them, and frowned. "No. I thought you did."
"Me?"
"They told me you were doing terrible things to the Geezles. And…" it pointed to his knife.
He shook his head firmly. "I attacked a few, back there. "
"So you were attacking Geezles! Why would you attack Geezles? I mean- they don't do anything!"
Sinclair shook his head. Like the demons- 'geezles?'- he was content to leave it be so long as it behaved itself, despite the strong impression that he should be attacking all these things.
"They seemed evil," he said. He still wasn't sure they weren't. He looked at the bodies, and at the discarded black plates smoking holes through the ground, and t
Star-Seal Star-Seal
2
5
Literature
TBOS Round 4.4
Geezles were notably absent after that, despite their prevalence while she had been in the vents. Flume wondered if she was being set up; specifically primed with what she was being shown. Almost as soon as the thought came to her, she came around a bend in the passage and beheld, at the far end, a high, vaulted doorway. The majority of the hall was clear, but tossed to either side in a pathway to the door were heaped the bodies of brutalized Geezles. The smell of their undecayed bodies was almost overpowering.
She took two steps, and a funny humming sensation passed through the ground under her feet. Flume realized what was happening and sprinted for the door, hooking her arm around the handle and covering her arm with the other.
``
Sinclair leaned against the wall, taking his weight off his leg. He ran the rosary through his fingers, keeping a close watch on the little group of hairy demons cowering away in the far cor
She took two steps, and a funny humming sensation passed through the ground under her feet. Flume realized what was happening and sprinted for the door, hooking her arm around the handle and covering her arm with the other.
``
Sinclair leaned against the wall, taking his weight off his leg. He ran the rosary through his fingers, keeping a close watch on the little group of hairy demons cowering away in the far cor
Star-Seal Star-Seal
2
2
Literature
TBOS Round 4.3
The thing about climbing through vents in costume was that it was really super ridiculous and… yeah, it was kind of fun.
Flume scuttled along industrially on her fingers and toes, tasting the air and making almost unconscious notation as to the make and style of the ship. It wasn't very bright in the vents and the black glass over her eyes wasn't helping, but she had always had good dark vision and navigating by the scents in the air and feel at her fingertips was neat.
"Are you still here?" She asked every now and then, and Smarmadine would grumble something noncommittal.
Flume picked up the smell of Geezles a long time before her first glimpse of them, peeking through a grate at the passage below. They were in a cluster, three of them milling around aimlessly, two in conversation. She nosed around the airway until she found a vent cover and swung out of it, landing with insectish clicks as her carapace tapped against the floor.
At onc
Flume scuttled along industrially on her fingers and toes, tasting the air and making almost unconscious notation as to the make and style of the ship. It wasn't very bright in the vents and the black glass over her eyes wasn't helping, but she had always had good dark vision and navigating by the scents in the air and feel at her fingertips was neat.
"Are you still here?" She asked every now and then, and Smarmadine would grumble something noncommittal.
Flume picked up the smell of Geezles a long time before her first glimpse of them, peeking through a grate at the passage below. They were in a cluster, three of them milling around aimlessly, two in conversation. She nosed around the airway until she found a vent cover and swung out of it, landing with insectish clicks as her carapace tapped against the floor.
At onc
Star-Seal Star-Seal
2
4
Literature
TBOS Round 4.2
Flume spat froth into a glass basin and sipped from a glass of clear water, rinsing her mouth. She set the little steel-handled scrub brush down and ran her tongue over the backs of her neat little teeth, delighting in the clean, polished feel of them.
"Thank you so much," She told the Thelvet. "I don't even know the last time I got to brush my teeth was."
The Thelvets were a tall, elegant people with long muzzles, raw nostrils, and limp ears. They had broad, flat teeth and their hairless skin crinkled up in folds around the face. They were epicureans to be sure, forever seeking the galaxies' finest and demanding the best.
This one was dressed in long, flowing robes of tan and rosy pink, with a large quantity of beads around his neck. Flume had assumed he was not a very important or comparatively wealthy member of his race, as he had not partaken in the highly sought after and impossibly fashionable Thelvetin
"Thank you so much," She told the Thelvet. "I don't even know the last time I got to brush my teeth was."
The Thelvets were a tall, elegant people with long muzzles, raw nostrils, and limp ears. They had broad, flat teeth and their hairless skin crinkled up in folds around the face. They were epicureans to be sure, forever seeking the galaxies' finest and demanding the best.
This one was dressed in long, flowing robes of tan and rosy pink, with a large quantity of beads around his neck. Flume had assumed he was not a very important or comparatively wealthy member of his race, as he had not partaken in the highly sought after and impossibly fashionable Thelvetin
Star-Seal Star-Seal
2
3
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The Wuggliest of Umps
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A remora and a servant, if not a villain. Personal Quote: Pizzas become ellipses. In space. |
Comments
HEY I HAVE A CHAIN LETTER FOR U !!!
SAY "PISS ANT" THREE TIMES INTO A MIRROR AND CORONA WILL JUMP OUT OF IT AND PUNCH LEVI.
SAY "PISS ANT" THREE TIMES INTO A MIRROR AND CORONA WILL JUMP OUT OF IT AND PUNCH LEVI.
HELLO!^_^I SENT AN ANGEL TO WATCH OVA U LAST NIGHT, BUT IT CAME BACK... I ASKED...WHY? & IT SAID... ANGELS DON'T WATCH OVA ANGELS ******SEND THIS ALL DA PEOPLE U REALLY CARE ABOUT***** 20 angels are in this world, 10 are sleeping, 9 are playing & 1 is reading this comment. Send this to 10 friends including me & if you get 5 replies some one you love will surprise you!!"