Tag Archive | secondsem

30 Days Second Semester: 9, Mourning Lost Gods, Fae-Apoc, Apoc Era

Aug3

For the 30 Days Meme Second Semester, for the prompt “9) prompt: mourning dead gods.”

Fae Apoc, in the time of the apoc.

December, 2011

They fell from the sky, one, then another, then another. I watched on the roof, silently standing vigil. I had been there, with twenty or so of my fellow just-plain-humans, since the battle began. Yesterday, I think it was, though by then it could have been two or three days. We ate, we drank, we caught what sleep we could, and we watched the creatures destroy what was left of our city.

Jason and Mandy had shotguns, and Carrie had a bokken; we could keep our building free of them, or at least chase them off. But we weren’t there, really, to fight them. We’d already learned that that took a mob, fire, iron, rowan, and a willingness to lose three-quarters of your people to death or severe injury to take down one of those. We had the first four, but no longer (there had been five hundred of us, a while ago) had the last and most important factor. So we watched, and if we could still believe in a loving god, we prayed.

And they fell. We couldn’t tell, from our vantage, which of the monsters claimed to be on our side, and which were the invaders. They shifted shapes, they twisted forms, and they twisted the world, smashing into buildings. Knocking out what was left of our power grid. Destroying parks and gardens it had taken a century to grow.

We buried their dead, when we were sure they were dead, and cried, not for them, but for the time when we’d believed in benevolent, distant deities.

Next: http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/714468.html

The List:
1a) the story starts with the words “It’s going down.” (LJ Link)
1b) the story starts with the words “It’s going down.” (LJ Link)
2) write a scene that takes place in a train station.
3) the story must involve a goblet and a set of three [somethings]
4) prompt: one for the road
5) write a story using an imaginary color
6) write the pitch for a new Final Fantasy styled RPG (LJ Link)
7) prompt: frigid (LJ Link)
8) write a scene in the middle of a novel called “The Long, Dirty Afterwards” (LJ)
9) prompt: mourning dead gods

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/96954.html. You can comment here or there.

30 Days Second Semester: 8, Going In, Misc Apoc

Aug2

For the 30 Days Meme Second Semester, for the prompt “8) write a scene in the middle of a novel called ‘The Long, Dirty Afterwards.'”

Actually random apoc. In re. wordcount, the actual “excerpt” is 250 words. 😉
.

They had defeated the alien invasion and won back their planet.

…Now all they had to do is clean up the mess.

The All-Counter* read clean on all immediate threats to life and mostly clean on the long-term threats. Becker’s ears and nose told him the ship was most likely empty of slightly-less immediate threats as well, but he still moved in like clearing a building, shooter at the ready and taking one room at a time, his team behind him guarding his flank.

The Rat† ships stank; you never got over the smell, the way you could acclimate to horse shit or even things like capsaicin. It set your teeth on edge and made some people’s extremities go numb; Hazmat gear dulled the effects, but blocked line of sight. A lot of otherwise brave contractors wouldn’t go near the Ratties, so that left the salvage to people like Becker’s team, who used masks and gloves and a lot of scented soap.

The corridors gleamed dully under his headlamp; to the left, a couple of their triangular status lights shone in its eerie purple black-light. “There’s still trickle power,” he called. “Watch for traps.” It had surprised no one that the Rats boobie-trapped their ships, but almost every cleanup team he knew had either lost a man or a limb to one of the nasty contraptions. Realizing these things were always on, you could almost feel sorry for the Rats. Almost‡‡.

“Bee, I’ve got something over here!” Thijs’ voice was thin and high and worried-sounding.

“Shit!” Ny’s voice followed fast on Thijs.’ “Bee, you’ve got to see this. I think it’s alive.”

* The All-Counter had begun life as a Geiger counter, but by the time the scavenge teams were done modifying it, it counted just about everything, including some things new to the planet since the invasion.

† The creatures only bore a superficial resemblance to rats, really. But the nickname had stuck.

‡‡ There was, after all, what remained of Dallas and Zurich, among other places, to remember.

The List:
1a) the story starts with the words “It’s going down.” (LJ Link)
1b) the story starts with the words “It’s going down.” (LJ Link)
2) write a scene that takes place in a train station.
3) the story must involve a goblet and a set of three [somethings]
4) prompt: one for the road
5) write a story using an imaginary color
6) write the pitch for a new Final Fantasy styled RPG (LJ Link)
7) prompt: frigid (LJ Link
8) write a scene in the middle of a novel called “The Long, Dirty Afterwards”

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/95238.html. You can comment here or there.

30 Days Second Semester: 5, The Water Knot, Stranded World (Summer)

Aug1

For the 30 Days Meme Second Semester, for the prompt “5) write a story using an imaginary color.”

Stranded World, Summer & Winter, some time before she goes off to school. Landing page here and on LJ

I think Summer and Spring are very close in age. Does anyone remember her hair color?.

“Tell me what you see.”

“The water, the boat. The sky, and fish out in the distance.” Summer kicked her feet in the water. “Splashes.”

Her brother smiled indulgently at her, with that warning note in the cant of his eyebrow that said she should stop messing around soon. Stupid Spring, using up all the messing around. She obediently stared back out at the lake.

“The water moves the way it should. The strands are mostly blue, but there are a few lines of green, and some tangles of darker green. Algae blooms? And there’s sort of an… indiburple splotch there,” she pointed at a twisted triple-braid of color. “Someone did that on purpose; the strands don’t line up in celtic knots by themselves.”

“‘Indiburple?’” Her perfectly-orderly brother wrinkled his nose at her. “‘Indiburple?’” he repeated, incredulously.

“Yeah, indiburple. You know, that dark midnight color with too much red in it to be blue or indigo, and just a hint of absinthe and snow in the flavor?”

“Indiburple.” He shook his head. “You sense more colors than any of the rest of us, anyway; if you want to make up imaginary colors, I suppose that’s your right. Tell me about this celtic knot.”

“It’s not imaginary,” she retorted. Winter could be unbearable sometimes, holding his few years’ advantage over them. “It’s just not in the visual spectrum.”

That, as she knew it would, made him pause. He was always startled when she talked science, especially about the Strands. “All right,” he allowed. “It’s an indiburple knot.”

The List:
1a) the story starts with the words “It’s going down.” (LJ Link)
1b) the story starts with the words “It’s going down.” (LJ Link)
2) write a scene that takes place in a train station.
3) the story must involve a goblet and a set of three [somethings]
4) prompt: one for the road
5) write a story using an imaginary color

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/90593.html. You can comment here or there.

30 Days Second Semester: 7, Colder Weather, Stranded/Autumn

Aug1

For the 30 Days Meme Second Semester, for the prompt “7) prompt: frigid.”

Stranded World, Autumn. Landing page here and on LJ
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He said I wanna see you again
But I’m stuck in colder weather
Maybe tomorrow will be better
Can I call you then…

Autumn did not like cold weather, a contradiction to her name that some mistakenly found ironic (she’d given up explaining that she and her seasonal sib’s names were meant to be part of a complex allegory; it never helped). She planned her circuit of fests, fairs, and shows in a roving loop that left her in the North in the hottest parts of summer, and brought her to the South for winter. She spent the few really cold times staying with friends; her van had plenty of insulation, but it was still a van-RV, not really a cold-weather vehicle.

Sometimes the weather foiled her. Some nights, even in summer, or December in Texas, the weather dipped from cold to frigid, from extra-blanket to all-the blankets, and she found herself huddled for comfort in three layers of clothes, shivering and unable to sleep. Some nights like that, she found an all-night diner, and drew free sketches for the waitresses until the dawn came. Tonight, she huddled around a pile of letters and a cell phone, and tried to stay warm on memories and the sound of his voice.

“I want to see you again,” she murmured. Even calling was against their tradition; the request was out of bounds. But he (she hoped) understood. “I’m stuck in this snowstorm…”

“Soon, my beautiful tree,” he murmured back at her, his cadences made less lovely by the telephone, by the lack of body language or pen-flourish. “It will only be another month until our paths cross. And you’ll have a letter waiting for you in Arizona.”

Arizona, right now, seemed like a myth, a lie, a fairy tale a thousand miles away. She stared at the phone, knowing why they didn’t call. “I’ll look forward to it,” she said, feeling as if her voice was as cold as the air.

“I’ll see you in California,” he reminded her. “It’ll be warm there.”

The List:
1a) the story starts with the words “It’s going down.” (LJ Link)
1b) the story starts with the words “It’s going down.” (LJ Link)
2) write a scene that takes place in a train station.
3) the story must involve a goblet and a set of three [somethings]
4) prompt: one for the road
5) write a story using an imaginary color
6) write the pitch for a new Final Fantasy styled RPG (LJ Link)
7) prompt: frigid.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/94402.html. You can comment here or there.

30 Days meme Second Semester: 1b “Witness,” Addergoole Year 9

Jul24

For the 30 Days Meme Second Semester, for the prompt “1) the story starts with the words ‘It’s going down.'”

Addergoole/Fae Apoc Year 9 has a landing page (LJ Link)

“It’s going down.” Curry was breathless when he pounded on Thornburn’s door, his words coming out in ragged gasps. Ceinwen tried to pretend she wasn’t hiding, back in the little corner of the room He allowed her. “Kendon and Jeremiah, over that little carrotty Ninthie. What’s her name… Hoover?”

“Ahouva.” It was somehow unsurprising and yet still displeasing that He knew the pretty girl’s name. He knew them all. “I thought Jeremiah had his hands full.” He was sliding on his shoes as he spoke; Ceinwen, hesitantly, looked for her own.

“I thought he did, too. I guess he’s going for the greed factor. Surprises me… Kendon is no sweetheart, but I didn’t think the Prophet was the White Knight sort, either. I mean, he’s turned his back on a lot of shit in his day.”

“And we’ve turned our back on his shit, too.” Thornburn turned his attention to Ceinwen. “Stay here… no, you might as well come with. You can see what a challenge is like. But stay close to m e, and if I tell you to hide, no arguments.”

If he told her to hide, she’d have no choice in the matter, just as with any other order he gave her. She nodded mutely anyway, and then, pushed by some order she couldn’t even remember properly, whispered out a reluctant “Yes, Sir.”

“Good.” He offered her his hand while she tried to ignore the giddy stupid pleasure his praise sent through her. “Let’s go witness this mess.”

The List:
1a) the story starts with the words “It’s going down.” (LJ Link)

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/87150.html. You can comment here or there.

30 Days meme Second Semester: 1a, Alien Elevator, Vas’ World

Jul24

For the 30 Days Meme Second Semester, for the prompt “1) the story starts with the words ‘It’s going down.'”

Vas’ World has a landing page (LJ Link)

“It’s going down.” Vas watched the wicker cage slowly descend the cliff, shaking his head.

“Of course it’s going down,” Suki laughed. “It’s an elevator. What did you expect it to do? Swing back and forth wildly?”

“It’s not an elevator,” he grumbled, never mind the horse-creatures that could probably overhear him. “It’s a wicker basket and a pulley system.”

“Sounds like an elevator to me. And it sounds a lot safer than the path there… besides, it’s holding two horses and Malia, and it’s doing just fine. It can hold our weight.”

Vas was un-moved. “I’d still rather take the path.”

“With no spotter? No way in hell, Sparky. Mission parameters don’t allow it.”

“And where in the mission parameters is an alien-made wicker basket masquerading as an elevator?” The thing had stopped at the bottom of the cliff, its passengers (the third load) exiting safely. Slowly, it began creeping back up towards them. Another time, Vas would have been fascinated with its mechanism. Right now, he was too busy worrying about his impending ride down in the damn thing.

“You really don’t want me to quote chapter and verse at you, do you, Vassily? Trust me. The thing will get us down safely, and then we can continue our exploration.” She chose to ignore that their “exploration” had turned into a guided tour by giant telepathic horses; so did he.

“What I really want to know,” he muttered instead, “is who has the thumbs to build this thing.”

The List:
1) the story starts with the words “It’s going down.”

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/85631.html. You can comment here or there.