Sticks and Stones

          And enjoy they did.

          It was golden.

          But, like all good things, it did not last.

          Edmund was beginning to consider actually remonstrating Kevlin, when a frenzied string of blasphemes emerged from the falls. To his utter disappointment, Kevlin realized that Jones had survived.

          Once Jones had sufficiently cursed Kevlin and his kith and kin – past, present, and future – he calmed down enough to explain that he had flown through the thick curtain of tumbling water and landed in a secret tunnel.

         With some difficulty, the rest of the group navigated their way through the falls as well.

It's been too long of a week.  Fortunately, tomorrow is Friday.  Unfortunately, I have a lot of work to do this weekend.  Oh well, c'est la vie.

They Say It's Golden

          After Jones had nattered about the maiden's many indiscretions for the better part of the day, Kevlin had had enough. Recognizing that he could no longer make good on his suggestion of throwing Jones from the clifftop, Kevlin nonetheless grabbed his abrasive ally and, before Edmund or Lennox could react, tossed Jones directly into the base of the falls.

          Jones had but a moment to express his displeasure before being swallowed by the raging waters.

          Edmund and Lennox felt as if they should probably censure Kevlin's actions, but instead, they decided to take a moment to enjoy the newfound silence.

So happy to be getting back into this swing.  The time I take to whip up these little vignettes is among the highlights of my day.  It's hard to understand why I bothered stopping.  Welp, better keep that in mind next time I'm not "in the mood".

Until next time, cats and kittens!

Unhelpful

           Attaining the falls' base didn't improve their prospects of finding the cavern's entrance.

           Jones had once known that admittedly pertinent detail, but the portion of the bawdy story where the comely maiden went into the cavern had been rather uninteresting, so he hadn't paid it much mind.

           The others weren't terribly impressed by this revelation.

           On the other hand, Jones had no difficult recalling, in explicit and rather disturbing detail, the many filthy acts the maiden had performed once inside the cavern. Although this was of little help to the group, he happily shared these details throughout their fruitless search.

It's happening, guys!  I'm back and I'm going to finish this story, come hell or high water.  This is probably a claim I've made before, but this time it's for real?

Anyways, I know that things can come up, but I fully intend to finish this guy up and do more writing after it.  These exercises are just that - exercises - and I have missed them.  Hopefully I will be able to bring the continuing adventures of Jones, Kevlin, Edmund, and Lennox to a satisfying conclusion for those of you who have been patiently waiting at home (please note: it should probably still be satisfying if you've been waiting impatiently).

Anyways, this took me a while.  But it was a good while.  I had to figure out what should happen next and get back into the swing of the story, two nice bits to really get the creative juices flowing.  Let's rock and / or roll.

The Cereal Makes It Look So Simple

            Life can be busy. Very busy.

            Routine can be the best protection against the curveballs life loves to throw. But when things kick into high gear, even the strongest routine can fall short.

            And once a routine is broken, it's not an easy thing to mend. Getting back into the swing of things can be rough. Idleness, false starts, and frustration are often the order of the day.

            It can be hard.

            But that doesn't mean you give up. If it's important, you keep at it until you get it right.

            In brief: I'm back for more. Let's do this.

Nowhere to Go But

          They forgave him, of course.

          More accurately, Edmund and Lennox forgave him. Kevlin refused, but his voice of dissent was overruled.

          The matter technically resolved, they descended the tunnel. The group's survival was possible only because of Lennox's impressive strength and heretofore unknown climbing abilities. Where Edmund was too old, Jones too tired, and Kevlin too brash to maintain proper grips throughout the descent, Lennox was able to catch them each and every time they fell, preventing what would have otherwise been their untimely deaths.

          The foot of the falls achieved, everyone was certain to thank Lennox.

          Repeatedly and profusely.

So tired.  In the midst of moving I didn't really think I would have all that much time for writing, but after stressing out a bit over packing, I'm really happy I set aside some time to compose this next part of the story.  The process of figuring out what the group would do next and how they would manage it was really relaxing.  Took my mind off all the work I have ahead of me tomorrow (le sigh) and gave me a nice little sense of accomplishment.

I remember way back when that I mentioned I would sometimes talk about what I was thinking or trying to do with the pieces I put for "1 Character 100 Words" (a name that is becoming less and less accurate as time goes on).  I haven't done it all that much of late, but let's see if I can't provide a bit of insight into this one.

I think my original intention of focusing on a particular thing to work on in each and every piece has been forgotten a bit in the pursuit of creating a complete story out of this tale.  Or, perhaps more accurately, what I'm focusing on has changed a bit.  While I spent the early stories trying to write in a certain style or practice describing a certain scene, I've been more insistent on trying to make sure that each piece is complete and moves the story around in one way or another.

This time, I wanted the group to get to the base of the falls (duh), but I also wanted to put at least some of the spotlight on Lennox.  He hasn't done all that much thus far, but I really like the character.  I struggled a bit with why the others wouldn't be all that great at climbing, but I think this worked pretty well.

Anyways, that's enough navel-gazing for me.  If you have any thoughts you're wanting to add, don't hesitate to leave a comment.  Otherwise, enjoy this latest part in the Four Adventurers continued adventure.

Hurrah for Happenstance

          He'd found a secret passageway.

          It had happened quite by accident. Trying to scamper off while his companions slept, Jones had walked into a tree, unable to see it in the darkness. He realized it was hollow when he fell through it, tumbling down into the hidden tunnel underneath.

          Its declination was about as steep as the cliff face, but it was marginally safer. Indeed, after many awkward and painful falls, Jones found himself at the foot of the falls.

          Climbing back up wasn't much easier, but he imagined that this discovery would probably make up for his earlier indiscretion.

I'm really glad to be back in the swing of things.  I continue to have a ball with these fortunate heroes.  My obstacle for their continued progress turned out to be a bit easier to solve than initially thought, but at least it was kind of challenging for Jones.  We'll see if the rest of the party is as capable (read: most likely yes).

Either way, I hope you continue to enjoy this little yarn.  It's getting towards the moment that initially inspired the telling of the tale.  I'm especially excited for that.  Should be good.

Curses

          When they awoke the next day, Jones was gone.

          Kevlin was furious. He could not believe that the cowardly thief had scampered off while they slept. He loudly intoned that it was a shame that they hadn't thrown Jones from from the cliff the night before like he had suggested.

          Kevlin cursed Jones throughout the morning. He cursed him while firemaking for breakfast, he cursed him while making breakfast, and he cursed him while eating breakfast.

          Kevlin was so busy cursing him that he didn't notice when Jones emerged from a hidden opening in a nearby tree, battered and bruised.

And with that, we're back in business!  Things are getting busier and busier on my end, so the daily posting that I tried to maintain for August probably won't be able to continue, but I'll still try to get up these short stories as often as I can.  And if I have some time / inspiration, any number of other things could show up on this blog.

Only time will tell, so let's see how it all shakes out.

A Complication

          And then Jones mentioned that the cavern's entrance was actually at the base of the Falls. The others weren't terribly impressed that he had kept that detail to himself.

          Their first concern was convincing Kevlin not to beat Jones to death, a task made all the harder when Lennox started to come around to the idea. Ultimately, cooler heads prevailed, and it was decided that Jones could live. For the moment.

          The group then focused their attention on how best to descend the falls. Kevlin's suggestion of throwing Jones off the cliff to gauge its height was rejected as impractical.

I figured that things had been going (relatively) smoothly for our plucky adventurers, so why not throw a wrench in the gears?

Now I just need to figure out how they'll overcome this problem.  Writing by the seat of your pants can be challenging when you purposefully make it more difficult for yourself.  Hopefully I can come up with something by tomorrow.

The Falls

          It was as if they had found the edge of the world. They stood at a precipice so tall that its bottom was impossible to see. They stood next to a river so immense that it could have easily been confused for a lake were it not for the current's furious pace and the water's sudden terminus where it rushed over that very precipice. The torrent flew from the world with a deafening speed, plummeting into forever. Eventually, it was swallowed by a massive, billowing mist far, far below.

          No one could say how long they stood there in silence.

I'm sorry to everyone who has been waiting on the next installment of "The Four Adventurers" (as I'm apparently calling it now).  I was really put off-track by my vacation this weekend and was simply unable to figure out how to do this part yesterday.  I'm not sure if I'm 100% happy with this description of the Falls, but that is alright.  This whole adventure (both of these four figures and the 1 Character 100 Words experiment) is to practice, practice, practice, and that is certainly what I have been doing.  And that does make me happy.

Stay tuned for tomorrow, when these crazy cats do something more than look at massive descriptions!

...if we're lucky.

The Journey (Not the Destination)

          They left immediately.

          Their trek was far from an easy one. The Falls were half a world away, and the lands in between were barren and inhospitable. They crossed scorching deserts, dark forests, freezing tundra, and countless other treacherous terrains. Yet they trudged on, sustained by their dreams of the riches that awaited.

          Long after their departure, just as it was beginning to seem as if they would never arrive, they did. What they saw was staggering. No book could have prepared them for the sheer size of Cloudburst Falls. They seemed to exist on a scale that defied comprehension.

This took way too long.  Need sleep.  Good night.

A Breakthrough

          Jones figured it out in the end.

          Unlike his more conscientious companions, he stopped looking by the end of Day Two. While they poured over every codex, folio, and compendium they could find, Jones was casually leafing through less seemly materials.

          He had always enjoyed a good bawdy tale, and each library had more than its fair share of vulgarity for him to peruse. Eventually, he happened across one particularly steamy story involving a comely maiden and a certain cavern of untold wealth that was located near Cloudburst Falls.

          Haphazard searching proved far more valuable than they had thought possible.

I know I said I was enjoying this yesterday, but I'm really enjoying this now.  I had quite a fun time coming up with the method of discovery.  It seemed far to easy and boring to have dedication pay off, so I thought why not have do-nothingness take the day?  And so here we are.

This tale also has the first named member of our little band of heroes (if you can call them that).  Say hello to Jones!  He's pretty alright sometimes.  When he feels like it.  The rest of the time, he's not up to much good, but the other three let him stick around for some reason.  I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually.  Well, maybe not.

Either way, thanks for stopping by to follow the continuing adventures of our current protagonists.

Next: they continue to do stuff! (probably)

The Search Begins (Or, A Needle in a Haystack)

          Unfortunately, wanting a treasure and attaining it are far from the same thing.

          Although they were wholly convinced of the existence of the cavern, they knew little beyond that. What scant references they had amassed offered no hint as to where their prize would be found.

          They soon realized that their haphazard searching was not going to yield the location they so eagerly sought. In consequence, they travelled the great libraries of the realm, scouring their overflowing stacks for any book that might have a scrap of relevant information. They spent many mucid, mildewed, and mundane months in this endeavour.

I'm really enjoying this little fantasy yarn.  I have a moment that I'm building towards, but everything that's coming up in between is coming to me as I go along.  We'll see what obstacles await our intrepid seekers in the days to come.  If we're really lucky, we might even find out their names!  Anything is possible in the wonderful world of writing!

The Four Adventurers

          The four adventurers first heard of the Cavern of the Glittering Sea years earlier, stumbling across an ancient tome that spoke of it while they were sacking an evil aberration's keep. At first, they had dismissed it as nothing more than the imaginings and folktales of some forgotten people, but they continued to find references to the fabled cavern, making them less and less certain of their initial scepticism. While the details often conflicted, all of the tellings agreed that there was an immense underground chamber somewhere in the realm that housed unimaginable wealth. Wealth that they desired for themselves.

So I was playing Dungeons & Dragons yesterday.  Can you tell?

While the adventure my friends and I currently pursue is rather different than the above tale, this is certainly inspired by the stories of fantasy and heroism that are so common in pen and paper roleplaying games.

As you may have noticed, I've been getting into the habit lately of continuing some of my stories from earlier posts.  Well, I think I'll take it one step further and write myself a little tale about these adventurers and their cavern that will be told over the next few days in 100 words snippets.  I initially started these 1 Character 100 Words postings to practice and experiment, so experiment we shall.

I hope to see you back here tomorrow for the next part of this epic quest, whatever form that may take.

Victory In The Preparation

          “Stay back!”

          Amos drew his blaster pistol from its holster as the group of Rannian thugs approached. Most of them stopped. He nervously pointed the device at the one who kept walking.

          The creature paused for a moment, looked at the blaster, and smiled, its mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth.

          “I mean it! I'll blow a hole right through you if you take one more step.”

          Hands shaking, Amos pressed the barrel into the smirking Rannian's chest. The Rannian brushed it aside without a second glance.

          “You'd have a lot better luck making that hole if your gun was charged.”

I wrote this while struggling to work on some other projects of mine.  Can't find all the answers I need (for the other project) at the moment, so I figured I'd write a little space vignette that doesn't necessarily need answers.

Poor Amos.  We hardly knew ye.

Or Was It?

         That's odd.

         I could have sworn that Keith saw me. But that can't be right, because he definitely would have held the door if he had. We always have the nicest conversations while we're heading up together. I can't imagine he would want to skip that. I know I always look forward to our chats.

         And here I was going to ask if he wanted to come by my place this weekend to watch the game. I know he mentioned that he followed hockey, so I figured he would be interested.

         I guess I'll ask when I see him tomorrow.

So if you've somehow managed to read this before going through Worst Morning Ever, you should probably go read that.  It will help this one make a bit more sense.

Don't worry, I'll wait.

...

Okay, got it read?  Glad to hear it.

Here we have ourselves an alternative take on that fateful morning.  Perhaps it wasn't as bad as Keith thought?  It certainly appears that Jim would happily forgive what he has accurately deduced to be an accident.  However, maybe Keith is better off avoiding Jim.  Based on their different perspectives, Jim seems like kind of a weirdo...

Worst Morning Ever

          Crap.

          I totally just let the elevator doors close in that guy's face. I didn't see him until the last second, but he's going to think I did it on purpose.

          I see that guy every day. We seem to always take the elevator at the same time. We had a good thing going. Nods of recognition. Occasionally exchanging a word or two.

          Now he's going to hate me.

          Should I apologize when I see him tomorrow? Act like nothing happened? Why did this happen? Riding the elevator is going to be so awkward.

          Unless I start taking the stairs...

I'm not really sure what inspired this one.  I haven't taken an elevator lately.  Or at least, I haven't accidentally insulted someone while taking an elevator.

I guess I just wanted to write some guy overreacting to the least important thing possible.  Who then subsequently decides to make a minor life change to avoid facing his insignificant problem.  If that's the case, I think I managed that pretty alright.

Road Trippin'

            This road trip was an unmitigated disaster.

            We lost the only map. We had three flats. It rained every day.

            Jeremy only brought one pair of underwear. Dale would only play country on the stereo. Aaron needed to stop every fifty miles to pee.

            We were too cheap to pay for motels, so we slept in the car. Every night. It was cramped, uncomfortable, and it didn't take long to start smelling pretty rank.

            For all that, when we finally made it to the coast, seeing the sun slowly rise over the ocean almost made up for it all.

            Almost.

Don't have too much to say about this one.  I didn't have much of an idea this evening, so a friend of mine suggested "road trip".  This is what came of it.

Enjoy.

Child's Play

          Escaping from his carrying case proved to be much harder than Solomon would have expected.

          The lid was exceedingly heavy, and supporting its weight while climbing out at the same time was no easy feat. To complicate matters, the moment Solomon's head emerged from the case, he let out a small yelp of terror. Instead of being on the ground as he had hoped, his container sat atop a rather large bookcase. And though Solomon would never admit to being afraid of heights, he still did his best to avoid looking down as he finished wiggling out of the box.

Apparently the puppet's name is Solomon.

I wanted to spend some more time working with my idea from yesterday (or earlier this morning, depending on how you look at things), and while brainstorming, came up with this moment from Solomon's adventure.  It's not necessarily how I would compose it for a longer tale - my arbitrary 100 word constraint was in mind writing this - but I am happier with this look into Solomon than what I did last time.  This is definitely something I need to keep focusing my efforts on.  Working on it makes me feel excited, which is always a good thing.

All An Act

            Without my master's guidance, I don't know what to do.

            I have been a daring adventurer. A celebrated leader. A gallant champion.

            My words have made men braver. Ignited others to action. Inspired nations to greatness.

            I try to remember some of the speeches to reassure myself, but nothing comes to mind. A few words manage to trickle from my lips, but they ring hollow, as empty I am.

            I saw myself as a hero. I realize now that it was all an act.

            I am a sham. I am ashamed. But above all, on my own, I am afraid.

One other idea that I've been kicking around is a story about a puppet.  He would be a classic marionette who has performed all types of great adventures and played every heroic role imaginable.  But one day, he would wake up (think Toy Story-style here) to find his master is no longer there.  Deciding he needs to go find him, he would go on some adventure to figure out where his master has gone.

I envision a big part of this story being the puppet coming to terms with the fact that he isn't any of those roles that he has performed.  He isn't the king's stalwart soldier.  He's not a skilled huntsmen.  He's not a beloved prince.  And so forth.

He'd find some friends along the way to help him on his quest, and he's also learn that even if he's not a hero like in the stories, it doesn't mean that he can't be heroic (or some such).  However, this piece in particular would take place earlier on the in the adventure, when he's realizing that the roles he's performed are not who he is.

I don't think this quite manages to attain the feeling I was aiming for.  It's too rushed.  Doesn't spend enough time dwelling on the realization.  I will definitely have to spend some more time with the concept, but considering the hour, this will do for tonight.

Justice For All

            “I can't believe they're reassigning me to Pleasant Plaza. That's a C-list neighbourhood at best. I thought we were supposed to stop the bad guys, so why am I getting punished for it?”

            “Come on, man. We both know the problem is the way you stopped the Backstreet Brawler. You're lucky The Council decided only to reassign you. It could have been a lot worse. They could have switched you over to villain. Or banned you outright. And we both know how street level heroes manage freelancing.”

            “Thanks, Cape. You always know how to brighten the mood.”

So one hundred words is not a lot for a conversation.

What you see above is a small look into an idea that's been bubbling around my head for the last little bit.  It's still in the early stages, but as you may have gathered, the concept is a world where an organization (presently the vaguely-named Council) controls every aspect of superheroing.  The good guys, the bad guys, and the in betweeners all have to follow their decisions, whether they like it or not.  Kind of like the WWE, except with a lot more property damage and the occasional casualty.

Writing it out, I guess it has some things in common with Gladstones's School for World Conquerors, the relatively new series from Image.  And let's be honest here, I'm sure there's at least a handful of other works that have played around with the idea in one form or another.

Either way, here we have a quick glimpse at two heroes living in said world.  Intrepid is bemoaning The Council's recent ruling against him and the Crimson Cape is trying to soften the blow, but there's only so much one can offer.

What do you guys think?