Writing Little Deaths

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Based on the latest pictures in "I Forgot What You Look Like" thread D, more particularly your Casino Royale comment, my latest request is you do a spy piece involving whoever you see fit, doing whatever you see fit, as long as it's setting is a gala event with tuxedos and slinky dresses.[/SIZE]

[chibi-master]

I want to die protecting my best friend. Since I don't want to give out her name, if you have the time to write my death out, just call her "K".:animesmil By the way, I'm a girl.

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]The pearly Maserati swung around the wide driveway to the valet parking, and a pair of the most luscious, gorgeous legs you ever saw came out from the back seat. They were followed by a red cocktail dress, dark auburn hair, a pair of luminous eyes. From the other side emerged another woman of equally stunning proportions, her body covered barely by a fold of silver fabric. The valets rushed to their sides, as one might imagine, and both made their way up the marble steps of the Lord’s House. Behind them, a dark gray Aston Martin DBS pulled up, and a handsome European male with a petite blonde on his arm, the blues of her dress standing in sharp contrast to his tuxedo. The light in the foyer was soft, appealing, making what was already beautiful appear even more pleasing to the eye. The one in red leaned forward towards the front desk, her smile almost coquettish. [/i]

“Miss Grace, how pleasant to see you again. Would you and Miss Jae care for anything in particular this evening?”

“Oh no, that’s quite alright. We’re here to meet Mr. Nigav.”

“Of course.”

[i]The two sailed in through the second pair of doors, leading into the main hall. Both disappeared quickly from view as the doors closed behind them. The blonde woman clung to the man’s arm, feeling the press of a silenced Walther PPK at his side.[/i]

“Mr. Darren. A room for you and your companion?”

“Yes please, as it’s convenient. We’ll just be going in.”

[i]Nobody noticed their appearance, despite the particular loveliness of his partner, or the striking figure he made in his ₤5000 suit. The couple made their way to one of the upper tables, perhaps unaware that the two women who had entered previously had the same destination, but that was hardly an issue. Or perhaps it was. Mr. Nigav was sitting at one of the more quiet rooms, the blackjack dealer unobtrusive as he dealt with hardly a glance for was he was doing. In the almost murky light, his pale skin appeared almost translucent. His dark hair contrasted sharply with the bright red in his hands. The women Darren knew as Grace and Jae were perched on high stools, almost disinterested expressions on their faces, with Mr. Nigav between them. Their conversations was low, muttered almost, and while he couldn’t make out precisely what they were saying, their faces painted a rather bleak and dull picture of whatever it was they were discussing. Mr. Darren turned aside to craps table, the young African man pushing the dice to the woman on his right. Joining, putting down a certain amount of chips on the line, he kept one eye towards the women and Mr. Nigav, and the other on the game. His partner leaned closer to him, giving the appearance of one whispering a sweet nothing via her smile.[/i]

“Do you want me to drift over later?”

“Not unless they start to move. Just relax. Smile. You’re doing fine Beth.”

[i]She smiled up at him almost limpidly, but he knew better. A very believable front from a rather good liar. One he’d trained himself to boot. As she rolled the dice across the table with a delicate flick of her wrist, she watched the women at the blackjack table. Grace looked bored, completely relaxed in her dress, wearing it like a second skin, while Jae watched the area around her from time to time, giving glance towards the craps table. If Beth didn’t know better, which she did, she’d say that Jae looked almost nervous. As she should be. Either way, it hardly mattered. Jae and Grace wouldn’t make it out of here alive. That much was guaranteed.

Just when Darren and Beth were beginning to think that Jae and Grace would be content playing blackjack the entire evening, both stood and made their way towards the downstairs bathroom. Moving quietly, using a mildly talkative group of girls as a cover, Beth followed quickly after, not perturbing Mr. Nigav in the least. Downstairs, in the starkly, disturbingly clean marble bathroom, Beth washed her hands and spent perhaps too much time primping her hair, the bathroom door locked from the inside once she’d made sure that the three of them were the only occupants. She was just putting the finishing touches on her redone French knot when Jae and Grace both emerged from their stalls. Without a moment’s hesitation, Beth drew her gun from beneath her skirt and fired. Double tap to the chest for Jae and once in the forehead for Grace. The later fell quickly, a faint smile fixed on her face as she slumped down, the red of her blood flowing towards the curve of her neckline. Jae stumbled, bright red blood welling up between already crimson lips, and fell forward, face down.

Beth took a quick step back, and replaced the gun underneath her skirt, high up in her garter. Then she washed her hands again, quickly, deliberately, and perfumed her wrists and neckline. Then she unlocked the bathroom door and slipped out, leaving the two women for someone else to find. The security cameras had already been looped to prevent them from noticing her. And upstairs, Mr. Darren watched Mr. Nigav relentlessly, surreptitiously. Beth lingered downstairs, blending in with a crowd around a roulette wheel, betting on the number 6. She waited patiently, and just as things were slowing down, and her second drink was finished, he came downstairs, straightening his bowtie as he saw her. Beth came right up to him with a smile, taking the arm he proffered with a toss of her head. Business concluded, the two stepped down to the lobby and waited for the valet to bring them their car.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Well that was certainly what I asked for D, although I have to say, I was hoping that it would be you and I would be the spies, but Darren and Beth made an equally good replacement as main characters. I particularly liked the tenseness of the piece after the execution, as though Beth and Darren were going to have a firefight on the way out.[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Chibi and K leaned back against the stone wall in the park and laughed, both feeling good after a long day of classes. Their backpacks were tossed in a corner and their school sweaters with them. The two sat, feeling the warmth from the sun through their shirts. Chibi turned and smiled, the sun in her eyes.[/i]

?What are you thinking about Chibi??

?Just I?m glad that we passed that test. Glad it?s over with now.?

?And just think. Later, more tests!?

[i]She waved her hand with some resignation and mugged a dramatic expression. K giggled and Chibi gave her a friendly push on the arm, then stood up, heading for the swings. The chain links clinked together companionably, and the two pushed off from the sand, crossing their legs alternately and laughing at the heady feeling of defying gravity. Back and forth, threatening to jump off, when K did first, flying and landing feet first in the sand, Chibi following right after. Both turned, the swings still going wildly, as a shadow fell over the playground. At first all K was was the flash of a huge hand reaching for her when Chibi screamed and hurled a fist full of sand into the attacker?s face. He let go of K?s arm with a yell, pawing at his eyes. Chibi clenched her fists and sucked in a lungful of air.[/i]

?K! RUN! Get away!?

[i]And she did, screaming and scrambling, her sneakers slipping on the sand. Through a haze of terrified tears, she ran for her backpack behind the stone wall, watching as Chibi stood up to a man that her fear had magnified into a giant. Dressed in dark clothes, in broad daylight, he hauled back and slapped her across the face so hard she felt her head nearly wrenched from her shoulders. Falling to her knees, she felt herself pulled up by the hair and struggled, even though the pain was blinding her. Scrabbling in her backpack, K found the knife she?d put in there this morning just for the hell of it. Never dreaming, never even thinking it could matter. She felt the cold steel in her palm, barely breathing, when the sound of the gunshot seared her eardrums, beating against them with a percussion almost too great to bear. K looked, her eyes wide with horror, the scene imprinted forever through her eyes. Her best friend falling, red blooming on her white blouse, her hair tangled in front of her face from where it had been pulled.[/i]

?Chibi!?

[i]Sprawled in the sand, blood pouring from a shoulder wound, she clutched it desperately, eyes wide open and staring into the empty blue sky. The man dropped the gun, perhaps disbelieving what he?d done to a perfect stranger. But that hardly mattered to K. She ran, throwing herself at what she felt was certain suicide. The knife heavy in her hand, she pulled back and slammed it into his back with all of her strength, pulling down as she did. Hot blood on her face, covering her hands, her fingers slippery with blood that didn?t belong to her. K staggered back as the man slumped down, his life bleeding out fast, the knife still stuck in his spinal cord. Shuddering, suddenly exhausted, she fell towards Chibi, resisting the urge to throw her arms around her best friend. Chibi shivered, feeling her life drain away between her fingers, trying desperately to form words. K stroked her face, pressing back her hair, looking into her eyes desperately.[/i]

?It?s okay Chibi, everything?s fine.?

?....I know. ...it?s all fine now.?

[i]Chibi smiled. A cracked expression, looking up at her best friend?s face. The blood mixing with the tears, streaking down her face, dropped onto her chest, even as she held back her own. No tears now. No time for that. No time for anything else. Have to say goodbye first. She lifted one hand, putting it on her friend?s own.[/i]

?See you again K.?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[chibi-master]

THAT WAS THE BEST DEATH THAT I COULD EVER ASK FOOOOR!!!!! I'M SO HAPPY!!! Thank you SO much, Raiha!!! And thank you, K, for saving me! I'm gonna give her a thank you hug at school today! I hope you'll be happy with this kind of hug, though, Raiha, *vitual hugs*.:excited:

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Quietly in the traces of the dark, I lay very still. Empty eyes, vacant stare, feeling exhaustion set in with that painful pressure behind the eyes. One yawn, then two, and I felt tears welling in my eyes. My nose tingled and I felt the pangs of hunger lance through me. Once, twice, and the twisting in my gut became wrenching. The hotel room was so quiet. With nobody there I almost felt lonely.

The hiss of traffic was hardly noticeable, and while the "Travelodge" was hardly my idea of an upstanding establishment. On the other hand, the sheets still smelled like bleach and I didn't touch the floor with my bare feet if I could help it. My friend had left for the night after a long and only somewhat productive photo shoot. Weariness in every bone, my back sore from the consistent demands of "arch further!" I decided to sit in the shower for several hours, until the hot water ran out anyway. Scorning the badly bleached towels I stood dripping in front of the fogged up mirror.

Bored in every way possible, I extended a finger to the obscured surface and wrote with just the nails.[/i]

"Do you like that bitch?"

[i]For good measure I slammed my palm against the surface and dragged the tips of my fingers downwards. It felt good. Because if I really had done what I wanted to do today, I wouldn't have been taking off my clothes for money. At least I didn't have to do more than that, but it's a cold consolation when your sleeping in a bed that's several sizes too large for you. The view outside the window was the bare wall of the establishment next door. The pool, two stories down, had no furniture, no rails to help you walk in, and no lock on the gate. But on the other hand there was free WiFi and HBO2. So theoretically I could've been watching something unrated but to be fair I didn't care.[/i]

"Wrung and hung to dry."

[i]Air Force One can only drag you so far before you're worn down by the bloody commercials. So instead I sat down on the edge of the bed and breathed for awhile. Then I turned and hugged one of three pillows on a bed made for two but inhabited by one. The front door locked and the fan droning quietly in the background.[/i]

"Empty empty empathy empty gone gone gone go away."

[i]I muttered to myself until I felt like sleeping. And with the lights out, I might as well have been the only person on earth.

The door opened with a hiss and a click, and I would've sat up but fear held me down with one massive hand. Pressed into the sheets by my own strangulating terror, I saw as someone clearly not my boss walked the short distance from the now shut door to my bed. He leaned down and brushed my hair from my face. My eyes screwed tightly shut. I couldn't look. The pain in my arm was sharp, sudden, and a pinprick of agony. Tears smarted in my eyes No more tears tears tearing tearing the flesh.

It would've woken up anyone asleep, so I opened my eyes and stared straight into the face of the person who had come to kill me. Dimly, I was aware that in the space of walking to the bed he'd turned on the video camera set in the corner. The red light bloomed softly in my vision. And I knew that this was it. The end. The going time. And as I felt his fingers clamp down around my throat, crushing my windpipe, I reached for the phone. The remote. My dead cell phone. Anything.

But nothing. The sound of his breathing now. In my ears, in my chest. The beating of my heart wildly thumping against my ribs out of control now. Wrench the chest and make the breathing quicken like nicotine in the system. Feel the hollow rattle. Under threat no more. Just an axe. Cutting cutting curbing crushing caring can't take the blow. Done now.

The light went green. One arm outstretched towards the phone, the cord tangled uselessly against the wall. Going, going, going, dead.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial][I]*looks around*[/I]

You know, I haven't been killed in quite some time. I thought it was kind of a tradition, almost; what gives, guys?

Right, let's see....

Ohh, let's go Star Wars this time, just for fun. Era doesn't matter, since I'm not familiar enough and you probably don't care; probably pre-Sidious, though, and definitely pre-Skywalker. The planet I'm on is being evacuated because of Sith (naturally), and I and several Jedi have been defending the hangar bay where the escaping transports are being boarded. All the general soldiers have fallen to us, but I am the last Jedi standing; and just as the final transport is preparing to leave, the Dark Jedi show up. Probably about five total, though they don't all get there at once.

There ensues a fight in which I basically hold them all off with whatever means at my disposal: discarded sabers, the Force, random blasters, combinations of the three. The longer I fight, the more in-tune with the Force I become, and I simply start reacting to stuff; and just as the ship exits the hangar I am struck down and become one with the Force, a la Kenobi.

Overall an increasingly more peaceful atmosphere. Saber colors are your discretion.[/FONT]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Arial][I]*looks around*[/I]

You know, I haven't been killed in quite some time. I thought it was kind of a tradition, almost; what gives, guys?[/FONT][/QUOTE]Well now that you beat us to the punch, we can't request your death anymore. =P

But that's not why I'm hear, at least not directly. No, I'm here to comment that this seems like a perfect job for Gavin... to be the dark Jedi who strikes you down. Everyone knows how evil he truly is, it's like this death has his name written all over it. I know he's the first person I thought of when I read your request. :D

It's up to you though so I'll shut up now...

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]To answer Allamorph's question, because I'm probably the biggest remaining Star Wars geek on OB, there's a couple of different time-points that this could be set in.

[INDENT][url=http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Great_Sith_War]Great Sith War[/url]

[url=http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jedi_Civil_War]Jedi Civil War[/url]

[url=http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/New_Sith_Wars]New Sith Wars[/url][/INDENT]

I'd probably recommend the Jedi Civil War, simply because it covers the need to evacuate the planet as well as a Jedi/Fallen Jedi fight.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']But that's not why I'm hear, at least not directly. No, I'm here to comment that this seems like a perfect job for Gavin... to be the dark Jedi who strikes you down. [B]Everyone knows how evil he truly is, it's like this death has his name written all over it[/B]. I know he's the first person I thought of when I read your request. :D[/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]*Sighs*

Fine, I'll do it, but let Rach be one of the other Jedi there who gets killed by the Fallen Jedi SunfallE whom I lead.[/SIZE]

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial]What is this, a bill going through the Senate? =P I thought this was [I]my[/I] request, not a popular- consent. I never asked what era it was in, I said I didn't care. (Which also means it can go unnamed or implied. Or both. [I]*nudge*[/I])

Plus, [COLOR="DarkRed"]Gavin[/COLOR], you're a jerk for throwing the "lover v. lover" card. :rolleyes: I mean, come on. Show some originality, man. And watch my previous conditions; by the time the Dark Jedi get there, I'm all that's left, so it'd be kinda hard for any one to kill the dead Jedi.[/FONT]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Arial]Plus, [COLOR="DarkRed"]Gavin[/COLOR], you're a jerk for throwing the "lover v. lover" card. :rolleyes: I mean, come on. Show some originality, man. And watch my previous conditions; by the time the Dark Jedi get there, I'm all that's left, so it'd be kinda hard for any one to kill the dead Jedi.[/FONT][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Fine, fine, pity though, those lover vs. lover fights in Star Wars tend to be good for the drama.

Meh, either way, I'm just interested to see where D'Ann will go with this.[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][b][i]1500 years before the Clone Wars
Planet Obern
Data Stream 8472
Archived by Ireth Sharazai in 1600 BBY[/i][/b]

[i]A human voice speaks to you as if through a muted chamber with no echo, no reverberation, no altered voice.[/i]

"These are the recovered files from the last recording device found on Planet Obern before the migration. They have been restored to their original state as much as possible for the sake of history and the sake of the fallen who bravely defended the near Humans as they escaped the scourge of the Sith Lords and their armies."

[i]A soft whir, click, and the stream begins to run. It begins with a voice run through a com link, static distorting the stream.[/i]

"Captain, the last are making their way to the hanger now. It looks like most of them will make it."

"What of the Jedi sent to assist their evacuation?"

"They've not shown up at the rendezvous point sir."

"Very well."

[i]Jedi El Morpheus stood with a blank expression, a simple lightsaber of blue held in one hand, and com in the other. Relaxed in both appearance and in reality, he stood with his back to one of the several corners while the frightened Oberns made it to the evacuation sites, several with screaming children in tow and some with wounds of varying severity. As the children were pulled to safety first and the last of the ships began boarding, the explosions began to grow louder and the blast doors opened inward. A storm of Sith troops swarmed through the opening, and El Morpheus, the last of the Jedi living on the planet stepped down from his vantage point and raised his weapon in one hand, the other hanging loose at his side. To the casual observer, if one could've been found at that point, he seemed almost half asleep, his eyes half closed as if he were merely taking a stroll down steel steps towards a mass of drone fighters.

Raising his saber, deflecting blaster shots almost lazily, he flicked each from their trajectory, small explosions pocking the walls on either side, puffs of shattered stone mushrooming outwards. The squadron fell like flies around him, some taken out by their own shots, others by his hand alone. And finally, as the last near Humans made it to their ship, El Morpheus closed the doors behind and gave the order for the ship to begin the launch sequence. The first Sith was approaching through the narrow passageway, the red glow standing out bright against the dark emptiness and occasional flicker of light.[/i]

"But sir!"

"Go! I'll ensure you're not followed."

[i]El Morpheus turned back into the darkness and smiled, dropping the com behind him as he went. No need for unnecessary burdens. And as he walked, he picked up speed, until he was at a full run, the pitch black on either side of him almost welcoming, knowing why he was still there. A flash of red, a pinprick of blue, and the first Sith fell, his head cleaved from his neck in a bloody rain. Snatching up the Sith's abandoned lightsaber as he went, the next appeared further down the hall, and El Morpheus advanced to clear the previous corpse. It regarded him with eyes visible in the darkness, eerie and animal-like for all of their hectic orange glow.

Eyeshine not withstanding, the Jedi kept his position relaxed, unwilling to feel the fear that would've only been counter productive. Besides that, things were going rather well. The hiss of steam and the klaxon to warn of a launching vessel was growing louder all the while. That or his hearing was simply sharpening. Feeling a tingle in his left arm, El Morpheus threw up one hand and deflected a lightsaber blow with the one he'd picked up, the other arcing down almost automatically to counter. Reaching out with his mind, the Force humming through his thoughts, he sent out a strand, a tendril of his emotions towards the Sith.[/i]

"How many more of you?"

[i]Resistance at first, an angry hiss that reverberated in his hearing, drowning out all other sounds, even the sounds of their lightsabers, clashing against one another as he advanced down the hall.[/i]

"Three! No more than that!"

[i]He smiled and jerked his right shoulder almost spasmodically, the unpredictable movement taking off the Sith's right arm at the elbow. A low voice echoed through the chamber they'd reached, sardonic and sarcastic in the empty space.[/i]

"Really now, I thought more of you would've made it this far. After all, the Jedi loosing this planet is going to be quite a blow."

"Save your words Gallen."

"And I. You've forgotten me?"

[i]The second voice, from a presence he'd felt earlier but not put a name to just yet. A cool chill spread across his spine that he immediately suppressed, and he went into the first defensive stance he'd been forced to adopt in all that long, bloody week.[/i]

"Feyri. You too."

[i]Mocking laughter was his reward for his own cleverness, and the glow of a blue lightsaber, a mirror of his own appeared by way of greeting. Fallen Jedi were always the worst of enemies to face. Arrogant, and with a certain measure of cruelty that was always disarming, El Morpheus could see across the time of the present into the future of the fighting. And he could see his own death, floating as if on wings just behind his eyes.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Andrew]

[size=1]If OB didn't have a 10 character minimum, this post would just simply say:

Nerd.[/size]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Andrew'][size=1]Nerd.[/size][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]This coming from the man with Avatar quotes in his signature.

*Lightsabers you through the chest* ^_~

All kidding aside, as I said to you already D, I quite liked it. I found the detail of the action scenes to be fluid and well written. If I had one complaint, it's that you didn't describe the characters physically well enough, but that's pretty minor and didn't really detract from the piece.[/SIZE]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"][SIZE="1"]OMG I cant believe I missed the story I requested! But it was better than I expected, way better. I loved how it ended, it wasn't a funny story like it would seem, it was gloomy and it went so well.

So, I have another request, we all know about The Final quest for Glory, so we all know that The Beast didn't get killed, but since he's banned once more, I say we make a story that shows the way to kill the beast, and his death. The rest is all up to you, every minor detail.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

El Morpheus? o_O Well that just seems odd. I do like the rest of it though and since it says Part One... I'll be looking for part two of that paticular request.

I still say [spoiler]Gavin is evil though.[/spoiler] [FONT="Arial"]=P[/FONT]

[Raiha]

[FONT="Times New Roman"][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][i][b]Data Stream Interrupted - Shut Down Commenced. Restart.
Begin Data Stream 8473[/b]

Feyri glared at El Morpheus behind her black cowl, tattoos like tears streaming down her face, her hands marked as well underneath the flowing sleeves of her own particular order. She howled aloud, raising her lightsaber, the violet light scattering in El Morpheus's vision. With a quick move, she surged forward, taking kick from the last Jedi standing, straight into the gut, she flew over his head and didn't correct in time to avoid the bulkhead directly behind him. From his vantage point, Gallen raised one hand and threw up a gathering of pure power, the Force fueled by anger and fear crashing into El Morpheus.

Reacting on pure instinct, the Force moved in response to the Jedi's unconscious command and formed just around the surface of his skin, deflecting the attack and dispersing the power across his body. A mild tingle, but not strong enough to drive the breath from him like the attack intended. He turned and caught Feyri's attack with his right lightsaber, pushing away Gallen's second Force attack with his left. Almost lazily, he shoved against a line of Force that seemed to nestle in his palm, inner light fueling it, making it visible. The lightsaber he'd picked up from the fallen Sith glowed once, then pulsed with blue, a mirror to his own.

Gallen snarled at the sight and drew his lightsaber, finally joining into a physical attack, his downward chop easily brushed aside by El Morpheus's instinctive response, the sound of their clashing jangling in his ears. The Jedi swept downwards, then up again, forcing both Gallen and Feyri to maneuver in front of him. Gallen pushed forward with both lightsaber and Force, Feyri's attack not dissimilar form his own and El Morpheus would've fallen back, but instead rolled with their attack and arched backwards in a leap. Using the momentum of their attack, he turned, set, and thrust forward while still in midair, the blades striking deep into his enemy's shoulders.

At first he wasn't aware of the sound of the hollow clapping, his own breath cutting out every other sound. But as Feyri fell, and Gallen immediately after, he found himself staring up into the hectic eyeshine of their master. The clapping continued, as his steps echoed against the starkly dull walls.[/i]

"Well done El Morpheus. You've vanquished every single one of my poor, unfortunate apprentices. What will you do now?"

[i]The voice, coming from the shadowed face of the Sith, came to the Jedi as if through a long tunnel. Even though he was only a bare 10 feet away, he sounded as if he were going further back all the time. Perhaps it was his body's recognition that his hearing was no longer necessary, perhaps it was merely the exhaustion, but El Morpheus couldn't find himself caring. The refugees had fled, well beyond the reach of the dark lords. And perhaps that was why El Morpheus felt himself growing lighter all the while, as if the Force was taking away the heaviness of his physical frame. His own voice moved across his lips, smiling all the while, the joy palpable.[/i]

"I've done what I needed to do. Now all that's left is to die."

[i]His laughter was soft, soothing even to his own ears, and the Sith lord's arrogant smile wavered for an instant. Then it moved back full force, and his arms moved forward, lightning arcing across his fingertips towards El Morpheus. Making no move to defend himself, he simply let his arms drop to either side, his lightsaber's shutting off in the same movement. The power lanced across his throat and face, knocking him back, his body flopping lifelessly to the ground. Both weapons dropped, the clang of metal on metal the last sound in the world.

In a place of bliss and infinite quiet warmth of the void, El Morpheus felt, rather than heard, the voices of those who had gone before him whispering. He turned his head to listen, but that too was only an echo of the past. There was no head, no corporeality, no flesh stretched across his frame. Merely the Force. [/i][/COLOR][/FONT]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]The Beast howled at the gates of Otaku City, and raged, furious, incapable of getting through the iron and concrete and madness. His massive jaws snapped fruitlessly, drooling ineffective acid down the sides of the walls. The members of the city, those fearful for their lives and sanity were crowded behind their walls. The brave or foolish were cloistered in front of the main Square, armed with both the mystic and the mundane. Gavin was leaning against a stone pillar with his rifle against his shoulder. Raiha had drawn a massive Solomon?s Circle* with Revelation?s help, and now Arcadia and Petie were chipping away at the ground beneath it, following her intricate lines and spirals. The names of the Holy Ones were perfectly represented, capable of containing the hideous evil the foolish had wrecked upon the city.

James stood quietly underneath his pavilion with his men in attendance, Charles on his left and Desbreko on his right, both looking none the worse for wear. Gavin and Raiha had both undergone a certain amount of cleansing at the hands of Shy and Desbreko, while Charles was immediately absolved, given his sacrificing of his left arm to seal the Beast; if only temporarily. The others, newer members who had taken refuge were also close by, having proved themselves in the defense of the City, some giving up their sanity. The circle nearly complete, Raiha stood, gathering up her white robes and pulled Revelation closer to her side as they presented themselves to James. He nodded gravely.[/i]

?It has been almost two years since the Seal was broken on the Beast?s circle far outside the city. And you have all been cleansed in that time, the city renewed and fortified. You and your companion have done well preparing for the end.?

?Yes sir. We have been working on this for months. With help of course.?

[i]Petie and Arcadia stood sheepishly, dragging their feet across the ground, both covered in rock dust and dye alike. The others turned to watch, with varying levels of concern and amusement.[/i]

?And the sacrifices will finish it??

?The others have prepared a rather straightforward method to drive him directly to this spot. And the scent of blood should be as potent a lure as we could ever ask for. The ceremony will be a success.?

[i]As if the signal had been spoken aloud, Ezekiel and Nerdsy appeared, dragging behind them two struggling goats, their bleats bouncing off of the stone and concrete all around them pitifully. Every citizen in attendance watched impassively as the two goats were led up the stone steps and to opposing sides of the circle. James and the others stepped aside, taking up defensive positions behind the parapets that had been erected where soap boxes had once stood. The gates creaked again, even though they were only half a mile away, everyone shuddered almost instinctively. But not Raiha. And not James. Some had yet to see the Beast in his true form. And some had only heard the bedtime stories. But everyone could hear him if not see him.

The torches that burned in a circle overhead were extinguished as the full moon rose to its zenith. The gates were jerked open on either side by the volunteers safe behind stone and iron and steel. And the Beast rushed through, harried on either side by the mounted militia, the sounds of horses screaming in terror filling the ears of those who laid in wait. Magic flared up around the city?s residential districts, wards carved painstakingly over the long months of fear. The Beast screamed and scrabbled at the hard packed dirt leading up to the Square and his demise. Goaded by the scents of the innocents all around, but drawn by the sight of Raiha and Revelation standing together, knives made of stone in their hands, dripping goat?s blood into the circle just to the sides of their feet. The two women spoke in perfect unison, their voices a sharp contrast to the incoherent sounds of the monster.[/i]

?Come forth, He From Beneath.?

[i]Goat carcasses lay tossed aside after their draining, and the Beast threw himself forward at the fresh blood that had filled the circle?s many letters and symbols. Steam rose from them as he put his head closer to the words.[/i]

?Come down to us, Light from Above.?

[i]Immediately the magic waiting just above him snapped into place and there was the sound of a flute piercing through the howls and snarling of the Beast. White light coursed down in roiling waves of holy fire, as each name etched into the stone glowed brightly as impure claws dug into them. The Beast?s flesh seared from his bones, and the thing made of darkness and air struggled repeatedly, more and more feeble now, as the light continued to burn him, the music louder now, then softer, then louder again. One more piercing shriek, and then silence. The circle was gone as was the Beast?s physical form, only a melted smooth ripple of stone remained. Gone were all traces of the ceremony, save the knives still clutched in Raiha and Revelation?s hands. James and Charles exchanged glances, then looked back at Raiha.

She bowed once, then turned back to the place where the Beast had been only moments before. As if moving to an unspoken command, Raiha and Revelation both raised their weapons high and then brought them down, slitting their own throats in a quick burst of movement. The women fell lifeless, their blood curling around the melted stone, conforming to the contours that remained. Their souls rose up above the physical plane, and finding the last traces of the Beast?s own mangled spirit, gathered them up as if they were gathering flowers from a garden and flew higher. Higher into the light of the moon.
[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

*[url= http://www.esotericarchives.com/gifs/g73.gif]Solomon?s Circle[/url]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Another interesting update, although I'm not sure how much I relish the prospect of being a widower after four and a half years of marriage. Still, well written as usual, I enjoyed the links to Final Quest for glory, even if as you said it is only loosely based on the story itself. You should really consider adding the title, it gave me a good chuckle.[/SIZE]

[Kre]

Well, if you still do requests, I would like to see my death where it starts out with me walking back into my apartment. Then an assassin busts in with a firearm of some kind, doesn't matter to me. I dis-arm him and then starts a Bourne-ish hand to hand combat fight. Fast paced and brutal hand to hand, but not brutal as in fantasy gorey. Eventually it ends with us backing up to the balcony, where he picks up his gun once again and I push him off the balcony as he puts some rounds into me, killing us both. If you do it, thanks. You seem to be a good writer from the passages I've read ;D

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Rouni walked through the dimly lit hallway leading to his fourth story apartment. Trailing behind him in all her insubstantiality was She Who Consumes, no more there than a breath of wind or the wafting of white smoke from a pipe. Her laughter manifested to him as the simple choking sounds of one of his neighbors, drowning out the footfalls of the assassin who had summoned Her by his very presence.

"Poor poor Rouni. This is going to be so sad."

The door behind him shut, Rouni stood in his apartment, untying his boots, and dropping his jacket on the bench by the closet. As if the door were simply not there, She Who Consumes walked across the threshold and drifted towards the living room, the balcony immediately to the right, showing the other high rise apartments close at hand. Lying down on one of his battered sofas, She rested her elongated muzzle on her paws and watched Ruoni slip his feet out of his boots with a sigh, then raised her head just slightly and let out a low quiet moan, almost like a sigh. He turned his head sharply in time to see his door kicked in, splinters flying and someone with the gall to be using a facemask burst in.

The reaction time couldn't have been better if it were choreographed, Rouni snatched away the Glock before any shots were fired and flung it behind him across the living space, the metal passing through Her as if she weren't even there. Then in the next movement, he swung his same arm around to catch his assailant in the chest. He recoiled, and swung back almost sloppily. Rouni found himself laughing almost at the assassin's surprised eyes. It was pretty obvious he'd been expecting someone far less adept at hand to hand. Standing barefoot on the splintered remains of his door, Rouni ducked and swept his leg around, missing entirely.

She Who Consumes was standing now, and howling aloud, a sound both assassin and Rouni could've heard if they hadn't been focusing on the sounds of their own breathing.

With a quick inward swing, Rouni brought his elbow straight into the assassin's face, the sound of a breaking nose crinkling in his eardrums. But he must have undergone some kind of training against pain, because his response was an immediate attack in return. A haymaker sent Rouni sprawling against his sliding glass door, the force shattering the poorly made glass. The punch he leaned into in retaliation was caught almost before it started. The gun had already skidded across the hardwood floor and was within easy reach of both Rouni and assassin. Using his free hand, Rouni grabbed at it only to be swung around by the assassin onto the concrete balcony.

Taking two quick steps forward, the assassin brought the gun up, as Rouni looked down at the drop behind him. The adrenaline rushed and snapped through his system, blood from a broken lip trickling into his mouth. Rouni braced himself against the railing with his arms and brought up both legs at once, snatching the assassin and hurling him upwards above his head. A scream, shots fired, and Rouni fell face forward, two lucky ones in his back. The assassin kept falling, and was crushed against the sidewalk, the gun bouncing out of sight into a drainage hole.[/i]

"....fuck this."

[i]She Who Consumes stretched languidly, and padded across the balcony edge, fully corporeal. She leaned down to Rouni, nuzzling his cooling cheek, her whiskers teasing his skin. He felt like laughing at the absurdity of it all, and he reached up to stroke her forehead, tendrils of energy snaking down to envelop him. He'd died for no reason at all. No one to protect, and in the end a hellhound had come to meet him. She Who Consumes chuckled and Her voice became human to him.[/i]

"Laugh like you want it."[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"]Seeing that Korey was saying this here:[quote name='Korey'][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]I wonder what exactly this WiFi play entails. It'd be interesting to go dungeon diving with friends in CT. Although, I get the feeling that I would treat my WiFi excursions the same way I took my excursions the same way I did in Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. [B]Kill you and take your loot[/B][/FONT][/QUOTE]I think the next death should be him playing with Des or someone and when he goes to kill him for his loot, he dies instead. =P Sounds about right to me. [spoiler]All in good fun Korey. I don't [I]really[/I] want you dead, you only just got chained to the Arcade after all! ^_~[/spoiler] [/COLOR]

[Korey]

That's just mean :'(

[spoiler] No offfense taken boss, but do I really have to have Des kill me? XD[/spoiler]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Our intrepid hero, the great Master of Weaponry Korey stalks the Might Desbreko. His movements are stealthy, sure, the mark of a great hunter of fellow game players. We fear for Desbreko's life, for surely the Great Korey shall overcome him in the name of loot and booty! He raises his sword, but Desbreko turns a corner and the camera angle foils Korey's devious plans.

Alas!

But wait, here comes another new warrior, recently joined to the ranks of the great fighters for freedom, justice, and the Hyrulian way! Actually it's probably nothing like that but what the heck, we'll run with it. Aberinkula, loaded down with gold and jewels from his recent vicious maiming of barnyard animals stumbled into Korey's brilliant trap and found that his last memory would be the sight of the valiant Korey jumping towards him and swinging his blade. His battle cry echoed throughout the land.[/i]

"Gimmie all ur lootz nao!"

[i]Aberinkula fell tragically, and found him corpse stripped of all the belongings that he had killed so many to obtain. So sad, so sad. But Korey was happy and that's all that mattered after all. Recently gained booty safely stowed away, The Great Korey resumed his hunt for the elusive Desbreko. Slayer of the Bad People! Protector of his Enormous Manhood! But this is getting a bit tangental.

Moving on.

Korey switched back through the small and carefully bit mapped forest and found Desbreko heading down the path towards Korey, his loot sack bulging with thus far, inexplicable wonders. Readying his sword, Korey tensed up and prepared for a full on attack, hoping the famous element of surprise would serve him in good stead for removing from Desbreko the superfluous loot that should've, by all rights he thought were his, belong to him after all. And just as he prepared to deliver the first and possibly final killing blow, he found himself falling headfirst into the pit that the brilliantly thoughtful Desbreko had dug in the path before him. He leaned down and shouted with one hand cupped around his mouth. Vanquished, Korey discovered that he'd dropped his pile of loot just before he had fallen. What irony.[/i]

"Curses. I knew this was too good to be true."

[i]Desbreko's mocking laughter filled the air, his joyous tones announcing to the world that he was a brilliant warrior. And what a hell of a warrior too..[/i]

"I knew you were coming you know! Nobody can defeat me! MASTER OF LOOT!"

[i]Our recently perished hero sadly died in ignominy and failure, as his loot was claimed by Desbreko and used to build an orphanage for disadvantaged children.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]