Worlds change and so must I. I'm feeling some chaos a'brewing. Time to batten down the hatches and ride the storm. The air has a static feel to it and I don't feel quite as safe on the streets as I once did. I've taken to going around armed now, which is a shame as I'm not very handy with physical attacks. Lucky for me we got a few places to practice in town. Best be seeing how I an I go up against a cop bot or two. Might even have to look into getting a trainer or something...not much use for my preferred style of combat. Magical Certamen anyone? Really much more enjoyable than puling a trigger or hacking with a blade, but to each their own.
Seein' some new faces about town and in the shop. Always good to have fresh blood in the city. Keeps it from getting stale. Haven't seen Baal in a while, busy man. Been busy myself. Had my nose stuck in a book so long I an I barely had the time to check in at work. Research, learning and seeking. Some quests never end.
Mmm, been seeing the walking dead about town. Strange stuff that. Lucky for this one I've seem him clock in and say a few words, otherwise I'd have to do something bloody. Brains belong in the skull, not as an appetizer.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
~Interlude: The Bottle
It must have rained earlier in the evening as puddles of water helped reflected an oily sheen of the neon lights and the air was heavy with mist
I cupped my hands around my zippo lighter and flicked it to life, briefly illuminating my face and blinding me with it's flame. Taking a drag off my cigarette, I watched spots of color dance before me and waited for my sight to adjust.
I heard a bottle clank not too far off in the distance and turned around. Waving the smoke from my face I peered off into the night, still trying to see what made the sound. It couldn't have been rats, I would have heard them squeaking. The cop bots that patrolled the city hovered up high enough that they couldn't have done it. I hadn't seen anyone walk past the shop in hours.
Letting my curiosity get the better of me I trudged across the street and passed St.Anne's church. Continuing along my way I noticed that not many were out tonight. The streets of Nomos seemly well and truly empty. Not even dealers were hawking their wares.
As I came upon the alcove I saw the tipped bottle and looked around. There was no one around as I kneeled down and examined the bottle.It was just an empty Nomos beer bottle that a majority of the bars seemed to carry.
I picked it up and immediately wish I hadn't. The glass was covered in a sticky clear slime that clung to my skin. I hastily dropped the bottle back on the ground and examined my hand
A film of that stuff clung to my skin. I brought my palm under my nose and gave a tentative sniff. My head reeled back as my eyes watered at the acrid smell.
I dropped my hand into a puddle and tried to scrape the slime off into the pavement. I flexed my hand, it felt a little numb, but that could have been from the scraping. It still had the strange oder about it. My nostrils twitched as I braced myself for another whiff as I tried to identify the scent.. There was a diesel smell to it, diesel but something chemical and unknown to me. I repressed a shudder and smacked my hand against my thigh finding it still numb.
Sighing I stood, wondering if I should take my chances with stopping over at Med-Tek and letting them check me out. It seemed like a good idea until I remembered I had just a few outstanding bills.
Well, no place like home to administer a little self medication. I lead myself out of the alcove and turned towards home. My hand still numb with that weird smell about it.
I was wondering what I had gotten myself into as I lingered on the bridge that lead out of town. I stood there watching the mist hover over the dark creek and began to mull over my thoughts
Abruptly I stopped my thoughts as the smell hit my nose,much stronger than what I picked up earlier. The culverts! Why hadn't I thought about the culverts that fed into the creek.
I hurried along the bridge and made my way through the scrub brush and the campfire someone had left burning at the water's edge. Wading into the murky water I sloshed up the creek bed and tried to keep my balance on the algae covered bottom.
I sniffed at the air and led myself to a dark culvert. It was too dark to see into so I flicked my lighter and held it aloft so I could peer inside.
A gasp left my throat, the bottom of the culvert and part of the wall had been coated in that same thick slime.
Not all of the culvert was coated and I found a few hand holds and hauled myself up inside, and did my best not to touch the slime with bare skin.
The smell was strong enough to make me gag and I fought the urge not to retch. My gut felt cold and told me to turn back, but this was something new, something unexplained.
I forced myself onward until I heard something flop and smack against the sides of the culvert. Water, I thought, trash...what was making that sound. The smell had gotten so strong my eyes began to tear up and my nose burned with it
Fumbling for my lighter once more, I had to see. I couldn't not know what lay beyond the darkness. I flicked it to life and held the flame aloft as my eye refused to make sense of what they saw.
I first recognized bones strewn about, all of varying sizes. I felt a laugh try to escape my throat as I figured out where all the strays had run off to.
Starting at the bones I worked my gaze upwards Thick tentacles slapped blindly at the walls leaving the thick slime trails where it touched.
I watched a smaller tentacle circle itself around a rather large rat and draw it inward. The rat shrieked, but fell silent with a wet crunch and a soft sucking sound began.
I heard a rasping mewling sound and realized it was coming from me as the nightmarish shape took form. I could feel my sanity leaving me as I gasped upon a creature that shouldn't even exist outside of some writer's imagination. My mewling turned to moan as I watched a tentacle reach out for my boot, leaving a thick trail of slime of anesthesia behind.
My reptile brain kicked on with its fight or flight and I threw my lighter towards the rippling mass. With a thump and a whoosh the slime ignited, the force knocking me backward into the concrete as I watched with terror as the tentacles crisped and burned.
Not wanting to watch the aftermath, I turned my back to the heat and it's own keening wail and ran.
I cupped my hands around my zippo lighter and flicked it to life, briefly illuminating my face and blinding me with it's flame. Taking a drag off my cigarette, I watched spots of color dance before me and waited for my sight to adjust.
I heard a bottle clank not too far off in the distance and turned around. Waving the smoke from my face I peered off into the night, still trying to see what made the sound. It couldn't have been rats, I would have heard them squeaking. The cop bots that patrolled the city hovered up high enough that they couldn't have done it. I hadn't seen anyone walk past the shop in hours.
Letting my curiosity get the better of me I trudged across the street and passed St.Anne's church. Continuing along my way I noticed that not many were out tonight. The streets of Nomos seemly well and truly empty. Not even dealers were hawking their wares.
As I came upon the alcove I saw the tipped bottle and looked around. There was no one around as I kneeled down and examined the bottle.It was just an empty Nomos beer bottle that a majority of the bars seemed to carry.
I picked it up and immediately wish I hadn't. The glass was covered in a sticky clear slime that clung to my skin. I hastily dropped the bottle back on the ground and examined my hand
A film of that stuff clung to my skin. I brought my palm under my nose and gave a tentative sniff. My head reeled back as my eyes watered at the acrid smell.
I dropped my hand into a puddle and tried to scrape the slime off into the pavement. I flexed my hand, it felt a little numb, but that could have been from the scraping. It still had the strange oder about it. My nostrils twitched as I braced myself for another whiff as I tried to identify the scent.. There was a diesel smell to it, diesel but something chemical and unknown to me. I repressed a shudder and smacked my hand against my thigh finding it still numb.
Sighing I stood, wondering if I should take my chances with stopping over at Med-Tek and letting them check me out. It seemed like a good idea until I remembered I had just a few outstanding bills.
Well, no place like home to administer a little self medication. I lead myself out of the alcove and turned towards home. My hand still numb with that weird smell about it.
I was wondering what I had gotten myself into as I lingered on the bridge that lead out of town. I stood there watching the mist hover over the dark creek and began to mull over my thoughts
Abruptly I stopped my thoughts as the smell hit my nose,much stronger than what I picked up earlier. The culverts! Why hadn't I thought about the culverts that fed into the creek.
I hurried along the bridge and made my way through the scrub brush and the campfire someone had left burning at the water's edge. Wading into the murky water I sloshed up the creek bed and tried to keep my balance on the algae covered bottom.
I sniffed at the air and led myself to a dark culvert. It was too dark to see into so I flicked my lighter and held it aloft so I could peer inside.
A gasp left my throat, the bottom of the culvert and part of the wall had been coated in that same thick slime.
Not all of the culvert was coated and I found a few hand holds and hauled myself up inside, and did my best not to touch the slime with bare skin.
The smell was strong enough to make me gag and I fought the urge not to retch. My gut felt cold and told me to turn back, but this was something new, something unexplained.
I forced myself onward until I heard something flop and smack against the sides of the culvert. Water, I thought, trash...what was making that sound. The smell had gotten so strong my eyes began to tear up and my nose burned with it
Fumbling for my lighter once more, I had to see. I couldn't not know what lay beyond the darkness. I flicked it to life and held the flame aloft as my eye refused to make sense of what they saw.
I first recognized bones strewn about, all of varying sizes. I felt a laugh try to escape my throat as I figured out where all the strays had run off to.
Starting at the bones I worked my gaze upwards Thick tentacles slapped blindly at the walls leaving the thick slime trails where it touched.
I watched a smaller tentacle circle itself around a rather large rat and draw it inward. The rat shrieked, but fell silent with a wet crunch and a soft sucking sound began.
I heard a rasping mewling sound and realized it was coming from me as the nightmarish shape took form. I could feel my sanity leaving me as I gasped upon a creature that shouldn't even exist outside of some writer's imagination. My mewling turned to moan as I watched a tentacle reach out for my boot, leaving a thick trail of slime of anesthesia behind.
My reptile brain kicked on with its fight or flight and I threw my lighter towards the rippling mass. With a thump and a whoosh the slime ignited, the force knocking me backward into the concrete as I watched with terror as the tentacles crisped and burned.
Not wanting to watch the aftermath, I turned my back to the heat and it's own keening wail and ran.
Monday, June 7, 2010
~Amadeus: From There to Here or From the Looking Glass
They say there are things you can know that will drive you crazy.
I used to laugh at the idea, nowadays I and I don't find it quite so amusing.
I's got a story to tell, if there's anyone to listen. I'll be warning you now though. Its best to keep tellin' yourself that I'm crazy, mad as a hatter. Might ease the burden on you, might not.
I was working at the shop a few days ago, it'd been slow like so I was arranging some of the old books. Anyway, I came a across an old piece of paper, not vellum or parchment, just old thick paper good for stationary. A curious sort I skimmed the page, stopped an began to read. It was written backwards, in my own script. Well, now that's a bit odd, so I kept the page and left early to decipher what I had found.
It didn't take me too long to figure out that it was a ritual for contacting or summoning yourself. Now I told you I was crazy, didn't I? You know all those times when you say to yourself 'I wish I could have told myself not to do that'. C'mon, I know you've said it more than once in your life.
I thought it wouldn't be such a bad thing. The materials weren't very obscure; a few mirrors, little bits and pieces you could spare of yourself. The more of self you put into the ritual the clearer the channel, you see?
So here I am trying to call up a younger version of myself just to drop a reminder, a note of encouragement if you will. I find myself face to face not with young Amanda Grey,who would one day be Amadeus but an Amadeus herself. I and I in the here and now staring at each other. All of this born from a reflection of a reflection and then your eyes dart to the mirrored infinities that were reflected all around. Makes you feel kinda dizzy, queasy like don't it? Just keep telling yourself I'm crazy and maybe it'll pass. We don't speak, there isn't a need to, there is just a knowing. An understanding of a balance to be paid. All of your highs are balanced out with an equal sets of lows haven't you noticed? Here's the real crazy part. Would you be wiling to swap paces with yourself, letting one version take a step closer to it's better day; better time line if you had to step a step back. A step further away or downward from where you are? Would you trade that? Sacrifice that for yourself? I made my choice. Round and round we go, where it stops nobody knows. I told you I was crazy, warned you even. 'Course all of the above could just be a lie. Maybe it's bits and pieces of truth mixed with an artful lie? I'm betting it all depends on how you see things, perhaps. Crazy? That's just a four letter word.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Amadeus; Home Again Home Again
So it's home again home again is it?
I reckon we'll see how long it lasts. I find that I've grown accustomed to life here in Nomos. Things are looking up in the city, at least information wise. Even has it own newspaper now, Street Life. I read a disturbing article this morning about lycan running loose and bodies turning up in the sewers. I and I had best be careful on our daily prowls about the city. Hadn't planned on running into any beasties and I'm fresh outta silver. Mayhap I won't be going out on the full moons anymore. Might be best to stay inside and study. At any rate I should really sit down and have a neighborly chat with Skar one of these days
Oh, that reminds me. I took an ad out in the paper the other day. Still working at Ancient Books, but I wanted to do a little free lancing as it were. Looks likes it had some impact, I got a little business trying to swing some luck around. Earned me some creds and I'll be damned if I didn't win a hand of cards at the Twister. (Which by the way is cheaper to play at than The Royal. I can play two rounds at the Twister for what one round costs me there)I just don't need to stop in when there's some sort of blood letting going on. Stumbled across that today as well, but I don't judge folks. Whatever floats their boat ya' hear? Just so long as I'm not forced to participate it's all wavy gravy.
Folks keep stopping in and asking for books that I sometimes can't find. There's list around somewhere, need to let the other booksellers know to keep an eye out for those books. I still want to see a copy of Jung's Red Book on display one of these days...
Home life is what I'd expect, but I'll be damned if I can't hear my neighbors really well through the walls. Makes for some entertaining evenings. I've got more complaint with some of the musical selections than anything else. I did mention I think the place is haunted? I thought some things had been moved around in my place and I could have sworn I saw someone standing there out of the corner of my eye. Some days I just can't shake this feeling of being watched. Then there's the matter of this little dinosaur I see from time to time. Don't ask me what that is, I really couldn't tell you. Best guess is a figment that escaped somewhere along the way.
I reckon we'll see how long it lasts. I find that I've grown accustomed to life here in Nomos. Things are looking up in the city, at least information wise. Even has it own newspaper now, Street Life. I read a disturbing article this morning about lycan running loose and bodies turning up in the sewers. I and I had best be careful on our daily prowls about the city. Hadn't planned on running into any beasties and I'm fresh outta silver. Mayhap I won't be going out on the full moons anymore. Might be best to stay inside and study. At any rate I should really sit down and have a neighborly chat with Skar one of these days
Oh, that reminds me. I took an ad out in the paper the other day. Still working at Ancient Books, but I wanted to do a little free lancing as it were. Looks likes it had some impact, I got a little business trying to swing some luck around. Earned me some creds and I'll be damned if I didn't win a hand of cards at the Twister. (Which by the way is cheaper to play at than The Royal. I can play two rounds at the Twister for what one round costs me there)I just don't need to stop in when there's some sort of blood letting going on. Stumbled across that today as well, but I don't judge folks. Whatever floats their boat ya' hear? Just so long as I'm not forced to participate it's all wavy gravy.
Folks keep stopping in and asking for books that I sometimes can't find. There's list around somewhere, need to let the other booksellers know to keep an eye out for those books. I still want to see a copy of Jung's Red Book on display one of these days...
Home life is what I'd expect, but I'll be damned if I can't hear my neighbors really well through the walls. Makes for some entertaining evenings. I've got more complaint with some of the musical selections than anything else. I did mention I think the place is haunted? I thought some things had been moved around in my place and I could have sworn I saw someone standing there out of the corner of my eye. Some days I just can't shake this feeling of being watched. Then there's the matter of this little dinosaur I see from time to time. Don't ask me what that is, I really couldn't tell you. Best guess is a figment that escaped somewhere along the way.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Amadeus
I and I been hearing 'bout this place. A place outta the way where a select few meet.
A woman's voice whispered in my head about a boardroom and where it lies. So I be thinkin' that I wanted to have a looky-look for my own sake. Its dreamin' time and I and I use that time to take a walkabout without my feets have'n to leave the ground.
Hmmm, it comes to mind that some things should not be written down. I think I and I might be heading that advice for a change.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
~Amadeus
Amadeus clicked on the voice data recorder, the blue glow from the display illuminated her features. She sipped from a glass of ice water and rattled the cubes before speaking.
April, Nomos:
Last time I spoke I thought I was going to meet the ferry-man. Looks like Nomos ain't going to be kicking me out jus' yet. (Amadeus eyes squeezed shut as she rubbed them.) Now, there's always a catch isn't there? I find myself owing a few boons to be called in at will. Doctor-man get one for upholding his good doctor oath and treating me without expense. That Steven dealer-man gets one for having my cure and lastly but not least Dr.Max for being there when I needed a friend the most. So I am beholden now and will deal with that as the need arises. Still a little bit broke, but I'm not a pile of dead rotting meat in some dark alley so I and I can deal with that.
I seem to recall stepping inside a church to pray before my luck took a turn for the better. I and I don't know what to be thinky-thinkn' about that, 'cept I'm thinkn' someone threw me a round of the bad luck. Might be needed to stop in a say a prayer or two in thanks for the holy-holy. When it comes to magic I'm never picky be it holy or unholy, natural or supernatural. I'll best be taking what I get.
Time waits for no one and I've got ritual components to prep for under the counter sales. Bricks don't powder themselves
Saturday, April 10, 2010
~Amadeus
Amadeus stared at the blank display of the monitor. It's blue glow reflected off her skin as she leaned forward to active the voice data recording.
April, Nomos:
Seems I've gotten myself reasonably settled in round here. It ain't bad, deities know I've seen worse. Found work at the occult book store in town. It's the only one of its kind that I've seen in years. Reminds me of home. See enough interesting folk pass through it's doors. Some are looking for answers, others are just looking.
Had the chance to meet Mr. Skinner,the guy that runs an investigations out of the shop. I wouldn't spend too much time staring at him, unless you enjoy the look of charred flesh. Truth be told he kinda spooks me but I think he does it on purpose.
(Amadeus clears her throat and takes a sip of water) Speaking of spook, I met the boss the other day. Intimidating fellow, but I dig his shop ya? Oh yeah I'm remindin me of the good Doctor Max. She looks to be an alright sort if you don't mind some cloven foot prints. Real smart like I'm thinking. I think she likes tinkering with the sciences and machines. Gotta spend me some time and start learnin' this city I keep getting lost.
April, Nomos:
Rats, I shit you not, rats. Big ones. I swear I saw the one the size of a dog chasin this lady down the street. I'm buying a gun.
April, Nomos
Well, I found that a guns don't do much good if you can't shoot well enough. Got bit, think I'm getting sick. Did I mention some copbot picked my ass up after a losing streak at cards? Threw me into the cop shop. Gave some funny shot and I felt real fluffy like and high. I would have enjoyed it 'cept I had to go to robo court and fined. Fucking bolts. Now I ain't got the creds for nothing. Think I'm going to try and ride this bug out. It can't be all that bad.
April, Nomos:
Amadeus can be heard coughing, raspy and harsh and her voiced strained.
Sick, really sick. Saw the doctor-man the other day, some cop made me. Doctor man did what he could for me. Told me I was going to die if I didn't get the vaccine or the means to afford one. I've been fallin down a lot, maybe blacking out...my memory is funny and I'm not thinking too well. Cash tills around here don't have enough creds for my needs...ain't knowing enough folks to ask for a loan. Thinkin' if I can't steal or scrape enough I bes talking to the ferry man soon.
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