City of IF

[Chinaren]

Warning! This SGame contains unsuitable material! Adult scenes! Perversion! Violence! Torture! Disgusting stuff!
Don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you are young, unlawful, lack a humorous disposition, or are otherwise unsuitable, then don’t read this SGame!

Chapter 3 – Tome Macabre.

Big City central library was one of those old school structures, built back when people didn’t mess about with all this modern rubbish. The sprawling five story building was constructed with great big blocks of solid stone, hewn out of the countryside with total indifference to the environmental damage created. It was supported by wood taken from rare trees that had been growing for hundreds of years, and had been built entirely with slave labor.

The main entrance, a whopping big granite arch, led into the lobby, which was floored with stone cut, laid and polished by desperate migrants who hadn’t, in the end, been paid. The ceiling, painted with a Michelangelo style mural, was supported by grand pillars cut from the finest marble, inlaid with gold filigree.

The hall itself was decorated with valuable artifacts, looted from any country not strong enough to hold off plundering, rifle toting adventurers. The whole place had an old school attitude, both uncaring and cruel, and yet grand and glorious. Its halls held every major work of literature written by man, as well as, unknown to most visitors, several thousand grimoires and tomes of a completely different nature.

At the moment the entrance hall was silent, mainly because it was nearly midnight. The sole guard sat at his post, feet resting on the desk as he read the latest edition of ‘Things up your Arse’ magazine, a publication which was both highly immoral, and banned in nine out of ten civilized countries.

The guard’s name was Harold, but we don’t care about that. He was taking a drag of some dubious looking smoke when he heard the noise.

Footsteps, two pairs. One pair striding confidently along, making a definite clicking sound on the hard floor. The other was more of a shuffle, as if trying to keep up with the first lot.

There was also a constant, high pitched babble, as if someone’s mouth was set on ‘fast’. The guard sighed, and put down both his smoke and his magazine, standing up to greet the newcomers.

“Harold!” exclaimed Dinranwen, looming out of the gloom like an oval iceberg. “Are you on again? Don’t you ever get a day off?” She was clinging to Lord of the Nights’ arm, dripping rainwater, and looked a little bit like a beached wale would, if it had legs and an umbrella.

“Mrs. Night, Sir,” the guard touched his cap, then reached down and pressed a hidden button. “Go ahead, the way’s open.”

There was a grinding noise, and one of the pillars nearby split in two, revealing a passageway lit by old fashioned torches.

“Thank-you Harold,” waved Dinranwen cheerfully. Lord of the Night said nothing.

The two entered the hidden entrance, which closed behind them. The guard shook his head slightly, then sat back down and continued to be educated in all the wrong ways by his magazine.

>

“Bitch,” said Harley, leaning over and pulling Lilith’s hair.

“Tart,” replied the witch, and then shut up as she put her tongue in her lover’s mouth.

When they finally parted, gasping for breath, Lily smiled, wiping her smeared lipstick. “Hey!” she said. “You’re wearing a dress! You never wear a dress.”

“Oh, but this one’s leather,” said Harley, standing up in the gloom of the private box, and showing off her figure.

Lily raised an admiring eyebrow, just as some fat bloke started to sing in Italian on the stage. The outfit Harley was wearing was more daring than her own. A spray on dress which ended just a bit higher than her thighs. Long matching boots, also of leather, reached nearly the same place. She wore a leather cap and sported a riding crop in one hand, to complete the ensemble.

“Nice,” she said. “Though it must be tight on your wings.”

“I can get them out if needed,” replied Harley.

“You are one bad ass fairy,” said Lilith, reaching for her.

Harley held a hand out though. “No, business first, or I’ll never hear the last of it from the old COWs. They made me promise to tell you before… anything. Practically put a geas on me they did.”

Lilith slumped back in her chair, legs apart. She fondled the sheath with Messy in for a moment, but then decided she’d better hear what Harley had to say.

“So, what’s going on then?”

“Heavy stuff apparently,” replied her leather clad companion. “The old COWs are bleating on about some sort of underworld figure. Apparently this thing, whatever it is, is planning on joining us up here, on the surface.”

Lily arched her eyebrows. “Really? So, he causes a bit of mischief, we track him down, and then send him back to where he came from. No great shakes.”

Harley shook her head. “Not this time. This one is no small fry, not even big fry. This one is a Major player, one of the really big boys. If it gets up here it won’t be simply corrupting presidents or anything, it’ll be the Big One.”

“Wonderful. I’d rather hoped to be old and wrinkled before the end of the world.”

“Well, you may yet get your wish. Apparently this player can’t get here without help. The COWs think there’s some agent preparing the way. Your task is to find out who this agent is and take them out, or stop them somehow.”

Lily scratched her head. “And who is this agent then? Any clues?”

Harley spread her arms. “Sorry, that’s all I have for now.” She reached down to her chair and pulled out a small silver flask. Opening it she took a small sip, smacking her lips before offering Lily as swig.

Lily shook her head. “Sorry, nectar’s not really my thing.”

“Your loss,” said Harley, taking another tot.

“So, if we’ve finished our business,” Lilith said, wincing at a particularly high note that came from the stage, “allow me to introduce you to Messy…”

She pulled Mephistopheles out of his sheath and waved it at the biker fairy.

Messy leered, as much as an enormous dildo can leer anyway, and then licked tiny lips. “Oh,” he squeaked. “We’re going to have so much fun!”

Harley smiled, and hitched up her dress.

>

Lord of the Night absent mindedly took a bite of herring and marmalade sandwich, dropping crumbs on the ancient and massive volume of forgotten lore that was resting on the table in front of him. He turned a page, getting grease on the paper and stirring up dust in the process. No one had read this book for centuries, if not longer, that much was obvious. There was information in here that he would never have believed. Imagine! It had been sitting under the ‘children’s’ section as well! Talk about misfiled. He’d only found it after his Employer had called him, melting another phone whilst doing so. It was a good job he’d bought two.

The book was very informative though, and he’d discovered the process of creating conditions suitable to summon Multitude were complex and difficult. “Still,” Lord of the Night said to himself as he sat back and picked a herring bone out of his teeth, “I enjoy a challenge.”

“Did you call sir?”

Mr. Night looked up at the Hidden Archives’ chief librarian. The poor woman appeared as a cross between a person and an amphibian of some nature. Her face was normal enough, though green, but she had large yellow eyes, giving her a permanently startled expression. She wore green robes, and her nametag pronounced her to be ‘C. Frog.’

“No, I didn’t,” said Lord of the Night, “but now you’re here… What do you know of this?” He tapped the book.

Ms. Frog peered at the page he was looking at, her expression showing annoyance at the herring stain briefly, but then turning to wonder.

“Why sir! Where did you get this? We’ve been looking for this book for over two thousand years! We thought someone had stolen it.”

“I’ll waive my finders’ fee,” replied Lord of the Night, looking pleased with himself, “if you tell me what you know of it.”

“It’s the rarest of all books, ‘The Tome Macabre,’” said Frog, waving webbed fingers about. “It contains the deepest darkest secrets of the Other Realm, the Place That Must Not Be Mentioned, or The Void, as it’s variously known as. Several prophecies predict it will be used to start the Apocalypse.”

Lord of the Night put down the remains of his sandwich. “Interesting. And what do you know of this ‘Multitude’ character?” He pointed at a heading.

“Oooh, he’s a nasty one sir, and no mistake. She leaned closer, bringing a decidedly fishy aroma with her, though this complimented the sandwich. Glancing left and right, she spoke in a low whisper. “It’s said that Multitude is the Bringer of the End. If he’s summoned, all life will be forfeit. There’s only one way to control him, that I’m aware of anyway.”

“Control him? You can control him?” Lord of the Night raised both eyebrows. “Tell me more!”

“It’s an ancient artifact, created by a god long since fallen.”

“What is this artifact?”

“I don’t know sir, that’s the problem. The records are lost in the mists of time.” She stood back up again, all business once more. “Now, I must be off. If you want to know more, just call.” She turned and left, a slightly hop in her step.

Lord of the Night spent a few moments tapping his chin, deep in thought. Eventually he decided that this one was big enough to warrant bringing in some help. He narrowed his eyes a moment, and then pulled out his spare cell.

Dialing a number he waited for the answer, which took some time coming.

“What’dya want?” came the eventual response.

“Am I talking to The Twins?” asked Lord of the Night politely.

“No, I’m the fucking tooth fairy, of course it’s me. Speak, and this better be good, I’m in the middle of someone.”

“This is Lord of the Night.”

“Oh, right.” The female voice on the other end mellowed slightly. “How’s it going you old pervert?”

“Business is good,” he replied. “Which one am I speaking too?”

“I’m Never of course, how can you confuse me for that tart?”

There was a short pause, which gave Lord of the Night time to sigh. This was the problem with The Twins.

“She’s the tart,” came another voice which, whilst different in some way, was also exactly the same. “Do you know how many men, and I mean real ugly bastards, she shagged last week?”

Another pause, and the original voice spoke again. “What’re you doing? It’s my time now.”

Lord of the Night opened his cigar case and extracted a smoke whilst waiting for The Twins to sort themselves out. He lit a slim one and leaned back, blowing smoke into the air.

“Night? Are you there? Hello?”

Mr. Night put the cell back to his ear. “Yes, I’m here.”

“Right then, what do you want?”

“There’s a job, a big one. I need some reliable assistance. Are you busy?”

“Nothing I can’t finish off.”

“Good, I’ll meet you at the main library tomorrow then. 11am sharp.”

There was no further conversation, but the click of the phone as it was hung up. Lord of the Night nodded to himself and returned to the book in front of him.

>

“Did you hide that book?” asked Chinaren, looking up from the board.

IM shrugged. “I don’t know, I’ve forgotten.”

“Bollocks,” said Chinaren. “You’re an impotent god, you remember everything.”

“That’s omnipotent if you please.” IM raised a ten meter long finger.

“Don’t change the subject,” said Chinaren.

IM sniffed, causing a fluctuation in the tides. “Maybe,” he said. “So, what’s this artifact thing?”

Chinaren smiled and scratched himself. “Ah ha! Wouldn’t you like to know?! I’m not just a pretty face you know.”

“If only!” said IM.

“Anyway, come on, it’s your go.” Chinaren pointed at the table.

IM leaned forward, peering at the board over his glasses. “I think I need to give my piece a bit of a helping hand,” he said. “I can’t go letting your lot have all the information.” He squinted at the board, causing a brief flash of light. “There, let’s see what that does.”

>

“Bloody hell! Go a bit faster why don’t you?” screamed Lilith over the wind, hanging on to Harley’s waist as the fairy steered the chopper through the thunderstorm.

“Hold on! It’s a bit tricky to see where I’m going in this rain,” Harley cried back, revving the engine and speeding through a set of red lights, narrowly missing a truck.

“Fuck! Watch it!”

“Miles away,” said Harley dismissively, taking the racing line around a corner and gunning the bike up Main Street.

There was a flash, and a bolt of lighting hit a lamppost ahead of them, causing it to explode in a shower of sparks and collapse directly in their path.

“Shiiiiiit!” Cried Harley and Lily at the same time. The bike wobbled and skidded as Harley tried to avoid the obstacle.

They were too close though, and the front wheel hit, upending the bike and causing both riders to fly through the air over the handlebars.

Harley landed some way away, bouncing along the street and through puddles like a passenger jet on an overenthusiastic landing, her leathers saving her from any serious harm.

Lilith though, for some strange reason, was catapulted at an angle, to land squarely on a dark clad figure coming out of the library. She floored him, and the two rolled down the main steps entangled in each other, to land with a thump at the bottom, Lily on top of the man.

“Fuck!” exclaimed the witch, sitting up and shaking her long hair loose. “Are you okay?”

She looked down at the man. He looked back up at her with dark eyes that seemed to smolder in the night. She grinned happily.

“Well, hello good looking. What would your name be then? And how about a shag?”

The man looked back and smiled a tight smile. “You may call me Mr. Night,” he replied. “And…”


>>>>>>

And? And? He bloody well left it there? And what? What is Lordy’s response? What does he do now?

I thought I’d try a slightly different DP this time, see what comes of it. ~Snigger~

Bids now due:

Random bid CF, 100 Fables - for a bookish amphibian to appear in the story.

Evil Side: NeNe/Solus, 650 Fables (325 each) - for the double sidekick duo of NeNe and Solus - though we are in no way related/conjoined or sexually attracted. (I know you were only introduced on the phone, but we'll see you in the flesh next time.)

Random Bid: Harley, 100 Fables - To be some sort of thief with a drinking problem. (I know you didn’t steal anything yet, but give it time).

Other bids will be added to the story in due course, I don’t want to rush things.

Cross and Rai, don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten you. Like the last Greed, not everything can be fit in every time.

<<<<<<

[The White Blacksmith]

Very nice.

Well, I for one think Lordy should decline, but in a way that invites Lily to come with him. Then Lily follows him around, always being declined by him when she offers again. That'll be funny.

[NeverNeverGirl]

you dirty little... we are personalities of the same person??? ohmilord! you suck!

and NeNe would never speak like that! obscene ;)

oh Ren what have you done?

as for the DP? What is it? oh what he says next?

um....

get the bloody hell off of my new armani suit... you over-fleshed thing....

no idea - he is mean though isnt he?

[Crossfire]

I'm going for the obvious ones, namely "... you're mine." and "... you're mine.", in diametrically opposed situations, although considering the people in them, maybe not so.

To specify, the first one is that Lordy instantly desires Harley, the second one is that Lordy instantly loathes Harley and wishesor, as a third option, wishes to capture her, for reasons unknown. Possibly for pleasure, for a lifeforce source, for a variety of other reasons, but presumably not for the blood of a virgin.

Possibly you could mesh together one, or two, or indeed all three together. They're fairly versatile, that's why I suggested them. You wouldn't even need to break a poll tie with these... [/shameless spruiking]

Nice chapter, by the way. Just one niggling detail, though...

chinaren wrote: ...a publication which was both highly immoral, and banned in nine out of ten civilized countries.

In this universe, don't you mean 'out of the ten'? ;)

[The White Blacksmith]

Hang on... This is Lilith on top of Lordy.

Scrap my suggestion. We all know what Lordy would do if Lilith asked him that, don't we ;) :shock:

[Mephistopheles]

oh, we can have some fun with this one! Perhaps Lordy can be like, ha, i would tear you apart and break you little girl, and then you, know, lily is like, i have a friend who can help, and then, presto, menagie! but then again, for the plot, perhaps lordy can be like, not now, i have work to do, and lilith and harley (who has also fallen in lust for lordy) can chime out, we aren't busy, we'll just follow you til you can use us! it would be more fun to bugger the poo out of them, and then have then learn that they have to kill him later in the story. not such a loss though, he wasn't that good in bed!
oh, and you used slightly hop up there when cf went away, but the 'ly' doesn't need to be there.

[Crunchyfrog]

Quote: The man looked back and smiled a tight smile. “You may call me Mr. Night,” he replied. “And…”

..."this is my mother, Dinranwen," he said, waving nonchalantly at figure descending the steps at that point

Lilith glances at Harley. "Looks like I got the better deal..." she smirks.

Or...

Quote: The man looked back and smiled a tight smile. “You may call me Mr. Night,” he replied. “And…”

..."would you care for a herring and marmalade sandwich?"

That's all I can offer at the mo... :D

[The White Blacksmith]

I like the second one. :)

[Polokin]

The White Blacksmith wrote: We all know what Lordy would do if Lilith asked him that, don't we ;) :shock:

That made me laugh :lol:

But considering it's a storygame... I don't think Lordy would be quick to accept an offer like that, he'd avoid it somehow, like the ways CF mentioned.

[NeverNeverGirl]

i love CFs first idea - lol

though i believe that being the consumate professional bad guy that Lordy is - he may consider his previous appointments more pressing...

[Guest]

Well Meph you may want to start running. I'm giving you a five minute head start. Once Meph is taken care of, I'll take of the rest of you who made it on my list.

Ah, well. At least china got the drinking problem thing written in but he wrecked my bike. Thanks a lot, do you know how much that bike cost?

Nice work as usual China.

[Kalanna Rai]

S'alright China, a good assassin knows paitence during the hunt.

Humm...my guess would be that Lordy gives Lily the cold shoulder, which pisses her off and makes her even more determined to have him. So when Lordy heads home she follows him, at a distance, determined either to sneak into his bed or take something of his so that he HAS to deal with her again...and give her another shot.

[DELETED]

DELETED

[NeverNeverGirl]

Just reread that in a different frame of mind....

and got a totally different impression of the Twins.

hmm my bad.. or yours china?

lol

scared :oops:

[solus.serpen]

NeverNeverGirl wrote: Just reread that in a different frame of mind....

and got a totally different impression of the Twins.

hmm my bad.. or yours china?

lol

scared :oops:

...yeah, I think that's the impression I got when I read it too.
:shock:

~Solus

[Chinaren]

Stick your voting pole into the oyster of voting.

[The White Blacksmith]

*prods*

[Crossfire]

*coughs* Perhaps I didn't make myself clear, or at least my suggestions. Option One has been included in the poll, but Option Two, namely that the Lord of the Night should attempt to kill Lilith by any means necessary, presumably failing, didn't quite make it there. Just to point this out.

[algu95]

Too late for me, apparently, becuz' my Internet stopped working for... 8 days! I had to borrow my sisters all the time! XD
Now i get to do nothing but... but "Stick my voting pole into the oyster of voting" :sad:

[The Meaning Of Fear]

Done, and done.

Hehe... This, is gonna be GOOD.

Well, it's gonna be bad, but bad in a good sort of way.

[The White Blacksmith]

Oh, yes, of course, everyone can always count on Cren to deliver perverted scenes.

-Still Bitter Dept.

[Guest]

And yet he delivers them well. You have 100 fables safely in your pocket China

[Fats_Masterson]

Ok, Ok, let me get this straight. You Ifians voted to let Chinaren write a love scene, no scratch that (we all know C-ren), a sex scene between the Protagonist and the Antagonist. We are all Doomed!!

;) :-D :lol:

[Guest]

Fats_Masterson wrote: a sex scene between the Protagonist and the Antagonist. We are all Doomed!!

Shit I never thought of like that. What have we done?

[Crunchyfrog]

*gets out a bucket of popcorn*

:D

[LordoftheNight]

I'd like to point out here that I actually didn't vote for that option.

Surprisingly.

[Chinaren]

Mmmm. Interesting. I'm going to have to think of something special for this one. :grin:

~Dons 'pervy' hat and sets it to Max~

[The White Blacksmith]

lordofthenight wrote: I'd like to point out here that I actually didn't vote for that option.

We're all doomed.

[Kalanna Rai]

*grabs bucket o' BBQ sheep and grins* Where's Polokin when you need him?

Go China go...I can't hardly wait...

[Chinaren]

~Is suddenly nervous from all the expectation~

[algu95]

"We are all doomed. That thing is the only thing certain" - Xar the melancholy enchanter wielding a moonblade.

He was correct :D

[The White Blacksmith]

Ooh! We made C'ren nevrous!

Popcorn, anyone?

[Guest]

*takes some popcorn from whitey*

This will be very interesting. But I am very surprised at Lordy

[NeverNeverGirl]

*isnt so surprised about Lordy*

told you he takes his Evil seriously...

LOL @ China being nervous. Though i've no doubt you can pull this off.... or do i????

*settles back to watch what unfolds*

[Polokin]

Kalanna Rai wrote: Where's Polokin when you need him?

I can't find me myself...

Don't worry, Chinaren is very experienced in this line of writing ;)