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Indelible: Chapter Fifteen
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scissorkitty



Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 789
Location: Escaping the Hair Lair

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:06 am    Post subject: Indelible: Chapter Fifteen  

ChapterFifteen

Leah weasled her much-bitten fist from George's mouth, and squinted suspiciously at the giant feline. Something about the voice niggled persistently at her memory, yet nothing was popping forwards.

Disturbed? Yeah. You could say that. Still basking in the eerily removed feeling that swamped her earlier, she pusher herself to standing, and appraised the kitty from all angles.

Huge. Gi-fucking-normous. The cat wallowed happily in Leah's attentions. Weighing in at something close to Godzilla-like-proportions, it otherwise seemed to be a fairly regular looking domestic housecat. The fur was a dusky grey, running to black along the spine, tail, tips of the ears and paws. The ends of the whiskers sparkled happily in the once-again-tranquil sun. As she pondered the beast, the kitty poked gingerly at George with one soft paw.

I appreciate all your grovelling, but would you prefer to stand, like your friend here?

Picking feathers and leaf remains from his tongue, George obliged.

The forest, realizing with relief that no carnage was imminent, resumed breathing, and the assorted little denizens that lived in it resumed their regular activities.

* * * * *

Dina rested back in her chair, and crossed her legs with a sigh of contentment. The fire before her crackled merrily in its brick enclosure, sending dancing shadows and sparks spinning into the darkened room. Stone floors, happily ensconced in fur rugs- real fur, although that of many creatures totally unnameable in this day and age- warmed under her bare feet, and she skritched her toes happily in the thick softness before turning to her brother.

So, brother-mine. What ken ye about our wee adventurers now? Looks like perhaps they're set t'learn somewhat after all, eh?

Liam rolled a lazy eye at his twin, and stretched his own soles towards the reaching flames.
Oh, aye. There's much for them to learn, seeings that they're oft blind to their own intentions! I dinnae argue that they're plenty fun to watch. I just wonder, me, if'n they're going t' see what's ahead of 'em fore it does them in.

The Two turned back to the fireplace, and, stirring the ashes with an old hazel switch, snuggled back into their respective seats again to watch the story in the flames unfold.

* * * * *

So, basically, you're just a giant cat, who lives in this forest in the middle of a fairtale dream land, and you have nothing whatsoever to do with all this craziness? George raised a brow at the basking feline, and began to make yet another circuit around its gargantuan body.

The cat blinked an eye sleepily, and settled her chin upon her massive paws.
That's right. Just a cat. Hmm. Not that there's ever such thing as just a cat. That's highly offensive.. but seeing as you're just a man, I suppose I can let it go. For now.

Leah munched on some fruit and dabbled her feet in the stream, trying to clear her head. The cool water flowed past, carrying with it who-knows-what from who-knows-where, always travelling, never staying still, never stagnating.

You could, you know. The warm, silken voice caressed Leah's thoughts, sending little shivers of delight across her skin. The cat stared at her, unblinking, and the voice echoed through her mind again.
You're the only one holding yourself back.

George, totally oblivious to the telepathic conversation sparkling through the air around him, busied himself collecting wood for a campfire. The sun had moved lower in the sky, and the air began to gather itself together, squirelling away its warmth for the next morning. The packs revealed yet another secret when he began to rummage through them- an inner lining that could be pulled away and laid out for waterproof sleeping pads. Suddenly, George felt greatful for all the forced time spent with his family, and his thoughts lingered on newly departed Uncle Thierry, once leader of his childhood camping trips.

Can.. can I..
Yes. I can hear you just fine when you think your thoughts at me.

Leah felt thin, stretched, like a ball of cotton wool pulled too far apart in the making of craft clouds.
Why? WHO ARE YOU? Why do you feel so familiar, why do you make me feel strange when you talk to me? Why aren't I afraid of you?

The cat blinked again, slowly, the hint of an ever-present cat-smile curling up one corner of her mouth. She groomed a paw thoughtfully, and seemed to forget about the two humans completely for a minute.

For someone so creative, you're really not that bright, now are you?

The night, taking over from the forest now that day had tucked herself into bed, shivered ominously.



DP: Forget about the cat, Leah, George and Uncle Thierry for a second.. care to weigh in on just WHO the mysterious Twins really are? WHY are they so involved with Leah and George?
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DeadManWalking



Joined: 24 May 2006
Posts: 1005

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:14 am    Post subject:  

Well I'm better at puling on classic mythology, so perhaps the Norns/Fates? except that one of them is... something. I dunno.

Doesn't really work with the fact that one's a brother.
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scissorkitty



Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 789
Location: Escaping the Hair Lair

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:24 am    Post subject:  

If you're having trouble with that one, care to suggest WHY they're so involved with out little Duo's lives instead, Deady?
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The White Blacksmith



Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 2629

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 11:27 am    Post subject:  

GYPSY TIME LORDS! :shock:

Or not. Y'know.

I'm guessing immortals of some kind, but not gods yet. Maybe demi-gods? the reason they are interested in these two is because of the tattoo gun. Because they're its protectors? All it said in the first chapter was that "it was little more than a not-too-guilty splurge to tip her rent money out onto the counter and head across to the cafe" so Leah didn't see who sold the gun properly and it could have been them. Perhaps giving mortals magical objects and seeing what they do with them is like a game for them, and this game has a particularly interesting storyline.
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The Meaning Of Fear



Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 980
Location: In a deep, dark corner of the universe, plotting.

Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:40 am    Post subject:  

The White Blacksmith wrote: GYPSY TIME LORDS! :shock:

When I saw that I had a strange mental image of Power Rangers... Sounds an awful lot like one of those crappy team names they have nowadays. I miss oldschool children's shows.

The way those gypsies are talking, it's obvious that they know a lot, perhaps even more than they should. It's obvious this has something to do with the tatoo gun, and I think it's probably true that they had at least in part led to it falling into Leah's possession.

However, I don't think they're doing this for fun, despite the fact that they're probably having some now.

Quote: Oh, aye. There's much for them to learn, seeings that they're oft blind to their own intentions! I dinnae argue that they're plenty fun to watch. I just wonder, me, if'n they're going t' see what's ahead of 'em fore it does them in.

This could, note the italics, could imply that watching this is interesting, but the purpose of the setup was not for entertainment. So I'd say they were doing this as a sort of favor to the pair; helping them discover themselves, or something?

Sort of like fairy god parents? Maybe there's a whole system of these people/things out there!

IT'S A CONSPIRACY I TELL YOU!!! THEY'RE EVERYWHERE! :shock:

*Coughs*

Okay, that's all for now.
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Chinaren



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 8878
Location: https://www.NeilHartleyBooks.com

Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 5:44 am    Post subject:  

Well, the obvious has been stated, so let's go for something not.

They're a couple of normal people who happen to have stumbled across some kind of magical artifact that gives them strange, if not totally controllable, powers.

Le'ts leave the gods out of it.
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scissorkitty



Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 789
Location: Escaping the Hair Lair

Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:13 am    Post subject:  

yay! This will be an interesting poll, guys! Any last entries before I poll it up? The idearium is flowing, so I need to use it whilst it's here!
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Crunchyfrog



Joined: 12 Dec 2006
Posts: 3998

Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 4:23 am    Post subject:  

Yes yes!

But before I do, I have a little nitpick. You've chosen to express speech in italics rather than within quotation marks for this storygame which is ok, but it might help to find another alternative to express telepathic communication (which itself is often expressed in italics) or it may get a little confusing.

Anyways onto the DP.

Nyahahaa! Look what I found - lots of clues for this DP!

Quote: From Chapter 1

Leah let her mind wander as the needle did the same. She had just bought the gun the other day- a strange find. Always a fan of the odd and the out-of-the-way, Leah had been wandering the shops and stalls of the People's Market down on Fourth street. Held every Wednesday, it had a charming gypsy quality that she could never quite ignore. It had been sunny that day, too, and that had drawn out a bigger crowd of shoppers than usual. The press of bodies, and the overly loud sound of mingled haggling, shopping, and busking musicians had fed her sense of adventure. Slipping off the usual concourse, Leah had let her feet lead her down some of the attached alleyways- also lined with stores and vendors, although the slightly less commercial ones. Across from her favourite vegan cafe- George's sister's business, actually- she had stepped into a little bookstore with a charmingly chipped church-style front door.

The shop had smelled of old books, leather, coffee, and something warm- cat fur, maybe. Like a cat that had been napping by a fire all day. The books were welcoming to her fingertips, warm as well, and the old cast iron grates in the floors sent welcoming gusts of heated air up her pant legs and coat sleeves. Along with reading material, the little shop offered a selection of random antique objects, scattered amongst the shelves, and also arranged in a glass fronted cabinet. That's where the tattoo gun had been napping. She had done a double take when she saw it, the lazy heat and the slight ripple in the glass giving the cords of the gun the impression of being a little green snake, curled and waiting. Despite the age of the gun, something from the 70's most likely, its package was unopened, and contained a full set of brand new, modern pigments and sterile needles.

Until this point, Leah had always borrowed guns from her friends. The idea of having her own at hand filled her with a little thrill of excitement, and her hand trembled slightly as she opened the creaking case and pulled the gun and it's attachments out. The price was low, although not alarmingly so, and it was little more than a not-too-guilty splurge to tip her rent money out onto the counter and head across to the cafe with her new buddy tucked into her haversack.

Right. Having refreshed my memory, I'd say that the duo are only indirectly to do with the tattoo gun. The reason I say indirectly is because the gypsy feel, the smell of a sleeping cat, the warmth from below (could this be the room where the twins are now sitting, warming their toes?) - are only tenuous links between the tattoo gun, the twins and the dream.

I'm not sure that the twins are wholly responsible for this adventure and I think that they are minions of someone else, or perhaps part of a larger group. They're only in it for the fun of it, nothing deeper than that. Whether they are inherently magical I don't know, although my rather small appetite for wizardry and whizz-bangs makes me favour C'rens idea that they're normal folk given extraordinary tools to play with.

In a nutshell - Ordinary folk employed by a greater, possibly magical organisation.
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Emperor



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 471
Location: San Diego, CA

Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:22 am    Post subject:  

Quote: Right. Having refreshed my memory, I'd say that the duo are only indirectly to do with the tattoo gun. The reason I say indirectly is because the gypsy feel, the smell of a sleeping cat, the warmth from below (could this be the room where the twins are now sitting, warming their toes?) - are only tenuous links between the tattoo gun, the twins and the dream.

Good eye and memory crunchy!!!
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Lady of the Shadows



Joined: 06 Mar 2009
Posts: 67
Location: In the Valley of Shadows...Not such a bad place to be.

Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:04 pm    Post subject:  

This might or might not sound lame BUT...

We already know the tattoo is kind of otherworldy, right? So maybe they are like *cringes because this is starting to sound lame* spirits inhabiting the tattoo gun, or something. Maybe spirits of the gun.

You know, like those Japanese ones (I think). :oops:

Anyway, loving it Skitty!
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scissorkitty



Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 789
Location: Escaping the Hair Lair

Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 6:09 pm    Post subject:  

AWESOME ideas, guys! This is going to be SUCH a fun one! I love a lot of what many of your are saying.. I almost don't want to poll this, I just want to bask in the glow of so many possible directions.. and I feel like many of them could kind of tie in together. I've tried throughout my writing to leave a lot of little trails that could be picked up later- and, quite frankly, I'm flattered that so many of you seem willing to go back and pick up my scattered crumbs! :) I'm glad your liking my little hints and tricks, and now it will be up to YOU, my beloved readership, to steer this little tale a wee bit. Thanks so much for reading, and playing, and lets see where else we can take this!

-Skitty :wub:
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The White Blacksmith



Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 2629

Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 10:09 am    Post subject:  

Ok. Um. Confession. That suggestion about the time lords? It wasn't, y'know, serious.

Although it does appear to be tied for first.
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scissorkitty



Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 789
Location: Escaping the Hair Lair

Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 11:25 am    Post subject:  

heee hee. That's what makes it hilarious! :) Besides which.. Dr.Who always trumps everyone else. :lol:
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scissorkitty



Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 789
Location: Escaping the Hair Lair

Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 11:26 am    Post subject:  

need some tiebreakers, guys! Please?
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Emperor



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 471
Location: San Diego, CA

Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 10:00 pm    Post subject:  

scissorkitty wrote: need some tiebreakers, guys! Please?

Lesson number one, look at the poll results before casting vote in order to determine how to break the tie and not inadvertently cause a 4 way tie. :-( sorry skitty
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The White Blacksmith



Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 2629

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 4:44 am    Post subject:  

I can retract my vote (as I'm pretty sure I just voted for one of the ones with only one vote anyway) and vote for the Time Lords if you want.

I really want to see how that one turns out.
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scissorkitty



Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 789
Location: Escaping the Hair Lair

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 5:23 pm    Post subject:  

uh... 4 way tie!! I need some help!!!
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Chinaren



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 8878
Location: https://www.NeilHartleyBooks.com

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 5:40 pm    Post subject:  

Toss a four headed coin?

Merge all four answers?

:lol:
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DeadManWalking



Joined: 24 May 2006
Posts: 1005

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 5:58 pm    Post subject:  

you could make them normal people employed by the destiny-guiding Gypsy Time Lords one of whom has taken residence in the tattoo gun?

Or something like that.
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Crunchyfrog



Joined: 12 Dec 2006
Posts: 3998

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 9:59 pm    Post subject:  

Something to peruse while you're deciding. Interesting and useful ideas! Dealing with tied votes
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scissorkitty



Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 789
Location: Escaping the Hair Lair

Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 5:28 am    Post subject:  

Okay, guys. So... executive decision time! Seeing as the Norns, the Gypsy Time Lords, and the Normal People with magical employers AND the spirits in/of relation to the gun all tied... I'm going to combine them for the time being in the way I think best fits.

What will that be?

well. Iguess you'll just have to hold on for the next chapter, read and find out!!

BWAA HAA HAAA! :-o
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Fenris



Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Posts: 60

Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 12:23 pm    Post subject:  

Aw I'm too late. I walways going with Gods of fate.
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