|
| Thread: The continuing saga of Bob.... |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 · «PREV / NEXT» |
|
Shadowcaster
Honorable
Supreme Hero
Shaded Scribe
|
posted October 05, 2005 07:53 PM |
|
|
The shadow mage looked into the donut shop and saw Valeriy struggling against an unseen enemy. A crater lay in place of one of the tables and the admin's face contorted with a strange mixture of rage and concentration, as if he were trying to drive out a demon. Had he been to the attic? Did he know that Shadowcaster had stolen Bob away? He quickly reasoned that this was not a safe place to be and turned to go, but Val's voice froze him in his tracks.
"Shadowcaster," he said, forcefully ejecting the words as if he were afraid they would be lost to some unseen force. Against everything he wanted to do, the shadow mage turned back and walked toward the Mage of the Land. He held out his shield, though it would do nothing to protect him should Val turn and attack. "Come...closer," he said quietly, his voice noticeably less forceful. The shadow mage complied.
Soon he had made his way to the admin's side, and he asked what was going on. Val did not reply, and his head remained fixed upon the ground. He had stopped convulsing, and everything was unbearably still and quiet. Shadowcaster braced himself, but Val had gained control again and looked wearily up at the shadow mage as he caught his breath. He opened his mouth to explain after he had regained his composure.
Suddenly, he started flailing around the room again, attempting to throw off his unseen burden, and Shadowcaster backed slowly toward the door. He resolved to go get help before something happened to him, but as he reached the doorway, the admin called out to him. "No! You can't leave!" This voice was low and grainy, nothing like the admin's usual tone. It was as if someone else were speaking through him. Lord Xtreme had taken control for the moment. He raised the admin staff at the shadow mage and grinned.
"Goodbye, meddler!" the voice said with a ring of supreme triumph. The moderator then recognized the voice as the Unholy One from the realms of LHW, and tried to reason with 2Xtreme.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked.
"I have no time for your mind games!" the voice shouted wildly, and he leveled the staff at the shadow mage and fired. In that moment, Val regained some control and grasped the staff with his other hand in an attempt to redirect the ban, but it was too late. The blast connected, shattering Shadowcaster's modshield, and the shadow mage fell to his knees in shock as the ban coursed through his veins and worked its infamous magic. The last thing the shadow mage saw was the admin struggling to retain himself against the unwelcome visitor that had just undone a moderator.
"Good luck, Val," he said with his last breath, and his sword fell to the ground as the last traces of Shadowcaster faded away.
____________
>_>
|
|
ACC
Adventuring Hero
Enemy of the Efreet
|
|
posted October 06, 2005 10:19 PM |
|
|
Deep in a corner of the Realms of Saga, a lone lamp on an old table in a tall tower begins to quiver, and, eventually, to glow. A blue smoke fills the room and a shape materializes within the colored fog. Slowly, a turban appears above the condensing smoke and two glowing yellow eyes appear below. The smoke clears, leaving the genie alone in the realm. ACC had returned, if only out of necessity.
The former shadow mage knew this form was only an illusion, but it would have to do if his ban were ever to be undone. Unfortunately, if 2Xtreme took over Val's body, there was no way to save him. The Mage of the Land could see through such illusions, as could the shadow mage at his full power. In this form, however, he saw the world through a different set of eyes.
So much had changed within him since he had last taken this guise, but ACC couldn't help noticing that he was still a prisoner to the old man who had long ago deserted this place. Everyone was gone, even the newcomers who promised to breath life back into the Saga. The shadow mage resolved to continue sustaining this saga once he had returned to his rightful form, but, for now, he was limited even as a member. Serving a master who no longer bids you to do anything is the ultimate limitation. If only he'd been freed from his bondage.
With his new body came also new feelings, which actually belonged to the genie of old. He began to redevelop his hatred for efreet, and the fears of this place became very real to him. After all, this was where he had spent all of his time and where he had rested up to this point. In any case, he could not stay here.
The genie exited the portal and stepped out into the Glade for the first time in many months. He breathed deeply as he approached the gate, now adorned by only two modtowers, that led into the hub of HC. Hopefully someone would recognize him.
____________
"If you fight a battle and you flee,
Another day you'll live to see,
but if you gain the victory,
a mighty hero you shall be."
|
|
Korejora
Promising
|
|
posted October 07, 2005 07:01 AM |
|
|
Perched quietly atop an ashen rock in the Glade was a slender wyvern, starting to taste venom leaking out of its fangs from going so long without opening its mouth. She had not been sitting there for too too long, but she hadn't had a single thing to say to the Glade-goers for months. Besides having had a right row with one of them, there didn't seem to be anything that particularily made her boat float at the time. After taking one last look around, and yet again deciding not to join in anything, she leaned forward and launched herself off of the rock, swooping and gliding back up so as to fly to the Wastelands and see if there was a new joke or game or other trend.
On her way there, however, something caught her attention. It wasn't abnormal for newcomers to visit the Glade, but this person didn't seem to be quite so much of a newcomer, and besides that, he seemed to know how to use the portals quite well. With nothing better to do, the wyvern dived in a little closer, without quite approaching as was her overly timid way. He was somewhat familiar, she could tell, and as the he stepped into the Glade, she sniffed, narrowing her eyes and looking at him. Yes, she was just one fish short of a bucket of 100% certain that she knew who this was. However, there was no reason to act completely sure of herself, lest that one missing fish be the doom of her silent dignity.
"Hey, you're that..." she began, then changed her words. "Didn't you become a moderator?" she said quizically, hoping, now that she had spoken, that she hadn't mistaken him for someone else. She only vaguely remembered seeing him in this form to make a joke in the Glade at some point concerning the members who were nominating themselves and/or voting for themselves in contests. "Just not feeling up to being chased by QP hunters right now? It happens. So what are you here for today, then?" she asked the genie.
____________
That's the best part. 
|
|
MightyMage
Honorable
Legendary Hero
of INSANITY and DELICIOUSNESS
|
|
posted October 07, 2005 07:28 PM |
|
|
In the Mod Squad Conference Room
As we enter the mysterious MSHQ Conference Room of conferencing we can see against the far wall a large dry erase board. But not just any dry erase board. No this is a special ordered custom dry erase board placed there by the great HC admin himself. Written there are notes from the morning meeting in gold marker of course. The heading states Current Thingies@ and printed neatly underneath is only three letters. Bob.
As we gaze down at the Great Conference Table we see a stirring mod lying in his own donut crumbs and in a heavy sleep.
B O O M
Huh? Wha...? No I did NOT drink before the meeting...hey, wher'd everybody go?
The mod known as Mighty Mage (due to his awesome handsomness and muscles that rival everyone else) stares blurily at the board.
Hmmm. Current blah blah...Bob...who the hell is Bob? Blah blah blah. More non-important stuff of stuffiness. Blah blah Mighty Mage...MIGHTY MAGE! I know that word. That's the word the douchbags...I mean 'people' call me here. Hmmm, re-train Mighty Mage. Consider brainwashing?
Yeah but who's Bob?
Mighty Mage walks briskly out of the room making sure to grab another donut for the road. As he heads for the gates he hears another crashing boom followed by a scream.
My Mod Senses are Jingling ©
Trouble is afoot. That sounded like the scream only a shadow can make. That can mean only one thing! Pandora is in trouble.
____________
Though I must still bow
in awe for the awesomeness that is
MightyMage. For he is all I could ever
want to be! - OhforfSake
|
|
Guitarguy
Responsible
Supreme Hero
Rockoon.
|
|
posted October 14, 2005 02:15 PM |
|
|
As PC's footsteps faded off in the distance, I walked away from the door and eyed Bob carefully up and down. He was a pitiful sight, indeed. Dirt was smeared all over him and huge marks of what looked like dried blood covered portions of his face and forehead. He blinked from time to time, but his eyes were seemingly blank and empty. His long hair was incredibly filthy and badly tangled. Not only that; he smelled absolutely awful. No wonder why PC handed him over to me. I should have demanded a fee for having to babysit. But anyway, this Bob had obviously been through a lot.
A lot of what? I had no idea.
It was strange; I'd never seen this person before, yet there was something about him that sent small chills up my spine. Something unique, yes, but I was unable identify what it was. Was it something about his eyes? Was he trying to hypnotize or manipulate me with magical powers? I didn't think so; my mind seemed clear enough, so I discarded that idea. Was he a friend or foe? I certainly couldn't tell at this point; I could only trust that my friend PC had done the right thing by bringing him here. There were many other questions about Bob that I lacked answers for, and this made me most uncomfortable. My mind spun in circles at all of these confusing thoughts.
Despite these feelings, I maintained a straight face so as not to show Bob that I was a little frightened by his presence. I had to hide the fact that I was fearful of this Bob person, just in case he was going to lash out upon seeing my moment of weakness. I told myself to be careful and not to freak out. Still, my body betrayed me as beads of hot sweat poured down from my troubled brow. I became still for a second and brought my arm up to wipe away the sweat. As I raised my hand, I noticed that Bob started to shiver with his eyes wide open and a look of fear on his face. Interesting, I thought. I wiped my forehead and studied Bob once again. Just what has this guy been through that he'd be so weak and afraid? I considered the abrasions on his head and figured he'd gotten beaten up sometime in the past. The recent past, it looked like. Now I had even more questions. With physical violence prohibited in most areas of HC, how could he have gotten beaten up? Not even the dispicable noob-tossers dared to get violent with the feared ModSquad keeping order. Perhaps a stampede of Unicorns trampled him one day on the street? Nah, Unicorns are allergic to spam and HC is filled with spam. Still no conceivable answers, but I was very curious to know what was going on. Was this guy from the outside world? And how could I have not seen him before?
Bob was now sitting facing me in the corner of the room near the door. I noticed him staring at me blankly, and I felt uncomfortable inside. I was too puzzled and mystified to give those blank eyes of his further examination, so I sat back down at my desk. Rubbing my chin thoughtfully like Vlaad always does, I pondered these new mysteries for several more minutes. I began to wonder if it was safe to have Bob around me. Apart from me being in this secret lair of mine, what would the mods think if they caught me hanging with this questionable fellow? That'd be trouble, no question about it. They'd probably accuse me of beating an innocent man and force-feed me poisoned donuts until I croaked. I didn't like the thought of that at all.
I thought about Lord_Pc and wondered when he'd come back so I wouldn't have to put up with the mysteries of Bob (and his attendant bad smell) anymore. I wondered what PC was doing and why he was taking so long. When he said that he was looking for some kind of important information, I just nodded and pretended to understand. In actuality, I was clueless as to what he meant. I knew close to nothing. I felt vulnerable. At this point, I noticed that my breathing rate had increased quite a bit. I knew that Bob was watching, so I cleared my throat several times and tried to breathe normally. It was a lousy acting job, but Bob didn't stir at all. Nor did he speak the whole time.
It was a strange time in HC, indeed. Even before Bob arrived a short while ago, many weird happenings were going on all over the place. 2Xtreme reportedly disappeared from the "Caption This" activity and the Guild Of Literature. Jebus had been sauntering around the forums in a seemingly drunken stupor, babbling incoherently about...something I couldn't quite make out. A bunch of Tavern dwellers wound up with negative QPs all of a sudden. The ModSquad Headquarters had been lighting up with huge blasts of colors and lights over the past day or so. I heard some people were wondering about the occasional "boom" noises that came from the HQ building, but most of the mods were strangely missing and couldn't give any insight on the matter. So many strange things, yet I held no answers or decent clues.
I looked back at Bob and saw that he was still staring blankly at me. He looked quite unhappy in his current condition; I never saw him crack a smile even once. I was not feeling very optimistic about things either, not that the mutual feeling brought any comfort. It was a lot for me to swallow, but I knew I didn't have much control over the situation at large. All I could do was sit and wait for PC's return. I hoped he'd come back soon, because the atmosphere in the room became increasingly dark and unnerving. My own hairs seemed to twitch at the back of my neck every several seconds.
I was scared, but I waited.
-Guitarguy
____________
|
|
Valeriy
Mage of the Land
Naughty, Naughty Valeriy
|
|
posted October 30, 2005 09:55 AM |
|
|
- WHAT HAVE I DONE?! ... WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!
Valeriy was normally a peaceful mage. Maintaining the surrounding energies requires deep inner balance. But there are times when rage strikes out uncontrollably from the depth of our being. It's a massive release of energy that sweeps past reason, an immense concentration aimed precisely at the object that invoked it, a desire to destroy.
Meanwhile, the laughter in Lord Extreme's lair was unbearable. As you can probably gather, due to this fact the location of his lair was secret no longer.
- MWUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA .... AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA ... LOL ... MUUUUAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!!
Valeriy became still, the energies of the land entwined with his own. In this primal state, his elemental mind joined with the earth. Like giant hands, the powerful force contained the energies that were throwing him around half a minute ago, and there was a moment of stillness.
- MWUUaa... What the!?
Suddenly an immense beam of psychic energy blasted through the astral space. Xtreme's eyes widened in shock.
- How did yo...
Lord Xtreme fell silent in his chair. At the last moment Valeriy redirected the energy as he realised that Xtreme's nerves would melt through his skin if this energy reached its destination. There is evil in this world, but no one should use the power of life for vengeful destruction. An ancient fable always reminded Valeriy that upon slaying a dragon, he would become one himself. Xtreme would recover. But after feeling what power was about to anihilate him, power a tiny fraction of which could easily destroy him, to be spared... It leaves a man changed. Nature does not boast, it's infinitely kind. Only those who have it's trust can weild it.
*Thank you* said Valeriy in his mind and slowly collapsed, as if lowered gently by that invisible hand. Such power leaves the weilder changed too. A profound awareness that everything is connected was Valeriy's everyday experience, but to realise the true magnitude and implications of it ...
Valeriy's thoughts stilled, as his being resubmerged into the thoughtless void of consciousness, the source that sustains life. He rested, for a while no longer a separate individual, but a speck of one that is all.
____________
You can wait for others to do it, but if they don't know how, you'll wait forever.
Be an example of what you want to see on HC and in the world.
http://www.heroesofmightandmagic.com
|
|
ACC
Adventuring Hero
Enemy of the Efreet
|
|
posted March 04, 2006 01:02 AM |
|
|
The genie turned around quickly to face the mysterious interloper, and saw a lone wyvern slowly flapping its wings as it hovered above the ground. It had an inquisitive look in its eyes, a look of uncommon sentience among that type. Plus, it could speak. That could only mean one thing.
Korejora! He was relieved to see a friendly face.
"How...did you know?"
"You seem quite proficient with those portals, and I've seen you around some times before."
ACC's alias had been found out, but there was no room to worry about it at this time. Val may have already been taken over by the mysterious force that drove the Mage of the Land to ban a moderator, and, if that were true, the possessor had to be driven from Val's mind somehow. It would be no easy task, to be sure, but it was up to the shad...err, the genie to find a way to do so. After all, he may still be the only one who knew.
When the wyvern asked her question about his presence here in the Glade, ACC considered for a moment telling Korejora the tale of what had happened, but his mod instincts prevented him from doing so. Though she would no doubt have proven a valuable ally, word travelled fast through Heroes Community, and there might always be lurkers in the shadows watching the conversation in secret. As Shadowcaster, he could have detected them, but now he was at the mercy of all of HC's laws. He had to remain inconspicuous for the time being, but all would be brought to light soon enough. Once he knew what he faced, then he would draw the battle lines.
"Yeah, those QP hunters..." he said listlessly. "Hey," continued the genie in a secretive tone, "would you mind not letting anyone know I'm here in this form? It would be a great deal of help to me if I can retain anonymity for the time being."
Korejora had always been one of the leveller heads in the Glade, so she simply nodded despite no doubt knowing that there was something deeper going on. The genie thanked her and headed quickly toward the paths to the back alley.
ACC began to ponder his situation as he headed toward the Mod Squad HQ, these ponderations robbing him of the rememberance that he could not access that area of HC without mod status. He thought about how limited he was, not only by being stripped of his powers as a moderator, but because he still served the Old Man from long ago. It was only a storyline device, but ACC was still at the mercy of Oldtimer. Only if the old man were to reappear would he be a fully-strengthened member yet again, but ACC knew that would never happen. He had been dealt a sorry hand, and it would no doubt play a great role in humbling the arrogant shadow mage, for he was at the mercy of most everyone in HC.
He finally reached HQ and wandered toward the gate, but it was locked. ACC realized his predicament as he looked up at the sign upon the gate that warned all members that any attempts to access would be fruitless in the end.
Official Mod Squad Headquarters. Nothing to see here, move along.
____________
"If you fight a battle and you flee,
Another day you'll live to see,
but if you gain the victory,
a mighty hero you shall be."
|
|
Bob
Tavern Dweller
|
|
posted March 04, 2006 02:25 AM |
|
|
"Hello." I broke the silence. This new person across the room didn't seem much like an oracle I was expecting to meet. Indeed there was just about nothing secure in his appearance as he was desperately trying to cover up his uneasiness and to cover up the fact that he was covering it up. My greeing made him jump up in his chair. My voice did sound authoritive... I wonder if that has something to do with my past. If only I could remember.
"...er hi... very nice to meet you... my name is guitarguy and you can call me guitarguy, they call me that because I like..."
"Guitars."
"...yes, guitars! they are wonderful, the best musical instrument there is, in fact...." as he continued I once again sighed about my predicament. This guitarguy was as comfortable with me as I am knowledgeable about my past. But we could try. I interrupted him: "who do I look like to you?"
"...uhmmm... that is a very strange question..."
Hardly anything could make him even more uneasy than he is now, but anyway, "do you know of anyone that looks like me, or even somehow remotely similar?"
"...well, some people around here, the spammers, I certainly hope you are not one of them, but if you are I mean no offence, but they sometimes look like you when they get into their fighting and conflicts, which I of course tend to stay away from, but I've seen them after those fights... but then again none of them could sit still and silent like you just have, those spammers can't keep their mouth still for twenty seconds - if it wasn't for the big bouncer who calls himself floodprotect and seems to be omnipresent, we'd all go deaf. But then again, that calmness, like almost certainty about you, that you have, it's like, dare I say like a Moderator... No! Dare I say even like the mighty Mage of the Land himself!"
"Who is this Mage of the Land?"
"he is Valeriy and he is..." That name! There was something so familiar about it! I felt a rush of anger and suddenly noticed guitarguy jumping up in his chair again. I noticed that I've just hit my fist very hard on the table and it left an imprint. Interesting, there seems to be some kind of power in me, I can feel it, and the name Valeriy has something to do with it... Poor guy, he's really scared now. Hmmm, now what to say about this table hit. Suddenly guitarguy continued "yes... just like that! some say Valeriy can be quick to anger. I've never seen it, I always thought he is a good mage, but when it comes to dealing with very unpleasant people, he can be ruthless, and... angry..."
Suddenly our conversation was interrupted by a strange noise...
|
|
Korejora
Promising
|
|
posted March 04, 2006 07:21 AM |
|
|
After making the simple gesture to assure the genie that nothing would become of her recognition of his identity, the wyvern watched him take a rather out-of-the-way route out of the Glade. An itch set in her mind, of curiosity and uncertainty. She had never any reason to think that Shadowcaster was lying to her, as not only did she know him as an intelligent and trustworthy person, but she knew him as a moderator - one holding power. And one had little need for the power of lies when one had other powers that were less likely to get one into trouble or disrepute. Thus, Shad-- *ahem* ACC had no reason to lie to her. On the other hand, he'd just expressed a reason to lie to any member who saw him, being that he was currently corresponding by illusion.
Instead of continuing a surely enlightening but likely pointless argument with herself, she devised a manner of scratching the itch. It was slightly unorthodox and could end her up with a warning of misuse of the system, although being little known as she was it would probably be little more than a polite reminder to a 'newbie' that that was not the proper application of service. Taking off once again, this time she flew towards the Tavern of the Rising Sun, or, more accurately, towards the authoratitive, dignified mod towers. Or even more accurately, towards Shadowcaster's.
In half an hour of travel and retrace, she found that she couldn't fly towards Shadowscaster's tower, as she was unable to find it. Puzzled, she circled back and approached Pandora's mod tower. An elegant etching announced it:
Pandora
Moderator
Hero of Order
The chosen one
Definitely a moderator's residence, she thought, or summer home or office or whatever those towers were used for. She proceeded to the next one.
Asmodean
Moderator
Hero of Order
Heroine at the weekend.
Now that she had followed the necessary route to each of the mod towers, rather than searching around for them (which could be about as effective as trying to sort through the mounds of parchment that made up the Member List) she was certain of where Shadowcaster's mod tower would be. So certain, in fact, that she grew somewhat impatient when she found it wasn't there.
Looks like I'll have to do this the inefficient way, the wyvern thought, ignoring at this point that it was the tower and not the person she'd been looking for. All along and in the end, it was reaching the person that was important, right? Her decision made, she flew to an information desk and requested the Member List. It was provided promptly, and she turned it over, starting from the end of the alphabet, and started sifting through the pages. It took a few boring minutes, but soon enough she found the name there, nestled in page 164 of the list among names like 'shadow268', 'shadow59' and 'Shadows9909'. She pointed out the name an asked for the related member profile, and walked away with a copy of a [url=http://ca.geocities.com/korejora/shadowcaster.html]document[/url].
Unfurling it, she looked at it first thoughtfully, then with a mildly surprised frown, then with that expression that people get when a grim idea is confirmed beyond doubt. The telltale oddly coded 'Disgraceful , ' status stood out from everything on Shadowcaster's profile. That was a relatively polite way of saying banned. Tearing up the document, she flew to the mail office, requesting a fresh parchment to write on and one of the special quills they made there. Dipping it a few times, she pondered what to write, and scratched a couple of lines onto the page. Keep it short and sweet, one of her many teachers would always say.
To my acquaintance and superior:
I should very much like to hear from you.
She flitted her tail as she watched the magic of the IM quill turn the ink invisible so that no one could read it but the addressee. Maybe that was just a bit too short. What else was there to write? She dipped the quill again.
Keep in mind that all members have access to the IM system, which will ensure that anything you say to me will be said only to me.
Only slightly implying something, she thought sarcastically as she read it over several times. Figuring she couldn't really improve her chances of being told anything - it was really up to him what he was willing to disclose - she carefully wrote ACC on the address line and gave it to the next messenger she saw. Hopefully, an informative answer would come soon.
____________
That's the best part.
|
|
Guitarguy
Responsible
Supreme Hero
Rockoon.
|
|
posted March 04, 2006 06:59 PM |
|
|
Whoosh!
There was a sudden gush of noise outside of the room; something I'd heard before. Magic...yes, a magical entrance. Somebody was near, but it wasn't PC like I hoped. No...it had to be somebody else. I think I knew just who that somebody was. It made me cringe.
"What's that sound?", cried the now verbal Bob.
"Shush!", I whispered back. I inched towards the door. My ears tuned in.
*step, step, step...*
As I drew close to the painted wood of the door, I began to hear footsteps coming from far away. I reached out and rubbed my palm against the door's surface. After a second, my finger felt a little bar of metal which I promptly shifted to the side. There before me was a tiny peephole; I pressed my eye against it and peered out into the darkness of the hall.
There was a wash of blue light at the far end of the hallway. Down past numerous rows of books and scrolls lay the stairwell, where the light was coming from. I studied the blue from my little crack in the door and saw slight movements with every second. Yes, it was exactly who I figured it was.
Angelito. Keeper of the Library.
My breathing stopped and my heart skipped a beat. I watched as he emerged from the stairwell and lit the hallway torches. There went the dutiful mod, walking among the shelves with a shimmer of blue light trailing behind him. He examined the rows of books carefully, as he always did, sorting out the occasional misplaced item and blowing away at piles of dust. I'd heard from others that his eyes were very sharp and that he could detect a spam molecule in huge room cluttered with writings. I thanked the heavens that he never discovered my little hiding place here in the wall. It'd mean my death if he ever did.
I turned away from the hole for a second to check on Bob. He stared at me with those unnerving eyes of his.
"Well, who's outside?", he asked quietly.
"Just a moderator", I said, trying to downplay the intensity of the moment.
Bob's eyes grew larger and I thought I heard him gasp. He leaned over in my direction and I could smell the filthiness of his person. Ugh.
"Is it...", he paused for a deep breath, "the Mage of the..."
"Shhhh...of course not!", I whispered. I was a little shaken by Bob's tone of voice.
When I returned my eyes to the peephole, I noticed that Angelito had disappeared behind several shelves of books on the far side of the room. I could see traces his blue light in the distance, and I still heard his slow footsteps.
*step, step, step...*
I stepped back from the door and looked at Bob again. Bob was definitely showing signs of nervousness and curiosity. His breathing grew faster and harder, making me wish that I had a spare mint to offer him. His hands were clasped tight against his knees and he fidgeted every few seconds. His behavior intrigued me, but it made me all the more frightened.
"Mmph...uhng...", Bob started to mumble out loud.
"Won't you keep it down?", I asked him. I was now quite anxious myself, especially with that mod Angelito walking around in the next room.
"Mmph...nnrgh...", Bob kept going.
I was losing my patience; I pointed at Bob.
"Listen Bob, you're gonna have to be silent. I can't have you making noises like that. Somebody outside might hear you and get mad."
Bob's hands grew more antsy and he started breathing more intensely. This guy had problems, I thought to myself. Perhaps the dusty air was getting to him; maybe he needed some fresh air? No! We couldn't exit the room with a mod nearby. Firstly, I didn't want Angelito discovering my secret room. Secondly, I didn't want him to see Bob with me. I'd get in trouble for having this weird character with me. I couldn't sneak out alone, either, since I dreaded keeping Bob in the room alone. There's no telling what he might do by himself. Bang his fist some more? Walk out???
*step, step, step...*
That Angelito was still doing his rounds in the outside hallway. Peering out, I could see he was occupied with a shelf in the far corner; he was busy arranging books. Looking back at Bob, my heartbeat grew much faster with fear and anxiety. I couldn't keep him in here for long. I had to get him out of the Library and away from that mod.
"Bob, come to the door", I whispered.
He got up and came over to me at the door. I motioned for him to be still and I pulled out a small bottle from my pocket. Bob looked at it curiously as I opened the cap. Working carefully and quietly, I poured the thick oily substance on the hinges of my door and put the bottle away. I got back up and checked on Angelito, who was still conducting his mod business in his corner of the hall. I looked at Bob and motioned for him to follow me outside. Concealing the door, I started across the hall quietly with Bob close behind me.
The floorboards weren't really creaky, but we had to keep our footsteps as soft as possible. For all I knew, Angelito thought he was the only one in the Library at this hour. There was an awful lot of clutter on the floor towards the middle of the room. Angelito had been rearranging some stacks of tomes and hadn't quite finished the job. I stopped in my tracks as we approached a pile and motioned for Bob to be careful. Fortunately for us, Angelito kept the lighting bright enough for us to see in this dark hall. After scanning around for traces of the mod's blue light, I carefully stepped over the pile of books. Bob did the same.
Apparently, Bob's foot brushed the top book on his way over the pile. My heart jumped when I heard the resulting crash on the floor. I turned to Bob, giving him a look of both anger and horror. Even he seemed to be a little startled. I was about ready to give Bob a piece of my mind when I heard Angelito stir from his corner of the room.
"Wha...? Who goes there?!", the mod called out.
*step, step, step...*
Shoot, I thought. We needed to make a run for it. And fast!
I gave Bob a look of fear and pointed to the stairs a few yards down the way. The next few minutes found the two of us running like crazy down the flight of stairs. The mod's shouts faded underneath the fast pounding of our steps against the stairs. We eventually reached the Library's exit after taking several quick twists and turns through the building's bottom floor. Seeing that nobody was around, I had Bob follow me out the door. It was rather dark outside, but I didn't have my watch with me to check the time. All I knew was that I had to find PC so that I could hand Bob back to him. The whole experience was upsetting me quite a bit; the sooner I got rid of Bob, the better.
"Follow me, Bob. I gotta find PC!", I told him as we ran.
Where to go? I had no idea where PC was because it was dark and he didn't say where I could find him. The streets of HC were mostly empty, with the exception of the expected new member holding out his beggar's bowl for colored stars. We just ran past him, the poor soul. Anyway, I busied myself thinking of where to look for PC. All of this running was making my throat parched and...
It struck me then. The Tavern! PC might be waiting for me at the Tavern!
We started to slow down as we neared the door to the Tavern of the Rising Sun. It sounded like there were people inside, which made me worry. What if they saw Bob with me? What if RSF or some other mod was inside? I'd get in trouble for sure! I turned to Bob and told him that we should wait a little while.
There was a little alleyway behind the bar that was pretty much deserted all the time. I beckoned for Bob to follow me in the darkened space, and he came following me slowly. The alley was gloomier than most of the area, so I figured it would be a good place to wait without having anybody notice Bob. I slowed down to a casual walking pace and tried see clearly into the darkness of the alcove. I was about to tell Bob to keep it quiet when I was suddenly cut off.
WHAAAAMMM!!!
I felt a huge blow to my head; it was so quick and sudden that I dropped to the ground with a thud. I clutched my head in pain and groaned uncomfortably. I turned my body back towards the light of moonlit sky and saw Bob standing there, his eye staring at me with fear. I tried to say something but I was interrupted yet again by another blow to the head. This one, however, knocked me out cold.
I was unconscious for some time. My dreams were filled with confusion and a lot of cloudy things that didn't make sense to me. Finally, things didn't seem so cloudy anymore. I remembered Bob and all the events of the last day came back to me. I clenched my teeth from the sharp pain in my head. Feeling around, I felt dirt all over my face and a rather large bump at my hairline. I felt slightly dizzy and aching up there. I turned myself over on my back and rubbed my head in agony. I opened my eyes; I found myself alone in that dirty alleyway. The look of the dark purple sky above hinted that morning was just half an hour away, but it hardly meant anything to me. A realization more piercing than the pain in my head ripped through me and barely escaped my clenched teeth with my passing breath.
Sweet mother of Jebus. Where's Bob?!
-Guitarguy
____________
|
|
2XtremeToTake
Promising
Supreme Hero
|
|
posted March 05, 2006 01:12 AM |
|
|
Slowly, after months of recovery from Valeriy's attack, 2Xtreme begins to recover. He had failed in his ultimate plot to seize power of HC.
2Xtreme rose up slowly, and looked around at his lair. During his unconsciousness, the place had gone to hell. Cobwebs covered every nook and cranny of his lair.
Had anyone noticed his dissappearance? Had Valeriy notified the rest of the community of his attempt to take over HC? How would he be treated, apon his return to society. Could he maintain his cover? What of Shadowcaster, the mod whom he had banned, during his short control of Valeriy...Had he been saved?
No, It was all too risky. He must stay here, and come up with another plot.
Valeriy himself was too strong to destroy. His source of power came from the other mods, without them, he was useless. He must focus on the other mods first, then take out Valeriy.
2Xtreme ran through the list of mods.
Hexa...No, his wife is protecting him at all times. I can't take on both of them..
Vesuvius...Same as Hexa.
Lich_King would be vulnerable...Yes...That was a potential first target.
Hydra...No, he wasn't involved in HC affairs. He would make no difference.
Angelito...Another potential first target. Without him, HC would surely stumble.
Ste and Zielveitz...No...They are in the same boat as Hydra.
Djive...Not a first priority, but a threat.
Startune...Hmm...Not a priority at all.
Pandora...Yes...A definite priority...
dragonsister...who was that?
Shadowcaster had been taken care of...
Asmodean has been missing for months.
MightyMage...Another priority..
Conan...Not really a priority..
Pandora...Lich_King...MightyMage...Yes..Those three must be taken care of.
|
|
ACC
Adventuring Hero
Enemy of the Efreet
|
|
posted March 05, 2006 02:03 AM |
|
|
"Star star star star!" he bellowed out in frustration, the censorship coding working its magic to protect impressionable ears from hearing. He rarely ever used those kinds of words, but, in times of such supreme frustration, he could hardly have done otherwise. Not only was his link to the Mage of the Land cut off, but he would have to search for a moderator and convince him or her that it was urgent enough that they reveal the contents of HQ to him so that he could solve a problem whose nature couldn't be revealed at the time. Only two moderators knew for sure of his other identity: RSF and Pandora, whom, in his newfound humility, he had forgotten to resent.
Of those two, only RSF would be likely to do something so irresponsible without knowing the reason for which he would be doing it, but even that was a longshot. Faced with no other choice, ACC would have to go to his old friend and ask this favor of him. If RSF were willing to do this, then he would tell him what had forced him into this alias.
The genie could not go back to the Glade, however, as he was at risk for another recognition. His best bet was the Volcanic Wastelands, the unstable plain that surrounded the volcano that had rained down molten SPAM on the forum, and sometimes others, since nearly the beginning of HC. Perhaps RSF would be in his tower there.
ACC approached the giant gates, second in fortification strength to only HQ due to what it meant to keep in rather than out. He passed through the gate and the air all at once grew very warm, and ACC remembered the strain experienced if one stayed here for too long. Some of the more proficient spammers had developed an immeasureable resistance to it, and they practically lived within those walls as they tossed SPAM about. He pitied the moderators of the VW.
Suddenly, a carrier pigeon passed overhead unexpectedly, no doubt headed for one of those experienced spammers. ACC was startled as the bird circled around and landed on his shoulder, dropping a rolled parchment into his open hands. He looked into the messenger's eyes as if to question whether it had the right person, but they were never wrong. The bird did not waver, and he simply stared at the note. ACC joined him in doing so, and wondered who would be sending him a message. Had some lurker seen him after all?
Reluctantly, he unrolled the scroll and read its contents.
To my acquaintance and superior:
I should very much like to hear from you.
Keep in mind that all members have access to the IM system, which will ensure that anything you say to me will be said only to me.
-Korejora
The genie read these words over and over, trying to grasp the full weight of their request. It was a shame, he thought, for he'd hoped that the wyvern would not be troubled by his disguise. Knowing her, she had investigated further into the matter and discovered something troubling, hence the message. He would have to find out what she knew, but an IM was insufficient in doing so. It was much easier to lie in an IM than it was in person. They would have to meet in a place he knew they would be alone. Unfortunately, the genie no longer had a refuge of solitude in the Mod Squad, and, even if he had, Korejora would not be allowed in. Shadowcaster's towers had disappeared as well.
His thoughts turned invariably to the Tavern, which boasted so many shops, eateries, and even carnivals that no one, not even the Tavern mods, could hope to sift through all of them. He knew this all to well. Yet he could not go to the shops that had lain dormant for the longest times, for there were always the thread necromancers to avoid. They wove their magic in places no one else dared to venture, and brought to light topics and places long dead to the rest of HC. In a way, they were the great recyclers of the community, and they, too, could hide in the shadows and spy on unsuspecting invaders of their territory if one was not wary.
No, he would go into the middle of the Tavern, those pages lost to the annals of time yet new enough to draw no attention from the seekers of old glory days long past. ACC took the quill from the bird's mouth and transcribed his answer directly below Korejora's message, drawing upon his uncommon knowledge of abandoned threads to decide where they should meet.
Meet me in the thread Video editing program on page 38 of the Tavern. I need to find out what you know. Do not worry, you are not in any danger from me, but please...come alone. Otherwise, I myself am in danger.
-Shadowcaster
He wondered whether or not he should sign it with that name, but no IM had ever been intercepted before as far as he knew. He returned the quill to the pigeon's mouth and rolled the scroll up as the bird leapt from his shoulder and hovered in front of him to receive the message. ACC placed the scroll in the bird's talons and watched it fly until he could see it no more. He would have to wait to involve RSF until after he had resolved things with Korejora.
ACC headed for the Tavern.
____________
"If you fight a battle and you flee,
Another day you'll live to see,
but if you gain the victory,
a mighty hero you shall be."
|
|
pandora
Honorable
Legendary Hero
The Chosen One
|
|
posted March 10, 2006 09:53 PM |
|
|
"Ufffffff!"
I hit the ground hard, landing rather uncomfortably on an empty can of spam. I looked up in a daze as the strange portal above me swirled to a close, finally vanishing with an audible 'POP'.
"What the heck...?" I muttered. I looked down and watched as my footwear morphed itself from these strange bulky boots to my usual sandals, and the strange denim leg coverings i wore became my usual robes.
"Well this is certainly not normal" I said aloud to noone in particular. I moved to stand up, but a wave of dizziness let me know very quickly that standing was not a good idea. *What on earth is happening to me* I wondered, rubbing my aching head.
I looked around myself and saw that I was in the Wastelands... *wow what a mess too.... There were so many new faces, one little girl running around singing " I am the Queen of the Wastelands!" I felt my lip start to curl into a sneer *Who the heck does she think she is?!!*
"Hmmm, how long have I been away? And where have I been?" I sighed deeply and tried to remember.
____________
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
|
|
Korejora
Promising
|
|
posted March 12, 2006 05:44 AM |
|
|
It seemed to grow strangely warmer in the Tavern. Gliding leisurely over the variety of establishments, the wyvern continued to look to and fro for the moderator tower that she'd not seen, but it never appeared. Maybe I need to check the Glade, she thought to herself. It's possible he simply changed duties. Although I didn't see it while I was there. She decided it was worth a try and was about to barrel-roll into a sharp turn when she heard a strange sound.
She flapped foward to kill her momentum, so the wind wasn't so strongly in her ears, and continued to flap in relaxed intervals to keep herself aflight. The weird sound started to become more and more clear to her - some sort of repeated animal cry - a bird of some sort? Being deaf in one ear didn't help her pinpoint hearing much but in a moment she could make out that it was pretty much right behind her. Turning, she saw a pigeon that was breathless from trying to catch up to her and cooing to get her attention.
After taking the letter from it, she swooped down onto a rooftop and let it sit on her tail to catch its breath. She unfurled the scroll, which held her message as well as the reply, and sighed. She had hoped he would take more time in replying - perhaps to attend to whatever it was that was making him act oddly - so that she would have more time to think on the situation... and so that it might be solved before she got more involved than she externally wanted to. Even if mostly subconsciously, she was excited at the possibility of involvement, especially if it gave her the chance to help someone.
She shook her head, spacing back in and looking at the parchment before her. Her attention span was negligibly short! Nonetheless, she read.
Meet me in the thread Video editing program on page 38 of the Tavern. I need to find out what you know. Do not worry, you are not in any danger from me, but please...come alone. Otherwise, I myself am in danger.
-Shadowcaster
She had half a mind to send him another message, telling him to forget she'd said anything and that what she'd found was not important. But that would seem rather suspiscious after him stressing the delicacy of the situation so much. Taking off suddenly and decisively, having forgotten the now very distraught pigeon that had been resting on her tail, she flew to the 38th relocation sect, quickly spotting the designated place, and inconspiciously landed a block or two away from it to walk the rest of the way. With a glance around her she made sure none of the pesky necromancers was around, and pushed her way into the building.
The genie, of course, was already there to greet her. Besides being a responsible and punctual person he'd known before she had where they were going to meet. Though he was right in front of her, she opened the message another time to read it, to be sure she was sure of it.
"You need to find out what I know," she stated. "That in itself, with what I actually did find out, are both too suspiscious for me to answer you," she said. "You can go on your way and sort your problem out on your own if you don't like it, but I can't tell you anything until you've told me something."
She folded her wings and watched him steadily, showing stubbornness but patience.
____________
That's the best part.
|
|
ACC
Adventuring Hero
Enemy of the Efreet
|
|
posted March 12, 2006 06:47 AM |
|
|
ACC's brow raised in surprise, but he simply nodded for the wyvern to ask her question. The genie could not have afforded otherwise, even if he'd wanted to, for he faced more and more danger of being discovered by some vengeful member the longer he was alone. Worse, if Valeriy had been taken over and 2Xtreme discovered who he was through the Mage of the Land's all-seeing eyes, the ex-moderator was at the mercy of one whose motives he could not comprehend. Another banning meant true death, and since ACC was the only one who knew of Val's struggle, it was up to him to warn others of this threat. If the wyvern hinted belief of this tale, that warning would begin here, but it also had potential to end here as well. It was all up to Korejora.
He waited for her response.
____________
"If you fight a battle and you flee,
Another day you'll live to see,
but if you gain the victory,
a mighty hero you shall be."
|
|
Korejora
Promising
|
|
posted March 12, 2006 12:15 PM |
|
|
Korejora looked at the ground pensively. The shadow mage was willing to speak to her, but evidently he was still not going to tell her any more than necessary, which would be easily limited by what she asked for. Was this because she couldn't be trusted, or because some other malignant force could threaten him? Though she would have wanted no less than an hour to mull over how to word her question, and make sure that she found out as much as possible, she sensed his urgency and felt the need to accomodate it.
Tracing her most recent steps, the absent moderator tower came to mind. Of course - the problem in the first place was that Shadowcaster, as a moderator, had been banned. Not just stripped of his moderator powers, but banned. No one except the administrator was really capable of either, which led her to two possibilities. One was that Shadowcaster had done something unthinkable, that had brought about this sudden and complete suspension of all privileges, and the other was that the rule that only one person could do such a thing had been broken. She didn't think the former likely, for three reasons: firstly, Shadowcaster, being meritable enough to become a moderator, would probably not do something so far beyond the rules that he would have to be removed from the community; secondly, the process of banning usually went in rather gradual stages, and not all at once like this; thirdly, the mage of the land normally would have liked to keep his members in on the goings-on and thus would have explained to everyone why Shadowcaster had suddenly been banned. But the second was also unlikely. There was only one administrator, was there not? And was his power not absolute? Unless something had happened to him.
The question she finally came up with was simple and open-ended, and sounded sentimental next to the cold and distant logical process she'd followed to get to this point. Perhaps it was sentimental; concern for a fellow living being to whom harm may have come was understandable in any case. She hoped that wouldn't surprise Shadowcaster into saying something that would endanger him as he had constantly reminded her, both subtly and directly, was a possible problem.
"Is Valeriy okay?"
____________
That's the best part.
|
|
ACC
Adventuring Hero
Enemy of the Efreet
|
|
posted March 17, 2006 06:27 AM |
|
|
Had Lord Xtreme taken her as well? This question was the first to grip the genie's mind, and he nearly lost composure as premeditated fear rushed through his body. If he could possess the greatest mind in all the land, was there an end to the places, or the people, he could invade? Korejora was certainly susceptible to 2X's mind games as well, so he may well be in the room with the dreaded adversary of the modship, a terrifying thought indeed. Yet, ACC's mind began to calm as he realized this did not fit.
Lord Xtreme had never been a master of subtleties, instead favoring brute force to accomplish his goals. Had he invaded Korejora's mind after discovering that the shadow mage lived on in another body, either by past experience in the Glade or through Valeriy's viewpoint, ACC would have already been overpowered by the wyvern and deleted on the spot. Here in this deserted sector, no one would have heard his cries. No, 2Xtreme was not here. He might still be watching, but that did not matter, for it was already too late for him if that were the case.
"I...honestly don't know. A day ago, I could have told you yes, without a doubt, but now I cannot be so sure." This release of information served to lighten the burden the genie had to bear, but he was far from out of trouble. ACC continued, "I'm sure you've seen a sinister hooded figure hovering around the Glade at certain times." The wyvern nodded after a while.
"His name is Lord Xtreme, and I had originally thought him to be of no consequence, just another roleplayer with a temper. But his temper, it has gone too far. He has placed the entire community in danger. I hate to say it, but Val is in trouble."
He stopped to gage the wyvern's response.
____________
"If you fight a battle and you flee,
Another day you'll live to see,
but if you gain the victory,
a mighty hero you shall be."
|
|
Korejora
Promising
|
|
posted March 18, 2006 07:51 AM |
|
|
"Hmmm..."
She curled her sinewy tail and scratched her chin lightly, thinking. Normally what stalled her action was not knowing which side to take, but in this case she didn't know enough about this 'Lord Xtreme' to consider him anything but a menace as described. Though she knew at some point she would want to verify Shadowcaster's claims that he was placing the entire community in danger, she had little doubt that they were true. As far-fetched as managing to ban a moderator was.
Common sense said that she wouldn't be able to do much about the situation without a bit more... how to say it... power. As normal members they couldn't even check up on Valeriy, or at least not if he was in the HQ, and she hadn't seen him anywhere else recently. What they needed was a moderator. Seizing the opportunity presented by her small attention span, the strange almost spiritual warmth that had settled into the Tavern pricked back to the front of her mind... What had it been? Where had it come from?
"Pandora!" the wyvern exclaimed hushedly, snapping her fing... er... claws, as it dawned on her from nowhere. "She's our ticket. Er, she can help us. I'm sure of it."
"She hasn't been here for a while, has she?" the genie inquired.
"She just got back, I think. Let me check. I'm not so good at the meditation thing but it works once in a while." Korejora closed her eyes and seemed to concentrate for a while. The silence started to stretch uncomfortably. Anyone could come in at any moment, especially now that the thread had seen activity and was bound to start calling attention to itself any second. Suddenly and decisively the wyvern opened its sharp though relatively apathetic-seeming eyes, and headed for the exit.
"We'd best not stay here much longer anyhow," she commented before taking off towards the Volcanic Wastelands.There was no checking to see if ACC was behind her; giving him too much open attention could endanger some levels of secrecy, and that took presidence over curiosity. She glided rather leisurely, as if there was nothing urgent to reach. Hurrying probably wouldn't help and in any case she had to make sure ACC could follow her if he wanted to. Despite that, it wasn't long before she found what she was looking for. She shifted her external expression from patient apathy to friendly excitement, deciding it to be more appealing to someone that may not be expecting her.
"Paaaan!" she called cheerily, resisting the urge to tag some formality onto the name. "Pandora!" she said again, swooping down next to the blue lady. Now she only hoped that Pandora didn't think she was some QP-hungry freak, seeing as how they didn't know each other. "Hello!" she said, smiling.
____________
That's the best part.
|
|
ACC
Adventuring Hero
Enemy of the Efreet
|
|
posted March 18, 2006 10:29 AM |
|
|
As the wyvern flew toward her unknown destination, no doubt expected the genie to follow, ACC shrunk back into the shadows and thought to himself what seeing Pandora in this state entailed. She would know he was the ex-moderator, Shadowcaster, for she had seen the alias in the shadow mage's Identity Registry before he had been erased. He was in danger of losing control in his fitful fervor to discover why Pandora had placed a decoy Bob in the attic, and, in this form, that could cost him dearly. But he still had questions that needed answering before the wyvern distracted her by revealing the startling news of Valeriy's troubled state. He had to beat her to Pandora.
The genie made use of his knowledge of shortcuts within HC and made a beeline for one of the nearby alleys that would lead him in the direction the wyvern was headed, which was either the Wastelands or the Glade. That Pandora hardly went in the latter, and she moderated the former, so it wasn't difficult to deduce where Korejora was headed. ACC raced toward the Volcanic Wastelands.
One advantage in this form was that people were not looking for you. No QP hunters would chase you, no prospective moderators would ask you how to apply despite its inclusion in the HC Constitution, nobody would blame you for this or thank you for that; this was certainly the most private day ACC had experienced in a good while. Yet, this was not the time to revel in his newfound solitude, for he had to hurry along.
Within minutes, ACC arrived in a back alley of the the Wastelands and turned to enter the open just in time to see the wyvern land at Pandora's side. The genie only let out one frustrated "Star!" before realizing the folly of loud volume and shrinking back into the shadows that now blinded him. The plan to win the race to Pandora had not worked, but it had reminded him of one very dire oversight on the ex-moderator's part: where had his Bob gone? If he were anywhere, the clone would most likely have been transported to another mod tower in the Glade, the closest similar structure, upon the disappearance of Shadowcaster's tower. Of course, this theory had never been tested before, as Shadowcaster had earned the elusive pleasure of being the first moderator ever banished from HC.
The first step lie in looking through RSF's tower. If the time mage happened to be there, ACC would explain everything.
____________
"If you fight a battle and you flee,
Another day you'll live to see,
but if you gain the victory,
a mighty hero you shall be."
|
|
Guitarguy
Responsible
Supreme Hero
Rockoon.
|
|
posted July 09, 2006 01:02 PM |
|
|
The lights in the Tavern went dim under a thick layer of smoke as the acrid stench of ashtrays and spilt drink permeated throughout the room. One would think the sickly smell kept members away, but that was hardly the case. A good number of individuals were sitting or standing about the room, swigging from tall flasks and engaging in riotous conversation. Every so often, the sound of a cue stick striking an eight ball would be heard above the rest of the commotion. Of course, nothing was louder than the sudden victory cheers of some guys playing poker in the corner.
I sat at my table and thought about the state of things. I also thought about the big lump on my forehead, remembering how I'd lost Bob. In front of me on the table were two empty bottles of Cheapo-brand Mopepsi. If my mind serves me correctly, I downed them both within the past four hours. Was I really here that long, I asked myself?
A man cloaked in black walked in through the Tavern door. His boots hit the wooden floorboards firmly as he made his way through the smoky mist. I watched him carefully as he prepared to pass by my table. I recognized him; he was currently a big name host in the Other Games entertainment center. His black cloak would've fooled anybody.
"TitaniumAlloy?" I called out.
The cloaked figure stopped and turned to me; I couldn't see his face. Before I could say anything, it crossed my mind that I had an important story to tell. That is, a story containing various truths, several awkward confessional statements, and many ugly details. I knew I had to let somebody know about my thoughts. And here was just the man who could hear me out.
I think I grumbled and ranted to TA for a number of long minutes. My head's been feeling really hazy, so I cannot recall all the little things I told him. But if there's something I do remember, it was that the word "Bob" always came out as inaudible whispers. What made me even think about mentioning him is a mystery to me. Furthermore, what made me whisper? My head felt like a complete mess at the time. I think I concluded by asking my guest about keeping all of this a secret.
"K" was his only reply.
With that, he turned away from me and disappeared into the thick smoke of the Tavern. I continued to hear his boots hitting the wood in steady beats. And my head was still hurting.
Was it all a waste, I asked myself? Awww, nooooooo...
-Guitarguy
____________
|
| |
|
|
