heh, i quite like the new livejournal look for halloween - so zombie-tasatic.
just home from gaelcon (i have a feeling that this post is going to be slightly strained - my brain isn't really functioning. uh oh lordkilljoy dosen't have firefox inline dictionary installed, so prepare for careless spelling.)
ok - gaelcon. i'd not been since 2003. wow, that's 5 years. it hasn't really changed much, though - same venue, same layout, but none of that really mattered. the best part of the con was being able to stay in the hotel bar until 3 / 4 in the morning, talking and laughing and messing and then just skipping up 2 flights of stairs to bed. :) it was great.
got to play various card / board games, the most fun being the order of the stick today and no thanks yesterday. i also played hellboy rpg. while it was fun, it just didn't really feel like hellboy at all. we were human and there were no demons in the game. but well.
it's a total downer knowing that tomorrow morning all the inspiration and happy-fun energy will just be forgotten as the alarm goes off and i get up to go to work. there is nothing more depressing in life. i totally have to find a job that i really love; one that reflects everything that's good about life and that makes life worthwhile.
:sigh: my current jon is really not that bad. but really - i want a job that is like my years in college. where people are having a laugh and playing, but still being hightly creative and coming up with really good ideas. hmmm. the last time i was at gaelcon i was in 1st year of multimedia and right now i can totally see c120 so clearly in my head and us all being our usual crazy selves. ah well.
jonathan coulton on friday was good too. it was great being at a gig again. it's been ages.
nanowrimo starts on saturday. is this the first mention of it i'e made on my journal this year? how very shocking... (ahhh, lordkilljoy's v key is sticky and annoying.)
yea, i'm just going to go now. i think i'll go to bed in an hour or so. just sitting here, i feel so tired.
oh yea - i bought dice at the con. they look cool.
27 October 2008
22 October 2008
dreams
my dreams have gotten totally crazy again. i thought it was just a spring thing, but no.
the night before last i dreamed of me and lordkilljoy trying to buy groceries, but everyone kept butting in on front of us, and then the girl ran off and our shopping was left sitting on the belt for hours.
then last night involved a group of rebels or some sort of resistance movement going up against a pirate / skeleton king and there was this wierd bit where there were demons or something and i had to free someone (possibly my aunt joan) from this dark room; but i was terrified to go in because she was possessed by the room. but i did get her out and the room looked like an old parlour from the 50s or something.
next week i will not see the sun rise, for it will all ready be up by the time i see it.
i can't wait for the weekend. lordkilljoy and i will be staying in clontarf castle. woo!! a whole 3 days of not having to stand up except to move from one place to another.
work's going well enough. i'm not really having a great week this week, simply because my hormones are acting up and making me feel rotten half the time. but i can't blame work, because i know that it wouldn't matter what i would do - i'd feel the same way.
to wrap up other things: been watching dr. who and lordkilljoy play lost odyssey and i've been playing prof. layton. we've been cooking lots and making some yummy pasta sauce mixes, with sort of random ingredients thrown in. jonathan coulton on friday - i hope my feet arn't killing me.
k - i'm going to go now.
the night before last i dreamed of me and lordkilljoy trying to buy groceries, but everyone kept butting in on front of us, and then the girl ran off and our shopping was left sitting on the belt for hours.
then last night involved a group of rebels or some sort of resistance movement going up against a pirate / skeleton king and there was this wierd bit where there were demons or something and i had to free someone (possibly my aunt joan) from this dark room; but i was terrified to go in because she was possessed by the room. but i did get her out and the room looked like an old parlour from the 50s or something.
next week i will not see the sun rise, for it will all ready be up by the time i see it.
i can't wait for the weekend. lordkilljoy and i will be staying in clontarf castle. woo!! a whole 3 days of not having to stand up except to move from one place to another.
work's going well enough. i'm not really having a great week this week, simply because my hormones are acting up and making me feel rotten half the time. but i can't blame work, because i know that it wouldn't matter what i would do - i'd feel the same way.
to wrap up other things: been watching dr. who and lordkilljoy play lost odyssey and i've been playing prof. layton. we've been cooking lots and making some yummy pasta sauce mixes, with sort of random ingredients thrown in. jonathan coulton on friday - i hope my feet arn't killing me.
k - i'm going to go now.
17 October 2008
the trials of work
"Last updated one week ago."
I don't like not getting to update my livejournal every day. I feel like when i read back on it i'll be missing chunks of my life. hmm. Oh well.
My life has been rather one dimensional recently. Get up, go to work, come home, play something or watch something and go to bed.
I did get a new pair of pants and a pair of doc martens - cute shoes with a buckle and chunky toe-area. Here is a picture of my shoes. (Please note, i did not buy them on amazon. i imagine the price on shipping would have been awful.) They're comfy and I was so happy heading out to work the first day i wore them. (however, my feet still ache something awful every day. oh well. i'm looking forward to the day i get used to the pain.
I really need to get a bike, though. It takes 18 minutes to walk to work (14 if i go really fast) and i get an hour for lunch. So i charge home every lunchtime, breaking my feet so that i get half an hour at home. But if i had a bike i could be home in 5 minutes and take 50 minutes here for lunch. That would be great. Actually - i was thinking of looking on jumbletown to see if anyone's getting rid of an old bike around here. Because after January, i may be able to get a bike off work - the finance manager said he'd look into it if enough people were interested in cycling to work.
Not a whole lot else - i'm playing professor layton at the moment. It is such a fun game. Hmm - i should go over to gamespot and give it a rating - maybe 9.8 or maybe 9.4 because the answers to some of the puzzles seem quite random to me.
ok - i really don't think i have anything else to say.
I don't like not getting to update my livejournal every day. I feel like when i read back on it i'll be missing chunks of my life. hmm. Oh well.
My life has been rather one dimensional recently. Get up, go to work, come home, play something or watch something and go to bed.
I did get a new pair of pants and a pair of doc martens - cute shoes with a buckle and chunky toe-area. Here is a picture of my shoes. (Please note, i did not buy them on amazon. i imagine the price on shipping would have been awful.) They're comfy and I was so happy heading out to work the first day i wore them. (however, my feet still ache something awful every day. oh well. i'm looking forward to the day i get used to the pain.
I really need to get a bike, though. It takes 18 minutes to walk to work (14 if i go really fast) and i get an hour for lunch. So i charge home every lunchtime, breaking my feet so that i get half an hour at home. But if i had a bike i could be home in 5 minutes and take 50 minutes here for lunch. That would be great. Actually - i was thinking of looking on jumbletown to see if anyone's getting rid of an old bike around here. Because after January, i may be able to get a bike off work - the finance manager said he'd look into it if enough people were interested in cycling to work.
Not a whole lot else - i'm playing professor layton at the moment. It is such a fun game. Hmm - i should go over to gamespot and give it a rating - maybe 9.8 or maybe 9.4 because the answers to some of the puzzles seem quite random to me.
ok - i really don't think i have anything else to say.
10 October 2008
it's lashing outside and i have to walk to work. all i can say is - thank god i have a good water proof coat. and water proof trail shoes. but i'll be wearing jeans down and changing into my work pants and shoes when i get there. i hope i don't get too wet.
not a whole lot else going on at the moment. jaarius, lordraath and the_kannon are coming up this weekend. that should be fun - and possibly a bit crazy.
the only reason i'm really updating is to see the new last.fm music link thing, but i can't see it here. oh, wait. i have to put in my username on my profile first.
awh - it dosn't look like it's working. oh well.
not a whole lot else going on at the moment. jaarius, lordraath and the_kannon are coming up this weekend. that should be fun - and possibly a bit crazy.
the only reason i'm really updating is to see the new last.fm music link thing, but i can't see it here. oh, wait. i have to put in my username on my profile first.
awh - it dosn't look like it's working. oh well.
09 October 2008
the morning news
i shall attempt to get all my news in in ten minutes. excuse any bad typos.
work has been going well. i had my training on tuesday and had to travel 3 hours by public transport yo get there, even though it would have taken 40 minutes by car. oh well. i think getting a car and getting my licence is moving up in my list of things to do.
the training was good - i learned how to approach customers in an open manner and it really works - even where you stand in the shop makes a difference. people are coming up to me asking for stuff, and buying stuff. it's cool. i still haven't managed to sell a laptop, but i've helped people make up their minds on what sort of thing they want.
i'm on my computer right now :) nothing like working on your own computer that you know every quirk and nuance of. and i get to listen to my itunes again. woo!
emmm... i don't actually think i have much else to say. i got to play my ds for the 6 hours of travelling i did on tuesday. i'm really liking drawn to life. i love drawing the things it tells you - because it's easy - you just follow thier giude and then go mental with shading, highlighting and adding in details. of course, all this is in little pixels, so you're not coming out with masterworks - but it's still fun.
i can't play the world ends with you anymore, because i can't get past the battle on day 2.
right - i have to go now, get ready for work.
work has been going well. i had my training on tuesday and had to travel 3 hours by public transport yo get there, even though it would have taken 40 minutes by car. oh well. i think getting a car and getting my licence is moving up in my list of things to do.
the training was good - i learned how to approach customers in an open manner and it really works - even where you stand in the shop makes a difference. people are coming up to me asking for stuff, and buying stuff. it's cool. i still haven't managed to sell a laptop, but i've helped people make up their minds on what sort of thing they want.
i'm on my computer right now :) nothing like working on your own computer that you know every quirk and nuance of. and i get to listen to my itunes again. woo!
emmm... i don't actually think i have much else to say. i got to play my ds for the 6 hours of travelling i did on tuesday. i'm really liking drawn to life. i love drawing the things it tells you - because it's easy - you just follow thier giude and then go mental with shading, highlighting and adding in details. of course, all this is in little pixels, so you're not coming out with masterworks - but it's still fun.
i can't play the world ends with you anymore, because i can't get past the battle on day 2.
right - i have to go now, get ready for work.
06 October 2008
subject here
gosh, i just hate seeing "last updated 3 days ago" when i log into livejournal. three days is a lot of news to have to re-cap, especially when i went home for the weekend.
lordkilljoy and i drove down to cork on friday evening. i got to see penelope_stone for a few hours that evening - we had turkey dinner at home; it was delicious.
ok - this post isn't going to be the most coherent thing i've ever written. i'm just home from my first day of work - like 10 hours on my feet in 2 inch heeled boots, and trying to learn all the products in the shop and how things around the till work. i feel more tired than i have since the day we walked around bangkok for 13 hours straight with about 2 10 minute breaks. i don't think anything would ever make me as tired as that again, and i don't have the blisters to contend with. no - compared to that day, i'm just peachy. but i am tired and i think if i went to bed right now i'd be asleep in minutes.
but i'll go to bed after i post this - i have to be up at 5:30 or something. buh.
anyway - the weekend. saturday night was goldsoundz. it was so great. the liquid lounge is a nice enough venue - smallish, but the crowd was just the right size. they played excellent music. me and lordkilljoy and jaarius drank cocktails while we were there. they make some excellent ones. so delicious - definitely to be tried again.
sunday was taleweavers. it was great to see the lads again. we actually got loads done, nearly everyone had work to show; it was great.
but i had to leave early to get the bus back up to dublin, and home to an apartment on my own! heh - no, it was fine. i got in at 7:20 and raced across the city to catch the train out to maynooth at 7:30 and made it (it kinda helped that the train wasn't actually until 7:39).
i'm playing "the world ends with you" on the ds at the moment. it's interesting. kinda fun and the main character, neku, reminds me so much of cloud strife. actually the 2 of them shiki and neku remind me of tifa and cloud. it's a little annoying, but i'll get over it. the only other thing that bothers me is that combat is impossible.
i also tried drawn to life for a bit - i love the drawing parts. the actual game play is kind of platformer standard, nothing really intriguing. but it was fun. except that i was playing on the bus and trying to draw was somewhat difficult. but i think i managed quite well. when i saw my cloud in the game, i was like "woah - that's kinda good looking" but i love drawing clouds.
and i also tried my hand at puzzle quest, but am woefully bad at it. it's kind of a visual recognition game where you have to get 3 colours in a row, but i just go for the first one i see and think little of strategy. you get "training" - basic and advanced. i passed the basic, because you play by yourself, but the advanced i had to try 4 times because the game kept killing me. oh well!
emmm, so yea. i had work today, i woke up to the sound of cars and was like "where am i? why can i hear cars going by outside? this isn't right." eventually i woke up enough to remember that i wasn't in cork. it was very odd.
and if i haven't mentioned: work is fine. nothing too stressful - just helping people find things in the shop mainly. except that i don't know where anything is yet. but that'll come with time.
i'm so tired though. i really have to get to bed. i think i'm going to crash out tomorrow night the second i get home.
lordkilljoy and i drove down to cork on friday evening. i got to see penelope_stone for a few hours that evening - we had turkey dinner at home; it was delicious.
ok - this post isn't going to be the most coherent thing i've ever written. i'm just home from my first day of work - like 10 hours on my feet in 2 inch heeled boots, and trying to learn all the products in the shop and how things around the till work. i feel more tired than i have since the day we walked around bangkok for 13 hours straight with about 2 10 minute breaks. i don't think anything would ever make me as tired as that again, and i don't have the blisters to contend with. no - compared to that day, i'm just peachy. but i am tired and i think if i went to bed right now i'd be asleep in minutes.
but i'll go to bed after i post this - i have to be up at 5:30 or something. buh.
anyway - the weekend. saturday night was goldsoundz. it was so great. the liquid lounge is a nice enough venue - smallish, but the crowd was just the right size. they played excellent music. me and lordkilljoy and jaarius drank cocktails while we were there. they make some excellent ones. so delicious - definitely to be tried again.
sunday was taleweavers. it was great to see the lads again. we actually got loads done, nearly everyone had work to show; it was great.
but i had to leave early to get the bus back up to dublin, and home to an apartment on my own! heh - no, it was fine. i got in at 7:20 and raced across the city to catch the train out to maynooth at 7:30 and made it (it kinda helped that the train wasn't actually until 7:39).
i'm playing "the world ends with you" on the ds at the moment. it's interesting. kinda fun and the main character, neku, reminds me so much of cloud strife. actually the 2 of them shiki and neku remind me of tifa and cloud. it's a little annoying, but i'll get over it. the only other thing that bothers me is that combat is impossible.
i also tried drawn to life for a bit - i love the drawing parts. the actual game play is kind of platformer standard, nothing really intriguing. but it was fun. except that i was playing on the bus and trying to draw was somewhat difficult. but i think i managed quite well. when i saw my cloud in the game, i was like "woah - that's kinda good looking" but i love drawing clouds.
and i also tried my hand at puzzle quest, but am woefully bad at it. it's kind of a visual recognition game where you have to get 3 colours in a row, but i just go for the first one i see and think little of strategy. you get "training" - basic and advanced. i passed the basic, because you play by yourself, but the advanced i had to try 4 times because the game kept killing me. oh well!
emmm, so yea. i had work today, i woke up to the sound of cars and was like "where am i? why can i hear cars going by outside? this isn't right." eventually i woke up enough to remember that i wasn't in cork. it was very odd.
and if i haven't mentioned: work is fine. nothing too stressful - just helping people find things in the shop mainly. except that i don't know where anything is yet. but that'll come with time.
i'm so tired though. i really have to get to bed. i think i'm going to crash out tomorrow night the second i get home.
03 October 2008
job update
i start on monday. i'm excited and nervous all at the same time. i think it will be great and i think it will be awful. i really pity me trying to sleep on sunday night. that could be an act of futility.
so, maybe expect entries so become less frequent, or to become more whiny, or both; hopefully not both.
umm, yea. that's all i wanted to say.
so, maybe expect entries so become less frequent, or to become more whiny, or both; hopefully not both.
umm, yea. that's all i wanted to say.
on the bonsai and strange dreams
i was so sure i'd made a post yesterday about our bonsai... wierd. our bonsai kinda wilted a bit yesterday (or well, i noticed it yesterday) - it was just getting to looking a little pathetic and sorry-for-itself. so i went online and looked up sites to figure out what could be wrong. as it turns out, bonsais need loads and loads of water - like a bit every day and a bath once a week. when we got it the guy gave us the impression that you didn't need to water them that much. he never specifically said that, but he mentioned "just" and "spray bottle" so what were we supposed to think? so yesterday i watered it twice and then, in the evening, i dunked it in a tub of water and let it soak for a few minutes. i also left in on the kitchen window, where the sun gets in in the mornings. so this morning, when i checked it, it was looking way better :) woo. i can have plants not die on me. this is a first!
now to the second part of my post: my dream last night was strange. but not in the sense of content. as far as the "story" went, it was no stranger than most dreams i have: me and penelope_stone, trapped in a palace that had just been sacked by orcs. but they had killed everyone with some kind of magic / technology that had left the palace in perfect condition. the orcs still surrounded the place, though, and we were trying to stay really quiet and not move so that they wouldn't know we had survived. but then penelope_stone banged her head against the door and they heard and came rushing in. they chased us through massive corridors but we lost them and met up with a group of survivors in a huge atrium-like area. and some of them had cute pokémon-like creatures. (i wonder where that came from?!)
anyway.
all that was fine. the really strange thing about the dream was the quality of it. it was like dreaming in HD or having a 3d thing perfectly modelled and textured and rendered at the highest quality possible. everything looked amazing.
there are dreams you can have that feel real - like real life. well this wasn't like that at all. it was like a normal dream, except that all the imagery was crystal clear and frighteningly beautiful - like when you see something that is so perfect, your heart and mind kind of close up because you can't accept that something so amazing can actually exist in this world (i'm not sure if anyone else has ever actually had this feeling - like a burst of emotion so intense that it frightens you).
anyway - in my dream, everything was ultra-real. the pattern of the grain on the wood of the door, the way the light came through the windows and contrasted with the shadows on the ground and walls. even just the quality of the light; it was so bright coming through the domes and sky-lights on the ceiling and setting everything it landed on blazing with brightness...
i know what it was like - it was like dreaming in HDR, that very specific sort of light and shade that only HDR can give you. (kind of a bit like this hdr.)
yea. describing the quality of dreams is kinda hard.
so not much else. i'm heading to cork for the weekend.
now to the second part of my post: my dream last night was strange. but not in the sense of content. as far as the "story" went, it was no stranger than most dreams i have: me and penelope_stone, trapped in a palace that had just been sacked by orcs. but they had killed everyone with some kind of magic / technology that had left the palace in perfect condition. the orcs still surrounded the place, though, and we were trying to stay really quiet and not move so that they wouldn't know we had survived. but then penelope_stone banged her head against the door and they heard and came rushing in. they chased us through massive corridors but we lost them and met up with a group of survivors in a huge atrium-like area. and some of them had cute pokémon-like creatures. (i wonder where that came from?!)
anyway.
all that was fine. the really strange thing about the dream was the quality of it. it was like dreaming in HD or having a 3d thing perfectly modelled and textured and rendered at the highest quality possible. everything looked amazing.
there are dreams you can have that feel real - like real life. well this wasn't like that at all. it was like a normal dream, except that all the imagery was crystal clear and frighteningly beautiful - like when you see something that is so perfect, your heart and mind kind of close up because you can't accept that something so amazing can actually exist in this world (i'm not sure if anyone else has ever actually had this feeling - like a burst of emotion so intense that it frightens you).
anyway - in my dream, everything was ultra-real. the pattern of the grain on the wood of the door, the way the light came through the windows and contrasted with the shadows on the ground and walls. even just the quality of the light; it was so bright coming through the domes and sky-lights on the ceiling and setting everything it landed on blazing with brightness...
i know what it was like - it was like dreaming in HDR, that very specific sort of light and shade that only HDR can give you. (kind of a bit like this hdr.)
yea. describing the quality of dreams is kinda hard.
so not much else. i'm heading to cork for the weekend.
02 October 2008
i got offered a job :)
got a call back from the agency that's dealing with the job. the guy wants to offer me the position. they are doing a reference check right now. i gave them joe from dod's number. that may have been a mistake. joe does not like taking calls from people. ah well. agency guy can call me back and i can give him mehboob's number instead.
so yea. it's cool. the guy was impressed by my knowledge and expertise of computers. hee, being a geek totally pays off when trying to get a computers-based job. i just hope it's not too stressful. he mentioned targets and performance ratings. these are two words that frighten me because i'm so competitive. i force myself to beat all expectations of me and i hate losing, but we'll see how i can balance apathy because it's a job and natural competitiveness. i'm sure it will be fine...
so yea. it's cool. the guy was impressed by my knowledge and expertise of computers. hee, being a geek totally pays off when trying to get a computers-based job. i just hope it's not too stressful. he mentioned targets and performance ratings. these are two words that frighten me because i'm so competitive. i force myself to beat all expectations of me and i hate losing, but we'll see how i can balance apathy because it's a job and natural competitiveness. i'm sure it will be fine...
the way i am
i had another interview today. i found out about it less than 24 hours before i had it; which is fine, but which is why i didn't mention about it here. it's for a sales position in a computer shop. sounds like fun sort of work, but i really don't have much (or really any) retail experience. and i think i answered very laterally in my interview. i can't help it - i think laterally most of the time (which i say is the reason why i appear to have no common sence and am so ditzy). but anyway. i always get really nervous before interviews and, every time, i go looking up stuff on the internet to try to understand why this happens to me so badly. because my head is totally calm, yet my adrenaline glands are freaking out. i have yet to find a "cure" for this diversion between mind and body.
but anyway (again). i was just reading on a site for kids (things for kids are the best, because they don't overlook things that adults take for granted) and i think i absolutely can't deny to myself any more that i am a perfectionist. i know it, i just try to ignore the fact, because being a perfectionist is so hard. but still, if i was given a choice, i couldn't be anything less. i just wouldn't be happy if i didn't strive for perfection. but i guess if i wasn't a perfectionist i couldn't really care. yea...
anyway. getting off the point of me for a bit, how is everyone on my f-list? any personality revelations you'd like to share?
but anyway (again). i was just reading on a site for kids (things for kids are the best, because they don't overlook things that adults take for granted) and i think i absolutely can't deny to myself any more that i am a perfectionist. i know it, i just try to ignore the fact, because being a perfectionist is so hard. but still, if i was given a choice, i couldn't be anything less. i just wouldn't be happy if i didn't strive for perfection. but i guess if i wasn't a perfectionist i couldn't really care. yea...
anyway. getting off the point of me for a bit, how is everyone on my f-list? any personality revelations you'd like to share?
01 October 2008
my untitled swashbuckler
it got a bit long. with 4 days to go i came up with an idea. with 1 day to go i had only 500 words written. i wrote over 2000 words yesterday, so forgive the sloppiness of the second half.
Feld spent the evening studying, as he did every evening, but today something seemed out of place. He looked around his room, at the books and ink-pots littering his desk, the dirty robes scattered on the floor, his leather jerkin hung with care on the back of the door; everything here was in order. Yet something amiss nagged at him and it interrupted his study.
He let his quill rest in the ink-pot as he concentrated on his perceptions. No strange smells coming into the room on drafts under the door or through the cracks in the window frame. No sounds filtered in from outside or upstairs. Now that was odd.
Mr. Lynchmurr lived in the room above Feld's and always held night tutoring up there. His deep voice rumbled through the wood and stone of the ceiling, keeping Feld company throughout the evening, every night without exception. What could possibly be wrong today? Mr. Lynchmurr's silence required investigating.
Pushing his book away from him, Feld stood and grabbed his cloak off the floor. He strapped on his sword and left the room, not bothering to dowse the candles; he guessed he'd be back shortly. The empty corridors echoed the tap of his boots against stone as he made his way upstairs.
A door of solid wood guarded Mr. Lynchmurr's privacy. Feld leaned into it, ear pressed against the smooth surface. He heard nothing from within. Peeking through the keyhole revealed that the key was still in the lock. Mr. Lynchmurr was inside. Obviously not holding tutorials today. Strange, but Feld accepted it with nothing more than a mild disappointment at having to return to study so soon.
Feld shrugged and turned to head back to his room when the sound of something heavy thumping to the ground stalled him. He leaned into the door. Shuffling and low grunts. He listened a while longer, hoping someone would speak. After a few long moments of nervously checking up and down the corridor, Feld's eavesdropping paid off.
He heard only low murmurs at first, but then a woman spoke out in frustration.
"You hired me to help you. I am not a politician. I get things done. What did you expect would be involved? We cannot do this with the king still on the throne."
Feld gasped and stumbled away from the door. What was Mr. Lynchmurr involved in? Could he have fallen for the lure of conspiracy and change? Feld hoped not. While the old man's ways were loud and blunt, he was still a teacher at the Academy. He had sworn oaths to the Sovereign and the State.
This illicit roundevouz must be stopped. The sound of steel slipping along leather echoed softly down the corridor as Feld drew his sword. Moving in front of the door, he aimed a kick, but before he lifted his leg, something sharp pricked against his back, poised to slip into his kidneys.
Sword leading the way, Feld turned to face the a man with jet back hair and a large moustache. His brash move took his assailant by surprise and the large man backed up a few steps, giving Feld the chance to press the attack. He lunged forward, aiming for black-hair's shoulder. Better to disable his opponent than aim for a killing blow. Feld had never seen this man before, and even though he seemed up to no good, Feld believed killing without good reason made him no better than the conspirators he stood against.
Black-hair dodged the blow, sidestepping while parrying Feld's blow. His side sword came back on the follow-through to slash at Feld's rapier. This man was fast! Feld did not have a chance to pull out of his lunge before Black-hair's sword came back at him. With no other choice, he continued downward flinging out a hand to balance himself as he rolled to safety.
Heart pounding, he leaped to his feet, just in time to parry the next blow. He stepped back, but his opponent pressed on. Adrenaline fuelled Feld's muscles, but he knew it would not be enough. The clash of sword on sword rang out up and down the corridor as they fought, Feld just about holding off the stronger man's attacks and certainly not finding a chance to press his own offensive.
Doors along the hall opened and faces popped out.
"Conspiracy," Feld shouted.
The distraction cost him. Black-hair's sword pierced through Feld's side sending a wave of pain through his abdomen. The large man smiled and let up his attack. He leered at the faces peeking out around their doors and with one curt noise sent the on-lookers scuttling back to their rooms.
"No one will help you, little boy. It's just you and me," Black-hair said. He took one step forward, looming over Feld with murder in his eyes. "You made the wrong choice to poke your dirty nose into Lynchmurr's business."
"Randall!" a woman called out from up the corridor.
Without taking his eyes off Feld, Black-hair answered her with a grunt.
"Do not kill the boy," she said. "He may be of some use to us if our plans run awry."
Randall grunted again. "Seems you get off light this time," he said to Feld.
The world was already turning black for Feld by the time Randall's fist came down on his head, but the clout helped speed things along.
* * *
Feld woke, some unknown amount of time later, to the smell of old cloth sacking and earthy vegetables. He opened his eyes to darkness and looked around for any spark of light. The movement sent waves of pain through his head, and rippling nauseatingly through his body. Perhaps sleep would be the best. Before he had even finished the thought, sopor claimed him.
When he woke again, dim light filtered down from a grate high up in the wall. He could hear shouts, merry chatter and the smell of fresh food coming through on the trickle of fresh air. Market; he must be in a cellar right on the market. But which one? Almost every open square in the city held a market at this time of year.
But what was he doing down here? He made a move to stand, but stabbing pain in his side pulled him back down. The wound felt bad. Lifting his shirt, he saw that it had been properly dressed and bound, but a small dark patch marred the bandage. His captors showed mercy; he would remember this when he brought their case before the king.
The day passed slowly for him, marked by the rising and falling volume of noise from the market. As the small light from the grate started to fade, Feld's isolation ended. The door burst open, to admit high pitched screams and grunts of pain. A pretty girl bound and held by Randall accompanied the screams.
"Let me go, you cretin," she shouted.
"As you wish, lady," Randall said, with an ugly smile on his face. He tossed her into the room and she landed on hands and knees beside Feld.
She roared some very unbecoming words at Randall, but they washed over him like water over a rock. With a slam and a click he closed the door and locked it. Without even a look for Feld she set about looking for a way out of the room. This phased Feld, but he wasn't about to let her abruptness get the better of his manners.
"My lady, are you hurt? Can I help" he asked.
"Do I look hurt, yokel? I am just fine, and I need no help. I am perfectly capable of helping myself."
She drew a tiny dagger from her corset and deftly used it to cut the ropes binding her arms. Feld watched in amazement as she proceeded to use the narrow knife to pick the lock on the door. A few moments later she stood in the open doorway, soft hair and shapely body framed against the light from the hall.
"Are you just going to sit there?" she said. "Or would your lack of manners allow a lady to walk the evening streets unaccompanied?"
"No. No, I'm coming," he said as he jumped up off the ground and scurried over to her.
"Here," she handed him the little dagger.
He cut the rope that had bound him, left it on the ground in the corner of the cellar and followed his saviour out to street level.
"We must get to the king. He needs to be warned."
"After you, my lady," Feld said. Here at last was something he understood perfectly. This lady was abrupt, a little rude perhaps, but if she could bring this conspiracy to light before the king he would accompany her to Hell and back.
They rounded the corner out onto the market and almost walked straight into Randall.
"Going somewhere?" the large man said.
"Not any more," Feld's mysterious lady-friend said. She drew an ornately hilted rapier and held it expertly in the en garde position. "Boy, find another way. I'll hold off this brute."
While Feld generally would never leave a lady to the mercy of a brute such as Randall, she seemed more than capable of handling herself.
The streets faded into a blur of buildings, people and pounding steps. Feld ran at the fastest pace he could sustain, heading uphill towards the palace. The crowd stumbled out of his way, hurling shouts and insults after him. Words alone did not have the power to slow him and he reached the palace just as the sun sank behind its high walls and towers.
Out of breath and heart pounding from the exertion, he approached the guards at the gate.
"I bring dire warning for the king," he said.
"You and the rest of the ragged scum in this city. Clear off beggar."
Feld couldn't move. The guard not believing him was the last scenario he would have expected when bringing news of a conspiracy to the king.
"Are you deaf or what? Clear off," the guard said.
Feld took a few steps backwards, without turning. He had to get in to see the king. This wasn't one of the Academy tests; he couldn't fail at this. In an act of desperation he drew his sword.
"I must see the king. His life is at risk."
"From you, maybe. Boy, you are not getting into the palace." To emphasize his point, the guard drew his sword. He stood en garde, but did not attack.
Whether from blood loss or the excitement of everything that had happened in the last day, Feld's good sense had deserted him. He lunged at the guard, who parried easily. He refrained from a riposte, possibly from some sense of pity for Feld.
Feld attacked again, this time the guard was not as lenient. His riposte flashed through Feld's weak defence, headed straight for his heart. Feld watched in horror as the deadly point made to run him through. At the last possible instant another sword came from the side and parried the guard's blow.
"Thanks, Drelius. But we want this boy alive."
"My lady. Forgive me. I was not aware."
Feld turned to look at the lady who had just saved him. It was his strange benefactor from the cellar. Now he owed her his life. His relationship with this woman was not off to a good start.
"Come along, boy."
"My name is Feld."
"Well good for you."
She lead him into the palace grounds, through gardens lush with the life of late summer, and into the cold granite halls of the keep. They strode at a fast pace through the corridors, heading up flights of stairs and burrowing ever deeper into the keep.
They came out at an unadorned wooden door. The only signs of its importance were the thick iron bands reinforcing the width and the iron bars protecting the locks and hinges. The lady knocked on the door and waited for a reply. They did not wait long. Almost immediately they were admitted and Feld found himself walking through a small room towards a large desk, at which sat the king.
"What's all this faff about a conspiracy?" he asked.
"It's true this time, sire," the mysterious lady said. "The boy will tell you all about it."
She pushed Feld in front of her. He stood before the king and all the words he had ever learned dove headlong from his brain.
"You... Your Majesty," he said, then stopped, at a total loss.
"The conspiracy, boy?"
Why must everyone call him boy? His focus snapped back into place and he began to speak.
"I am Feld of Waterhaven, fifth year student of the Academy. The night before last, I happened upon a group of people conspiring against you, Your Majesty." He related the tale embellishing only the fights. He didn't think his prowess would impress the lady, but there was no harm in trying.
"And I have your side of things," the king said to the lady. "Very well. Bring them in. Feld could you stay with me a moment?"
The lady left and Feld took a seat that one of the king's guards pulled up for him.
"An Academy teacher conspiring against the crown is a frightening thought, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Have you noticed any other strange occurrences at the Academy?" the king said.
Feld related some other things he had noticed.
The king nodded. "Very well. I will call on you again if I need you."
A guard escorted Feld to the gate. He knew he should return to the Academy, but it was not every day something this exciting happened. He dragged his feet down the hill, towards the Academy.
About half way there a large gathering of people hampered his already slow progress. He stopped to see what was going on. Royal guards stood around a house and the sounds of fighting came from inside. As he watched the fight broke out onto the street.
The mysterious lady fought another woman. Feld watched, fascinated, as their swords flashed almost faster than his eyes could perceive. Here were two masters, neither able to get an advantage over the other. A glint of lamplight caught Feld's eye and he looked over to see a man in the crowd draw a dagger. The man edged around the crowd, positioning himself behind Feld's lady.
Feld gasped. Surely, this man wouldn't dare throw that dagger? He put too many people at risk. But even as Feld doubted him, the man raised his arm to throw.
This would not happen. Feld would not allow such a despicable trick go unchallenged. He drew his sword and ran towards the man. But too late. The man had already released. With a swift downward stroke, Feld whacked the dagger from the air. He let his momentum push him on and brought his sword around to strike the man.
Steel pierced flesh and the man cried out. A second later Feld heard a woman cry out in pain. He turned to see his lady smiling at him as she stood over the prone from of the woman she had been fighting. He smiled back.
"Well done, Feld," she said. "Now help me tie these two up. And later, remind me to recommend you to the king's watch."
Feld had never heard of the king's watch, but he wasn't about to argue. This felt like the start of something interesting and it was about time for a little excitement in his life.
The End
hope you enjoyed. feel free to leave a comment, even just saying: "liked it" or "didn't like it." thanks
Feld spent the evening studying, as he did every evening, but today something seemed out of place. He looked around his room, at the books and ink-pots littering his desk, the dirty robes scattered on the floor, his leather jerkin hung with care on the back of the door; everything here was in order. Yet something amiss nagged at him and it interrupted his study.
He let his quill rest in the ink-pot as he concentrated on his perceptions. No strange smells coming into the room on drafts under the door or through the cracks in the window frame. No sounds filtered in from outside or upstairs. Now that was odd.
Mr. Lynchmurr lived in the room above Feld's and always held night tutoring up there. His deep voice rumbled through the wood and stone of the ceiling, keeping Feld company throughout the evening, every night without exception. What could possibly be wrong today? Mr. Lynchmurr's silence required investigating.
Pushing his book away from him, Feld stood and grabbed his cloak off the floor. He strapped on his sword and left the room, not bothering to dowse the candles; he guessed he'd be back shortly. The empty corridors echoed the tap of his boots against stone as he made his way upstairs.
A door of solid wood guarded Mr. Lynchmurr's privacy. Feld leaned into it, ear pressed against the smooth surface. He heard nothing from within. Peeking through the keyhole revealed that the key was still in the lock. Mr. Lynchmurr was inside. Obviously not holding tutorials today. Strange, but Feld accepted it with nothing more than a mild disappointment at having to return to study so soon.
Feld shrugged and turned to head back to his room when the sound of something heavy thumping to the ground stalled him. He leaned into the door. Shuffling and low grunts. He listened a while longer, hoping someone would speak. After a few long moments of nervously checking up and down the corridor, Feld's eavesdropping paid off.
He heard only low murmurs at first, but then a woman spoke out in frustration.
"You hired me to help you. I am not a politician. I get things done. What did you expect would be involved? We cannot do this with the king still on the throne."
Feld gasped and stumbled away from the door. What was Mr. Lynchmurr involved in? Could he have fallen for the lure of conspiracy and change? Feld hoped not. While the old man's ways were loud and blunt, he was still a teacher at the Academy. He had sworn oaths to the Sovereign and the State.
This illicit roundevouz must be stopped. The sound of steel slipping along leather echoed softly down the corridor as Feld drew his sword. Moving in front of the door, he aimed a kick, but before he lifted his leg, something sharp pricked against his back, poised to slip into his kidneys.
Sword leading the way, Feld turned to face the a man with jet back hair and a large moustache. His brash move took his assailant by surprise and the large man backed up a few steps, giving Feld the chance to press the attack. He lunged forward, aiming for black-hair's shoulder. Better to disable his opponent than aim for a killing blow. Feld had never seen this man before, and even though he seemed up to no good, Feld believed killing without good reason made him no better than the conspirators he stood against.
Black-hair dodged the blow, sidestepping while parrying Feld's blow. His side sword came back on the follow-through to slash at Feld's rapier. This man was fast! Feld did not have a chance to pull out of his lunge before Black-hair's sword came back at him. With no other choice, he continued downward flinging out a hand to balance himself as he rolled to safety.
Heart pounding, he leaped to his feet, just in time to parry the next blow. He stepped back, but his opponent pressed on. Adrenaline fuelled Feld's muscles, but he knew it would not be enough. The clash of sword on sword rang out up and down the corridor as they fought, Feld just about holding off the stronger man's attacks and certainly not finding a chance to press his own offensive.
Doors along the hall opened and faces popped out.
"Conspiracy," Feld shouted.
The distraction cost him. Black-hair's sword pierced through Feld's side sending a wave of pain through his abdomen. The large man smiled and let up his attack. He leered at the faces peeking out around their doors and with one curt noise sent the on-lookers scuttling back to their rooms.
"No one will help you, little boy. It's just you and me," Black-hair said. He took one step forward, looming over Feld with murder in his eyes. "You made the wrong choice to poke your dirty nose into Lynchmurr's business."
"Randall!" a woman called out from up the corridor.
Without taking his eyes off Feld, Black-hair answered her with a grunt.
"Do not kill the boy," she said. "He may be of some use to us if our plans run awry."
Randall grunted again. "Seems you get off light this time," he said to Feld.
The world was already turning black for Feld by the time Randall's fist came down on his head, but the clout helped speed things along.
* * *
Feld woke, some unknown amount of time later, to the smell of old cloth sacking and earthy vegetables. He opened his eyes to darkness and looked around for any spark of light. The movement sent waves of pain through his head, and rippling nauseatingly through his body. Perhaps sleep would be the best. Before he had even finished the thought, sopor claimed him.
When he woke again, dim light filtered down from a grate high up in the wall. He could hear shouts, merry chatter and the smell of fresh food coming through on the trickle of fresh air. Market; he must be in a cellar right on the market. But which one? Almost every open square in the city held a market at this time of year.
But what was he doing down here? He made a move to stand, but stabbing pain in his side pulled him back down. The wound felt bad. Lifting his shirt, he saw that it had been properly dressed and bound, but a small dark patch marred the bandage. His captors showed mercy; he would remember this when he brought their case before the king.
The day passed slowly for him, marked by the rising and falling volume of noise from the market. As the small light from the grate started to fade, Feld's isolation ended. The door burst open, to admit high pitched screams and grunts of pain. A pretty girl bound and held by Randall accompanied the screams.
"Let me go, you cretin," she shouted.
"As you wish, lady," Randall said, with an ugly smile on his face. He tossed her into the room and she landed on hands and knees beside Feld.
She roared some very unbecoming words at Randall, but they washed over him like water over a rock. With a slam and a click he closed the door and locked it. Without even a look for Feld she set about looking for a way out of the room. This phased Feld, but he wasn't about to let her abruptness get the better of his manners.
"My lady, are you hurt? Can I help" he asked.
"Do I look hurt, yokel? I am just fine, and I need no help. I am perfectly capable of helping myself."
She drew a tiny dagger from her corset and deftly used it to cut the ropes binding her arms. Feld watched in amazement as she proceeded to use the narrow knife to pick the lock on the door. A few moments later she stood in the open doorway, soft hair and shapely body framed against the light from the hall.
"Are you just going to sit there?" she said. "Or would your lack of manners allow a lady to walk the evening streets unaccompanied?"
"No. No, I'm coming," he said as he jumped up off the ground and scurried over to her.
"Here," she handed him the little dagger.
He cut the rope that had bound him, left it on the ground in the corner of the cellar and followed his saviour out to street level.
"We must get to the king. He needs to be warned."
"After you, my lady," Feld said. Here at last was something he understood perfectly. This lady was abrupt, a little rude perhaps, but if she could bring this conspiracy to light before the king he would accompany her to Hell and back.
They rounded the corner out onto the market and almost walked straight into Randall.
"Going somewhere?" the large man said.
"Not any more," Feld's mysterious lady-friend said. She drew an ornately hilted rapier and held it expertly in the en garde position. "Boy, find another way. I'll hold off this brute."
While Feld generally would never leave a lady to the mercy of a brute such as Randall, she seemed more than capable of handling herself.
The streets faded into a blur of buildings, people and pounding steps. Feld ran at the fastest pace he could sustain, heading uphill towards the palace. The crowd stumbled out of his way, hurling shouts and insults after him. Words alone did not have the power to slow him and he reached the palace just as the sun sank behind its high walls and towers.
Out of breath and heart pounding from the exertion, he approached the guards at the gate.
"I bring dire warning for the king," he said.
"You and the rest of the ragged scum in this city. Clear off beggar."
Feld couldn't move. The guard not believing him was the last scenario he would have expected when bringing news of a conspiracy to the king.
"Are you deaf or what? Clear off," the guard said.
Feld took a few steps backwards, without turning. He had to get in to see the king. This wasn't one of the Academy tests; he couldn't fail at this. In an act of desperation he drew his sword.
"I must see the king. His life is at risk."
"From you, maybe. Boy, you are not getting into the palace." To emphasize his point, the guard drew his sword. He stood en garde, but did not attack.
Whether from blood loss or the excitement of everything that had happened in the last day, Feld's good sense had deserted him. He lunged at the guard, who parried easily. He refrained from a riposte, possibly from some sense of pity for Feld.
Feld attacked again, this time the guard was not as lenient. His riposte flashed through Feld's weak defence, headed straight for his heart. Feld watched in horror as the deadly point made to run him through. At the last possible instant another sword came from the side and parried the guard's blow.
"Thanks, Drelius. But we want this boy alive."
"My lady. Forgive me. I was not aware."
Feld turned to look at the lady who had just saved him. It was his strange benefactor from the cellar. Now he owed her his life. His relationship with this woman was not off to a good start.
"Come along, boy."
"My name is Feld."
"Well good for you."
She lead him into the palace grounds, through gardens lush with the life of late summer, and into the cold granite halls of the keep. They strode at a fast pace through the corridors, heading up flights of stairs and burrowing ever deeper into the keep.
They came out at an unadorned wooden door. The only signs of its importance were the thick iron bands reinforcing the width and the iron bars protecting the locks and hinges. The lady knocked on the door and waited for a reply. They did not wait long. Almost immediately they were admitted and Feld found himself walking through a small room towards a large desk, at which sat the king.
"What's all this faff about a conspiracy?" he asked.
"It's true this time, sire," the mysterious lady said. "The boy will tell you all about it."
She pushed Feld in front of her. He stood before the king and all the words he had ever learned dove headlong from his brain.
"You... Your Majesty," he said, then stopped, at a total loss.
"The conspiracy, boy?"
Why must everyone call him boy? His focus snapped back into place and he began to speak.
"I am Feld of Waterhaven, fifth year student of the Academy. The night before last, I happened upon a group of people conspiring against you, Your Majesty." He related the tale embellishing only the fights. He didn't think his prowess would impress the lady, but there was no harm in trying.
"And I have your side of things," the king said to the lady. "Very well. Bring them in. Feld could you stay with me a moment?"
The lady left and Feld took a seat that one of the king's guards pulled up for him.
"An Academy teacher conspiring against the crown is a frightening thought, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Have you noticed any other strange occurrences at the Academy?" the king said.
Feld related some other things he had noticed.
The king nodded. "Very well. I will call on you again if I need you."
A guard escorted Feld to the gate. He knew he should return to the Academy, but it was not every day something this exciting happened. He dragged his feet down the hill, towards the Academy.
About half way there a large gathering of people hampered his already slow progress. He stopped to see what was going on. Royal guards stood around a house and the sounds of fighting came from inside. As he watched the fight broke out onto the street.
The mysterious lady fought another woman. Feld watched, fascinated, as their swords flashed almost faster than his eyes could perceive. Here were two masters, neither able to get an advantage over the other. A glint of lamplight caught Feld's eye and he looked over to see a man in the crowd draw a dagger. The man edged around the crowd, positioning himself behind Feld's lady.
Feld gasped. Surely, this man wouldn't dare throw that dagger? He put too many people at risk. But even as Feld doubted him, the man raised his arm to throw.
This would not happen. Feld would not allow such a despicable trick go unchallenged. He drew his sword and ran towards the man. But too late. The man had already released. With a swift downward stroke, Feld whacked the dagger from the air. He let his momentum push him on and brought his sword around to strike the man.
Steel pierced flesh and the man cried out. A second later Feld heard a woman cry out in pain. He turned to see his lady smiling at him as she stood over the prone from of the woman she had been fighting. He smiled back.
"Well done, Feld," she said. "Now help me tie these two up. And later, remind me to recommend you to the king's watch."
Feld had never heard of the king's watch, but he wasn't about to argue. This felt like the start of something interesting and it was about time for a little excitement in his life.
The End
hope you enjoyed. feel free to leave a comment, even just saying: "liked it" or "didn't like it." thanks
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)