Hmm, you're definitely not making it easy to continue Lord Derby's tale with these prompts... but then I guess that's not the point of the prompts :)
A sketch artist Walking the length of the Witnesses took nearly fifteen minutes. Even though the three tried to ignore the complaints, the accusations, and the pleas that the Witnesses made, it was hard. Many of the comments struck home and lodged in old scars, reopening thoughts that had been had and put away. Lord Derby managed a fairly steady pace, but Samual stumbled on more than one occasion, and Tomasz stopped altogether at one point, shoulders shaking and tears streaming down his face. There was an almost physical sense of relief as they approached the last two Witnesses and saw that there was a stretch of clear, silent path after that before the walls of the Temple of the King reared up, casting shadows that swallowed everything. The second-to-last Witness turned to face Lord Derby, and he shivered. The face was unfamiliar to him, and the style of clothing was strange, almost avant-garde. "You don't know me yet," said the Witness. "You'll first come to know me when a sketch artist puts my dead face in front of you and tells you that I probably committed a crime I couldn't possibly have. And you will believe him, because you believe you're better than everyone else. You know you're brilliant, and you wouldn't let a little thing like consensual reality get in the way of shining like a star. The King's little bitch. The Court favourite. You'll damn me and drag my name through the mud even though I'm not alive to see it. You are garbage, milord. Garbage." The last Witness didn't move at all, it just remained a pillar of coralline rock, and somehow that was more disturbing than all the rest.
"A moment, Ernest," said Tomasz, earning himself a glare from Samual that he didn't see. He heaved a huge sigh that lifted his shoulders and shook his whole body. "I need a moment to recover from that." "I think we all do," said Lord Derby. He looked over his shoulder for a moment. "Were all the Witnesses from your past?" "Of course." Tomasz looked puzzled. "Weren't yours?" Lord Derby looked at Samual next, and after a moment he nodded. "All fourteen," he said. "Everyone someone I've wronged." "That's what they want you to think," said Lord Derby. "I saw David Suture, a skilled mage, and he accused me of wanting to steal his talent. But I could do no such thing if I tried, and he knows it. I am not a mage." "They are convincing, milord," said Samual. He rubbed his eyes rather harder than necessary. "Though maybe I just need time to think over what they've said." "Maybe." Lord Derby's face was troubled. "The penultimate Witness said I didn't know them yet, and told me what I would do. That seemed... strange." Tomasz grimaced. "So little in your past that the King is peering into your future? You'll forgive me if I doubt that, Ernest." "I doubt it myself," said Lord Derby. "But I also doubt that it was random. So there is a reason to... what? To make me hesitate at some point in the future? But why?" "The King is subtle," said Tomasz. "Patient. Ancient. Things that would be better not associated with evil, if I had my choice." "Things rarely associated with humanity," said Samual. "Which is probably why we don't like them so much." "Evil is associated with humanity," said Tomasz. "Sadly." "Indeed," said Lord Derby. He looked at the yawning shadow ahead of them. "I think it's time to enter the Temple though."
Greg - I will try to get back to helping you return to the Derby goodness, because you know how much I enjoy it.
But hey, you managed this with a rather unworkable prompt, so maybe you don't need my help! Really like what you did with the final two witnesses for Derby, that was some impressive work.
2 comments:
Hmm, you're definitely not making it easy to continue Lord Derby's tale with these prompts... but then I guess that's not the point of the prompts :)
A sketch artist
Walking the length of the Witnesses took nearly fifteen minutes. Even though the three tried to ignore the complaints, the accusations, and the pleas that the Witnesses made, it was hard. Many of the comments struck home and lodged in old scars, reopening thoughts that had been had and put away. Lord Derby managed a fairly steady pace, but Samual stumbled on more than one occasion, and Tomasz stopped altogether at one point, shoulders shaking and tears streaming down his face. There was an almost physical sense of relief as they approached the last two Witnesses and saw that there was a stretch of clear, silent path after that before the walls of the Temple of the King reared up, casting shadows that swallowed everything.
The second-to-last Witness turned to face Lord Derby, and he shivered. The face was unfamiliar to him, and the style of clothing was strange, almost avant-garde.
"You don't know me yet," said the Witness. "You'll first come to know me when a sketch artist puts my dead face in front of you and tells you that I probably committed a crime I couldn't possibly have. And you will believe him, because you believe you're better than everyone else. You know you're brilliant, and you wouldn't let a little thing like consensual reality get in the way of shining like a star. The King's little bitch. The Court favourite. You'll damn me and drag my name through the mud even though I'm not alive to see it. You are garbage, milord. Garbage."
The last Witness didn't move at all, it just remained a pillar of coralline rock, and somehow that was more disturbing than all the rest.
"A moment, Ernest," said Tomasz, earning himself a glare from Samual that he didn't see. He heaved a huge sigh that lifted his shoulders and shook his whole body. "I need a moment to recover from that."
"I think we all do," said Lord Derby. He looked over his shoulder for a moment. "Were all the Witnesses from your past?"
"Of course." Tomasz looked puzzled. "Weren't yours?"
Lord Derby looked at Samual next, and after a moment he nodded. "All fourteen," he said. "Everyone someone I've wronged."
"That's what they want you to think," said Lord Derby. "I saw David Suture, a skilled mage, and he accused me of wanting to steal his talent. But I could do no such thing if I tried, and he knows it. I am not a mage."
"They are convincing, milord," said Samual. He rubbed his eyes rather harder than necessary. "Though maybe I just need time to think over what they've said."
"Maybe." Lord Derby's face was troubled. "The penultimate Witness said I didn't know them yet, and told me what I would do. That seemed... strange."
Tomasz grimaced. "So little in your past that the King is peering into your future? You'll forgive me if I doubt that, Ernest."
"I doubt it myself," said Lord Derby. "But I also doubt that it was random. So there is a reason to... what? To make me hesitate at some point in the future? But why?"
"The King is subtle," said Tomasz. "Patient. Ancient. Things that would be better not associated with evil, if I had my choice."
"Things rarely associated with humanity," said Samual. "Which is probably why we don't like them so much."
"Evil is associated with humanity," said Tomasz.
"Sadly."
"Indeed," said Lord Derby. He looked at the yawning shadow ahead of them. "I think it's time to enter the Temple though."
Greg - I will try to get back to helping you return to the Derby goodness, because you know how much I enjoy it.
But hey, you managed this with a rather unworkable prompt, so maybe you don't need my help! Really like what you did with the final two witnesses for Derby, that was some impressive work.
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