Is brittle your state of mine, state of health, or just a random prompt word this evening? it's actually a shame this didn't come on a Friday, as I think I could have used it rather well in that little scrabble story!
Brittle "Well Boss," said Pestilence, and his voice was the hissing of venomous snakes over a background chatter of locusts getting ready to swarm. It sounded like the background static of the universe was creating words for him. "Surely you just apply your intent to this would-be incarnator?" Death's smile somehow conveyed the boniness of the human skull. "Too late," he said. "They've started, and that's also covered by the Accords. If I interfered now it could be considered that I was making a judgement on the Infanta, and she is subject to me only through the actions of others. Incidentally, I'd like you all to keep your eyes open for a good lawyer; I think we should maybe insist on a renegotiation of the Accords sometime in the next century." His gaze fell, perhaps coincidentally, on War, who shrugged. "I've got a journalist," he said. "I can find you a lawyer as well." "Right, sis," said Famine, who had recovered somewhat from the weight of Death's gaze. "So someone's gone and read the Accords and is using them as an instruction manual for you? Like, they've taken the red pill and it's turned out to be an edible, and now we've got to try and figure out what the antidote is while they're praying to the porcelain gods and yawning in technicolour? What are you doing while we're on the legwork then?" "Consulting," said Death. The bleakness of the landscape around them increased; more contrast and texture washed away until they looked like an ink-wash line drawing on crisp, pristine paper. "A council of my peers. It will take... time is the wrong word for a timeless dimension, but I will not return here exactly when I left, so you will have time while I am gone. And... no beach-parties." The whiteness around him grew as intense as his stare and seemed to crawl over him, consuming him. As he finally vanished from view in a painful blaze of light the world shuddered, palpably, and returned to normal. "Brittle," said Famine, shaking his head. "Pea. Nut. Brittle." "What?" said War. He looked at Pestilence, who looked puzzled. "Fam, fam?" "Sis, I'm good. Just brittle like new ice on an ice-fall. He's gone, you know. I can't feel him watching me any more." War nodded. "It's true," he said. "I can feel the workload increasing. I'll have to deploy the Valkyries while he's away." Pestilence looked around, slightly surprised to be back in War's living room, and saw Scuffles sitting on the floor with the hellhound in lap still. He looked stunned. "Scuff," he said. Scuffles looked up. "How're you feeling?" "Like I died and woke up again," said Scuffles. "That was--" "Unpleasant? Yeah, it always is when he gets upset. Gets that way sometimes when he's cheerful as well. You should have seen him last Christmas when we played Exploding Kittens."
2 comments:
Is brittle your state of mine, state of health, or just a random prompt word this evening? it's actually a shame this didn't come on a Friday, as I think I could have used it rather well in that little scrabble story!
Brittle
"Well Boss," said Pestilence, and his voice was the hissing of venomous snakes over a background chatter of locusts getting ready to swarm. It sounded like the background static of the universe was creating words for him. "Surely you just apply your intent to this would-be incarnator?"
Death's smile somehow conveyed the boniness of the human skull. "Too late," he said. "They've started, and that's also covered by the Accords. If I interfered now it could be considered that I was making a judgement on the Infanta, and she is subject to me only through the actions of others. Incidentally, I'd like you all to keep your eyes open for a good lawyer; I think we should maybe insist on a renegotiation of the Accords sometime in the next century." His gaze fell, perhaps coincidentally, on War, who shrugged.
"I've got a journalist," he said. "I can find you a lawyer as well."
"Right, sis," said Famine, who had recovered somewhat from the weight of Death's gaze. "So someone's gone and read the Accords and is using them as an instruction manual for you? Like, they've taken the red pill and it's turned out to be an edible, and now we've got to try and figure out what the antidote is while they're praying to the porcelain gods and yawning in technicolour? What are you doing while we're on the legwork then?"
"Consulting," said Death. The bleakness of the landscape around them increased; more contrast and texture washed away until they looked like an ink-wash line drawing on crisp, pristine paper. "A council of my peers. It will take... time is the wrong word for a timeless dimension, but I will not return here exactly when I left, so you will have time while I am gone. And... no beach-parties."
The whiteness around him grew as intense as his stare and seemed to crawl over him, consuming him. As he finally vanished from view in a painful blaze of light the world shuddered, palpably, and returned to normal.
"Brittle," said Famine, shaking his head. "Pea. Nut. Brittle."
"What?" said War. He looked at Pestilence, who looked puzzled.
"Fam, fam?"
"Sis, I'm good. Just brittle like new ice on an ice-fall. He's gone, you know. I can't feel him watching me any more."
War nodded. "It's true," he said. "I can feel the workload increasing. I'll have to deploy the Valkyries while he's away."
Pestilence looked around, slightly surprised to be back in War's living room, and saw Scuffles sitting on the floor with the hellhound in lap still. He looked stunned.
"Scuff," he said. Scuffles looked up. "How're you feeling?"
"Like I died and woke up again," said Scuffles. "That was--"
"Unpleasant? Yeah, it always is when he gets upset. Gets that way sometimes when he's cheerful as well. You should have seen him last Christmas when we played Exploding Kittens."
Greg - hah, apologies for missing Friday with this one. I've been trying to provide suitable prompts for the continuation of the Scrabble tale :)
Argh, this is so good. Have I said how glad I am that you've chosen these guys for a longer tale in the wake of Derby? Because I most definitely am.
Also: appreciate the Exploding Kittens reference :D
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