Hmm, is it a negotiation if all the cards are held by the other side?
Negotiation "Not quite," I said, moving forward. I was taking a guess, but I was probably the only one here who knew enough to make any guesses. "I'm Wildling, I think Chuckles may have mentioned me?" The thing, whatever it was, moved. Something bulged around its middle and seemed to glide up and left and its eye rotated slightly. It might have focussed on me. "Wilding," it said. "You were on a list. Yes." I really, really wanted to know what kind of list it was. But there was always a danger that Stef might start asking about his name from Chuckles, or worse, that Kraulik would reveal that he didn't have one. Although... if this list was a bad one he probably would anyway. "What--" started Stef, so I cut him off. "Excellent," I said, trying to sound enthusiastic and not terrified. My voice would have been shaking if that was possible. "Then we three are the last who need to leave the ship. I'm sorry about the delays, there have been small issues here and there that we've been addressing. I think they're all sorted now." "How are you leaving?" Ah. I was sincerely hoping that this thing, whatever it was, already had a solution for that. "Flying," said Kraulik, sourly. I think he was intending to talk to himself, but the creature bubbled and warped and pointed its eyeballs at him. "You have learned that skill without machinery now?" It sounded confused! I had no idea, I realised, how this alien thing could speak English, and even less now how it managed to sound confused. Why was it so familiar with humans that it could do this? "He was joking," said Stef, getting in faster than me. "He likes to do that." "Do you see another bloody way off this boat?" demanded Kraulik, as if he didn't realise that he was endangering our chances of getting helped off the ship. Though at that moment I wouldn't have been at all surprised if the creature found a way to shrug, shoulderless though it was, and said that we were part of the 'plate' after all. "We can escort you from this ship," said the thing. It bubbled horribly, its eyeballs almost disappearing under roiling flesh, or whatever its gelatinous, watery substance was. This continued for nearly half a minute, which was long enough for me to figure out that it was laughing and for Stef to edge nervously away from the creature and closer to Kraulik. "We expected that you would be inefficient. Given your inefficiency, is there anything else you need to do before you depart? I can wait a short while." Stef frowned and shook his head. Kraulik crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at the eyeballs of the creature and said, "I am ready." So it was left to me to say, "Thirty seconds?" and run up the ladder as fast as I could, grab the books and contract from the upper room and consider the ornament on the table. I reached for it, and then changed my mind. Who knew what it actually did here, and if taking it broke the contract, I'd doomed us all. Then I half-climbed, half-fell down the ladder, and said, "Ready!"
Blogger has pretended to accept this comment five(!) times now and then just seemingly deleted it. I'm trying splitting it into smaller parts, but this is weird.
Negotiation "Not quite," I said, moving forward. I was taking a guess, but I was probably the only one here who knew enough to make any guesses. "I'm Wildling, I think Chuckles may have mentioned me?" The thing, whatever it was, moved. Something bulged around its middle and seemed to glide up and left and its eye rotated slightly. It might have focussed on me. "Wilding," it said. "You were on a list. Yes." I really, really wanted to know what kind of list it was. But there was always a danger that Stef might start asking about his name from Chuckles, or worse, that Kraulik would reveal that he didn't have one. Although... if this list was a bad one he probably would anyway. "What--" started Stef, so I cut him off. "Excellent," I said, trying to sound enthusiastic and not terrified. My voice would have been shaking if that was possible. "Then we three are the last who need to leave the ship. I'm sorry about the delays, there have been small issues here and there that we've been addressing. I think they're all sorted now." "How are you leaving?" Ah. I was sincerely hoping that this thing, whatever it was, already had a solution for that. "Flying," said Kraulik, sourly. I think he was intending to talk to himself, but the creature bubbled and warped and pointed its eyeballs at him. "You have learned that skill without machinery now?"
It sounded confused! I had no idea, I realised, how this alien thing could speak English, and even less now how it managed to sound confused. Why was it so familiar with humans that it could do this? "He was joking," said Stef, getting in faster than me. "He likes to do that." "Do you see another bloody way off this boat?" demanded Kraulik, as if he didn't realise that he was endangering our chances of getting helped off the ship. Though at that moment I wouldn't have been at all surprised if the creature found a way to shrug, shoulderless though it was, and said that we were part of the 'plate' after all. "We can escort you from this ship," said the thing. It bubbled horribly, its eyeballs almost disappearing under roiling flesh, or whatever its gelatinous, watery substance was. This continued for nearly half a minute, which was long enough for me to figure out that it was laughing and for Stef to edge nervously away from the creature and closer to Kraulik. "We expected that you would be inefficient. Given your inefficiency, is there anything else you need to do before you depart? I can wait a short while." Stef frowned and shook his head. Kraulik crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at the eyeballs of the creature and said, "I am ready." So it was left to me to say, "Thirty seconds?" and run up the ladder as fast as I could, grab the books and contract from the upper room and consider the ornament on the table. I reached for it, and then changed my mind. Who knew what it actually did here, and if taking it broke the contract, I'd doomed us all. Then I half-climbed, half-fell down the ladder, and said, "Ready!"
[I can't say for certain but I think the post was too long, but it refused to tell me and just didn't publish it instead.]
[OK, still trying to post the second half of this story, seeing if Blogger is feeling better today!]
It sounded confused! I had no idea, I realised, how this alien thing could speak English, and even less now how it managed to sound confused. Why was it so familiar with humans that it could do this? "He was joking," said Stef, getting in faster than me. "He likes to do that." "Do you see another bloody way off this boat?" demanded Kraulik, as if he didn't realise that he was endangering our chances of getting helped off the ship. Though at that moment I wouldn't have been at all surprised if the creature found a way to shrug, shoulderless though it was, and said that we were part of the 'plate' after all.
"We can escort you from this ship," said the thing. It bubbled horribly, its eyeballs almost disappearing under roiling flesh, or whatever its gelatinous, watery substance was. This continued for nearly half a minute, which was long enough for me to figure out that it was laughing and for Stef to edge nervously away from the creature and closer to Kraulik. "We expected that you would be inefficient. Given your inefficiency, is there anything else you need to do before you depart? I can wait a short while."
Stef frowned and shook his head. Kraulik crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at the eyeballs of the creature and said, "I am ready." So it was left to me to say, "Thirty seconds?" and run up the ladder as fast as I could, grab the books and contract from the upper room and consider the ornament on the table. I reached for it, and then changed my mind. Who knew what it actually did here, and if taking it broke the contract, I'd doomed us all. Then I half-climbed, half-fell down the ladder, and said, "Ready!"
5 comments:
Hmm, is it a negotiation if all the cards are held by the other side?
Negotiation
"Not quite," I said, moving forward. I was taking a guess, but I was probably the only one here who knew enough to make any guesses. "I'm Wildling, I think Chuckles may have mentioned me?"
The thing, whatever it was, moved. Something bulged around its middle and seemed to glide up and left and its eye rotated slightly. It might have focussed on me.
"Wilding," it said. "You were on a list. Yes."
I really, really wanted to know what kind of list it was. But there was always a danger that Stef might start asking about his name from Chuckles, or worse, that Kraulik would reveal that he didn't have one. Although... if this list was a bad one he probably would anyway.
"What--" started Stef, so I cut him off.
"Excellent," I said, trying to sound enthusiastic and not terrified. My voice would have been shaking if that was possible. "Then we three are the last who need to leave the ship. I'm sorry about the delays, there have been small issues here and there that we've been addressing. I think they're all sorted now."
"How are you leaving?"
Ah. I was sincerely hoping that this thing, whatever it was, already had a solution for that.
"Flying," said Kraulik, sourly. I think he was intending to talk to himself, but the creature bubbled and warped and pointed its eyeballs at him.
"You have learned that skill without machinery now?"
It sounded confused! I had no idea, I realised, how this alien thing could speak English, and even less now how it managed to sound confused. Why was it so familiar with humans that it could do this?
"He was joking," said Stef, getting in faster than me. "He likes to do that."
"Do you see another bloody way off this boat?" demanded Kraulik, as if he didn't realise that he was endangering our chances of getting helped off the ship. Though at that moment I wouldn't have been at all surprised if the creature found a way to shrug, shoulderless though it was, and said that we were part of the 'plate' after all.
"We can escort you from this ship," said the thing. It bubbled horribly, its eyeballs almost disappearing under roiling flesh, or whatever its gelatinous, watery substance was. This continued for nearly half a minute, which was long enough for me to figure out that it was laughing and for Stef to edge nervously away from the creature and closer to Kraulik. "We expected that you would be inefficient. Given your inefficiency, is there anything else you need to do before you depart? I can wait a short while."
Stef frowned and shook his head. Kraulik crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at the eyeballs of the creature and said, "I am ready." So it was left to me to say, "Thirty seconds?" and run up the ladder as fast as I could, grab the books and contract from the upper room and consider the ornament on the table. I reached for it, and then changed my mind. Who knew what it actually did here, and if taking it broke the contract, I'd doomed us all. Then I half-climbed, half-fell down the ladder, and said, "Ready!"
Blogger has pretended to accept this comment five(!) times now and then just seemingly deleted it. I'm trying splitting it into smaller parts, but this is weird.
Negotiation
"Not quite," I said, moving forward. I was taking a guess, but I was probably the only one here who knew enough to make any guesses. "I'm Wildling, I think Chuckles may have mentioned me?"
The thing, whatever it was, moved. Something bulged around its middle and seemed to glide up and left and its eye rotated slightly. It might have focussed on me.
"Wilding," it said. "You were on a list. Yes."
I really, really wanted to know what kind of list it was. But there was always a danger that Stef might start asking about his name from Chuckles, or worse, that Kraulik would reveal that he didn't have one. Although... if this list was a bad one he probably would anyway.
"What--" started Stef, so I cut him off.
"Excellent," I said, trying to sound enthusiastic and not terrified. My voice would have been shaking if that was possible. "Then we three are the last who need to leave the ship. I'm sorry about the delays, there have been small issues here and there that we've been addressing. I think they're all sorted now."
"How are you leaving?"
Ah. I was sincerely hoping that this thing, whatever it was, already had a solution for that.
"Flying," said Kraulik, sourly. I think he was intending to talk to himself, but the creature bubbled and warped and pointed its eyeballs at him.
"You have learned that skill without machinery now?"
It sounded confused! I had no idea, I realised, how this alien thing could speak English, and even less now how it managed to sound confused. Why was it so familiar with humans that it could do this?
"He was joking," said Stef, getting in faster than me. "He likes to do that."
"Do you see another bloody way off this boat?" demanded Kraulik, as if he didn't realise that he was endangering our chances of getting helped off the ship. Though at that moment I wouldn't have been at all surprised if the creature found a way to shrug, shoulderless though it was, and said that we were part of the 'plate' after all.
"We can escort you from this ship," said the thing. It bubbled horribly, its eyeballs almost disappearing under roiling flesh, or whatever its gelatinous, watery substance was. This continued for nearly half a minute, which was long enough for me to figure out that it was laughing and for Stef to edge nervously away from the creature and closer to Kraulik. "We expected that you would be inefficient. Given your inefficiency, is there anything else you need to do before you depart? I can wait a short while."
Stef frowned and shook his head. Kraulik crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at the eyeballs of the creature and said, "I am ready." So it was left to me to say, "Thirty seconds?" and run up the ladder as fast as I could, grab the books and contract from the upper room and consider the ornament on the table. I reached for it, and then changed my mind. Who knew what it actually did here, and if taking it broke the contract, I'd doomed us all. Then I half-climbed, half-fell down the ladder, and said, "Ready!"
[I can't say for certain but I think the post was too long, but it refused to tell me and just didn't publish it instead.]
[OK, still trying to post the second half of this story, seeing if Blogger is feeling better today!]
It sounded confused! I had no idea, I realised, how this alien thing could speak English, and even less now how it managed to sound confused. Why was it so familiar with humans that it could do this?
"He was joking," said Stef, getting in faster than me. "He likes to do that."
"Do you see another bloody way off this boat?" demanded Kraulik, as if he didn't realise that he was endangering our chances of getting helped off the ship. Though at that moment I wouldn't have been at all surprised if the creature found a way to shrug, shoulderless though it was, and said that we were part of the 'plate' after all.
"We can escort you from this ship," said the thing. It bubbled horribly, its eyeballs almost disappearing under roiling flesh, or whatever its gelatinous, watery substance was. This continued for nearly half a minute, which was long enough for me to figure out that it was laughing and for Stef to edge nervously away from the creature and closer to Kraulik. "We expected that you would be inefficient. Given your inefficiency, is there anything else you need to do before you depart? I can wait a short while."
Stef frowned and shook his head. Kraulik crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at the eyeballs of the creature and said, "I am ready." So it was left to me to say, "Thirty seconds?" and run up the ladder as fast as I could, grab the books and contract from the upper room and consider the ornament on the table. I reached for it, and then changed my mind. Who knew what it actually did here, and if taking it broke the contract, I'd doomed us all. Then I half-climbed, half-fell down the ladder, and said, "Ready!"
Greg - sorry about Blogger being Blogger. I have no idea why you got flagged as spam. Hopefully the issue is fixed now though?
While things seem to be working out here for the guys, I can't shake this feeling that doom is still lurking right around the corner for them all.
But, you know, fingers crossed they're all good!
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