Shippingitp IV: Flattery Will Get You EVERYWHERE

[ghost_warlock]

The Stillness of the Tomb

Rutskarn/Player_Zero (with special guest appearances by a new race of undead that know how to tap-dance and would probably enjoy having a sit-down lunch with GW... or Pickman...)

Read at your own peril.

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*snip*

I loved it, Coidzor, but unless you have special permission I'm unaware of, I don't think Rutskarn's given permission to be used.
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No posts by him in this thread or shipping permissions yet that I've found...

@V: So we're okay, then? *whew* w00t!

[Coidzor]

Good point. I got so caught up in the heady excitement that I had forgotten that he had never really given permission. ...I kind of took his brain-broken screams of agony as screams of approval I guess x.x He didn't object at least, but still. bleh. x.x

edit: And we're PM'd to Goodness-town.

^: Thank you, I was hoping it might appeal to your sensibilities.

[Rutskarn]

I could not, in good faith, condemn such a display of literary effort and mind-shattering corruption.

The written word, used as a tool of bitter madness. Reminds me too much of myself.

[Reinholdt]

@ Coidzor- Like I mentioned, so very disturbing... You're a really good writer, you know that?

[Player_Zero]

Oh god...

Also, you stole phrases off of Pratchett. I saw you done it.

[Coidzor]

Oh? *Goes to check* So I did... Heh... Well, at least the only one I've caught was the reference to Deaths' eyes.

Hmm, if that's the only blemish, I think I'll leave it, though I guess I should have known that something would pop up, the way I've only had Pratchett to read all winter break.

@Reinholdt: Thanks, I've actually been meaning to start doing a little writing again for a fair while now... Who'd've guessed that this would've pushed me into whipping some stuff up.

[mangosta71]

Ok, now that I'm back at work (which means I'm not home messing around with a new comp trying to get everything installed and running again), I can get back to spewing drivel at all of you! Bunch of good stories up. @DS7 - I noticed that one of yours, where Nil and Magtok were fighting, said Mordokai at first. Confuzzled me for a minute. But good stuff. Helgraf was as amusing as ever. And Happy is wonderfully talented as always, as is her lovely sister. Mordy did a good job, hope to see more from him. And Rein had some great work for me to read, too.

And now, with no further ado, it's time to muddy the waters in the redemption series a bit. Enjoy!

Messages
Starring - Mordokai, Mangosta, and Nil, with a reference to Happyturtle

Spoiler

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Mangosta watched the prisoner’s torture with the same critical eye that Happyturtle had, though he left before it was over. He sighed and shook his head as he stepped out of the tent. I’ll never understand people who are willing to do such things without getting paid.

He knew by now that the barbarian’s apparent rescuer was no longer in the camp. One of Mordokai’s guards was missing, and nobody could remember seeing him in the past couple days. Those personal guards were hand-picked by the blackguard himself. They knew better than to desert. Which meant that the man was dead. A minimum of two days’ march behind them.

Mangosta strode about the camp aimlessly, pondering the madness that would send men into battle against armed foes. Man could get killed doing stupid **** like that. Eventually, he found himself outside the command tent. With nothing better to do, he slipped inside. He had to report some time.

“How goes the search?”

“The man who freed the barbarian from the dungeon is not here. Nor will we find him. You know by now that one of your personal guards has gone missing. You also know that none of them would act against your will. I suspect that we were infiltrated. Someone killed your man and took his place. There’s no telling how far behind us your guard’s body is, and it will be hidden anyway. Not worth the time to go looking for it.”

Mordokai was, predictably, displeased with the news. Mangosta continued. “My lord, may I ask what purpose torturing that poor fool serves? Even if he says anything, information coming from him is suspect.”

Mordokai flew into a rage. “You, of all people, dare to question me? How many have died at your hand? How many have you tortured?” A gauntleted fist swung at Mangosta’s face.

Mangosta deftly caught Mordokai’s wrist and twisted the arm painfully. His voice became very quiet. “You will never strike me. I could snap your arm right now. You are nothing but an employer to me. Remember that. I only kill and torture when I’m getting paid. I sought you out because you might actually be able to bring peace to this land. War is bad for business – all these people dying without anyone putting prices on their heads. Besides, most rulers will simply field an army and try to kill their enemies in war. In peace, though…” His face took on a wistful smile. “In peace, they can’t act openly, so they send me. My service to you serves my own interests. For now.”

He released Mordokai’s arm and shoved him back. “You won’t be seeing me for the next few days. I’ll be acting in both our interests.” Without another word, Mangosta slipped out, making no sound and barely disturbing the tent flap with his passing.

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Nil finished inspecting his camp. He smiled proudly at the perfect, ordered rows of tents, the cookfires serving his troops their evening meals, the neatly stowed racks of weapons. Jolly music was beginning to rise into the night air in several locations. He walked back to his own tent, preparing his mind for his nightly ovations prior to resting.

When he entered, he almost didn’t see the man laying in his bed, hands behind his head and feet crossed. “It’s about time you showed up.”

Nil’s hand went to his sword hilt. “Who are you and how did you get here?”

The stranger made no move. “My name is irrelevant. And either I spoke to your guards and they did not consider me enough of a threat to fear leaving me alone with you, or they do not know that I am here. In either case, your sword will be of no use, and you know it. I am alone and unarmed. I will submit myself to a search if you require to prove the second. As to the first, you’ll just have to trust me.”

Nil’s eyes narrowed. His hand remained on his sword. “Why are you here?”

“Is it not obvious? I bear a message.”

“From whom?”

“I’m currently acting on my own behalf. Though you could accurately say that it is also in Mordokai’s interests. It should also appeal to you.”

The sword flashed in the candlelight as it left the scabbard. The stranger raised an eyebrow. “Nothing that serves that madman’s interests appeals to me.”

Mangosta pushed himself up to sit on the edge of the bed. “You do not wish to save him from himself? Paladin, I know that your principal desire is to redeem Mordokai. We both know that that will not happen on the battlefield. We both know what will happen if your armies collide. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, slain. To what purpose? Mordokai’s force is far larger than yours. You will be crushed. And who can hope to bring Mordokai back from the abyss if you fall in battle?”

Nil’s eyes narrowed. “I would not have expected to find one of his followers bearing a message of peace.”

Mangosta grinned. “You think that every good man in that nation turned to evil simply because he did? Besides, the soldiers you both lead have lives. They will want to return to their families. Their families want them to return alive and unharmed. You can serve a greater good by submitting yourself to Mordokai without bloodshed. He will certainly wish to speak with you. He may torture you. In any case, perhaps your example will be enough to save his soul, and surely that is worth any price.”

Nil frowned. He could not sense good or evil coming from the man before him, but he could sense his sincerity. “I will consider your words, stranger.”

Mangosta stood and bowed. “That is all I can ask. I must return to him now. Should you wish to send a message to Mordokai, your messenger will have my personal protection. Farewell.”

Nil blinked. The man was gone. There was no trace that he had ever been there aside from a slight, fading depression in the mattress.

[Deathslayer7]

Yeah Lex-kt picked up on that too. It was supposed to be Nil. Except I don't know where the mistake was, and I dont feel like going back to fix it.

[mangosta71]

Yeah Lex-kt picked up on that too. It was supposed to be Nil. Except I don't know where the mistake was, and I dont feel like going back to fix it.

Found it! Page 32 of the thread, post 936. First word of the spoiler. First time I read that, I kept thinking "why doesn't Mordokai come in and help Nil smack Magtok around?"

[happyturtle]

Love the new fic, Mangosta.

Any volunteers to be cast as an evil cleric in Mordokai's camp?

[Korith]

Sure! Though a wizard by trade, Korith has been known to dabble in other sources of magic, certainly including the divine...

[happyturtle]

Korith, you're busy infiltrating Nil's camp while working for Magtok. It really is a bit much for you to be Mordokai's personal healer as well.

[Cristo Meyers]

...It really is a bit much for you to be Mordokai's personal healer as well.

The implication...it calls to me for some reason...even in my exile I find myself drawn here, to it...

[Korith]

Korith, you're busy infiltrating Nil's camp while working for Magtok. It really is a bit much for you to be Mordokai's personal healer as well.

Korith has also been known to send around clones and simulacrums of himself.

EDIT: Oh, and if anyone asks, you can always use the excuse "a wizard did it"

[Reinholdt]

@ Mangosta- Very well written, though no doubt Mordokai's going to end up killing Mangosta later just to make up for the slight put upon him.

[Coidzor]

So I'm curious, what's the best picture we have of the world Redemption is set in?

For IsTly(sp), it seems like a middling-magic alternate history earth, but this... not very familiar with where to look for any kind of picture, so yeah. Any recommendations on where to start with the earlier fics?

[happyturtle]

Redemption is loosely set in a DnDish type fantasy world.

[Saint Nil]

Turtle, I do believe that you promised to bring back shipwars if I brought back Shadowland.

[happyturtle]

I did indeed. I'm halfway through the next Redemption fic, and then Ship Wars is next.

Pretty sure Mordy will sacrifice me to the Dark Gods if I don't finish "Mercy" first though.

[ghost_warlock]

So I'm curious, what's the best picture we have of the world Redemption is set in?

For IsTly(sp), it seems like a middling-magic alternate history earth, but this... not very familiar with where to look for any kind of picture, so yeah. Any recommendations on where to start with the earlier fics?

For Redemption, I have no idea. I think it's set in the ACRONYM world, which specifically does not have a map.

As for IStLY, the archive in my sig has a timeline, links to cast lists, a genogram for the royalty, and a map. The only major locations that have been referenced in the text, though, are Preslav (palace/capital of Bulgaria), Constantinople (palace/capital of Byzantium), and Adrianople/Edirne (contested).

[Deathslayer7]

I did indeed. I'm halfway through the next Redemption fic, and then Ship Wars is next.

Pretty sure Mordy will sacrifice me to the Dark Gods if I don't finish "Mercy" first though.

then you mean it is worth it to stay up to read it.

[happyturtle]

Don't stay up. "Mercy" won't be done until Tuesday or Wednesday.

[Destro_Yersul]

Ok, Destro's writing without a clear idea of what's going to happen. Because he always does that, and it seems to work, and he had a thought for something that needed writing. So without further ado, here is...

The Origins of Vampire Rabbit

With RHL/Dirk Kris

Spoiler

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They had been happy, thought Dirk. They had their disagreements, but they had been happy. That was over now. That had been over for the past half hour of his life, and he didn't know what he was going to do about it.

Rabbit... He sat now, on his bed, book in hand, open to a page he read three times and never registered. Remembering. Remembering her and all the times they had spent with each other. Remembering how, two hours ago, they had gone out to dinner. Remembering the man who had stopped them on the way home, pulled a gun, and demanded their wallets.

Dirk had ran. He had though Rabbit was behind him, but it was hard to run in heels and she had fallen behind. When he looked back, he couldn't see her anymore. Didn't know where she was or what had happened to her. He had wanted to go back, to look, to see if he could find her, but he couldn't. He had been too scared. Now though, it had been too long. She should have been home already. He put down his book and stood up, resolved to go out and find her.

Another twenty five minutes had passed, and he hadn't found her yet. Dirk was counting seconds, running from place to place, re-tracing steps. He was almost to the point of tears, calling her name, and still seeing nothing. He kept telling himself it would only be one more street. Just one more. And one more. He had almost given up all hope when he found her.

She was in an alley, lying amongst the trash bins. Dirk knelt by her, seeing but not comprehending. His Rabbit could not be gone. She couldn't. He took her in his arms, pressed her against him and wept. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, my love. I couldn't... He couldn't find the words, and he couldn't just leave her out here. Alone. He carried her home, left her in the freezer. And deep inside Dirk's mind, something snapped.

He withdrew from society shortly after. No-one knew what had happened to him, or why he never came outside anymore. He disconnected his phone and hid from the world during the day, spending his nights reading old books. And he learned. Some of those books had been thought lost and forgotten, but Dirk had found them. And he had the will and the means to use the knowledge they contained. Only the thing about knowledge contained in forgotten books, is that sometimes it should have stayed forgotten.

Three years passed. The house fell into disrepair. People avoided the place, talking about the mad old man who lived there. They were afraid. They had every right to be. Dark things happened in that house, and darker things would happen still. It had taken three years for Dirk to learn everything he needed to know, but tonight he was ready. His Rabbit would be coming back.

He had retrieved her body. Had gone into the basement, drawn the curtains, locked the doors and lit the candles. He had drawn the circles on the table, in blood, had spoken words that hurt his throat. He picked up his knife, drew it across his thumb, and let a single drop fall on her cold lips. Then he stood back and waited.

It didn't happen quickly. Dirk waited, and time went on, and he found himself wondering if he had done everything right. If he had missed something important. Then Rabbit gasped. The air that had filled her lungs so long ago felt cold and dry as she expelled her last breath and sat up. Her eyes, once brown, had gone a deep shade of red, and her teeth had gotten sharper. More pointed. Dirk... She turned to look at him. You brought me back.

She stood, walked over to him, placed a hand on his cheek. It was cold. It had been cold for a long time now, and it would never warm back up. She ran it along his face, pushed his chin up with her finger, moved in a step closer. He smiled at her, looked into the eyes of the woman he loved. Yes, Rabbit. I did. He put an arm around her, kissed her. How do you feel?

Rabbit kissed him back. Put her own arm around him. Oh Dirk. She pulled him in close, pressed her lips to his, let her eyes drop to look at his neck. I feel... She smiled to herself. A cold predatory smile, nothing like the one she had worn all those years ago. The newly created vampiress kissed her former lover's neck, pushed her fangs through his skin, and wispered so softly he almost didn't hear. Hungry. And then she began to feed.

And that, as they say, is that. *looks back over the fic* Holy expletive that's long. For me, anyways. I swear these write themselves sometimes...

[Deathslayer7]

awwwww.

[Dragonrider]

Tastyyyy

[RabbitHoleLost]

Haha. I love it =)
Creeeeepy <3

[Reinholdt]

@ Destro- Wow. You mixed tragedy, sweetness, and creepy all perfectly for this situation. That's going to be hard to top.

Creepy Rabbit attracts Creepy Dirk.

[Raistlin1040]

Huh. Well, I'm not sure this is mine to give away, since I don't think I deserve it but...*Hands Destro the Creepy Crown he won for Psycho Circus and Poison* Earned it.

Yes, I know nobody actually gave me a Creepy Crown, I'm just arrogant and wanted one, even if I don't deserve it. It's made of skulls and bones, and the glue is mixed with the blood of virgins

[Destro_Yersul]

Glad you guys liked it. I spent a fair amount of thought trying to get it right, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

[ghost_warlock]

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Creepy?

I thought it was sweet.

But my perceptions may be somewhat skewed.