Much Obliged, Jeeves "Jeeves, old thing, would you be so good as to come to the library? There's a tome I want upon a lofty shelf, which requires someone with Viking blood in his veins to reach it.""Certainly, Mrs. Travers.""Can you close the door behind you, dear? And you'd better park yourself somewhere. Over on that squashy wing chair. No need to stand on ceremony for me.""Yes, Madam.""Now. I'm sure that piscine-glutted grey matter of yours has already deduced what I dragged you in here to talk about. Am I right?""I confess, Madam, though I posses a few suspicions as to the subject of your discourse, regrettably I am not entirely certain of the matte
To Autumn The smell of woodsmoke and hot food weaves through the chill. A sea of babbling voices bobs under a massive orange sky dappled with clouds. They sop up the last colours of the day like feathery white sponges. It is November, and the town fête pushes on into the night.Shade, flecked with fairy lights, sparklers and bonfires. He catches the distant boom of pop songs over amplifiers as his vapourous breath unfurls before him. He has always been so skillful at eavesdropping, but there is no joy in the practice tonight. Jersey-clad country folk pass in front of him, rattling off complaints as they devour their sausage sandwiches. Mortgages,
LT - Happy Sportacus knew that look. That was the ‘Robbie-is-very-quickly-losing-patience-with-me’ look.The sports hero was currently kneeling in the middle of the road, surrounded by a messy pile of paper bags and boxes. The items once contained in them were spilled haphazardly across the ground. His muted apologies to the taller man were drowned out by the livid declaration that he was the klutziest blue kangaroo in the world. As he tried to gather all the objects back into their receptacles, those angry grey-green eyes just seemed to bore into poor Sportacus more keenly.Robbie had been away for the weekend, travelling into the city for
The Slipper and the Rogue pt 7 ~*It Is You I Have Loved*~His limbs lay motionless amongst dunes of paper and dead leaves. His body was a willowy, wilted stem, and his face was a white pearl, unmarked by expression or verve. Sportacus’ usual reflex would have been to resuscitate the comatose victim. All he could accomplish was brushing a few wayward locks of hair from his cold forehead, almost afraid to interfere with such perfection.Robbie didn’t recoil, resist or flinch. His face remained serene and uncreased. The man seemed to have finally achieved the wholly passive state he had been yearning for as long as Sportacus could remember. And in it, he was bea
The Slipper and the Rogue pt 6 ~*The Wolf In The Hood*~“Robbie…”The man looked away upon hearing his name.He would have blocked his ears if he could. The utter ruin in Sportacus’ gentle voice was too much to abide, let alone having to suffer watching him as he shattered.But Robbie had spoken the truth, had he not? She was a mere illusion which had died the moment she had left her prince’s sight.Having his back turned, he saw a trickle of townspeople begin to leave the crime scene, some with solemn, respectful faces, others looking strangely disgusted. Eventually, the icy evening air drove almost everyone indoors. The only people remaining
Permutation - Prologue PERMUTATIONA Powerpuff Girls/Ed Edd & Eddy crossoverNo-one can stand unmoved in solitude without feeling that there is more in man than the mere breath of his body. Of individual objects, perhaps no one is as sure to create astonishment, than the first sight in his native haunt, of a real barbarian—of man in his lowest & most savage state. One's mind hurries back over past centuries, & then asks: Could our pregenetors be such as these? Men whose very signs & expressions are less intelligible to us than those of the domesticated animals; who do not posess the the instinct of those animals, nor yet appear to boast of human reason, or a
Valencia Script part 1 A SUMMER IN VALENCIAA “Road To El Dorado” Fan-comicDRAMATIS PERSONAECOUNT FRANSISCO PERAZA TORELLO (PERAZA), Count of LeonJULIETTA, his wife FRANCESCA, his daughterMIGUEL, his teenage son and heirNURSEY, their nursemaidTULIO EL GITANO (TULIO), a thiefENRIQUE, a gambler and aging playboyLUIS, a streetfighter and philosoperDON, a crazy old coot with a windmill fixationCOUNTESS ZORA LOPEZ ASESINATA (ZORA), a clever and wealthy heiress, daughter to a Valencian CountGUARDS, PEASANTS, GYPSIES, ARISTOCRATS, BANDITS et al.***VALENCIA, SPAIN. 1509[SCENE 1 - Plaza de la Virgen: A grand town square in the centre
The Rose Chapter 12 The RoseA Fairy TaleChapter 12 (Epilogue)Streetlight pooled in sterile rings on the pavement.Truth be told, this was a surprisingly respectable neighbourhood, if a little gaudy. Brightly coloured stucco mansions jutted out of the headland, all wide windows and sickly palm trees. Each of them jostled for the best view of the sparkling harbour and chaotic skyline of Diamond City.Daisy had dressed in jeans and a hooded jacket, the best way to be inconspicuous on such streets. It was the same way she had dressed when she used to sneak out of Birabuto Palace, underage and aching for an unchaperoned adventure in her hometown. Now, of cour
The Rose Chapter 11 THE ROSEA Fairy TaleChapter 11A pale, hesitant sunrise met the brothers and the soldiers, as they bore the amber prince up the old stone stairway. With a great heave-ho, they lifted their precious cargo onto the tiled floor of the temple entrance. The statue of the ugly old man had reclaimed its spot at the top of the steps."Seven miles, carryin' this," Mario gestured to Peasley's body. "It's gonna be a long trip, boys."The echoed scuffle of footfalls met them, as a member of the Sarasaland Royal Army approached them from the doorway."By the mane of Totomesu! You…! Here!... and now!... Here…!""How ya doin', officer," M
The Rose Chapter 10 THE ROSEA Fairy TaleChapter 10Heads turned as the royal Mushroom carriage rolled through the wide, icy streets of Beanbean Castle Town, making its way up to the castle gates. The morale of the citizens had hit a low not seen since the dark days of King Ringspot I. The slew of misfortune that had been plaguing the kingdom – the degradation of Chucklehuck Woods, the suspicious 'kidnapping' of the Prince in early Autumn, the failure of KoopaCola, the freakishly cold Winter, and ultimately the death of King Favius' rose bushes and the genuine abduction of his son – had left the once chic and self-assured people paranoid and pessim
The Rose Chapter 9 THE ROSEA Fairy TaleChapter 9The thin fissure of silver sky that snaked along the horizon slowly darkened.Brittle, naked branches lurched with the bitter winds. The air heralded no echo. Twilight songs of roosting shrikes carried no further than a few feet. The only trace of humanity Daisy could taste was a faint wisp of sweet firewood in the air, carried into the Forever Forest from a solitary farmhouse. Damp evening air nipped at her dark skin, for the thin velvet cloak she had donned was poor protection against this kind of cold. Her stride quickened along the twisting path, careless of the mud and icy water that had already cake
The Rose Chapter 8 THE ROSEA Fairy TaleChapter 8THE DAILY VINEMonday 24th SeptemberPEASLEY AND WENDYRoyal Wedding Sees Thousands Crowd The Streets Of Castle TownArticle by Mungus Mann The punters lining the streets of Beanbean Castle Town all held their breath at once, in anticipation of a moment which will no doubt be remembered as the most celebrated of this year: the appearance of their new Princess, Wendy O. Koopa, as she exited the luxury town-car which had conveyed her to the front gate of Cacao Temple. All were eager to glimpse the flawless white wedding gown, a custom-made Zsizsa LaGa for Harhall Studio. The tiara was white gold, adorned
The Rose Chapter 6 THE ROSEA Fairy TaleChapter 6Peasley purposefully set his wine glass down on the half-folded letter, haloing its royal seal with a pale burgundy watermark. "What has she asked you to do?" Luigi asked carefully. "She didn't specify. All she disclosed was that there is an important duty she wants me to undertake. In fact, she spent most of the letter scolding me for not attending the castle's Summer Cotillion. As if this year's Beanish social season hasn't been a total write-off." He snorted, grabbing the bottle of Shroom Shiraz and sloshing another helping into his glass. It had been a lovely day, for the most part. In the sizzling
The Rose chapter 3 THE ROSEA Fairy TaleChapter 3The stars shone ever brighter in the fading sky, and the torches were lit. The Ballroom of the Mushroom Castle was abuzz with cooks and waiters arranging immense tables crowded with food: plates of exotic fruits for the Yoshi guests, all manner of meats twirled slowly upon spits for the Koopas, and cumbersome piles of bananas stood out as great clumps of yellow amongst the spread, ready for the delectations of the the Kongs. Chefs were still fretting over the final touches of the haute cuisine dishes, the finest gastronomical accomplishments that the Mushroom Kingdom, Sarasaland and the Beanish had to offer.
The Rose chapter 2 THE ROSEA Fairy TaleChapter 2 Another swell of feminine squeals pealed through the flagstone streets, and the denizens of Beanbean Castle Town grimaced at the sound. It had become something of a national sport: once any young beanish lass had spotted a vapour trail of golden sparkles, or the silhouette of a winged Leguminos Sylphus, wheeling through the skies, a mini-ruckus would inevitably flare up as she alerted all her gal-pals to the sighting. Nine times out of ten, the source of excitement turned out to be refracted sunlight, or a goonie-bird gliding on its expansive white wings, but it did little to deter these bloody-minded ent
The Rose chapter 1 THE ROSEA fairy taleChapter 1 The cabbages had been divested of caterpillars. The formerly sagging tomato vines had been relieved of their ruby produce. The camellia bushes had been pruned of old growth, and the minature potted pirhana plants had been fed their daily luncheon of live grubs. Luigi checked his watch. Quarter to twelve, another successful morning's work. Before he returned inside to work on the laundry, however, there was one final task left to perform. Equipping himself with his well-worn trowel, shears and watering can, he reverently approached an elevated, sunny patch of the flower bed. In the centre of a well mulc
Fledglings' Frustration Ch. 9 Fledglings' FrustrationChapter IXDaria awoke sweaty and flustered, her heart pattering wildly. The last traces of a nightmare drifted before her mind's eye— she was a mistress of one of the Borgias, running afoul of her master by engaging in a tryst with a court musician. The enraged noble had taken it upon himself to disembowel her with a jewel encrusted dagger, she excruciatingly alive and shrieking in agony as he gleefully sliced her open and hacked away at her entrails. The cruel tittering of some onlooking ladies-in-waiting reached her from behind her assailant.She looked about her bedroom, dim with early sylvan threads of da
Fledglings' Frustration Ch. 8 Fledglings' FrustrationChapter VIII "A glooming peace this morning with it bringsThe sun, for sorrow, will not show his head.Go hence to have talk of more of these sad things,Some shall be pardoned, and some punishéd.For never was a story of more woeThan this of Juliet and her Romeo."Credits began to roll on the screen, across the other side of the video store.Jane's 4B swept across a fresh page in her artbook."Is that Romeo, Ms. Lane?""In a sense."Demartino monitored the sketch slowly being brought to life by the swishes of Jane's pale hand. The gangly figure looked more like a chimerical mix of spider, sloth and
Fledglings' Frustration Ch. 7 Fledglings' FrustrationChapter 7The choir of cricket song in the still Rhodesian night was uninterrupted. The persistent chirping insects did not notice the sick thud of two bodyguards falling dead upon the cobblestones.A whole manner of small, skittish nocturnal animals and roosting seabirds were often heard scuffling about amongst the hardy vegetation of the island. There would be no suspicions about the near silent tread of footsteps navigating the undergrowth of the old stone mansion's garden.Melody Powers made sure to pack away her blow-dart kit with care. The poison of the Dendrobates Azureus was a hazardous substance, and could
Fledglings' Frustration Ch. 6 Fledgings' FrustrationChapter 6The echoed cracking and shrieking of roman candles and bottle rockets perforated the muggy air. Great billows of smoke hung in the lengthening shadows of the coming evening.Inside her room, Daria quietly and deliberately opened the bottom drawer to her dresser, and extracted a black nylon bag.She scuttled into the bathroom, locking the door tight. She caught her reflection over the sink, at first alarmed and then dissatisfied at the pale, dour organism looking back at her.The bathroom was something of a soundproof shell, the fireworks outside were now at best faint rumbles. She dove into the black bag
Fledglings' Frustration Ch. 5 Fledglings' FrustrationChapter 5Could it be possible? And, if so, how could she have missed it?Perhaps Demartino's position as an outsider had allowed him to observe facts that Jane had missed. Perhaps in settling for the simplest explanation, he had propelled her to re-examine her brother and instictively pick up on his stifled longings. Either way, it was an argument that Jane had never considered, but once lain before her, it made startlingly perfect sense.The way Demartino had explained it had been tinged with characteristic bitterness. Not being party to the agonised evolution of Daria's romantic sensibilities— scant as they
Fledglings' Frustration Ch. 4 Fledglings' Frustration Chapter 4Stumbling to the door of his bedroom, over musty piles of clothing, scattered CD cases and take-out containers, Trent recognised the impulse of hunger rumbling in the pit of his stomach.It was probably getting onto about two o'clock. Mystik Spiral had played a killer gig at the Zōn last night, to the biggest crowd they'd seen for months. Jane and Daria had accompanied them to the ritual after-gig meal at Cluster Burger. The high spirits of the band were only buoyed by the presence of the girls, who had graduated high school the previous week and were still euphoric from their new-found breath of freed
Fledglings' Frustration Ch. 3 Fledglings' FrustrationChapter 3Given that history was a humanities subject rather than a science, Jane had usually managed to maintain a respectable average of B minuses, Bs, and occasionally, B pluses throughout high school. Although developing an eloquent, well organised argument about what caused the downfall of the Napoleonic Empire was not something she took to with total ease and grace, she had genuinely enjoyed tracing the map of the collective human story. And all the scandals, intrigue, bloodshed and psychoses therein.There was also another reason that Jane had made an effort to stay afloat in this subject. Upon observing the
Fledglings' Frustration Ch. 2 Fledglings' FrustrationChapter 2"Aw, hell."The neat rows of vaccum-sealed rice crackers and instant noodles stared blankly back at Daria and Jane through the shop window. Even in the bright summer sunshine, the fluroescent lights still glinted from within. The space that had once been Gary's Gallery was now a convenience store."The bottom fell out of the reproductions business, Jane," came Gary's dejected voice over the crackle of a bad cellphone connection. "After that big gift store came to the mall, we had no choice but to close down. How am I supposed to compete with limited edition plates and Hummel figurine knock-offs? This is L
Sta.sh
