Fridays are supposed to be reviews, so I guess I should try and think of something to review...um...give me a minute to think of something...oh! Oh! Oh! I've got it! Let's talk about zombies.
Zombies have become quite a phenomenon in pop culture. The Walking Dead has become so hugely popular that it's even the theme for Halloween Horror Nights, which is the park wide month long Halloween event at Universal Studios (both Orlando and Hollywood, which is rare). The movies keep coming, zombie walks are spreading from city to city, zombie bar crawls are a college campus staple, and let's not forget the very real situation in Miami. Shows, video games, movies, comics, books, websites, costumes, the list is almost endless.
I'm completely willing to admit I jumped on the zombie bandwagon without a backward glance. I've dressed up as a zombie on more than one occasion. I've read the survival guides, watched the movies, played my fair share of plants vs zombies, and participated in a couple of zombie flash mobs. I think the idea and the science can be almost as fascinating as the fiction. Of course I still prefer the fiction.
That's why I want to talk about this book, Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? by Max Brallier. Meg purchased this book for me at a comic book shop and I LOVE it. It's a choose your own adventure book about the zombie apocalypse in New York City. This combines two of my favorite things, zombies and choose your own adventure, how could I not fall in love.
The book is witty and catchy, with the perfect mix of nerdy jokes and zombie killing action to keep me intrigued. I appreciated the biting commentary that popped in, and felt it added to the story. I also loved that there were almost 100 different endings to choose from (I post-it tabbed all of them so I could make sure I read every single one). Unlike most choose your own adventure books it was beefy, with lots of action and choices that weren't easily anticipated. It was written from the PoV of a man, which bothered me a few times (I would never chase a hot chick bartender), but most of the time I was able to forget that and enjoy the story.
I found that each new ending was better than the one before. I didn't know anything about New York City, and I thought at first that might be a problem, but it ended up working out for the better. I learned a bit about NYC geography and a bit more about surviving the zombie apocalypse. I got to chill in a Barnes and Noble, fight with Hell's Angels, swim to Liberty Island, and fight zombies with the nerds at NY Comicon. Each arch of the story was well developed and there was a great mix of positive and negative endings. The best part was that while most endings read "An End" there was one that read "The End". It wasn't any more final than the others, but it gave background to the story, answers to the zombie mystery, and I liked that added element.
If you like zombies read this book, if you like choose your own adventures read this book, and if you like both, BUY THIS BOOK NOW. I thouroughly enjoyed it and I have faith that you will too.
Until tomorrow.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
BEDAugust 2
Two days and thus far I've managed the video AND the blog. We'll see if it's something I can get to continue. I'm sticking with the themes I used to have even though I haven't been writing them in almost a month. I feel bad that June and July went south so quickly, but that's a price you have to pay sometimes. Anyway, today is Thursday which makes it a finish a story or expand a dream day. I'm going to go look for something to finish.
I couldn't find anything on my computer and since there are currently people asleep in my room where my notebooks full of unfinished pieces are stored I'll just have to go with writing a random but of fiction from a Figment prompt instead. It occurs to me that BEDA is likely supposed to be about me blogging my life, but since I'm hesitant to talk too much about my job and I honestly don't do too much outside work, my life doesn't fill a blog very well. Thus I turn to writing fiction, which is infinitely more thrilling.
Figment.com prompt
Create an imperfect villain – one with a rich history that explains the events that shaped your antagonist – the painful or traumatic events that created the character your readers will love to hate.
Kaylynn used to be happy, at least that's what she tells herself at night when she wants to jump off the bow of her ship. She tells herself that she used to be happy, and that means she could be happy again. Of course there's always a small part of her brain reminding her that it's a lie, what she remembers as happy was really just young and naive. She believed in things that didn't exist and was tricked into being happy. Yet, despite that small insistent voice, Kaylynn has kept her feet on the deck of the ship for twelve years now.
Kaylynn could vividly remember growing up with her father. The Kings Aerial Navy had never seen a better captain, and Kaylynn had basically grown up on an airship. Her mother had died before she could remember, but it never seemed to matter. She never felt lacking with the skies laid out in front of her, the wind in her hair, and her father at her side. By the time Kaylynn was six she could steer an airship on her own, knew how to navigate the skies, and could fire the cannons and rifles better than most of the soldiers on board her father's ship. By ten Kaylynn worked on the ship, learning how to operate each piece, and by twelve she was the unofficial pilot, trusted by the crew but unsanctioned by the crown. The only thought in Kaylynn's mind was how long it was taking to reach 18, when she could become a soldier herself.
That dream was stolen from her the summer after she turned 13. Kaylynn was on the airship when her father was called on a mission in enemy air. His superior ordered him to trim down his crew to only essential personell and fly into Grater territory. The mission was supposed to be simple; fly in, take some photos of bases, fly out. Flying in went just fine but when they emerged from cloud cover to take the pictures they found the Grater base stocked to the brim with anti-airship cannons, all already cocked and aimed. It was as if they knew the ship was coming. The airship was damaged beyond repair and crashed to the ground. Kaylynn survived only because her father threw her off the crashing ship with a parachute. She was the only lucky one, everyone else perished.
Kaylynn found herself stuck in Grater territory with nothing but her skills and a worn out pilots uniform to her name. She managed to find a town, and it was there she learned something that would change the course of her life forever. Kaylynn had planned to find her way out of the Grater's land and back the the Crown and her father's superiors. That was until she saw one of her father's superiors at the town marketplace. At first Kaylynn believed she'd somehow managed to make it out of Grater land, but as she listened it became clear the sergeant had come in instead. The more he spoke to the locals the more suspicious Kaylynn became, and when he admitted to tipping off the base to the arrival of her father's ship Kaylynn saw red.
She remembers very little about what happened that night, but the next morning the sergeant was dead, she was covered in blood, and she held a signed letter explaining that the Crown had set her father up to die. The sergeant had told her that people were losing faith in the Crown and the war, they didn't believe it was necessary anymore. The Crown decided they needed a way to make the people pay attention. Kaylynn's father was well known and well loved, his death would upset the world, sparking them into action, so the Crown arranged to have the Grater's kill him.
Kaylynn looks from the sky over the bow of her ship to the blood on her hands. They met a Crown ship tonight, thirty soldiers on board, now all dead. Yet it wasn't enough, it would never be enough. Kaylynn would tear about the Crown's forces piece by piece but she knew it would never be enough, not until she'd ripped the crown from the King's cold dead hands. He needed to pay for what he'd done, and he was going to. Kaylynn looked out of the bow of her ship again. The royal palace was peeking out just above the horizon, shining like a beacon, beckoning Kaylynn to come and test her mettle.
****************************
Until tomorrow.
I couldn't find anything on my computer and since there are currently people asleep in my room where my notebooks full of unfinished pieces are stored I'll just have to go with writing a random but of fiction from a Figment prompt instead. It occurs to me that BEDA is likely supposed to be about me blogging my life, but since I'm hesitant to talk too much about my job and I honestly don't do too much outside work, my life doesn't fill a blog very well. Thus I turn to writing fiction, which is infinitely more thrilling.
Figment.com prompt
Create an imperfect villain – one with a rich history that explains the events that shaped your antagonist – the painful or traumatic events that created the character your readers will love to hate.
Kaylynn used to be happy, at least that's what she tells herself at night when she wants to jump off the bow of her ship. She tells herself that she used to be happy, and that means she could be happy again. Of course there's always a small part of her brain reminding her that it's a lie, what she remembers as happy was really just young and naive. She believed in things that didn't exist and was tricked into being happy. Yet, despite that small insistent voice, Kaylynn has kept her feet on the deck of the ship for twelve years now.
Kaylynn could vividly remember growing up with her father. The Kings Aerial Navy had never seen a better captain, and Kaylynn had basically grown up on an airship. Her mother had died before she could remember, but it never seemed to matter. She never felt lacking with the skies laid out in front of her, the wind in her hair, and her father at her side. By the time Kaylynn was six she could steer an airship on her own, knew how to navigate the skies, and could fire the cannons and rifles better than most of the soldiers on board her father's ship. By ten Kaylynn worked on the ship, learning how to operate each piece, and by twelve she was the unofficial pilot, trusted by the crew but unsanctioned by the crown. The only thought in Kaylynn's mind was how long it was taking to reach 18, when she could become a soldier herself.
That dream was stolen from her the summer after she turned 13. Kaylynn was on the airship when her father was called on a mission in enemy air. His superior ordered him to trim down his crew to only essential personell and fly into Grater territory. The mission was supposed to be simple; fly in, take some photos of bases, fly out. Flying in went just fine but when they emerged from cloud cover to take the pictures they found the Grater base stocked to the brim with anti-airship cannons, all already cocked and aimed. It was as if they knew the ship was coming. The airship was damaged beyond repair and crashed to the ground. Kaylynn survived only because her father threw her off the crashing ship with a parachute. She was the only lucky one, everyone else perished.
Kaylynn found herself stuck in Grater territory with nothing but her skills and a worn out pilots uniform to her name. She managed to find a town, and it was there she learned something that would change the course of her life forever. Kaylynn had planned to find her way out of the Grater's land and back the the Crown and her father's superiors. That was until she saw one of her father's superiors at the town marketplace. At first Kaylynn believed she'd somehow managed to make it out of Grater land, but as she listened it became clear the sergeant had come in instead. The more he spoke to the locals the more suspicious Kaylynn became, and when he admitted to tipping off the base to the arrival of her father's ship Kaylynn saw red.
She remembers very little about what happened that night, but the next morning the sergeant was dead, she was covered in blood, and she held a signed letter explaining that the Crown had set her father up to die. The sergeant had told her that people were losing faith in the Crown and the war, they didn't believe it was necessary anymore. The Crown decided they needed a way to make the people pay attention. Kaylynn's father was well known and well loved, his death would upset the world, sparking them into action, so the Crown arranged to have the Grater's kill him.
Kaylynn looks from the sky over the bow of her ship to the blood on her hands. They met a Crown ship tonight, thirty soldiers on board, now all dead. Yet it wasn't enough, it would never be enough. Kaylynn would tear about the Crown's forces piece by piece but she knew it would never be enough, not until she'd ripped the crown from the King's cold dead hands. He needed to pay for what he'd done, and he was going to. Kaylynn looked out of the bow of her ship again. The royal palace was peeking out just above the horizon, shining like a beacon, beckoning Kaylynn to come and test her mettle.
****************************
Until tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
BEDAugust 1
So I decided on a whim to do VEDA this month, and since I was going to do that already I figured why not throw BEDA in the mix as well. Obviously I didn't do so well at some of my past months, but those are in the past, and this month will be different. I plan to send live the old posts I have. I'll do some backlog on my Dungeons and Dragons journal, but everything else will just be a clean start from here on out.
Luckily for my even if I was to stick to my old schedule today is still plain blogging day. I'm not sure I have that much to discuss despite the fact I haven't written anything here in almost a month. I'm finally going to be moving into a three bedroom apartment. My fourth roomie arrives tomorrow night. Ascendio happened, it was awesome, and I'm proud. I floundered for awhile but have now got plenty of new projects to work on.
I got recruited for the Harry Potter Alliane (thehpalliance.org) and I'm excited to be working on projects for them. I'm sure there will be much more to share on that front in the near future. For now it's safe to say I'm working on a fascinating campaign and I'm very excited to see where this takes me. I was incredibly flattered to be asked to be a part of staff and even more flattered with what was said to entice me. Sometimes it's just nice to know people appreciate the effort you put into things. The group I'm working with is creative and inventive and I'm already have a ton of fun. It's going to keep me busy, and everyone knows I love nothing more than being busy.
I'm also starting to write a web series with my friend Ginger. I don't want to give too much away because I'm afraid I'll jinx the project if I talk about it. Let's just say it's an idea that has my creativity flowing like mad and I can't wait to see what becomes of it. Keep and eye out, big things are coming.
Really that's all that's changed in my life. I'm still working, I'm still interneting, I'm still not sleeping even half as much as I should. I'm considering doing more fiction writing, in fact if I can get gmail to work I'll look at the figment prompt and round this post out with some micro fiction. I lied, gmail won't load. We've been fighting the past couple of days, gmail is currently winning. Mostly because when gmail refuses to open there is nothing I can do except accept defeat. It will be fixed though, I have faith.
Until tomorrow.
Luckily for my even if I was to stick to my old schedule today is still plain blogging day. I'm not sure I have that much to discuss despite the fact I haven't written anything here in almost a month. I'm finally going to be moving into a three bedroom apartment. My fourth roomie arrives tomorrow night. Ascendio happened, it was awesome, and I'm proud. I floundered for awhile but have now got plenty of new projects to work on.
I got recruited for the Harry Potter Alliane (thehpalliance.org) and I'm excited to be working on projects for them. I'm sure there will be much more to share on that front in the near future. For now it's safe to say I'm working on a fascinating campaign and I'm very excited to see where this takes me. I was incredibly flattered to be asked to be a part of staff and even more flattered with what was said to entice me. Sometimes it's just nice to know people appreciate the effort you put into things. The group I'm working with is creative and inventive and I'm already have a ton of fun. It's going to keep me busy, and everyone knows I love nothing more than being busy.
I'm also starting to write a web series with my friend Ginger. I don't want to give too much away because I'm afraid I'll jinx the project if I talk about it. Let's just say it's an idea that has my creativity flowing like mad and I can't wait to see what becomes of it. Keep and eye out, big things are coming.
Really that's all that's changed in my life. I'm still working, I'm still interneting, I'm still not sleeping even half as much as I should. I'm considering doing more fiction writing, in fact if I can get gmail to work I'll look at the figment prompt and round this post out with some micro fiction. I lied, gmail won't load. We've been fighting the past couple of days, gmail is currently winning. Mostly because when gmail refuses to open there is nothing I can do except accept defeat. It will be fixed though, I have faith.
Until tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
July 4th
Today is the Fourth of July! It's funny to realize that, because it hasn't exactly felt like the Fourth of July. For most of my life the Fourth of July has been a huge pillar of my summer, the event to look forward to, the time when family comes to visit, a day full of friends, fun, and funnel cakes.
Until tomorrow.
Ever since I moved to Iowa the Fourth of July has actually begun just after dark on July third. My family, and whatever cousins or friends were visiting, would pile into the truck (and other vehicles as needed) and head out to a neighbor's farm. There we would begin the very Midwestern ritual of frog hunting. For those of you who don't come from a small farming town, frog hunting is exactly what it sounds like. We go in groups out to the local ponds, armed with flashlights, nets, and five gallon buckets, to catch ourselves some good jumping frogs. The art of frog hunting is 99% holding patiently still and 1% lightening fast frog grabbing action. The time tested procedure is a three man operation, and for us it was always the same. Man one is the catcher, this is the person with quick hands and steady legs. It's their job to wade into the water and wait for the frogs to surface. Man two is the lighting expert, this person needs to have steady hands and good eye sight. It's their job to spot the frogs and then shine the flashlight into the frogs eyes. This blinds the frogs temporarily, allowing the catcher a better chance of retrieving them. Man three is the bucket guard, this person needs to be strong and watchful. It's their job to carry the bucket full of pond water and frogs around the pond, open it for the catcher to deposit their frogs, and keep the already caught frogs from escaping. By the end of the night, which usually falls shortly after midnight so that we have ample time to wish everyone a "Happy Fourth of July!", we would have a bucket filled with frogs that we prayed would jump as well in the morning as they did when we tried to catch them that night.
Despite the late night out, the Fourth of July always began bright and early. The pancake breakfast started at 6am, but we usually didn't roll in until 7:30 or 8. Then it was off to register for the Firecracker Frog Jump, the reason for our night time escapades. The Frog Jump was always one of my favorite activities, and it was something wonderfully small town Iowa that I loved to share with visiting relatives. It involves place the frog you recently caught into a hula hoop in the center of the ring. Then, without touching the frog, you have to get it to jump twice. The judge then measures the distance from the center of the hoop to where your frog landed, and whichever frog jumped the farthest in each age category is declared the winner. Sounds simple enough, but I assure you that there is an art to it. You have to know which frog to pick, where to set them, and how to encourage them to make life risking long jumps. I won a few times over the years, but my family had a reputation for always bringing a winning outsider. It's often said that those who can't do teach, and I was apparently one hell of a teacher.
After the Frog Jump the day really began. The Quilt Show and Flower Show open, with their lovely displays, then it's time for the car, tractor, and engine show. Then there's the big wheels race and a Haystack Money Hunt for the younger kids (which is exactly what it sounds like, kids digging through haystacks for money). Then there's lunch at the Presbyterian church, which is always homemade and delicious. Once you've had your fill of delicious food it's time to find a spot on the sidewalk to watch the parade! Our parade always had a theme, and floats and cars and people came from all over Iowa to participate and see our parade. When I was little the parade meant crowding on the sidewalk and catching all the candy, or perhaps building a float or a costume to try and win one of the parade categories. For the last five years or so though, it has meant setting up a speaker system, collecting out of order cards, and announcing the parade. It's always a lot of work announcing the parade, but it's fun to be part of something like that.
Once the parade is over it's time to head over to the park. That's where they have carnival games, a petting zoo, carnival rides, carnival food, and of course plenty of places to buy glowsticks and poppers and all other manner of celebration paraphernalia. After you've had a good run around dinner is served at the school, complete with homemade pie and ice cream (which beats store bought by miles). Once you feel full to bursting the best part of the evening begins. Everyone grabs a lawn chair or a blanket and sets it out in the football field by the school. There's a DJ playing music, you buy buttons or tickets for raffle prizes, they give out the prizes which range from gas cards to a brand new outdoor grille, then just before dusk the skydivers jump down carrying the American Flag. But the true magic, the reason that people have gathered in my tiny town from all across the neighboring area, begins shortly after dark. That's when the little town I grew up in sets off the largest fireworks display in SE Iowa. Nothing compares to being just a few hundred feet away from where the fireworks are launched. Lying in the grass and looking straight up as they burst will always be one of my favorite things about summer.
Eventually the fireworks end, usually with a truly fantastic finale, and when the last spark goes out the night ends as well. The crowd swells with applause and then, almost as one, everyone stands, gathers their things, finds their cars, and goes home. It's funny that the day can build up so much and then just end like that. Knowing what my Fourth of July is usually like, you can see that one spent seeing a couple of movies and working at Universal may seem a little dull. I feel like I didn't actually celebrate the holiday, but I was thinking of my friends and family back home enjoying the small town celebration that I'm only just now realizing is a big deal. Happy Independence Day!
Until tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
July 3rd
Today there was no D&D game, which means that you get an interlude with Riley instead of a full out campaign journal.
*****************
"Get up! How do you expect to survive in the arena if you can't make it through one training session?" The half-orc loomed over me. I resisted the urge to smile up at him from where I was lying in the dirt. He thought he'd bested me, and I was perfectly happy to let him think that...for a few more seconds. He raised his mace high in the air and brought it crashing down, right where my head had been. I rolled to the side and sprang up quickly. I kicked out with my left foot and knocked the mace to the ground while bringing my clasped fists down hard on the half-orc's back, making sure he followed the mace to the dirt. In one practiced fluid motion I kicked the mace out of reach, flipped the hal-orc over, knelt on his chest, and brought the dagger I'd grabbed from my boot firmly to rest on his throat.
"I expect idiots like you to continue to underestimate me." I said, pressing the dagger into his neck. A slow clap echoed through the pit where we were fighting.
"Well played half-elf, I think you've proven yourself." The Duke walked into the pit, his red satin doublet and shiny boots out of place in the rust colored dirt that covered the arena and it's gladiators. I quickly removed the dagger from the half-orcs throat, slipping it into my boot as I stood. I took a step back and picked up my great axe from where it had fallen. Still keeping half of my attention on my enemy I faced the Duke. The Duke kicked at the half-orc, but I noted that he didn't allow his boots to come into contact with the creature. That simple gesture spoke volumes to me. I watched as the half-orc rolled to his feet and picked up his own mace. He stood at attention, ever the good little soldier.
"Few have ever bested Fargore, and certainly not a nobody who's never been in the arena. Where did you learn to fight like that?" I studied the Duke's face and considered my answer. Bet it would really bend his mind if I told him I learned from the Elven King's best knights, but I knew better than that.
"I've been to a lot of tournaments." I didn't elaborate, tell him that I competed in and won every tournament I'd even been to, that wasn't important. The Duke studied me in a way I'd become familiar with over the past few weeks. I'd fought in twelve pits since I arrived in Derishka, each one sponsored by a different noble, and each of them looked at me the same. I stood comfortably still, my great axe held casually but ready in my arms as he circled me. He lifted my hair, bits of my armor, the cloth of my shirt. He ran his hands over my calves, my shoulders, my arms. He squeezed my muscles and noted the daggers hidden in my boots, along my forearm, and strapped to my thigh. Like every noble before him he stopped when he reached the birthmark on my arm. He yanked down my bracer to see the brand clearly, tracing the shape with a finger. They all paused when they saw it, and up until now ever single one had then sent me away without a word. The Duke simply walked back a few paces and looked at me again. He held out a hand.
"Your axe." I almost laughed, almost. I don't know who he thought he was, but he had to realize there was no way I was handing over my weapon. I shook my head. His eyes hardened. "If you want me to sponsor you in the arena then I need to know the quality of your weapon. I will not have my gladiator fighting with an axe made for show and not battle." He indicated the gold inlay and scroll work on my blade. He didn't trust that I could fight with this weapon, but he would learn soon enough. I returned his cold stare.
In a smooth motion I shifted down into a crouch and pivoted to face the half-orc. I swung the great axe in a arc once, twice, thrice, and then returned to my original position. As I stopped moving the leather armor Fargore had been wearing fell in ribbons to his feet, leaving him standing naked in the pit. The Duke recovered quickly, but I saw his eyes widen for a moment.
"I'll keep my axe, thank you." There was a hard edge to my voice and I saw the Duke's pride bristle when he heard it. To his credit he managed to swallow that down, taking a hit to his pride for a gain to his coin purse.
"You're in the arena tomorrow. I'll get you my colors to wear. A servant will show you to your quarters." The Duke turned to leave and then looked back over his shoulder. "What shall we call you?"
"Battle Axe."
*****************
"Get up! How do you expect to survive in the arena if you can't make it through one training session?" The half-orc loomed over me. I resisted the urge to smile up at him from where I was lying in the dirt. He thought he'd bested me, and I was perfectly happy to let him think that...for a few more seconds. He raised his mace high in the air and brought it crashing down, right where my head had been. I rolled to the side and sprang up quickly. I kicked out with my left foot and knocked the mace to the ground while bringing my clasped fists down hard on the half-orc's back, making sure he followed the mace to the dirt. In one practiced fluid motion I kicked the mace out of reach, flipped the hal-orc over, knelt on his chest, and brought the dagger I'd grabbed from my boot firmly to rest on his throat.
"I expect idiots like you to continue to underestimate me." I said, pressing the dagger into his neck. A slow clap echoed through the pit where we were fighting.
"Well played half-elf, I think you've proven yourself." The Duke walked into the pit, his red satin doublet and shiny boots out of place in the rust colored dirt that covered the arena and it's gladiators. I quickly removed the dagger from the half-orcs throat, slipping it into my boot as I stood. I took a step back and picked up my great axe from where it had fallen. Still keeping half of my attention on my enemy I faced the Duke. The Duke kicked at the half-orc, but I noted that he didn't allow his boots to come into contact with the creature. That simple gesture spoke volumes to me. I watched as the half-orc rolled to his feet and picked up his own mace. He stood at attention, ever the good little soldier.
"Few have ever bested Fargore, and certainly not a nobody who's never been in the arena. Where did you learn to fight like that?" I studied the Duke's face and considered my answer. Bet it would really bend his mind if I told him I learned from the Elven King's best knights, but I knew better than that.
"I've been to a lot of tournaments." I didn't elaborate, tell him that I competed in and won every tournament I'd even been to, that wasn't important. The Duke studied me in a way I'd become familiar with over the past few weeks. I'd fought in twelve pits since I arrived in Derishka, each one sponsored by a different noble, and each of them looked at me the same. I stood comfortably still, my great axe held casually but ready in my arms as he circled me. He lifted my hair, bits of my armor, the cloth of my shirt. He ran his hands over my calves, my shoulders, my arms. He squeezed my muscles and noted the daggers hidden in my boots, along my forearm, and strapped to my thigh. Like every noble before him he stopped when he reached the birthmark on my arm. He yanked down my bracer to see the brand clearly, tracing the shape with a finger. They all paused when they saw it, and up until now ever single one had then sent me away without a word. The Duke simply walked back a few paces and looked at me again. He held out a hand.
"Your axe." I almost laughed, almost. I don't know who he thought he was, but he had to realize there was no way I was handing over my weapon. I shook my head. His eyes hardened. "If you want me to sponsor you in the arena then I need to know the quality of your weapon. I will not have my gladiator fighting with an axe made for show and not battle." He indicated the gold inlay and scroll work on my blade. He didn't trust that I could fight with this weapon, but he would learn soon enough. I returned his cold stare.
In a smooth motion I shifted down into a crouch and pivoted to face the half-orc. I swung the great axe in a arc once, twice, thrice, and then returned to my original position. As I stopped moving the leather armor Fargore had been wearing fell in ribbons to his feet, leaving him standing naked in the pit. The Duke recovered quickly, but I saw his eyes widen for a moment.
"I'll keep my axe, thank you." There was a hard edge to my voice and I saw the Duke's pride bristle when he heard it. To his credit he managed to swallow that down, taking a hit to his pride for a gain to his coin purse.
"You're in the arena tomorrow. I'll get you my colors to wear. A servant will show you to your quarters." The Duke turned to leave and then looked back over his shoulder. "What shall we call you?"
"Battle Axe."
Monday, July 2, 2012
July 2nd
Since yesterday was taking up by some flash fiction I decided to spend today going over June goals and July goals. Maybe I'll do some other discussions and talking and random chatting, one can never be sure with me can they? But, we'll start with goals.
June Goals
1) Write 750 words (check)
2) Post one video on each channel (just barely, check)
3) Save $200 (failure, but I'm not being too hard on myself, there was stuff)
4) Make one music video shot list (oops)
5) Figure out living situation (It was a bit rocky, but I've got a place now)
6) Read a book (A long fanfiction AND a choose your own adventure book)
7) Figure out Ascendio AV (all set and locked away)
8) Make everything ready for Ascendio (Everything I have to do is locked and loaded)
9) Spend less than $400 on credit card (hahahahahahaha, pipe dream)
10) Keep up with YouTube/Hulu/Magazines (check)
June total 7/10. Not too shabby, but some of those have been on there for months and I really ought to be a little farther along I think. Of course the month is over so there's no use beating myself up about any of it now. Gotta move on to bigger and better and more exciting things.
July Goals
1) Post one video on each channel
2) Write 750 words a day
3) Completely set up my living space (have NOTHING boxed)
4) Vacuum at least once every other week
5) Spend less than $500 on credit card and save $200
6) Figure out costume for Celebration VI
7) Post one piece of writing on Figment for public consumption
8) Shot list two music videos
9) Shoot Fall In Love Tonight Video
10) Write out story arc for Heroes and Sidekicks Institute
I also want to mention something else that's going to change for July. Since I got involved in Figment (like a week ago), I discovered they do something called Daily Themes, these are basically writing prompts that get your creativity flowing. I'm not going to use all of them, but when I find on that strikes my interest I'll use it that day. That means that little snippets of fiction might invade my other daily post themes. Generally I'll be sticking to the schedule we've come to know and love, but I just wanted to prepare you for the possibility of changes.
Now that the business stuff is out of the way I want to talk a little bit about my life, which is my right on the lovely Miscellaneous Mondays. Getting a new apartment in July has been a bit of an adventure (that's putting it nicely), and the place and time and people have flipped and flopped, but now we're finally settled. Well, at least I hope we are because I paid them money and I don't want that to be for nothing. We're still moving to a three bedroom, my friend Amber is still moving in with us, it's just the time of the move and the place we're moving to that's changing. Now we're moving to a closer building, to the second floor, and not until July 15th. This is a bit of a bummer cause it's sorta during Ascendio, but I'm dealing with it. I'm sure I'll be plenty happy once we actually move, but getting there is a bit frustrating.
Lena arrives tomorrow, and I'm incredibly excited! I'd hoped to have a new place and a room for her, but I think we'll be fine the way things are. I've missed her and I can't wait to have her hanging around. It's a bit of a bummer that I'll be spending most (if not all) of my not at Ascendio time working like a crazy person, but that's the price to be paid. Lena's graciously agreed to help me with a couple of short silly projects, so hopefully YouTube will see the fruits of that labor sometime this month. Lena also has a lot on her plate so I imagine that most of our crazy adventures will be post Ascendio. I'm cool with that though, cause honestly I don't have enough time in my life to do anything before Ascendio.
I feel that I should mention something else that I know you're probably sick of hearing, but since I'll never get sick of telling it, I LOVE MY JOB! The simple truth is that, while I may not get paid much, I can survive on what I get paid, I enjoy what I do, and I adore the people I work with. That's right, I actually enjoy people coming and complaining to me. I like it when people come in pissed and leave smiling, I like that I made them that way, and I'm utterly fascinated by what people complain about. I could spend my entire life just watching people and studying the way they react to things. I never get tired of it. Plus, and this is the best part, I learn a lot of names. Everyone who's been around when I write knows I hate naming characters, so I've been stocking up on the interesting names I hear at work. Mixing and matching first and last names, and mentioning to guests that I like their names and might use it for a character. I swear I'll have dedicate all my books to Guests At Universal Orlando. Life is good.
Until tomorrow.
June Goals
1) Write 750 words (check)
2) Post one video on each channel (just barely, check)
3) Save $200 (failure, but I'm not being too hard on myself, there was stuff)
4) Make one music video shot list (oops)
5) Figure out living situation (It was a bit rocky, but I've got a place now)
6) Read a book (A long fanfiction AND a choose your own adventure book)
7) Figure out Ascendio AV (all set and locked away)
8) Make everything ready for Ascendio (Everything I have to do is locked and loaded)
9) Spend less than $400 on credit card (hahahahahahaha, pipe dream)
10) Keep up with YouTube/Hulu/Magazines (check)
June total 7/10. Not too shabby, but some of those have been on there for months and I really ought to be a little farther along I think. Of course the month is over so there's no use beating myself up about any of it now. Gotta move on to bigger and better and more exciting things.
July Goals
1) Post one video on each channel
2) Write 750 words a day
3) Completely set up my living space (have NOTHING boxed)
4) Vacuum at least once every other week
5) Spend less than $500 on credit card and save $200
6) Figure out costume for Celebration VI
7) Post one piece of writing on Figment for public consumption
8) Shot list two music videos
9) Shoot Fall In Love Tonight Video
10) Write out story arc for Heroes and Sidekicks Institute
I also want to mention something else that's going to change for July. Since I got involved in Figment (like a week ago), I discovered they do something called Daily Themes, these are basically writing prompts that get your creativity flowing. I'm not going to use all of them, but when I find on that strikes my interest I'll use it that day. That means that little snippets of fiction might invade my other daily post themes. Generally I'll be sticking to the schedule we've come to know and love, but I just wanted to prepare you for the possibility of changes.
Now that the business stuff is out of the way I want to talk a little bit about my life, which is my right on the lovely Miscellaneous Mondays. Getting a new apartment in July has been a bit of an adventure (that's putting it nicely), and the place and time and people have flipped and flopped, but now we're finally settled. Well, at least I hope we are because I paid them money and I don't want that to be for nothing. We're still moving to a three bedroom, my friend Amber is still moving in with us, it's just the time of the move and the place we're moving to that's changing. Now we're moving to a closer building, to the second floor, and not until July 15th. This is a bit of a bummer cause it's sorta during Ascendio, but I'm dealing with it. I'm sure I'll be plenty happy once we actually move, but getting there is a bit frustrating.
Lena arrives tomorrow, and I'm incredibly excited! I'd hoped to have a new place and a room for her, but I think we'll be fine the way things are. I've missed her and I can't wait to have her hanging around. It's a bit of a bummer that I'll be spending most (if not all) of my not at Ascendio time working like a crazy person, but that's the price to be paid. Lena's graciously agreed to help me with a couple of short silly projects, so hopefully YouTube will see the fruits of that labor sometime this month. Lena also has a lot on her plate so I imagine that most of our crazy adventures will be post Ascendio. I'm cool with that though, cause honestly I don't have enough time in my life to do anything before Ascendio.
I feel that I should mention something else that I know you're probably sick of hearing, but since I'll never get sick of telling it, I LOVE MY JOB! The simple truth is that, while I may not get paid much, I can survive on what I get paid, I enjoy what I do, and I adore the people I work with. That's right, I actually enjoy people coming and complaining to me. I like it when people come in pissed and leave smiling, I like that I made them that way, and I'm utterly fascinated by what people complain about. I could spend my entire life just watching people and studying the way they react to things. I never get tired of it. Plus, and this is the best part, I learn a lot of names. Everyone who's been around when I write knows I hate naming characters, so I've been stocking up on the interesting names I hear at work. Mixing and matching first and last names, and mentioning to guests that I like their names and might use it for a character. I swear I'll have dedicate all my books to Guests At Universal Orlando. Life is good.
Until tomorrow.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
July 1st
Go, enjoy your summer break, let loose, nothing
can go wrong. That's the last time I listen to Ashley about anything.
Which is not to say I haven't enjoyed this last two weeks, I have, who
wouldn't enjoy two weeks in the sun, at a luxury resort, with roller
coasters minutes from your bed, but nothing can go wrong? I beg to
differ.
It started out glorious, I was so happy to get away from college and my parent's divorce, and just have some time to myself. I couldn't thank Kade enough for inviting me along when his sister bailed on their summer trip. He knew what I was going through, we've been friends for ages, and he thought a trip to Florida was just what I needed. We arrived at a swanky hotel, got adjoining rooms with queen beds and jacuzzi bathtubs. I spent that first night just wandering the resort taking in the three pools, spa, restaurants, and beautiful gardens and gazebos. It was in one of those gardens that I first ran into Jackson. He was lounging on a bench reading a book, and I'll admit I admired him from afar for quite awhile before building up the courage to speak. He was sexy, in a very nerdy way, with thick brown hair, square glasses, a tall lanky frame, and a shirt that read "Keep Calm and Don't Blink", and I was smitten. Eventually I made my way to stand over his bench.
"What are you reading?" I tried to sound casual, but I could feel my hands shaking. He looked up from the pages and I saw his bright blue eyes for the first time. I tried to remember to breath.
"Nothing much, it's a choose your own adventure book about the zombie apocalypse." He slipped in a piece of paper and held the book out to me. I flipped through the pages, trying to keep my hands still, and noticed the post-it tabs marking each ending.
"I do that too," I said without thinking, "mark all the endings so I know I don't miss any." Then my mind caught up with my mouth and I clamped it shut, what was I thinking talking to this strange boy I'd only just met. He didn't seem to notice, just nodded and took the book back when I offered. He studied me for a long moment and I was painfully aware that I was sweaty from running around and hadn't brushed my hair after the eight hour car ride. I resisted the urge to pull the tangles with my fingers, not wanting to draw more attention to my disheveled appearance.
"I'm just getting ready to start at the beginning again." He sat up as he spoke. "Want to help me survive the zombie apocalypse?" I must have given some reply, but I honestly don't remember. What I do remember is suddenly realizing it was getting too dark to read and that I had somehow ended up snuggled into the boy's side. We died for what must have been the dozenth time, and he closed the book. "It's too dark to read now, guess I'll have to save the zombie killing for another day."
I sat up straight and looked everywhere but at him. I couldn't believe I'd spent hours with a stranger, snuggled up to him even, and I didn't even know his name. "Well, that was fun," I said, still avoiding his eyes. "It was nice meeting you." I turned and walked quickly back towards my room, but a hand on my arm stopped me. I turned to look at his face.
"Hey, I just realized I didn't get your name, I'm Jackson." His voice was calm and cool, like he snuggled with strange girls every night, for all I knew he probably did. When he got back to his friends I'd be nothing but Sunday July 1st, another notch in his snuggling with strangers belt. I realized I was staring and shook my head.
"My name's Taryn." I managed, and then I turned and walked away. I waited until I was sure he could no longer see me and I sprinted back to my hotel room. I collapsed into bed, but even my dreams were invaded by a pair of bright blue eyes and zombies.
"You were out late last night." Kade commented as we walked to the park the next day. I felt my face flush and turned away.
"I got caught up reading in one of the gardens." Alright, so it wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't exactly a lie either.
"That's good, I'm glad to see you relaxing instead of worrying." Kade gave me one of his wide smiles and lead the way through the turnstiles.
I hadn't been to a theme park in almost five years, not since my parents started fighting and family vacations ceased to exist. I was thrilled to be riding roller coasters and eating funnel cakes and corn dogs. Kade worked hard to make things fun, buying me silly souvenirs and joshing me into riding the kids rides and seeing the shows. I raced around as excited as any of the little children, laughing and smiling and delighting in every little thing. I happily went along when Kade grabbed my hand to pull me towards yet another ride, and when he didn't let go all the way through the line or even during the twists and turns of the coaster, I didn't give it a second thought. I was so happy to be having fun without my parents fighting or school stress weighing down my mind that I didn't even notice when he went from holding my hand to holding my waist. I was still riding the oblivious high when we sat down for dinner and Kade placed our haul in one bench and scooted in to sit next to me while we ate.
I finally noticed when we got back to the hotel and collapsed side my side on my bed. I noticed Kade was tracing patterns up and down my arm and it was like I suddenly awoke from a dream. This was Kade, my best friend, the boy who used to let me paint his nails and put lipstick on his face, my partner in crime when someone needed to be taught a lesson, the one who listened to all my boy troubles and offered sound advice in every situation. This was not the person I had a summer fling with. Not the person I ruined a friendship with for a pointless make out session. I bounced up from the bed.
"Well, I'd say we had a pretty full day. I'm gonna take a walk and then head to bed. Thanks for all the fun. Night, Kade." I spoke in a rush and left before Kade could even begin to protest. I wandered out across the resort gardens, needing to clear my head. It wasn't that Kade was unattractive, and his hand had certainly felt nice in mine, but I didn't have the best track record when it came to relationships, and I didn't want to add Kade to that list. I tried to convince myself that he was only being friendly, having fun, but I knew that was a lie. I sat down on the grass trying to think of a way out of this whole mess.
"Taryn, fancy meeting you here. Up for another round of zombie fighting?" Jackson's shadow appeared in the grass at my feet. Well, I'd already made a mess of this day, might as well go the whole nine yards.
"Sure, escaping into fiction sounds like a blast." I muttered. If Jackson heard what I said he made no comment, just settled on the grass next to me and pulled out the book. I forced Kade out of my mind as I focused on the best way to kill a zombie with a Nintendo 64. Soon enough Jackson and I were lying on the grass side by side and I was reaching over his arm to point out a particularly important sentence. When he placed his hand on mine I didn't shrug away and I found myself leaning in to his touch as he brushed my hair behind my ear when it fell onto the pages. When the light faded neither of us made a move to leave. We turned to our backs and he held my hand and we watched the sky as we talked. We talked about my parents' divorce, his father pressuring him to be a lawyer, my worries about school, his parents shipping him off to this resort and that hotel every summer because they were too busy to spend time with him, our shared love for Doctor Who and zombie books. Talking to Jackson was easy and no subject was off the table. Hours passed and yet still neither of us stopped talking. Then at some point Jackson was leaning over me, the moon shining a halo around his head, and then he was kissing me, and I was kissing him back.
Kissing Jackson was just as easy as talking to him. There were no worries, no guilt eating away at my stomach, just a happy little warmth in my gut. His lips were warm against mine and I closed my eyes, savoring the sensation. He came up for breath, but I didn't let that last long before I curled my fingers in his hair and pulled him back down.
"Taryn?" Kade's voice hit me like ice water and Jackson rolled away as I sprung up. I didn't know how long Kade had been standing there, but a look at his face told me it'd been long enough. I opened my mouth, not sure what I was going to say, but I never got the chance. Kade turned and ran.
"Well shit."
It started out glorious, I was so happy to get away from college and my parent's divorce, and just have some time to myself. I couldn't thank Kade enough for inviting me along when his sister bailed on their summer trip. He knew what I was going through, we've been friends for ages, and he thought a trip to Florida was just what I needed. We arrived at a swanky hotel, got adjoining rooms with queen beds and jacuzzi bathtubs. I spent that first night just wandering the resort taking in the three pools, spa, restaurants, and beautiful gardens and gazebos. It was in one of those gardens that I first ran into Jackson. He was lounging on a bench reading a book, and I'll admit I admired him from afar for quite awhile before building up the courage to speak. He was sexy, in a very nerdy way, with thick brown hair, square glasses, a tall lanky frame, and a shirt that read "Keep Calm and Don't Blink", and I was smitten. Eventually I made my way to stand over his bench.
"What are you reading?" I tried to sound casual, but I could feel my hands shaking. He looked up from the pages and I saw his bright blue eyes for the first time. I tried to remember to breath.
"Nothing much, it's a choose your own adventure book about the zombie apocalypse." He slipped in a piece of paper and held the book out to me. I flipped through the pages, trying to keep my hands still, and noticed the post-it tabs marking each ending.
"I do that too," I said without thinking, "mark all the endings so I know I don't miss any." Then my mind caught up with my mouth and I clamped it shut, what was I thinking talking to this strange boy I'd only just met. He didn't seem to notice, just nodded and took the book back when I offered. He studied me for a long moment and I was painfully aware that I was sweaty from running around and hadn't brushed my hair after the eight hour car ride. I resisted the urge to pull the tangles with my fingers, not wanting to draw more attention to my disheveled appearance.
"I'm just getting ready to start at the beginning again." He sat up as he spoke. "Want to help me survive the zombie apocalypse?" I must have given some reply, but I honestly don't remember. What I do remember is suddenly realizing it was getting too dark to read and that I had somehow ended up snuggled into the boy's side. We died for what must have been the dozenth time, and he closed the book. "It's too dark to read now, guess I'll have to save the zombie killing for another day."
I sat up straight and looked everywhere but at him. I couldn't believe I'd spent hours with a stranger, snuggled up to him even, and I didn't even know his name. "Well, that was fun," I said, still avoiding his eyes. "It was nice meeting you." I turned and walked quickly back towards my room, but a hand on my arm stopped me. I turned to look at his face.
"Hey, I just realized I didn't get your name, I'm Jackson." His voice was calm and cool, like he snuggled with strange girls every night, for all I knew he probably did. When he got back to his friends I'd be nothing but Sunday July 1st, another notch in his snuggling with strangers belt. I realized I was staring and shook my head.
"My name's Taryn." I managed, and then I turned and walked away. I waited until I was sure he could no longer see me and I sprinted back to my hotel room. I collapsed into bed, but even my dreams were invaded by a pair of bright blue eyes and zombies.
"You were out late last night." Kade commented as we walked to the park the next day. I felt my face flush and turned away.
"I got caught up reading in one of the gardens." Alright, so it wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't exactly a lie either.
"That's good, I'm glad to see you relaxing instead of worrying." Kade gave me one of his wide smiles and lead the way through the turnstiles.
I hadn't been to a theme park in almost five years, not since my parents started fighting and family vacations ceased to exist. I was thrilled to be riding roller coasters and eating funnel cakes and corn dogs. Kade worked hard to make things fun, buying me silly souvenirs and joshing me into riding the kids rides and seeing the shows. I raced around as excited as any of the little children, laughing and smiling and delighting in every little thing. I happily went along when Kade grabbed my hand to pull me towards yet another ride, and when he didn't let go all the way through the line or even during the twists and turns of the coaster, I didn't give it a second thought. I was so happy to be having fun without my parents fighting or school stress weighing down my mind that I didn't even notice when he went from holding my hand to holding my waist. I was still riding the oblivious high when we sat down for dinner and Kade placed our haul in one bench and scooted in to sit next to me while we ate.
I finally noticed when we got back to the hotel and collapsed side my side on my bed. I noticed Kade was tracing patterns up and down my arm and it was like I suddenly awoke from a dream. This was Kade, my best friend, the boy who used to let me paint his nails and put lipstick on his face, my partner in crime when someone needed to be taught a lesson, the one who listened to all my boy troubles and offered sound advice in every situation. This was not the person I had a summer fling with. Not the person I ruined a friendship with for a pointless make out session. I bounced up from the bed.
"Well, I'd say we had a pretty full day. I'm gonna take a walk and then head to bed. Thanks for all the fun. Night, Kade." I spoke in a rush and left before Kade could even begin to protest. I wandered out across the resort gardens, needing to clear my head. It wasn't that Kade was unattractive, and his hand had certainly felt nice in mine, but I didn't have the best track record when it came to relationships, and I didn't want to add Kade to that list. I tried to convince myself that he was only being friendly, having fun, but I knew that was a lie. I sat down on the grass trying to think of a way out of this whole mess.
"Taryn, fancy meeting you here. Up for another round of zombie fighting?" Jackson's shadow appeared in the grass at my feet. Well, I'd already made a mess of this day, might as well go the whole nine yards.
"Sure, escaping into fiction sounds like a blast." I muttered. If Jackson heard what I said he made no comment, just settled on the grass next to me and pulled out the book. I forced Kade out of my mind as I focused on the best way to kill a zombie with a Nintendo 64. Soon enough Jackson and I were lying on the grass side by side and I was reaching over his arm to point out a particularly important sentence. When he placed his hand on mine I didn't shrug away and I found myself leaning in to his touch as he brushed my hair behind my ear when it fell onto the pages. When the light faded neither of us made a move to leave. We turned to our backs and he held my hand and we watched the sky as we talked. We talked about my parents' divorce, his father pressuring him to be a lawyer, my worries about school, his parents shipping him off to this resort and that hotel every summer because they were too busy to spend time with him, our shared love for Doctor Who and zombie books. Talking to Jackson was easy and no subject was off the table. Hours passed and yet still neither of us stopped talking. Then at some point Jackson was leaning over me, the moon shining a halo around his head, and then he was kissing me, and I was kissing him back.
Kissing Jackson was just as easy as talking to him. There were no worries, no guilt eating away at my stomach, just a happy little warmth in my gut. His lips were warm against mine and I closed my eyes, savoring the sensation. He came up for breath, but I didn't let that last long before I curled my fingers in his hair and pulled him back down.
"Taryn?" Kade's voice hit me like ice water and Jackson rolled away as I sprung up. I didn't know how long Kade had been standing there, but a look at his face told me it'd been long enough. I opened my mouth, not sure what I was going to say, but I never got the chance. Kade turned and ran.
"Well shit."
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