DotCom

Never Lose Your Hat!

Ivy didn't hear anything before Jötz reluctant acquiescence but, "No, you are stupid and wrong and also your mother is a goat," and nothing after but, "I'm sorry, you were right, I was wrong."

Having turned the necessary corner between the murderous rage that had been blossoming inside her -- her mother was most certainly not a goat! -- she grinned ear to ear and began to hum to herself as she skipped back to the sight they'd carved out with her lovely miniature devices. This was turning out to be a grand night, after all. Fire, firefights, bombs, and winning. Ivy loved winning.

Jötz long-legged and unhurried stride put him back in their little hovel just a few seconds before Ivy, and she brusquely shoved him aside to clamber up the charred remainders of the tree to peer over the charred remainders of the wall. Lots of charring here. Wonderful stuff, char.

The giant blue toads had retreated somewhat, gathered, it would seem, around whatever maybe-or-maybe-not fallen adversary they had been reliant upon to save them. They none of them seemed to take notice or interest in the dark-haired girl with a manic smile as she scooted down the length of the tree's thickest limb, apron wrapped around her waist, her hands black with soot.

Ivy was still singing softly to herself, tuneless, syncopated numbers, on and on, gleeful as a child in a meadow. It was a few moments before she was in a position where she was able to see what exactly had been giant-croaking at them, and what sorts of damage her little explosives had done.

It turned out...not much.

Ivy squinted through the dark for a moment, growing quickly frustrated when her eyes didn't adjust fast enough for her to make out what exactly she was looking at. She'd have to fix that later.

For now, though, she stared through the darkness at the earth writhing with blue bodies, gouts of green and red and yellow splashed here and there from blood, guts, and worse.

At the center of a mass, there was a lump mound that gleamed slightly in the scant moonlight, roughly the size of a large steer. There was a horrendous smell rising up off the mound. Ivy sniffed, gagged, then grinned, leaning further out over her branch.

A number of things happened very quickly then.

The mound gave a croak that breached even Ivy's muffled hearing, simultaneously causing the ground to tremble just enough to cause a cascade of stones to tumble from the wall below her. This, in and of itself was fortunate for two reasons: some of those falling stones crushed and/or trapped the smaller toads still circling their queen, or whatever it was. It also created something of a sand trap between the interior of the walls, and the horde of toads themselves.

This last part was fortunate because at that precise moment, the burnt and eviscerated trunk of the tree decided to give under Ivy's precarious weight. The thing screamed and groaned and tipped, directly into the toad-swarm, dumping Ivy none too gently upon the pile of rubble.

The fallen wall had cast some light upon the toad-monster. Ivy stared in mild interested at its burnt and blistered skin. Then she turned to Jötz.

"Well, they weren't useless. That'll cause some mild irritation, at the very least. The very, very least."

Then she cringed as the thing bellowed in her ear before leaping to her feet.

"Okay, c'mon, time to run again!"

Pieces of 8: Bones of the North

Adam is my actual favorite. Part of me is resentful, because *I* want to be that unintentionally hilarious in day-to-day life. The rest of me is just appreciative. I'll probably post up tonight in response to these wonderful, beautiful things, from you wonderful, beautiful people.

Pieces of 8: Bones of the North

And I'm just waiting for this guy. ^ And putting in a notice that I may be scarce in the later parts of this week. Until Friday, when I am taking off work, goddammit.

Animorphs

"Hey, guys!" Max blurted enthusiastically to everyone and no one all at once. Bradbury was a small town. Even Max knew that. In fact, if you took more than three steps out your front door, and didn't see someone you know, you are probably alright to act surprised, or even concerned, because the Rapture had probably just happened. Still, Max could never get over the thrill of running into friends from school. Grocery shopping, dropping off the twins at daycare, at her gym, wherever. It was exciting! Imagine, just going about your day, doing boring chore stuff, and then -- bam! -- there was someone to talk to! Someone you maybe hadn't seen in a couple hours, and then you had hours' worth of stuff to discuss! Max thrived on small talk. Which wasn't to say she wasn't capable of deeper conversation. For all her erratic tendencies, she was a good friend, with a proverbial heart of gold and loyalty bordering on innate altruism.

But Bradbury didn't offer much of a chance to show that. Bradbury students even less so.

Fortunately, max was far too idealistic to take it personally.

Unfortunately, it also meant she wasn't very good at taking a hint. So, when she herded her 'friends' from school into one tight little group, it was with blissful ignorance that she all but vibrated there between them. She still had her phone in hand, ready and waiting for that emergency call. But she knew her mother would be alright if she was a few minutes late getting home. She was always telling Max to get out of the house, anyway.

Usually after she'd broken something playing with the twins.

"Hi!" she said again, grinning around at somewhat bright and enthusiastic faces...because no one else had said anything yet.

"Are you guys here just hanging out? I'm looking for stuff for my brothers' birthday next week, but I could find anything so I got a pretzel instead. And some ice cream. And cookies. Not for them, for me. But then I was thinking I'd look at some video games, Mom said she was saving up for a Wii, and if we get more than one controller, they can both play, so probably something loud. They like loud."

She trailed off only when she'd run out of breath, and then tried to wait patiently for someone else to pick up the conversation. Then she forgot about waiting patiently, and started talking again.

"Hey, do you guys play video games? What are your favorite ones? My brothers are only turning five, so it hasta be kinda easy, and nothing with, like, blood, Mom would hate that. The violence, not the blood, she doesn't mind blood, she's a nurse." Another beat. "SO, what are you guys all doing here? Did you come here together? Is it a surprise? Or a secret? That's okay, you don't have to tell me, I don't mind."

Animorphs

Aaaaand ball's in Dot's court. I'll have a reply up tonight if not tomorrow morning. =)

Pieces of 8: Bones of the North

He was thanking yours, andastra, though he mentioned both. =) Daisy is the bratty one. Which is just sort of a rule of thumb.

Pieces of 8: Bones of the North

Mm...yeah, I feel like I missed something. Did we decide everyone actually *had* focused attacks on the now-destroyed Anubi? I thought there was confusion on that point. Or was it just Dot confused? Because that is entirely possible.

Animorphs

@Dedonus -- I prefer a little head's up in the future, but it's no biggie. =) Great post! Anyone else up?

Pieces of 8: Bones of the North

Oh this is delightful. But this hysteria could also be work-induced delirium. If I never see the words "fundraising" ever again, it will be too soon.

Pieces of 8: Bones of the North

I was gonna go to bed early, too. But that was too incredible an opportunity to pass up.