DJAtomika

Welcome to Santa Somabra [Fantasy Noir]

"We got more incoming, Andy! Big ones too!"

The two huge wolves leapt down from the rooftops and immediately began chasing us. They were bigger 'n faster than I'd ever seen! The two of 'em shouldered aside other wolves that were chasin' us and one of 'em leapt up onto the van. I felt the damn thing rear up on its back wheels before coming back down!

Fuckin' A we were in trouble now!

"Andy! Next right!"

Wordlessly he complied. The sudden swerve of the van made the big wolf jerk to one side, but he stayed put. I got out of the window and leveled my shotgun at him.

"Didn't ya hear, ya dumb sonuvabitch?! No dogs allowed!"

I squeezed the trigger and the shotgun bucked. It spat silver buckshot straight at the wolf, makin' it howl in pain as it released the van and tumbled right off, falling behind its brother as we left it in the dust. In the distance I saw it stand back up, clawin' uselessly at its face, and smirked.

Silver was a bitch, ain't it lil' doggie?

The van shook. The other wolf had latched onto the back and was in the process of tearin' the back doors to pieces. I got back into the van and turned around just as the big thing got into the back, howling and roarin' as its claws tore into the back paneling. I heard Andy yelp as he swove to avoid a wolf in the street, his eyes glued to the road. He gave me a glance as the wolf behind us howled again.

"Kiddo please tell me that's not a werewolf in the back of the god damn van."

I saw the panic in his eyes.

Had ta do somethin'.

"It's not, Andy. Take another left, then head to the end of the street. It's a cul de sac. We'll fight 'em there."

Quietly he nodded and swerved round the next corner. The wolf behind us slammed against the side of the van with a confused yelp, which was when I leveled my shotgun at the back panel.

"Might wanna cover ya ears, Andy. This is gonna get loud."

"Don't you dare you motherfu-"

I pulled the trigger and racked the slide again and again and again. The gun roared and bucked as silver pellets tore through the thin metal paneling and into our uninvited guest. The thing was big enough to occupy the whole back cabin, thank fuck, and it yowled in pain and staggered backwards, teetering on the edge of the van.

"Dumbass! Ow! Mother fuck! Jesus christ!"

I grinned and peered through the holes in the back panel. Oh it was bleedin', it was bleedin' all over the place!

But it snarled and glared at me in return.

Oh it was pissed too. Excellent!

"Kiddo we're reachin' the end 'a the street, what now?!"

"Jam the brakes, Andy!"

"The fuck?!"

"Floor it to the end! Then jam the brakes! I'm gonna end this motherfucker that's in the back!"

He grimaced and nodded. His foot jammed the gas pedal to the floor and we jolted forward as he sped up. The wolf in the back grabbed onto the sides with his claws, roaring as he hauled himself forward steadily.

A moment passed. Then two.

I turned around in my chair and braced myself against the dash.

Andy jammed the brakes.

The wolf shot forward and slammed into the back panel. I saw its face press up against the glass window.

That's where I put my shotgun.

"Adios amigo!"

I squeezed the trigger and the shotgun roared. Glass shattered as the full shell tore through its head, splattering it all over the inside of the truck as its roaring stopped instantly.

We were at a stop now. The wolf corpse slid to the floor as I racked the slide of my shotgun.

Empty.

Behind us I could hear howls.

With my free hand I started jamming shells into the shotgun while kicking the door open.

"Andy!"

He was already out and by my side, pulling the door open to help me step out. His Typewriter was in his hands, cocked and loaded. I got out as I finished loading my shotgun, and I racked the slide as I turned to face the entrace to the cul de sac.

This street was an old neighbourhood. There were apartment blocks all around us, but the cul de sac had a little park and a playground for the kids that I knew attended a preschool just a block down.

After all, I'd lived here once.

"You okay, Andy?"

He looked at me and scowled.

"You are a fuckin' maniac, y'know that Kiddo?"

"So are you for followin' me, Andy."

He sighed and straightened his hat. I drew my coat around myself as he faced the street.

"So, what now?"

I looked at him and grinned.

"Remember the Alamo?"

He groaned and shook his head.

"Aw fuck you, Kiddo. Fuck you!"

"Ah don't worry 'bout it, Andy! We've faced worse!"

"Since when?!"

"Since now."

---

I gaped as I listened to Kiddo. What the fuck?!

"Since now?!? Kiddo what the flyin' fuck?! Are we fuckin' wingin' this?!"

He looked at me with that maniacal grin again.

"Yep."

"I- Bu- How the fuck can you be so calm?!"

"Hey, that's not the Andy DiMaggio I know. Who the fuck are you and what've you done with Andy, eh? Hehe."

He chuckled and I sighed and shook my head. Same old Kiddo. Never did know if he was ever bein' serious about anythin'.

"Well, at least we're armed to the teeth, Kiddo. Got that goin' fer us."

"Yep."

I glanced at him.

"So, how we gonna do this? There's at least eight of 'em back there, and one of 'em's real pissed that you shot it in the face. And he's a big motherfucker."

He shifted a little, gripped his shotgun tighter.

"Well I figure that big guy's already injured, he's not gonna be that bad a fight. We put him down first. The other, smaller ones, we take care of nice 'n slow. One by one. We focus fire, they'll start droppin' like flies."

"Yeah but then how are we gonna get outta here once we're done? How are we supposed to know all the assholes here are dead?"

He returned my glance.

"When no more of 'em show up. Then we'll know."

"So fight til the last, huh? Fuck me, man. I really wish we had more help."

"We do."

I cocked a brow and looked at him.

"Really? Since when?"

He grinned and nodded behind him.

"Take a gander."

I looked behind us and saw three red lights peerin' out of the darkness, just inside the playground. I squinted.

No...couldn't be.

One of the lights flashed me in the eyes and I saw a hand wave.

"Are those...?"

"Yep."

"Since when-"

"The restaurant. I wasn't just gettin' food back there, Andy."

One of the red lights grew bigger as the figure approached us, and the man flipped up his goggles as the familiar face grinned at me.

"Yeah, Kiddo called us a while ago. Told us to get set up here with some good gear, prepare for a big fight."

I looked at Hurk, then back at Kiddo.

In-fuckin'-credible.

"Do you have a plan for everythin', Kiddo?"

He smiled and tipped his hat.

"Almost everythin', Andy. You should know me by now. I'm hurt that you don't!"

I shook my head and smiled.

"Fuck you, dumbass."

Just then, howls echoed across the rooftops and buildings. Hurk pulled his goggles back down and nodded.

"We got your backs. After that shit down at the power station, this ain't nothing."

I nodded back and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Nice ta have ya again. Sorry for the trouble."

The soldier gave me a thumbs up.

"Hey, no problem, Andy. You saved my life back there. Least I can do is return the favour."

"Thanks."

He left and I lowered my hat, turning back to face the street as the footfalls of the wolves echoed up towards us. Next to me, Kiddo shouldered his shotgun and grinned.

"Ready ta fight for our lives, Andy?"

I sighed and readied my Typewriter.

"You bet your fuckin' britches I am. Let's give these fuzzy fucks a warm Santa Somabra welcome."

Midnighters: The Blue World [Two Spots Open]

5:45 AM
Rob

With a yawn, Rob slapped his alarm clock to stop it from screaming at him. Yesterday night had been rough. Nothing to do in the Secret Hour, but even before that he'd had been rushing another late assignment on his laptop.

Stupid physics. Why did it have to involve so many numbers?!

He threw the covers off of himself and rose, shuffling to the kitchen to make himself a drink. A few minutes later, a mug of coffee in his hands, he dressed in shorts and a plain shirt, pulling on his running shoes as he gazed out of his room window. The sun wasn't even up, but it was getting there. Twilight lit the streets even as the lamps tore through the dark with their bright, orange glow.

This was his secret hour. No Blue Time, nothing else stupid and fantastical. Just him, his music, and the road.

He finished his coffee and strapped his iPod to his arm, plugging himself in as he got out of the door for his morning run, a routine he'd gotten himself into for two years and counting. The exercise had kept his legs toned and his body lean, a good counter against the absolutely horrid school lunches that he had to eat every day. With a few stretches, he left the house and began his run.

---

6:40 AM

Rob toweled the water from his hair as he sat on his bed. Fresh from the shower, he had fifteen minutes to get to school before the morning bell rang. Fifteen friggin' minutes and he had to change and pack and rush and oh god why was he still sitting around.

A weary sigh escaped his lips as he scrambled around the room, grabbing his laptop, lecture pad, pencil case, stuff and more school stuff and shoved them haphazardly into his messenger bag. He dressed in his jeans, the knees tattered but intact, a black shirt and sneakers, and left the house at a brisk walk.

His pace got him to school just before the bell rang. A smile grew on his face as he jogged up the steps and moved to his first class, a smile that stayed until he remembered what that class was.

Physics.

Ah crap.

Allaria Ch. 4: Rescue and Escape

With a polite shake of his head and a raised, beefy hand, Argrom declined the invitation to sit. The chairs were all too small for him anyway, so he opted to stand just inside and to the side of the main entrance, wringing his hands nervously as he waited for the rest. All the others present were foreign to him; he'd never even seen the pointy eared type before in his life, much less the bird-man that sat across the room. He understood that the...Tengu was it? That the Tengu was a beastkin like he was, but he had never heard of the existence of bird beastkin. Though, he supposed, that stuff like that was present in the big wild world outside the confines of the farm.

The Tengu laid down the bones of the supposed plan. To Argrom, much of this flew over his head. Warlord? Apotheoses? The farm had severely dampened how much outside news came in. All he understood from the discussion was that this man, Hank, was of great importance to this Tengu, and if they wanted to fight this...bad guy, they would need his help.

The plan was one thing. The supposed fighting was another. Outside of the occasional scuffle with livestock, the minotaur had never laid hands on another in his life. Sure, perhaps his bulk convinced others of his potential, but inside he was scared. Of harming others? Of even participating in such acts? All of that. He wasn't sure he could even bring himself to do such a thing to another minotaur, much less a living being smaller and lighter than he was. But...he had been called away from the farm for a reason. His village shaman had proclaimed it to be for bigger, greater things, that he was intertwined in the destiny of the country yada yada yada. If he had to accept...he had to.

In silence, he merely nodded his head in agreement with the Tengu's posed offer. To suffer in silence...a burden he'd shoulder for now.

Summary

• Argrom stands near the side of the entrance nervously.
• He has doubts about his capability to harm others when pushed to.
• He agrees with the Tengu's plan.

Guildfall: The Darkness

And with that I shall begin a push towards the first story mission within the Free section. Anyone that wants to join up, just make an IC post detailing that fact and once I've gathered enough peeps we'll continue.

Guildfall: The Darkness

"Put out the call."

"W-what sir?"

"Put out the call to our operators. Go grab Doctor Weiss and tell him to bring up his experiment. And also place a general recruitment call. We're taking the fight to the noobs."

"Right away sir. Anything else?"

"Get me my private phone. I have a call to make."

---

Cho
Low Casual
12:03 PM

"Hmm."

Cho contemplated the sudoku puzzle in the book in his hands. These things weren't his strong suit but he'd try anything to pass the time. There wasn't much else to do besides worry about his teammates.

Tac padded over from the stairwell and dropped his phone on his lap, which was vibrating furiously. Surprised and slightly startled, Cho put the phone to his ear as the demon settled down next to his chair.

"Hello?"

"Mr Sun-Jin."

Cho sat up in his chair.

"Sir."

"I require your aid in a particular endeavour."

"Name it, sir."

"In Sword's possession there is device developed by one of our weapon technicians. A bomb, high yield, large blast radius, but only deadly to organic tissue. Our technicians have programmed it to only recognise infected tissue, so you will be in no danger. You are to take this device, bring it into the Free section, deploy it where you find the largest concentration of infected, and detonate it from a safe distance. Reduce their numbers and it'll make our fight all the easier."

"Got it sir. I'll be there shortly -"

"One more thing: you will not be alone on this mission. I have sent out a general call to arms for any independent contractors who wish to assist in this endeavour. You will be with them."

At that he frowned. More troublesome "newbies" to babysit. Truth be told he didn't trust any of the other soldiers in this place except himself; most of the faces he'd seen were those of people comfortable with their big guns in the safety of the walled city. Faces that had seen the infection but never fought it, who never understood how ruthless and bloodthirsty the infected were. Those who would defend their city to their last breath bravely but were always the ones who died first. Would he go through the trouble again?

Well he had to. He had no other choice. As much as he wanted to get out there and look for his friends, their objectives were still the same. He sighed inwardly as he responded to the voice on the phone.

"Understood. Anything else sir?"

"Nothing else, Mr Sun-Jin. I have placed the rendezvous location as the checkpoint into the Free section. You have half an hour. Expect your new team within that time frame."

"Yes sir."

With a weary sigh he hung up and stood, stretching as Tac stood at his side.

"Work, boss?"

"Yup. Get the rest. We're on the clock."

House of Leaves [Modern / Lovecraftian Horror]

@Buglet Wait no more. It's up.

House of Leaves [Modern / Lovecraftian Horror]

8:30 AM
The House
Allan

Early the next morning, a shrill beeping resounded through the house. With a groan, Alan awoke, groping groggily for the alarm clock on the nightstand next to his bed, finding the annoying black cube after a few seconds and slapping it silent. He sat up and stretched, yawning a little as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. The morning sun streamed in past his curtains, casting long shafts of light on the cold floor as he shuffled to the bathroom to wash up.

A few minutes later and he sat in the living room, nursing a hot mug of tea as his roommates went about their day. With her head resting in his lap, his black lab Bess was snoozing in the morning cool, while he read a book with his earbuds in his ears. Another regular, dull day. Next to him stood Nicki, one of his roommates; a leggy blonde with a head for clothing, she stood with two differently coloured lengths of clothed draped over her arms, comparing each against the blank white mannequin that occupied the corner of the living room like a silent sentinel. For the better part of ten minutes she stood in quiet, stern contemplation, alternating the fabrics against the dull white figure, before unleashing her frustration in a loud growl as she sat down on the couch. The impact, of course, woke his dog, who licked her lips and stared at the friendly if angry face next to her master, curiously flicking her gaze between the fabrics and the concerned expression on her friend's face. The fluffy black dog sat up and laid her head on Nicki's lap instead, staring up at the lady with her cute brown eyes, ears splayed as she wagged her tail gently against the couch.

Allan smiled. His dog was a member of their little family as much as Nicki was. As he watched Bess trying to cheer her up, he pulled the earbuds from his ears and reached over to set his phone down on the coffee table, which came to rest half on the table, half off. As he leaned back again his hand gently brushed his phone which toppled over and clattered to the floor.

"Ah, crap, my phone."

He bent over and picked it up, inspecting its screen for any cracks before placing it fully on the coffee table. With a resigned sigh he leaned back and continued with his book, but not before giving Nicki a glance to offer his quiet opinion.

"I think the gold looks better, Nicki."

House of Leaves [Modern / Lovecraftian Horror]

Oh it's already creeping me out in writing my first post. XD

House of Leaves [Modern / Lovecraftian Horror]

Well it's best to keep to the tradition of the original literature, yes? :D

Plus the weirder it gets the cooler it'll be!

House of Leaves [Modern / Lovecraftian Horror]

Something occurs to me: if you want us to follow the convention of always coloring the word house blue, wouldn't it be prudent to give us the exact colour code you're using for that particular shade of blue? Or is any shade of blue okay as long as it's blue?