Manticore stalked through the hangar. Preparations were underway for the invasion of Sparta. The -=REAVERS=- ships were being repaired… as much as any of these derelict fighters could be…and armed for battle.
The crash was unmistakable. A missile had fallen to the deck. He screwed up his face both in disgust at the ineptitude of the fool who’d been so careless and relief that his clumsiness hadn’t cost him a ship and Madness knows how many pilots. He turned.
Firefly was screaming in the face of one of the new “second generation” Reavers. The fool was still half crazed with his “indoctrination” and seemed to be having trouble grasping the simple concept of loading Sunslayer torpedoes onto the WA1 he’d been assigned. He watched as Firefly voiced his displeasure just inches from the idiot’s face.
You must be joking… he thought , making his way to the pair. As he stepped up the both noticed his approach. Firefly stopped in mid-tirade. The pilot’s eyes grew wide at the look on Manticore’s face.
Silently, Manticore looked back and forth between the two. Then the quiet “Shhhing” of a blade being drawn was heard… then a flash of silver... then a spray of red... then the thump of a body falling to the deck, head clinging by a tendon to the twitching corpse.
Manticore looked again at Firefly.
“You waste time on these fools. They work out or they don’t. We don’t have room for in-between,” he growled so only Firefly could hear. “Get this meat to the kitchens and load this ship yourself. Then get me another pilot. You’ll eat when you’re finished with this one and your own.”
Manticore raised his blood-stained knife and held it in front of Firefly’s face, then slowly wiped it clean on his co-leader’s tunic. Firefly glared. Manticore scowled. Firefly’s hand inched toward his blade. Manticore raised his own. Firefly growled and turned his attention to the body. Manticore smiled his twisted Reavers smile and moved toward his own ship.
Anyone who’d been watching would have thought he’d enjoyed the encounter.
He had.
[align=center]* * * * * * *[/align]
Manticore belched as he entered his quarters. The meat had been tender… he must have been a trader, so soft was his flesh.
He checked the Comm to see what News was coming out of the Liberty channels. Usually these were the best source of rumors, with Manhattan being the spawning point for all new potential victims. Open chat often gave away tidbits as to who might be recruits and who might be prey. It paid to keep on top of things. “Know your enemy” ran through his head… another snip of a book he’d read somewhere.
But tonight was different. Instead of the usual inane garbage that was common, he kept hearing the same message over and over: “Merry Christmas!”
What in all the Darkness is that about? he wondered. It seemed vaguely familiar but in a most unpleasant way. This ‘Christmas’ … seems to give these fools joy. Hmmm… ‘Joy’... yes, I remember ‘joy’. Makes me sick.
Then to his great surprise, a private chat opened. What’s this? he stared at the display.
In bright green letters, “Merry Christmas, Manti!” came across the screen. He looked at the name: Ganon. Yes, I know him. he thought. Worthy prey. But what the hell nerve he’s got, with that ‘Christmas’ frak.
His fingers thumped the keys as he replied. “Screw your ‘Christmas’ and everything else!” Then as a sarcastic afterthought…”Have a nice day.”
He expected flames in return. But instead: “Yeah humbug yourself, you old scrooge. But Merry Christmas anyway, Bud. Lighten up.”
The green disappeared as he watched other messages push it off the screen. Just as well… he thought.
He was tired. He must have been. He’d been too nice on the chat.
Manticore headed for his bunk. The soiled blankets felt comforting as the smells of many nights’ sweat wrapped around him. His mind filled with fight patterns and victims’ screams and the face of the pilot whose throat he’d slit as the Madness took hold and sent him fitfully off to sleep.
[align=center]* * * * * * *[/align]
He woke with a start. Not that this was uncommon for a Reaver, but tonight was different. He’d heard something, he was certain. Instantly his blade was in his hand as he looked around the dim room.
There it was again… the scraping of metal on metal. He jumped off the bunk and turned toward the sound of the intruder who’d dared invade his quarters. More fresh meat for breakfast he thought.
The sounds grew louder and clearer but he saw no one. For minutes he stared around the small room. This is crazy! he thought. Then he shouted: “Where are you!? Show your cowardly face!”
He heard only the scraping in reply until a movement caught his eye toward the hatch. He watched in disbelief as a figure seemed to come right through the steel door.
There was a man… or the shadow of one… walking laboriously toward him. Flesh hung off exposed bones, the face a mass of writhing maggots and rotting skin. He wore a ragged flight suit with the torn patch of [ADMIN] on the breast.
Now the source of the scraping became obvious. Behind this stinking, walking corpse dragged a mass of missiles and guns all linked by a single chain. There among them were ship parts and, strangely, a battered ancient computer, monitor and keyboard. He struggled as he continued to move toward Manticore.
“Manticore…” a voice hissed. “Or should I say… Wolf…” The voice emanated from the apparition before him. He watched in disbelief as the jaw moved out of sync with the voice.
“It’s been a long time, Wolf. You’ve changed. I wonder if for the better…”
“Who the frak are you!?” Manticore stammered.
The body had stopped a mere meter from Manticore and began to laugh. Its entire body shook with laughter until the lower jaw of the figure made a nasty cracking sound, broke off and fell to the deck.
“Oopth…” it said as it looked down at the bone at its feet. “I ha’e i’ whe’ tha’ happenth…” Then with a grunt it stooped to pick up its missing part, and shoved it back onto its face… or what passed as a face.
When the jaw was back in place the figure looked again at Manticore. “Frak...” it said. “Funny you should say that…”
“What? Frak?”
“That’s right. That’s how you know me, I believe.”
”Frak? Frac? Fracture?? Holy spit! Is it you? I thought you’d left!”
“You should be so lucky. I’ve just been… shall we say… occupied.”
“Well I gotta tell ya, man… you don’t look so good.”
Fracture looked down at himself. “Oh this? Yeah… it’s what happens when you stay away too long. You get sort of… ragged. Your account gets corrupted and you start to lose cohesion. It’s a mess, really.”
“I’ll say.”
“But that’s not the worst of it. See this pile of junk here?” He gestured at the trail of parts he’d been dragging.
“Yeah. I um… couldn’t help noticing…”
“This is what happens when you stop being a good guy and start being a schmuck.”
“Oh come off it, Frac. You’re no schmuck…”
“Well you know that and I know that, but hey, it’s a tough part here and someone’s got to play it. I mean, RP and all that.”
“OK, I’ll go along. So what are you trying to tell me?”
“Well look at yourself. You call ME a mess? And what’s this about ‘screw Christmas?’ “
“Oh that. Well, that’s how I feel about it. -=REAVERS=- don’t give a rodent’s anus about stuff like that.”
“See, that’s the problem, Wolf. You… ‘Wolf’… used to care. Now it’s ‘Manticore’ and you’re changed.”
“Your point?”
“You want the point? OK, here’s the point. There’s RP and then there’s RP. You’re taking a bit too far. Where’s Watchwolf?”
“Oh he’s … well, he’s dead.”
“Dead.”
“That’s right. Killed him off.”
“Oh pull-eeeze. You can’t kill Watchwolf off… he’s you. And he’s the good guy. And he’s the one who would say “Merry Christmas” and post that goofy “Voidian Christmas” poem and give away credits and all that…”
“…crap. I believe that’s the word you were searching for.”
“No. All that fun stuff.”
“OK, OK… so what is it you’re here for? To tell me I’m no fun anymore? That I’m evil…? Oooooh, stop. You’re scaring me….”
“Look, me telling you would be pointless. So I’m setting you up. You’re going to be visited by three char’s. Maybe they’ll be able to talk some sense into you. And you better hope so. Cuz if not this is going to happen to you. You’ll get disgruntled again. You’ll get tired of it all. You’ll come around less and less and sooner or later you’ll just stop coming. Your accounts will get corrupted and maybe even closed. And maybe worse.”
“Oh gimme a break. I thought you were my friend?”
“I am. And that’s why I’m here. But now I gotta go. So you better be ready.”
“Yeah. Right. See ya, then…”
Fracture shook his head.. but not too hard. He didn’t want to have to pick that up too. Then he turned and made his slow laborious way through the wall.
Manticore watched as Fracture disappeared. Madness... he thought. It’s got to be the Madness…
He lay back in his bunk, pulled his rancid blankets back up around his neck and stared at the ceiling until he fell back to sleep.
[align=center]* * * * * * *[/align]
[align=center]~~ TO BE CONTINUED ~~[/align]
A CHRISTMAS STORY
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- Posts: 1867
- Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2006 11:00 pm
- Location: So far out there even I can't find me.
A CHRISTMAS STORY
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Manticore2-1.png[/img]
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Void-Watchwolf-2.png[/img]
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Void-Watchwolf-2.png[/img]
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- Posts: 1867
- Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2006 11:00 pm
- Location: So far out there even I can't find me.
Re: A CHRISTMAS STORY
“Hey.”
Manticore snorted and rolled over.
“Hey. Wake up.”
Again Manticore snorted and was about to turn again when he felt the poking in his ribs.
“What the… Who would DARE!” His blade appeared in his hand as he jumped to his feet.
Just as quickly his blade disappeared from his hand and clattered to the deck across the room. Manticore stared at his empty hand.
“You got your nerve, Pard.” The voice came from behind.
He turned. There stood a man with grey hair and a neat brown flight suit. On his chest was a bright patch. It showed a green snake coiled around itself along the edge with its head seeming to jump from the center. Next to the head was an Anubis ship. In the top left corner were the words, “Pit Viper.”
“PV? PV! Is it really you?”
“Last time I looked. So how’ve you been, Wingman?”
“OK, I guess. Or so I thought… But now that you’re here I’m not so sure.”
“Well that’s a helluva note, Pard. Thought you might be glad to see me.”
“I am. But it’s just this weird thing. Maybe it was a dream….”
“Nope. No dream. I’m the Character of Void Past…”
“Great.”
“Well I think so. It’s been a while and I kinda miss the place.”
“That’s not what I meant. “
“I know. But Fracture asked me to look in on you and here I am.”
”OK. Now what?”
Pit Viper reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small leather book. “Let’s see the logs here. Ah yes… OK. Let’s get this thing going…” He reached out and grabbed Manticore by the collar and gave him a yank…
…And pulled him into the cockpit of a small ship.
“Remember this?” Pit Viper asked.
Manticore looked around. The cramped cockpit barely held him and PV both. They were stuffed into a space behind the pilot who had his hands on crude controls. The ship emerged through the dock ring and pilot gave the throttle a burst. The ship jumped with startling quickness.
“Whoa!” the pilot exclaimed as the ship lurched forward. He applied reverse thrust until the tiny Starflier stopped. There outside the viewscreen hung a flashing neon sign: “WELCOME TO THE VOID”
“Wow.” the pilot breathed. “So this is a mod. Coooool!”
The pilot fumbled with the panel until his chat window appeared on the console. There at the top of the player list was the name: Watchwolf
“Hey!” Manticore yelled. “That’s ME!” Then, embarrassed, he clamped his hand over his own mouth and looked sharply at the back of the pilot’s head. His head.
“Don’t worry. He can’t hear you,” Pit Viper said.
Manticore looked stupidly at his friend. “Oh.”
The Comm crackled, and a high-pitched voice came over the speaker.
“Weet weet! I’m Horney Guinea Pig and I welcome to the Void, matey!”
“Um… thanks…” Wolf replied.
Manticore burst out laughing. “Gawd I remember those guys! They were the first ones I met here! Talk about a first impression!!”
“Yeah,” Pit Viper said. “Now remember this?”
The ship twisted and turned inside-out and suddenly they were sitting in the back seat of a Gladiator just as a message came over the Comm. “Can you come to Manhattan?” It was from the same Guinea Pig.
As the ship popped out of the Gate and approached the Void sign the Trade Request light came to life. Wolf accepted and next thing he knew a very large sum of credits appeared in his account. A VERY large.
“What’s that for?” he asked?
“I like you. And I’m leaving. Don’t want it to go to waste. Have fun and do something good for someone …”
The Comm went blank as the Guinea Pig ship disappeared from view.
“Wow. Yeah I remember that… “ Manticore said. “I was so surprised…”
“You shouldn’t have been.”
Manticore looked hard at his friend. But before he could say anything, the universe twisted again and he was back in his Starflier.
“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” Manticore complained.
“The tough Reaver moaning about a little motion sickness?” Pit Viper grinned.
“Very funny…”
“Geez now what do I do?” Wolf was heard saying. Manticore turned his attention to himself. So to speak.
A quick glance at the status panel showed a grand total of 29 credits in the account.
“I remember that. It was pretty depressing. I had just bombed my second mission. Liberty Rogues, no less. Flying here was a lot different than in Vanilla Single Player. I got my butt handed to me by NPC’s for crying out loud. “
“Yeah. But in a Starflier. So then what happened?”
“Well I wasn’t going to give up on my first day. So I decided to go into that new system, Alexandria, and see what was there.”
“And…?”
“And I was absolutely amazed. I had never expected to see anything like it. Remember the Void was my first and only mod. Never been to another one, before or since, you know…”
“Yes, I know. So then what did you do?”
“I started trading. Water, at that Seleucus Base. 10 units at a time. To Barsine. And Pharmaceuticals back. Or was it vice versa…?”
“Doesn’t matter. The point is, you stuck it out.”
“Yup. Until I could get a Liberty Guardian. Then I started on missions again. And the first one was a payback against Liberty Rogues…”
“That’s right. And you had a blast.”
“Yup.”
“OK. Remember this?”
“Oh crap…” Manticore said and hung onto the seat in front of him.
The universe twisted again and there he was in his Guardian. And in front of him was a ship marked [ADMIN]Fracture. He was flying in and out between a fleet of battleships, blowing them to bits. There was loot everywhere.
“Go ahead! Scoop it up!” Fracture was saying over the Comm. And he did. By the ton.
“Was my first million….” Manticore said to the air.
“Yes. Now how about this?”
Once again Manticore had his stomach knotted. Next thing he knew he was in an AT flying wing with none-other than Pit Viper.
“You showed me everything I needed to know about the Void.”
“That’s right. Everything I had learned I handed to you.” Pit Viper sounded nostalgic. “Remember why?”
“Yeah. I remember you said Fracture had asked you to look after me. Asked you to show me the ropes.”
“That’s right. And can you remember what I asked of you in return?”
“Um…”
“Oh come on now. “
“I remember. It’s just that…”
“Yes?”
“OK. You asked me to help someone else out one day.”
“Some ‘Merry Christmas’ that’s turned out to be…”
“Oh that’s not fair, Pard.”
“Isn’t it? It wasn’t long before you stopped flying with me. You took off on your own. “
“Well…”
“It’s OK. I get it. Everyone’s got to strike out sooner or later. It’s just that I missed you, is all.”
Manticore stared at his friend.
“You never told me…”
“I shouldn’t have had to.” Then: “OK, try this on for size…” Pit Viper changed the subject, and once again they were in another place in another time.
[ADMIN]TIODS was talking to Watchwolf over the Comm.
“OK, if you’re sure then we’ll set it up. Hang on a sec. Go create the character and I’ll take care of the rest.”
The world went blank a moment and then there they sat in a new ship: [VOID]Watchwolf.
Pit Viper looked at his friend expectantly. Manticore looked back a long time before he spoke.
“I didn’t want it at first. But Fracture and TIODS said they thought I’d be good at it…”
“So why’d you take it?”
“Because of you, mostly. What you said. ‘…help someone else out one day…’ ”
“That all?”
“Well, I had decided I sorta liked it here.”
Pit Viper laughed. “ ‘Sorta liked it…’ OK, How about this?”
“GEEZ! Cut that out!” Manticore groaned as the ship flipped and he was again in another place and time.
This time it was different. He wasn’t in a ship. He was, oddly enough… “in” the forums. A quick look at the thread told him exactly where. He could never forget this.
“Where are we, Wolf?”
“It was a hard time, PV. The server was at risk. We couldn’t keep up with the cost. Well, not ‘we.’ Strail. He’d been shouldering the whole thing by himself. No one knew. But Fracture had told me and so had TIODS. And it was just about at the breaking point. We were renting the server space and the cost was killing him. There weren’t enough donations to keep up with it.”
“So what happened.”
“We got this idea.”
“We?”
Manticore stared at his friend. Pit Viper returned the hard look. Manticore looked away.
“OK. I.”
“Yes. You got this idea that maybe the Void should have its own server. And we ought to see about a drive to buy one. And you chatted with the Staff and said you had connections where you worked and would see if you could get one at a discount. Remember?”
“Uh huh…”
“But it didn’t turn out that way, did it?”
“No. I couldn’t get the deal. So I shopped and found a pretty good one. But it wasn’t exactly what the Boss said we needed. So Kahless told us exactly what would do and Strail went and found what we needed and it was pretty expensive.”
“Right,” Pit Viper nodded. "And…?”
“And TIODs and I and a bunch of others started the drive.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then:
“1900. We’d collected 1900. It was a bit short. Plus there were expenses…”
“Yes,” Pit Viper acknowledged. “And then what happened?”
“Um… an anonymous donor stepped in and made up the difference and bought the server.”
“Uh-huh. An anonymous donor…”
They sat in silence again.
Pit Viper turned to his friend. “OK. Now tell me ‘screw Christmas…’ “
Manticore gaped.
“Well?” Pit Viper challenged.
No reply.
“Right,” Pit Viper nodded. “Thought so. You cared then. You would never have said ‘screw Christmas’ then. You cared too much.” He shook his head sadly, snapped his fingers and there they were in Manticore’s quarters.
Manticore looked around. Somehow the place looked a little dreary.
“Well, that’s all I got time for, Pard. Hope you had as much fun as I did.”
“But…”
"Now don’t go away… There’s more fun in store…”
“But…”
“Oh… and Merry Christmas, Pard. “
"But…”
And he was alone.
Manticore turned around in a circle, feeling a little disoriented. Then he found his bunk and curled up with his blanket.
Sleep eluded him.
[align=center]~~ TO BE CONTINUED ~~[/align]
Manticore snorted and rolled over.
“Hey. Wake up.”
Again Manticore snorted and was about to turn again when he felt the poking in his ribs.
“What the… Who would DARE!” His blade appeared in his hand as he jumped to his feet.
Just as quickly his blade disappeared from his hand and clattered to the deck across the room. Manticore stared at his empty hand.
“You got your nerve, Pard.” The voice came from behind.
He turned. There stood a man with grey hair and a neat brown flight suit. On his chest was a bright patch. It showed a green snake coiled around itself along the edge with its head seeming to jump from the center. Next to the head was an Anubis ship. In the top left corner were the words, “Pit Viper.”
“PV? PV! Is it really you?”
“Last time I looked. So how’ve you been, Wingman?”
“OK, I guess. Or so I thought… But now that you’re here I’m not so sure.”
“Well that’s a helluva note, Pard. Thought you might be glad to see me.”
“I am. But it’s just this weird thing. Maybe it was a dream….”
“Nope. No dream. I’m the Character of Void Past…”
“Great.”
“Well I think so. It’s been a while and I kinda miss the place.”
“That’s not what I meant. “
“I know. But Fracture asked me to look in on you and here I am.”
”OK. Now what?”
Pit Viper reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small leather book. “Let’s see the logs here. Ah yes… OK. Let’s get this thing going…” He reached out and grabbed Manticore by the collar and gave him a yank…
…And pulled him into the cockpit of a small ship.
“Remember this?” Pit Viper asked.
Manticore looked around. The cramped cockpit barely held him and PV both. They were stuffed into a space behind the pilot who had his hands on crude controls. The ship emerged through the dock ring and pilot gave the throttle a burst. The ship jumped with startling quickness.
“Whoa!” the pilot exclaimed as the ship lurched forward. He applied reverse thrust until the tiny Starflier stopped. There outside the viewscreen hung a flashing neon sign: “WELCOME TO THE VOID”
“Wow.” the pilot breathed. “So this is a mod. Coooool!”
The pilot fumbled with the panel until his chat window appeared on the console. There at the top of the player list was the name: Watchwolf
“Hey!” Manticore yelled. “That’s ME!” Then, embarrassed, he clamped his hand over his own mouth and looked sharply at the back of the pilot’s head. His head.
“Don’t worry. He can’t hear you,” Pit Viper said.
Manticore looked stupidly at his friend. “Oh.”
The Comm crackled, and a high-pitched voice came over the speaker.
“Weet weet! I’m Horney Guinea Pig and I welcome to the Void, matey!”
“Um… thanks…” Wolf replied.
Manticore burst out laughing. “Gawd I remember those guys! They were the first ones I met here! Talk about a first impression!!”
“Yeah,” Pit Viper said. “Now remember this?”
The ship twisted and turned inside-out and suddenly they were sitting in the back seat of a Gladiator just as a message came over the Comm. “Can you come to Manhattan?” It was from the same Guinea Pig.
As the ship popped out of the Gate and approached the Void sign the Trade Request light came to life. Wolf accepted and next thing he knew a very large sum of credits appeared in his account. A VERY large.
“What’s that for?” he asked?
“I like you. And I’m leaving. Don’t want it to go to waste. Have fun and do something good for someone …”
The Comm went blank as the Guinea Pig ship disappeared from view.
“Wow. Yeah I remember that… “ Manticore said. “I was so surprised…”
“You shouldn’t have been.”
Manticore looked hard at his friend. But before he could say anything, the universe twisted again and he was back in his Starflier.
“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” Manticore complained.
“The tough Reaver moaning about a little motion sickness?” Pit Viper grinned.
“Very funny…”
“Geez now what do I do?” Wolf was heard saying. Manticore turned his attention to himself. So to speak.
A quick glance at the status panel showed a grand total of 29 credits in the account.
“I remember that. It was pretty depressing. I had just bombed my second mission. Liberty Rogues, no less. Flying here was a lot different than in Vanilla Single Player. I got my butt handed to me by NPC’s for crying out loud. “
“Yeah. But in a Starflier. So then what happened?”
“Well I wasn’t going to give up on my first day. So I decided to go into that new system, Alexandria, and see what was there.”
“And…?”
“And I was absolutely amazed. I had never expected to see anything like it. Remember the Void was my first and only mod. Never been to another one, before or since, you know…”
“Yes, I know. So then what did you do?”
“I started trading. Water, at that Seleucus Base. 10 units at a time. To Barsine. And Pharmaceuticals back. Or was it vice versa…?”
“Doesn’t matter. The point is, you stuck it out.”
“Yup. Until I could get a Liberty Guardian. Then I started on missions again. And the first one was a payback against Liberty Rogues…”
“That’s right. And you had a blast.”
“Yup.”
“OK. Remember this?”
“Oh crap…” Manticore said and hung onto the seat in front of him.
The universe twisted again and there he was in his Guardian. And in front of him was a ship marked [ADMIN]Fracture. He was flying in and out between a fleet of battleships, blowing them to bits. There was loot everywhere.
“Go ahead! Scoop it up!” Fracture was saying over the Comm. And he did. By the ton.
“Was my first million….” Manticore said to the air.
“Yes. Now how about this?”
Once again Manticore had his stomach knotted. Next thing he knew he was in an AT flying wing with none-other than Pit Viper.
“You showed me everything I needed to know about the Void.”
“That’s right. Everything I had learned I handed to you.” Pit Viper sounded nostalgic. “Remember why?”
“Yeah. I remember you said Fracture had asked you to look after me. Asked you to show me the ropes.”
“That’s right. And can you remember what I asked of you in return?”
“Um…”
“Oh come on now. “
“I remember. It’s just that…”
“Yes?”
“OK. You asked me to help someone else out one day.”
“Some ‘Merry Christmas’ that’s turned out to be…”
“Oh that’s not fair, Pard.”
“Isn’t it? It wasn’t long before you stopped flying with me. You took off on your own. “
“Well…”
“It’s OK. I get it. Everyone’s got to strike out sooner or later. It’s just that I missed you, is all.”
Manticore stared at his friend.
“You never told me…”
“I shouldn’t have had to.” Then: “OK, try this on for size…” Pit Viper changed the subject, and once again they were in another place in another time.
[ADMIN]TIODS was talking to Watchwolf over the Comm.
“OK, if you’re sure then we’ll set it up. Hang on a sec. Go create the character and I’ll take care of the rest.”
The world went blank a moment and then there they sat in a new ship: [VOID]Watchwolf.
Pit Viper looked at his friend expectantly. Manticore looked back a long time before he spoke.
“I didn’t want it at first. But Fracture and TIODS said they thought I’d be good at it…”
“So why’d you take it?”
“Because of you, mostly. What you said. ‘…help someone else out one day…’ ”
“That all?”
“Well, I had decided I sorta liked it here.”
Pit Viper laughed. “ ‘Sorta liked it…’ OK, How about this?”
“GEEZ! Cut that out!” Manticore groaned as the ship flipped and he was again in another place and time.
This time it was different. He wasn’t in a ship. He was, oddly enough… “in” the forums. A quick look at the thread told him exactly where. He could never forget this.
“Where are we, Wolf?”
“It was a hard time, PV. The server was at risk. We couldn’t keep up with the cost. Well, not ‘we.’ Strail. He’d been shouldering the whole thing by himself. No one knew. But Fracture had told me and so had TIODS. And it was just about at the breaking point. We were renting the server space and the cost was killing him. There weren’t enough donations to keep up with it.”
“So what happened.”
“We got this idea.”
“We?”
Manticore stared at his friend. Pit Viper returned the hard look. Manticore looked away.
“OK. I.”
“Yes. You got this idea that maybe the Void should have its own server. And we ought to see about a drive to buy one. And you chatted with the Staff and said you had connections where you worked and would see if you could get one at a discount. Remember?”
“Uh huh…”
“But it didn’t turn out that way, did it?”
“No. I couldn’t get the deal. So I shopped and found a pretty good one. But it wasn’t exactly what the Boss said we needed. So Kahless told us exactly what would do and Strail went and found what we needed and it was pretty expensive.”
“Right,” Pit Viper nodded. "And…?”
“And TIODs and I and a bunch of others started the drive.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then:
“1900. We’d collected 1900. It was a bit short. Plus there were expenses…”
“Yes,” Pit Viper acknowledged. “And then what happened?”
“Um… an anonymous donor stepped in and made up the difference and bought the server.”
“Uh-huh. An anonymous donor…”
They sat in silence again.
Pit Viper turned to his friend. “OK. Now tell me ‘screw Christmas…’ “
Manticore gaped.
“Well?” Pit Viper challenged.
No reply.
“Right,” Pit Viper nodded. “Thought so. You cared then. You would never have said ‘screw Christmas’ then. You cared too much.” He shook his head sadly, snapped his fingers and there they were in Manticore’s quarters.
Manticore looked around. Somehow the place looked a little dreary.
“Well, that’s all I got time for, Pard. Hope you had as much fun as I did.”
“But…”
"Now don’t go away… There’s more fun in store…”
“But…”
“Oh… and Merry Christmas, Pard. “
"But…”
And he was alone.
Manticore turned around in a circle, feeling a little disoriented. Then he found his bunk and curled up with his blanket.
Sleep eluded him.
[align=center]~~ TO BE CONTINUED ~~[/align]
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Manticore2-1.png[/img]
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Void-Watchwolf-2.png[/img]
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Void-Watchwolf-2.png[/img]
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- Posts: 1867
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- Location: So far out there even I can't find me.
Re: A CHRISTMAS STORY
He must have dozed. The sudden light startled the hell out of him. Manticore squinted into the glare. The figure there looked familiar.
“:D No wait, that’s ROFLMAO! No that’s not right… ah yes…” Then a thunderous laughter filled the small steel room, echoing off the walls and nearly deafening the surprised Manticore.
“Come on, Wolfie, my boy! There’s a lot to do and no time for it.”
“Zeb?”
“Well of course! Who’d you expect? Santa Clause?”
“I wouldn’t have been surprised…” Manticore mumbled.
Zebulon gave Manticore a hardy slap on the back that nearly knocked him over. “You’re such a kidder!” Zeb bellowed with another laugh.
“Alright,” Manticore sighed. “And just who are you supposed to be?”
“Why, I’m the Character of Void Present, of course!” Zebulon explained with yet more laughter.
“OK, so let’s get on with it. And if you don’t mind… what’s with all the laughing?”
Zeb sobered instantly. “You’re serious, aren’t you…?”
“Don’t I look serious?”
Zeb studied his friend. “Indeed I would say you do,” He nodded. “Pity, that. But I suppose that’s why I’m here.”
“That was my next question. Why are you here? Lemme guess… You’re going to show me some startling revelation or some such, right?”
“Something along those lines, yes.” Zebulon answered.
“Well do we have to do it now? “ Manticore complained. “I got a headache… and I’m supposed to invade Sparta in the morning.”
Zeb laughed again. “There’s no time like the present! Besides, Sparta will be there a long time.” Then more quietly to himself, “At least I hope so….”
“What’s that?” Manticore asked.
“Oh no, nothing at all. Right. Let’s get on with it then…” Zeb waved his arm and in an instant the two of them were sitting on top of the Alex/New York gate.
Manticore held his breath. It was more than a little disorienting sitting in space without a ship or space suit.
“Oh do stop,” Zeb said. “First of all, you can’t be harmed while you’re with me… thank goodness. Second of all, the Void is a “virtual reality”. It’s really quite pointless to hold your breath. “
Manticore felt a sudden heat rising up his neck. He looked around self-consciously, hoping no one had seen him blush. He did not want to imagine the damage it would do to the -=REAVERS=- reputation to see the leader blushing like an embarrassed schoolboy.
“No one can see you, just like before.” Zeb had noticed. “And don’t worry, Vermin will still fear you later.”
Manticore couldn’t help grinning as Zeb laughed yet again.
“Ah yes, here they come. Right on time…” Zeb pointed at the dots that appeared in the distance.
The tiny blips took shape and materialized into a formation of ships. There were four of them, all with the -=REAVERS=- tag floating above. Firefly, FallenAngel, RAZER and Crescendo. As the pair watched the ships veered and headed straight into the flight of RAF that had appeared from the opposite side of the gates.
Mayhem ensued. Flashes of light and brightly colored streaks criss-crossed the black. Ships disappeared into yellow and orange balls of pseudo-flames only to reappear moments later. Messages scrolled as they seemingly hung in space.… which mystified Manticore as he tried to make reason out of it.
“We’re looking from the outside in,” Zeb explained. “Look at that. Glorious, isn’t it?”
Death messages in the bright red of fresh blood scrolled down in front of his eyes as one after another pushed the previous out of sight. Mixed in between was one GF after the next, mixed with the occasional “LOL” and “Great shot!” and “You were lucky that time…” and so on. Anyone watching would have had no doubt a lot of fun was being had by all.
As they watched more ships joined in. Saints came from one direction, Black Legion from the other. Then Dacia, then 4S. And [R]’s and [X]’s and more and more, until it seemed every single player in the Void was at this one place. It was sheer madness.
Manticore could hardly keep up with the messages. And not one word of any negative tone was to be seen.
“Fun, eh?” Zeb noted. “But I think it’s worth mentioning… I don’t see you in there.”
Manticore sobered.
“And just where is Wolf?”
“You know I can’t be on when most others are…” Manticore almost whined.
“Is that right? Let’s have a look then…” Zeb waved his arm and they were in a room, with a desk and a computer, standing behind a man peering at the screen. He was looking on the Void forums, scrolling down, skimming over the posts, not really reading them, as if he was looking for something.
Zeb pointed and grinned. “Losing his hair, isn’t he?”
“Ha ha ha. Very funny.” Manticore made a face. He recognized himself even from a point of view he’d never seen.
“So just what are you doing? You’re in front of your computer? Why aren’t you in the game?”
“Dunno…”
“What do you mean, ‘dunno’ ?”
Manticore looked at his friend. “Well…”
“Just don’t feel like it, do you?”
“Not really…”
“And why not?”
“I dunno. Just don’t feel … you know… like it’s where I want to be. Like I… um…”
“Like you don’t fit in?”
“Well yeah, I guess.”
“Care to explain?” Zeb eyed his friend carefully.
“No… Well, I mean… “
“OK, let me start for you. Here, how about this: You used to be [VOID]Watchwolf. What happened to that?”
Manticore looked as if he’d been punched. In fact, he said, “That hurt, Zeb.”
“Aye, I suppose it did at that. But it’s a fair question. Well?”
“You know. I’ve said it enough…”
“I know what you’ve told me and everyone else. That you wanted to put your energy into something else. That you felt like you could make more of a difference elsewhere. That you want to make the -=REAVERS=- work and be a pillar of RP in the Void.”
“Well, yeah…”
“Cut the crap, mate. Strail and lot of others were already working hard on improving the RP environment. In fact, don’t you think it might have been a little insulting to think you were going to rescue RP in the Void? So what was really on your mind?”
“I was getting fed up, Zeb. I didn’t feel like I was doing anything important. I didn’t feel as if anyone cared.”
“Ah. Now we’re getting to it,” Zeb sighed. “And what made you think no one cared? What did you need, laurels? Don’t you think there are some who might even miss [VOID]Watchwolf??”
“Well, no. I mean, I suppose. Maybe. But sometimes I get the impression I pissed some people off, quitting.”
“Well I’m glad you didn’t say ‘retired.’ And can you blame them? The Boss and others put faith in you. Maybe you let them down…”
“I hadn’t thought of that before.”
“But you are now? A bit late, isn’t it?”
“Well…”
“Well you are missed. But that’s behind you now, no changing it. And so here you are, Leader of the new and “improved” -=REAVERS=- and what are you doing when your mates are in-game?”
As they watched, the man at the desk popped a disk into the DVD-drive of his computer. “Oblivion” came up on the screen.
Zeb looked at his friend. “Uh-huh…”
“Look, Zeb. No one says I got to spend all my time in the Void…”
“Of course not, Wolf. Indeed no one does, least of all me. But you’re getting bored with Oblivion. And you were so invigorated by the Void just a few weeks ago. What happened? Now you let Maverick practically run the clan. You put in your tuppence worth and he does the work.”
“I’m just not making a difference, Zeb.”
“You’ve got issues, my friend,” Zeb shook his head. “Do you need to be told?” Zeb sighed. “Maybe you do. And some do tell you. But still you let yourself fall into this “I don’t care” attitude. Why?”
“I’m off my meds?”
Zeb laughed. “Well at least you can joke about it.”
“Who’s joking?”
“You better be or there’s a higher power than me to be answering to… OK, here’s the point. You make a difference. It doesn’t matter if you are [VOID]Watchwolf or -=REAVERS=- Manticore or Void-knows what else. You don’t have to write a novel and post it in the forums or be clever or have the most posts or the most Karma points. All you have to do is be you.”
“Don’t hold back, Zeb. What do you really mean?”
Zeb didn’t laugh. “Everyone makes a difference, Wolf. It doesn’t matter what you are doing. As long as you are doing something. It’s when you are doing nothing that nothing happens.”
Sometime, when he hadn’t noticed, they’ve popped into the black above the Alex gate again. They watched the battle for a few more minutes. Then Zeb turned to his friend. “Not bad, Manticore. Merry Christmas. Nice gift you got there. Gonna wrap it?”
Manticore smiled weakly. He knew what Zeb meant. It was a small part. But still it was a part. Take one screw out of the inside of a watch and see how long it’s going to keep the right time. Maybe it wasn’t the biggest or the baddest of clans, nor was it one that really made a difference after all. But it was a Clan of the Void and it mattered. Just as anything else he’d done in any guise mattered since he’d joined. “Have fun and do something for someone one day…” He’d been told. “Help somebody else out…” he’d been told. What did that mean in the end?
Just be who you are and let it go at that. That’s all anyone really wanted.
Merry Christmas indeed. Did he really want to see that “screwed?”
As they watched the fight it began to fade off into the distance. Smaller and smaller it got until he was looking at it through the portal in his room. Neat trick, that… he thought.
“Well I’ve got to be going,” Zeb said with a sigh. "It’s been fun. At least for me.”
Manticore was still looking out the portal. “You think?” he said as he turned around.
He was talking to himself.
[align=center]~~ TO BE CONTINUED ~~[/align]
“:D No wait, that’s ROFLMAO! No that’s not right… ah yes…” Then a thunderous laughter filled the small steel room, echoing off the walls and nearly deafening the surprised Manticore.
“Come on, Wolfie, my boy! There’s a lot to do and no time for it.”
“Zeb?”
“Well of course! Who’d you expect? Santa Clause?”
“I wouldn’t have been surprised…” Manticore mumbled.
Zebulon gave Manticore a hardy slap on the back that nearly knocked him over. “You’re such a kidder!” Zeb bellowed with another laugh.
“Alright,” Manticore sighed. “And just who are you supposed to be?”
“Why, I’m the Character of Void Present, of course!” Zebulon explained with yet more laughter.
“OK, so let’s get on with it. And if you don’t mind… what’s with all the laughing?”
Zeb sobered instantly. “You’re serious, aren’t you…?”
“Don’t I look serious?”
Zeb studied his friend. “Indeed I would say you do,” He nodded. “Pity, that. But I suppose that’s why I’m here.”
“That was my next question. Why are you here? Lemme guess… You’re going to show me some startling revelation or some such, right?”
“Something along those lines, yes.” Zebulon answered.
“Well do we have to do it now? “ Manticore complained. “I got a headache… and I’m supposed to invade Sparta in the morning.”
Zeb laughed again. “There’s no time like the present! Besides, Sparta will be there a long time.” Then more quietly to himself, “At least I hope so….”
“What’s that?” Manticore asked.
“Oh no, nothing at all. Right. Let’s get on with it then…” Zeb waved his arm and in an instant the two of them were sitting on top of the Alex/New York gate.
Manticore held his breath. It was more than a little disorienting sitting in space without a ship or space suit.
“Oh do stop,” Zeb said. “First of all, you can’t be harmed while you’re with me… thank goodness. Second of all, the Void is a “virtual reality”. It’s really quite pointless to hold your breath. “
Manticore felt a sudden heat rising up his neck. He looked around self-consciously, hoping no one had seen him blush. He did not want to imagine the damage it would do to the -=REAVERS=- reputation to see the leader blushing like an embarrassed schoolboy.
“No one can see you, just like before.” Zeb had noticed. “And don’t worry, Vermin will still fear you later.”
Manticore couldn’t help grinning as Zeb laughed yet again.
“Ah yes, here they come. Right on time…” Zeb pointed at the dots that appeared in the distance.
The tiny blips took shape and materialized into a formation of ships. There were four of them, all with the -=REAVERS=- tag floating above. Firefly, FallenAngel, RAZER and Crescendo. As the pair watched the ships veered and headed straight into the flight of RAF that had appeared from the opposite side of the gates.
Mayhem ensued. Flashes of light and brightly colored streaks criss-crossed the black. Ships disappeared into yellow and orange balls of pseudo-flames only to reappear moments later. Messages scrolled as they seemingly hung in space.… which mystified Manticore as he tried to make reason out of it.
“We’re looking from the outside in,” Zeb explained. “Look at that. Glorious, isn’t it?”
Death messages in the bright red of fresh blood scrolled down in front of his eyes as one after another pushed the previous out of sight. Mixed in between was one GF after the next, mixed with the occasional “LOL” and “Great shot!” and “You were lucky that time…” and so on. Anyone watching would have had no doubt a lot of fun was being had by all.
As they watched more ships joined in. Saints came from one direction, Black Legion from the other. Then Dacia, then 4S. And [R]’s and [X]’s and more and more, until it seemed every single player in the Void was at this one place. It was sheer madness.
Manticore could hardly keep up with the messages. And not one word of any negative tone was to be seen.
“Fun, eh?” Zeb noted. “But I think it’s worth mentioning… I don’t see you in there.”
Manticore sobered.
“And just where is Wolf?”
“You know I can’t be on when most others are…” Manticore almost whined.
“Is that right? Let’s have a look then…” Zeb waved his arm and they were in a room, with a desk and a computer, standing behind a man peering at the screen. He was looking on the Void forums, scrolling down, skimming over the posts, not really reading them, as if he was looking for something.
Zeb pointed and grinned. “Losing his hair, isn’t he?”
“Ha ha ha. Very funny.” Manticore made a face. He recognized himself even from a point of view he’d never seen.
“So just what are you doing? You’re in front of your computer? Why aren’t you in the game?”
“Dunno…”
“What do you mean, ‘dunno’ ?”
Manticore looked at his friend. “Well…”
“Just don’t feel like it, do you?”
“Not really…”
“And why not?”
“I dunno. Just don’t feel … you know… like it’s where I want to be. Like I… um…”
“Like you don’t fit in?”
“Well yeah, I guess.”
“Care to explain?” Zeb eyed his friend carefully.
“No… Well, I mean… “
“OK, let me start for you. Here, how about this: You used to be [VOID]Watchwolf. What happened to that?”
Manticore looked as if he’d been punched. In fact, he said, “That hurt, Zeb.”
“Aye, I suppose it did at that. But it’s a fair question. Well?”
“You know. I’ve said it enough…”
“I know what you’ve told me and everyone else. That you wanted to put your energy into something else. That you felt like you could make more of a difference elsewhere. That you want to make the -=REAVERS=- work and be a pillar of RP in the Void.”
“Well, yeah…”
“Cut the crap, mate. Strail and lot of others were already working hard on improving the RP environment. In fact, don’t you think it might have been a little insulting to think you were going to rescue RP in the Void? So what was really on your mind?”
“I was getting fed up, Zeb. I didn’t feel like I was doing anything important. I didn’t feel as if anyone cared.”
“Ah. Now we’re getting to it,” Zeb sighed. “And what made you think no one cared? What did you need, laurels? Don’t you think there are some who might even miss [VOID]Watchwolf??”
“Well, no. I mean, I suppose. Maybe. But sometimes I get the impression I pissed some people off, quitting.”
“Well I’m glad you didn’t say ‘retired.’ And can you blame them? The Boss and others put faith in you. Maybe you let them down…”
“I hadn’t thought of that before.”
“But you are now? A bit late, isn’t it?”
“Well…”
“Well you are missed. But that’s behind you now, no changing it. And so here you are, Leader of the new and “improved” -=REAVERS=- and what are you doing when your mates are in-game?”
As they watched, the man at the desk popped a disk into the DVD-drive of his computer. “Oblivion” came up on the screen.
Zeb looked at his friend. “Uh-huh…”
“Look, Zeb. No one says I got to spend all my time in the Void…”
“Of course not, Wolf. Indeed no one does, least of all me. But you’re getting bored with Oblivion. And you were so invigorated by the Void just a few weeks ago. What happened? Now you let Maverick practically run the clan. You put in your tuppence worth and he does the work.”
“I’m just not making a difference, Zeb.”
“You’ve got issues, my friend,” Zeb shook his head. “Do you need to be told?” Zeb sighed. “Maybe you do. And some do tell you. But still you let yourself fall into this “I don’t care” attitude. Why?”
“I’m off my meds?”
Zeb laughed. “Well at least you can joke about it.”
“Who’s joking?”
“You better be or there’s a higher power than me to be answering to… OK, here’s the point. You make a difference. It doesn’t matter if you are [VOID]Watchwolf or -=REAVERS=- Manticore or Void-knows what else. You don’t have to write a novel and post it in the forums or be clever or have the most posts or the most Karma points. All you have to do is be you.”
“Don’t hold back, Zeb. What do you really mean?”
Zeb didn’t laugh. “Everyone makes a difference, Wolf. It doesn’t matter what you are doing. As long as you are doing something. It’s when you are doing nothing that nothing happens.”
Sometime, when he hadn’t noticed, they’ve popped into the black above the Alex gate again. They watched the battle for a few more minutes. Then Zeb turned to his friend. “Not bad, Manticore. Merry Christmas. Nice gift you got there. Gonna wrap it?”
Manticore smiled weakly. He knew what Zeb meant. It was a small part. But still it was a part. Take one screw out of the inside of a watch and see how long it’s going to keep the right time. Maybe it wasn’t the biggest or the baddest of clans, nor was it one that really made a difference after all. But it was a Clan of the Void and it mattered. Just as anything else he’d done in any guise mattered since he’d joined. “Have fun and do something for someone one day…” He’d been told. “Help somebody else out…” he’d been told. What did that mean in the end?
Just be who you are and let it go at that. That’s all anyone really wanted.
Merry Christmas indeed. Did he really want to see that “screwed?”
As they watched the fight it began to fade off into the distance. Smaller and smaller it got until he was looking at it through the portal in his room. Neat trick, that… he thought.
“Well I’ve got to be going,” Zeb said with a sigh. "It’s been fun. At least for me.”
Manticore was still looking out the portal. “You think?” he said as he turned around.
He was talking to himself.
[align=center]~~ TO BE CONTINUED ~~[/align]
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Manticore2-1.png[/img]
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Void-Watchwolf-2.png[/img]
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Void-Watchwolf-2.png[/img]
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Re: A CHRISTMAS STORY
Reavers.... Christmas Story.... Reavers.... Christmas Story..... I just don't see how these words go together. Sentences like these are still just not fully understood by the men and women at Oxford.
In any case, well written, and a nice overview of your own (and possibly some Void) history in a christmas ripoff.. I mean format. Just please, for the love of all that's Void and holy, don't you dare tack a cheesy message on to the end of this. It will only hurt - don't know who, don't know where, but it just hurts %-(
In any case, well written, and a nice overview of your own (and possibly some Void) history in a christmas ripoff.. I mean format. Just please, for the love of all that's Void and holy, don't you dare tack a cheesy message on to the end of this. It will only hurt - don't know who, don't know where, but it just hurts %-(
[align=center][url=http://aofgc.org/index.php?topic=61.0][img]http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj217/Geromix/Demon1.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://profile.xfire.com/napsack][img]http://miniprofile.xfire.com/bg/sf
[url=http://profile.xfire.com/napsack][img]http://miniprofile.xfire.com/bg/sf
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- Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2006 11:00 pm
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Re: A CHRISTMAS STORY
Manticore stared out the portal for what seemed forever. There was no longer a battle to be seen. In fact he was in his -=REAVERS=- base in Unknown 2 and all he could see was those annoying thorned things that made fighting such a pain.
He felt a chill come over him and pulled his tunic tighter around his neck. But it seemed to cut straight through to his very soul.
He knew. He didn’t want to turn around. But he knew he had to.
He turned. There in the room was a tall figure dressed all in black. A hooded robe covered him head to toe, a black that seemed to swallow the meager light in his room. All, that is, but for a tiny patch on a crest on the breast on the figure’s robe, that glowed a dim but penetrating red.
He peered at the lettering until he could make out: FALLEN-Reaper.
“Oh great.” Manticore sighed. “Look, under any other circumstances I’d say it’s good to see you again. It has been a very long time. But if you don’t mind, I think I’ll pass. I’m beat. I’ve had enough.”
The black figure just stood there, his robe billowing as if there was a wind in the room. Manticore felt no wind, but he did feel the cold.
This is the Madness… Manticore thought. Close my eyes and it will go away.
It did not.
Manticore tried again, squeezing his eyes shut until little sparkles flashed behind his eyelids. When he opened them, still there was that ghostly apparition.
MADNESS!
“OK, let me guess. You’re the Character of Void Future, right? Funny, that, since you’re a character from my past. How do you reckon that?”
Nothing.
“OK, not going to say anything. Fine. The strong silent type. I get it. Let’s see… even though I knew you from a long time ago you were and still are a friend. I’ve seen you time to time and you’re still hereabouts I figure. So I maybe you’ll be here as long as I can guess… and that’s in the future. Am I getting warm?”
If anything the chill deepened. Still the figure said nothing.
“Oh screw this! I’ve seen enough! It’s all been a bad dream and so are you! A little too much trader and not enough bread. A nightmare worthy of any Reaver. I’m officially impressed. Now get out of here and let me get some sleep!”
The figure advanced on Manticore and a coldness gripped his heart like none he had ever experienced. A Reaver’s heart is small and hard, and difficult to find in the best of times. But this dark man had found it with unnerving precision and gripped it in an icy vice-like grasp. Manticore gasped.
“OK. Ok. I get it. What do you want with me?”
The figure turned and walked toward the door. It hesitated, turned back toward Manticore and motioned for him to follow, then continued through the closed door as if it weren’t there.
Manticore knew he had little choice. He followed. The steel seemed to melt around him as he passed through.
They stood on the hangar deck of the -=REAVERS=- base. Firefly was there with Vermin and RAZER. They were talking in quiet voices. He’d never seen Firefly looking so calm and in control of himself.
“Where’s the anger?” Manticore asked to no one in particular? “I’ve always needed him angry…”
“OK, so now what?” Firefly asked the group. “I figure we can go on, but not knowing what’s going on, it doesn’t seem right. I just don’t know what to do, really.”
“Look, how long has it been now?” Vermin asked. ”How many months? You’ve got to draw the line somewhere.”
“Aye, you’re right,” Razer added, then turned to Firefly. “Pretty rude if you ask me, leaving you holding the bag and all that. So just do what you want. We’ll follow.”
“Thing is, I don’t know what I want at this point.”
“What are they talking about?” Manticore asked the dark man, but of course he did not answer. He simply pointed at the little group.
“Let’s face it, guys,” RAZER added. “He’s gone and this time for who knows how long. If you ask me it’d be just as good if he stayed gone this time. He can’t keep doing this leaving and coming back crap. It’s not fair to anyone.”
“Gone?” Manticore asked. “Who’s gone?”
“He’s never been steady, mate,” Vermin said. “It hasn’t mattered. Watchwolf… Rabid… Erebus…Malice…Peregrine…not to mention [VOID]… He’s started and quit so many things it’s a wonder he’s stayed in the Void at all for these years. And matter of fact, even that’s been spotty. He’s quit before, and more than once, and come back like he thought it was no big deal. If you ask me it’s only pointed out a lack of commitment on his part.”
“Hey, you’re talking about my friend,” Firefly growled. “We’ve all got our flaws.”
“Aye, he’s my friend too. That’s why it hurts.”
“HEY!” Manticore yelled. “I’m still here! What are you talking about!?”
He ran up to the group, waving his arms wildly and shouting in their ears. “I’m not going anywhere! I’m here!”
He looked back and forth between then and watched as they talked for a few more minutes. Then RAZER pointed to a ship. “What about that? YeOlde-=REAVERS=-Shoppe… it’s got all maybe three-quarters of a billion credits and a pile of stuff in there. What do we do with that?”
“Heh heh heh” Vermin chuckled. “Well at least it’s not all bad. Won’t have to trade for a while. It’s ours now…”
Manticore gaped. “That’s it? A moment of silence and then divvy up the loot?”
FALLEN-Reaper turned toward Manticore and though his face was hidden, Manticore could swear he could sense a grin. Then he started toward the bulkhead. Manticore shook his head and followed through the solid wall.
They were “in” the forums just the way he’d been before with Pit Viper. Strail had started a new thread… another “Roll Call” for clans. It was time to clear the forums of inactive clans.
He read through the posts. There… the one he didn’t want to see. It came from Firefly.
“-=REAVERS=- is inactive. Please close the -=REAVERS=- Mob forum. I seem to be the only one left and it’s time to give it up.
“And as a matter of fact, I told Watchwolf this was the last clan I’d be a part of. And so it is. He’s gone and it’s done and I think my time is up here too. So this is farewell.”
Manticore stared in disbelief.
“You’ve got to be kidding, Mav!” he shouted at the words, who ignored his voice and refused to acknowledge his protest. “There’s more to it than that!”
Oddly, as if his words were heard in some distant plane of existence, a new post appeared. It was from [Admin]Zebulon.
“Do what you have to do, Mav. We’ll miss you just as we’ve missed everyone else who’s left. Each of you takes a bit of the Void with you, a tiny piece of the heart and soul of this place. And with each leaving we diminish that much more. But you do what you have to do.”
“Wait…” Manticore stammered. “What’s he saying? I don’t like the sound of that. Maverick can’t leave just because I’m not there. He’s got more to offer the Void. He’s his own man… and he’s got his own point of view and things to say and do. People care about what he says, no matter if he sees it or not…”
The black figure turned toward Manticore, who could feel the cold eyes of tomorrow drilling into his soul.
“Wait. That’s it, isn’t it. You’re trying to show me that’s how it is for anyone, aren’t you?”
The silent stare made Manticore step back.
“Yes, that’s it. It doesn’t matter. Him, me, any of a hundred others… they all mattered… no matter what anyone might have said or thought.”
FALLEN-Reaper nodded almost imperceptibly, turned again and walked through the screen. Manticore followed once again.
…To yet another page on the Void Server Forum. This one looked different. Instead of the usual brown and gray background with the cool little doo-dads all around, the page was a simple flat black.
“What’s this?” Manticore said in a low voice. “I don’t like the look of this…”
The dark man pointed toward the screen.
“I’d rather not, if you don’t mind. I’ve seen your point.”
The hand pointed in a firmer way, if a hand could be imagined to do so.
Manticore sighed and followed the pointing finger to the page. There on the black screen were some plain white letters. They read:
“It grieves me to have to write this post, the last in the Void Server Forums. But I am afraid I am going to have to close the Void due to lack of activity. All things must end, nothing lasts forever, and all that. But the time has come that I cannot continue this any further. There is no more fresh blood and all the old blood has been drained out. There is nothing left.
“Goodbye. It’s been fun.
Strail.”
“NOO-O-O-O-O-O!!!!!!” Manticore screamed until his voice grew ragged and hoarse. “No! You CAN’T close the VOID! NO! NO! NO! YOU CAN’T”
The dark figure stood unmoved as Manticore cried.
As the future sees us now, with a cold indifference, with the calloused gaze that sees all and at the same time sees nothing at all, so this dark figured stood before the grief-stricken man. And why should it not be indifferent? The future is not yet written. It does not exist. It cannot feel or know or have a mind for what comes before it. It takes it all in and stays always one step ahead. One moment in time, one tick of the clock, one action that follows blindly after the one that comes before. Implacable, and perhaps seeming uncaring. But of course it cares. For the future is the one every man looks to for hope.
Manticore was spent. “Take me home. I’ve seen enough…”
The universe faded and reformed. Manticore stood in his room once more. He looked around and once again he was alone.
He practically fell onto his bunk and passed into the deep sleep of a man exhausted.
[align=center]~~ TO BE CONTINUED ~~[/align]
He felt a chill come over him and pulled his tunic tighter around his neck. But it seemed to cut straight through to his very soul.
He knew. He didn’t want to turn around. But he knew he had to.
He turned. There in the room was a tall figure dressed all in black. A hooded robe covered him head to toe, a black that seemed to swallow the meager light in his room. All, that is, but for a tiny patch on a crest on the breast on the figure’s robe, that glowed a dim but penetrating red.
He peered at the lettering until he could make out: FALLEN-Reaper.
“Oh great.” Manticore sighed. “Look, under any other circumstances I’d say it’s good to see you again. It has been a very long time. But if you don’t mind, I think I’ll pass. I’m beat. I’ve had enough.”
The black figure just stood there, his robe billowing as if there was a wind in the room. Manticore felt no wind, but he did feel the cold.
This is the Madness… Manticore thought. Close my eyes and it will go away.
It did not.
Manticore tried again, squeezing his eyes shut until little sparkles flashed behind his eyelids. When he opened them, still there was that ghostly apparition.
MADNESS!
“OK, let me guess. You’re the Character of Void Future, right? Funny, that, since you’re a character from my past. How do you reckon that?”
Nothing.
“OK, not going to say anything. Fine. The strong silent type. I get it. Let’s see… even though I knew you from a long time ago you were and still are a friend. I’ve seen you time to time and you’re still hereabouts I figure. So I maybe you’ll be here as long as I can guess… and that’s in the future. Am I getting warm?”
If anything the chill deepened. Still the figure said nothing.
“Oh screw this! I’ve seen enough! It’s all been a bad dream and so are you! A little too much trader and not enough bread. A nightmare worthy of any Reaver. I’m officially impressed. Now get out of here and let me get some sleep!”
The figure advanced on Manticore and a coldness gripped his heart like none he had ever experienced. A Reaver’s heart is small and hard, and difficult to find in the best of times. But this dark man had found it with unnerving precision and gripped it in an icy vice-like grasp. Manticore gasped.
“OK. Ok. I get it. What do you want with me?”
The figure turned and walked toward the door. It hesitated, turned back toward Manticore and motioned for him to follow, then continued through the closed door as if it weren’t there.
Manticore knew he had little choice. He followed. The steel seemed to melt around him as he passed through.
They stood on the hangar deck of the -=REAVERS=- base. Firefly was there with Vermin and RAZER. They were talking in quiet voices. He’d never seen Firefly looking so calm and in control of himself.
“Where’s the anger?” Manticore asked to no one in particular? “I’ve always needed him angry…”
“OK, so now what?” Firefly asked the group. “I figure we can go on, but not knowing what’s going on, it doesn’t seem right. I just don’t know what to do, really.”
“Look, how long has it been now?” Vermin asked. ”How many months? You’ve got to draw the line somewhere.”
“Aye, you’re right,” Razer added, then turned to Firefly. “Pretty rude if you ask me, leaving you holding the bag and all that. So just do what you want. We’ll follow.”
“Thing is, I don’t know what I want at this point.”
“What are they talking about?” Manticore asked the dark man, but of course he did not answer. He simply pointed at the little group.
“Let’s face it, guys,” RAZER added. “He’s gone and this time for who knows how long. If you ask me it’d be just as good if he stayed gone this time. He can’t keep doing this leaving and coming back crap. It’s not fair to anyone.”
“Gone?” Manticore asked. “Who’s gone?”
“He’s never been steady, mate,” Vermin said. “It hasn’t mattered. Watchwolf… Rabid… Erebus…Malice…Peregrine…not to mention [VOID]… He’s started and quit so many things it’s a wonder he’s stayed in the Void at all for these years. And matter of fact, even that’s been spotty. He’s quit before, and more than once, and come back like he thought it was no big deal. If you ask me it’s only pointed out a lack of commitment on his part.”
“Hey, you’re talking about my friend,” Firefly growled. “We’ve all got our flaws.”
“Aye, he’s my friend too. That’s why it hurts.”
“HEY!” Manticore yelled. “I’m still here! What are you talking about!?”
He ran up to the group, waving his arms wildly and shouting in their ears. “I’m not going anywhere! I’m here!”
He looked back and forth between then and watched as they talked for a few more minutes. Then RAZER pointed to a ship. “What about that? YeOlde-=REAVERS=-Shoppe… it’s got all maybe three-quarters of a billion credits and a pile of stuff in there. What do we do with that?”
“Heh heh heh” Vermin chuckled. “Well at least it’s not all bad. Won’t have to trade for a while. It’s ours now…”
Manticore gaped. “That’s it? A moment of silence and then divvy up the loot?”
FALLEN-Reaper turned toward Manticore and though his face was hidden, Manticore could swear he could sense a grin. Then he started toward the bulkhead. Manticore shook his head and followed through the solid wall.
They were “in” the forums just the way he’d been before with Pit Viper. Strail had started a new thread… another “Roll Call” for clans. It was time to clear the forums of inactive clans.
He read through the posts. There… the one he didn’t want to see. It came from Firefly.
“-=REAVERS=- is inactive. Please close the -=REAVERS=- Mob forum. I seem to be the only one left and it’s time to give it up.
“And as a matter of fact, I told Watchwolf this was the last clan I’d be a part of. And so it is. He’s gone and it’s done and I think my time is up here too. So this is farewell.”
Manticore stared in disbelief.
“You’ve got to be kidding, Mav!” he shouted at the words, who ignored his voice and refused to acknowledge his protest. “There’s more to it than that!”
Oddly, as if his words were heard in some distant plane of existence, a new post appeared. It was from [Admin]Zebulon.
“Do what you have to do, Mav. We’ll miss you just as we’ve missed everyone else who’s left. Each of you takes a bit of the Void with you, a tiny piece of the heart and soul of this place. And with each leaving we diminish that much more. But you do what you have to do.”
“Wait…” Manticore stammered. “What’s he saying? I don’t like the sound of that. Maverick can’t leave just because I’m not there. He’s got more to offer the Void. He’s his own man… and he’s got his own point of view and things to say and do. People care about what he says, no matter if he sees it or not…”
The black figure turned toward Manticore, who could feel the cold eyes of tomorrow drilling into his soul.
“Wait. That’s it, isn’t it. You’re trying to show me that’s how it is for anyone, aren’t you?”
The silent stare made Manticore step back.
“Yes, that’s it. It doesn’t matter. Him, me, any of a hundred others… they all mattered… no matter what anyone might have said or thought.”
FALLEN-Reaper nodded almost imperceptibly, turned again and walked through the screen. Manticore followed once again.
…To yet another page on the Void Server Forum. This one looked different. Instead of the usual brown and gray background with the cool little doo-dads all around, the page was a simple flat black.
“What’s this?” Manticore said in a low voice. “I don’t like the look of this…”
The dark man pointed toward the screen.
“I’d rather not, if you don’t mind. I’ve seen your point.”
The hand pointed in a firmer way, if a hand could be imagined to do so.
Manticore sighed and followed the pointing finger to the page. There on the black screen were some plain white letters. They read:
“It grieves me to have to write this post, the last in the Void Server Forums. But I am afraid I am going to have to close the Void due to lack of activity. All things must end, nothing lasts forever, and all that. But the time has come that I cannot continue this any further. There is no more fresh blood and all the old blood has been drained out. There is nothing left.
“Goodbye. It’s been fun.
Strail.”
“NOO-O-O-O-O-O!!!!!!” Manticore screamed until his voice grew ragged and hoarse. “No! You CAN’T close the VOID! NO! NO! NO! YOU CAN’T”
The dark figure stood unmoved as Manticore cried.
As the future sees us now, with a cold indifference, with the calloused gaze that sees all and at the same time sees nothing at all, so this dark figured stood before the grief-stricken man. And why should it not be indifferent? The future is not yet written. It does not exist. It cannot feel or know or have a mind for what comes before it. It takes it all in and stays always one step ahead. One moment in time, one tick of the clock, one action that follows blindly after the one that comes before. Implacable, and perhaps seeming uncaring. But of course it cares. For the future is the one every man looks to for hope.
Manticore was spent. “Take me home. I’ve seen enough…”
The universe faded and reformed. Manticore stood in his room once more. He looked around and once again he was alone.
He practically fell onto his bunk and passed into the deep sleep of a man exhausted.
[align=center]~~ TO BE CONTINUED ~~[/align]
Last edited by Watchwolf on Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Manticore2-1.png[/img]
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Void-Watchwolf-2.png[/img]
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Void-Watchwolf-2.png[/img]
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- Posts: 1867
- Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2006 11:00 pm
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Re: A CHRISTMAS STORY
He swam through the Darkness of deep sleep and toward the surface. Air, all he needed was air. His lungs, and mind almost burst with the need.
Wolf opened his eyes. He’d fallen asleep at his desk. Again.
At the same moment, Manticore opened his eyes. He looked around suspiciously.
“The Madness… It gives and takes.” He said to himself. He looked at himself in the mirror. “Seems I’m all intact despite the dream. It was a dream… I would hope so anyway.”
He made his way to the hangar deck. There was Firefly making ready for the day’s attack.
“You got it right?” Manticore looked hard at his co-leader.
“You doubt?” Firefly replied.
They looked at each other for a long moment. The rest of the universe seemed to fade away until these two stood alone, each staring down the other.
Manticore gave in first. He grinned, then snickered.
Firefly couldn’t hold it in any more. He burst out laughing. Manticore followed. Together their laughter rang throughout the hangar.
The hangar faded into nothingness. The two friends gasped for breath.
“I’ve never had so much fun, Wolf. Seriously.”
“Me too, I swear.” Wolf typed back. “The internet’s an amazing thing. Who would have ever thought…?”
“This Role Play is more fun than I ever thought it’d be. And with so many getting into it, it just keeps getting better and better.”
“You got that right,” Wolf replied.
There was a pause. Then Maverick typed,” What about it, were you serious? You really thinking about giving it up like you said the other day?”
“You kidding? Not on your life. Besides I had the weirdest dream.”
“You’ve got to tell me about it,” Maverick said. "But not now. The family is anxious to get things going. It’s just a few days till Christmas. Lots to do.”
“Yes, me too. Merry Christmas, my friend. Take care. My regards to you and yours.”
“And to the redhead,” Maverick answered. Then the player departing message appeared.
Wolf stared at the screen. It was indeed amazing.
It had been over two years since he’d joined the Void. A lot had happened. And he’d changed along with it. There were times when he’d felt alienated and times when he felt he’d wrapped almost too much of his time and effort into the place.
But then he thought of the others who’d done even more. Strail, Kahless, Fracture. And players like Asmodeous and the Mrs, and Burn and so many others. He’d been a bit inconsistent but he was still there with them.
And he was glad.
Screw Christmas indeed. What the frak was he thinking. You don’t write stuff like that.
Some people might miss the point. And in the end maybe there is no point.
But Christmas is a time for reflection. And for giving.
But for every giving there is a recipient. And when a group of people like the Void community comes together with a common purpose there is such giving that everyone can take a part of it, make it his own and there seems to always be more left over than is needed.
But when one leaves, or stops giving his part, no matter what it is or how small, there is a small fading of the whole, and it too is multiplied.
And strangely enough that’s the beauty of it. Whether we know it or not, in it all there is a balance. Not everyone sees it the same. But they all do see it. And feel it.
And it is ours.
Merry Christmas, Void. And thanks.
Wolf opened his eyes. He’d fallen asleep at his desk. Again.
At the same moment, Manticore opened his eyes. He looked around suspiciously.
“The Madness… It gives and takes.” He said to himself. He looked at himself in the mirror. “Seems I’m all intact despite the dream. It was a dream… I would hope so anyway.”
He made his way to the hangar deck. There was Firefly making ready for the day’s attack.
“You got it right?” Manticore looked hard at his co-leader.
“You doubt?” Firefly replied.
They looked at each other for a long moment. The rest of the universe seemed to fade away until these two stood alone, each staring down the other.
Manticore gave in first. He grinned, then snickered.
Firefly couldn’t hold it in any more. He burst out laughing. Manticore followed. Together their laughter rang throughout the hangar.
The hangar faded into nothingness. The two friends gasped for breath.
“I’ve never had so much fun, Wolf. Seriously.”
“Me too, I swear.” Wolf typed back. “The internet’s an amazing thing. Who would have ever thought…?”
“This Role Play is more fun than I ever thought it’d be. And with so many getting into it, it just keeps getting better and better.”
“You got that right,” Wolf replied.
There was a pause. Then Maverick typed,” What about it, were you serious? You really thinking about giving it up like you said the other day?”
“You kidding? Not on your life. Besides I had the weirdest dream.”
“You’ve got to tell me about it,” Maverick said. "But not now. The family is anxious to get things going. It’s just a few days till Christmas. Lots to do.”
“Yes, me too. Merry Christmas, my friend. Take care. My regards to you and yours.”
“And to the redhead,” Maverick answered. Then the player departing message appeared.
Wolf stared at the screen. It was indeed amazing.
It had been over two years since he’d joined the Void. A lot had happened. And he’d changed along with it. There were times when he’d felt alienated and times when he felt he’d wrapped almost too much of his time and effort into the place.
But then he thought of the others who’d done even more. Strail, Kahless, Fracture. And players like Asmodeous and the Mrs, and Burn and so many others. He’d been a bit inconsistent but he was still there with them.
And he was glad.
Screw Christmas indeed. What the frak was he thinking. You don’t write stuff like that.
Some people might miss the point. And in the end maybe there is no point.
But Christmas is a time for reflection. And for giving.
But for every giving there is a recipient. And when a group of people like the Void community comes together with a common purpose there is such giving that everyone can take a part of it, make it his own and there seems to always be more left over than is needed.
But when one leaves, or stops giving his part, no matter what it is or how small, there is a small fading of the whole, and it too is multiplied.
And strangely enough that’s the beauty of it. Whether we know it or not, in it all there is a balance. Not everyone sees it the same. But they all do see it. And feel it.
And it is ours.
Merry Christmas, Void. And thanks.
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Manticore2-1.png[/img]
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Void-Watchwolf-2.png[/img]
[img]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p279/WatchingWolf/Void-Watchwolf-2.png[/img]
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- 1st Lieutenant
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2006 12:00 am
Re: A CHRISTMAS STORY
"An official Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time"
"You'll shoot your eye out kid!"
Sorry for the hijack thought this was a different A Christmas Story.
"You'll shoot your eye out kid!"
Sorry for the hijack thought this was a different A Christmas Story.
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- Commodore
- Posts: 3752
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:00 am
- Location: Retired Voidian
Re: A CHRISTMAS STORY
What a truly amazing story buddy. So you. =D>
Reflection... yes that might be the best way to look at Christmas. You made me do just that. And indeed my dear friend, what an amazing time the Void has given us. The ups, the downs, the hard times and the fun times. Making real friends, helping people, making mistakes, being reprimanded for them, working together and accomplishing things, being p-ed off for not being able to drop in, the arguments, the kind words and posts, the problems, the solutions, all the awesome mods.
Some events which were very memorable to me personally: My time in ESF, starting and later shutting down HKD, joining and later leaving BL, getting FAQ off the ground and being able to develop it into a successful team with truly great people (together with the help of the other members and Strail), getting accepted into the Event Team, and most recently, the revival of the -=REAVERS=-, a noble effort to bring it's own view on 'fun' into the Void. All of the above with and thanks to wonderful people, who are all part of this great place called Void.
Man, I have only been here for 1.5 years or something and so many things have happened. In the end I can't say anything else than that the Void has become second home to me. And just like you mentioned, I would have never expected for it to bring this much of an experience to me. It's been a blast. Wow.
And in the midst of all that, there's a number of people who have made it all possible. Some of whom I unfortunately never had the pleasure of knowing. Strail, Tiods, Kahless, Fracture, Vector-X, Kodiak (wish I had gotten the chance to get to know you better m8), Watchwolf, Zeb, Gan, Verm, Neph (got a tissue?
), 'the always smiling man with the seemingly endless patience-Salgy' and a hellufa lot of others in the Staff.
But in no way less important, the Community itself. With all its members and clans. Without our community there would be no Void.
I think the Void as a multiplayer server is astounding and I think we have the most incredible Staff Team here. All wonderful and friendly people, always ready to help. I sincerely hope there will be many more Christmases to celebrate together here on Void. I will be there.
'Void ROCKS!!!' people. Scream on!
Merry Christmas Void.
Reflection... yes that might be the best way to look at Christmas. You made me do just that. And indeed my dear friend, what an amazing time the Void has given us. The ups, the downs, the hard times and the fun times. Making real friends, helping people, making mistakes, being reprimanded for them, working together and accomplishing things, being p-ed off for not being able to drop in, the arguments, the kind words and posts, the problems, the solutions, all the awesome mods.
Some events which were very memorable to me personally: My time in ESF, starting and later shutting down HKD, joining and later leaving BL, getting FAQ off the ground and being able to develop it into a successful team with truly great people (together with the help of the other members and Strail), getting accepted into the Event Team, and most recently, the revival of the -=REAVERS=-, a noble effort to bring it's own view on 'fun' into the Void. All of the above with and thanks to wonderful people, who are all part of this great place called Void.
Man, I have only been here for 1.5 years or something and so many things have happened. In the end I can't say anything else than that the Void has become second home to me. And just like you mentioned, I would have never expected for it to bring this much of an experience to me. It's been a blast. Wow.
And in the midst of all that, there's a number of people who have made it all possible. Some of whom I unfortunately never had the pleasure of knowing. Strail, Tiods, Kahless, Fracture, Vector-X, Kodiak (wish I had gotten the chance to get to know you better m8), Watchwolf, Zeb, Gan, Verm, Neph (got a tissue?
), 'the always smiling man with the seemingly endless patience-Salgy' and a hellufa lot of others in the Staff.But in no way less important, the Community itself. With all its members and clans. Without our community there would be no Void.
I think the Void as a multiplayer server is astounding and I think we have the most incredible Staff Team here. All wonderful and friendly people, always ready to help. I sincerely hope there will be many more Christmases to celebrate together here on Void. I will be there.
'Void ROCKS!!!' people. Scream on!
Merry Christmas Void.
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- Site Admin
- Posts: 1426
- Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: DarK $y$TeM
Re: A CHRISTMAS STORY
@-)
Great story WW
Keep hem coming ;)
Great story WW
Keep hem coming ;)
[align=center][img]http://www.voidserver.com/images/2857Vector-X.png[/img]
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[img]http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/1346/ubd75
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- Posts: 1327
- Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:00 am
- Location: Norway, Oslo
Re: A CHRISTMAS STORY
=D> Watchwolf, you have an amazing talent for story writing and it warms my heart to see this. I must admit that a tear got to my eye when I read the last part of the third chapter, but this story shows how deeply you, and all others for that sake, care for this place. To me this place is like a second family and even though you don't always show them the love, and that you care, they deserve you will always love all of them deep inside your heart. I applaud you Watchwolf or Manticore or what you prefer to be called (in Norway we have a saying that a person many cares for very much has many names 
)
Take care of this place and it will take care of you, and never forget that.
Take care people and have a jolly good Christmas
)Take care of this place and it will take care of you, and never forget that.
Take care people and have a jolly good Christmas
I would love to keep in touch with people from the Void if you ever transfer onto other games. Feel free to contact me one:
skype: vlanitak.loken
xfire: vlanitak loken
Msn: vlanitak@start.no
stream: www.own3d.tv/live/3539 [img]http://bleap.net/tl/stre
skype: vlanitak.loken
xfire: vlanitak loken
Msn: vlanitak@start.no
stream: www.own3d.tv/live/3539 [img]http://bleap.net/tl/stre
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- Major
- Posts: 1977
- Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2006 11:00 pm
- Location: Away.
Re: A CHRISTMAS STORY
Great Story there. =D>
I loved this one as well just as i loved all ur other stories.
Merry Christmas to u and ur family!
I loved this one as well just as i loved all ur other stories.
Merry Christmas to u and ur family!
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