Search Results

I didn't ask Jeeves before it was popular.

One of them just sits there, frozen in time.

Sperm attack on mushroom face.

j/k I likes it.

2-2

Spoiler

“What was I thinking?” Erica said aloud to the empty room. She was sitting alone for the first time in days and she recognized that it was probably the reason for her sudden introspective mood. She'd been stuck together with others and it had kept her mind off of it but the it didn't take long for her mind to wander its way back to her old thoughts.

Thoughts of days gone by, thoughts of the last time she'd tried to step onto the wheel of fate uninvited. She remembered acutely the searing pain of her flesh being rent asunder and winced instinctively. “I was the one who ran in front of that car. I was once bitten but I guess I'm missing the shy part right now. Why don't I ever learn?”

She groaned more loudly than she'd meant to and cut it short. “Just like old times, don't know who's listening on the other side of the walls.” She laughed softly. She was depressing herself again and that always made her laugh. Black was right, Erica didn't belong here. She wasn't called upon by fate she wasn't chosen to do anything, she called out to fate and chased it down only to be stood up still. If anyone ever was meant to be on the sidelines, out of danger.

“That's right. I'm not gonna be a big damn hero to anyone. I'm just gonna sit by this time and when the crowd cheers for our triumphant heroes, I will too. It may be too late to stay out of this entirely but... I can at least lay low until it's over.” Speaking aloud helped her feel sure of herself. She still felt the sting of being useless but this time she'd acknowledge it instead of pushing it away.

She wouldn't get out on stage and trip over herself in front of the audience and make a fool of herself like last time, she'd stay quietly backstage and watch for the final curtain call and let everyone else take a bow. Satisfied, if not still slightly melancholic, she rose and made her way to find Black.

“Hey.” Kip greeted her roughly as he fiddled with a small puzzle involving a ball bearing and some tracks. He was continually asking to be entertained by whoever would listen to him since he started staying in that town he was once intent on robbing blind. She had no idea what he meant by staying here with them even after he was more than half done healing.

He said once that defeat meant friendship, but she hardly bought it. He was just waiting out Black's stay to get back to work probably. Erica felt that anything he did was her responsibility as she was the one who had decided to save him and keep him around. She just ignored him and pressed on. Black was where shed spent the last few days, alone in the store room practicing her swordsmanship.

Apparently, it was important to her to keep in form even though no one else around was supposed to be even remotely close to beating her. Erica paused for a second when she first entered, she wasn't sure if the older girl had noticed her and didn't want to surprise her.

“You got something to say?” Black asked gruffly halfway through a swing.

“I was just curious about when you were leaving.”

“We've been here a little longer than expected it's true, but that's thanks to a little stroke of luck we had with your pet project.” Erica grimaced at hearing Kip blamed on her, whether it was true or not. “If we have him here, his people won't be far behind. I expect them to show up with heat later today or tomorrow.”

“He could still be a threat.”

“Doubt it. He's an amicable type, he does whatever he wants and just goes with the flow. I'll just let him do as he likes for now, without a weapon he's nothing and that thing's been locked up since you insisted on patching him up.”

“I don't see why you keep bringing that up like I did the wrong thing.”

“You did the right thing.” Black snapped. “That is, it should be the right thing, but here nothing is certain, what's right on the outside isn't always right in here. I can't help but act a little annoyed that you can honestly just say that human life is worth saving. I haven't been able to think that way since I got here. I guess I'm just a little jealous about it.”

“I'm nothing to be jealous of, trust me.” Erica snickered slightly. She hadn't told Black anything about her past and Black had returned the favor. There was no telling how many coffins Black had filled and how she was dealing with it. Just as there was no way of knowing how Erica had gotten the scars and no one, not even Kip, ever seemed to share why they went to the casino in the first place.

“You could be worse off, we could all be right now.” Black stopped short. “We'll see how it turns out. Alright?”

Erica wanted to just spit it out, but she couldn't bring herself to. She'd have to do it later. “Yeah, we'll see.” She replied softly as she retreated from the room. Suddenly, she heard Black chuckle.

“We're leaving early, I guess. They're here.” The older girl grinned as she adjusted her coat before taking off ahead of Erica.

“Yay.”

Outside the situation was just as Black had said. Four men of differing dress and manner strode down the main street looking from side to side at the town as if inspecting a new house. None of them seemed too concerned when Black emerged from the poor excuse for an inn with her sword drawn. Even after she'd swung her sword and two of their number fell without being so much as touched by the edge they didn't seem to notice anything.

“Decoys.” The silver haired girl muttered to herself as she nonchalantly ducked a bullet from behind. She turned simultaneous to see the man who had just fired at her. He was built somewhat stocky and wore unimpressive clothing and looked unlike any of the decoys. He looked slightly amused by the girl's reaction and simple cocked his revolver again and leveled it for another shot.

“My overdrive, Five by Five I call it. How'd you know I was here too?” He said calmly, holding his gun with confidence at roughly twenty paces. Erica was half wondering if Black had some kind of enhanced senses but reminded herself that it wasn't a demon like Kira she was talking about but a human like her. Not entirely like her.

“Every overdrive has some kind of limit, since people don't act stiff like that when under attack, it had to be a decoy based overdrive, yours should be range. Meaning you'd have to be close by and your inexperience meant you'd shoot from behind like that without masking your footsteps or cocking your gun out of earshot.” She explained swiftly as she cut down the remaining two decoys without turning away from the man pointing a gun at her.

“Got me, I am a bit new at this. But you're still not gonna be able to wi--.” He dropped the rest of his sentence when Kip sauntered out of the shadows, now entirely between Erica and Clyde, and grinned at him lazily.

“Hey, boss man.” The young man greeted him with affected camaraderie.

“You've been lazy, Kip.” The older man chided him. “You were supposed to have the chips back days ago.”

“Not lazy, Clyde. Injured.” The brown haired youth chuckled as he pointed towards his bandages.

“Her?” Clyde replied disbelievingly.

“Me.” Kuroko shot back, spitefully.

“She's gonna kill you, she tried to kill me.” He mocked.

“Failed to as well.” Clyde spat impatiently.

“Think what you like, but if I'm gonna be on any side of this one it's not gonna be any side opposite her.” Replied the brown haired man, his expression suddenly hollow and foreboding.

“What's so scary about her? She's just a skinny little girl with an overdrive.” Clyde stamped his foot angrily, only serving to make him look smaller and less secure to Erica. Regardless of what he said he was clearly afraid now.

“You're a little new here Clyde but—” Kip didn't get to finish before Clyde went sailing to the ground. “I was talking.” The young man pointed out with a disappointed frown on his face.

“You were talking too much.” Black pointed out with a sullen frown on hers.

“Well, not like I was gonna stop you.” Kip groused with a resigned shrug.

“Was he the boss?” Erica asked as she peeked herself further out from behind Kip.

“Yep. He still is, watch him breathe like his life depends on it.” Kip said cheerily.

“I can fix that?” Black responded as she edged closer to the crumpled heap that was so recently intending on beating her.

“No need.” Kip quickly stepped in between the two parties. The girl refused to drop her sword to her side even after her counterpart looked at her tensed pose and scoffed slightly. He then turned away from her and stooped to address Clyde. “G'mornin', boss man.” He said as he shook him roughly. Clyde stirred awake.

“Kip?” He asked, bewildered.

“Yeah, so here's the plan. Me, the strongman, and you, the boss man both taken down by a size three. Do you know what that means?” Clyde shook his head, still dazed and confused. “It means she's the boss man now. It means we piss off like good little boys and try not to get our pretty little heads cut off. Is that alright with you?” Clyde nodded quickly when he caught a glimpse of the still armed Kuroko menacing behind Kip. “Good man. Now I suspect you ought to go say hi to the boss and ask what we should be doing.” Clyde grimaced as Kip awkwardly helped him to his feet and brushed him off slightly.

“Miss...” He was still holding his head and seemed slightly groggy yet.

“Black Fang.” She replied stonily.

“Ah, well--”

She quickly pulled a contract from one off her unseen coat pockets and shoved it into his hands to shut him up. “Sign this. It means all your chips are mine and you belong to me.” She pulled out another. “Have all your men sign this one. From there all I ask is that you wait and do as I say until you receive word from me indicating otherwise.”

“What happens then?” Asked the man uncertainly.

“We all leave.” Was her simple answer.

“And if I refuse to?” He asked even less certainly.

“I kill you, then we all leave.” She said without hesitation or forethought.

Clyde took his hand off his head for a second and then ran it through his hair with a wry chuckle. “Fair enough. I guess I can't hack it here either.”

“All the more reason to leave.” Black said with the same dull deadpan voice she'd been using since she met Clyde. The man went silent for a moment to process her words. He looked down at his shoes and ran his hand through his hair again, it was clear there were already some greys mixed in with the dark brown strands. Suddenly he straightened up and for the first time spoke to the woman opposite him with confidence.

“Then what's your reason?” Came his delayed response.

“A bath.” She smirked, breaking her bleak facade for the first time. She looked really human for a moment, it was hard to believe that she was the strongest person here, a person with supernatural powers and experiences. If only for a fraction of a second, she looked like she was wearing the expression of a genuine eighteen year old girl who'd just cracked a joke.

Clyde laughed genuinely and heartily and didn't stop laughing for a full minute. When he finally composed himself and wiped the tears from his eyes he breathed a single word. “What?”

“I really want to go back home and take a bath.” Kuroko explained returning instantly to the same even, serious tone that she conducted all her business in.

“I don't believe it. You're going to fight through possibly the most dangerous people in existence in order to bathe.” Clyde had loosened up a bit and it was easier to see that he looked like a normal salaryman in his early thirties who'd been trying his hand at changing his fate only to have his dreams crushed once again. He looked so sad and pathetic beneath the slightly upturned corners of his mouth and softened eyes. It was hard to believe that moment ago he was acting the role of the big bad villain. Looking at him now it was hard to believe he could harm a fly.

“You'd feel the same way after four years without doing so.”

“I've been here for a single month, I guess I wouldn't know the difference. You know? I thought I was finally getting lucky with life.” He looked at Black. Not like he hand before, he actually examined her slim figure and determined eyes as if searching for a reason why she was the one choosing everyone's fate and why he was suddenly accepting it like he'd always accepted his fate before.

“Most people who end up here have a reason. But it's not your chance to make something of yourself. No matter how strong you are or how hard you work you won't be able to hold onto anything, it's despair for those on the bottom and despair for those on the top. Just as the devil intended.” Black stated philosophically.

“I don't know why I expected anything else in a casino.” He said with a hint of despair creeping into his voice as the situation seemed to settle on him.

Black remained silent this time just gazing intently at him as if awaiting more.

“Not gonna let something like this keep me down, are you?” He asked, she smiled. “Or did you want something more like this. Boss, orders?”

“That's the way. Your job is to protect these towns.” Said the girl as she withdrew a hand drawn map from her coat. “You can read a map down here, right?”

“Yeah, Kip showed me actually.” He said looking at the man who'd been beaten before him, the man he used to rest his hopes of advancing on. How foolish he'd been.

“You could have kept that secret, now I have to raise my view of him.” Kuroko said with a disappointed shake of her head.

“Sorry.”

“Well, take your gang and try to explain it to them. Take the golf nut back with you too. This is where we part ways.”

“I don't know exactly what to say. This is...” She stared at him. “I got it boss.”

“Thanks.” Clyde managed to smile somewhat hollowly as he turned and left with a wave in the reddish light of the eternally setting sun.

“Kip, you go with him. I have a feeling he'll need some back up when he breaks this.”

“As you wish.” He swept his cap from his head with his free hand and flourished it with a low bow and took off after his well dressed comrade.

“One more thing.” Kuroko called after him as she threw something at him. He managed to keep it from pummeling him over the head but barely recognized what she'd thrown until he was picking it up off the ground. “If you want a rematch, we'll have it at the exit. Kill me before that and you're dead.”

“As you wish.” He swept his cap from his head and took another low sweeping bow his hat and Mjolnir both in hand.

---

The dirty orange sunlight fluttered through the saloon style doors along with thin translucent clouds of dust as they swung back and forth following the entrance and exit of every patron of the dark, dilapidated bar. The chipped tankards and glasses clinked and clattered about as men caroused and gambled the hours away around the silent figure in white.

The mysterious cloaked figure with long white hair and a bemused smile who never drank a drop of what was put in front of him and sat in patient taciturnity as if waiting for someone. Suddenly, the doors burst open and in walked a man with a particularly hideously scarred and gnarled face and the echoes of burns crawling up and down his arms beneath the sleeves of his raggedly worn duster.

“So a man walks in a bar.” Click “And he points a gun at my head.” The white clad figure laughed but did not turn, instead he queried his assailant. “Do I know you?”

“Put that away, son. We won't be having none of that in my bar.” The bartender warned, reaching beneath the counter threateningly. The scarred man didn't move or take his eyes of his target for a moment.

“Don't worry, I'll have this cleared up in a minute.” The man in white assured him. “Now, I'll ask again. Do I know you?”

“You should remember everyone you've killed, Black Fang.” The man spat, suddenly showing the colors of his fury reflected in his, now crimson, face and bloodshot eyes.

“I'm not the Black Fang.” Chuckled the man in white with a shrug. “Now you can toddle on home and jack off or whatever it is you people do.”

“Long white hair and a katana. You're him alright.” The man in white looked down to his hip and surely enough there sat a katana rigged up some gears and vents about the hilt. He pulled the sheathed sword from his belt and set it on the table without taking notice of the pressure he felt on the back of his head as the scarred man drew nearer.

“Her hair is longer than mine.” He whispered.

The man who'd only just walked in had by now gathered a crowd of spectators that had not been in the bar moments before with his furious shouts. “Cut the crap, you are the one who burned me and my brother! I may not have seen your face that time but you killed him! You killed them all!”

“I'm glad that it's so easy to fool you people but this katana is a fake just like me.” He said, tapping on his sword. “I was hoping I'd be able to spread the rumor and let it call Black to me. But you're here instead. It actually makes me sad.”

“I don't—”

The man in white was suddenly on his feet before anyone could see him move and he began shouting. “Listen well! I'm not as forgiving as my twin fang. She's my prey and you can't have her! Now get out of my sight this instant!”

The man did pause for a second before he fired. A second too long. By the time he'd finished pulling the trigger on his weapon his arm had been spun about and his gun directed into his side. Then he felt the heavy lead ball rend his flesh and shatter his bone. Then he was laid on in the middle of the floor, dead before he had a chance to finish forming an expression. So his face remained in a half surprised, half unwitting expression as the man in white threw off his cloak and tossed it on the counter.

“It's got enough chips to pay for all this and why not have the katana too it's a work of art.” Said the White Fang as he sauntered off dressed in the same fashion of clothes as the bartender with the sole exception that his clothes were almost entirely snow white save for the dark argyle of his vest.

He froze when he heard another gun cocking. “That's far enough. You're wanted, you know.” The man who'd been sitting down the bar from him said as he leveled his single action pistol with both hands. He was soon joined by everyone in the bar the wasn't already fleeing the scene entirely. As people rushed by him White stopped and then slowly turned his head to face his attackers.

“Oh yeah, that's the other reason I pretended to be Black. She isn't in trouble with anyone she hasn't killed yet. I should be more like her. You guys with guns all ready to die?” White's face revealed a grin full of nothing but malice and cruelty.


Before any one of his opponents could move he was off like a rocket towards the first armed man. White gracefully redirected the shot aimed at him to the man on his left within a second of grabbing the man and he continued forcing his human shield to fire on his opponents as he maneuvered slowly towards an avenue of escape. When the ammunition was exhausted White darted away again and nicked a pair of handguns from the corpses of the two men between him and the counter.

The bartender had gone into the back as soon as the gunfight broke out and White took advantage of the vacancy and with a swift leap through the hail of fire that now pursued him fell behind the thick wooden bar, perfectly hidden. It was then that everyone paused. White to familiarize himself with his newly acquired arms and the gunmen opposite him to wonder if they could make it out alive anymore.

They got their answer when the brave few who managed to look behind the counter came back with knotholes for eyes. The rest opened fire recklessly at the bar just as White managed to escape into the back room and hide on top of a rack full of dried cured meats. Once there he shot the bartender who'd been hiding in ambush further back in the room and took his shotgun before backing himself against the rear exit firing at all who dared cross the threshold. Soon the clip was empty and so too seemed the front room.

With a smile he tossed the spent weapon to the ground and made his escape. The men right outside the door shot each other over his ducked head and grinned as he quickly mounted his metallic steed. A great blade-winged beast of chrome silver and exposed brass colored gears that woke upon his arrival and with a kick of a pedal was off, flying on wings of steel leaving a breath of fire in its wake.

“I'm coming for you Black. So just wait there.”

Note: Updates were 7 months apart again. Oh well. CnC if you want.

After Note:

Spoiler

Chevalier was right all those months back. I've taken this is a totally different direction from the beginning and it's not looking nice at the moment. I'd like to take this chance to actually explain myself in hopes that it'll clear up some of the confusion or at least make it look like I've put some thought into it. This was the original story. Part 1 was actually what I came up with later as in when I started posting to bridge the gap between this and the implied past story. I feel like this change of pace ended up being worse on the characters than I had initially imagined. I'm trying to even out the gaps but honestly, I feel like if you want the old angsty emotionally charge section you can just treat it like it ended with part 1. This part of the story is about something else and I'm hoping that I'll be able to convey it all the same. Those are my excuses.

Just wanted the thread to win. Don't care what category.

I'm not actually sure if I can hear after 17 or if it's just psychological and I think I'm hearing it. But then again I always have this high pitched ringing in my ears which is supposedly a sign of hearing loss or insanity.

Become gay? I snicker.

This thread makes me feel like I'm in love. In love with everyone who doesn't realise that they should love themselves a bit more. But don't worry kids, worrying is for losers, someone out there will make up the difference. This world is a wonderful place where love is a conservative force and everyone will add up to a perfect 100. So you 30s and 40s should be happy that you users end up with 70s and 60s. So have fun because everything is perfect and everyone will become so. It's definitely wonderful, everything is. It just makes me want to go jump off something and back onto it and back off again.

I'd say to edit more if you hadn't taken 3 months between updates, now I'm just saying edit more. You had three or four words that wanted their first letter back and more that wanted their last. Structurally your story holds up fine, I could do with a little more description of certain actions and more attention to characters in the periphery I suppose but that might just ruin flow. Thumbs up to the dream sequence, not perfect, but-- aw fuck it I just liked having my character back.

Overall, the story is running nicely to completion, like you planned it or something. My only issue is I feel like I don't actually know entirely what happens at some junctures until I reread it. Go for clarity, get a dedicated editor to point out those things that you as the writer may be a little too close to to see.

You're right, I've designed them all. I design everything I draw because I'm piss poor at copying. Yeah, the loose lines are my fault for being so reliant on the erasable media I'm used to and my lack of discipline.

I actually hope to one day get better at the greyscaled monochrome medium. I feel like there is a lot more dynamism in the stark contrast and color is a drawback for some drawings. The fact that they are indeed sketches and not finished drawings is another throwback to my lack of ability and discipline. Shadows on top of textures and details are pretty much impossible for me with the current tools and skills with said tools I've got. Since this was a design exercise to begin with I'm pleased with your response but it's a reminder that I'm far from where I need to be.

I'm not really sure what your own level is but I'd appreciate it if there is anything specific you could add as far as technique advice, like how I would go about doing the shading or backgrounds perhaps, since the general things themselves are pretty self evident.

Friday is pizza day. Best day of the week.

If no, then you cleaned up like mad.

It's not elitism. It's a valid point of concern.

Transformers died when Michael Bay was allowed to direct it.

I don't even remember anything that far back, it's kinda depressing how long ago it feels.