Greeeeeeeetiiiiiiiiiings, Folxxxx !
While waiting for next INLAND EMPIRE chapter, why not "push the stone" a tad further" with CHECKMATED !, eh ? Ya know, I really like that alternation between stories, and switch from the serious one to the comical one and back ? The nice collaboration with Skychild101 for INLAND EMPIRE – unlike my previous one for my PUSSYCALL EDUCATION story – also helps to keep a good balance between both fictions and harmoniously continuing both of them at its own time. So, all in all, pretty cool parallel writing, and thanxxxx Ana for your help and support !
Just rediscovered French electronic band M83's debut album, me who really enjoyed all their following ones, and it's a pretty nice first try ! Kudos to Anthony Gonzalez for keeping electronic mind up in the stars !
Oh, and I may be able to attend Massive Attack's concert in Switzerland, in July ! Man, been waiting for that for sooooo long… can't believe it's likely to happen ! Gotta pinch myself… uh, wait, better do it only once the tickets are actually purchased… uh, wait AGAIN, better in fact pinch myself only when the concert starts… uh, wait, better once it's over ! And… ok, shutting it for good ! ^^''
But wait… wait a second… there are also Jean Michel Jarre, M83 and Air as well this summer ?! Oh, gosh ! I'd like to see them all ! But I can't see them all ! But I'd like to see them all ! But I can't see them all ! But I'd like to see them all ! But I can't see them all ! But I'd like to see them all ! But I can't see them all ! But I'd like to see them all ! But I can't see them all ! But I'd like to see them all ! But… AAAAAH DAAAAMN, BLOODY BROKEN RECORD ! (*break record under my foot*)
And so… uh…back to rollercoaster of laughter once again, right ?
Time to…
…N'JOY !
#\#\#\#\#\#\#\#\#\# UNTIL THE END OF THE (NIGHT) KNIGHT… #/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#
"Get this ! And this ! And this !"
The green-cloaked female was shadowboxing in the large plain covered with hillocks.
Every now and then, a spout of scalding water would erupt from the depths of the soil at the top of some hillock.
The emoticlone enjoyed those geysers which characterized her domain and somehow reflected her own nature, fiery and impulsive… and, just like the water itself, pretty HOT (that is, hot-blooded) !
Brave had been throwing non-stop combinations of punches and kicks for more than an hour when she suddenly decided that even the heroes do need some break after a long exercise. She had great endurance and could keep practicing for quite some time, but on that day, she didn't feel like doing it for so long.
What's the matter with me today ? Getting lazy all of a sudden ? That's totally unlike me ! Dammit, I really hope that Sloth isn't rubbing off on me… I couldn't stand turning like her !
The most active of all emotions – well, physically at least, since Knowledge was the most active… intellectually – made cartwheels in direction of the tree at the bottom of which she had left her green flask.
After making a somersault and landing perfectly, she grabbed the plastic bottle, used her teeth to pull out the small mobile cork and let out a long satisfied sigh as she felt the cool energizing drink flow down her throat.
Happy had once seen the colour of that sport drink, which was blue, and had asked her from which planet it came… and she had asked the same question a few weeks later, upon spotting an orange-coloured tonic drink !
And when her athletic sister had told her that these weird beverages were actually made nowhere else, thus did originate from Earth, the bubbliest of all emoticlones had opened eyes almost as big as planet Jupiter…
"Mmmmmh… couldn't live without this !" Brave spoke up as she wiped her mouth dry, as if she was actually talking to somebody close-by.
She recapped the flask and copiously stretched with a long moan of delight.
Then she sat down to start limbering up, not yet ready to resume with a hardcore training session, and wondering once again if she wasn't becoming lazy, like her idle, brown-dressed sister… a thought which almost brought shivers to her back !
She had been at it for God knows how much time when the ground shook violently… but only once ! Nothing afterwards.
The sporty girl raised an eyebrow.
Okay, either this was the briefest earthquake in History, or it wasn't an earthquake but one of my unruly sisters pulling some prank or doing whatever silly stuff they can come up with… I swear they're gonna hear it ! Damn, why don't they go bother Rage…? Well, actually… I have an idea why !
Yes, she DID have an idea about her sisters leaving Rage quiet. None of them dared to annoy the most terrible of their group, because doing so would be equivalent to signing one's own death warrant ! No less ! Rage could certainly imagine dozens of "pretty nice" ways to torture somebody, and nobody was that much curious as to find out what ways exactly… so better just leave good old four eyes alone ! Well… good, maybe not… so bad old four eyes, yup !
Anyway, back to our plot, eh ? Coz after all, that's not the time and place to ramble about Rage… she'll have her own chapter, and I'll have all the time to write about her then…
So, hum… where were we again ?
Ah yes, the shaking ground…!
So, yeah, Brave was wondering what was with that sudden briefest-earthquake-in-History !
But she had an inkling it may well be a certain pink-dressed teen of her knowledge… that or Rude at some new antics of hers again !
Only one way to know who she should chastise : explore !
No sooner said than done, the impetuous female took off and began flying around.
She didn't have to fly for long, though (approximately 19,5 seconds, I would estimate), because it was pretty certain to her that the immense shape towering over the opposite part of the geyser plain, on the other side of the cliff, wasn't there the previous day !
And that someone had therefore brought it there. Okay, maybe not carried it, given the hugeness of the object… more like that mysterious someone had made it appear or something along those lines…
Okay, now what's that crap ?
She hurried to the unknown thing that was squatting part of her territory and soon was landing at a short distance from the puzzling object, to examine it in detail.
The basis was cylindrical, and the upper part consisted of a horse's head, with its eyes closed.
Brave frowned.
That thing reminds me of something… but what ?
She tilted her head to the side, as if looking at the large shape from a different angle would light up a bulb up there, in her neurons… (now, dear reader, don't go imagining that Brave was dumb, as she definitely wasn't…. **see Brave glaring at me** eh eh, ahem, errr… as I just said, she wasN'T !)
"Okay, who did that ? Come on, Happy, I know it's you ! Get out of your hideout and put that big pebble where you took it from !" she said aloud.
No reply.
No noise.
No movement.
Well, in fact, there was a movement. Not around her on the ground, where she was looking this way and that way, expecting her prankster of her sister to maybe show up, but above her, on the statue : the large eyes opened and stared at the green-clad girl looking around her, right opposite.
"Happy ! I've got a lot of exercising to do today, and no time to play ! Maybe this afternoon, if you're nice and disciplined till then… but that implies taking this stone stuff over there back to where it belongs !"
Still no reply.
Still no noise.
Still no… uh, wait ! No, there WAS another movement, and it was again on the statue : it frowned !
A frowning statue ?!
A frowning statue !
Can we go on now ?
So, Brave was getting pretty impatient and, clenching her fists, she yelled : "HAAAAAA-PPYYYYYYYY !"
And that's when it happened !
"Can't you just be quiet ?!" asked a scolding voice.
The self-confident emoticlone looked up… and goggled !
There were two open eyes on the statue, and they were staring down at her, with a frown right above !
"Yes, I'm talking to YOU !" confirmed the mineral creature in a loud, threatening voice.
"You gotta be kidding me…!" Brave spoke up, still with wide open eyes.
"No kidding there, but just being upset with your screams !" replied the other.
"You an alien of some sort or what ?" asked Brave with endless perplexity, one of her eyebrows raised as an obvious sign of her bewilderment..
"It's : are you an alien of some sort, actually… and no, as a matter of fact, I'm not."
"Whatever… What are you exactly ? I mean, aside from a talking horse statue…"
"A talking horse statue…" whispered the creature to itself, rolling eyes, before continuing in a normal voice : "I am the Knight. One of the chess pieces living on the chessboard of the female wizard."
One of Brave's eyebrows rose again.
"The female wizard ? Who the hell is that ?" she questioned.
"Well, how many wizards do you know in the Teen Titans' team ?" ironically asked the Knight.
"Ah, Master ! But why didn't you say it clearly ?"
"Master ? Her name is Raven ! And, hum, it was so evident that I was talking about her that I still wonder how you didn't get it immediately…"
Brave glared at her vis-à-vis.
"Hey, you saying that I'm daft or what ?!" half-asked half-stated the feisty teen.
"Calm down, young one ! I never said that ! But your question was…"
A brief pause.
"Was WHAT ?" insisted the Green Cloak, glaring even harder.
Brave was known among the emoticlones for having a well-rooted self-esteem, along with Rage, and their sisters made sure to never irritate those proud emotions, who were not exactly the kind to refuse a fight… especially if their honor was at stake !
"Well, was not really necessary, given that there is only one female wizard in the team, so it has to be Raven ! That's logical, no ?" explained the Knight.
"Are you saying I'm asking unnecessary questions and that I'm not logical in my head ?" questioned the green-clad girl.
The chess piece sighed.
"You really have much pride, don't you… hum… I don't even know your name, actually, while I told you mine…"
Another rise of eyebrow for Brave (new habit on the way !).
"You told me your name ? I don't recall hearing a name. You only told me that you were the Knight, a chess piece, and that you came from the chessboard, nothing else…"
"Knight IS my name, or serves as my name, if you prefer !" clarified the stone being.
"I don't prefer anything, in fact, I don't mind ! I just don't want you to sully my honour by implying I'm not intelligent enough !"
"I never implied that, but perhaps you've heard that one can lack reflection at a time yet still be intelligent ? Just because one speaks without thinking on an occasion doesn't mean that he/she is stupid. So I did not imply you weren't smart, but it seems you're the kind to go ballistic easily, aren't you….. hum, I STILL don't know your name, by the way !"
"Brave ! And I'm not the kind to fly off the handle that easily, but what you said seemed offending, so I felt the necessity to make myself respected !"
"Okay, okay, let's forget it… And you still didn't tell me your name, eh ! But maybe you're afraid that I woul-"
"I'M NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING !" yelled the grey-skinned teen, clenching her fists again. "I'M NOT THE KIND TO BE AFRAID ! I'M BRAVE AND I DON'T FEAR ANYTHING !"
"Wow wow wow, calm down, will you ? Okay, you're brave, but no need to scream like that… relax a bit….. hum, whatever your name is !"
"BRAVE ! MY NAME IS BRAVE !"
"BUT QUIT YELLING LIKE THAT !"
"HEY, YOU'RE YELLING TOO, IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED !"
"THAT'S BECAUSE YOU UPSET ME SO MUCH WITH YOUR OWN SCREAMING !"
"AND BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE SCREAMS… YOU SCREAM YOURSELF ?!"
"LISTEN…"
But then it occurred to the Knight that this loudmouth opposite her was right… even if he hated to admit it. Was shouting the best way to react to the dislike of shouts ? Evidently not, even on the contrary ! In fact, it was the most paradoxical manner to react…
"Okay, let's calm down, alright… uh, Brave ?! That's your name ?! It's an adjective… What a strange idea to make a name out of it…" observed the horse-headed entity.
"WELL THAT'S MY NAME, LIKE IT OR NOT !"
"Alright… Brave, but please stop YE-LLING ! Okay ? Because it's really getting annoying ! Gosh, what a spitfire you are, always vociferating when angry…!"
The Green Cloak pinched the area right above the bridge of her nose, between her eyes, her eyes closed : no doubt she was trying to control herself and not burst out again… but also no doubt she was having a hard time at this ! Being used to jumping the gun, Brave was a real powder keg and one had to choose his/her words carefully to avoid offending the proud emotion who embodied not only the courage… but also the fighting spirit of Raven !
And given that the girl never renounced a fight or any physical challenge of some sort… better be very cautious when talking to her !
"Okay, look… I'll make an effort at keeping my cool if YOU make an effort at respecting me !" proposed the emoticlone.
"Am I being disrespectful just because I point out your lack of composure ?" questioned the chess piece.
"Well, do you find that respectful ?!" retorted the half-demonic girl.
"Making an observation isn't being impolite or inconsiderate !" remarked the non-human.
Long sigh from the hooded one.
"Yeah right. Whatever. We're not on the same page, so why argue ?" she said more calmly than she thought herself able to.
It was the Knight's turn to sigh.
"I'm getting tired quickly in here. And where am I, anyway ?"
"This place is called Nevermore, and this part here is my domain. And now that we talk about it… what are you doing in MY domain ? How did you arrive in there ? Who lead you here ? Why have you come ? How-"
"Woah woah woah, calm down… uh… Brave ! One question at a time, alright ? I can't reply to everything all at once !"
The dynamic emoticlone made a face, crossing her arms… but she inwardly came up to the conclusion that it was indeed correct : she was asking too many questions at one and the same time ! She always hated to admit her being wrong, just as much as she hated beet juice, but when she was forced to… she did ! (hum, talking about admitting her being wrong here… not about the beet juice thing… as she definitely would NEVER drink that stuff !)
"Okay okay. So, basically : what-are-you-doing-in-my-domain ?" she asked.
"If only I knew that… I was quietly waiting to be played on the chessboard, along with all my companions, and suddenly found myself hanging in mid air, above that plain, and then crashed on the ground. How I was teleported here remains a mystery. That's all I know."
Brave was eyeing the Knight as he spoke, and she made a small "frowning movement" with her lips at the end, one that gave away her skepticism.
"So you're saying you came here by teleportation, and not a clue about who did it…?" she asked, to check if she had gotten it all right.
"That's what I'm saying indeed !" replied the stone being.
The grey girl's eyes slightly narrowed.
"That sounds really…"
A brief pause.
"…unbelievable !"
And she remained there, motionless, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, her mouth slightly misshapen in an incredulous face-pulling.
The other understood that the small teen standing in front of him had a hard time giving credence to his explanation of his presence in Nevernore.
I saw what kind of personality she has, how she can be short-tempered, and if she starts mistrusting me… oh gosh, it won't be a cinch convincing that hard-headed girl…!
"You don't think that what I told you is true, do you ?" asked the Knight.
"Hum… well… I actually don't know if I should believe it or not… I'm not saying it's wrong… but I really don't understand why someone would teleport a chess piece in here. What would be the reason of it. And since I can't find one… I'm still dubious about your statement."
"Yet it's the truth. Why on Earth would I willingly choose to come here ? I mean, I didn't even know this place existed ! How can one decide to go to a place he/she doesn't even know about ?! That doesn't make any sense, you agree with me, right ?"
Brave airily tilted her head to the side as she pondered that.
"'kay, you got a point, I guess. And a big one, in fact. For if you have no reason to come here by yourself… then why would you ? But if someone else did send you here… who was it and why did he/she do such a thing ?!"
"You're asking me ? Jeez, if only I knew the answer to that… I would tear that person's arms off his/her body ! I swear I would !"
The emoticlone sniggered.
"AND YOU FIND THAT FUNNY ?!" half-screamed the horse head.
The crossed-armed figure watched her vis-à-vis with visible amusement.
"Ah ah, yeah, in fact, I do ! But I'm not mocking you, mind you ! It's just that you said that you would tear arms off their body… but how can you do that… without hands ?!"
And Brave chuckled anew.
"So you're laughing at me because I don't have hands like you ? Very clever I must say…" observed the chess piece on an icy tone that gave away his annoyance.
"Eh, easy, Knight ! I wasn't making fun of you… so you don't have to be unpleasant like that !" retorted the green-dressed one, the smile leaving her lips.
"If I want to be unpleasant because you're lacking respect, then I will be ! You accused me of being disrespectful before… now it's the other way round !"
The impetuous emotion felt that she was losing her cool and returning to her good old self, the one always ready to pick a fight if need be.
"Hey, look here ! I'm not disrespectful at all, okay ? I was merely teasing you, so take a chill pill, will you ?" she said very loud, not yet screaming, but ready to nevertheless.
The Knight sighed.
"You can be really tiring, you know, Brave ?"
"Well, guess what ? So can you, Knight !"
"I'm not tiring at all."
"You are !"
"I'm not."
"I say you are !"
"And I say I'm not."
"Yes !"
"No."
"Oh yes !"
"Oh no."
(*vigorous nod from Brave*)
(*energetic head-shake from the Knight*)
The next minute was spent in a glaring contest, none of them willing to lower his/her eyes, each certain to be right and the other wrong.
"My oh my, why did I have to be teleported exactly HERE, where you are staying ? Why couldn't I be sent to some nicer place, with a nicer person ?" complained the stone structure with another sigh.
"Hey, will you stop saying I'm not nice ? It's not true !" replied an indignant emoticlone.
"You're always getting angry after a while and screaming…" pertinently remarked the Knight.
Brave raised a finger and pointed it at the Knight, ready to contradict that… when she suddenly stopped right in the middle of it, realizing that he was correct after all : she DID get easily angry… and she DID scream regularly once she was ! There was therefore nothing wrong in what her interlocutor had just said !
"Okay, okay, maybe I'm short-tempered and easily get furious, but after all, that's who I am. I mean, you also have your own flaws, no ?"
"Of course I do. And it's not a problem for me to admit them. Is it a problem for YOU to admit YOURS, mmmmmh ?"
Brave felt her level of patience reach its bottom.
"Whatever ! Let's stop that talk right here right now !" she said on authoritarian tone.
"Did I hit a sensitive nerve, by chance ?" replied the Knight in an unctuous voice.
"I said STOP ! Or else I swear I'm gonna find a way to make gravel out of you !"
"Alright, alright… needless get that naughty, my dear… wrath is useless and leads nowhere, you know that… and besides, afterwards, you'll have to clean up all that gravel afterwards, so… no good idea, right ?"
Brave felt herself fuming, but then she recalled Rage and her being perceived negatively by all the other emotions… and it occurred to her that she did NOT want to be seen in a negative light !
Calm down, Brave, calm down… Perhaps that Knight is just trying to drive you nuts… and if I get angry, he will get what he wanted ! Let's just try to get rid of him…
"Hum… listen… I've got things to do and not that much time to chat… so I think you should go, really…" the Green Cloak told her visitor.
The Knight pondered his answer.
"Do you hold a grudge against me ?" he finally asked.
"Nevermind if I do. I must go and would like you to leave my domain. So…"
"I would be really glad to get away from here… but since I don't even know how I landed here…"
"Okay, okay, I guess I'll have to do the whole job then. I can use my powers to teleport you away. And yeah, I'm sure you must be impatient to be away from that angry emotion getting on your nerves…"
The Knight got an offended look.
"Hey, I never said that !"
"You don't need to phrase it aloud : given our discussion, it was only logical to deduce it…"
"But, hum…"
"But nothing ! Be quiet now, so that I can focus on the teleportation spell !" ordered the dynamic teen as she closed her eyes.
"Okay, but don't be mad -"
"QUIET, I said !" concluded Brave, leaving her eyes shut.
The mineral creature didn't reply this time, and rather let the emoticlone concentrate.
Finally, Brave's eyes reopened white and the girl pronounced a sequence of words.
A white light surrounded the Knight, which grew and grew, soon wrapping completely the chess piece.
After long seconds, the blinding light subsided, and when it disappeared completely, the place was empty.
Brave let out a loooooooooong sigh and brushed her hands against each other, several times, as if to imply "good riddance".
Then she thought of something and remained motionless for a moment.
She was in fact reflecting about the whole conversation, how it had gone, evolved.
And as her thinking came to an end, a small smile showed up on her lips.
"Bah, that was still fun somehow… and it drew me away from my daily routine for a while… not bad to do something else every now and then… even if that implied getting all worked up, like good old Rage ! But what matters in the end is that I won, and made her leave my domain ! Yay me !"
And after pumping a fist in the air as she uttered the last bit, she resumed shadowboxing, imagining it was the Knight opposite her…
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"That's a wrap !"
And that's it for Brave !
I wanted to make her angry and grumpy, cranky… even if I admit that could / would also apply to Rage !
That was quite a heated exchange, wasn't it ? It's not that easy having the upper hand on a Knight ! But just wait to see what it will be like with the Queen ! I've already my idea of it and… well, the emoticlone facing her will have a hard time getting a hold of herself and not destroy the Queen straight away ! (*teaser teaser*)
Hope ya liked that one. Not sure it's as good as the previous ones though. I seem to be less satisfied of the result. I dunno about ya, but I've done better IMO.
Anyway, that was it, and I thank you for continuing to read me ! We've now reached the middle of this story, and I'm still overall happy with it. Hope you are as well.
And before I take my leave from you all, I would like to send a prayer up to the skies for dear Prince, that artist I was so fond of in my teen years (I owned almost all his studio records from 1982 to 1992), and who proved such an essential musician and singer back in the '80 and '90 ! He was unique and despite his huge ego and his upsetting decisions (such as remove most of his original music videos from the net…), he will be remembered as a very talented one, a genius in his own kind. May your soul rest in eternal bliss, Prince Rogers Nelson, and thank you from the depths of my heart for your admirable musical legacy ! The Purple Rain is falling today over the world like endless tears of sorrow regarding your too-early demise…
Wish ya all good, Pals ! Take care & never forget to smile !
Peace, Love, Ecstasy !
:Dxx
("…we're gonna party like it's 1999…")