It had me laughing, as, believe it or not, I've heard stories pretty much told like that, with all the slang. Now I expect you to start using some in everyday conversation.
And sure, conquering Ireland should be a breeze, (assuming my knees ceased trembling!), then our ears can live in bliss ever-after.
Thank you Quix! I just realized we past our one year writing anniversary last month! I love the journey in Farewell, and I look forward to see how it unfolds over the next several scene. Speaking of which, I should get on that reply I owe you!
Oh, and since we were talking about sexy Irish Accents, I was going to mention Kelly MacDonald, whose voice just makes me melt every time I hear it. However, I have discovered that she is Scottish, so now I just look stupid.
Thank you Quix! I just realized we past our one year writing anniversary last month! I love the journey in Farewell, and I look forward to see how it unfolds over the next several scene. Speaking of which, I should get on that reply I owe you!
Oh, and since we were talking about sexy Irish Accents, I was going to mention Kelly MacDonald, whose voice just makes me melt every time I hear it. However, I have discovered that she is Scottish, so now I just look stupid.
No worries, Xana, and damn, a year since we started our first? Sorry I missed that; time does fly
I'm glad you're loving the journey as well, and no rush, I'm away for a couple of days after tomorrow, so probably won't even be thinking about responses until I get back.
Scottish, Irish? Pretty much the same thing, and they don't care if you mix them up. (Being how as my best mate's mum is Scottish, don't I know just how wrong that is. Thankfully I didn't accuse her of being English, xD)
And the problem is? Just as long as you tell me all about the reactions, xD
Exactly, I'm doing it to help you out, and ensure you can enjoy the trip, rather than having to spend half your time asking people to translate into Proper English.
I think you're right, their voices will be like a siren-song, luring our trembling knees and melting hearts to their demise. We need to do a little more planning.
Good luck on the job front. The good of it is that you quit on your terms. Still, I give you credit for plunging in and just doing it without wasting time. I'm not sure I could have. I'll take risks and have when it's come to jobs. An example is that I'd wanted to be where my now husband was living. We'd been long distance, I was tired of it. So, I quit my job, moved and just hoped I'd find something out where he was. People thought I was crazy because I didn't just move a few miles or even a state away. No. I moved clear across the country. LOL! But sometimes I think my anxiety has worsened with age. >.<
Also, you're very sweet. Your co-writers and friends are lucky to have you. I consider myself fortunate that I'm getting to know you. Took me a bit...but now you know why. XD hehe. Anyway, I'm glad to be one of those you chat with. It's nice engaging in good, mind stimulating conversation with good people. Keeps the brain active and it definitely keeps me smiling. Also, this is a total aside...huzzah for the word gobsmacked! I don't use it often, but every so often it slips out thanks to my mom and her raising me on Britcoms and Monty Python. Yes, I know you're Aussie, but still! That word is the best! I don't hear it often. XD
Thanks DA, I just tend to do what I think is right, then worry about the consequences later, and if I get an idea in the back of my brain that 'I might have to do this', such as I had with quitting my job for a week or so, then you can pretty much guarantee that at some stage it's going to happen. Things usually work out. And taking the leap to quit the security of your job, and a place, I assume where most of your friends and support network where, to move across country was a huge one to take, but definitely the right one by the sounds of it, xD
Being friends with people, swapping friendly banter, and having that those engaging conversations just makes signing on here that much more enjoyable and, for me, adds to the stories. And better late than never, I'm as fortunate to be getting to know you as well.
Ah, Gobsmacked is an awesome word. Monty Python and British sitcoms were what I was raised on, too, and lot of our slang is either stolen from, or based on the English, and our humour more similar to theirs than the American, except even drier.
Wikipedia defines that as:
"It is usually spoken in a casual, monotone, or cantankerous voice, and expresses a calm, sincere, or grave demeanor, often in spite of the ridiculousness of the subject matter. This delivery is also called dry humor or dry wit, when the intent, but not the presentation, is humorous, blunt, oblique, sarcastic, laconic, or apparently unintentional."
And goes on to say:
"Dry humor is often confused with highbrow or egghead humor, because the humor in dry humor does not exist in the words, their delivery, or both. Instead, the listener must look for humor in the contradiction between words, delivery and context. Failure to include the context or to identify the contradiction results in the listener finding the dry humor unfunny."
And I think that, as my sense of humour is definitely dry, and using it/being able to identify it is just part of our culture, that's another reason some people find me hard to read, or take what I say more seriously than it's intended to be.
Just about to head down the coast to visit Mum, and will be back in a couple of days. Any OoC will probably be delayed until I get back, and feel free to hold off a day or so on story responses if you like! (My subtle way of saying that my brain will go crazy if I see that I've got a heap of replies, but can't even read them properly on my phone, let alone begin to think about my responses, xD)
Thanks DA, it was pleasant, and managed to also catch up with both of my brothers, although we each timed our arrivals and departures so we didn't have to spend too much time together, xD
Australia lost another of it's legendary performance artists (and one of Mum's favourites), Jon English, yesterday, a singer-songwriter, television and stage actor, most famous probably for his long-running roles in the Australian productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, and the Pirates of Penzance, so in tribute, a couple of his songs:
The first is a cover of a Bob Seger song, but most may know it as performed by Metallica:
[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-wXX3I-kY0[/video]
And the second, might be his most well-known, written for a classic Aussie TV series called Against the Wind, which he also starred in, and possibly not to a lot of people's tastes. But, what can I say, I can be a sap for slow songs, and just love how mellow it is.
I don't often watch movies, but, occasionally, there's one that just cries out for me to see it, and after reading about the 2016 Academy Award Best Picture Winner, Spotlight, I immediately downloaded it, and watched it tonight.
I don't think anyone who reads this journal would be surprised to learn that I'd find a story, based on fact, about a newspaper investigative reporting teams expose of Institutionalized sex abuse within the Catholic Church, irresistible (the story that was the catalyst for the discovery of further worldwide cover-ups, and ultimately led to the Royal Commission into Institutionalised Sex Abuse currently being held in Australia).
However, as much as I thought I'd enjoy it, I had no idea that it would be so powerful, or have the effect on me it did, and that I'd be as pissed and angry as I was when it ended. (I dare anyone to watch the closing credits and not be!) It just served to reinforce why I possess the contempt for the concept of God, religion and the Church, that I do, and I commend the film-makers for their bravery in releasing it.
Then, at the same time as the anger, I also found it uplifting, in that such abuses cannot remain hidden forever, and it reminded me of why I hold the journalistic profession, when practised as I think it should be, in such high esteem, and of my respect for the unique men and women who do practice it that way, and will not bend to anyone in their determination to get to the truth. That led to some memories of Dad, a print journalist himself, so, all in all, quite an emotional experience, and the first of the following quotes, in many ways, is an ode to my Father. He loved what he did, oftentimes to the exclusion of his family, and, in the end, his profession is what killed him, xD
It also inspired in me the desire to write another story with my character as an investigative journalist, something I've attempted a couple of times, but both of which didn't work out. My initial thoughts are something along the lines of the film, 8mm, changing the lead from a detective, so I might put some more thought into it, and see if I can come up with a plot, xD
I know in my head what it is I look for in female characters when developing a plot, or deciding if I'll be interested in a story, or writing opposite her, but it's something I find very difficult to express in a way that others will interpret as I do, and my wording often changes in an attempt to clarify. The best I can come up with now is that what attracts me (and my characters) to female characters are those with the type of personality and mindset that leads to 'possession of independent intent.'
As much as women like men who know what they want, and aren't afraid to go for it, I'm drawn to the same in females, and I don't see why that capacity, which, to my mind, is purely intellectual and bears no relationship to gender or 'dominance/submissiveness', should be expected to be possessed by one, and not the other. As to whether they'll get what they want or not is a completely different story, and therein lies the fun, xD
Interestingly, in my googling, I found an article that sums up a lot of my views and thoughts when it comes to my interest being maintained in a story/character, which I've copied and pasted below; the original can be found here:
Over the last few weeks I’ve been beta reading a YA novel for a good writer friend of mine. After reading the first few of chapters, I come to the conclusion that I didn’t like the protagonist. In fact, my dislike was such that, if I were reading for enjoyment only, I would have put the book down. My first thought was that the character needed to be made more likeable. However, as I read on, I realised that my response was unfair. And by the time I reached the end of the book, I had come to the conclusion that I was wrong to suggest that the character should be changed in any way.
Did I come to love the character? No. Not at all.
But I did realise why I didn’t like the character.
The protagonist of this purposely unnamed book is purely reactive. The character at no point takes charge, develops a plan, or takes any action that isn’t directly prompted by another character. And, put simply, I don’t like purely reactive characters any more than I like purely reactive people. But that’s not to say that reactive characters are bad. There are plenty of stories with reactive (or even passive) protagonists, and the “passive character takes control of her own life” trope is a very familiar one. It’s just not one that I personally enjoy.
But my enjoyment, or lack thereof, is not a stain on the writing in this YA novel. The protagonist is consistent throughout the story, has a distinctive voice, and is so authentic that I’m pretty sure this person is living their own life in an alternate dimension somewhere. (Or possibly New Zealand.) And, really, isn’t that what we’re all aiming for with our characters: consistency, distinctiveness and authenticity?
My dislike of the character was purely subjective. It’s not up to the author to change the character to suit me. The only reason the author should consider making any changes is if the intention was to have a proactive rather than reactive character.
As a writer, sometimes it’s hard to see our characters the same way other people see them. To us, they’re perfect works of art, even more endearing for their faults and flaws. And it can be hard to tell whether they’re being proactive or reactive when there’s a mad slasher or serial killer hunting down all their friends and family (mwah ha ha ha ha!). So, here are some questions you may like to consider if you’d like to determine where in the reactive-proactive spectrum your character fits.
What is your character’s goal before the story starts?
We all know that we should start a story as close to the action as possible, right? But we also all know that if we start too close to the action (in media res, as it were), there’s a chance we’ll alienate readers who have no reason to care whether our young Jedi is captured and tortured by the Empire. So what is your character like in his normal life?
If he’s sitting around waiting to see what life throw at him, or he spends all his time following in the footsteps of his friends and family, or is drifting aimlessly through life without a goal or plan (apparently waiting for a story to begin), there’s a pretty good chance he’s more reactive than proactive.
But if the character is working to achieve a goal, whether or not it’s story-related, he’s more likely to be a proactive character.
Note: This goal doesn’t have to be something big like “to save the world” (or even “to destroy the world”). It could be something as simple as “to get good grades so I can get into college” or “to be the prettiest girl at the Prom” or “to hit the target at the firing range”. The key here is that the character is taking action to achieve his goal, not waiting for it to happen through divine intervention or good old-fashioned luck.
What does your character do during down-time?
Almost every novel has it: down-time. That moment between the adrenalin-fuelled car chase and the point where the slasher leaps out of the tree-line and drags the protagonist’s boyfriend into the undergrowth. It’s a chance for the characters (and the reader) to take a deep breath and process everything that’s just happened. It’s often the point where characters share information, or plot their next move, or take advantage of the lull in death-dealing to “celebrate the wonder of life”. (Cue the sleazy electric guitar.)
So, how does your character behave in the lull? If she takes the opportunity to sit quietly and cry, or goes along with someone else’s suggestion, or her entire plan revolves around waiting to see what happens next, she’s probably a reactive character.
A proactive character is likely to be the one leading the conversation, making plans that include the theme (if not the words) “the best defence is a good offense”, or even taking the opportunity to return to her pre-story goals: “Yes, I know there’s a mad slasher out there. But if I don’t cleanse and moisturise every day, Laura Pringle will look hotter than me at the dance and I’ll never live it down!”
How does your character make choices?
A good story always involves hard choices. Perhaps they don’t seem hard from the outside, but in the character’s mind, they’re huge: “Do I go to the D&D Convention with my friends like I do every year, or go to the Country Club with my cousin in the hopes that I’ll see the girl of my dreams?” Sometimes the choices are life-altering. Sometimes they’re story-altering. And sometimes they seem to have no bearing on the story… until they do. “Wait, you mean if I’d chosen Strawberry topping, you wouldn’t have torched my car? Damn it! I don’t even like chocolate!” So, when faced with a decision, how does your character decide?
A reactive character is more likely to do what’s “easiest” or “more immediate”. If choosing between two love interests, the reactive character will go with the one in front of him right now. Or the one who tries the hardest to woo him. Or the one that his friends tell him he should go with. Alternately, he won’t make a choice at all — at least, not until he’s either forced to do so by outside events (“Declare your undying love for me, or I’ll start drowning kittens! “) or one of the options is removed (“Now that Laura is dead, you have to love me!”).
A proactive character will make a choice. It may not be the right choice (and often isn’t), but it’s a choice nonetheless: “I’ve considered my options and have decided that I’m really in love with the evil, but incredibly sexy, vampire, and not the sweet girl-next-door who’s always been there for me. How could anything possibly go wrong?”
How does your character resolve the story?
At the end of the book, the plot and character arcs should (ideally) all tie themselves up into a delightful little thing we call a “resolution”, leaving minimal loose threads hanging around for people to trip over. This generally comes straight after the final conflict (or climax) of the story. So, what’s your character’s role in all of this?
A) What do you mean “role”? She’s too busy hiding behind the cupboard desperately hoping the police arrived in time to save her from the pushy hat-salesman to actually do anything.
B) Her role is to get captured so the antagonist can give his well-prepared monologue. Then she begs for her life, but the antagonist ignores her. Then her boyfriend/the police show up and save her, capturing the bad guy and high-fiving each other all the while. But it’s not really a plan, it’s just what happens.
C) It depends. What does everyone else think her role should be?
D) Fed up with being chased around the College Campus like a rat through a maze, she plots out a Scooby-Doo-esque trap, using herself as bait, and lures the bad guy into an abandoned warehouse where she drops a cage on him, coats him in honey, and releases the dogs with bees in their mouths. Sadly it all goes horribly wrong and the dogs end up being stung by honey-coated bees, but it’s the thought that counts. And then she confronts him mano-a-womano.
Hint: Only one of these is proactive. And it’s even better if you can tie in your proactive character’s starting goal with the final confrontation: “See, I am the prettiest girl here! Take that Magic Mirror!”
In Conclusion…
I’m not saying that proactive characters are better than reactive characters. (Although I am saying that I subjectively prefer proactive characters.) Just make sure that the character that ends up on paper is the same one that runs around screaming obscenities inside your head.
Oh… is that just me?
The most important aspect to me is the question of "What is your character's goal before the story starts?", in particular, the line, "The key here is that the character is taking action to achieve his goal, not waiting for it to happen through divine intervention or good old-fashioned luck," and the search for that in female characters is much of what my thread requests are about.
Went for a job interview yesterday (or at least, a registration interview with one of the job recruitment firms), and, of course, they asked my most hated question, "How do you keep yourself organised?"
Now, I don't like to lie, but I also know that answering with,
""Um, well I never write anything down because if I do, I just lose the piece of paper within five minutes anyway, and I don't use a calendar, because that all gets a little too confusing for my brain, and if I flag tasks in my email inbox, they end up buried under the other 3,000 emails that I never get around to cleaning out, so I just keep it all in my head. But don't worry, I've never missed a deadline, or forgotten anything important,"
never goes down too well.
In the end, I decided to answer honestly, with a little bullshit sprinkled on top, and think I got away with it, xD
For those interested, and I know there were a couple who intended to view Spotlight, I just came across an interview with the real-life Michael Sipes; the ex-priest and psychotherapist who the Boston Globe journalists turned to for expert advice over the phone in the movie, which I found intriguing, and more than a little frightening.
And, especially for DA, an example of our Australian humour, and how we have a propensity to 'take the piss' out of ourselves, I present 'Steady Eddy', xD An Australian stand-up comedian, who suffers from cerebral palsy, and uses his condition as a major theme of his act. I've seen him live a couple of times, and he's brilliant, and whilst this isn't his greatest performance, it was the only one I could find on you-tube, xD
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Sooo awesome! This is a lot like how Aspie Comic is. He's a Canadian comedian with Asperger's and he's always joking about all our quirks and idiosyncrasies. He travels and does shows while advocating for autistics....like, being able to smile and laugh with your autism, not just wallow in the stuff that makes it difficult at times. Because, you've gotta laugh at yourself. Everyone should. And when you can put a positive spin on something you love with everyday that causes difficulties, it makes it that much easier. Plus, it's fun to embrace the humor. And more so when other Aspies (or what have you) join in. XD
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Sooo awesome! This is a lot like how Aspie Comic is. He's a Canadian comedian with Asperger's and he's always joking about all our quirks and idiosyncrasies. He travels and does shows while advocating for autistics....like, being able to smile and laugh with your autism, not just wallow in the stuff that makes it difficult at times. Because, you've gotta laugh at yourself. Everyone should. And when you can put a positive spin on something you love with everyday that causes difficulties, it makes it that much easier. Plus, it's fun to embrace the humor. And more so when other Aspies (or what have you) join in. XD
I'll have to google Aspie Comic, and I think using humour can sometimes be the best way to get your point across. I know, with Steady Eddy becoming so popular, that he changed a lot of people's misconceptions about those with Cerebral Palsy.
lait said:
Carl Barron absolutely just gave me life.
I think that's the best thing I've seen all week xD
Waving with our legs.
Can you imagine?
I mean sure it'd be normal if that was a thing but just imaging it gives me giggles. xDDD
Carl Barron's probably my favourite. Some of his stuff is just so dry, and I love the bit about assuming his girlfriend's hallucinating when she mentions 'seeing someone else'.
Waving with your legs would certainly make people-watching even more entertaining than it already is, xD
It's funny, when creating my new plot and character journal, where I placed a quick synopsis of each story, one of the reasons that I struggle so much to come up with plots from a blank slate, and why I require information, crystalised in my mind.
I need the synopsis, like a blurb on the back cover of a book, and an overview of what the story is about, before I can even begin to think about the details, or come up with a story-line. However, now that I can see it on the page with my own stories, I can easily think of a thousand different ways, with a thousand different pairings and/or settings, that each of those overarching 'abouts' could be played out.
Nothing makes sense to me without having that context first.
Popped into the old, old work this morning to finish things up, and it looks like my old boss, as I've mentioned, the best bloke you could ever meet, is going to declare bankruptcy, so it wasn't the best start to the day. However, it may allow him to get on with the rest of his life.
Also, spoke to Mum, I was going to head down there for Easter, but it now looks she'll be coming up here for the weekend, as my brother couldn't make it down, and it's his son's birthday, as well as my other brothers daughter's, in the next week.
Of course, thinking about Easter and seeing all the religious paraphernalia whenever I enter a mall, or switch on the television, which sets my teeth on edge every time, I thought I'd offset that by sharing a couple of songs from amazing Australian performing arist and religious satirist, Tim Minchin, best known for his musical comedy. Obviously, not to everyone's taste, xD
And, I won't post this last song in this journal, as it could be deemed as incredibly offensive by some (that's a warning to anyone who might think of clicking the link), but it describes my reaction and thoughts after viewing the film, Spotlight, precisely.
I think he's absolutely brilliant, DA, but wasn't sure how well he was known in the States, as, whilst his humour translates well to the British, I assumed some of his material wouldn't go down so well elsewhere.
I love this kind of stuff. Then, I've been told by several that I have an odd and dark and often dry sense of humor. It might be, in part, due to me growing up on Britcoms like Ab Fab, Keeping Up Appearances, Good Neighbors, The Vicar of Dibley, Rising Damp...there was also A LOT of Monty Python and Mr Bean, lol. And my new fave Britcom is Doc Martin. >.<
So I guess my humor is kinda similar to the British in a lot of ways.
I wish more people weren't so hung up on stuff, to be honest. Things would be a lot less confusing overall. I get being sensitive. But there's also overdoing it. It's when you hit those extremes that it just gets silly and...UGH...exhausting. So yes. I appreciate this. A lot. XD
That could be, and with Australia having such close ties to England, I grew up on British comedies as well; a lot of those you mentioned, Blackadder, and Red Dwarf, which were amongst my favourites, and others.
I think that's the idea of comedy, satire and parody, and that nothing should be free from mockery. It either stands on its own two feet, or it doesn't.
Not sure if you've ever read any Ben Elton novels, but if you haven't, you might enjoy him. He writes a lot of comedic social satire; easy but fun reads.
That makes perfect sense. I also very highly recommend Doc Martin. It's a current show and just fantastic. The main character makes me smile because he reminds me of myself in OH so many ways. And I empathize with the trials and tribulations he faces with his love interest. If you've watched it plan to, you'll see what I mean. Put it to you this way........it IS like that. I won't even try to color it pretty. It's why when I say my husband is a truly patient man...I'm hardly exaggerating.
But I digress. A lot! lol!!!
Anyway, I've not read his novels. I'll have to look them up. : )
I've heard of Doc Martin, but don't know if it's shown here, however, if not, it's sure to be downloadable, and sounds like something I'd enjoy. Even better when it has a character you can identify with. I'll check it out, though, knowing me, it could take a while to view. Much to my shame, I still haven't even gotten around to being the last person on earth to watch The Lion King yet, that I told Mali I would, over a year ago! There's a reason behind the lack of Fandom's on my request threads, xD
I'll be interested to see what you think, if you do.
That moment when, having a thing for common courtesy, you feel compelled to message someone for no other reason than to draw attention to their lack of it, but then resist, because in the end, they're not really worth the effort! My fingers are itchy, xD
Easter weekend was good, caught up with both of my brothers, their kids, and my Mum. She's doing great; still has the odd day where she gets down a little, but apart from that is keeping herself active, and her sister arrives later this week, before Mum heads off to Vietnam near the end of April.
At that stage again, where I'm caught between wanting to take on more stories, and knowing that if I do, when I eventually start work, and a couple from return from real-life commitments, I'll totally overburden myself.
Also have a feeling that Internet Killers could be at an end, although this time it doesn't worry me as it has in the past, as I have Lait and Xana to satisfy my serial-killer cravings, xD The story with Xana is approaching its finale, so might leave it until its completed, to see if Internet Killers is/can be resumed and, if not, then search for another similarly-themed story.
I honestly never know how to take compliments on my writing, or how to respond to, as, as mentioned before, I don't see in it what some others seem to, and to just say 'thanks' appears to me as if I'm agreeing, which could be seen as a egotistical, whilst waving it off without being appreciative enough of their words could be viewed as false modesty or as I'm fishing for more. However, regardless as to my discomfort in how to reply, to receive them does brighten up my day and boost my confidence.
Speaking of work, I've decided I'd better pull my finger out, and commence a proper search for a job, so have another registration interview tomorrow, which involved an online test I completed yesterday, comprising of multiple choice and true/false questions. Exam's aren't my forte, however, fortunately, they just keep throwing new sets of questions at you until you pass, which I did after the sixth attempt, xD
I've stepped out of my comfort zone a little in my new roleplay with Mali, happy to do so with a partner I know won't laugh at my pathetic attempts if I fail, xD, and taken on an action-oriented story. It's a challenge, but a fun one, and was quite content with my latest contribution.
A Royal Catastrophe - Quix and Mali
With sunglasses covering the stranger's eyes, Ben couldn't see them, but he possessed no doubts that, under the black lenses, they'd be a cold, steely blue, and that knowledge, combined with the size of the stranger, almost as wide as he was tall, and the firmly pressed together, unsmiling lips, visible when he turned to look at the man who'd interrupted, caused goosebumps to snake their way down Ben's spine. These were not men to be fucked with.
To his rear, he could hear the soft breathing of Sky, however, he didn't dare glance around to see if she'd followed his instructions, but instead kept his ears attuned for the sounds of movement as he stepped up to the counter, and placed his bulk between the assassin and Schuyler's hiding position. The clerk in the meantime, continued to stare at Ben, mouth agape, stuttering and trembling, with the news item in the background, announcing the name Schuyler Lassiter over and over.
Ben coughed to cover the sound of a scuffling sound behind him, and tensed, when the Russian's hand moved to his breast pocket, He, in turn, lowered his. "This woman." The man-in-black's accent was thick, as with Ben prepared to withdraw his weapon and shoot from the hip, he pulled a photograph from his pocket; one that matched the woman's on the television screen; and leaned over the counter to grip the shaken clerk by his shirt collar, and roughly lifted him off his feet. "Have you seen her." The kid's legs kicked out in a vain search for the floor as the Russian dropped the image on the counter, and jabbed at it with a thick forefinger.
"I, I, I." The pimply youth's voice shook and his face drained of all colour as his shirt collar tightened around his neck, and tears begun to roll down his cheeks. That's when Ben sensed a shadow slip past him, and as he winced at the noise of a door being opened, three sets of eyes turned towards her.
Thump.
The boy's torso hit the tile floor, and the Russian screamed, "You. Stop." as he pulled a semi-automatic weapon from inside his jacket, and moments later the sound of bullets shredding metal echoed around the foyer, just missing Sky as the fire-entrance closed behind her. With the man otherwise occupied, Ben dived to avoid the fusillade of shrapnel, and had freed his weapon by the time he'd somersaulted, and landed on his feet behind the gunner.
Bang.
The Russian didn't see it coming. One bullet to the back of his head, that split his skull and misted the air with a spray of red blood and gray brain matter before he lumped forward and face-planted the wooden counter.
Knowing his missile had done the job the second it'd been fired, Ben didn't pause. His acrobatics having taken him beside the entrance door, he swiftly locked it, then bounded the counter , grabbed the boy, who was on his back, panting and moaning with fear, feet scrambling on the tile, by the collar as the Russian had done, and jammed the gun in his face. It was still early, and with night clientele who rented the rooms by the hour having departed, and the Hookers catching up on their beauty sleep, Ben hoped to be able to buy some time before the murder was discovered. For that, he needed to ensure the clerk's silence.
He pressed the hot muzzle against the terrified kid's lips, and shook his head. "That woman?" he said harshly, hitting the man's teeth with the metal, and inclining his head to her image on the television screen. "She ain't no fucking hooker." As to whether he heard it before Ben twirled the gun in his hand, and tapped the butt against the man's temple, causing his expression to go blank and for the boy to fall to the floor, unconscious, was debatable.
The duo taken care of, Ben's next immediate thought was for the safety of Schuyler, and as he raced for the fire-escape, he heard her screams. "Shit." Roberts kicked the bullet-ridden door open, and sprinted out, scanning for cover even as he took in the scene before him. One man was dead, or at least knocked out, and there was another, covered in blood, on top of Schuyler. "Drop the fucking weapon." A shiver of fear, both for the woman, and at his own failure if she were dead, coursed through his veins as he approached with arms extended. He didn't dare shoot, in case the bullet hit Sky.
Then he realised it was the man who was dead. "Damn," Ben muttered as he pushed the corpse off Schuyler with one foot, reached for the screaming woman's hand, and pulled her to her feet. "Are you okay, are you injured?" The urgency in his voice was evident as he appraised her for damage, and grimaced at the unfairness of the situation that caused the tears to flow down her cheeks, which only increased when the sound of screeching of tyres pierced the air, and two more black SUV's appeared in a puff of rubberised smoke. "Fuck, these bastards don't give up, do they."
The MI6 agent fired one shot through the windscreen of each as he swiftly dragged Skyler towards his own vehicle, and gunfire exploded in return to his. With bullets flying all around them and pinging off the reinforced steel exterior, he opened the drivers side door, and placed the keys in her hand. "Pull yourself together, Sky. You drive, I shoot." Ben was going to have a lot of making up to do for his apparent lack of compassion when and if they reached safety, however, first, they needed to remain alive in order for him to be able to do that.
And, finally, because I'm in love with everything Tim Minchin at the moment, another couple of his songs (this time, not related to religion), the first about Prejudice, and the second, a very politically correct song about parenthood!
Unfortunately, it's with great sadness that I have to let everyone know that, due to some extremely hurtful and negative feedback received, as from tomorrow, I'll be removing my sooky-sooky-la-la, able-to-give-it-but-not-take-it, angry, bitter, sexist, misogynist, and disrespectful ass from BMR.
I'd like to thank all my friends on here, those I have written with for the past two years, and those I am currently writing with, for being the most awesome people they are, and hope, that sometime in the future, after I learn that stating I believe females are the equal of males, and requesting such characters, is indeed 'sexist', whilst expecting them to be intellectually inferior mindless sluts, useful for no other purpose than as holes to be screwed, is a true display of equality, I'll be able to return to pick up my dignity, our stories, and friendships.
