Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
Richardson: Where Im I going to get more food?
Dakota: top whining - we'll redirect an SSTO or something.
Crimson Aria (Arpeggio of Blue Steel)
- Thread starter Dragontrapper
- Start date
Richardson: Where Im I going to get more food?
Dakota: top whining - we'll redirect an SSTO or something.
Snip 18
Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
((Author's note: OH MY GODS this took too damn long. This has been so far on the back burner I think it was in the freezer...))
"This is a terrible idea." Richardson lamented as he slowly banged his head against the steering wheel, being careful to not directly hit the horn.
"It was technically your idea," Augusta replied with a shrug as she peered over him. Across the street, the front door of Richarson's apartment building sat, unassuming on the busy tree-lined street. "And you are the one that drove here."
"Because you said we should and I figured taking one last look wouldn't hurt!" Richardson snapped back before slumping against the steering wheel and casting a sidelong glance out the window. "...Dammit. All of my books are in there too."
"Well," Augusta suggested. "Why don't you go get them?"
"I was effectively kidnapped by the Fog," Richardson replied. "And am now working with them to find out why another part of the Fog wants me dead. Needless to say, they are probably watching the place. We shouldn't even be outside."
"Then I'll go get your stuff." Augusta replied as she unbuckled. "Which room is yours?"
"We aren't doing this!" Richardson nearly shouted. He took a calming breath before grabbing the gear shift. "We're leaving."
"Oh, don't be such a spoil-sport," Augusta replied as she pulled the door open. "I'm going to go take a look around. You wait here?" She stretched as Richardson stared at her. "You want me to grab anything for you?"
"I...you..." Richardson gaped for a moment. "No! I want you back in the car! We're leaving. What could you possibly want from my apartment?"
She shrugged as she started across the street. "You said you had books. Besides, this is a good intelligence opportunity." Richardson watched her stroll across the street, right past a van that he was sure was probably full of government agents monitoring his house, and into his apartment building.
Richardson watched her go before he returned to pounding his head against the steering wheel. "Stupid, arrogant, nosy, stupid AI-" He jumped as the car's GPS screen flickered before turning into a first-person view of what he recognized as the front hall to his apartment.
"So," Came a familiar voice, "Where are the books?"
"First edition H2G2 is on the mantle..." Richardson started before he caught himself. "Did you wire yourself into the car?"
"Yep," Augusta replied as Richardson watch the view of his apartment shift into his small living room. "Really easy to - you guys need to invent better encryption."
"Excuse us for not having quantum entanglement data protocols," Richardson muttered. "What are you going to do if you get caught?"
"Escape," she replied. "Obviously. Now, the quicker you tell me things are the sooner we can leave."
"We should leave now," Richardson replied before adding. "Actually, we probably should get more food for me for once we get to where ever you are planning to take me, but then again this entire situation is insane."
"We can handle food locally once we reach Ascension." Augusta assured him. "Now, focus - books now, food later."
"Freakin' datavore..." Richardson muttered before saying louder. "I told you about the Adams - most of the rest are either in the glass case in the same room, or the bookcase across from it."
"Much obliged," Augusta said, and soon the view on the car's little screen shifted to a familiar glass-doored set of shelves. Inside, various first editions, special editions and signed copies of various tomes sat on display. A signed special edition of 'The Lost World' - from Crichton, not Doyle - sat front and center, flanked by an old collection of English folk tales on one side and a collection of Audubon illustrations on the other. "Well," Augusta spoke up as she lightly ran a finger across the row of books under the Crichton, "This is quite the surprise - you have a lovely collection."
"Be careful with those," Richardson said with a small cringe, "those are the fragile ones. Take the ones from the open case - those are the reading copies."
"Fine," There was as a blur of motion as Augusta rolled her eyes and headed over to the other bookcase. "What is the point of having books you can't read?"
"A few of those just have really nice covers," Richardson replied. "A couple like the Crichton are sentimental. The rest - they've already been read. I just give them a place to retire to before they fall apart. They're in decent quality, but most collectors want better than decent."
"And the fact that you don't spend as much has nothing to do with it, obviously." Augusta said with a small chuckle as she looked around. "Do you have any luggage I can borrow?"
"Sea bag and duffel bags are in the bedroom closet," Richardson muttered as he slumped against the steering wheel. "Other suitcases are in the hall closet."
"Thank you dear." Augusta replied, and a minute later she was stacking books inside the large olive green military pack. "So, anything else you want me to grab?"
"I'd ask you to grab my bed," Richardson muttered, "But you'd probably actually try it."
"What would give you that idea?" Augusta asked.
"How about you going into my apartment when-wait," Richardson sat up in the car as he noticed movement around the apartment. "Something's happening."
"What?" Augusta asked, suddenly nervous.
"Not sure..." Richardson watched as several men, all dressed in the same unassuming way, slowly fanned out around the building. "...I think they're surrounding the apartment. Get out. Get out n-"
Richardson's warning was cut off as a window exploded outward as a familiar looking young woman jumped out the window and landed on the street with a roll before bolting toward the car. Richardson reached over and swung the passenger door open in time for Augusta to jump in an slam it shut. "What the hell-"
He was cut off as a gunshot cracked the air, sparks jumping from the asphalt as it barely missed them. "Drive!" Augusta shouted.
Richardson didn't need any further prompting. He quickly through the car into reverse, backing down the street before swinging it around and throwing it into drive. "Now I'm being chased by cops in my own town - lovely." He muttered to himself as he floored it.
More gunshots rang out, but a quick glance at Augusta confirmed that she had that under control. One of those strange holographic effects was hovering in front of her, and a familiar beehive barrier glowed into existence at every gunshot. "How did they find us?" She asked.
"I don't know!" Richardson shouted back as he took a hard right. In the rear view mirror he counted at least three oversized black SUV's - the usual sort of government car. Maybe they spotted us on traffic cameras, or it was a response to you going in my apartment." Behind him, he could see a man in a suit and sunglasses leaning out a window. Seriously - what the hell!? "This could get pretty interesting."
Augusta rolled her eyes as she slapped her belt release. "This was already interesting - now try to keep it stable. I don't need you spoiling my aim."
Richardson gave her a surprised side-ways glance as she hit the switch for the sun roof before she clamored onto the center console. "Wait, you don't mean your-" Richardson turned his attention back to the road as she pulled herself upward until she was half-out of the car. "Don't kill them!"
"Oh, hush." Augusta replied as she turned to her pursuers. "The last thing I'm after is a body count." An array of beehive like barriers flashed into life before collapsing down around her hand before lancing out. An instant later, one of the engine on the lead SUV seemed to explode, peeling back the hood and enveloping the truck in a cloud of thick smoke. Tires squealed as the driver slammed on the brakes, and the other two SUV's were quick to swerve around their downed leader. "One down."
"Brace!" Richardson suddenly yelled, and Augusta didn't have enough time to ask what he meant as the car suddenly took a hard right turn. Augusta was thrown to one side, and she had just enough time to see the fender bender blocking the far side of the intersection before they straightened out with a jerk.
The SUV's didn't take the sudden turn as well. One made it with only a brief burst of over-steer, but the second one wasn't as lucky. He skidded around the corner, taking the turn too late, and crashed into the rear of a parked car before taking out a fire hydrant. "Well," Augusta said after a moment. "That went better then expected."
"Would you believe me if I said I planned that?" Richardson replied as he glanced at Augusta. Augusta gave him an unimpressed stare as she quirked eyebrow. Richardson sighed as he turned back to the street. "Me either. How many are still behind us?"
Augusta turned around and took a quick count. "Looks like two are still tagging along. Want me to fry them?"
"Can you do it without making us the most obvious pair on the eastern seaboard?" Richardson asked.
Augusta frowned. "No."
"Then no." Richardson replied. "Guess you need to get creative. You read all those books - put it to use."
Augusta muttered something under her breath before she started digging through the back of the pilfered SUV. After a moment she re-emerged with a tire iron. "Well, this should work."
Richardson took one look at what she was wielding and blanched. "What the hell are you planning-" The rest of the sentence was cut off Augusta leaned out the window at threw the iron at the nearest pursuing vehicle like it was a giant shuriken. The front of the car exploded in a spray of shattered glass and torn metal a the weaponized tool ripped through the roof of the vehicle like a dull saw blade.
She turned back to him and grinned. "How was that for creative?"
Richardson gaped for a moment before finally managing "What book was that?"
"No idea," Augusta replied as she slipped back into her seat, "But at least it was creative."
"This is a terrible idea." Richardson lamented as he slowly banged his head against the steering wheel, being careful to not directly hit the horn.
"It was technically your idea," Augusta replied with a shrug as she peered over him. Across the street, the front door of Richarson's apartment building sat, unassuming on the busy tree-lined street. "And you are the one that drove here."
"Because you said we should and I figured taking one last look wouldn't hurt!" Richardson snapped back before slumping against the steering wheel and casting a sidelong glance out the window. "...Dammit. All of my books are in there too."
"Well," Augusta suggested. "Why don't you go get them?"
"I was effectively kidnapped by the Fog," Richardson replied. "And am now working with them to find out why another part of the Fog wants me dead. Needless to say, they are probably watching the place. We shouldn't even be outside."
"Then I'll go get your stuff." Augusta replied as she unbuckled. "Which room is yours?"
"We aren't doing this!" Richardson nearly shouted. He took a calming breath before grabbing the gear shift. "We're leaving."
"Oh, don't be such a spoil-sport," Augusta replied as she pulled the door open. "I'm going to go take a look around. You wait here?" She stretched as Richardson stared at her. "You want me to grab anything for you?"
"I...you..." Richardson gaped for a moment. "No! I want you back in the car! We're leaving. What could you possibly want from my apartment?"
She shrugged as she started across the street. "You said you had books. Besides, this is a good intelligence opportunity." Richardson watched her stroll across the street, right past a van that he was sure was probably full of government agents monitoring his house, and into his apartment building.
Richardson watched her go before he returned to pounding his head against the steering wheel. "Stupid, arrogant, nosy, stupid AI-" He jumped as the car's GPS screen flickered before turning into a first-person view of what he recognized as the front hall to his apartment.
"So," Came a familiar voice, "Where are the books?"
"First edition H2G2 is on the mantle..." Richardson started before he caught himself. "Did you wire yourself into the car?"
"Yep," Augusta replied as Richardson watch the view of his apartment shift into his small living room. "Really easy to - you guys need to invent better encryption."
"Excuse us for not having quantum entanglement data protocols," Richardson muttered. "What are you going to do if you get caught?"
"Escape," she replied. "Obviously. Now, the quicker you tell me things are the sooner we can leave."
"We should leave now," Richardson replied before adding. "Actually, we probably should get more food for me for once we get to where ever you are planning to take me, but then again this entire situation is insane."
"We can handle food locally once we reach Ascension." Augusta assured him. "Now, focus - books now, food later."
"Freakin' datavore..." Richardson muttered before saying louder. "I told you about the Adams - most of the rest are either in the glass case in the same room, or the bookcase across from it."
"Much obliged," Augusta said, and soon the view on the car's little screen shifted to a familiar glass-doored set of shelves. Inside, various first editions, special editions and signed copies of various tomes sat on display. A signed special edition of 'The Lost World' - from Crichton, not Doyle - sat front and center, flanked by an old collection of English folk tales on one side and a collection of Audubon illustrations on the other. "Well," Augusta spoke up as she lightly ran a finger across the row of books under the Crichton, "This is quite the surprise - you have a lovely collection."
"Be careful with those," Richardson said with a small cringe, "those are the fragile ones. Take the ones from the open case - those are the reading copies."
"Fine," There was as a blur of motion as Augusta rolled her eyes and headed over to the other bookcase. "What is the point of having books you can't read?"
"A few of those just have really nice covers," Richardson replied. "A couple like the Crichton are sentimental. The rest - they've already been read. I just give them a place to retire to before they fall apart. They're in decent quality, but most collectors want better than decent."
"And the fact that you don't spend as much has nothing to do with it, obviously." Augusta said with a small chuckle as she looked around. "Do you have any luggage I can borrow?"
"Sea bag and duffel bags are in the bedroom closet," Richardson muttered as he slumped against the steering wheel. "Other suitcases are in the hall closet."
"Thank you dear." Augusta replied, and a minute later she was stacking books inside the large olive green military pack. "So, anything else you want me to grab?"
"I'd ask you to grab my bed," Richardson muttered, "But you'd probably actually try it."
"What would give you that idea?" Augusta asked.
"How about you going into my apartment when-wait," Richardson sat up in the car as he noticed movement around the apartment. "Something's happening."
"What?" Augusta asked, suddenly nervous.
"Not sure..." Richardson watched as several men, all dressed in the same unassuming way, slowly fanned out around the building. "...I think they're surrounding the apartment. Get out. Get out n-"
Richardson's warning was cut off as a window exploded outward as a familiar looking young woman jumped out the window and landed on the street with a roll before bolting toward the car. Richardson reached over and swung the passenger door open in time for Augusta to jump in an slam it shut. "What the hell-"
He was cut off as a gunshot cracked the air, sparks jumping from the asphalt as it barely missed them. "Drive!" Augusta shouted.
Richardson didn't need any further prompting. He quickly through the car into reverse, backing down the street before swinging it around and throwing it into drive. "Now I'm being chased by cops in my own town - lovely." He muttered to himself as he floored it.
More gunshots rang out, but a quick glance at Augusta confirmed that she had that under control. One of those strange holographic effects was hovering in front of her, and a familiar beehive barrier glowed into existence at every gunshot. "How did they find us?" She asked.
"I don't know!" Richardson shouted back as he took a hard right. In the rear view mirror he counted at least three oversized black SUV's - the usual sort of government car. Maybe they spotted us on traffic cameras, or it was a response to you going in my apartment." Behind him, he could see a man in a suit and sunglasses leaning out a window. Seriously - what the hell!? "This could get pretty interesting."
Augusta rolled her eyes as she slapped her belt release. "This was already interesting - now try to keep it stable. I don't need you spoiling my aim."
Richardson gave her a surprised side-ways glance as she hit the switch for the sun roof before she clamored onto the center console. "Wait, you don't mean your-" Richardson turned his attention back to the road as she pulled herself upward until she was half-out of the car. "Don't kill them!"
"Oh, hush." Augusta replied as she turned to her pursuers. "The last thing I'm after is a body count." An array of beehive like barriers flashed into life before collapsing down around her hand before lancing out. An instant later, one of the engine on the lead SUV seemed to explode, peeling back the hood and enveloping the truck in a cloud of thick smoke. Tires squealed as the driver slammed on the brakes, and the other two SUV's were quick to swerve around their downed leader. "One down."
"Brace!" Richardson suddenly yelled, and Augusta didn't have enough time to ask what he meant as the car suddenly took a hard right turn. Augusta was thrown to one side, and she had just enough time to see the fender bender blocking the far side of the intersection before they straightened out with a jerk.
The SUV's didn't take the sudden turn as well. One made it with only a brief burst of over-steer, but the second one wasn't as lucky. He skidded around the corner, taking the turn too late, and crashed into the rear of a parked car before taking out a fire hydrant. "Well," Augusta said after a moment. "That went better then expected."
"Would you believe me if I said I planned that?" Richardson replied as he glanced at Augusta. Augusta gave him an unimpressed stare as she quirked eyebrow. Richardson sighed as he turned back to the street. "Me either. How many are still behind us?"
Augusta turned around and took a quick count. "Looks like two are still tagging along. Want me to fry them?"
"Can you do it without making us the most obvious pair on the eastern seaboard?" Richardson asked.
Augusta frowned. "No."
"Then no." Richardson replied. "Guess you need to get creative. You read all those books - put it to use."
Augusta muttered something under her breath before she started digging through the back of the pilfered SUV. After a moment she re-emerged with a tire iron. "Well, this should work."
Richardson took one look at what she was wielding and blanched. "What the hell are you planning-" The rest of the sentence was cut off Augusta leaned out the window at threw the iron at the nearest pursuing vehicle like it was a giant shuriken. The front of the car exploded in a spray of shattered glass and torn metal a the weaponized tool ripped through the roof of the vehicle like a dull saw blade.
She turned back to him and grinned. "How was that for creative?"
Richardson gaped for a moment before finally managing "What book was that?"
"No idea," Augusta replied as she slipped back into her seat, "But at least it was creative."
Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
My writing schedule got mauled a while back - this is suffered for it. should be better now (maybe...hopefully...possibly...)
Hey, it's back!
Great chapter. I am wondering why no one has called Richardson on his cell yet, as I don't recall where anyone took it from him. It would be an interesting conversation after all.
"Hey buddy, how's it going?"
"Oh, you know, [gunshots] just the usual Tuesday night...."
Great chapter. I am wondering why no one has called Richardson on his cell yet, as I don't recall where anyone took it from him. It would be an interesting conversation after all.
"Hey buddy, how's it going?"
"Oh, you know, [gunshots] just the usual Tuesday night...."
"Oh, you know, playing getaway driver after a bit of 'grand theft me' by a Fog supermodel. Er. Mental model..."
DB_Explorer
Purveyor of alternate realities.
- Location
- San Diego, California
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Actually if i remember correctly Augusta is based off Dian Rubens from Spice and Wolf.
So lovely but not in a super model style of way.
Flattery never hurts, moreso when the object of said flattery wields enough firepower to redraw geography.
Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
I'll go make an index shortly....
Why not just use threadmarks?
Inverness
The Foxiest Wife
No need, use thread marks.
Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
too late - wth is a threadmark?
Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
Made. You know, technically I've managed a snip a month(ish) - which isn't bad. Of course, my nominal schedule means I should be doing a snip a week...
Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
I don't need hugs - I need a truck-load of caffeine and my editor to keep me on task. (Fun fact - At one point, Douglas Adam's editor locked him in a hotel room with a type writer and only let him out for food and the occasional walk until he finished his manuscript.)
DB_Explorer
Purveyor of alternate realities.
- Location
- San Diego, California
- Pronouns
- He/Him
also thread mark
- Location
- Vancouver, Washington
Good to see this back. I just might feel like I can get back to updating my own story.
BTW: In light of the latest Manga chapters, does Augusta have anything on loan from Lexington's rather extensive library?
BTW: In light of the latest Manga chapters, does Augusta have anything on loan from Lexington's rather extensive library?
Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
I like to think that they have different goals - Lexi's is posing as a sort of professor. Augusta is more of a straight-up Bibliophile and has an extensive fiction selection. If anything, they're trying to out-do each other.
Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
But it's all non-fiction! She doesn't even have a copy of 'Master and Commander' or any Horatio Hornblower books. Its a travesty.
DB_Explorer
Purveyor of alternate realities.
- Location
- San Diego, California
- Pronouns
- He/Him
If the sentient warship insists one of its cohorts has no novels... I'm nodding my head politely.