Whateley Independent Fiction
Whateley Independent Fiction (WhatIF)
User Rating: 5 / 5
Call Of The Light (Part 2)
Book 3 of Heaven's Light
By Erisian
Chapter 6 - Rooftops
Louis found me while I was sitting on the roof.
The sun had started the day playing hide-and-seek behind several wispy clouds much to the entertainment of the many crows raising a loud ruckus from the trees lining the paths below. The kids scurrying to the cafeteria and their classes were bundled up tightly in school sweaters and coats to fend off the crisp autumn-chilled air. Not that the cold bothered either me or Louis. I could easily ignore it and Louis, known as Fubar to the kids, wasn’t really here.
His presence was after all only an astral projection.
User Rating: 5 / 5
Call Of The Light (Part 1)
Book 3 of Heaven's Light
By Erisian
Chapter 1 - Loss
He had been there long enough to establish a regular routine.
Early mornings were Turkish coffee sipped ever so slowly at the corner table in the hotel’s small cafe with a breakfast of cheese, bread, and olives followed by a small confectionery. After a perfunctory nod to the proprietors it was out to wander down by the beach in a battered beige coat with more pockets of various size than fashion sense would ever allow. Safely out of earshot those he passed by would whisper that he must be touched by the Jinn for clearly he was no tourist as he took no pictures nor troubled anyone for directions to the local sights. At dusk he would walk the Black Sea’s coastline without regard for the rain falling from dark clouds nor for the magnificent view when the sun broke free and shone its glory across the waters.
He paid their odd glances no mind for his was entirely elsewhere. And besides, if he had bothered to consider their commentary he would have immediately agreed with them.
Nicolas ‘Nick’ Wright, erstwhile demonologist and magical consultant, was indeed touched. But not by the fabled fiery Jinn.
His problems lay entirely with angels.
User Rating: 5 / 5
Metro 2: Running With A Devil (Part Four)
by null0trooper
"Teacher said that every ending is a new beginning."
"Teachers can be wrong."
Chapter 7: Rolling Bones
"Prosperity is no just scale; adversity is the only balance to weigh friends."
—Plutarch
Tuesday afternoon, January 29, 2008,
Team Tactics I Planning Briefing, Laird Hall, Whateley Academy
Alexander Peters ('Sandy' to his close friends, 'Gravedigger' for this exercise) paged through his sketches, shaking his head at how his assignment was panning out. The advice he'd gotten from his team had been limited to "As long as it makes that queer-bait Holm look bad, it's good enough in my book!" and "Sandy, just try to keep it simple and play to your own strengths." Thanks, guys.
"Miss Everheart? You do realize that I'll be catching hell over this exercise, no matter how it goes down?"
User Rating: 5 / 5
Metro 2: Running With A Devil (Part Three)
by null0trooper
Training teams. Is that spelled with one aneurysm or two?
Chapter 5: Practice, Practice, Practice
"The most interesting question of history is always, 'What were these people thinking?'"
—Lois McMaster Bujold (Duv Galeni), Captain Vorpatril's Alliance
Friday, January 4, 2008,
Crystal Hall, Whateley Academy
Elve 'Vapaat Taivas' Järvinen addressed the rest of the team over her second coffee of the morning. "Do we all still agree on the Team Tactics course? Over the break, my parents and I arranged for Miss Rogers to design a sim suit that would fit me, along with an updated uniform."
"What was wrong with what you wore during Finals?"
"Aside from the risk of unwanted wardrobe malfunctions, it wasn't as sturdy as it could be. Not one word, Mads."
"But I didn't say anything!"
User Rating: 5 / 5
Metro 2: Running With A Devil (Part Two)
by null0trooper
Ain't no need to go looking for trouble, when trouble already knows your name, your family's name, and if you had a dog, it'd know that one's name too. Or: "How Smithy's Christmas Break broke".
User Rating: 5 / 5
Running With A Devil (Part One)
by null0trooper
"How much trouble are you trying to get us in this time?"
"How much trouble you got?"
User Rating: 5 / 5
Meetings By Pale Moonlight
by null0trooper
Not everyone looks their part. Some don't even look for their part; it just comes for them.
"Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
I ask that of all my prey. "
— Joker, "Batman"
Thursday evening, January 10, 2008,
The Nations Encampment, Whateley Academy
"How did I let myself get roped into this?" Mads 'Metro' Møller-Jensen asked himself as he trudged through snow in the early darkness of the New England winter.
Oh, right. Having the head of the Whateley Academy Mystic Arts department just happen to be where she could overhear his discussion with Ben Donner the other night left few excuses to be a no-show. Considering that it was her class that he'd have to be excused from to attend, an acute case of death might even be insufficient. It wasn't a matter of Mads having anything against the school's Native American cultural club; far from it. Maybe it was last night's replay of the loss of Vinland that kept him spooked? He hadn't had that set of nightmares for a couple of years now.
The longhouse fit in with the wooded setting, but the hide-covered tipis had been meant for a nomadic Plains way of life. Mads winced at the wiigiwaam covered in hides instead of wiigwaas and lake grass. Or was this meant to be a mide-wiigiwaam, but the builders ran out of birch bark? No. It was easier to come by here than, for example, in Manitoba. Nevertheless, the outer door flap was open, the fires were going inside, and having run out of every delay and distraction he could think of, he entered the longhouse.
User Rating: 4 / 5
If I Had A Hammer (Part Two)
by null0trooper
Now that everyone's been introduced around and settled in, Abbie Elliott can get down to work. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the fire meant to stay inside the forge?
User Rating: 5 / 5
If I Had A Hammer (Part One)
by null0trooper
Let's have a warm Whateley Welcome for a nice young lady recently arrived from Kentucky. She's sure to meet interesting people while she's here! We've got the latest in classroom technologies, books, computer systems: welcome to the 21st Century.
Where is she going with that anvil?
User Rating: 5 / 5
What's the Matter With You
Part 2
by Camospam, editing by Wendy K,
The third story in the ‘It Matters’ series featuring the adventures of Outlook.
Berlin NH: January 1, 2008
“I surrender!” announced Cameron as he spread his feet apart and leaned forward resting both hands on the counter.
The State Police Officer rushed around the counter, and began to pat him down, checking for concealed weapons. Cameron was read his rights while being handcuffed, then taken into the cell block. It housed some hungover revellers that celebrated a little too vigorously last night.
Cameron was handled roughly, since one of the charges against him was assault on a security officer he was viewed as one of the lowest of the low. He was placed into a cell with a big man wearing leathers and had little skin left not sporting tattoos. The arresting officer left the handcuffs on the boy and smirked while locking the cage door.
The small cell had only a single bed, and it was also the only seat. The large man stood to display just how big he was.
“You can stay sitting, I don’t need to rest just yet,” suggested Cameron.
The man grunted a non verbal cue that he didn’t find the kid funny.
“I am a little hungry thou, when is lunch? I’m Cameron by the way, I’d offer to shake your hand, but it would be rather awkward.”
“Fresh meat!” was grumbled as the overweight man stepped closer. His tight t-shirt barely retaining his belly.
“Okay Mr. Meat, if we’re going to be roomies, let’s get some ground rules established.”
“You’re breathing my air!”
User Rating: 5 / 5
What's the Matter With You
Part 1
by Camospam, editing by Wendy K,
The third story in the ‘It Matters’ series featuring the adventures of Outlook.
December 19, 2007: Whateley Academy
Virgil Cooper cranked the steering wheel to bring his garbage truck off the main road and onto the gravel driveway leading up to Whateley Academy. The snow had delayed him since the roads were a mess, and he’d lost time helping push a stuck car out of the ditch.
He looked at the imposing entrance gates and swore that each and every time he passed by those freaky gargoyles … their eyes followed the trucks passage - and then their noses twitched when the smell wafted past them.
User Rating: 5 / 5
Judge, Jury, Executioner
by null0trooper
To fledgling Heroes learning their trade, the Twelve Jurors are an example of why one should think twice about hot pursuit when the other side holds a grudge. Bad Guys have bad hair days; who knew? Case closed. No one ever asks about the rest of the story.
User Rating: 5 / 5
Chronicles of Fred, Part 2
The Freddening
by Kettlekorn
Chapter 1: Drick Drolled
September 20th, 1990
“Soon, we’ll be invincible!” Fred and his partner Tim pronounce simultaneously while the devise they’re monitoring hums to life. Betty and Wilma happen to be walking past the lab at the same time, and they pause to roll their eyes at their coworkers.
User Rating: 5 / 5
It's a Matter of Death and Life
Part 4
by Camospam, editing by Wendy K,
Whateley Academy, Kirby Hall: Monday Oct 15, 2007
Louis Geintz had just wrapped up his famous Psychic ethics discourse, It’s a topic every student in his class would at some point need to face, and likely agonize over, because undoubtedly they’ll each need to decide whether to ‘cross the line’ or not.
A psychic has an especially challenging approach when using their powers. While an exemplar might have limitations to their strength, if they exercise their ability; say by starting out lifting a Volkswagen - however, by pushing themselves they could build up to hefting a bus. Conversely, a psychic needs to practice not pushing the limits, to not explore what’s possible. Instead, it’s all about finesse and discretion.
A truly skilled psychic is one that does no damage - to not leave footprints saying they'd been there, depending - of course, upon the decision of having ethics: to be good or bad.
User Rating: 5 / 5
Chronicles of Fred, Part 1
Meet the Fredsons
by Kettlekorn
Chapter 1: Emergence
October 18th, 2007
It’s a Thursday evening like any other in the small town of Vinita, Oklahoma. Fred is standing in line at the Walmart buying milk so he can cook some off-brand mac ‘n cheese for his two kids. Used to be Wilma would cook, and boy did she cook, but she’s been dead for more than eight years now. The kids aren’t suffering from malnutrition yet, so Fred figures he’s doing something right.
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