From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Sat Oct 21 00:16:24 2000 Return-Path: Received: from lists.io.com (lists.io.com [199.170.88.15]) by pyramid.sjgames.com (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id AAA10897 for ; Sat, 21 Oct 2000 00:16:23 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.9.3/8.9.1a) id AAA02906 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Sat, 21 Oct 2000 00:15:20 -0500 Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2000 00:15:20 -0500 Message-Id: <200010210515.AAA02906@lists.io.com> From: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com (in_nomine-digest) To: in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Subject: in_nomine-digest V1 #1862 Reply-To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com Sender: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Errors-To: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Precedence: bulk in_nomine-digest Saturday, October 21 2000 Volume 01 : Number 1862 In this digest: IN> The Trials of Michael: Day 1 IN> Re:Michael's Challenges Re: IN> Re:Michael's Challenges Re: IN> Re:Michael's Challenges Re: IN> Re:Michael's Challenges IN> The Trials of Michael -- Day One IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis IN> Bedazzled In Nomine Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis Re: IN> The Trials of Michael -- Day One IN> The Trials of Michael: Rises a Prince ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2000 12:29:56 NZDT From: "Alex Liddell" Subject: IN> The Trials of Michael: Day 1 Michael stood on the peak of Gabriel's Volcano overlooking the perfection of Heaven. He unstrapped his axe from his back and gazed at his own reflection in its blade. "Perfect, honed and ready." The axe echoed the words back to him. "It will be a shame to put you down in this fight, but I set the rules, anyone, anywhere, anyhow." Michael let his axe fall to his side and then to the ground. The lava sizzled as it grasped at the metal. Michael looked out once again to see if he could spot his first assailant. The steam from the caldera clouded his vision for a brief second and the heat almost forced him to turn away. Fighting through the temptation to turn he spotted a shape in the vapour. The steam whirled and spun around a circular shape that grew out the volcano itself. Michael stood back to give the new arrival some room, he checked that this was no ambush and waited for Gabriel to make the first move. Gabriel spun on the spot for a second before assuming her humanoid form and touching down lightly on the harsh rocks of her home. "Old Warrior. Old Prophet. Standing on the top of Heavens outcast home. The fires of your passion burn hot, but you find yourself in unknown territory, facing an unstable opponent. Is it possible that you can be prepared?" Michael allowed himself a smirk. "Firstly Gabriel, to admit that you are unstable shows that you have the sactity of mind to be cognitive and rational - while the proposition of facing a mad opponent may turn some, it shall not be the case with me. Secondly, the terrain makes the battle, but I am not adverse to changing the parameters of a fight, just as a real combatant would not hesitate to move if he felt he couldn't win at one point. That however is unnecessary, I don't need to move to beat you Gabriel. By your own admission, you have already beaten yourself." Gabriel tilted her head to one side and looked as though she was straining to her a mouse whisper to an ant. She closed her eyes and squinted them shut. Ever ready, the ancient Seraph prepared for an attack. But it never came. As though Gabriel was kicked from behind she burst forward at Michael, Michael, expecting her to attack brought his hands up in a defensive pose. Gabriel slammed into Michael and began to slide down his perfect body. Michael reached down and stopped her from falling to far. Gabriel shuddered in Michael's arms and managed to get out the aforementioned whisper. "The Fire that drives you is not the fire of Heaven but the fire of self. God isn't watching you this time." Michael contemplated the words as he flew from the Volcano to his next challenger. Gabriel watched him go before plunging into the celestial magma. Alex _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 18:02:24 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: IN> Re:Michael's Challenges I'm posting this from an internet station on the Garden State Parkway, on my way to Boston. Hey, what the heck. :) Anyway, great idea. Novalis is MINE.* Moe *Not that I have the right to call this one. I just have an idea... and am away from my own computer, dammit. :) ===== In Nomine stuff: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Everything else (not that there is, right now): http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/main.html Last updated 9/5/00 (this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Messenger - Talk while you surf! It's FREE. http://im.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 20:37:10 -0500 From: "Charles Glasgow" Subject: Re: IN> Re:Michael's Challenges - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Maurice Lane" To: Sent: Friday, October 20, 2000 8:02 PM Subject: IN> Re:Michael's Challenges > I'm posting this from an internet station on the > Garden State Parkway, on my way to Boston. Hey, what > the heck. :) > > Anyway, great idea. > Novalis is MINE.* > > Moe > > *Not that I have the right to call this one. I just > have an idea... and am away from my own computer, > dammit. :) As the resident Michael-and-Novalis freak around here... errr, you got AOL Instant Messenger? Care to e-mail me? Can we collaborate and have a joint story session? If you don't want to, then I'll yield the field to you -- God knows that you can out-create me any day of the week and twice on Sundays. But if you're willing, then I'm available (except for tomorrow morning, I got class). Reply by e-mail if you want to get together on this. Thanks! - -- Chuckg ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 22:38:35 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> Re:Michael's Challenges At 6:02 PM -0700 10/20/00, Maurice Lane wrote: >I'm posting this from an internet station on the >Garden State Parkway, on my way to Boston. Hey, what >the heck. :) > >Anyway, great idea. > >Novalis is MINE.* Novalis is 3/4ths written, old friend. You snooze, you lose. - -- I have a broken hand, so spelling errors, capitalization errors, and extremely slow response times should be treated as precious things, not errors, because I'm not about to correct them. Neener. Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 22:39:20 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> Re:Michael's Challenges At 8:37 PM -0500 10/20/00, Charles Glasgow wrote: > >As the resident Michael-and-Novalis freak around here... errr, you got AOL >Instant Messenger? Care to e-mail me? Can we collaborate and have a joint >story session? See previous message. C'mon, the setup practically screamed "please do Novalis now." - -- I have a broken hand, so spelling errors, capitalization errors, and extremely slow response times should be treated as precious things, not errors, because I'm not about to correct them. Neener. Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 19:22:49 -0700 From: Charles E Smith Subject: IN> The Trials of Michael -- Day One The Seraphim Council sat agog as Michael and Laurence announced the contest, convienently omitting certain details, like the fact that part of this challenge was to gather information on Superior-level fighting skills. It was so good to have a Malakite speaking, evading those nasty conflicts of truth that Seraphim occassionally undergo. ~It is only unfortunate that we cannot record this moment for future posterity~ Michael thought with amusement, looking at Dominic's bulging eyes, all one hundred and eleven of them. Naturally, he was the first to rise from his chair, his black robe rustling. "Such trials smack of Pride, Archangel." The cowled Seraph's voice hissed coldly about the chamber, giving newer Superiors like Christopher, Litheroy, and Zadkiel a glimpse into the age-old enmity between Judgement and War. Novalis was next to stand, her voice trilling but firm. "I won't have my Glades become a battlefield! These conflicts are absolutely not necessary!" Next to her, Christopher arose, his form as a young man taking on his Cherubic halo in his distress. "Nor my House! There are the souls of innocent children there Michael! Being exposed to combat would rob them of their beautiful innocence!" Surprisingly, Litheroy rose up, his white scales gleaming. In his quiet, diffident voice, he said "I am not certain that it would be so, Christopher. Is not exposure to a certain amount of violence necessary, in order that you and yours may teach the young to channel their aggressions more positively? Also, I believe that these trials may reveal unto us our strengths and weaknesses. As such, I would like to propose the first challenge, Michael." He turned to his Choirmate. "A revelation of your strengths relative to mine in unarmed combat in celestial form, to take place in the lake of my Abbey. I may need the practice, should it ever come to pass that Alaemon and I confront each other. Do you accept?" Michael was a little taken aback at the challenge from the Archangel of Revelation, of all angels, but he nodded his acceptance. "Indeed Litheroy, contigent upon one thing." He turned to Laurence. "Do you find the conditions fair, Host Commander?" Laurence considered and nodded. "I do. Litheroy proposes an honorable trial by strength, with the added disadvantage to both parties that it occur in the water in Celestial form. It is good." Dominic started to sputter, and Novalis and Christopher both were prepared to protest, when Laurence cut them off. "Of course, neither Litheroy nor Michael will kill each other, and we will respect your prerogratives as you deem fit, Archangels of Flowers and Children." He turned to Dominic. "Surely, pride in one's Word and one's ability is not wrong, unless it grows out of hand? You may watch, if you wish, to determine that neither Archangel goes too far into the sin of Pride." Dominic lowered himself down, but said nothing. The Archangel of War looked around at the Council, noting the benign smile on Yves's face, Zadkiel's approving nod, and the compression of the lips that signified Jean's disapproval, then he looked to the Archangel of Revelation. "Shall we go, Litheroy?" The answering nod was all he needed. A scant few moments later, both Archangels were in celestial form, sunk to about mid-length in a deep, shaded lake in Litheroy's Abbey. A crowd of angels, most of War and Revelation but many of other Words, were gathered to watch. Laurence sat atop a high tree branch overlooking the pool, to serve as referee, while Dominic watched from a shaded wall nearby. Laurence looked to the two contestants. "You will duel for a half-hour, no Songs or use of Essence in any way allowed. This is a purely phsyical confrontation. The first to submerge his opponent for a length of two minutes wins." He raised his gleaming sword, then lowered it. "BEGIN!" The two Seraphim slithered towards each other across the length of the wide, deep lake. Michael had the advantage of size and strength coming into this, but the Seraph with the sun-golden scales knew full well that it was not always the big and strong that won the day. Litheroy might be smaller, but that would give him the advantage of speed if he but used it. Michael's mind cleared, as it always did in any fight. ~Just because he is not a notorious warrior does not mean he is incompetent.~ That thought was uppermost as Litheroy sought to slip around him and get behind him. A quick lunge with his serpent-like body cut off Litheroy, but won him a slash across the nose with one of Litheroy's horns. Litheroy smiled, moderately pleased that he had scored that glancing blow. A faint trickle of blood tricked from Michael's nose, winning him applause from the audience. Michael nodded once. "First blood. You may be tougher than we have thought, Litheroy." When Litheroy nodded in pleasure, Michael headbutted him, knocking the white-scaled Seraph back. "But Litheroy, the first rule of combat is that one never takes their eyes off their opponent." With that, he lunged, catching Litheroy on the shoulder with a bite and bringing his heavy, scaled tail up in a pounding blow....that just missed as Litheroy ducked under it, trying to strike Michael in the chest with his horns. Michael arched up and over, diving under the water and up again so fast that Litheroy didn't even see Michael's horns ram into his chest. He felt it though. Michael jumped to follow-up his advantage as Litheroy reeled back across the pool and fell on his back, his wings flaring out behind him. As he lunged down, Litheroy's tail snapped out of the water behind him, catching Michael about the neck and wrapping about his throat, constricting in only the way that a serpent could. Michael gasped, his wings coming up in surprise to the amazement of his Servitors in the crowd. Litheroy smiled calmly and flipped his tail...and Michael...down into the icy depths of the lake. There was a click as Laurence activated a stopwatch to time the submersion. As he drowned in the cold depths, Michael gasped, his tail snapping up to wrap around Litheroy's torso and tug him down. Seraphim, because of their serpentine bodies, are highly flexible. The two Archangels locked their horns together as they struggled underwater, the bubbles of their conflict coming up to the surface in violent geysers. They broke when Michael headbutted Litheroy and rose. As he broke the surface with a gasp, he got a nasty shock as Litheroy fashioned his teeth onto Michael's chest, ripping through the scales to draw blood. Litheroy's many eyes showed grim determination, and Michael's estimation rose as he bit into one of Litheroy's eyeridges, causing blood to flow into one his eyes. Blinded, Litheroy reeled back and Michael wrapped all the way around him, dragging him down while keeping his head above the water. Laurence reset the stopwatch and the the count resumed as Litheroy choked and struggled underwater. Soon he went limp. At precisely two minutes, Laurence called "Time!" Michael immediately uncoiled himself and rose, dragging Litheroy with him. He dragged him to the shore and applied pressure on his chest until Litheroy coughed up water and slowly opened his eyes. Michael smiled, not unkindly, as the Archangel of Revelation awoke. "You did quite well Litheroy. You surprised me, and that is not easy. It has been long since I had to exert myself so. Come see me in the Groves sometime. I think you have it in you to be a strong warrior, with time and practice. Good match." Litheroy nodded weakly and the two Seraphim exchanged a shake with their tails before Michael turned and bowed to the crowd. "If any wishes to challenge me, let Laurence know or come find me in the Grove. I will accept any fair challenge." With that, he spread his wings and took flight, leaving Dominic to shake his head and depart quietly as Laurence went to congratulate Litheroy on his surprising performance against the Champion of Heaven. ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 23:30:38 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis "You want to what?" Novalis smiled, sunnily. "I want to take you up in your challenge, Michael. What else?" The Archangel of War frowned slowly. "Novalis... we have rarely seen eye to eye--" "Well, hear me out before you say no." She looked, smiling even more sunnily, at Laurence. "To be *fair.*" Laurence's eyes betrayed no emotion. "You didn't say you *wouldn't* hear someone's petition, Michael. That doesn't mean I'll approve the terms." Laurence's unspoken words were telling -- he was giving the Archangel of War an opportunity to refuse without having to back down from the challenge. If Novalis's challenge turned out to be a roundabout way of insulting or undermining the Firstborn, Laurence could refuse to sanction the challenge. "Mm, true," Michael said gruffly. Laurence could see a glint in his eyes, though. "Well, what did you have in mind, Leafschild? Garlands at twenty-five paces?" "Oh, no no. Not at all. No, I propose a hunt." Michael looked blank. "A hunt." "Mm-hm!" "That sounds more like Jordi's style than yours. What's the catch?" "Jordi's challenge will no doubt be something entirely different, Michael. No, this would be a challenge of human form against human form -- no cataclysms or thunderbolts. Or axes." "But?" "But... the objective is to bring your prey down without harming him. Or her." She smiled a bit more. "Captured alive, in good condition." "Denied," Laurence said flatly. "It defeats the very conditions of Michael's chal--" "Now hold on," Michael said, holding his hand up to the younger Archangel. "I'm intrigued. Tell me more, Novalis." "Weeeeell... we can *both* agree that military objectives don't have to lead to the kill, yes?" "Of course." "So your warrior's skills have to expand beyond simply breaking necks or slicing off heads. As I said, this would be a challenge of human forms -- assume that disturbance constitutes a loss. So no Songs or noisy attunements. We can simulate this even in Heaven, after all. We shouldn't even use resonances other than our native ones." Michael nodded. There should be *some* challenge in this. "On what battlefield?" "The deep forestlands, abutting the Glades and the Savannah. The object is to trap unharmed, or otherwise put one's prey in a position where they cannot escape. This can be through anything from materials at hand to using a submission hold." "So... pain is legal?" Novalis didn't break expression, except perhaps back in her eyes. "So long as the other person isn't truly injured." "Where is the potential for being hurt?" "Accidents can happen in the forest, Michael. You know that as well as I do. Though should our referee determine that either of us cause an 'accident' to disable or injure our prey...." Laurence's eyes flashed. "Are you implying Michael would cheat? Use the excuse to hurt you, Flowers?" Novalis's grin grew. "Exactly, Laurence. That's *precisely* what I'm implying." Michael laughed, startling Laurence. "She's smarter than you think, Laurence. All right, Novalis. You know the stakes if you happen to win this little hunt. A boon within my power. What are the stakes when *I* win it?" Novalis laughed, a bright, airy thing after Michael's throaty laughter. "Oh, Michael, your confidence is *forever* refreshing. *Should* you win, I would make available an herbal stimulant, recently crossbred and not yet introduced terrestrially. It acts to keep the mind alert and numb the body to aches and pains -- a useful thing for an army. And it seems not to be physically addictive, though I can't swear that the human mind wouldn't...." "Mm. Understood. There is a time and place to employ such things. But... it *would* be useful." "I could requisition it," Laurence snapped. "As part of the War effort." "Oh Laurence, do *try* to get into the spirit of this. Her offered boon neither compromises her principles nor would be worthless to me. I can appreciate both of these facts." He smiled a bit, perhaps a bit ferally. "If Novalis truly wants to let me hunt her, that would be prize enough." "Why, Michael -- is that a double entendre I see before me?" "You, dear Archangel Novalis, have a dirty mind." Novalis arched her eyebrows. "What do you think flowers grow in, dear Archangel Michael? Remember. No axes. No weapons. No knives. Just hands, feet, and what the forest provides. You will be in my arena." "Mm. Your domain. I think you don't yet understand arenas, Novalis. But we will change that." "Will we?" She offered her palm, and Michael took it. "Let us begin." *** *** The forest was thick, but cool. Not a rainforest -- not even a temperate one. Michael approved. In human vessel, he could feel enough of a chill that there would be some exposure danger, were he human. Of course, Vessel or not, he wasn't. Cool but not cold enough for frost or frozen ground. But the cool meant that moisture would cling to sod and clay, and that meant footprints would be clear. Somewhere in the fifty acres of this wood was an Earth Mother in human form. He merely had to find her and pin her to beat her. He knew that wasn't in doubt. If it came to wrestling, he would win. Beyond his size and weight advantage, Novalis simply didn't have the experience. But no matter how much Laurence sniffed before setting them both in the woods, Michael knew better than to underestimate her. She *was* the Archangel of Flowers, and her attunements caused little disturbance directly, making them legal. Which meant she could be nearly invisible. And she knew the forest. Knew it as well as Michael knew his axe. Michael began to move, his own legs fluid, no wasted movement or undue sound. His footfalls naturally landed on stone or thicker moss, leaving fewer footprints. No signs of where he was. No signs to attract attention, his eyes cleaving at the underbrush, looking for a sign. Any sign. It was hard to say how far away they both were. It didn't matter. He would find her. By the sun, they had been in the forest for an hour and a half when he saw the first sign. A branch out of place. Half a footprint in the mud. Close. He just had to track her. And he was behind her now. She couldn't run far enough to stop him, and an ambush would be suicide. Michael's pace quickened, even if he still yielded no trail or noise. He felt a slight thrill -- this... *this* was worthy, even if the battle would be short. A simple challenge, but a challenge noneth-- The stones that would leave no trace collapsed beneath Michael's feet. Sheer luck -- or the Lord -- had it happen on his off foot, even as the pit began to open. With a thrown leap, Michael was pushed off to the side before the deadfall of trees, leaves and mud collapsed into a natural tiger trap. Michael grabbed a tree and held on until the trap had fully opened. He stared where it had been -- she hadn't time to dig the pit, so she had to disguise a natural formation. But even *that* would take time and effort. How could she know he'd go this way? Could she be leading him? A horrible risk, given the effort this would have taken. Not that it mattered. If she had managed to lead him, she'd done a good job. He started around the pit, to pick up the trail-- The snare closed around his foot, the 'fallen tree' by him snapping up to full. He had less than a second to react, to twist and grab at the roots of a tree on the ground. The snare snapped taut, and a jolt of pain filled his body as he hung on, his own body tight against it, the tree straining to straighten and the bark and leaves and branches that made up the snare trying to haul up, leaving him high above the forest floor, away from any branches he could use to get down. He *held* the root, which it turn held to the ground, ignoring the pain in his body. He would not yield. He *could* not yield. He forced his hand to wrap around the root, letting it cut into his hand as he reached up with the other, forcing his knees to bend, to reach the snare-- With a whip-*CRACK,* the tree snapped true, the empty snare whipping up, then settling down to hang. On the floor of the woods, Michael stared up at it, holding his hand. He was bleeding slightly. Well, he wondered if there was any chance for pain. This was *insane.* Novalis couldn't be a better tracker or hunter, couldn't be so effective at blinds that she could funnel him along a specific path without knowing his starting location. It was-- Tracker. Hunter. Michael began to slowly smile. A feral smile. The smile of a warrior who had been too complacent, too convinced of his own infallibility, in the face of an enemy he didn't respect. Novalis had set the terms. Resonances and attunements, no disturbances. Resonances. If Michael had been facing any other Cherub in this challenge, he would never have taken her hand to shake when first she suggested it. But this was *Novalis,* who embodied Cherubic love. It had never occured to Michael that she could attune him. Could know exactly where he was at all times. Could prepare his path with traps born of the forest and plants she knew so well. If he continued to follow the trail, he would keep getting grabbed or held or trapped until one of them *worked.* Michael had assumed too much -- that it would come down to his superior fighting skills, not her wilderness knowledge. Michael's mindset shifted, his eyes narrowing. He would *not* be defeated by Flowers. The shame of it would devestate the Morale of his followers for years. He had to win. And he couldn't underestimate Novalis again. He was in a fight. A *hunt.* He had given her every term of battle. Every opening. Set himself on her field. Let her attune herself, so she could sense both his position and the direction he was moving in. Slowly, the Archangel of War brought his full senses to bear. And as he did so, his pleasure grew. By the Lord in Heaven, this *was* a challenge. Throwing his head back, he *howled* his great war-howl. He knew it wouldn't frighten Novalis -- not with her attunements -- but it would be a sign to her. First, he had to get out of the minefield. He crouched, looking at the tree the snare had been tied to, and jumped for it. Getting a purchase, he scrambled up and let his weight begin to lower the tree down. It had to be flexible enough to bend but not so sturdy as to hold, or Novalis couldn't have bent it down. He angled it away from any logical path to follow. He couldn't follow a path any more. He had to force the Cherub to hunt, not let her be hunted and set his path. He landed in the brambles of a bush. Fine -- he knew she wouldn't bother trapping that because it wouldn't make sense to go that way. Not for him. She could do it herself. *Damn* his complacency. Slowly he picked through them and started to move. Swiftly, heedless of his noise or trail. The woman knew where he was anyway -- there was no need to hide. Yet. He knew a thing or two about fighting Djinn... or Cherubim. A mile's movement let him relax, and take some time. He stripped off his shirt and bathed in the loam and mud of the forest, the better to hide himself. He couldn't match Novalis's camoflague in the forest, but he was still a master at it and he didn't need to be as good, just good enough to let her get close.... And then he held, waiting... almost invisible. Letting Seraphim's perception attune itself to the woods around him. A hundred thousand fights looming in his bones as he listened to the wind, to the motion.... There... a crack. She was due North of him, no doubt moving to set snares in the path she felt him taking. He tensed himself, listening... fingers finding a smooth rock and taking it in his hand.... Laurence wouldn't have understood Michael throwing the rock at her. Snapping it against her skull. Letting her feel the blood and pain of War. Teaching her a lesson. But Michael would have done it -- save she blocked that route for him. No accidents. No intentional injury. He *hurled* the rock, letting it crack against a tree to Novalis's left, and he could *see* her turn, startled-- And Michael *tore* towards her, his muscles sleek as he burst from his loam enclosure like a trap door spider, his eyes burning as he closed on the soft woman. And her eyes darted to him and she spun, running for the thickest undergrowth. He got closer, weaving through the close trees and feeling them scratch and snag at him. She never broke stride, the trees and brambles twisting out of her way. Her Malakim's attunement at work, of course. He twisted and lept and ducked and rolled. Getting closer despite her advantages.... Close enough to grab for her, his fingers reaching for her back, covered in a tan hemp weave, seizing her... tearing away from her as she grabbed the nearest tree and was *gone,* no disturbance. What was-- Ofanite of Flowers attunement. Once a day only, line of sight. He whirled, looking -- looking... moving... she had gone to ground, and with her Nothing but Flowers attunement, she was nigh invisible. But only nigh invisible -- there were no flowers here for her to hide among. He let his eyes cleve the truth... she wouldn't be able to let herself move while he was searching.... There. He was almost sure of it. But his body language didn't betray it. Instead, he began to climb out of the undergrowth for the trees above. Letting her think he didn't see her, that he was moving off... letting her feel his movements with her Cherubic resonance, and letting its pattern deceive her until she began to move... Michael slid down the bark, losing some skin but shooting down along the tree. Novalis, startled, whirled again but not before his legs fouled hers and his weight knocked them both down. They struggled there, arms and legs twisting to hold or be freed.... Her arms twisted back into a chickenwing. Not a comfortable one. He pushed them up and heard her hiss. "Yield," he snapped. Novalis looked over her shoulder at him, half-smiling that damnable smile, her torn tunic twisting around her midsection painfully even as Michael's knee braced the small of her back and his hands pushed at hers. "I yield," she murmured. And Michael saw the Truth of it. She had yielded the battle. *** *** "A waste of time and effort. The Litheroy fight was worthy if futile. But this 'fight' was nothing more than an extended game of tag. I'm glad you got to rub her face in the dirt." Michael looked at Laurence sidelong. "She drew first blood," he said mildly, and looked out to where Novalis, dressed again in her usual flamboyance, was approaching with baskets laden. The herb she promised. "And she made her point." "Point?" "Mm. I don't suggest you challenge her, Laurence. *Your* pride might not take it." He smiled a bit more. "She gave me a fight, Laurence. She kicked my preconceptions out from under me. And *that's* why I'm doing this, right?" Laurence turned to look at the ancient Archangel. "You...." "Let's just say... I've learned to respect wilderness survival skills." He half-smiled. "Excuse me. I'm going to accept my prize, and buy my enemy a drink." "But--" "After all. I need to give us both a chance to become infuriated with each other again." Michael winked, and headed out. Gabriel, Litheroy, Novalis. Three victories. - -- I have a broken hand, so spelling errors, capitalization errors, and extremely slow response times should be treated as precious things, not errors, because I'm not about to correct them. Neener. Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 22:44:48 -0500 From: "Charles Glasgow" Subject: Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Whistling in the Dark" To: Sent: Friday, October 20, 2000 10:30 PM Subject: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis [snip] Oh. Oh *my*. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!! We are *definitely* saving this one... - -- Chuckg (Moe, I'm still interested in seeing what you had planned. But I must give credit where credit is due, and this one was a masterwork on all fronts.) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 23:40:51 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis Aigh. I didn't realize it had gotten so long. Apologies all around. - -- I have a broken hand, so spelling errors, capitalization errors, and extremely slow response times should be treated as precious things, not errors, because I'm not about to correct them. Neener. Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2000 00:48:24 -0400 (EDT) From: "Rev. Pee Kitty" Subject: Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis The best yet. A WONDERFUL approach. BTW, I don't this this should necessarily discourage Moe or the others from doing a Novalis fight... after all, this is hardly canonical, right? - -- Rev. Pee Kitty, of the order Malkavian-Dobbsian, Q4B4L! Meow! "I feel like we could write a song with the title 'I Wanna Fuck You' and people would still say, 'I don't understand...explain to me what that song means.'" -- John Flansburgh (They Might Be Giants) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2000 00:51:13 -0400 (EDT) From: "Rev. Pee Kitty" Subject: Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis On Fri, 20 Oct 2000, Whistling in the Dark wrote: > Aigh. I didn't realize it had gotten so long. Apologies all around. Don't EVER... EVER apologize for something that good. You hear? :) - -- Rev. Pee Kitty, of the order Malkavian-Dobbsian, Q4B4L! Meow! "Punctuality, regularity, discipline, industry, thoroughness, are a set of slave virtues." -- G. D. H. Cole ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2000 00:06:03 -0400 From: "Charles Phipps" Subject: IN> Bedazzled In Nomine I thought I'd be the first to review the Movie and perhaps give some thoughts for how it might be applied to In Nomine. Okay first of all the movie is alot better than I thought it would be. This is not Paradise Lost or apparently the original Bedazzled but it's extremely funny, for the guys among thee Elizabeth Hurley is easy on the eyes, and both thesbians apparently had alot of fun making this movie. All in all I'd say I'm very glad I shelled out the money for the film. Now for a In Nomine review... Okay the Devil is portrayed as fairly omnipotent in this case and that pretty much rules out most standard In Nomine portrayals. She's also a lot more Devilishly funny and good natured (or appears to be) than the cultured Droll gentlemen he appeared to be in Night Music. It's by no means a movie that really can be adapted beyond inspirational fun but it has some notes you might want to well...note when one watches it. Some interesting things I found that might be noticble. 1:) The Devil opening the Movie Resonating people: Going on a Devilish perspective the Demons that one is majoritively going to encounter don't go try and corrupt noble Heavenly soldiers or saints (too difficult and dangerous) or the alreayd hopelessly corrupt (too hard) but find those who are genuinely unhappy with their life but decent folk. Why perhaps Lilim/Impudites seem to be so much fun. 2:) How Demons acomplish their Hellsworing It's not enough for a Demon to place a human with exactly what they want in a wish but you have to put them in a position where they're going to be bad. No matter how much Satan wants you to believe, you have to be bad and continually be bad to give your soul over to the Devil, not hand it over in a contract. 3:) Never get a Lilim to give you a Mac and Cheese It's a joke now but watch the dang film! 4:) An odd thought on Bright Lilim Has anyone ever wondered if a Bright Lilim might pretend to be evil to throw off attention and use her resonances to teach mortals to be good? Basically finding either pathetic losers or the wicked but not quite irredeemable and torturing them until they give up and become good. 5:) Angels in funny places Just a note there. - -Charlemagne ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2000 00:08:21 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis At 12:48 AM -0400 10/21/00, Rev. Pee Kitty wrote: > > >The best yet. A WONDERFUL approach. > > > >BTW, I don't this this should necessarily discourage Moe or the others >from doing a Novalis fight... after all, this is hardly canonical, right? Absolutely. - -- I have a broken hand, so spelling errors, capitalization errors, and extremely slow response times should be treated as precious things, not errors, because I'm not about to correct them. Neener. Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 23:12:33 -0500 From: "Charles Glasgow" Subject: Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Whistling in the Dark" To: Sent: Friday, October 20, 2000 10:40 PM Subject: Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis > Aigh. I didn't realize it had gotten so long. Apologies all around. You're *apologizing*? For THIS? (Ogiel, could I borrow... *thank* you!) *Chuckg raises the Really Big Stick* *WHAM* You... *WHAM* ... never.... *WHAM* ... apologize... *WHAM* ... for... *WHAM* .. a masterpiece... *WHAM* ... like this! *WHAM* Do you understand me? *WHAM WHAM WHAM* (Thanks for the loan, Og.) - -- Chuckg ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 23:15:16 -0500 From: "Erich S. Arendall" Subject: Re: IN> Michael's Challenges: Novalis > "You want to what?" *clap, clap, clap* Encore!