#stories of sabyn | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

the-erickson-labrynthian · 6 years

Text

Stories of Sabyn IX: Alan Reigns (3)

(It might be a bit late in the day, but here is part 9 of 10 of my short story series set in the same world as my novella Nathan and the Allex Cube. The second to last part is a long one, to make up for the shorter part before. And, it’s definitely not one to miss, in my (totally non-biased *cough*) opinion. As I’ve said before, I hope you enjoy it, and the finale coming later in the week. Thanks for reading, and here it is:)

Alan Reigns (3):

Alan was staring at his son, dangling as he was grappled by the neck by the guard of a tyrant. He was speechless.

“What is this young boy doing here, William?” Wesigin asked.

William stepped in front of Alan and outstretched his arms, talking in the calmest voice he could, “He’s one of my associate’s children. Probably just wandered in because he’s an idiot, who doesn’t know when things are for adults only. It shouldn’t be too big of a problem to toss him into the truck, would it not?”

“How did this boy manage to get in here? Does your associate tell his children all of his plans?”

“No, I was with Alan since I told him the plan. The boy had to have eavesdropped himself. And showed up here because he thought he could convince his father not to do this trade.”

“Not to do this trade?” Wesigin laughed, “Why would he want that?”

“Why do you care so much, Ron?” Alan yelled, “I thought you were smarter than this, Ron… why didn’t you just stay home?”

“Calm your associate’s tongue,” Wesigin said.

William slapped Alan in the arm, “Let me handle this, Alan. This is a simple matter. We do the trade and we’ll take the brat back and show him what happens when he puts himself into adult matters.”

“There’s a… problem with that, William,” Wesigin said, “You see, how could I trust a business partner who cannot keep secrets from a mere child? What man in his right mind would call this a simple matter? No… we must deal with this, here and now.”

William put his hands to his side, to the pistol he had shown Alan before, and said, “Wesigin, I told you, it’s a simple matter. Kids screw up. Let him go, and you get everything as normal. I’ll even let you keep a hundred million.”

“Don’t give this ass any money!” Ron said while still in a headlock, “He’s killing you, Dad.”

“Shut up Ron!” Alan screamed.

“No,” Wesigin raised a hand in the air, “Let the boy speak.”

The man holding Ron released enough pressure form his neck to let him talk clearly. Ron said, “You wanted to know why I came here, Dad? To stop you. This man is a monster. He’s going to kill people, Dad! And you’re helping him do it! Doesn’t that mean anything to you? Don’t you see how horrible that is.”

“Ha!” Wesigin laughed, “The boy is following his morals. Morals… always putting the mouse so easily into the trap. It is those without morals who plan ahead before storming a palace. Those without morals who win in the end, bringing a gun to the fight, to come out alive, because they only care about themselves. Morality… is… ignorance. Right, William?”

William kept his hand where it was, “Let the boy go.”

“Have you given into morals, William? After all these years, I finally see this side of you?”

“I have always had morals. They’re small, but they’re there. Let him go.”

“William, William, William,” He began to walk to the man holding Ron, “You may have lost your survival instinct in favor of ignorance, but I can assure you,” He quickly sild the gun against the temple of Ron’s head, “I have not.”

“No!” Alan shouted, “You touch my son, I’ll kill you!”

William drew his own gun, but as he did guards all pulled guns on him, and Wesigin lifted up a finger and said, “Na ah ah! You know if you pull that trigger I’ll pull mine, William. That’s no way to do business.”

Ron was whimpering as he spoke, and his crying set off Alan more, but he was stuck, held firm without a weapon, relying on William to do something.

“Wesigin,” William warned, “This doesn’t need to happen.”

“Yes it does. You brought a gun here, to my home, William. You thought you could make the best of me? I own this world, William. There can be only one survivor.”

“The child has nothing to do with this. You pull the trigger on him, it will be your life.”

“And you could kill all of these men?”

William glanced at Alan, and behind Alan, Renold, who, at a nod form William, moved in front of Alan. The hulking beast whispered to Alan, “We’re doing what we can.”

Alan wanted to rip Wesigin’s head off…

“That slave won’t be able to stop us all, William.”

“Let the boy go. We’ll walk away. You keep the machines. You keep the money. Keep everything. I will leave, and never contest to you again. Be kind to this boy. Don’t let it end here. Not like this.”

“You are in no position to lecture me about kindness, William. Do you think I trust you will leave freely? No. Action must be done.”

“Daddy!” Ron whimpered, “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have done this…”

Alan tried to say something, but he was frozen as the gaze of his son pleaded at him for some response.

“Quiet you,” Wesigin scolded, “Die with dignity!”

“Let him go!” William shouted.

“I said as I said, action must be done.”

“I will kill you, then!” William commanded, “If this misses, I’ll fire again and again, until you are dead in the ground, in a pile of your own filth! If you are protected, I will smash in the skulls of all of your guards with my bare hands, and then, when I get to you, I will wrap my hands around your throat and squeeze every last bit of life out of you. Then I will do the same to all of your kin. If you do this, I will not let you live. I will unleash Hell onto you.”

There was a silence, until broken by a chuckle from Wesigin, “Such passion, and morals. Kindness. But… William, no matter your reputation, and those rumors of your excellence, and power, I am above all gods. All kindness. I told you, William: morality… is… ignorance.”

Wesigin fired the gun, and a thunderous sound roared through the air as Alan watched a beam sear the edges of his son’s head and shoot completely through him. Ron lost all life in his eyes and he fell from the grip of the guard, limp on the ground, with steam coming off of him. Alan fell to his knees.

In this instant, William fired his own gun, and a larger beam shot through the air and pushed into Wesigin, burning a hole through the entirety of his torso, and launching him away, blood spilling from him to form a trail to his corpse. At his death, guards went to open fire, but William pulled a small glass ball from his back pocket and threw it on the ground, yelling, “Renold!”

Renold twisted in front of Alan and pulled him into an embrace as the whole area filled with thick smoke, telling him to cover his eyes. Alan had never known the artificial being well, but in this fluidity of rage and emotions, he clung tightly to the thick shirt of this man, crying into it as he imagined the image of his child once more. While he was under Renold, he heard gunfire and screaming, but after a moment, there was silence.

Renold let go of Alan and put him to his feet. The smoke had cleared, and only William was left standing, surrounded by at least seven armed guards in a pool of blood as he slid his gun back by his side. Alan looked around at these corpses until he saw the small body of his son, whose corpse had managed to lie in a near fetal position against the ground. Alan went to his son and pulled him in his arms, almost checking if he really was dead, not wanting to believe it. Then, he cried.

“Why… did you have to do this…” He muttered, “Not thinking before you act. Finding me, just to die. Why? W-why… did I do this? Why did I choose this life? Why did I come here. Oh… Ron…”

William began to walk towards Alan, comforting, “Alan, I’m sor-.”

“No…” He said, “Say nothing. Say… absolutely… nothing, William,” He rested his head against his son’s chest, still feeling the warmth of his flesh, “I wanted him to be better. I wanted him to never do what I did. What could I have expected from having this life? Why did I do this? Why…”

“I understand your pain, Alan-”

“No!” He turned towards him, screaming, “You can never understand! You don’t love anyone! You’ve never cared about anyone else but yourself! You’ve never created anything that wasn’t meant for war, violence, and death! You could never understand! He wanted to be good! I ruined him, by following you! By expecting you to understand! But all you do is hurt! Kill! Destroy! You learn nothing!” He found himself wildly gasping for air, “You only care about surviving! You led me here. You led yourself here. You led my son, here.”

“He should’ve had a weapon. Something. Why would he not think of that?”

“Is that really something to say right now, William? That says… everything. You don’t understand. Not while you’re alone…” He wiped his eyes and stood himself up, “My son… he was an idiot for doing this. But, he wanted me to be better. He… cared. And you!” Alan marched over to him and began hitting him against the chest, William absorbing every blow, “You’ll have a son who does nothing right. You’ll have a son who wants to be everything to you, and kills himself doing it. Any son would… and my son is a hero for doing it for me, even if it was stupid, and even if he died. A hero! And as long as you live a life all about yourself, he’ll always be better than you!”

William said nothing.

“What am I going to do?” He screamed, “For the rest of my life, who will I love? What family do I have to go back to? What will I do, knowing my son will never get to live his life?” He moved back to hit him again, “God dammit, I hate you! I hate you! Why won’t you just die!”

William caught the fist in midair and tightly squeezed Alan’s arm, causing the two of them to shake. Alan looked at him in the eyes, the eyes of a cold man who loves no one, knowing he could do nothing to him, but begging William to try and fight him, so he could punch him right in the face, even if it got him killed. What life did he have anymore to lose?

“Renold,” William said, “Get the man his money.”

Renold nodded and picked up the briefcases, blood splattered all over their surface, and put them by William. William thanked him and told him to put the machinery back in the car. He let go of Alan’s hand and opened one of the cases, pulling out three bundles of hundred dollar bills and putting them in his pockets, making barely a dent in the case.

“The rest is yours, for your family.”

“My family is dead, you monster!”

“The choice was yours…”

“You coached me to it!” He screamed.

“Maybe I did… but I am just like any other man. You have everything that I do. Every equal choice. Blame me as much as you want, but you made the choice. Here’s your reward. Take it and get your family out of poverty forever. I’m leaving, now.”

William began to walk away, with his Renold unit behind him. Alan fell back onto the ground and grabbed the shoulders of his dead son, pulling the corpse into an embrace again. He was cold.

“You know how to reach me, if you need anything. I’ll always be in contact. And… I am sorry, Alan.”

William climbed into the truck, and commanded Renold to come along. Renold seemed hesitant, looking at Alan for a while before joining him. Once they were in the vehicle, they drove off, leaving Alan looming over his son.

Alan closed his son’s eyes, and wiped the tears he had cried. “I… loved you, you know. I… always did what I thought was best. I hope you did, too.”

There was a silence… Alan looked around at the other corpses. He had to take his son out of this place. This filth. He didn’t want this to be where he stayed. Alan picked Ron up, holding his head close to his shoulders, and then picked up the briefcases and slid the handles all the way into his arms. Then, he left for the gate.

But, suddenly seeing the empty lot in front of him, with what he carried in his arms, he could do nothing but laugh.

“He took the truck, Ron,” He said through his laughter, “He took our truck.”

2 notes · View notes

give-your-name-away · 3 years

Text

Hunger Games Name Analysis

I remember when I was in middle school I was obsessed with the Hunger Games. I only ever had the first book, but I read it over and over again until it's pages were completely warned out. I didn't care about the romance, but I was hooked by everything else. The games were what drew me in, but the world building is what got me hooked. I could tell very easily how different all the districts were and how the capitol kept them under control. I could see how cruel the country was, but everyone lived with it because they had no other choice. It was fascinating to me.

The Hunger Games is actually what started my love for names in the first place, and there is a very good reason for it. Suzanne Collins was very clever with how she used names in her world building and it shows. It helps fleshes out her world and her districts in a very fascinating and unique way.

It took me a while to put my finger on how exactly she does this, but once I did I found it even more fascinating. The key is she didn't look at her world as a monolith. This sounds obvious, but when it comes to the small things like names it's easy to overlook. Collins did not make this mistake, and in turn each district has their own rules for naming their children.

(If you want to read this on AO3 then the link is here https://archiveofourown.org/works/32092420)

District 12: This is one of the districts we see the most of, as it's the home of the main character, Katniss. Some of the names used are Katniss, Primrose, Peeta, Gale, Haymitch, Lucy Grey, Leevy, Posy, and Thom. These are some of the more down to earth names in the universe, and most of them seem familiar, if not a little altered. Peeta seems to be a variant of Peter, Haymitch a variant of Hamish. Leevy could either be decended from Levi or Livy. The names evolved from modern names, which makes sense considering how long in the future it is. In District 12 you either name your children already known names, or names based on nature. (Katniss, Gale, Primrose, Posy, ect) and even some of the natural names change through time. One example is Thom instead of Thorn, or it could be a variation of Thomas.

The thing that is interesting about district twelve is people aren't getting 'creative' with spellings or variants, at least not on purpose. They're naming their children off of things they already know, which is what happened before people had access to things like internet or other cultures to mingle with. District 12 is very isolated, so they use names they already know, names that are familiar even to us. People are also struggling to get by, so they don’t spend much time getting creative.

Capital: The next location we go to is the Capital, and we spend quite a long time there. Some of the names we run into are Coriolanus, Effie, Cinna, Diana, Tigris, Arachne, Seneca, Caesar, Messalla, Octavia, Venia, Urban, and Portia. Most English speakers have somewhat of a familiarity with these names, though more from stories than from people in real life. There seem to be three different categories of names. Names that are descended from Greek names like Effie, Arachne, Portia, Caesar, and Cinna are good examples. There are Roman names like Coriolanus, Diana, Seneca, and Octavia are good examples.

Finally there are the noun names, or noun variant names. They’re not nearly as common it seems, but Tigris and Urban are good examples. They break the rule of exclusively Roman and Greek names which is a good way not to make the Capitol seem like a monolith.

District One: District One names are extremely distinted, and it’s hard not to notice how odd they seem from the beginning, when Katniss mentioned that the district one female was named Glimmer. Other names include Velvereen, Facet, Augustus, Glimmer, Marvel, Cashmere, and Gloss. We don’t have a wide variety of names but the ones we do have are very telling.

There are fabric names like Cashmere, Facet and velvereen, a variant of velveteen. Adjective names are pretty common too. These seem odd to us, but I find them akin to virtue names.

There is an oddball name there, Augustus. It is a Roman name that seems to fit in with the capitol. This could be reminiscent of name trends changing quickly in such an affluent district as he was the victor in the 67th hunger games, or it could just show the closeness between Distinct One and the Capital, to the point that even the baby names are influenced.

District Two: District two names are also distinct, but it’s harder to place exactly why. Some of them are Cato, Clove, Brutus, Enobaria, Lyme, Cray, Romulus, Pugnax, Sejanus, Marcus and Sabyn. As we can clearly see, most of these are Roman. Cato, Brutus, Enobaria, Romulus, Pugnax, Sejanus, and Marcus. Unlike the capital there don’t seem to be any Greek names.

However there are some odd names in the mix. Clove, Lyme, Cray, and Sabyn. They are quite hard to place. Some are real names, but their meanings don’t fit with the district, so I believe Suzanne Collins took the same route as she did in District three (More information below) where she took career related words and altered them enough just to be unrecognizable. After all District two’s official purpose is masonry.

Clove is the present tense of the term Cleave. Lyme is most likely a variant on the word Lye, as the only other thing I could find was the disease, which seems unlikely. Cray could either be the English name that already exists, or a variant of clay.

Sabyn is a bit harder to place, but it seems to be a variant of Sabine, which was a term for people who lived in Rome. It’s not of Roman origin, but it still fits.

District Three: There are only four names to draw from in district three. Beetee, Wiress, Circ, and Teslee. The pattern here is very easy to decipher. They seem to be district career related names, but changed somewhat. Unlike district one names that name their children directly after verbs and nouns very purposefully, district three names are slightly more subtle.

Beetee seems to be based off of the brand name BT. Wiress is clearly based off of Wireless. Circ is a shortened version of Circuit, and Teslee seems to be a variant on Tesla. It’s unlikely that the brands Tesla and BT are still around. They probably just morphed into the language, with the citizens of district three not knowing where they came from, similar to how most people don’t know where names like ‘Mary’ or ‘Zoe’ came from. I’m unsure if Circ and Wiress follow this same pattern, as circuits and wireless seem like they should still exist in the world, but it doesn’t seem purposeful.

District four: District four has much more interesting naming conventions with the names of Mags, Finnick, Annie, Coral, and Mizzen. They seem a little odd, but downright normal.

Coral and Mizzen seem to be the only names that are fishing or water related. Mizzen is the mast in front of a ship's main mast, and Coral is coral. Even then Coral is a perfectly common name in English, so these conventions don’t seem too related to the career of district four.

However Mags is a variant of Margaret, which means pearl. Finnick means marshland, which is a type of wetlands.

Annie does not have a water related name, simply meaning grace. However the existence of both the names Annie and Mags seems to show that it’s common for district four to use nicknames as full names. That itself is not uncommon with how much time had passed, but it is interesting to point out.

District five: While Foxface is from this district ‘Foxface’ is not her real name, so she doesn’t count. There are theories about her real name, but nothing canonical, so I’m not including her. This is a shame because we only have three names to work with. Hy, Sol, and Porter.

The names are very short compared to the other districts. However they also directly relate to the district’s industry of power. While I find this debatable myself Hy seems to be related to Hydraulic power. A little more obvious is Sol being related to Solar power. Porter seems slightly different, named after a porter cable instead of a direct power source.

There isn’t a lot known about this district, so it’s hard to analyze much further.

District Six: Everything about district six is vague. Even it’s industry, which is transportation, isn’t very specific, and there isn’t much to analyze. The names we have are Otto, Ginnee, and Titus.

Names seem to be unrelated to the industry, similar to twelve. Furthermore, similar to twelve the names seem to be alterations on well known names. Otto is just Otto, but Ginnee is a variant on Ginny.

Titus is a bit more complicated. It is a Roman name, like the capitol and the second district. This could mean a lot of things. I find it rather likely that do to their purpose as transportation they have the ability to leave, even if only occasionally, and unlike other districts can absorb certain facets of culture like baby names from outside their district. Of course with such a small sample size this is just a theory.

District Seven: District seven is the lumber district, and the names appear to be very reflective of that, though not in the obvious way. If someone were to think of lumber inspired names they’d probably come up with things like Willow, Oak, Leaf, and Ash, or something obvious. Instead we have Treech, Lamina, Johanna, and Blight.

You really have to look into the meanings, but once you do the implications become clear. Treech is a variant on the word tree. Lamina is the blade of a leaf. Blight is a disease that commonly affects trees and plants, which I find it odd to name your kid after, but it still fits.

Johanna isn’t related to trees in any way, instead it is a common English name. It makes sense for English names to still exist, considering that it takes place in what used to be America. Plus it isn’t the only example of this, as Annie from district four’s name also works like this.

District Eight: We actually have a good sample size from district eight, the district in charge of textiles, despite it being a rather minor district in the story. Bonnie, Bobbin, Cecelia, Woof, Twill, Paylor, and Wovey.

As we see with Bonnie, Cecelia, and Paylor the default names seem to be of European origin rather than Roman origin the further the districts are from the capitol. While I don’t believe this is purposeful I don’t believe it’s entirely accidental. With how far they are from the capitol it makes sense that there wouldn’t be much influence, but on the other hand it also makes sense that the little influence there is wouldn’t be purposefully emulated due to the hatred of the capitol.

The other names seem to be industry related as well. Bobbin is a small tool used in a sewing machine. Woof are the crosswise threads in woven fabric. Twill is a type of fabric weave, and Wovey is from the word wove, the past tense of weave.

Bonnie could either be a normal English name, or a variant of the name Bobbin. Variant names are extremely common, and it’s quite natural that they could develop.

District Nine: District nine is the district of grain, and along with ten we know the least about these two districts. We only have two names to draw from, Panlo and Sheaf, but they are both related to grain.

Sheaf is related directly, as sheaf is the term for when grain is tied together. Panlo is indirectly related, as it is based on the latin word for bread, panis.

District Ten: District ten is the livestock district, but their names don’t seem as related to their industry as the others are. Though we only have three data points to draw from. Brandy, Dalton, and Tanner.

Tanner seems to be the only one directly related to livestock, as Tanner is a career of tanning animal hides.

Brandy is a type of alcoholic drink, and it’s also already a name. Same as Dalton, which means settlement in the valley.

Unlike the other districts all three of these names are actual names used in modern day life. And unlike other districts with common English names these have a distinctly more modern feel to them.

District Eleven: District eleven names are a personal favorite of mine, though I may be slightly biased because of Rue, my favorite character. We have a decent pool to draw from. Rue, Thresh, Chaff, Seeder, Reaper, Martin, and Dill.

I like the symbolism of Rue. The word Rue in english means regret, however it is also a type of flowering plant. Thresh is either named after the method for separating grain from a plant, or the thrush bird. Chaff is the word for a corn husk separated from the corn. A seeder is a type of tool for seeding the ground. Reaper doesn’t mean grim reaper, instead it’s the term for someone who uses a scythe to reap grain. Dill is also a type of herb.

Martin doesn’t relate to the other names, and seems to fall into the ‘leftover English names’ category that seems to exist in all districts.

District Thirteen: District thirteen is an interesting one. They don’t have an industry, not anymore at least, nor do they have any ties to other districts that could influence their names. We have Alma, Boggs, Homes, Mitchell, Jackson, and York.

The interesting thing about these names is that they’re all surnames. Some can be first names like Jackson and Mitchell, but even those ones originate from surnames.

There has been a trend in recent years of parents using surnames as first names. A few examples of this are Sawyer, Taylor, Sutton, Carter, and Madison.

I’m not entirely sure why this trend developed, but I do have a few theories. District thirteen is very strict and militaristic. In such an environment it’s pretty common to refer to people by their surnames, so it makes sense that surnames would start to leak into first names.

Another theory is that referring to someone by their surname was a sign of respect in district 13, similar to how it is in the real world. It’s possible that either consciously or subconsciously parents started using surnames as first names to bring their children prestige. This happens in real life two. One of the most prevalent examples is parents giving their daughters either masculine or male names in hopes that it would help them in the workforce. Of course in district 13 it seems far more widespread than in real life, but unlike real life district 13 has a noticeable lack of outside influences that could provide a more diverse culture.

Although at the end district 13 was taking in refugees from other districts due to their lack of fertility. Their seemed to be people from multiple districts. There was 10% of the population from 12, at least one boy mentioned from 10 and most likely more, quite a few people from the capital, and while it’s only mentioned that two people tried to get there from 8 and failed it wouldn’t be unlikely to assume that there were a few that succeeded in coming to 13. In the future of the universe it would be interesting to see how this would effect naming culture and the development of new names.

#hunger games #the hunger games #district 12 #district 1 #district 2 #the capitol #name analysis

94 notes · View notes

evening-primroses · 3 years

Note

ok besides maurice what are some of your favorite books and movies?

ooo okay so my other fav books are

the god of small things by arundhati roy

saadat hasan manto's short stories

nobody killed her by sabyn javeri

goodbye freddie mercury by nadia akbar

karachi: our stories in our words by maniza naqvi

and my other fav movies are

desert hearts (1985)

the great gatsby (2013)

angry indian goddesses (2015)

betty blue (1986)

psycho (1960)

#ask #:)))

6 notes · View notes

everlvrks · 4 years

Text

naming in songbirds and snakes

authors note: it is 1 am and this is unbataed, apologies for any spelling or grammar errors.

the hunger games is known for its outrageous, futuristic names; one of my favorite pieces of the series. this post does a beautiful job analyzing the names that appear in the original trilogy and categorizing them into 4 different categories. but that post is a little old and we’ve just recently got a lot more content (and names) to pick apart and analyze.

researching these names reminds me how everything suzanne includes in her novels is intentional. she doesn’t pick random names because they sound good but because they mean something. i think that’s important to remember while reading this series. it’s definitely something i will keep in mind during my next reread of the trilogy.

i didn’t cover every name in tbosas. if there’s a name you have thoughts about, reblog and let me know.

potential tbosas spoilers and long post under the cut

names will be divided into capitol and tribute (district) names

capitol

capitol names take many influences from ancient roman and greek names, but they also tell the story of the character. i will only be discussing major characters, not all will be mentioned.

coriolanus: snow’s first name largely has to do with his story. from the play coriolanus by shakespeare, meaning “conqueror of corioli,” a heroic roman solider, caius marcius, gains his name from a victory at corioli. when he leads the attack on corioli, it does not go well. but he keeps fighting and returns to rome victorious. he brings glory to rome and his mother volumnia. basically summing up his whole story. he tries to lead an ‘attack’ (him trying to win the games) but that fails. he’s reduced to a peacekeeper but he still doesn’t stop trying to be something greater. he wins in the end. he goes back to the capitol, attends university and is mentored dr. gaul.

which brings me to...

dr. volumnia gaul: dr. gaul’s name has two parts. one representing her relationship with snow. the other representing her relationship with panem. volumnia is the mother of caius marcus in shakespeare’s play, coriolanus. volumnia, in the play, uses caius as a means of securing personal prestige aka using snow’s ideas in her games. she wants her games to be better, the best. and she uses snow for that. gaul was also a roman province that embarrassed rome (read: gual’s games not being popular, things going wrong, etc.). but unlike gual, dr. gual was not stop/conquered by panem/rome.

sejanus plinth: sejanus was a close friend and ally of roman emperor tiberius who worked to improve conditions for the empire. he was also strangled to death. sejanus plinth was unable to change anything before his death by hanging. a plinth can be looked at in two different ways. @hutchhitched described it as a platform—a place someone can take a stand and deliver a message. it can also be looked at as a means for climbing. social climbing, if you will. the main ambition of the plinths.

strabo plinth: a wealthy philosopher who allied with the romans and was granted roman citizenship as a reward. seems familiar? plinth: see sejanus.

crassus snow: crassus was a roman general who played a key role in the transformation of the roman republic into the roman empire. just like his namesake, crassus snow was known for his military experience and wrote the proposal for the hunger games, successfully transforming panem into what we know today.

tributes

typically, tributes have names that reflect the industry of their district. there are a few exceptions to this; including sabine, ginnee, jessup and lucy gray baird.

district one

one of the wealthier districts in panem, district one is responsible for producing luxury items, such as jewelry, for the capitol.

male tribute: facet, literally meaning “one side of something many-sided, especially of a cut gem” suggest gemstone that is placed into jewelry but he is merely a part of the captiols larger plan.

female tribute: velvereen, derived from velveteen, meaning “a cotton fabric with a pile resembling velvet.”

district two

another wealthy district, district two is the home of the nation’s quarries and masonry workers. also recruits and trains peacekeepers and produces weapons for their use.

male tribute: marcus, derived from malleus, latin meaning “hammer.” the main tool of a masonry worker.

female tribute: sabyn, derived from sabine, italic tribe located near the tiber river. captured and raped by the romans. parallel to her current situation of being captured by the capitol.

district three

one of the poorer districrs. responsible for technology, district theee manufactures televisions, computers and other electronics. citizens of this district are very adept at engineering.

male tribute: circ, derived from circuit, something which an electric current can flow; used in electronics.

female tribute: teslee, possibly derived from tesla, an inventor and engineer.

district four

it’s major industry is fishing, trains citizens at a young age for their industry.

male tribute: mizzen, literally a part of a ships mast aka ships used for fishing.

female tribute: coral, do i have to explain this one? marine invertebrates that live in the ocean.

district five

it’s main industry is power and electricity.

male tribute: hy, possibly derived from hydroelectric, alluding to the hydroelectric dam that produces power for panem.

female tribute: sol, derived from solis, latin for sun. another producer of power.

district six

responsible for transportation.

male tribute: otto, variation of auto derived from automobile. a form of transportation

female tribute: ginnee, meaning “pure” a reminder that these are innocent children.

district seven

main industry is lumber

male tribute: treech, possibly a styilization of tree, the source of lumber

female tribute: lamina, the blade of a leaf, something trees have ;)

district eight

the textile makers

male tribute: bobbin, a spindle which thread is wound. typically found on sewing machines

female tribute: wovey, possibly derived from woven because textiles are, woven.

district nine

responsible for grain production

male tribute: panlo, derived from pan, meaning bread in spanish. bread is made from grain.

female tribute: sheaf, literally meaning “a bundle of grain stalks.”

district ten

the cattle ranchers of panem

male tribute: tanner, from the verb to tan, meaning “convert animal skin into leather”

female tribute: brandy, a brand is “an identifying mark burned on livestock”

district eleven

agriculture!

male tribute: reaper, to reap, meaning “to cut or gather a crop or harvest”

female tribute: dill, an herb. that you grow

district twelve

the coal miners

male tribute: jessup, derived from hebrew “yosef.” interestingly this is only the second name derived from hebrew within thg. second to johanna. could also be a reference to jessup, nevada; a mining area.

female tribute: lucy grey baird, she explains her own name. baird meaning poet or minstrel.

#tbosas spoilers #tbosas #tbosas meta #meta #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #ballad spoilers #ballad of songbirds and snakes #my meta

114 notes · View notes

bookpediastuff · 3 years

Text

Check Out Our Best in Indian Fiction and Non-fiction

What makes a nation great? Is it simply economic prosperity and military strength — or something more?

It is only a matter of time before India is termed economically developed. But a nation has to learn to survive in tough times too. And for that what is most important is national character, born out of the value systems that exist in our families, what schools teach students and the culture of the nation. In Pathways to Greatness, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam shifts focus from the economic development of India by 2020 to the development of our national character, offering key lessons that will help India withstand the forces of change. In the book he completed just a few months before his death in 2015, one of India’s best-known icons writes about how our nation can lead the whole world on the pathways to greatness.

Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2lpmoCg

Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Adiyogi is already a bestseller.

‘Shi-va’ is ‘that which is not’, a primordial emptiness; Shiva is also the first-ever yogi, Adiyogi, the one who first perceived this emptiness. Adiyogi is symbol and myth, historic figure and living presence, creator and destroyer, outlaw and ascetic, cosmic dancer and passionate lover, all at once.

A book like no other, this extraordinary document is a tribute to Shiva, the Adiyogi, by a living yogi; a chronicle of the progenitor of mysticism by a contemporary mystic. Here science and philosophy merge seamlessly, so do silence and sound, question and answer–to capture the unspeakable enigma of Adiyogi in a spellbinding wave of words and ideas that will leave one entranced, transformed.

Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2lLxp1K

ISRO pioneer R. Aravamudan narrates the gripping story of the people who built India’s space research programme and how they did it — from the rocket engineers who laid the foundation to the savvy young engineers who keep Indian spaceships flying today. It is the tale of an Indian organisation that defied international bans and embargos, worked with laughably meagre resources, evolved its own technology and grew into a major space power. Today, ISRO creates, builds and launches gigantic rockets which carry the complex spacecraft that form the neural network not just of our own country but those of other countries too. This is a made-in-India story like no other.

Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2lKGw4K

A bomb goes off on a college campus. A shaken Sara and Omar first notice each other. Their eyes lock and there it is — a beginning sparked in chaos, an end foretold. Four years later, their story is remembered, retold by friends, spoken of fondly by their teachers. That story unfolds between these covers: one about the noise that balloons make when they burst; of lessons on using your mother’s death to your advantage; about a cry for help even though all you did was barely scrape your knee; about running faster than the wind, climbing mountains and learning how to keep your balance in a thunderstorm. This is a tale of Pakistan and what it means to live and love in apocalyptic times. Sheheryar B. Sheikh’s The Still Point of the Turning World is a haunting meditation on young people and their awakening — into adulthood, romance and a political space that is constantly shifting around them.

Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2lLzsD6

A political thriller like no other!

The nation sinks deep into mourning as news of former prime minister Rani Shah’s assassination arrives. Intelligence agencies, opposition leaders, the Army top brass, her closest relatives — all seem to be shifting in their chairs even as special investigative teams gear up to file a report. Conspiracy theories abound for there were many who stood to gain if she pulled out of the imminent elections. The needle of suspicion points most immediately to Madam Shah’s close confidante Nazneen Khan, who was seen sitting right beside her in the convoy and, oddly, escaped the bomb blast unscathed. Sabyn Javeri’s tale of intense friendship between two ambitious women unfolds in a country steeped in fanaticism and patriarchy.

Nobody Killed Her is dark noir meets pacey courtroom drama. An electrifying debut you will rave about to everyone you meet.

Buy it here: http://amzn.to/2lVPVqA

#books #latest book

1 note · View note

bongbooksandcoffee · 4 years

Text

Hijabistan

Hijabistan by Sabyn Javeri explores the various aspects of Hijab from being an instrument of repression to being a part of the identity of some women

When I started to read ‘Hijabistan’ by Sabyn Javeri, I was predisposed to look for stories dealing with repression and emancipation of Muslim women.The book did cater to this flavour but pleasantly broke out of the stereotype in many cases. . The…

View On WordPress

0 notes

mangofuzz · 7 years

Text

i got my Big for the theatre society yesterday and we got asked what our dream role was and i said the mc from cabaret and everyone was like yup i can see that and my heart just ????

#plus people laughed at my fake virginity story #and i love my big so much im so glad i actually got her she made me the best letter/gift and bought the greatest cookies #fuck man im so happy #i missed my advisor appointment because i just woke up & i have hw i dont know how to do but im happy #shut up sabyne

0 notes

emovulpine-blog · 7 years

Text

All Hallows Write Tag

The Rules: #1 – Provide a BRIEF description of your novel before starting.

Basically. Rowan (the main character) gets arrested for being a sorceress and is forced to help find the Princess (the only heir to the throne) otherwise she would have to face a cruel death. Along the way she manages to forge friendship with Jonathon, despite his endless cringey jokes.

#2 – Don’t use the same character for more than 3 answers. The Questions: 1) It’s Halloween night! What is your protagonist dressed up as? Delaena (Goddess of the hunt, weaponry, war and music in the story) because she idolised her from a young age.

2) Who in your cast refuses to dress up and shows up at the Halloween party without a costume? Cassandra. Why dress up as anything when you're already a sorceress?

3) Which character wears the most outrageous costume, and what would it be? Jonathon, definitely. In the most elaborate chicken costume anyone has ever seen. Handmade by himself. He probably spent the entire year making it.

4) On Halloween, werewolves, vampires, and zombies are on the prowl. Which of your characters gets caught in their clutches, and which creature do they subsequently turn into? Elixia. Probably would be trying to help someone who had turned into a zombie and ends up getting turned herself.

5) Who wins the contest for best costume? Princess Eleanor. Jonathon would be most upset that he didn't win though.

6) Who hands out toothbrushes to the trick and treaters? Elixia. Since she focuses most of her work in healing shed be very conscious of all the sugar around her.

7) Which two of your characters decide to pair up and do an angel/devil costume together? Frederick (angel) and Helewyse (devil purely to make her father more mad for being so cruel to the Valances).

8) Someone is too scared to even attend the Halloween party. Who is it? Joshua (Rowan's little brother). He's too pure for the world he lives in.

9) Who overdoses on Halloween candy and ends up sick? Mathilda. She won't have eaten sweets often and ends up going crazy when she finally gets to eat them.

10) Which character is most likely to place a curse/hex on someone and who would they curse? Zanna. Probably on Queen Sabyn since the curse she cast on Phillip was lifted. Don’t forget to tag your writer friends and use ‘all hallows write’ in your tags so other writers can easily find your answers. Tagging: @ssonoda @nethdoesstuff @firstclasslentrash @slash-bladeofresolve

#all hallows write

0 notes

apocalypticmovierp · 7 years

Text

Exclusive ‘Boomtown’ Trailer: Oil Fields Offer A Better Life

Almost every industry over the past few years has felt the impact of the buckling economy, so when opportunities to make good money arrive, people will travel to work. North Dakota in particular has seen an influx of citizens headed to the oil fields and the new drama “Boomtown” unfolds against the backdrop of that difficult life. And today we have the exclusive trailer.

Written and directed by Sabyn Mayfield, and starring Boyd Holbrook, Dwight Yoakum, Rachel Brosnahan, Tyler Riggs, and Jocelyn Donahue, the story follows John “JT” Turner who, struggling to make ends meet, leaves his young family behind to pursue a gruelling, yet highly coveted, job in a booming oil town.

Continue reading Exclusive ‘Boomtown’ Trailer: Oil Fields Offer A Better Life at The Playlist.

want watch movies online from The Playlist http://ift.tt/2wurRAY by via watch movies online via IFTTT

#IFTTT #The Playlist #movietvshow21.stream #watch movies online #watch movies

0 notes

veronareviews-blog · 6 years

Text

Language : A review

Romeo and Juliet is a play written by William Shakespeare. Set in Verona, the story is centered around two young, star-crossed lovers. The characters of the retelling of Act 5 were portrayed by Patty Arao (Juliet and Prince Escalus), Amber Bautista (Romeo), Rian Jara (Paris and Lord Capulet), Jin Mizuse (Balthasar), Gesha Parreño (Friar Lawrence), Sabyne Sarmiento (Friar John and Lord Montague) and Shantell Gabriel (Page), in Miriam College High School Viewing Room 4 on December 5, 2017. Through their hard work and team effort, the group was able to give the audience an excellent performance. Romeo, as played by Amber Bautista, showed outstanding acting skills. Therefore, the character of Romeo this production created impact in the play and provided an emotional performance.

The play itself was engaging to watch, because all characters were able to occupy the whole venue effectively. There were times, however, when the characters talked too fast or lacked emotion in their performance. For instance, Paris (Rian Jara) fell short in showing more emotion during the scene of the fight with Romeo (Amber Bautista). In addition, the actors weren’t facing the crowd, so it was difficult to see how they expressed their emotions in some scenes. Nevertheless, the hand gestures and voice tones they delivered, distinctly showed fine characterization. The relationship between Romeo and Juliet was clearly depicted in the performance because they beautifully portrayed their pain and tragic situation in accuracy, yet creativity in expression.

The depiction of characters showed accuracy to the performance of the original play because they seamlessly and passionately acted out and displayed their emotions. The characters were fully absorbed in their roles. Thus, it was easy for the audience to see the character in the form of an actor they were in. In addition, the costumes were appropriate and complimented the roles that they played. In summary, the play was very satisfying to watch and it fulfilled and went beyond my expectations.

0 notes

the-erickson-labrynthian · 6 years

Text

Stories of Sabyn VII: Officer Santamona Eelila (3)

Part seven of ten, which means we are almost there people! Almost... yet, still so far to go. Well, I hope you enjoy this part, and everything left on our journey. Let’s get to it...

Officer Santamona Eelila (3):

The walk up to the office of her chief was the worst part. She knew how protocol worked. She knew that a man as old as he would wouldn’t care about her life. But, she knew she had to try. Everytime she thought about that man she called a rat, William Briggs, and the fact that he was still at large, able to hurt even more people, she felt a wave of pure anger, rage, and dedication to seeing his corpse.

He won’t hurt anyone again, She told herself, Never again.

At the front of the office door, all of these emotions rose to their highest points, and faded away as she breathed, calming herself before knocking a few times on the stained glass door that had Chief Adams written in black text.

“Come in,” He said with an audible groan.

Eelila grabbed the copper door knob and pushed forward, entering the quiet brown office before her. There were cabinets and files all over the room, scattered. All light came from the hanging lamp above him, as the large window in the back was still black from the night sky. At the center of this light was Adams, sorting different papers all around his desk, a pen twitching back and forth in his right hand.

“What is it that you want, Officer Eelila? I was hoping to get home before dawn.” Chief Adams asked, as Eelila took a seat in front of his desk.

She cleared her throat, “Well, we think we have a lead on the William Briggs case. In fact, we think we found out where he is.”

Adams stroked his beard, which was rough a grey, like the rest of his hair that spread lifeless curls in all directions. His fingers were large and dead, with tight rings around nearly each one. The man was known for his ‘day away from retirement’ demeanor. Eelila kept her posture perfect in his presence, especially when she needed to ask a request like this.

“Hmm, wonderful. Tell me, then. We’re low staffed, but I think Wilson would be able to-”

“Sir,” She interrupted, “I actually have a request about this.”

He raised his eyebrows, “Yes?”

“I want to be the one to apprehend William Briggs. I want to go.”

He lowered his head back down to look at his papers, “No.”

“But, sir!” She insisted.

“I said, no, Officer. That’s an order.”

Eelila lost control, “I’m sorry sir, but you have any idea what that man has done?”

“Exactly, you’re too close to this, and want petty revenge. We can’t risk that on this guy. We’re all half dead as it is, and drawing dead ends in a half dead city. I’m not allowing the final death of the department on your ego.”

“It’s not ego!” She protested, “It’s knowledge. I've faced him dozens of times before, in several different departments, you know that! And, you know I am the only cop left who has seen him and lived.”

“Perhaps that’s true, but I’ve made up my mind, Officer. You are to brief Wilson of the location and threat, and then you are to go home for the night. My orders.”

“No!” She slammed both of her hands down on the table, “I’m not letting that man get away! Not again! This is my chance. This is my life. He’s walked all over it, and I want him dead!”

“You realize you are currently defying my order, yes?”

“Absolutely,” She stood up now, “Because no matter how qualified you are, you have no idea what that man is capable of, and you have no idea what he has done to me. I was terrified every night he would come into my room, like the boogeyman, and kill me. Horrified at what I had seen happen to cities, and homes, all from a single action that he could take. I witnessed him do so many things, in his own naive pursuit of what he called ‘justice’. True justice is stopping that man. Undoing what he done. And I am telling you, I am the only officer in this building who can do that. So, I am not asking you, I am commanding you, to let me go.”

“Commanding me?” He clenched his fists, “I could fire you for this.”

“Shut up and do it, then. I don’t give a damn, frankly. I’ll go over there with my bare fists if I have to, and I’ll kill him. Fire me, and I don’t really need your permission.”

“So why don’t you go?”

She paused, “Because… you know you shouldn't fire me. You know I am the best here. And you know I need to go kill that man,” She leaned over, closer to him, and begged, “Please give me this. Help me end this once and for all. It’s all I have ever dreamed of. It’s everything to me. I need him to die.”

He rubbed his hands over his face, thinking, before he finally said, “Take Wilson with you. Both of you go together, and you lead. For safety. That’s my final offer. Take it, and get the hell out of my office.”

“Thank you,” She whimpered, “Thank you.”

“If he isn’t there, you’re working overtime for a month. No extra pay.”

“If I kill him, I’ll do your job for free.”

He smiled, and Eelila turned away from him and walked out of the office, all the way downstairs until she met with Officer Wilson, a handsome man with smooth skin and combed black hair, with a natural presence to him that made one easily understand by Bureau would fancy him so. She stopped in front of him and let him know the mission.

“You and me?” He said, “To get the guy? William Briggs?”

She crossed her arms, “Are you afraid?”

“Only of you, if I don’t hurry up,” He grabbed his jacket off of his desk and started walking out of the office with her, to the police car, while asking, “Where is it?”

“Recompense Ave, 24601,” She replied, “And, Wilson?”

“Yes?” He said as they reached the vehicle.

“Don’t get in my way.”

He laughed and opened the car door for her, “This is your life, right?”

She sighed and entered the passenger seat. This is everything to me.

1 note · View note

theurbantwist · 7 years

Text

Q&A with 'Boomtown' Director Sabyn Mayfield

Q&A with ‘Boomtown’ Director Sabyn Mayfield

Director Sabyn Mayfield has teamed up with ‘The Orchard’ a film and video distribution company to release the official trailer for ‘Boomtown’! The movie synopsis tells the story of John ‘JT’ Turner, who is a father and husband faced with a difficult decision of how to provide for his family. While having to leave everything behind including his wife and child, JT takes a grueling and dangerous…

View On WordPress

#Boomtown #The Orchard

0 notes

the-erickson-labrynthian · 6 years

Text

Character Introductions: Nathan Briggs.

Hello and welcome everybody, I’ve brought you all here today to begin my hopeful plans to fully integrate the characters of my novella, Nathan and the Allex Cube, onto the blog. I want these characters to be real, characters that exist beyond just the story that they are told, to give you a real look at who they are--and by extension, who I am.

Don’t ask me what that means I’ll be starting to do, I’d be a fool to lie to you here and say I know fully, but some ideas that have been running in my head are like, letters from the characters, different ‘improv’ situations I’d put them into. Answering questions about what they like, dislike, do with their days, etc, even if it was stuff that doesn't fully connect to their world, that kind of stuff. In fact, if anyone has any ideas, questions about the character, stuff in general, feel free to ask me about em, I’m open to answering any questions *cough* until I say I don’t want to because you’ll completely unravel my canon with the answer *cough* anyways, time to get to the man o the hour himself, Nathan.

This is what he looks like:

You’ve seen him before, hard for me not to put the picture everywhere when it was so wonderfully drawn by the cool and awesome and cool and, did I say awesome? Mr. Riggo over at @manic-mediocrity-zone / @adequate-art-zone.

This is Nathan, Nathan Briggs.

And these are the stats that the world turns him into:

Age: 15

Height: 5′ 8″

Weight: 154 Lbs

Sex: Male

Birthday: October 3rd

Race: Half Gongolithian, Half Earth Native

Home: Sabyn, the place that trash finds its way to, and where the smell always lingers.

But here’s the things papers cant tell you, yet words still find a way:

Personality: Timid, Worrisome, Delicate, Reserved, A simple boy, A boy who wants nothing from the world but a place to hang his hat and rest his head. When the world says no, what would become of him? Likes when things are stable, and when he is capable, as so often things are not, and he is never. Dislikes discomfort, and some days, the man who brought him into this world. Some days.

Those are a few things I could tell you about him. But... there’s more. There will always be more. Maybe on this blog, maybe if I try, I can show you who he is.

Or, who he could be.

The decision is on me.

The weight of a man... in my hands.

But there’s more.

So... so much more.

Let this be the beginning.

Of infinity.

Because, as my father always said.

It all goes back to the cube.

... there it is. There’s Nathan.

I hope he’s good enough for you.

Anyways, I have to go. There’s so much work to be done.

Good day.

- Erickson

4 notes · View notes

the-erickson-labrynthian · 6 years

Text

Stories of Sabyn VI: Ron Reigns (2)

(The sixth installment in my ten part series set on the same planet as my novella, Nathan and the Allex Cube, available on Amazon. If you like this, be sure to check out more of my work, I’d greatly appreciate it.)

Ron Reigns (2):

When Ron entered the bar his father always spent his nights at, a wave of alcoholic fumes hit him, almost knocking him back, like a room filled with thousands of his father. Along with the fumes of the drunks came the noise of the drunks, all over the place. Each drunk at their bar stools were separated by thin clear walls, and in front of them were holographic screens of the latest games that played also on the big screen. Some drunks had their clear borders rolled down, attempting to flirt with nearby women who dared to sit in their presence. The women would roll up their own, sipping a martini and biding their time before they were picked up by their father’s. The bartender seemed absent while these people drank.

Other patrons were playing games across the floor. There were three pool tables, and around each one was a crowd which cheered or booed at every turn. The player would flick the white ball with their fingers, and it would launch as if hit by a cue stick towards all of the other balls, throwing them around, but never into the holes.

Ron watched this loud mob for a long time, examining every detail for any danger, before he finally made his way to the last empty seat by the bar. When he sat down, the bartender came by immediately, sensing his presence. He was balding, but had a full beard to compensate for it. He wore a green vest and white button-up shirt, more formal than the bar’s atmosphere would suggest. As his gaze fell on Ron, he put on a fake smile and walked over.

“What’ll it be?” He asked.

“U-um,” Ron stuttered, “I am not here to drink.”

“Most baby-faced kids like you can’t anyways. Looking for your dad?”

“How did you know?”

“You have his eyes. And the bags under them,” He laughed, “Alan Reigns’ kid, right?”

“Yeah, I’m Ron. I wanted to know if you would know where my father might be going today. He’s doing something with a man named William Briggs.”

The bartender lost his smile, and people around Ron started to give him weird looks before a swift hand from the bartender motioned their attention away. The drunks all went back to their game as he leaned closer to Ron, whispering.

“Be careful when you throw around a name like that. The man practically helped me build this place, and destroyed it a few times. Despite what he’s done, these people, and I, respect him.”

“I think he’s an ass.”

He chuckled, “You wouldn’t be wrong.”

“Where is he taking my father? Have they discussed anything?”

“Well… not any plan specifically, but… most often when the two are out on a mission, they are delivering contraband to cartels.”

“Contraband? My dad sells drugs?”

“Smuggles, and delivers weapons and drugs. But the market’s been completely dominated by one man these days: Ares Wesigin. A ruthless mob boss who specializes in the business of death and violence. Probably the most cruel man I know, aside from William himself. But, luckily, William has sides, Wesigin doesn’t.”

“Seems to me like he burns the people on his side, too.”

“You wouldn’t be wrong,” He agreed again, “But it’s the better side to be on.”

“I want to stop my father. I’m done with this.”

The bartender grabbed a glass and began to clean it, “Are you sure you want to do that? Where do you think the money is coming from?”

The money? Ron hadn’t thought about it, since his father didn’t talk much about their debts, but it did seem that the pink envelopes were coming by less and less. That’s why he can’t quit…

“Money doesn’t matter. You said it yourself, he’s funding a horrible man! He’s giving him weapons! I knew there was something awful about this… and that ass my dad works with.”

“People could get hurt if you got in his way.”

“People are already getting hurt,” He noted, “And my family is breaking apart. My sister cries every time my mom and dad scream at one another after my dad comes home three days late. I get scared when I see my dad come home with blood on him, or see my mom start packing a briefcase. This is hurting us, and it has to stop. And, only I can do it.”

The bartender put down the glass and ended his whispering, “Look, kid, I empathize with you. If you want this, fine. I’ll tell you where Wesigin is. But, know who your going against,” He pointed away from the two, to the left.

Ron followed where the finger pointed to and saw a burned insignia on the wall inside of the bar, with red stains around it. The insignia read, This Is What Happens When You Stand In My Way. Followed by seventeen tick marks, carved in a red substance similar to the kind smeared on the wall. Ron looked back at the bartender.

“You know what?” Ron finally replied, “I think the ass is overcompensating.”

“Heh,” He laughed, “You’re certainly your dad’s kid. Wesigin is at 45 Sacrilege. Do you know where that is?”

“I’ll find my way.”

“Now that’s the way a man talks. You’d make your father proud for standing up. It’s always what he wanted to do.”

Ron got off the bar stool and onto his feet, “Thank you, sir.”

“Alright,” He swung his arms around, “Now get out of my bar, you’re taking up space.”

Ron obliged and went out the front entrance. When the fresh air hit him, he was almost as knocked back as when the alcohol did. Once he balanced himself, he looked at the street signs.

45 Sacrilege… I promise I’ll save us, Dad.

3 notes · View notes

the-erickson-labrynthian · 6 years

Text

Stories of Sabyn IV, Officer Santamona Eelila (2)

(The fourth in a ten part series set on the planet of Sabyn from my novella Nathan and the Allex Cube. I hope you enjoy, read the rest, buy the book, or support me in any way. It’d be pretty cool. Idk. Here you go:)

Officer Santamona Eelila (2):

The long night never seemed to end as Officer Eelila found herself interrogating a drunken slob, drooling on the desk. She repeated once more, “Tell me everything you know about a man, no, a terrorist, known as William James Briggs.”

“William James Briggs?” Alan laughed, “You guys finally deluded yourselves enough that you think you can catch him?”

Officer Eelila clenched her fists and leaned over the table, “I need you to tell me where you think he is. You are the last living man who knows anything about him. Tell me, now!”

“So I can die too?” He shook his head, “I’m no fucking fool, I know what happens when his name shows up.”

“This is national security. No matter how much you hate the government, you have a civic duty to uphold. Tell me.”

“Civic duty? Are you insane?” He continued to laugh, still drooling, “I’d be killed for getting anywhere near that ass again.”

She started to pull on her hair, “Listen, we are running out of time. I have to find this man soon. This is not some petty crime like your drug cartel. This is nothing that anyone on this planet is prepared for. We are talking about the apprehension of weapons capable of destroying a continent!”

Alan stopped, “He’s… finally going for the nukes. He told me about that plan for months on end. Talked about disabling them to disarm the government.”

“It’s a lie,” She spat, “He wants to use them so that he can gain power. He wants to control the planet. He’s a terrorist. You say he told you about this? You need to tell me anything you know about the plan.”

Alan dragged his arm across his face to wipe it, saying, “I hate that man. I really do. But, that man is not a liar. Not by a long shot. He’s just dangerous, because of the power he holds. But if you would have only stepped out of his way… no one would have to die.”

“That is asking an entire government to bow to the whims of a maniac! I cannot do this. You cannot do this. That man has caused lifetimes of damage to countless of planets! And he would sacrifice any life to give him power.”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” The man chuckled, “Fuck you. Of course I know that. Do you know what happens when William Briggs enters your life? Do you?”

Eelila went blank as a flash of fire entered her mind, that burned through the field, unstoppable by any man. Then a tunnel, which held darkness so deep it consumed her. Then a ship, floating off into the distant void of the universe. Then water, that washed everything away. Good and bad. All memories. And then… the darkness of the room around her, the end of her life, at a job that could never satisfy.

Alan continued, “He has surrounded my whole life. Ruined everything I was. Made my family hate me. Killed somebody I loved! And he wasn’t sorry! Not really. He wanted to be. You could see it in his eyes, that he wanted to be sorry for what he did, but he wasn’t. He couldn’t be. That is what drags you back! Because he wants so badly to change that he makes you believe you can change him! But it’s nonsense! He can never change! He’s the Devil! And he killed my…” Alan stopped, “He is fire, and he destroys everything he touches. Everything. You want to stop him? Then burn. But, leave me out of the fire.”

The eloquence of this man proved that he was never really the slob she saw before her. That demeanor when they first met, it was a facade, he was no rat. He was just a broken man. She tried to comfort him.

“He took things away from me, too. And, I saw that same hope you did, Alan. I saw a man who could change the universe, had he chosen a different course. But, he didn’t, Alan. He has become a monster, and he must be put away. If you know anything, please, tell me, and end this fire. Forever.”

Alan began to cry, “I never wanted things to be this way.”

“No one ever does.”

“There’s no stopping him.”

“If we don’t try, what are we?” She broke the usual code she had and touched Alan’s hand, “If he really wanted help, then he wants to be stopped. If we wish to save the world, we stop him.”

“What could stop a man like that?”

“You. Tell me anything you can think of. Anything. Please.”

He paused for a moment, reflecting. Eelila’s heart raced as he pondered, anxious for any chance to catch the man that had plagued her life for so long. She looked outside; the moon held constant in the sky. Waning gibbous. She hated to waste one of the few nights she had on a gibbous.

“Okay,” Alan said.

Eelila broke her gaze at the moon and turned to him, “What?”

“I’ll tell you, on one condition.”

She grabbed his hand again, “Anything. What is it?”

“Arrest me.”

“W-what?” She stumbled through her words, “Why would you do something like that?”

Now he grabbed her hand, though it was through the cuffs he was sealed in, and he said, “Look at me. Look at what I’ve become. I lost everything…” He trailed off, “Everything. That man took away my life. William left me with nothing. He gave me money, of course he did. He gave me his name, and promised he would be there, but he never called. And even if he did, I would never answer. I lost everything.”

“But why do you want to be arrested?”

“It’s the only life I know. I don’t want to live on the streets, losing even more of myself. I want a second chance. This is it. It’s the only path I can take. Once I do this…” He paused again, “It’ll all be over. Maybe I can be forgiven for what I’ve done…”

A tear fell down her cheeks. She hated when that happened. She squeezed his hand, “I forgive you.”

“Then set me free.”

She thought he had such kind eyes. What kind of life could he have lived, if William hadn’t put his hands onto him?

The same life you might have lived, Mona…

“Okay. It’s a deal. Tell me.”

“When I was working with him, he led me to his base of operations, where he stores everything he has. If he has anything, it’s there. He should be too, I hope. He never could get away from his machines…”

“Where is it?”

“Right… it’s at Recompense Ave, 24601. A green house with broken windows, and a bright red door,” He closed his eyes, perhaps having his own difficult memories of this place he was describing.

“Thank you,” She whispered, “I promise I will stop him.”

He nodded and began to cry. Eelila pulled herself up and left the room to see Officer Bureau on the other side, waiting.

“What did you hear?” She asked him.

“Enough to know I heard nothing, but you’re breaking protocol.”

She grabbed Bureau by the chin and pulled him closer, “The first thing you need to learn about this job is that people matter more than rules. And, even horrible people deserve relief. And freedom.”

He said nothing.

“Good. Now, take him in. I’ve got a lead, and I’ve got to clear it out with Adams.”

Bureau spoke again, “He’ll never let you go take him out. He knows you’re too close to this case.”

She laughed, “No one else is handled to kill that man. Only me. Now, I told you to go take him in. I’ve got one more belligerent ass to handle before I can do what is my right to do.”

He went silent once more, only nodding, and pushing behind her to open the door. Eelila watched as he went over to Alan, saying, “Alright, Mr. Reigns, your luck has run out.”

Alan looked at her, and she smiled, content with what she had done. Next, Eelila watched the two of them walk out of the room and off to the left, where the cells were, before inmates were taken to prison. She went to the right, and upstairs, to the boss’ office.

I’ve almost got you, William Briggs.

3 notes · View notes

the-erickson-labrynthian · 6 years

Text

Stories of Sabyn I: Officer Santamona Eelila (1)

(Here’s the new short story series I am starting, sort of a expansion upon the world in which my first book, Nathan and the Allex Cube, takes place. Part one today. I’ll try to get these parts out at a relatively decent pace, depending on my mood, of course. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy it, check out my other works, buy the full book, and all that. Anyways, here you go:)

Officer Santamona Eelila:

It was four in the morning. That was the least bothersome part. Any of the moon that was left in the sky, it didn’t care enough to fall inside the dim interrogation room. The only light within this place was the blue lamp supported up by a twisting metallic base Officer Eelila bent up and down as she awaited her target for the night. This light was only enough to create a glowing circle over the gray metal desk, one which Officer Eelila found herself just outside of. With it, she could see the dark outline of the empty chair in front of her, and the basic shape of the small square room. It was quiet, only a faint noise emitting from her squeaking chair as he leaned against it, along with her subtle, impatient breath.

But, despite the dreary, perhaps dead scenery all around her, it was not this darkness which purged her thoughts. No, she couldn’t care less where she did her job. Her mind focused on the shape of one man, who twisted her thoughts every second. His blackness was stronger than the night enveloping her. She chuckled under her breath at the poetic words she came up with to describe such a monster. It was stupid to romanticize his evil, and his actions. No real description fit the ass other than cockroach. Vermin. The kind of droppings that a rat would not only fester in, but eat as a last resort as it starved on the Sabyn streets. No, this man would be the droppings the rat made after eating it.

This rat had her up all night, now all morning, on another case. Not that she would be doing much other than sipping a cracked glass of wine on the back porch of her rat-infested apartment. It was one rat for another. Though, this rat had one point of credit to it, intelligence. Not blindly following the scent of cheese. That’s why cockroach might’ve fit better. Cockroach or rat? Cockroach or rat? It was a hard debate for her.

A knock on the door disintegrated the silence. She lazily leaned her head over to the left, towards the door, and said, “Do you have him?”

“Why else would I be bothering you?”

“Don’t crack wise, Bureau, bring ‘em in.”

The grey door which blended into the shaded room opened with a loud screech, dragging against the floor due to its weak hinges. As it opened, two figures entered, one holding the other’s arms, which were locked in shackles. As they walked across her to the other seat, she glanced at their faces, weakly lit by the blue light.

Bureau was picking his nose. And he wondered why he was never promoted. He had on a blue jacket over his black uniform, covering the silver badge the two of them shared, as if he was hiding that he worked there, hoping he would be sent home if he pretended long enough. Like every rookie, he had a noticeable five o’clock shadow, stubble that only developed in the tired new guys who never knew when to get their rest in. It wasn’t his fault though, he got stuck with some tough cases. Even Eelila had her weaknesses this late.

He was a cute kid. His head was shaved, leaving less than an inch of his blond hair around. This opened space for his large, smooth forehead, and his green eyes, still full of life, even on a night this late, working overtime. Eelila sighed, she thought it was too bad he was too busy eyeing Officer Wilson. He was a looker, too.

The other man only made Bureau look better. He was twice Eelila’s age, at least, graying all around, from his hair to his patched gray beard. His wrinkled face was stuck in a glare as he smacked his lips for seemingly no purpose. Crusted debris was present all across his eyes, and even down the bags of them, caked onto his cheeks. Every time he smacked his lips she got a small glimpse at his teeth, or whatever was left of them. What a waste of a life…

Bureau latched the man’s shackles onto a small chain on the table. He walked directly next to Eelila’s seat and asked, “Will that be all, Officer Eelila?” in his most adorable attempt to be professional.

“Yes, leave us alone, please. Tell Adams I’ll need some time.”

He nodded and walked out of the room with an authoritative stomp. Cute kid…

Once he was gone, she turned her attention to the slob in front of her. He said nothing, darting his eyes around the room and smacking his lips, every now and then trying to tug on his shackles, as if he would somehow wear them down.

“How was your morning?” She began.

“Piss off, wench!” He yelled through his phlegm filled throat, “I won’t say a thing to ‘ya! You’ve got a lot of nerve! I ain’t to say nothing without my attorney present. I have a right to one!”

“Heh,” She laughed, “And a right to a bullet in your brain. You wanna whine about silly bullshit like rights and humanity? You’re on the wrong planet. That’s what happens when you stowaway on a dump. A wasteland. You should’ve gotten out of here while you had the chance.”

He began to cough all over the table, “I ain’t sayin’ shit to ‘ya!”

“We just wiped the table down, could you stop spewing your insides all over it?”

“Let me go!”

“You want let out? Okay, how about off the planet? Right back to the place you ran from, so you can serve a life sentence. Then again, that's only a few days for a rotting corpse like you.”

Her threats made him hunch over and look at the surface of the table. She knew how to handle these vermin.

“Listen, I don’t give a damn about any of your petty drug and theft crimes. They aren’t my concerns. You aren’t on trial.”

He looked up at her, “What do you want then?”

She stopped leaning on her chair, forcing it to the ground in a slam. She put her arms over the desk, pushing her presence against the man and putting on the pressure she was so famous for. She cracked her neck and her knuckles, and cleared her throat (because she was nice enough not to talk with a mouth full of mucus).

“What do you want?” He repeated.

“Alright Mr…” She trailed off.

“Reigns…”

“Yes, Mr. Reigns, I need you to tell me everything you know about a man, no, a terrorist, known as William James Briggs.”

At that name, the name of that cockroach, she winced, and sighed.

It was going to be a long night…

4 notes · View notes