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Messages - Withnail's liver

#1
My own effort. As with some of the others posting here, this is my first go at one of these  :-\



Midas – A Tale from Imperial Russia

The young man sprawled untidily in the chair. "I did try and tell your men that I wasn't Golden Boy" he said as he lazily looked around the tired drawing room, surveying the faded furnishings and peeling wallpaper, "but they didn't seem interested."
In the chair opposite, Major Grigori Arbatov fumed quietly to himself.  This man certainly had the family resemblance.  The golden hair, the glowing complexion, the attitude.

"So you're telling me you're not Midas?" he asked.
"I'm not the Midas if that's what you mean." The man sneered, his mood quickly changing "Fuoco! Why do you think I was unarmed? Unguarded? Is it possibly because nobody wants me? Oh never mind Dominik, he'll be alright, it's Golden Boy that needs to be looked after, he's the important one-"

Arbatov put up his hand in a effort to get some peace and thinking space.  The man continued regardless, he let him.  Disappointment it seemed was once again to be his companion.  This was supposed to have been the answer to reversing the fortunes of the family Arbatov.  He'd heard rumours of someone whose touch could bring wealth and good fortune, both things his family had been lacking of late. He had therefore turned some of the family's now meagre estate toward finding out more and arranging this meeting.  It was becoming apparent that this research was not as thorough as he'd been lead to believe, there had been no mention of a Dominik, only Pietr.  He tried to regain control of the discussion:

"So your name is Dominik Midas, correct?"
"Yes, well done, that's right, my name is Dominik, not Pietr, not Golden Boy.  Golden Boy is my brother."

Arbatov felt a sudden hope flare up through him.  "Brother, you say..."

Midas laughed, it was a bitter and hollow sound. "But before you get your hopes up it is only fair that I point something out to you" he said. "You recall the fact I was unguarded when your men... acquired me?" Arbatov nodded.  "Had it not struck you as strange?  A man with my power walking around without any form of escort?"  Now he considered it, it did seem unusual.  
"Let me just say" Midas continued, "whereas Pietr has a golden touch, my touch is of a somewhat more base matter, he is Midas, I am Anti-Midas.  Basically whatever I touch turns to sh-"
"Ok!" Arbatov interrupted "I think I get the idea!" standing and turning away from the man.

His mind raced.  It may be that this man was not be able to help the family directly, but indirectly however...if he were to be introduced to a particular Romanov bastard, the same bastard that had befouled the Arbatov fortunes and good standing, maybe he could be of some help after all...

After ten minutes they had a joint plan of action.
 
"So we are agreed then?" Asked Midas.  
"Indeed" said Major Grigori Arbatov, and shook him warmly by the hand.




#2
Mog, I take it your second story isn't also from experience, unlike your first? ;)

Great stories from all involved.  Will try and post my own offering at some point...
#3
Excellent!  When I heard about Sean Bean playing Eddard/Ned earlier in the year, it gave me some hope that this would live up to my expectations. 

Really looking forward to this one!
#4
Off Topic / Re: Cosplay
07 October, 2010, 08:33:49 PM


RELOADING!

In light of Left 4 Dead Sacrifice DLC out earlier this week found this pic.  
The Tank looks great.  Bill looks like an octagenarian version of Popeye...



#5
General / Re: The Dark Judges - 20 years or life?
04 October, 2010, 10:42:07 AM
As others have said before me, I see the Dark Judges as one of the various nemeses that Dredd has faced throughout his career. Sovs, Death and co, Total War, Nero Narcos and Frendz, PJ Maybe.  All of these have bubbled away in the background with various lead-in stories and may have been a part of Dredd stories for many years before they make their big play and ultimately fail and are captured (though I'm sure we haven't seen the end of PJ).

I think the reason the Dark Judges still stand out in our minds is because they are such memorable characters and arrived at a time when they would capture our (mostly) young imaginations.  We don't expect to see the Sovs return as they no longer hold any real relevence for the our times.  Poss the same with the Dark Judges?  Were they a product of late 80's paranoia with AIDS? (I remember being terrified of the advert around at the same time) in the same way that the Sovs arguably reflected adult worries over The Bomb? The current ongoing "mutant issue" that MC-1 has been dealing with over the last few years, a mirror to changing attitudes toward immigration?

So, to get to the point (I think there is one here somewhere), I think although they were brilliant characters and have risen "celebrity" status .  I don't think we'll see them again as ideas, attitudes (and us as readers) have arguably moved on...
#6
Off Topic / Re: Tips for a Mrs Tipsless Tips
03 October, 2010, 05:51:04 PM
I know it's been out for a few years but the remake of Dawn of the Dead is definitely worth a watch if you haven't already done so.

And not a particularly scary movie but watch District Nine if you haven't already done so.  If for no other reason  than to spend the next day calling everyone a fakking praun...
#7
Quote from: Mardroid on 01 October, 2010, 06:33:56 PM

*[spoiler]My guess is that the Aliens will be shown to have been bioengineered to clear out the original inhabitants of a planet, then die off leaving their 'masters' (so to speak, it's not as if they're devotional to anyone but their own queen) to move in and terraform the planet's surface to their own requirements. (I'm basing this on Scott's comments as to his view on the origins of the Aliens on a documentary found on one of the Alien quadrilogy box-set DVDs. I forget which one.) No doubt the 'masters' in question are the 'space-jockey' race, but Weyland wants bit of the action. [/spoiler]


I remember reading a stand alone story in the UK reprints of the American Alien comics which showed [spoiler]a creature similar to that of the original space jockey with some kind of sonic gun (I think) which it had used to pacify (and knock out) the alien.[/spoiler] This took place after the whole Earth Hive/ Nightmare Asylum/ Female War arc [spoiler]the alien was indeed used as a planet cleanser leaving the planet empty of life forms that could provide a threat to the space jockey, which indeed then claimed the planet as their own. The "Space Jockey" in the story used some form of psychic link to explain all this to the story's narrator.  As it went around collecting the aliens.[/spoiler]  I seem to remember that it was described as a form of terraforming in the story.
#8
To be honest I'm one of those who would rather not see the prequels made.  I think half the allure of the whole Alien franchise is the fact we don't know much about them, the prequels would no doubt remove some of this.  I don't think I need prove my point further than mention the whole Episode I-III thing.

Sometimes less is more...
#9
Games / Re: Darksiders
02 October, 2010, 06:14:35 PM
Yeah, I remember this happening a few times in the game.  There are some excellent set pieces against some of the bosses, but these bits where you have to kill about three or four waves of mini bosses were just a nightmare!  Couldn't see any reason for them either apart from providing frustration to the player.  I eventually finished the game but it was a bit of a grind.

Certainly I went from "This is excellent!" to putting it immediately on the trade-in pile when I'd finished it.
#10
Off Topic / Re: Things I dont understand...
29 September, 2010, 06:59:31 PM
How come I have an English degree and, I like to feel, a relatively good level of intelligence (not that those necessarily go hand in hand) and yet I can't seem to work out my left from my right?
#11
Quote from: Richmond Clements on 24 September, 2010, 09:16:53 AM
I have never seen Jack Bauer take a shit- and I have, at times, watched him solidly for 24 hours.

One of the things that put me off the show a little- it felt a little too contrived.  There was always something EXCITING happening at the end of every hour.  You never saw Bauer just walking down a corridor, or reading the paper, or on the bog. He was always being shot at/ blown up/ punching someone.

(I know, I know it's only a TV show...)
#12
Off Topic / Re: THIS WEEKEND I'LL MOSTLY BE......
24 September, 2010, 01:32:22 PM
Driving around the county with a dead body in the back of the car.
#13
Games / Re: Red Dead Redemption for sale/ trade
24 September, 2010, 01:27:51 PM
I seem to remember reading that you, like me, are a big zombie fan.  If so read on:

GAME have a special offer wherein you can trade Red Dead Redemption  in and get Dead Rising 2 for half price (£20).

Hope this helps  :)
#14
GAME has this on special offer.  Trade in one of 5 games (Red Dead and Modern Warfare 2 are the only ones I remember, sorry. Others were quite recent releases) and get it for half price! (£20)

Seems like a good deal to me - looks like Modern Warfare 2 will be getting the heave from my collection...
#15
Film & TV / Re: Enter the Dragon - C5
23 September, 2010, 09:02:48 PM
Quote from: Richmond Clements on 21 September, 2010, 09:32:02 AM
Plus: 'Been practisin', huh?' is one of the greatest lines in cinema history.

That and "Bull-shit! Mr Han, man!"

One of the few films I don't think I could ever get bored with watching...