Happy Blog Day Everyone!
A quick-ish one this week as I'm sure everyone will have better things to do then hang around here! First up we have Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz, looking at that fragile time between Christmas and New Year. After that, a short bit of fiction, looking at my various characters at this time of year...
The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz
We've all been here haven't we, feels worse when you have kids, as by the time you've stopped it's January 2nd and you wonder where all the time has gone.
For Riz, the explanation is quite simple. He was pissed!
Christmas Musings
For some light reading, I present to you, my characters at Christmas.
The chosen characters should be familiar to anyone reading this blog or the Malarkey's Imaginomnibus anthologies (links to get them in the Quick Link section!).
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Gabriel (found in Daemon Soul and Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volumes Fade to Noir and Hubble Bubble)
"You're willing to do this? Even at Christmas?" The man said, shivering as he did.
Gabriel looked back at him with a smile:
"Of course? What kind of person would I be if I didn't help out, at any time of year. Though in a way, I guess I'm kind of like Santa."
"What?"
"Like, we both have lists that we check twice, at the least. I also reward people for being good to me, and punish those who are not. I also do my best to answer wishes...but don't worry, I'm not going to make you sit on my lap to tell me yours....So, what kind of deal do you want?"
"This Christmas...I want to take back what was rightfully mine..."
"That can be arranged, let's talk details..." Gabriel smiled as he hooked another soul.
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Josh and the Ghost Duty Team (found in Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1)
"An interview for Limbo City news? Well, guess I've got time before work! My name is Josh and Christmas was my favourite holiday when I was alive."
"..."
"What about now? Oh, well it's tied with Halloween, because, well, we all get that night off?"
"..."
"Do I think we should get Christmas off as well? I'm not sure how to answer that, i know the angels watch this show."
"Scared? Of course I'm scared! You would be as well if you had the threat of your Karma debt rising! Not to mention quadruple overtime...I'll take Christmas as it is without rocking the boat over wether I think we should be able to celebrate it properly with out having to go to work to scare some old rich guys into being nice!"
"..."
"That beeping sound? Oh, crap its my Karma debt! They've increased it again! Argh! I knew they were listening!"
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Cypher and Serena (Found in Daemon Soul, not yet released but Serena features in Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Fade to Noir)
The streets of Highdale were thankfully quiet, as Cypher and Serena gazed down on it. The pair were stood on their usual spot, and taking in the transformation that the town undertook every year.
"Christmas again..." Cypher said, as he rested on the railings. His eyes glossed over the town and towards the quieter parts in the suburbs, where he knew his mother was, alone.
"Do you not like Christmas?" Serena asked. "I've often wondered what it was about. Every year, most places would change for this event...One that I have never experienced."
Cypher didn't know how to respond to that. He knew their experiences would never match up fully, the lives they led were so different. He let the silence linger for a moment while he thought, before eventually saying:
"Christmas...is about family...Well, that's what my mum always told me. It's about spending time with those you love. As a kid i thought that the gifts and the sweets neved hurt," Cypher let out a hushed laugh, while Serena stood there, taking it in.
"It's also supposed to be the one time of the year where everyone can be at peace. Even World War One stopped for a moment because of Christmas. Maybe that's why we're not seeing any demons out here. A Christmas miracle."
"A Christmas miracle? Just because there is no demons lurking around?" Serena asked, tilting her head slightly.
"No, because I get to share this moment with you. My new family." Cypher stepped towards her and they embraced. "Merry Christmas, Serena."
"Merry Christmas," she replied back to him.
They held each other in their arms under the moonlight, as snow began to fall...
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Brennan and Riz (found in...a whole host of stories and their own novel!)
It was Christmas, because of course it was. It almost felt like summer was two seconds ago. Given time's relentless march, I saw some wisdom in Riz’s annual Christmas past time, getting blind drunk. I held off though, as Valarie joined us this year, providing a welcome companion compared to the rat who was falling out of his desk, dead to the world, for all intents and purposes.
"I don't know how he can do that," Valarie pointed out, using a pencil to prod at him.
"Remember Riz rule number 8?" I said changing the CDs over on the karaoke machine.
"Let sleeping rats lie? But he hasn't done anything...unless you count getting pissed out of your skull a thing."
"Normally, I'd agree, but he was up earlier to go and mess with the local fox hunts. Dread to think what he did but whatever it was seemed to work. A fair few were cancelled."
"Maybe he bit each and every one like they deserved? How do you know that though? I swear he's still in the same position as last night."
"Security device in the hall way. Also caught him doing you know what in your shoes, hope you brought a spare pair."
"I always do when I come here for that reason. Still, who'd have thought that the only act of charity that Riz would do on his own was to protect foxes."
"I'm pretty sure that he's also teaching them to steal things with varying degrees of success given how many times I've woken up to see one with its head in my drawers. Don't know what's worse, them or the Goblins that Riz convinces to work here."
"Guess even at Christmas, it's never a dull day here," Valarie said as she held her glass up to say cheers. I did the same with mine as Riz started babbling in his sleep:
"Oi! Der booze is all mine, gobbos...do sumit," Riz's orders turned to yawns and gentle nuisance.
"Yup...Never a dull day," I said, rolling my eyes.
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There you have it! I know some of it is better than the others, the same as some of it is absolutely rubbish but even if you were only entertained by a few then I did my work
Till next week,
Keep on writing!
Peter James Martin
Quick Links
The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 1
The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Book 1: A Boy and A Rat
The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 2
Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1
Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Fade to Noir
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