I write for myself and publish just for the reader.*

[bending_sickle]

Ladies, gents, and gnomes! Allow me to present my NaNoWriMo 2010. \o/

PDF at Mediafire

* Guillermo Cabrera Infante

Comments

[seschat.livejournal.com]

HOT DAMN YES YES YES! >:D

[seschat.livejournal.com]

Also, the cover is beautiful! *stares at it*

... *settles down with a nice cuppa and starts READING* FUCK YEAH

<3333

[bending-sickle.livejournal.com]

XD I love you, squishy!

I found the covers basically as-is. My mad google-fu, let me show you it.

[seschat.livejournal.com]

... *stares at dedication*

*WIBBLES*

MY SICKLE, YOU'RE TOO GOOD TO ME

I MEAN IT D':

AND AND you shouldn't have! Aw! ♥!!

Flail spammage part one:

[seschat.livejournal.com]

- Hamlet reference \o/

- he still bore the name of the Greek boy who fell to his death – ♥

- They have to get the protection tattoos, OMG. This is so well thought-out and realistic and AWESOME! ♥!

- Seeing the ink, Saunders pulled his shirt closed. “A tattoo,” he said. “No thank you, young lady. I’m much too old for one.” – *grins* I love him.

- Then Icarus pressed closer to Chip, their legs touching from ankle to hip, his arm trapped against Chip’s stomach, and while this was nothing new – they slept like this, closer even – it somehow felt more intimate. Sitting there in front of three strangers and two friends, the angel’s breath hot in his ear, Chip felt as if the world were concentrating around him. – *dies happily* :D

- [...] as if someone had filled the streets with televisions and tuned them all to horror movies and the history channel [...] – wow, this is such an incredible image. ♥

- "How long?" - "Long as you got eyes. " *snorfles* O hai, there you are, Dean!

- It was like he was gone, having thrown his awareness up towards the sky along with his gaze like a search light.

- Beatles reference \o/

- The angel’s movements were so strange, slow, and methodical, it was like he was unfolding one tiny part at a time, each vertebrae straightening before the other thought to move, his joints stiff like the hinges on a rusty door.

- Those lines of the poem Chip remembers are love! And they did remind me of the one poem I know by heart (I think it's the only one, which is a damned shame, actually, but well): Indeed, Indeed I Cannot Tell by Herny David Thoreau. I have no idea why it stuck in my head (years ago!) and now pops up at the most random of moments. *shifty eyes*

- [...] stretching himself thin and empty to reach it [...]

- The woman’s smile widened. “Oh, you really are a flightless bird!” She laughed. “A skylark wounded in the wing, a redbreast in a cage – do you think Heaven and its cherubim think of you at all? Much less rage and cease their song for you?” She lifted her right hand and waved it slowly over the chain-link never touching it. “Especially since you’ve gotten that dishonourable little badge? Congratulations, by the way, on getting your fate as a human signed and sealed with – what did you use? India ink?” – OH MY GOD, HOW IS SHE SO BADASS? SHE'S THE ENEMY, I CAN'T LIKE HER! *shifty eyes*

- leaving ripples of colour like a fire-eater’s torch whirling through the air leaving trails of fire behind it – fantastic description!

- Suddenly, a hand pressed against the small of Chip’s back and slipped under his shirt. – *leers* :D

- Oh my God, Adri. The whole exchange between the demon and Icarus? Sheer bloody brilliance. IT’S TOO MUCH FOR ME TO TAKE. HOW DID YOU EVEN DO THIS?! *MAJOR FLAIL*!

- Wrath, for example, made it sweet and heavy like honey, while fear made it run with bitterness and salt.
He swallowed, licked his fingers and his lips, then turned to hear the news. – *shudders* WOW. :D

Re: Flail spammage part one:

[bending-sickle.livejournal.com]

This is me right now:

Moar!

[seschat.livejournal.com]

- I think I remember telling you this before in my TFSB review, but I just have to tell you again how much I love that Chip is so human. With the whole ‘verse of Supernatural and basically all of the characters, particularly Sam and Dean (not that I would know, bad fan that I am, I admit it), we’re used something completely different – so, demons possessed you and/or tried to kill you and/or your family? No big deal, business as usual, been there, done that. And okay, they’re probably more entitled to being hardasses since Chip is, after all, a newcomer. I guess what I’m trying to say is, it’s nice, you know? Reading from Chip’s point of view is incredibly exciting, it’s easy to be right there with him, all the more because his anxiety and fear and thoughts feel real to the touch, natural. I LIKE. \o/!

- “Because my lungs are the size of peas! Small, wrinkled peas!” *grins and smishes* Aw, boys! Also, I kind of loved this line because somehow I just heard your voice resounding there, so. You could say I was charmed. ♥

- The hand on his shoulder squeezed one last time then let go as Icarus rose to his feet. “I must amend matters. This place is safe enough, Charles, believe me.” – I love how their relationship is developing bit by bit, and how Icarus steadily grows into this warm compassionate person. Sometimes I think I see a glimpse of Cas, but as I think I mentioned somewhere in one of my comments, that’s only when he’s with Dean. I’m still not sure how you’re doing this, but I am basically in continuous flailing mode. :D

- Also also also, something that came to me just now: Icarus (Cas) has NEVER fired a gun, right? It’s simply awesome imagery, Icarus drawing Chip’s gun, and. Oh God, poor Icarus. HE HAS TO USE GUNS. HAI UNHAPPY!CAS ON DRUGS IN THE FUTURE I can so see you happening! D:

- Chip scrambled backwards so hard he smacked his head against the wall with a resounding crack.
“What – what are you doing – why would Harper – what?” – I heart you, Chip. Also, have I mentioned that I think Agatha is badass? I don’t think I have yet.

- Q: What's the difference between a prostitute, a nymphomaniac, and a blonde?
A: The prostitute says, "Aren't you done yet?"
The nympho says, "Are you done already?"
The blonde says, "Beige...I think I'll paint the ceiling beige." – Yes, I had to google that. So what. ;p

- HELL YES, SAUNDERS BACKSTORY! HIS BOY! *clutches heart*

Re: Moar!

[bending-sickle.livejournal.com]

- I love that Chip is so human - ♥ As I said in reply to your TfSB review, that is the best compliment you could ever give. One of my aims with Chip - especially when he's with Dean - is showing the Big Damn Hero's storyline (i.e. Dean and Sam and all that jazz) from the point of view of the minor character who'd hardly have any screentime if this were Supernatural. Plus, writing scared and panicked descriptions were fun!

- Small wrinkled peas! - I didn't care if someone having a panic attack wouldn't say that, or if it broke the tone, it still makes me cackle gleefully. Glad you liked it :D

- Sometimes I think I see a glimpse of Cas [...] that’s only when he’s with Dean - That's how I see it too. Icarus is himself except when he's with Dean, then because Dean is seeing him as Castiel, that casts a shadow on how we see Icarus and it blends the two together.

- Icarus (Cas) has NEVER fired a gun, right? - Well, Todd says that he remembers Icarus being a good shot, but this is the first time we see Icarus shoot a gun. As for Cas, the first time he fired a gun (http://homeofthenutty.com/supernatural/screencaps/displayimage.php?album=103&pid=52552#top_display_media) in Two Minutes to Midnight. I'll admit to liking Cas with a gun way too much. Ngh.

- Yes, I had to google that. - Hey, I had to google it too! ;)


Speaking of Castiel being ngh and unf and awesome, damnit it woman watch this week's episode. And catch up! It's not even funny anymore how not caught up you are :( *pokes*

Re: Moar!

[bending-sickle.livejournal.com]

And I just realized that I might have fucked up a bit saying that Icarus fired a gun before he fell and lost his grace and his angel mojo... Unless we handwave that because the infected had to be shot. Yeah, that. *whistles innocently*

Re: Moar!

[bending-sickle.livejournal.com]

Also, the version of the joke I found was:

How do you tell the difference between a wife, a whore, and a mistress?
The mistress says "More, more!", the whore says "Faster, faster!" and the wife says "I think I'll paint it beige..."

[seschat.livejournal.com]

- Yes, he had his gun all polished and loaded snug against his back, but he was a traditionalist. – Hahaharrr, so much love! :D

- His plan got a little side-tracked by Icarus’ back. (No, not in that way.) – DENY ALL YOU WANT :D

- Icarus lay his head down on his arms and began to weep. – I IS SAD COOKIE NOW D: What business do you have going around breaking hearts, lady, huh?

- OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD STEEEEEEEEEEEVE~~~ :D

- WHY IS THERE EVEN MORE HEARTBREAK? DDDDDD': AND WHY THE HELL DIDN'T THEY JUST MOVE IN TOGETHER FOR GOD'S SAKE, stupid...stupid...



- Icarus was half-draped over Chip, one arm wrapped around his chest, his hand tucked in between Chip’s side and the mattress, one foot snug between Chip’s own. :DDDDDDDD (Why yes, I'm easy. But you already knew that. ;)

- Yay for Chip and Ic' getting sloshed! ;p

- Icarus reeled back and blinked his eyes a couple time. “Yes. Yes Dean. Please don’t shout.” – *giggles* Also, Dean is no fun and frankly, a bit of a bastard. By which I mean, you got the post-apocalypse shade that is Dean down perfectly.

- She glanced up at Chip and her smile faded into a worried frown. “Please don’t be mad,” she said, then let go of his hand and ran off after the others. – I just love their interactions. ♥

- “Come on, Icarus, quit your fretting. You can report for duty later. You’re allowed to get cleaned up, you know.” Chip almost dragged Icarus into their cabin, already fantasizing about clean shirts and hot water. – HAHAHA. CLEAN SHRITS AND HOT WATER MY ASS. ;P All right, all right! I'm stopping now. ;p

- He was the drop of water at the centre of the concentric rings. – ♥

- “I get the sense that humans consider there is never a good time to be mortal.”

Dean huffed out a tired laugh. “Touché,” he said, and with that word his demeanour softened further.
He even smiled, but the smile was a brother to Icarus’ previous one. “We try to drown that thought out
with booze.”

“For the record,” said Icarus, “it doesn’t work.”

“Yeah,” agreed Dean. “We try, though.” He leaned back in the chair and looked over Icarus’ shoulder at Chip. “Your whiskey last night, I presume?” At Chip’s nod, Dean asked, “Any left?” – That whole scene is made of complete awesome! Also, hai there, Dean, nice to see you remember that Cas once was something very much akin to a friend to you.

- “Great,” muttered Dean. “Now I get to worry about killer trucks again.” – *grins* Aw, Sammy, we sure are missing you. ♥

[bending-sickle.livejournal.com]

DENY ALL YOU WANT :D - One day, I might even write actual squishy love scenes with these two, because I so obviously faded to black. I just realized I never put in character descriptions, or Chip thinking "wow, Icarus is hot" but really, the reason he falls for Ic is that a) he's confusing him a bit with Steve, or having him fill a Steve-shaped-hope and b) he's one of the first people he's started caring about again, and Icarus is the first one of those who make Chip feel safe (even though he still sometimes wants to protect Ic).

What business do you have going around breaking hearts, lady, huh? - It's the apocalypse! Be happy that at least nobody died! (Except Steve, but he was always dead.)

Also, Dean is no fun and frankly, a bit of a bastard. - Dean is trying very, very hard to cope with Sam saying yes and Icarus being shite. Obviously, he copes by shutting down and being Mr Lack of Emotion. Notice how he didn't tear Icarus a new one when he found out that he could have given Dean the angel-vision? And how Icarus went AWOL before falling into Saunders' apartment? I had this big scene where he got angry and Chip tried to beat him up (and failed) but Future!Dean just wouldn't get that honestly upset. Just...mean and cold and all "look how thick my psychological walls are!" He warmed up a bit at the end, though, all hand-on-Icarus'-foot ♥

HAHAHA. CLEAN SHIRTS AND HOT WATER MY ASS. - There was supposed to be a shower scene with Chip cleaning up a semi-catatonic Icarus but it never panned out. Oh, the slash we missed!

[seschat.livejournal.com]

- That certainly put the fear of God – and death and dismemberment and every monster in the closet – into them. They ran for the car, all out, and almost made it to the door before hands grabbed their shirts and hair, nails digging into their skin, breath hot in their ears, solid bodies crowding in from behind. – Ohgodohgod, I think my heart is racing right along with them. Also, have I ever mentioned how well I think you write action scenes? Because they kick ass.

- It cocked its head and flickered one eye closed. Chip only recognized the action after driving the end of his crowbar deep into its eye socket: it had winked at him. – Oh the delightful creepiness of it! ;D *rubs hands gleefully*

- OMG IS IT MEG? IT WAS MEG WASN'T IT. ♥ – “I’ll take that as a yes,” the demon said, and turned to Icarus. “This will hurt more than strictly necessary, of course.” She lowered her head to the angel’s chest and repositioned the knife in her hand. – *bites nails frantically* BUT I CAN'T HELP BUT FIND HER AWESOME ANYWAY. ;p

- Chip was on Icarus in a heartbeat, wiping the blood off the angel’s face and neck with his sleeve. – !!!!!!! &HEARTSSSS

- “Leave it. The colour looks good on him.” – UNFFFFGGGGHHHH YESSSS IT'S KEZEFF :DDDDDDDDD *RUNS OFF TO READ* YEAHHHHHHH.

- He heard feet land on metal somewhere straight ahead, then another one. Someone was jumping on
car roofs, heading for him in the straightest line possible. – HOMFG BEST VILLAIN ENTRANCE IN FUCKING EVER!

- Dean's dramatic entrance! *grins*

- “It is a situation I am sure you can relate with. I have seen your brother, of course, wrapped around the Morning Star.” – omgomgomg ♥

- The angel shook his head dismissively and turned to Chip. Then, carefully, deliberately, he titled his head to one side and squeezed one eye shut. Chip felt a jolt of recognition run through him. – ahaha, I knew it! Swear I did :D

- Dean was just standing back up with his machete in his hand when Chip swung the crowbar at the back
of the angel’s head.

This time it connected.

Dean gave a shout and slid over the trunk of the Impala, rushing towards Chip. To help him, or stop him,
probably neither of them knew.

The angel fell to his knees. Chip dealt him a second blow and watched the angel crumple forward to the
ground.

Dean reached Chip’s side and looked down at the tangled mess of long limbs folded on the ground.
“Dude, there’s no way that –”

The figure stirred.

“You had to say something,” muttered Chip, raising his crowbar again. “Jinxer.” – !!T"%§&§/§BHHHVV!!!!!!! <33333

- “What’d you do that for?” whined a voice. “Ow, dude, seriously.”

Chip thought his heart might break. Standing in front of him, pressing a bloodied hand to the side of his
head, stood Steve. – OH. MY. GOD. *DIES OF THE SHEER AWESOMENESS*

[bending-sickle.livejournal.com]

Also, have I ever mentioned how well I think you write action scenes? - OMG, thank you! I'm always so worried about action scenes!

OMG IS IT MEG? IT WAS MEG WASN'T IT. I didn't write her as Meg at first - not in the first scene we see her in, especially with her quoting old poems and stuff - but she's definitely Meg-shaped in the parking scene (all blonde and red-jacket). So you can pick if she's Meg or not, but they're definitely alike.

UNFFFFGGGGHHHH YESSSS IT'S KEZEFF :DDDDDDDDD - *dances with glee over you liking Kezef so much*

HOMFG BEST VILLAIN ENTRANCE IN FUCKING EVER! - Thankee! (Also, random note, but the woman he turns into? Kali. The wolf? Fenrir. Just my little "oh hai look! destruction gods!")

!!T"%§&§/§BHHHVV!!!!!!! <33333 - It's like they're friends and normal! :D

OH. MY. GOD. *DIES OF THE SHEER AWESOMENESS* - I told you we'd have not-zombie-Steve mess Chip up.

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- Your hands are always so damned cold. If I didn’t love you, I’d never let you touch me with those things. – *sniffle*

- SAMMY! SAMMY!! *GASPS*

- “Yes. Yes, that’s – yes. Hey, you,” said Chuck, pointing his pencil at Chip. “Looking for anyone? If they’re on my list they’re in there, you know. If they’re not, I don’t know, I mean, I could look, I could make another list – I don’t know if I’ve got the paper, might need to use different colours –” – Chuck's freaking out is kind of...adorable. ;P

- *clutches at heart* DAMN YOU, KEZEF, LEAVE ICARUS ALONE.

- LET SAUNDERS BE OKAY DDDDD: *WORRIES* AW, FAMILY HUGGLES!

- Aw, Lauren and Agatha ♥ I am loving all of your characters so damn hard, Adri! *happy flail*

- “Tomorrow,” said Chip, his face buried into the pillow again, “we track that son of a bitch down.” – That's my boy! :D

- His fingers barely had time to touch Dean – much less grip his left shoulder – before Dean swung around like he’d been electrocuted. The look on his face was so breathtakingly furious that Chip instinctively put both hands in the air and took a step back. – Omg, wow. I REALLY LIKE THE WHOLE SCENE, BUT THIS IS JUST THE DOT ON THE I. ♥

- That one postcard they sent back and forth to each other, sticking new stamps over old ones and coating the address box with white-out until the post office flat out refused to play their game any longer and neither of them ever saw it again. – *wipes away tear* ... oh my god, Chip *cries some more*

- Unnoticed by either, the mortal angel in the circle, his face still pressed against the bloodied ground, was praying as well. – *shudders*

- Chip slipped under the covers carefully and tried not to jostle the angel as he made a space for himself on the narrow mattress. When he pressed close to Icarus, the angel woke up and pressed his forehead against Chip’s. His eyes flickered under the eyelids, but he didn’t open them. That detail and the comfortable trust it entailed stopped Chip’s breath in his throat. – So much love! ♥

[bending-sickle.livejournal.com]

Chuck's freaking out is kind of...adorable. ;P - \o/

DAMN YOU, KEZEF, LEAVE ICARUS ALONE. - And Lucifer! I totally just remembered today that Lucifer was standing over Icarus being tortured and used as an ingredient for the opening-of-heaven ritual whilst wearing Sam which must've fucked up with Icarus' head. So I added a tiny detail: Lucifer seemed pleased at being watched by the center-point of Kezef’s handiwork. He stood preening at Castiel’s feet, mocking his brother with the familiarity of his vessel’s face, while Kezef said the words and sang the songs.

I REALLY LIKE THE WHOLE SCENE, BUT THIS IS JUST THE DOT ON THE I. ♥ - Oh squee! Dean is such a bossy and closed-off little bitch that sometimes I worried about how I wrote him.

...oh my god, Chip *cries some more* - Such a pair of romantic adorable saps, right?

*shudders* - \o/ My job here is done *evil grin*

So much love! ♥ - OTP!

[bending-sickle.livejournal.com]

Also, what'd you think of the scars on Icarus? And what that meant about Kezef? And how Dean was all, "I loves mah angel but you can totally take care of him, Chip, see ya!"

[bending-sickle.livejournal.com]

Another thing I'm curious to know what you thought about: Chuck's explanation of Kezef and all that. Repetitive, confusing, or a-ok?

[seschat.livejournal.com]

He took the jump and sailed over the waterfall. For one long moment, it felt like he was flying. Then Icarus’ lips were on his, their breaths mingling along with their tongues, and he surrendered himself to the current running through his heart.

:D

[bending-sickle.livejournal.com]

:D !!! \o/ I told you I'd get them to kiss even if it killed me!

[seschat.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD

I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes, Adri. TEARS IN MY EYES. Nghhhhhhhhh.

[bending-sickle.livejournal.com]

I love you and your squee. Just knowing that you enjoyed it so much makes it so worthwhile.

(Also hey! I finally got my actual hands on my TfSB actual physical omg book and while the format makes me go gnah fugly, IT IS A BOOK WITH MY NAME ON IT WITH MY NOVEL IN IT AND OMG. There will be photos. Lots. And I'm going to get one for TWSaM too and it will be glorious.)

[chaosvizier.livejournal.com]

How cheeky; work's firewall prevents me from reading your final product. This looks like a job for... Home Computer!

Congratulations! I will read it, even though I know nothing of Supernatural or its settings, characters, scenarios, events, or what not. Good to let a noob read it for an outside perspective, eh?

[bending-sickle.livejournal.com]

You don't necessarily need to know much of Supernatural to follow this (or at least, I hope). Sure, some wink-wink-nudge-nudges might pass you by, but the story focuses mostly on original characters (and even they know there's a lot of information that they're missing out on).

So what you need to know of Supernatural and the previous novel (this one's a sequel to Nanowrimo 2009) is: Chip, the main character, met up with Saunders and the girl he was taking care of, Agatha, during the apocalypse which is of the "zombiesque mobs have invaded the country" (think 28 Days Later). They took care of an angel, Icarus, who is recovering from a fall who's in the process of losing his "angelness". Icarus gave Chip the ability to see the infected and led them to his old camp, led by Dean (of Supernatural) who's good at keeping camp, bad at public relations.

I'd love to hear what you think of it, and if it was easy to follow and all that. (Also, I'm thrilled that you want to read it and am now even more ashamed I haven't gotten around to reading yours yet. But I will!)

[bending-sickle.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I might as well tell you the backstory with Dean, which while not important to my Nano, might give you a bit more depth to what's happening (which is more than my main character knows).

The apocalypse is generally bad for humans while both sides of the other plane battle it out, so Dean is leading the "we don't want no apocalypse" fight against both the angels and demons. Except he was supposed to be the vessel for the archangel Michael (as in destined because he's got special blood or whatnot) so he could fight Lucifer (who was destined to use Dean's brother Sam as his vessel), but he didn't like that idea because a) good bye free will and b) the fight would still end up with a lot of humans dead. Angels can't possess people all whily-nilly and need their hosts to actually say yes. Even though Dean and his brother were both adamant about saying no to their angel puppet masters, Sam eventually said yes, so Lucifer's got a meatsuit, but when Dean tries to put an end to the apocalypse by saying yes to Michael, he doesn't get an answer (because according to my Nano 2009, all the angels ran away to heaven and locked the gate behind them, leaving Icarus cut off from heaven and Lucifer happy on Earth).

...but um, it's really basically all "zombies and demons at out apocalyptic resistance camp gate! oh my!"