STARFALL: Spellbinder #5

[William Strickland]

> "Chess With Loki" sounds like a philosophy book, perhaps something
> self-help-ish.

That or a rock band. But then, everything sounds like a name for a
rock band.

> > Suddenly I knew about a large loft apartment in New Jersey that was
> > owned by someone or other. "Here. If you can bring anyone with you, do
> > so."

> Convenient!

That's telepathy for you! Making lives easier, and brains less secure.

> I like him!  He's polite.

It comes naturally when you're part of an openly telepathic society.
You generally respect other people (as well as their privacy) a lot
more because you're always seeing things from their point of view as
well. When it's impossible for the people around you to be faceless
nobodies, you will naturally care more about them.

> Other, similar phrases are "Think of the children!" and "There is no other
> choice."

Yup.

> I note that this is the first time this being a shared universe really felt
> like it had consequences.  Very cool.

Thanks. It's... 'different' to pull off, I guess.

> Indeed!  This is not at all suspicious!

Of course not! Nothing Hermes ever does is suspicious!

> I'm imagining this anime-style, electrical arcs cracking between her hands
> and around her body.

Pretty much! What's magic without a little of the ol' razzle-dazzle?

> The glass cannon is a stereotype that offends my people. >:/

Haw!

> Jeez, most raid bosses aren't this hard.

<Rocky> Healer's down!
<Nightstalker> Need a rez!
<Bombshell> Out of mana!

> <3 <3 <3 Maddy

For the sound effect used in her EYE BEEMZ, see here;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMIIWs5NpwM
After about the 8:35 mark.

> Mmmmmmm.  Delicious, delicious torment.

Funny you should mention that.

> Casey: ...he's getting that look again.
> Mala: Just get him some of that bacon chocolate and he'll calm down.

Did someone say 'bacon chocolate'?

> The Dark Chelsea Saga!?

No! No, good grief. There's no way I would... except... but then...
maybe I could... dammit.
Okay, maybe.

> Mmmmm, godpunching. A good way to let out tension, as well as existential
> angst.

The other possible title for this episode was going to be 'Godsmack'.

> My goodness but that's an explicit homage.

I consider The New Gods to be some of the most awesome story ideas
ever, and once again most of them wound up as just so much wasted
potential because there's precious few people who can roll like Jack
Kirby. Hail to the King, baby.

In the end, I had to get something like them involved because I
couldn't not get them involved. The use of a pantheon that's easy to
understand the basics of despite not being a part of Earthly mythos is
too good to pass up. There will be differences, naturally, because
while these characters are starting out as pastiches, they will change
rapidly as they get more screen time, but the seed is still there.

Besides, c'mon. Techno-magical space gods from another universe? Yes,
please. That is excellent.

And, thanks for the feedback, as always!