i can't really remember much about these or why i wrote them. so just enjoy. n.n
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He lay curled up on the bed, his ear pressed against the swollen belly of his fiance. A hand gently stroked his hair.
"What's wrong Al?" he asked, setting his book of baby names aside. "You haven't said anything all day."
He remained still, listening to the movements of the little one inside. "I'm scared lovely." He opened his eyes, shifting his head just a bit to look up into those sleepy blue eyes.
"I've told you a thousand times. There's nothing to worry about. You'll be a great dad."
"That ain it..." he said, closing his eyes again and concentrating on the little creature.
Randy sighed, leaning back against the pillows. His hand fell from his lover's hair, and rested on his own chest. "Al... we've been through this. You've gotten me the best doctors, and made sure we've been eating like we're supposed to, you've taken care of everything around here so I don't get stressed." He laughed lightly when Al suddenly lifted his head and looked down at the rounded dome of flesh. "We're fine. You don't have to worry so much."
"I can't help it," he said, sitting up and putting his hands against his beloved's stomach. He'd been kicked right in the ear, which was quite unpleasant a feeling. "What if he ends up like I was?"
"She," Randy corrected, "will be perfectly healthy."
"Randy, we can't rule out the possiblity... I'm not exactly a perfect genetic specimen ye know... there's any number-a things that could go wrong."
"You're not going to let this go are you? -.-' I don't care if she has three heads and six arms. As long as she screams, eats, and shits like a healthy baby girl, she'll be fine."
"Stop jokin 'round. I'm tryin ta be serious 'ere."
Randy sighed again as Alabaster put his head back down against his stomach. "I know baby. But we've done everything we can do." He smiled softly as he stroked the mop of pink, black, and blue hair. "We'll take care of anything else when we get to it."
"I wanna name him Billy."
"No. We're naming her Rebbeca."
"Samuel William an that's the end-o it."
"Rebecca Ranae."
"Sammy Billy."
"Becca Ran."
"Billy!"
"Becca!"
"O.o What if it's twins?"
There was a long pause before they looked at each other and sighed. "We shouldn't have wanted it to be a suprise," they said together before looking down at the enormous belly of Randy.
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The days are cold. The nights are long. Here alone, without you by my side. I'm older now. My memory isn't what it used to be. I've come to rely on this journal of ours, the old orange spiral notebook you left behind that night you walked out of my life.
I'm dying. You would think that by now I would accept it. That I would lie here and let go of this life filled with such sorrow that my old feeble heart can no longer bear.
I wait for you still, with two glasses of wine on the table across the room. A candle now burned down to a mere nub sticking out the top of an old beer bottle. You'll be pleased to know the kids are doing fine. Alexia just had another child. A little girl. She looks just like her dad but without a penis.
Yeah, I thought you'd find that funny as hell.
You always do.
Kakurine brought her bunch today. You'd be proud of them. They've grown pretty big since the last time you saw them. The oldest, Nicholai, was just suspended from school a few days ago. He'd found Cross's old stash of explosives. He blew up the gym with them. He's coming to stay with us and finish school out on the island. Like I said, you'd be proud.
Cross still hasn't come. At least, that's what he wants me to think. I know he's been here, waiting with the others for the latest batch of test results. It's funny, how I can see things now. Much clearer than I had before. Even when they don't think I notice when they're here, I do. When I'm asleep, and they don't want to wake me, I can feel them. I can see them. Blurred shapes and faceless forms just outside my grasp.
Vash is dead. He shot himself just after I took ill. Just after our son came to us.
I hate you, Joe. Everything you've done to me, everything I let you do, has brought me to this moment. The moment I first saw you, it was my fall from grace. But it was well worth the downward spiral into self loathing and embittered hate. I've always respected you, more than even our silent understandings could have ever expressed...
Our son... I say our son because he is your son, and I have always been your loyal companion down Hell's road. Our son is doing things. Strange things. No doubt that if there comes a time when this scrap of paper ever reaches your hands, you will know whom and what I mean. There is evil in him, so dark and viral that not even my beloved sister could ever hope to save him. But I won't stop believing. I can't stop. You'll come back, just like you've always done, and you'll set things right. You'll make everything alright again.
This world is changed. I believe I'm the only one who can feel it. No one around has seemed to notice the differences between the world we knew and the world as it is now. I pray that my life's work endures until we may meet again, and I can pop you one in the jaw. You know you have it coming.
In my search for a way to bring you back to me, I have killed myself. In finding that which allows us to live forever, I have doomed myself to the miserable fate of mortality.
Laugh. I know you want to.
I don't want to die. But I know now that it is the only way that I will ever set my eyes upon you again. Only in death will we ever find the peace we dreamed of those days we spent on Violin Road.
My hand is trembling, the weight of this pen is too much to bear. I will put it down and close my eyes, and wait for you and Death, whichever may come first, to take me away from this miserable dream called life...
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"As you've no doubt learned by now, you have the power to call up a special friend at will."
He nodded. "The dragon."
"Yes, the dragon. Unfortunately for you, your's was the bad apple. There is one on every tree I suppose. Your dragon was Genki."
"Was?"
He nodded. "Yes. However, when you last called on Genki, your body could not handle it, so, I sent him for his punishment."
"What do you mean, punishment?"
He folded his hands together on his desk. "You see, I can't have someone as powerful as Genki roaming around Hades. It's bad for both business as well as our safety. He had been linked to your sister for so long that not even the healers of Paradise could cure him. For his sins against not only us, but against all of humanity, he must be punished. Unfortunately, you must be as well."
"WHAT!"
"Hold on. I pleaded your case at the last High Council, and they have agreed to nullify your entire record and give you a clean slate. However, there are a few conditions you must agree to first."
"What sort of 'conditions'?"
His face became like stone. "As Hades law dictates, the head of the SaintSinner knightly order must be of Shinigami clan descent. As it stands now, our friend is the only one that fits the description."
"You're the head of Hades now, change the law!"
"Don't you think I have tried. I've reformed as much as I can. But if I undo certain laws, the universe itself ceases to exist. It's actually an interesting idea, but I'd rather not try my luck until I've gotten a much better grasp on how to run things around here."
"So what do I have to do?"
"Since Hades was founded by my predecessor, Pluto, and the heads of both the Shinigami and Delacriox clans, it was decided that each would control different aspects of the afterlife based on their individual powers. The Delacroix are responsible for Paradise and all it's workings because they were highly rightious people. The Valar, my own clan, were responsible for the major decision making due to their heightened sense of justice."
"And the Shinigami?"
"Like the name says, gods of death. The Shinigami were responsible for who would die and come to Hades when. But, because they played a crucial role in ousting the pre-existing regime, they were also responsible for the defense of Hades as well. Thus, the SaintSinner knightly order was born. They protect while everyone else does their jobs. But, the clan leader had three sons, so he created different positions for them. The middle son would be placed in charge of the River Styx. The eldest would be the head of the SaintSinners, and the middle son was considered Death-in-Training."
"So he was, I mean, but that's not right."
"Death, the Boatman, and the head Knight were wiped out when Genki attacked Hades. Tem, or Tem's soul rather, was the middle son. But, now there is a conflict of interest. He cannot fulfill his Grim Reaper duties as well as keep an eye on Hades. That is where you come in."
"What am I supposed to do, watch a boat?"
He smiled. "No, I found something more fitting for you."
"What?"
"Since, as law dictates, the head of the SaintSinner order must be of Shinigami decent, the High Council has agreed to let you fill the position of Death. However, until your sins have been expunged completely, you will be working off a very strict list of names and descriptions of their subsequent deaths provided by both myself and the council. You will also have to wear an ankle bracelet that allows us to keep track of you. You make one slip, and they'll have my ass. Then I'll have your head mounted on my wall next to Voide's."
"I think I'd rather suffer eternal hellfire."
He leaned back in his chair. "That can be arranged."
He stroked his chin, thinking it over. "What makes you think I'll agree to this?"v "I knew you would say something like that."
"Really? So what ain't you tellin me?"
He waited a beat, then nodded. "I might as well tell you before you try to find out on your own," he said, then drew in a deep, slow breath. His face once more became like stone, and his voice was solid and even. "If you do not agree to this, your punishment is not your's alone."
"Yeah, Genki."
He shook his head. "No... Shortly after you died, Tem tried to kill himself. Suicide is the worst sin of all, even more severe than those you and Genki have committed. Even attempting it condems one to a fate worse than dying. Worse than suffering through eternity, reliving the same moment over and over again like Genki must."
His voice actually cracked when he asked his next question.
And his old rival answered solomnly. "In all realities, in all forms and versions, he will cease to exist. He will be expunged from history. There will be no trace left, at all, that he was even there. No one would remember him. No one would notice, nor care. His soul will return to one form, and will then fade into nothing. Not even we of the High Council will know he has come and gone. But your punishment... you would be forced to go on. Time and again, living and dying mortal life after mortal life unending. You would search, like all the different kinds of soulmates search, for him and never find him. And upon returning for your brief stay in Hades between lifetimes, you would remember. You alone would know the Truth. And it would drive you insane."
"But.... how? How do you know this! How is it even possible!" He slammed his fist into the arm of the chair, his nails digging so deep that even in this world of codes and numbers, he could feel the nerve endings in his hand scream in agony as his nails dug into the hot, sweaty flesh of his palm.
"It has happened once before."
"To who! When!"
He turned his face away, almost ashamed of what he knew. He felt horrible now, now that he had found the old scrolls burried in the rubble that was once the great palace overlooking Hades. "King Pluto was not the first to rule over Hades. He was forced to take the highest position because his predecessor went insane. Before the war that divided heaven, hell, and earth, the first ruler of Hades had raped and killed an angel, and to escape his fate, he became that which is most hated in all realms. I killed him. But... I did not have the skill, nor the power to do so. I... I was weak compared to what he had become."
"Voide."
"The part of him that once was human... My first arrow did not strike. My second, even Hiei believed had struck true. But now I know, it missed, and he took it and drove it into himself to stop the pain."
"Then how did he get to Hades! I thought you said the Valar clan was-"
"Delacroix blood with Valar namesake. It's complicated, I know... but by right he was the eldest of the clan, and he was therefore ruler. But he snapped. No one would believe him that the woman he had raped and murdered had even existed. Pluto was forced to punish him once it was discovered he had killed himself and not I. And so, he was sent back to the living world, where he returned in the form you know him as. Again and again, he must be born, killed, and reborn to endure the agony of his greatest sin."
"But if he was the one who comitted suicide, then why does she not exist?"
"She was an innocent soul. She had already lived her allotted number of lifetimes. Few as they were, she lived each one perfectly. No sins great enough to incur the wrath of the gods so to speak. She was mortal, with no connections to any otherworldy beings save for Voide. She had earned her reward in Paradise."
"Then how do you know all this. If he went insane because no one else knew of her..."
"Whichever fate you choose, you will find out soon enough on your own."
He thought on this a moment, then sighed. "I still don't get it. If she was so perfect and innocent, how is it that she's not remembered at all?"
He smiled. "Because she was always mortal. When mortals have reached the end of their earthly existence, the o either to the fields or to paradise. Upon entering paradise, the mortal is considered complete, and there is no further need of remembering them. They do not cease to exist completely. They only cease to matter to the rest of us otherworldy beings."
++++++++++++++++++++
"He is hailed as a saint among the sinners. But he is condemed to remain a sinner among saints. It is this paradox that gives strength to his resolve. As the head of the SaintSinner order, his blood must be shed to open the gate that you command. One thousand years and one day you will be apart, and together for just a brief series of moments before your duties call you back."
"Will our pain ever end?"
"You've changed so much since back then. I remember once you tried to steal my wife away from me. You raped, you pillaged, and you burned. You threw everything important in your life away to get whatever you wanted. But the one thing you wanted most, you can never have. That is just the way it has to be."
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"Soulmates, my friend, is a rather strange and complex idea. There are so many different sorts. Ones who find love and never let it go. Others who discover hate and let it guide them through the world. Each pair has a distinct aura about them. Love is warm and pure, while hate is cold and corrupt. My wife and I, what we had was heaven sent."
"...Tem and I..."
"Are like two alpha males trapped in the same small closet. Strange though, the aura you two share radiates more hate and rage than I have ever seen. But... you've formed a coexistance that sets you apart. He cannot live without your excessive beatings, and you cannot live without his rebellious and spiteful retalliations. I've never in all my lives seen such a thing. As cold and as stubborn as you both are, one cannot exist without the other.
"I had heard rumors, but I had never imagined that what the High Council had finally decided was true."
"What?"
"He was sent to earth to kill you. To bring you back to Hades where you were to be put on trial."
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I brushed the flour off the table after putting the pan in the oven. Wiping my hands on the frilly pink apron tied around my waist, I moved over to the stove and cracked a few eggs into the frying pan. I beat them as they cooked in the fatty juices left behind from the sausage and bacon I'd cooked before.
I had spent all morning in the kitchen, cleaning as I went along.
I heard the front door slam closed as I just finished setting the table with five plates and food.
I barely had enough time to set the frying pan back on the stove before little arms wrapped around my leg.
"Da! Is this enough?"
I pried the child from me and knelt down to her level as she presented me with a little bouquet of wildflowers. "Sophie... ye didn't take those from the back yard now did ye?"
She shook her head, her golden curls bouncing about her round, pale face. "Nuh uh," she said sweetly as she ran off to drag a chair to the cubbord. She climbed up and opened it, pulling out a large plastic cup. I filled it with water for her, and let her drop the flowers in before setting it in the center of the table.
"Da, do ya think mummy will like them?"
"Of course," I said as she snatched a piece of bacon from the platter. "Mummy will love it. Now run along an get washed up er yer mum'll 'ave a fit at us both fer ruinin yer Sundy best."
She hugged my leg, and I gave her a pat on the head before sending her on upstairs to wash up. I laughed, taking off my apron and hanging it back on the peg by the broom closet. I made myself more presentable as I ran around straightening the livingroom.
My darling Sophie ran back down stairs, her face damp and a few drops of water clinging to her curls.
"Is mummy and uncle Ryan here yet?" she said excitedly as Frank galloped down the stairs, his hind paws sliding on the hardwood floor as he tried to keep his balance in his new sneakers, rather, an old pair of Sophie's when she was a babe.
She ran to the window when she heard the sound of the mini-van's horn.
"They're here! They're here!" she shouted, clapping her hands and jumping up and down. I chased her out into the front yard.
"Keep yer voice down kidlet!" I called, but her squeals drowned me out. I waited at the end of the stone walkway leading to the front steps. First Ryan jumped out from the passenger side, his boyfriend James stepped out from the driver side.
My little green eyed angel had already pulled the side door open and her little sandal clad feet were hanging out. James went around back and astarted pulling the usual things out. Sophie ran around to help as Ryan aided her mum out of the van.
"You wipe that smirk off your face this instant Alabaster!"
I covered my mouth to stifle a chuckle. It had been a few days since I heard Randy's annoyed chastising. "This is the last time you hear me!" he snapped, stopping to pull the bright blue carrier out of the middle seat.
I had already moved aside for Sophie and James. Ryan locked up the van before hurrying inside.
"C'mon, breakfast is getting cold," I said, taking the carrier from him and peering down inside.
"You... Cooked?"
"Yeah. An it's edible. Sophie's been munchin all through mornin."
He laughed as I followed him inside. The jingles of the bells told me the cats were up and about at last. When I came into the kitchen, pulling out an extra chair to set the carrier on beside Randy, Sophie was loading the critter bowls with cat food, and Frank was already sorting through the biscuits to find the perfect one for himself.
I sat on the other side of the carrier, looking in upside down at the dark skinned sleeping baby with soft black fuzz on the top of his head. "What color eyes does he got?" I asked.
"Blue, of course," Ryan blurted out from across the table as he fixed my husband's plate. "Randy, tell him what the little brat did!"
I blinked, looking up at the glaring blond man. "What'd he do?" I asked.
"He gave the finger to every single female nurse that even just walked by. And he was screaming from the very second he opened his eyes." Randy happily thanked Ryan for the plate before whirling back around to me. "And this is the last time you are ever doing this to me. From this moment on, you're not allowed to touch me unless you've got a damn rubber on you hear me!"
James laughed, and Ryan snickered as I squared my jaw and glared right back. "I wouldn't 'ave ta if ye'd just take those damn pills!"
We went on like this off and on through breakfast, and I was suprised the little squealer slept through it all. Dead to the world like a log he was... he gets that from his Da.
James and I cleared the table after Randy and Ryan had gone upstairs to put little Aristotle in his crib. I'd just picked up the frying pan to dry and put away when there was a small tug at my pant leg.
I looked down to see Sophie staring up at me with her round green eyes wide in curiosity. "Da... what's a visectamy?"
I dropped the frying pan, a nice old heacy cast iron antique, right on my bare foot. James burst into laughter as I turned the air blue with my words. Sophie giggled and ran out of the kitchen shouting. "Mummy! Da said the four leter words again!"
I'm not exactly sure when it started... my transformation from shameless playboy to loving family man...
But I'm glad it happened.
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The masses gathered in the desert valley silenced as the thin, ancient figure appeared upon the hill, the rising moon at his back, and the setting sun to his war scarred face. He held up his arms, then began to speak.
Four sets of inhuman eyes watched the man, as he spoke to his people, no... not his people, for they did not belong to him. He belonged to them.
And those so far that could not hear his voice heard his whispers on the dry, shallow winds.
"Some call me the Messiah! Others call me the Deus Ex Machina! A monster! A priest! A General of God, and servant of Satan! But I am none of these things!" He paused, wiping his mouth with his bloodstained sleeve. "I am just a man! Flesh and Bone like many of you! Patched together with bits and pieces of scrap metal like the rest..."
He shook his head, and black eyes caught the shimmer of gray pervading perfect crimson by the moonlight. Blue orbs caught sight of a dark patch over the right eye... and those blue eyes wept dearly.
The man clenched a fist, then opened his palm to allow a few scatter of flames leap up towards the darkened heavens. "I have roamed the earth, searching, praying that I may find survivors of our great race! Blessed with gifts such as this I show you now from the moment of conception... be it in the womb or the fragile glass of a test tube..."
He paused again, putting out his flame and wiping his hand upon the tattered rags that clung to his thigh. He shook his head as he looked out on the sea of faces, his head tilted as his voice took on a note of pity. "There is no God... Where was Khrist your Savior, your Messiah, when the Antichrist rose to his throne and founded his kingdom through blood and murder? Where was Allah and his unbeatable calvary when the most powerful of empires fell?" He clenched his fist again. "Where was Buddha with his infinate wisdom to guide us out of this dark time! Where were Yahweh, Zeus, Jupiter, Thor, and the rest of the so called gods and goddesses during the time when Divine Intervention was needed most!"
He slammed his fist against his chest, over and over, repeating the words "In here. In here," each time. The masses went into an uproar, and when he raised his arms, they once more were silent.
"I have spent years fighting, and killing, and sinning in search of the Truth that will set me free... And I have found it!" He pointed a finger, and moved his hand slowly from one side of the face sea to the other. "We are not an army of God. We are not an army of Good. We are a species on the endangered list. We are the end result of thousands of years of evolution! There is no black, white, hispanic, and indian. There is no longer many tongues. We are One People, One Voice, united in the face of annihilation. Our faiths cannot, will not save us! WE are the only ones that can save us!"
When he unclenched his hand, there now sat in his palm a black, jeweled hilt. And he wrapped his long, calloused fingers around it, then raised the black steel blade high into the air. "We will not go quietly into the good night! Together, we will fight, and we will die! But we will do so with the dignity and honor that eons of evolution have bestowed upon us!"
---
The graying pilot sat with his back to the camp, a small fire burning before him as he worked on patching up his torn boots.
"Have you come to beg forgiveness?... I give no absolutions."
"I come seeking the idiot who once envisioned a future not so bleak and bloody."
"Then you've come too far west my friend. That man lies cold in the catacombs up north."
------------------------------------------
"Class, we have a new student joining us today."
One of the boys in the back leaned over to whisper into his brother's ear. "I hope it's not another one of those Frenchies."
"Yeah, if we get another one of those frilly shirt guys I think I'll die laughing."
"Come on, don't be shy dear."
Their joking stopped, and for an instant, the pair became silent while other students in the class whispered among themselves as the pale girl stepped into the room. She wore a black, tightly cinched longsleeved dress, with white lace around the bottom hem and cuffs. The high, stiff neck made her look almost like a victorian porcelin doll. Her white knee high lacy trimmed socks rose from shiny black dress shoes. She carried her bag in both hands before her, a small black bag. Her long, silky hair the color of the sun and pulled into two perfect tails at each side of her head. Her bangs perfectly curled to frame her face.
"Go on dear, introduce yourself."
She was quiet, her round green eyes looking over the faces of her new classmates. Then, when she saw two boys in the back row with their heads down, she smiled brightly and spoke innocently.
"My name is Nessa Rose Harrison-Willeim. Pleased to meet ye." She made a small curtesy, one hand releasing her bag to lift the skirts of her dress slightly as she put one foot back and bowed her head just a little.
"Nessa Rose joins us from Dublin, Ireland. Please make her feel welcome." Then, Ms. Richell turned to her with a kind smile. "Sit next to the boy you like the most. You will need to share books with one of the others until I can get you one."
"Graci," Nessa Rose said with another smile and a small curtsey before looking around. She walked slowly down the center aisle, and paused, looking around before shaking her head and walking the rest of the way to the back. She stopped between the two boys trying to hide their faces. "May I sit between these two?"
The teacher couldn't help but smile as she looked up. "Elijah, please move one seat over."
"Yes ma'am," he mumbled, picking up his books and moving to the empty seat next to him.
The two waited until the class was back to their lessons before muttering. "What in the hell are you doing here?" Eli growled.
"When did they let you out of prison?" his brother, Izekiel hissed.
"Mum and Da said this is one of the best schools," she replied as she snatched Zeke's book, then resumed taking her notes. Her back straight, her posture perfect, and her ankles crossed beneath her chair like a well mannered lady.
"I'll bet she burned her old school to the ground," Zeke hissed again.
"No, this time she probably threatened to kill her school counselor again."
She continued to smile innocently. "I'm right here boys. Please pay attention to the teacher."
The pair grumbled, and remained bitter through the remainder of the class.
Both boys were more than relieved when the lunch bell rang, and they stuffed their things into their bags as they tried to flee the room. However, both were caught by the backs of their shirts by two strong, yet delicate hands. "Show me around."
"Fuck you Nessie," Zeke said before he was yanked back hard.
"I said, show me around."
"Let go of me she demon!"
"That's no way to speak to a lady. If my mum heard you talk like that to me he'd tan yer hide for sure."
She let go abruptly when their teacher came to the door to leave. "Thank ya for making me most welcome in class today Ms. Richell."
"Aren't you a little dear. I'm sure your mother must be proud to have such a sweet girl."
"Mummy is very proud madamoiselle," she replied. But once the teacher was gone, she grabbed both boys by the shirt and dragged them out the door. "Yer going to show me around so I don't get lost again."
"Why should we, you two faced-"
"Zeke... maybe we should do what she wants... you remember the last time you said no?"
"What, it's not like she's hiding another cattle prod in her bag!" He managed to escape her grasp. "What's she gonna do, kick us in the nuts and run like we were three?"
Her polite, innocent smile turned into quite the wicked smirk. "Do as I say, or I'll grind up yer pet rabbits and feed them to ya when ya don't even suspect it." She laughed. "And for your information, I have mum's stun-gun in my bag today. Ya don't think my da would let his lit'le princess walk across town without anything to protect myself if I find a mugger do ya?"
Eli's blue eyes went wide, and he was more than happy to do as his cousin asked. She rewarded him with a few pieces of Laffy Taffy she'd brought from home and a pat on the head.
Zeke followed along behind them reluctantly, his hands in his pockets and his bookbag nice and secure on his back. He mumbled with each step, a lollipop stick hanging out of his mouth. "Stupid no good bubble headed two faced demon woman..."
"I heard that Izekiel! I'm telling uncle Tyler."
The remainder of the day, Zeke kept his trap shut whenever he saw the she-demon.
First, we're happy to announce that the team has identified and fixed the issue with the YouTube conduit; you can now find and add videos from YouTube to your library and posts. As always, thanks for your patience!
The other news we have today is about a new addition to the Six Apart family: TypePad Micro, a new free level of TypePad that is streamlined for microblogging. We see a new form of blogging emerging that lives between the quick status updates of Twitter and Facebook and the long-form posts of "classic" blogging; TypePad Micro is designed to meet that need. You can read more about TypePad Micro in Chris Alden's post on the Everything TypePad blog.
A lot of the new capabilities we've added to TypePad this year were actually inspired by some of the best things about Vox: favoriting, member profiles, a dashboard to follow other bloggers, and easy ways to post content from other social media sites. But the things that make Vox different from TypePad are still there: Vox has always been -- and still is -- the best place for "friends and family" blogging, where you're in control over who sees what. TypePad, on the other hand, is built for the blogger who wants, no, craves, attention.
Do you have a passion or interest you want to share with people beyond your Vox neighborhood? If so, we'd love it if you tried out TypePad Micro. Maybe you've always wanted to start that obsessive blog that's just about waffle restaurants. Or want a place to share videos of your favorite band (Jonas Brothers, anyone? Anyone? ...). TypePad Micro's great for those topic-specific blogs. Take it for a spin and let us know what you think.
On the Vox front, our designers are working on some cool new themes (coming soon!). We'd also love to hear your thoughts about where we should take Vox in the coming year. What are the key things you'd like to see for Vox? If you've had a chance to use TypePad this year, what are the features there that we should bring over to Vox? And, if you're thinking big thoughts, how could we connect the Vox and TypePad communities in order to bring together bloggers and their shared passions? Your feedback is really important to us, so please leave a comment here, or shoot me a message.
And again, thanks for your patience as we found and fixed the YouTube bug!
~ daisy
As many of you have noticed, the YouTube Conduit is not working. I am so sorry about this; I know how frustrating it is.
The team is looking into how to get this fixed and I will update you as soon as I hear something. In the meantime, not all is lost... There is a work-around for posting videos.
When you're in the Compose Screen, just click on "embed." Ignore the fact that it says "Widget" before everything because you can definitely use this to embed videos as well. You'll just need to input the embed code from the video, enter a title (if you want) and hit OK.
It might not show up perfectly in your compose screen, but when you hit "Save," your video should appear just the way you wanted it to.
Hopefully this will allow you to keep posting videos while we figure out what's happening on our end.
As always, thanks for your patience.
I've a new story I'm going to post on here in the near future.
WORKING TITLE: Sinners and Saints
RATING: R (for violence, language, cannibalism, and gory stuff.)
MISC. : Will contain but is not limited to the following - MPreg, demonic posession, sadomasochism, very strong language, zombies of a sort, general troublemaking, SEVERE ANGST, and dismemberment. If you can't handle that or don't want to see it, then don't read the story when it's posted. Thank you.
SUMMARY: Alabaster Willem is immortal. His unexpected lover is not. Al had come to terms with Sam's mortality long ago, and in fact was thankful for it. It gave him a reason to keep fighting his darker half. Over the years, Sam has asked time and again to be turned into the same thing as Al. An ageless, immortal non-flesh eating zombie. Time and again he was refused. But when Sam finally makes it a demand and not a question, the immortal Fallen finally gives in. The price? His own tormented soul.
Go forth and fill your libraries with media.
Seriously, thanks to everyone for being so amazing and patient. You are the reason I love Vox.
I was just told that the Amazon Conduit will be fixed by tomorrow. I will post here as soon as I get word that it's back up and running.
I know this has been frustrating and I am sorry there wasn't more I could do to make it less so. I really appreciate your patience though.
Cheers,
Bad news. As many of you have probably noticed, the Amazon Conduit was not fixed in the last week's release. Unfortunately, there was an undetected bug that is preventing the conduit from working.
We are working on this bug fix and hope to have the Conduit back up and running this week.
I will keep you posted.
Thank you for being so patient.
This is a teaser for the super secret project I'm working on.
Enjoy.
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Prompt - Where do you see yourself in five years?
If you were going to write a book, what would you write about?
I have written books. I just haven't published them... yet. They're a hodgepodge of sci-fi/fantasy/modern/horror.... stuff.
Lots of random STUFF.
Like.... Dragons, vampires, shapeshifting demons, angels that kick butt, the inner workings of Hell, an artist/musician who can control shadows and his demonic boyfriend/husband-ish thing who's a dehtroned prince of hell.... that kinda thing.
Blog Action Day is every October 15th, when blogger are asked to post something about a single issue to show our strength and conviction as an online community. It's a great way to feel connected to the greater good, and the participation of so many bloggers to support the world's leading non-profit organizations is something you can do to help, right now. By blogging today, you're supporting some of the world's leading non-profits and sharing your voice for change.
This year's topic is climate change, and we'd love to read your thoughts on the topic. If you participate, leave us a link to your post in the comments, so we know to check out your post!
Go to www.blogactionday.org to learn more, get a badge for your blog showing your participation, and see some ideas for your post on climate change.
Can't wait to read your posts!
~ daisy
