Redemption, landscape Modifiers Vs Techno Terminators

Britt's PnQ Moment got me thinking

Abby started a pretty cool thread when the Mods and members were at each others throats, sometime back.. things have quietened down a lot since then........ please check out the link to an old thread. Now some members are mods and some mods are members and some have left......

http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/discussion/topic.html?topic_id=122037

Many many moons and many many suns had passed over the lands of P&Q since we last visited this land, much had changed! Most of the rot and stench was cleansed, purified, the forest left to heal, regenerate, replaced by clear streams, ferns and wide open fields of wild flowers. The forest once clustered with strangling vines covered in putrid fungus and suffocating moss, sprang forth shedding its shackles to proudly reach for the sun...

But this too was long ago........

Now a different affliction threatened its very existence

Members apathy and neglect..........how those very words sting the eyes, ears and throat

Decay is once again spreading within the land, once proud giants of the forest are slowly dying, whispered words of love and poetry no longer echo along the paths and streams, the very sustenance required for the life of the forest! The fields of wildflowers and juniper berries no longer tendered with love and care

Yes once again people, the land of P&Q is threatened, we again must do battle, we must come to the aid of the land... or it may perish forever......

Rules of engagement.( Some same as Abby's)
Pick a team and stick to it, we can't all be on the same side so some need to play the devils advocate. On your first post please denote your team

1) Landscape Modifier
Members are asked to attack this old land of P&Q it is outdated, outmoded, the forest needs to go to make way for a new land. A land of super highways and super conductors technology of facebook and tweeter and the like

2) Techno Terminator
Members are asked to defend the land of P&Q by whatever means they can, to preserve what is and what has always been

3) Add to the story in any way you like, BUT
4) Stay within the forum rules: no poems (unless it's a war chant...), no non-PnQ web links, no obviously nasty and personal real-life attacks.
5) Don't lock the thread without first editing posts with reason, or giving warning.
6) Be creative stick to the spirit and theme of the story- if you want to complain, site another thread.

Landscape Modifier

Nicko awoke, god how long had he sleep... months, years? His muscles were stiff, sore, any movement brought a muffled gasp from his lips. Hells teeth a tree root had grown up and over his boot trapping his foot to the ground... It must be bloody years. The air was old, dank and musky in his nostrils.. full of decay, around him nothing stirred, not a sound, no birds, no insects, the trees did not murmur nor move, even the wind had deserted this god forsaken place. It stood as if waiting for death........

He slowly slipped the knife from his belt and cut the root that held his foot to the ground. He painfully stood having to lean against a sedentary tree, his hand pushing against the old bark, but there was no warmth to be had in that, the tree felt cold and lifeless, as lifeless as a dead corpse!

Hell this is not a place for man nor beast, with that he stumbled off. I must get out of this place before I fall asleep and never wake up, I need life, vitality... in the distance he saw golden towers and shimmering light ahhh life I can feel it in my bones.....this place must go. and with that he vowed that he would be back, back to build a better place.. these trees this forest it would have to go............

Techno Terminator

Colm let the front door of his log cabin swing shut after him, as he stepped slowly out into the clearing that could be considered his garden. The wind was as cold and unforgiving as ever, and the sheepskin collar of his travel-worn overcoat clung closely to his neck, a buffer against the winter bite. He inhaled the crisp air deeply and observed the mist-like cloud of breath tickle his fingertips with the promise of a temporary warmth. The trees around him were bare and rugged, and were still as if trying to conserve their energy. Only the intermittent tracks of wandering robins wrinkled the thin blanket of snow. Most of the forest creatures were hibernating in the subterranian dens and pockets scattered and hidden through the woodland.

He started to walk slowly, towards the encircling trees until he was amongst them; stepping over stray roots and the stones coated in old dead moss. Following the descending gradient, he followed the faint sound of the stream which grew steadily clearer as he approached. Although the pebble banks were freckled with snow and ice, the water ran as freely and sweetly as ever. Taking some of the melted snow with it had bolstered its capacity and the brook danced with surprising vigor. He traversed the natural stepping stones and turned his gaze to the opposite bank, where he had seen it last time. He felt a small knot tighten in his stomach

As he approached the spot in the shadow of the old oak, his anticipation grew alongside his sense of dread. He bent down and rested his knees on the snow and ever so gently, began to peel back the covering layer with caressing hands. Grey-brown soil greeted him, an unmoving stone frozen to the ground. He was beginning to lose hope when he saw it: tiny and pale green, a fledgling shoot, not yet the height of a fingernail and softly moving as if liberated at its first exposure to the faint sun. He smiled, and the nervousness that had followed him from his cabin evaporated. So, this harshest of winters was finally coming to an end....

Nicko trudged along a deserted well used track, through the forest towards the shimmering light, past what was a meandering stream now dry and lifeless. Once well tendered gardens could be seen littered amongst the valleys and hillocks, now all seemed barren and forlorn. Here and there the odd vine or creeper could be seen straining against hope, against the odds for life in this lifeless land.

Patches of spiky bracken now lay either side of the track which veered to the left and then up a slow incline. As Nicko traveled upwards the air noticeable cooled, before long he was above the tree line and in the distance hills were covered in a blanket of snow. He stopped and gazed, was this winter or a permanent thing? He continued on then came to an abrupt halt, was that movement he saw? He was sure he had seen a black speck move on a distant snow covered hill.... he stood motionless watching, waiting, was he not alone ? nothing moved.. it must be a rocky outcrop. Shaking his head he moved off, he was over the hump of the hill with the trail slowly descending, he glanced back at the black speck but it was gone from view......
Ahead the tall spires and shimmering light beckoned...........

Techno-Endurer

Larry continued his steady pace, carefully placing his walking stick where it did the least damage to the new growth. Looking back at the bright spires he shook his head; not at all what he'd expected. "Ah, but each to his own. Give me solitude in nature over the solitude of desperation in social sardine factories."

Turning ahead to the future, he began again to assess what he knew would be coming. Winter there had been harsh, no doubt of that! Spring would be hardly a whisper in the upper pine boughs, though it was much further along here near the overheated City.

The community he'd left in the Fall could have survived on their provisions, but many also have likely eaten their seed grain. There would need to be reapportionment, but he knew there were those who could be counted on. Somehow, when times got tough, there were always the saviors.

Interesting thing about a poet community - they nearly approximated A.E. Van Vogt's Null-A society: refusing a dichotomy of right or wrong they typically saw the world in shades of color. Each did what he or she saw was necessary without being dictated to.

What a difference from this dog-eat-dog life he's endured for the sake of duty. He hurried his pace as if the need to get away from the City propelled him.

Modified Shifter

Being Otter, I know better than to tell secrets of my success. It's easy being Coyote, sly and resourceful or Owl, wise and fit full of fat rats.
Craven, a ravenous beast always feasting on unsuspecting raw meat givers of the eager sort.

The Wolfman Seer taught me the Old Ways---
of peyote buds, morning glory seed and jimson weed to enlighten my Spirit-opening;
the possibilities of Mind over Matter. I do
Shift; matter with my mind becomes one with my surroundings--be it Glory or Decay.

I enjoy playing-because over thousands of years
I've become bored with coffins,bats and Castles-
choosing now to live amongst them in the shadows
of Limelight.

Gulping down another fat juicy trout from the clear mountain stream. He slides behind the rock outcrop,
watching, anticipating his next sating meal of flesh.
There will be no redemption for interlopers;
only Doom!

Larry has entered the woods and appreciated many of the critters he's seen, especially the otter making a big splash in the crisp freezing stream.

Earlier he glimpsed another person walking toward him, apparently headed for the city. He expects to meet him somewhere ahead.

As Nicko continued down the incline, granite walls slowly converged from both sides till he found himself in a narrow canyon barely 6 feet across, the canyon walls some two hundred feet tall, snaked for about 1 mile before Nicko came upon a massive door blocking any further passage "Gads Nicko remarked, now I'm shot" Upon closer inspection of the door a faded inscription read "Come pass ye weary traveler, come rest ye weary head" Leaning on the door, it gave way slowly, moving inch by inch.........

Apprehension filled Nicko as he stepped past the door .......
"What the" Graves littered an immense gully that disappeared into the west for as far as the eye could see, thousands upon thousands of graves stood sentinel....What the hell is this place! Some of the graves were old weathered, some new well tendered and off to the right some freshly dug yet to be filled. He walked towards these past some of the older graves reading the names as he passed. "hang on I know some of these names "William Mae, Musicality, Lebanese Phoenix, Skyler, The Tasteless, everywhere he looked he saw names he recognized... Some had huge gravestones atop, one looked like an enormous bone of some sort, perhaps a Shank bone? Some of the old graves had been broken open as if the occupants had escaped to rejoin the living, amongst those were five in a row, each stone had one letter only on it. He couldn't make out the first letter on the first grave but the others read R, I, T, T... something was very familiar about that........He came upon the empty graves a couple had one foot in them but nothing else... Beside one empty grave was a half finished sculptor of a massive stallion!

What the hell is this place, and how do I get out... he was startled by a noise.. he wasn't alone, had he been followed..??

I saw that pilgrim take a wrong turn and realized he was headed for a disquieting place. Sure enough, by the time I got there he had been stumbling against cold reality.

"You're in the land of conjoined religions, friend."

He turned to gape at me as if he were convinced I was crazy, but held his tongue.

"These are the gifted who have dropped from the community. If you look around there are more empty graves than anything. These are the reincarnated, resurrecting themselves. Sometimes they go under cover, but most eventually assume their old identities. Many have left, but many have returned."

"Ye gads, the voice from behind Nicko surprising him!! He turned to see a, a, a, what was it he saw? was it a wizard of some description? He certainly carried a walking stick, but this stick had a horse's head attached to the top, most disconcerting.....he had on a well worn grey cape and the only thing he could see looking out were a pair of large sun glasses, also disconcerting. Good day replied Nicko you have been following me I believe! and this sir is a most disquieting place. The land of the Conjoined Religions you say, wait one minute good sir as i look that up in my book called "No effin idea what that means" ........Arrrgh here it is under all about religions for atheists

Definition...... A place where weary travelers and agitators alike may lie in peace after sharing their gifts of rhetoric and worldly knowledge, some may be buried standing up, lying down or even upside down and on occasion above ground, though that is not to be recommended as one such traveler had his nose hairs plucked which were then sold on eBay...

Resurrected you say.. you know even i have a funny feeling I've been here before... Nicko got out his marble bag and looked inside knowing there was one missing.. now everything made sense he obviously left one behind the last time he was here..He'd have a look around for it later...

Hey exclaimed Nicko, I think I saw a couple of others awhile back, one was splashing around in a pool of water, an animal of some sort maybe, an otter even? Wearing the same sort of fur your cape's made out of.....Now that's an interesting fact thought Nicko, once again eyeing the horse's head on the travelers cane! Your names not Mario Puzo is it? And then there's some bloke frolicking around making snowmen a top a mountain...looking at green shoots...maybe its marijuana??

Once again Nicko cast his eyes at the graveyard till he spied a most fascinating gravestone made into the shape of a three cup bra, this grave was also dug up and empty .......yes this place was most fascinating, indeed that fascinating he just wanted to get his bulldozer and level the place and grow Red Gum so he can make pepper grinders all day long

Colm spent more and more time outside each day, witnessing the new growth and receding snowlines along the hillside. Wisps of chimney smoke could be seen mingling with the air above the villages in the valleys with regularity again. He picked some of the snowdrops that were now emerging in plentiful number on his travels where sometimes he would intercede with tracks of other travelers.

It was on one occasion, when one of these set of footprints seemed to lead towards the Rocky outcrop Colm knew well. He followed with curiousity, for the mysterious cave had been on his mind also.

As he approached, he heard faint voices that echoed in the rocky chambers. Colm entered, half in anticipation and half in dread, not knowing what, or more importantly who, he might find in this purgatory. Two men stood and turned upon hearing his entry.

One held a look of almost feral disgust on his face; as if an irritable fly had buzzed into his life and needed exterminating. The other held an expression that indicated a sense of a knowledge that had possibly evolved into wisdom. Surprisingly, Colm barely noticed the stirring that was going on in the semi-dark around them and instead addressed the men simply. 'Hello...'

I stood mulling over my wood turning when we both turned at an approaching noise, bells of some sort.....??? Before us stood an elfish looking character with pointy ears, wearing a travel-worn overcoat, but it was what he wore underneath that travel-coat that was most attention grabbing. They appeared to be body hugging green tights ending in green pointy pixie shoes with little bells on the ends that jingled when he moved. "Hello" he said I was so gob smacked I stood with my mouth open, as I did so a fly buzzed into my open mouth which I crunched and spat out in disgust, yuck that didn't taste like steak....

He stood staring at us giving us the once over and before I knew it I spouted at him "Had a good look have ya? You cheeky elfish git, ya want a punch on your leprechaun nose?"

Gads why had I said that? Had he cast some sort of spell over me? Or was it the wizardy looking character beside me, had he hit me over the head with his horse head cane?....

No, it was Agent Abracadabra, kicking him in the arse.

She had been standing on a cliff for some time, surveying the wizard, the leprechaun and the ogre in meeting below. It hadn't been with interest. It had all been very tentative and uneventful.

And so it was that Agent Abracadabra descended upon them, frustrated with boredom, and kicked the jabbering ogre in the backside.

"Now listen up," she roared, "Every time nothing happens in this jungle, something dies. And I am the one who kills it. You hear me?"

"I beg your pardon?" The leprechaun was inquisitive, polite, and slightly high on marijuana.
"Abominable!" The wizard was outraged, and impressively so.
"Shiver me timbers, what cheek, ye gads, ya wily lassie, I'll have yer kidneys fried on me barbie fer breakfast, mon dieu!" The ogre was confused about his stereotype.

"It's not that I particularly enjoy killing," continued the Agent, unfazed. "It's just what I am programmed to do. I'm an unkillable killing machine. There are many of us here in this desolated landscape. We had no need to appear when the jungle was full of fun and mischief. But now we rule. We have much to do now. For instance, in the time it took you three idiots to meet, nothing interesting happened. So I had to crush a robin's egg and an old moth.
"I have come to ask you to stop doing nothing. I ask you all to do something - something wild, something brave, something with consequence! Tell me, what are you going to do?"

The other three gaped at her, stunned and silent. A minute passed. Sighing, Agent Abracadabra squashed a centipede under her boot.

"Wait, no," cried the wizard. "Cease this atrocity at once!" He held out his stick.

The Agent turned to him, staring and waiting. The wizard paused, uncertain.
Agent Abracadabra closed her eyes. An ancient tree let out a sigh and fell in the forest.

But this time, it was heard.

"An Ogre am I? Christ, hand me a mirror, I was a Saint yesterday!"

Nicko stood transfixed staring at the agent apparition "for gods sake put a bra on will ya......I only have two eyes and you have three breasts, I'm getting dizzy.....though lovely as they are..!

"And nothings happening ya say, cheeky wench!...., exposition I say, setting the scene and all that belly who.....

Mmmmm by the way that tree falling made a lovely noise, you keep doing that and I won't need ma bulldozer

Nicko eyed the surroundings expectantly... he knew there were other apparitions lucking out there, just waiting to jump into the plot.... was that a horse he heard galloping through the forest..?

It is Idleness which has brought doom, all have to do something. The felled tree has always been heard, but not by man.

Behind the outcrop a compilation of mysterious words, unheard of by mortals and Zap!
Coyote on all fours runs into the wicked wind,
bounding over crooked crevices of unseen downfalls, arriving at the fateful cavern, where all four had gathered. Had I been Mortal I would have toasted Agent Abracadabra with a double bourbon and the others with three full brazarre filled cups of tequila and ogled like the Ogre at their mezmerizing beauty. I know better, so I, Zap---

Zap...........The Coyote type creature in an otter overcoat bounded up smelling strongly of grog..."Wow just as well you have four legs to stand on Mr, and stop feasting ya eyes on Abracadabra.....hey pass that tequila here, the suns over the yardarm somewhere" Nicko took a large swig ......".Shite" he said in a crappy Irish accent "what's in this" he felt the poison slowly seep into his bones and a madness creep into his now purple orbed eyes. He felt the axe shift in his hand

"Run the lot of ya before this madness overtakes me completely" Nicko staggered forward battling the internal battle lust that was swelling in his gut

What did ya poison me with ya hairy vermined mutt??? But now it wasn't 4 lazy arsed poets that stood before him, no it was the entire site that spread out all quiet in slumber, morose and dead

He hefted his axe heading towards the forest to put it out of its misery , once there the axe started to rise and fall methodically, wood splintering.....

After watching the ogre drink a whole bottle of otter musk I figured it would not be pretty. But who would have thought he'd start hacking away at a lot of dead brambles like he was clearing a path for the L&N Railroad. Still, if he wanted to let out steam, let him be.

Meanwhile, I hear much merriment & music making outside the cemetery cove so I led the others forth to general celebration of the return of Spring.

Well...that would be me appearing of course...what other reason could there be in this God forsaken place to be merry? Now...I need to know EXACTLY where the beauty parlour is...my hair is snagged from branches...my nails are torn and....I have not had a shower for at least one hour...I need a GROOMER pronto! and...not a bloody horsey one...

* Edit..I just realised I was supposed to pick a 'side'but...none of them fit my style...I was trying to portray like a Legally Blonde type here...you know...saucy but smart...don't like the smell of you all right now kind of thing...yeah...thing I'll just be blonde for tonight :)

The blond bimbo stood on the parapet looking left looking right looking lost.......ohhhh not again

She started down towards the others, walking ever so slowly "Hector this plot is hard to navigate" she exclaimed, slipping she snapped one of her heels fannybawbag !! she tumbled head over heels landing at the feet of four incredulous merry makers!!

In the distance "chop, chop, chop, thak, thak" could be heard

It took three not-so-gentlemanly men to help the sleek blond up, though what part of her the elf was holding onto I will not say.

After properly thanking them (slaps all around) she pulled a lapso apso out of her purse and began a spirited Watusi with the dog as her boa.

Even the ogre stopped stroking his wood and turned to watch. Then he began stroking his wood.

And those fountains stood
spewing cleansing water,
We all knew she was blessed!

Retrieving the broken heel and lashing it to a fallen tree branch with her stretch headband she now had a lethal weapon and was grateful that she had paid attention to Katy Perry's video clip for Roar while she was having her nails done.

She wondered vaguely why anyone would know she had a lhasa apso in her bag because she was only babysitting it and hadn't wanted to leave it at home (Honestly this part is true...my daughter's little dog) but....she smiled at the confused person who thought that she was doing a watusi when in fact it was very clearly the haka....rolled eyes at this northern hemispherian, tossing her blonde locks as she heading off to bathe in the cleansing fountain and thought...yes, indeed she was blessed.

It was standing room only around the fountain, save for the ogre, who continued to stroke his wood.

Decided to pash said ogre..well I did read in some fairytale a while back that sometimes they turned into something better like...was it a Prince..yeah that was it and....you other guys weren't looking like anything special so...I thought I'd risk it for a biscuit..(name of my daughter's dog so thought I'd keep him in the picture) But...ugh...it didn't happen..he was still an ogre but...all wasn't lost...I managed to distract him enough to steal his wood...bloody hell it needs no sanding now after the amount of stroking it's had....relocated broken heal and headband onto it....no splinters on my new weapon now...left ogre with nobley old tree branch...that will teach him....tried to play tonsil hockey with me...the nerve of him!!!

Meanwhile, I had run out of tobacco for my pipe and the elf tells me he has a special blend.
So the otter and Abby joined us for a try of his mixture.

Can't remember who the elf is but...I no longer smoke so..that doesn't interest me and...after my pash session with the ogre...like I said...he's still an ogre so...bored right now...de dum de dum...left nail, right hand is chipped OMG!!!! I might even learn how to count to 100 while I'm still here...I get confused still when I reach 69..I always get distracted and then...I never know whether I should go forward of backwards :)

I had been stroking my wood for that long I had whittled it down to a tooth pick.... Dang, but good if I wanted to pluck the wizard out of my teeth.....

"What's this?" before I knew it the naked Blond Bimbo was painting my tonsils with her tongue....

EDIT this thread is now R 18 any underages please leave ...WOW

Not only that but she steals my tooth pick to make a new weapon..... Hit me over the head with a wet fish, I have no idea where the plot is going but happy to run with it........

Rolling around on the ground were three stoned characters.....I also gave up smoking, well I actually never started ....

Mmmm now somebody over here mentioned 69 so might just take a peek in this here bush for a looks see, could be fun......the bimbo said she wasn't that fussed about the Pash but I know she is lying

Are you the ogre? Thought it was the otter, guess I otter have know better..so..who's the elf..should find out myself I figure...speaking of figures..now that I'm naked I can no longer fake it...the pash? wasn't that bad..just the moustache...got in the way, what can I say? That's why I thought it was the otter who was the ogre.

The Elf's mixture was exquisite, and Abby seemed to grow a tail, while the Wizard, dazed and confused, espyed the crazed Otter, whose nose in the air had captured a scent! Zap!

I will not be drug down this rabbit hole speaking plots, butt I will slide easily into place with a wriggle! Zap!

Being Otter, I've always been nourished with mussels, clams and fish, all soaked in a little super salsa. Ok, so , it really gets hot in here now. Zap!

What in the Hell are they doing? From a distance, it looks like a,a,a,a, Lumberjack backing off from a Blonde Bimbo. His wood is limp, her hair is rent and they looked beat! Who " would " have thought it?

Oh my...I think I have sunstroke?..What the HELL are you Looking AT?...have you never seen a blonde bimbo with sunstroke or what????

Could be tonsillitis I have..not sure yet...bleeding'ogre...

And at the bottom of the garden he swam and swam, though the current was strong, too strong, it pulled and pulled against limb against bone, pulling deeper, deeper through weed and time, it pulled and pulled till light was a but a glimmer and darkness overtook. Blackness as the deepest cavern, cornered under a million tonnes of rock.......... and there we lie

Exeunt

And so the Ogre carefully wrapped then stowed the philosophers stone within his cloak hefted his axe and once again strode forward... that was a weird little blimp......

There from the flowing bowl
Deep drinks the warriors Soul.

"Skoal! To the Northland! Skoal!

Thus the tale ended.

Skeleton In Armor

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

OMG..the weird little blimp is back!!! HELLO GUYS..what happened to you all...totally too quiet here!!! ME? Well the nails are done..I had a quick pedicure...go for the green elves if you want one..the purple elves charge twice the price..mMmmm..facial wasn't that bad...had better of course but..well...you know...

As the Ogre returned to his chopping, already behind lay a swathe of dead and dying trees. Yes the forest was mighty but already he felt the tremble of doom within the woods...

Not far in front of him he saw small sanctuaries set amongst the forest. Many emblazoned with names such as "Moonlight Muses" "Beyond the Dark" "The Club" "Fragments of Poetry" "Like the Flowing River" a few still flourished, he could see some were dying a slow painful death, even more had their gates thrown open and were dead and barren. The Ogre laughed, "such insolence to think they were beyond my reach"
He hastened forward determined to reach the sanctuaries before sunset...

Behind a noise distracted him momentarily Oh the bimbo was back, obviously after another tryst in the undergrowth "Come here ya wench and let me get ma leg over again but then it's back to ma chopping ya hear"..........