Accidental Demon Slayers: Experiments in Darkness pt. 4

Before heading over to Yamada Labs I decided to stop off at the office and get a few things settled before starting the new case.  Even during our down time we had paperwork to complete.

Who knew that Demon Slayers would have to fill out so many forms?

As I approached my office I froze.  I could sense her before I even walked through the door.

“You took a new job?  And you didn’t even call me?”  Brittany sat on the edge of my desk, her arms crossed over her ample chest.  Her face was an almost comical scrunch of anger and frustration.

I ignored the anger in her voice, and made my way to desk, brushing past her to get to my computer.  “Clare hasn’t cleared you for field work.”

“Oh please, I know this shit backwards and forwards.  I mean, hell, I am a fricken demon!”  She turned, slamming her hands down on my desk.  “Come on!  I can handle this stuff.”

“The demons, yes.  The human aspect, not so much.”  I began sorting through the papers that Brittany had managed to scatter all over my desktop.

“What are you talking about?”  She leaned in close, her face inches from mine.  “I’m fucking great with people.”

“You are great at scaring people.” I looked her square in the eye.  “If I recall, you were the one who told a client during an interview, and I quote ‘stop being such a pussy and deal with it yourself.’ End quote.”

“He had a demonic lawn gnome infestation!  Like that was even worth our time.”  She stood up straight, her hands on her hips.

“Those lawn gnomes had eaten his dog and his neighbor.” I kept my voice steady and calm.  “So yes, it was worth our time.”

She stomped her foot hard, and her face was starting to grow red.  I was about to have a she-demon throw a toddler level temper tantrum in my office.  This was not how I wanted to start my day.

I took a deep breath.  “Listen, while Ashtyn and I are in the field we need you to man the office.  If we need you, we will call you in, okay?”  I was fighting my inner frustration, and was doing my best to sound calm and civil.  “I just can’t go over Clare’s head on this one.  I’m sorry.”

“So I get to play desk jockey while you and Ashtyn have all the fun?”  With one sweep Brittany flung all my papers off my desk.  “Great.”

“Well...”  I looked at her, doing my best not to smile. “I was trying to get those sorted for you.  That,” I pointed to the mess on the floor, “is your project for the week.  Have fun piecing it back together.”

I stood up and headed towards the door.

“Wait... what?”  Brittany looked from the papers, then to me, then back again.  “That’s not fair!  You should have told me!”

I stopped in the doorway, turning to her.  “When you get that temper under control, Clare will okay you for field work.  Until then...  Well, think of it as a test of character.  Use this to grow, Brittany, so you can be the best you can be.”  I gave her a thumbs up and winked.

She chucked a leather bound spell book at my head.  Luckily I had already closed the door by the time she threw it, but I could hear the hardy thud of the thick volume as it bounced off the wooden door.

I knew I was being hard on her, but honestly, she had a lot to learn.  This wasn’t all just big fights and bloody battles.  It was dealing with very human, very scared people who were stuck in something they had no idea how to deal with.

Hell, I wasn’t sure I even knew how to deal with it all.  I just had to remind myself that I could handle this, that I had faced foes much stronger, and much deadlier then anything I could possibly be facing at Yamada Labs.

Juktha, I hope we’re right.

Accidental Demon Slayers: Alternate Lives *Update*

So, writing continues on the second game, but the true ending is almost complete.  After that only one more path needs to be written, and then writing will be complete!  YAY!

So, as the I chug along on the game things continue to change.  Namely, this game will have a limited number of endings (as of right now, I believe there are only four planned.)  The reason for this is simple.  It's what the story dictates.  I know people prefer a ton of endings, but I would rather keep the number of endings limited, and be very happy with them, then jam pack the game with endings, and be disappointed with the majority of them.

That being said, there are still a good deal of choices to be made in the game.  All of them change how the main story is told, with most of them effecting the final outcome of the game.

Also, just to clarify, this game is a one-off, side story that really is there to wrap up Joanna's storyline.  It also is a chance to explore a few characters who didn't get too much focus in the first game.

Bobby and the Demon Slayers crew DO NOT show up in the game. At least not right now, and if they do, it will be a small cameo. That is why I am writing the serial series "Experiments in Darkness".  That particular story was an idea that I had for a game, but realized that the story is too linear, and the Visual Novel format was not the ideal format for that particular story.

SO!  With that all said, things are still moving on Alternate Lives, and the games new stats are up on it's page.  Go check them out, continue to read the serial, and I hope, keep enjoying the ever insane world of Accidental Demon Slayers!

Accidental Demon Slayers: Experiments in Darkness pt. 3

That all powerful goddess in my head decided that she needed to put her two cents in on the matter.

She and I have never communicated normally.  Sometimes she’s just a voice in my head, guiding me where I need to go.  Sometimes she can show herself, depending on where we are.  Usually, though, she just communicates emotionally.  It’s kind of like that gut feeling, the one you know you should follow.

This time she decided she wanted to have a little sit down with me in a place where I couldn’t get away.

In my dreams.

The room she had designed for herself was fairly plain, but comfortable.  The space was bathed in warm, orange light, and the floor was covered in  red and brown pillows.

Juktha, my own personal inner goddess, sat cross legged on one of the pillows, her hands resting in her lap.

I stood in the doorway, slightly confused that someone had managed to redecorate the inside of my brain.

“You didn’t think you would start this journey without talking to me, did you?”  She smiled and motioned for me to sit across from her.

“I don’t know.  You’ve been pretty quiet recently.”  I plopped down across from her, and was surprised that I could actually feel myself landing on the plush surface of a large, round pillow.

“I speak when I need to.  Goddesses aren’t much for wasting words.”  She watched me, her eyes calm and welcoming.

“I take it you have a bad feeling about this particular case.”  I took a deep breath, and the smell of warm vanilla filled my nostrils.  It was hard to be worried when everything around me was forcing me to be relaxed.

“I know you do.”  Her smile faded.  “You need to have confidence that we can face this together.”

“I guess I can never really let go of doubt.”  I let out a half laugh.  “I know, it’s very human of me.”

“Yet you forget that you aren’t human.  Not entirely.  I do not just reside in you, I am you.  Down to your genetics.  Though we are both separate entities, we are joined.  By fate, by chance and by choice.”  She reached out, her hand resting on mine.  “We both chose this path because we are two pieces that were made to fit together, to fight together.”

Her words made me feel better.  Sometimes it’s nice to have your own personal Yoda.

“What about Kurt?  He works for that company.  A company, I don’t really trust.  The last time I put him in danger, and I wasn’t even trying to involve him.”  I could feel a lump in my throat growing.  The idea of every intentionally putting Kurt into harm’s way terrified me.  “This time he’s involved whether I like it or not.”

“He just as much a part of you as I am.” She gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “Your instincts are telling you to protect him for a reason.”

“I just wish I knew what that reason was.”  My sense of calm was fading.

“Sometimes someone is safest when they are close to you.”  She stood.  “Take those words as you will.”

“Do you have any idea what we are going to face?  Do you see anything past what I know?”  I wasn’t proud of the pleading sound in my voice, but the uncertainty was driving me nuts.

“The important thing is, we can handle it.”  She leaned forward and kissed my forehead gently.  “Now, it’s time for you to wake up.”

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again I was lying in bed, my head resting on Kurt’s chest.  I could see sunlight breaking through the partially closed drapes.

I gave him a gentle squeeze and took a deep breath.  I wasn’t positive, but I swear I could still smell the faint aroma of vanilla in the room.

I just had to remind myself that this is where I needed to be.  This is what I needed to be doing.  No matter what my fears my tell me, the truth was that this was a path that only I could follow.

Accidental Demon Slayers: Experiments in Darkness pt. 2

“So, do you have any idea why my services would be needed at your work?”  I sat across the kitchen table from Kurt.  My dinner plate sat untouched in front of me.  I hadn’t been able to shake my uneasy feeling since leaving the office.

“What are you talking about?” Kurt looked at me completely confused.  “Someone from Yamada hired you?”

“A young woman, Elizabeth Malone, came in today.  Said something in the lab resulted in creating something... well, it created something that they feel I would be more inclined to handle.”

“Sweetie, I’m in the business offices all day.  I hardly ever have anything to do with the labs.  They keep those places locked up tight.”  He took a bite of his dinner, seeming completely unaffected by the current topic of conversation.  “Everything there is on a need to know basis.”

“So you have no idea what I’m going to be dealing with?”  I pushed a piece of broccoli around my plate, my mind still miles away from my meal.

“None.”  Kurt sat back, giving me that look I knew too well.  The worried look that made me question why I was even in this stupid business in the first place.  “I will admit, I’m curious about what they’re doing down there, but for now, it’s all out of my clearance.”

“Curious?”  I leaned forward.  “You know...”

“Don’t even think about it.”  Kurt looked away from me, again putting his focus on finishing his food.

“Wouldn’t you like to see what they were working on?.”  I smiled.  It was the first smile since I had left the office.  “You could see stuff so secret that even the President would probably be denied access.”

“I don’t know.  Bad things tend to happen when I get involved with your work.”  He still wouldn’t look at me.

“Please!  Clare is out of town, and Brittany isn’t even close to being ready to handle an actual team mission.”  I did my best to pout.  I’m pretty sure I just looked ridiculous, but it seemed to work.

He glanced up at me.  “They would never okay it. No matter how adorable you try and make yourself look.”

“Of course.”

“Now stop pouting.  You look like you’re having a stroke.”  His serious facade faded for one brief moment and a swear I saw him crack a smile.

For a brief moment I forgot about the unknown.  I forgot about all the questions that were running through my head.  At that moment my mind was completely in the moment.

For the rest of dinner I pushed the new job out of my head.  The unknown and unexpected meant that moments like this could be in short supply for the foreseeable future.  It was best to just enjoy dinner, and enjoy time with the most important person to me in the whole wide world.

Accidental Demon Slayers: Experiments In Darkness pt. 1

*** Warning: Accidental Demon Slayers: Experiments in Darkness is intended for mature readers, and will contain adult language, extreme violence and sexual situations, and is intended for mature audiences.  Reader discretion is advised.***

The lab door was locked.  Why was it locked?  It was never supposed to be locked!  The man’s mind raced as he tried to figure out what to do.  Normally he could think quickly, but right now fear was clouding his every action.

The creature watched him from the shadows.  The man could hear the deep, wheezing breath of that thing as it stalked him.  Even without eyes he was sure it was watching him, enjoying the site of seeing such a once great man running around like a fool.

“Let me out of here!”  The man beat his fists on the heavy steel doors.  “It’ll kill me!  It’ll...”

He suddenly felt hot breath on the back of his neck.

He didn’t know how something so huge could move so fast, but the creature had managed to cross the lab without him even noticing.

The creature... That was what it was now.  It no longer resembled his friend, his partner in crime.  The man that had once been his closest friend was now something else.  Something vile and bloodthirsty.

The man closed his eyes. He knew what was coming next.  No amount of screaming or pounding could change his fate.

Before the man could even utter another sound, the creature struck.

The man’s head was removed from his neck in one clean swipe.  Blood erupted from the perfectly smooth incision like a geyser.

He could see his body standing there, spurting precious blood out into the air.  For a brief moment he was able to watch himself die, and then... darkness.

***

The office had been quiet for most of the day, and I was starting to think that maybe the local demon population had taken a vacation.

I wouldn’t have minded.

My last little demon slaying adventure had taken a lot out of me, not to mention it nearly killed most of my friends, and resulted in my boyfriend getting kidnapped by an evil goddess hell bent on destroying the world.  So, a little down time was welcome.

“Dear God!  Can something, anything, please happen!” Ashtyn whirled her chair around to face me, nearly knocking her computer off her desk.

“I thought the world not being in jeopardy was a good thing.”  I leaned back, stretching.  “Peace and quiet just means we don’t have to worry about another possible apocalypse.”

“I don’t care.”  She leaned forward, her eyes shooting death rays at me. “I didn’t sign up for this job just to do paperwork.  I signed up for the action, the adventure, the... the...”

“Tentacles?” I shuddered at the word.  Tentacles seemed to like me about as much as I disliked them.

“Sure!  Right now I would even take tentacles.” She stood up from her chair and started pacing around the office.  “I would take some attempted demon violation over paperwork any day.”

“Speak for yourself.”  I had already had my fair share of run ins with tentacled demons, and I wasn’t missing them.

There was a timid knock at our office door.

“Come in!” Ashtyn plopped back down in her chair.

The door opened and a young woman entered.  She had long brown hair, done up in a braid that trailed down her back, and her pale, freckled face sported a very large pair of coke bottle glasses.  Her clothes were plain and conservative, and she had a small, black purse clutched in her hands.  The poor thing looked like she was about to dart out of the office at the slightest noise.

“Is... Is... This Demon Slayers Inc.?”  She took one step into the office, but never looked up at Ashtyn or I.

“Yep.”  I sat up straight, trying my best to look professional.  “How can we help you?”

Normally Clare handled the new business, but this week she was stuck in a conference on Demonology and Exorcism Techniques.  So, it was my turn to play boss.

“I think I may have a problem.”  She looked up at me, her big brown eyes seemed rimmed with tears and ready to burst.

“What kind?  Demons, poltergeists, cultists?  We have a special this week on gnomes and other assorted pint sized terrors.”  Ashtyn was practically bouncing as she spoke.

“It’s... well, I don’t know what it is.”  The woman glanced at Ashtyn.  “Are all those things real?”

“You would be surprised.”  I eyed Ashtyn, trying my best to signal her to calm down.  “Why don’t you have a seat Miss...”

She looked at me, “Elizabeth.  Doctor Elizabeth Malone.”  She sat down, smoothing out her ankle length skirt as she did.  Her fingers fumbled with her purse.

Something had this poor girl spooked.

“So, what exactly is your problem?”  I kept my voice soft, calm.

“I... I work at Yamada Labs. Are you familiar with us?”  She still couldn’t bring herself to look at me directly.

My heart seemed to skip a beat.  Yamada Labs?  Kurt had been working in their IT department for the past three months.  If something had been going on there he would have told me, right?

“Yes, I have an idea of what goes on there.” I did my best not to let my growing sense of dread show.

“I can’t really discuss what exactly our experiments are, but I was cleared to tell you that one of our experiments may have resulted in something more along your lines of expertise.”  She looked up finally, giving me a half smile.  “If you take the job I would be able to fill you in on the rest of the details.”

“Well, that isn’t much to...”  I didn’t get a chance to finish my sentence.

“We’ll take it!”  Ashtyn was back on her feet, her fist thrust into the air.  “Ma’am, whatever your supernatural problem, Demon Slayers Inc. will solve it.”

“Really?”  For once the young woman seemed to relax.  “Oh thank you!”

She reached into her purse, and pulled out a business card.  As she reached over my desk to hand it to me, I saw something odd in her eyes.  There was a shift, a glimmer of something that made me uncomfortable.

“Just be at this address tomorrow at ten.  My boss, Dr. Duguard, will fill you in on the details.”  She stood up straight, closing her purse.  “Thank you so much.  You won’t regret this.  I promise!”

Part of me already did.

Accidental Demon Slayers: Clare and the Ghost Hunter pt. 4

Clare sat on her bed, listening to the sound of Max in the shower.  She knew it had been stupid to take someone so inexperienced into something she had known would have been dangerous, but she couldn't help herself.  She wanted to show off.  

Her training was always about keeping out of sight, blending in.  Sometimes, though, it felt nice to be the strongest person in the room.  

The water turned off, and a few seconds later Max stepped out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist.  His hair was wet, and hung limply, and water still seemed to shimmer off his body.  

"Guess you proved me wrong."  He gave her a weak smile.  

"Well, at least now you can say, without question, that the supernatural exists." Clare leaned back, unable to take her eyes off of him.  

Yes, he was a fake and a fraud, but he was also hot, and it had been a while.  A long while.  

"You handled yourself pretty well."  Clare stood, walking towards Max.  "At least you didn't get yourself killed."  

"Like you would have let that happen."  He moved forward, their bodies centimeters apart.  "I have never seen someone so in control."  

"That creature was weak.  I knew going in that she wasn't really a threat." She smiled.  "I just thought I would have a little fun before taking her out." 

"That's your idea of fun?" Max looked slightly horrified. 

"It's not my ONLY idea of fun, though." Clare's voice was a soft rumble. 

She let her lips brush against his.  He smelled sweet and clean.  His skin was still slick and smooth from the shower.  Her fingers traced the muscles in his arms, his shoulders, down his chest, down and down... 

"I thought you didn't like guys like me."  Max's voice was a breathy whisper.  

"Who said I liked you?"  Clare kissed him, pulling his towel away, and tossing it in the corner.  

***

The next morning, as Clare made her way towards the first lecture of the morning, she had to admit, she had a little extra skip in her step.  Sure, she had acted on impulse, but last night was proof positive that sometimes you just needed to give into your base instincts.  

"Hey, don't you look relaxed." Max came running up to her.  

She took a little pride in the slight limp he had that day.  

"Don't get cocky." Clare gave Max a slight nudge.  

"So, could we... I don't know, maybe do that again?" Max started to blush.  

"Which part?" Clare gave him a sly smile.  

"You mean there's more to the first part?"  He looked a little shocked.  

"Plenty more.  This is a hotel, Max.  These places are loaded with demonic and supernatural energy.  They didn't hire me to just take out some low level succubus."  She gave him a pat on the shoulder.  "This is going to be an interesting two weeks."  

He may be a fraud, thought Clare, but he's at least fun. 

 The End... For Now... 

*Accidental Demon Slayers Updates*

So, Clare and the Ghost Hunter will be wrapping up next week.  Following that is a longer serial, Experiments in Darkness.  Since Experiments is already proving to be MUCH longer then Ghost Hunter, the posting schedule will be different.  Instead of posting once a week on Thursdays, the new serial will post twice a week, once on Monday, and once on Friday.

Now, for the game updates.  Alternate Lives is still happening, and I'm chugging along on the script.  I'm not close enough to give a for sure release date, but right now it is looking like second quarter of 2014.  Why is it taking so long?  Well... real life tends to make working on the game difficult at times.  So, when there is more to report, I will fill you in!