Wyvern

Alaeha fidgets in her applicant easy chair nervously as Melba the Almost Secretary of Initiates angrily paces back and forth through the Recruiter's Office, once again furious at Wyvern's tardiness. It was one thing for the overgrown lizard to be slightly late in responding to an application poem... but it was another thing entirely when the Elder was not only over a week late in responding to the application, but also 5 days late for the "surprise" birthday party Melba had hoped to hold for the applicant on the 27th of February. Due to the amount of time that had passed since Melba had wanted to hold the party, all of the animal balloons had become deflated and now bore more of a ressemblance to tapeworms than they did poodles... The birthday cake of 16 candles had even begun to gather mold... Melba stops her pacing for a moment in order to tear off the party hat she was wearing and furiously toss the party noisemaker she had been holding out of the office window. The party favor soars through the air at an unnatural speed, actually leveling a mountain several hundred miles away in an enormous sonic explosion at the end of it's trajectory. Grinding her teeth and rapidly losing control of her temper, Melba lets out a tremendous roar similar to that of a gorilla on steroids and points an accusing finger at the Wyvern dart board she had set up on the interior of the main office door. Alaeha jumps from her seat slightly as Melba quickly grabs the nearest easy chair and tosses it at the dart board in her fury... Wyvern barges into the office door at this very moment and is immediatly hit by the easy chair, getting violently knocked back a few steps and colliding with Canid, who is rushing to the nearest Pen restroom facilities after having eaten a fizzy monster that didn't quite seem to be agreeing with her stomach... Briefly apologizing to Canid while recovering from his collision, Wyvern brushes off the dust, loose fur, and chair splinters from his tunic and then rushes into the office. The overgrown lizard sets down a large briefcase he had been carrying and bows to Alaeha, thoroughly apologizing for his lateness. "I found some fresh wilderness to invest in that is bound to soar in value in a few years..." Wyvern explains gleefully "... but unfortunatly, it's located several hundred miles away from the Pen and thus the trip back here took quite a while." Having said this, the overgrown lizard takes Alaeha's application and reads over it a few times, grinning and commenting on how he remembers the first time he sold his soul to Satan... though that was for geld rather than revenge. Having thoroughly enjoyed reading over the poem, the overgrown lizard stamps Alaeha's application "ACCEPTED" before his office phone suddenly rings... a red light flashing underneath it signifying that the call has to do with geld. Immediatly rushing to the phone and picking it up, Wyvern lets out a tormented cry of dismay as the voice on other side of the line informs him that the wilderness he had invested in had become utterly destroyed due to a sonic explosion of some sort... Melba grins to herself happily, blowing into a party noisemaker and winking happily to the newly accepted applicant... ;p OOC: A very good application, Alaeha, I greatly enjoyed your poem. It's certainly ACCEPTED... Welcome to the Mighty Pen! I'll send you some more Pen info some time in the near future... A happy (very) belated birthday as well, and my apologies for the lateness in responding.

Interesting that this subject should be brought up, since I was thinking of posting a thread along these lines as well. One song/poem that always seems to strike a chord with me is Alias' "Watching Water". The last few lines are simply breathtaking. "Watching Water" Written, performed and produced by Alias. Intake ambiance a tool for meditation Progressing towards the clouds at with whom I am complete Defeat the chains that restrain an eager sensation Equal balance in and out, all inhibitions shall deplete I'm trying to break this writer's cramp, massage my hand and daydream Out the window, innuendo watch the water find it's path down the glass It seems, erratic direction, it's only perfection Rest my head inside my hands, pace back and forth inside my mind I wish sometimes I wouldn't reminisce so much, such things tend to make one reflect and dissect situations to an extreme Hard now to redeem what was there before No more, gone are those days and ways have parted Gone from feeling solid trust to outsmarted Anyway, I'm now moving on to a distance far from yesterday, it's best this way I feel as though I've missed this moment of truth Outcome uneventful I've lost the ability to feel sentimental I can stare at a puddle and see a million places I love It's comforting thoughts of places I've been, places I will never see again Send my love to all who are there, wishing I could crawl back in But, I've transformed and the pieces wouldn't fit, so the sore necks will cease Eyes searching to the sky to try to find some form of peace, and I keep pulling up blanks Yet I'm wearing this mask for the sake of others We all miss things, I suppose we must let go Well, I'm not ready Just let me sit in silence and soak in what's trailing down the window, to cleanse my emotions to begin the process of preparing myself Intake ambiance a tool for meditation Progressing towards the clouds at with whom I am complete Defeat the chains that restrain an eager sensation Equal balance in and out, all inhibitions shall deplete I watch the drop join it's friends and become one with the crowd, relating all too well, forcing me to sigh out loud Look into clouds to envision the inside of my head I'm turning leaves at this turning point remembering what they said As they drove off one by one they left taking pieces of me until I felt empty inside, already looking forward to that day when I'd be returning and I hadn't even left yet From then on I took the inside-out approach Granted lots of time to think when your new position is coach and your crew is sleeping the whole time When it's 2:40 in the morning and you're in the middle of nowhere, with the buzz of the AM radio the only one that's there, you think a lot about life That's where it all began for me and the more I thought, the more I began to clearly see absolutely every aspect of my life in a new light I figured out my Rubix Cube..... well, I got it somewhat right And things are coming together as I slowly come undone and the occurence known as "it" is swept under the rug and now my burden weighs a ton But it only makes me stronger, and I refuse to break I'm letting things pass by for the family's sake Just give me a picture of the truth so I can hold it near, and watch the rainfall, syncopated with one lonesome tear Intake ambiance a tool for meditation Progressing towards the clouds at with whom I am complete Defeat the chains that restrain an eager sensation Equal balance in and out, all inhibitions shall deplete

Elena crosses her arms over her chest and gazes coldly at the three adventurers, spitting at the ground by her feet to accentuate her statement of them being "fools." After a long moment of silence, the guardian of the isle speaks up once again: "Thus, as the others that have previously discovered this isle, you've bravely searched for this place in the hopes of finding the legendary Pool of Eternal Reflection...?" There is a silent nod from the three adventurers. Elena lets out a sigh as she looks over their hopefull visages... "It's strange..." continues Elena "... I thought that the rumors of the Pool had died out by this point, but apparently the legend still circulates amongst those educated enough to discover it... As the guardian of this isle, I can lead you to this Pool... I know the way to the Temple of Isaiis, where it remains hidden to this day. Yet unfortunatly, I must inform you that your quest is in vain." A deathly silence falls over the three adventurers, and the hope that had once marked their visages fades away in an instant. "... ...You mean to say that the Pool is not as the legend depicts it...?" questions Timothy meekly, rubbing his throbbing arm. "No..." responds Elena, much to Timothy and the other adventurers' reliefs "... the Pool of Eternal Reflection is exactly as depicted in the legends, yet human myth always seems to find a way to twist facts with fiction. The Pool of Eternal Reflection does offer a moment of infinite wisdom and then eternal peace to the soul..." Elena pauses, and then coldly locks eyes with the adventurers. "Eternal peace to the soul... in death!" The adventurers fall into a moment of awe-stricken silence as the truth behind the Pool is revealed to them... A truth that had been there all along, yet hidden... vieled by the superficial guise of human myth. "We mortal beings cannot hope to fathom such wisdom..." explains Elena "... and as such, no sooner have we grabbed ahold of it then it is lost to us... such is life." Elena sighs as she gazes upon the slaughter that had occured at the clearing, momentarily avoiding the awe-strucken looks of the silent and motionless adventurers in order to observe the ruination of natural beauty that had occured due to the battle. As she looks upon the slewn limbs and gangrene that deck the ground of the foilage, a contemplative look comes over her face and she suddenly speaks to noone in particular and says: "Does not history repeat itself...? Several hundred years ago, a war took place on this island... a senseless and meaningless war between clans, yet one which was perhaps destined to have been fought. If what you say is true, and these undead are minions of a greater evil, then perhaps you were sent to fend off this evil... to aid me in protecting the isle...?" Elena stands in silence for a long moment, then turns to the adventurers with a new flare of vigour in her eyes and exclaims: "So be it! If the island is to be protected from a great force of evil, I am here to defend it till the death. Will you, those misled yet seemingly destined to arrive here, aid me in this noble crusade...?"

Having stated his final verdict on what he would have considered as his Pen application, Jamesdevin nonchalantly tosses his previous poem "Just by Name" onto Wyvern's desk, collapsing into a nearby applicant easy chair and crossing his arms as he waits for the overgrown lizard to consider his poem... Hissing to himself lazily, Wyvern takes his scaly feet off of his desk and puts down the latest "Sports Illustrated: Random Models Since we Needed Even More Girls in Bikinis Issue" that he had been skimming through... The overgrown lizard then turns to the new application laying on his table and reads over it a few times, taking long sips from the Decanter of Endless Booze at brief minute intervals as he does so. After having finished going over the application, Wyvern reaches for his acceptance stamp when he suddenly notices an intriguing piece of information listed in the applicant's signature... "Finding out the poem is about you is priceless"... The word "priceless" echoes through Wyvern's mind, and the overgrown lizard's thoughts immediatly turn to his typical greedy scheming... If Wyv could hijack the meaning of the poem and prove that it was about himself in some way, he might be able to achieve infinite wealth and riches! Slowly placing the acceptance stamp back in it's original position on his desk, Wyvern decides to go over the application poem carefully once more in order to find ways in which he might be able to relate it to his own persona... Snickering evilly to himself and turning towards Jamesdevin, the overgrown lizard grins a large grin displaying his razor-sharp teeth and hisses: "It'ssss a nice poem, Jamesss... and one which relates to myself quite well, I must say! In fact, I'm certain that this poem is all about me!!!" Jamesdevin raises a brow and rises from his seat, muttering "Errrr... well actually..." "Wait... before you say anything, allow me to state my reasoning!" exclaims Wyvern sinisterly, picking up the poem and pointing a scaly finger towards various lines. "I have proof!" Jamesdevin squints at the lines that Wyvern is pointing to... "As you can see..." continues Wyvern gleefully "... the imagery referring to 'broken promises', 'lies', 'hatred', 'blaming others rather than oneself', and especially that of a 'distorted mind' obviously refer to me and my zealous scheming!" "Ummm..." responds Jamesdevin hesitantly "... actually I meant..." "And then" interrupts Wyvern quickly "there's also the manner in which the lines of the stanzas grow longer and more complicated as the poem progresses, only to once again go back to the shorter lines in the fourth stanza. This is reminscent of my schemes, in the way that they further develope when executed yet ultimately fail, only to start over again!" "Well actually..." murmers Jamesdevin timidly "I hate to break this to you, Mr. Wyvern, but the poem is not really supposed to be about you..." Upon hearing this, the reptilian Elder of Initiates lets out a dismal sigh of disappointment and stamps Jamesdevin's application "ACCEPTED", mumbeling that he was almost sure that the "worsening by the day" comment was referring to his laziness... ;p OOC: An ACCEPTED application, Jamesdevin, welcome to the Mighty Pen! Be sure to post your e-mail address in this thread or mail me at elitwack90@hotmail.com so that I can send you some additional guild onfo.

Wyvern barges through his office door, carrying an enormous stack of papers in his arms and panting for breath. Unloading the papers onto his desk and burying it in an ocean of sheets, the overgrown lizard delicately plucks a parchment from the top of the stack, unravels it, and reads: "This is just a heads up to all of my recent Pen applicants; primarily Alaeha, jamesdevin, Seii, Wrenwind, and Distarius Whiterobes. I apologize for not having gotten around to responding to your applications yet... real life has kept me busy with work as of late. While I normally take no more than a week to get to responding to apps, I thought I might warn y'all in advance that with the recent influx in applications, it's possible that it might take me longer than usual to get to them. Sit tight, have patience, and post more stuff on the public boards (where most of the writing takes place anyway) in the meantime. There's a possibility that this is just a false alarm and I'll be able to get to all of the applications around the end of this week, but I didn't want to take the risk of you guys becoming discouraged due to my lack of responding. Thanks for understanding!" Having said this, Wyvern hands out free Bruteweiser beer samples to all of the recent applicants before putting on a pair of goggles and diving into the ocean of papers circling his desk, dissapearing amongst it's waves...

Fortunatly for Kaleyra, the blow from the zombie never hits home as it's blocked in midswing by the open hand of the strange island woman, who had now gotten back on her feet and looked absolutely furious. Swiftly raising her stick and swinging it with the proficiency of an expert, the enraged woman circles it in a manner that cracks the skulls of both of the approaching undead at once, causing them to collapse and go motionless on the ground. At the same time, Timothy and Gyrfalcon manage to defeat the last few of the zombies that had surrounded them, gazing upon the outcome of their work in a mixture of triumph and horrific disgust. The once beautiful foilage of the clearing was now strewn with severed limbs and reeked of decay... Staggering for a moment and trying to figure out the logic behind the battle that had just taken place, the strange woman decides that though the adventurers were intruders of the isle, they had defended her from the zombies and thus would not be considered foes... at least not for the time being. Turning to the fallen avian scholar that had bravely defended her, the island woman offers Kaleyra a hand and helps her get back on her feet. After she has done so, the woman backs herself up against a tree, staring at the three adventurers inquisitively while brushing aside a few strands of long black hair that cover her dirty yet relatively youthfull visage. Planting her stick firmly into the ground to show that she now meant only peace, the woman first turns to Kaleyra and asks: "Are you hurt? I saw you take a blow..." Kaleyra brushes the dust from her cloak and shakes her head to confirm a negative... the pain of the blow the zombie had made on her chest had already dulled to nothing more than a numb throb. Nodding to this, the strange woman looks from left to right at the three adventurers and explains: "I will not fight thee, though it is my sworn duty as the self-proclaimed protector of this isle. You are intruders, yet have defeated an even more gruesome and hostile foe... thus I will speak to you in peace." Having said this, the woman points a finger at the adventurers and exclaims: "I am Elena, the sole protector of this island and keeper of it's peace... I demand explanations. Who are you, why have you come here, and what is the meaning of this bloodshed?!"

Wyvern immediatly rushes into the room wearing a large bib that reads "I Humorous Foods" and vigorously searches the area for any signs of silly pie... Upon finding none, he sighs and leaves the chamber empty-handed and disappointed... ".............................Damned false alarms."

Hmm... A challenging question, since Wyvern principally fits the common stereotypes of the unsuccessful villain. Overwhelming greed, lust, gluttony, and the similar traits have all been used by villains before him. I suppose that one truly unique trait of Wyvern is his almost-dragonic characteristics. In appearence, when compared to other members of his brethren, he seems to share indentitical traits with them... yet in actuality, none of Wyv's traits function properly. He has a wyvern's wings, but cannot manage flight for more than a span of maybe two seconds, as he was never trained to fly(he took to studying scheming instead). He also has a wyvern's scorpion tail, but unlike other wyverns it has no deadly venom in it and is defective. Finally, Wyvern cannot breath fire like other members of his race... though he accidentally lets it all out when he sneezes and occasionally coughs up a bit of ash...

Wyvern nods his head to rhythm as Peredhil initiates tha cipha, deciding to to pick up a mic and kick it a bit himself: Why run? You think the Pen's a Myth? Better take a step Black Night Shades the sky in dark Cerulean When Big Pointy Sticks attack Tassling with Nobody? Best think before ya react Silver Blades all in the Gyr Where the Falcon is trapped 2001 Dark Clouds Plus no turning back Lumps over proletariats Or lawns still intact Can id be a fantasy When Flame Shifts the track? Naw, Kin clunks the Rival Singin' way in the back Trallallalla... the tune That Sign(e)s the wack Crusaders like Celes They gonna cut'em some slack And remember: school is Zool So don't Rune ya education And Dope da hommie's cool Like an iceberg federation PEACE! (Not really a freestyle, but eh... whatever...)

Elvida rushes to the door of the Recruiter's Office without the slightest hesitation, hyperactively jumping about and joyfully enveloped in the widespread admiration surrounding her. Not bothering to knock on Wyvern's office door and barging it open in her excited state, she doesn't notice a plaque that has been placed on the front of the door which reads: "Screening Today: The Pen is Mightier then the Sword's Semi-Musical, Semi-Comedy, 100% Commercial-Mascot-Driven Play, 'Peter Pen*'" *(Note: any similarities drawn between this play and "Peter Pan" are purely coincidental) Stepping into the office, Elvida notices a large group of people huddled together by a pair of tables located in the far corner of the room, mumbeling to one another quietly in concerned voices... Immediatly seeing that all of the social action seems to be centered in that corner of the room, Elvida heads towards the tables in the hopes of finding the infamous Elder of Initiates there... Upon approaching the large group of people, the eager applicant begins picking up on their discussion... it seemed they were missing an actor of some sort... Elvida is about to speak up when one of the members of the tightly packed group turns to her and jumps out of his seat in a mixture of shock and delight. Dressed in a director's outfit complete with french barret and classy plaid trousers, the set director looks Elvida over once and exclaims: "It's a miracle!!! A replacement faerie has arrived! We can finally start the performance!" A cheer rings out from the crowd and people start putting on their costumes... Elvida stutters "But I-" "Oh thank the Gods!!!" sobs the director loudly, wiping the tears of joy from his eyes before secretly whispering to Elvida "Listen kiddo... ya got nothing to worry about, it's a very minor roll... all you've gotta do is throw some of this magic eraser dust into the air when we give you the signal. Follow along with this, and we'll accept your pen application..." Elvida nods to this timidly, her previous enthusiasm now mainly replaced by stage fright. After picking up a bag of "Magic Eraser Dust", the nervous applicant is directed to a set piece of a small island made of pens surrounded by a sea of writing. Not yet visible on the set is a large ship, which is being played by Zool's Rubber Chicken who has become greatly enlarged in size for the occasion... All of the actors are wearing signs around their necks with their character names written on them, and Elvida is handed a sign that reads: "Thinkerswell the Evil Faerie - Thinkerwell Evil Faerie doll only 12 geld!" The product placement in the signs makes it obvious that the play is commercialy driven... After waiting at the island set for several minutes, Elvida a.k.a Thinkerswell is greeted by the Pen member Big Pointy One, who is disguised in a big pointy Pen outfit and wears a sign that reads "Peter Pen". Nodding to Elvida upon seeing her sign, Peter Pen sits on the island and waits for the action to start... Suddenly, the lights of the stage dim and the screening commences... The large gallion ship played by Zool's Rubber Chicken slowly rolls out over the waves of the sea of writing, carrying onboard a figure of dreadful demeanor... Dressed in a costume comprised of a vest of Cliff Notes and an "Advanced Calculus" book for a right hand, Arawn laughs a trademark evil villain laugh while displaying the "Captain Book" sign hanging on the front of his overcoat. Peering out across the sea of writing, the captain spots the secluded island of pens and begins carefully aiming his Cannon of Gibberish at it... Peter Pen is about to start his piece of dialogue when suddenly, the director signals to Elvida to begin tossing the "Magic Eraser Dust" into the air. As the applicant begins doing so, the room quickly fills with dust in a manner that obstructs all vision... something that the set directors hadn't thought of when preparing it. Without any sight or sense of direction, the giant Rubber Chicken ship steers off course and crashes directly through a wall into the midst of an all-you-can-eat buffet, just as people are complaining about the lack of chicken. As would-be buffet diners run off from the enormous chicken in horror, security immediatly calls the nearest "Kentucky Fried Chicken" outlet to deal with the situation. As the director of the play sighs and stamps Elvida's application "ACCEPTED", Wyvern walks onto the set wearing a sign that reads "Some lizard guy trying to pass for a vicious crocodile" and exclaims "Let me guess... this means I'm not going to be paid for my part, right...?!" ;p OOC: An ACCEPTED application, Elvida... welcome to the Mighty Pen. Be certain to post your e-mail here or contact me at elitwack90@hotmail.com so that I can send you some more Pen info.

A very good poem, Ozymandias. The themes of man being incomplete without woman and the struggle of finding a mate are both clearly depicted. I particularly liked the use of antithesis between "high elation" and "bottomless misery", which could reflect the conflicting emotions people experience in love. I also liked the use of spacing in the lines of the third stanza and the way you ended the poem. One thing I'm curious about: why did you choose to start the poem with the line "It's alright-"? I find it an intriguing way of starting it... is it perhaps used by the narrator to reassure himself of his emotions?

I liked this poem, Brute. It doesn't try to be anything forced, relying simply on the narrator's honest admiration for his daughter and the important role she plays in his life to relay it's message. Particularly touching are the references to narrator's personal life, such as "Mr. Cow" and playing the role of "Tickle Monster". All in all, it's a very uplifting and heartfelt ode.

The strange woman raises herself slightly from her position on the ground using one arm, not daring to fully stand up in her current state of bewilderment and confusion. The adventurers and the undead were almost alike in her eyes... all were strangers to the isle, and possible perpetrators of it's peace. "I-" starts the woman somewhat hoarsely from her fallen position before finding herself at a loss for words. The warrior that had confronted her had defeated her and driven her to shame... yet perhaps only in order to save her from her imminent destruction at the hands of the undead... Within the teeming ranks of the zombies, Timothy fights zealously with an ardent vigour that his startled companions had never witnessed before. Left and right he slices through the undead, quickly cleaving a former scholar in two before slicing upward at a previous church guard and gouging it's head... The sight of gangrene does not cause the sociologist to flinch in the slightest, nor does the horrendous smell of decay... Timothy seemed to be utterly caught in the heat of the battle... Though the brave scholar at first fares well in his combat, he soon finds that the undead surrounding him have become rather overwhelming in number, and must lash out in every direction to defend himself. Fortunatly, before he has become worn out from this, Gyrfalcon rapidly arrives to his aid...

There is a long moment of silence as both Gyrfalcon and Kaleyra stare blankly at Timothy, raising their brows at the brave historian and considering the strange words he had spoken. Finally deciding that regardless of what Timothy had said they should make their way into the forest, Gyrfalcon turns to Timothy and declares: "Timothy... I realize you might be frightened by the aura of the island, but we've wasted enough time idling here as it is. If you have concerns, you can explain them as we make our way through the forest... Let's go." With that, Gyrfalcon points towards the dense foilage ahead of them and makes his way into the forest, following the path of the beautiful stream next to their encampment. Kaleyra, who is eager to explore the island as well, grins and nods to Gyrfalcon's actions before swiftly following his lead... Standing in silence for several minutes, Timothy decides he doesn't want to be left alone on the island, and hesitantly follows his companions... As the party of three make their way further into the forest, frequently brushing aside overgrown vines that obstruct their path, they cannot help but to admire their beautiful surroundings. The air is fresher and cleaner than anything they had previously experienced in Terra, the stream that gently babbles next to them adds a feeling of serenity to their journey, and the occasional call of an exotic bird reminds them that they are in a place long untouched by humankind. It is this very admiration of nature that causes the party to get caught off guard as they enter a small clearing in the wood, mistaking the light rustle of leaves they hear in the background for sounds made by harmonious wildlife... Gyrfalcon is the first to enter the clearing, which brings an end to the numerous vines and reveals a beaten pathway. The half-elf hero is delighted to see this, and turns to signal to his companions that they had made a significant discovery... This happiness is shortlived, however, as the moment Gyrfalcon turns his head back towards the clearing, he is immediatly hit directly in the face by a large stick! Reeling back from the blow and clutching his now bleeding nose in pain, Gyrfalcon turns his eyes towards the source of the attack, only to see a raggedly dressed woman holding a stick and gazing at him furiously. Though Gyrfalcon was certain he had never met the woman in his life before, there was something vaguely familiar about her appearance and demeanor... "Intruder!" cries the woman enraged, pointing her stick at the half-elf. "Dare you trespass into the tranquility of the Rainbow Vale?! Speak!!!" Kaleyra and Timothy immediatly arrive to Gyrfalcon's aid. Upon seeing the half-elf's two companions, the woman takes three steps back, positioning her stick directly in front of her in a defensive stance. Clenching her teeth and glaring angrily at the three adventurers, the woman exclaims: "What is the meaning of this?! How did you come here?! Must I slay you all?! ... so be it!!!" Gyrfalcon, Kaleyra and Timothy are about to respond when suddenly, to their shock and horror, they notice several undead corpses approaching the raggedly dressed lady from behind. Their first impression is that these corpses are under woman's control, but then they notice that she seems to be unaware of their presence... "What do you stare at?!!" cries the woman enraged, once again pointing her large stick towards the adventurers. "Turn back, or I shall permanently blind thee!"

Jamesdevin, Thanks for choosing to apply for membership in the Mighty Pen. As Peredhil has pointed out, you should choose which of the two threads you posted you'd like to have counted as your application... though actually, what would be ideal for me is if you were to post one more new poem here as an app. It isn't necessary, since posting things you've posted on other Pen forums as your application is by no means breaking any rules, but it would be nice never the less... Anyhoo, I'll get to my "verdict" response when you decide which of your posts you'd like to use as an app or post a new poem for your app.

As Deadly Nightshade licks off the small spots of blood that remain on her lips, a confident grin spreads over her face which reveals two elegant fangs... Satisfied with her application and confident that she'll impress the Elder of Initiates with her poem, the eager applicant immediatly heads to the Recruiter's Office door and is about to knock on it when she notices a makeshift sign that has been posted on the doors mantle. On the sign, there has been sloppily written in jagged, red letters: "Wyvern Inc., Blood Bank. Now serving free* samples!" *(implies "relatively free") Raising an eyebrow curiously at the writing, Deadly Nightshade hesitantly knocks on the door only to find that it's unlocked... Gently pushing the door open and entering Wyvern's Office, the applicant's eyes widen as she's greeted by several shelves lined with bottles of red liquid, along with the pleasant aroma of fresh blood... After Nightshade has taken a good look around the Office, she is greeted by Grouchy the Elder Dwarf, who is dressed in a lab coat that greatly exceeds his size. The mini-Elder also holds a rack of fizzling test tubes in his arms, which he places on the ground in order to be able to greet the new applicant properly. Grumbeling to himself, Grouchy takes out a tape player that has the prerecorded voice of Wyvern on it and hits the "play" button. There is a moment of static, and then the distinct hiss of Wyvern's voice is heard: "Welcome to Wyvern Inc. Blood Bank - Pen division! A place where blood experts can take a short trip to paradise while newcomers to the wonderfull world of bloodclots can learn all about the fun of gangrene! Take a tour, complete with free samples, today! The cost is only one Pen application!" With that, the recording stops and static once again resumes its monotonous crackle. Placing the tape recorder back in his pocket and extending the palm of his hand, Grouchy turns to Nightshade expecting some sort of Pen application. The delighted applicant immediatly complies to this demand, handing her application poem to the Elder Dwarf while grinning broadly at the thought of being able to taste a wide variety of bloods. Grouchy nods after recieving her poem and proceeds to direct her on a tour around the various shelves while pointing out different kinds of bottled blood... ...as Grouchy directs Deadly Nightshade around the Office, he completely forgets about the rack of fizzling test tubes he had left on the Office floor... "To your right..." grumbles Grouchy, pointing to a series of blood bottles located on Nightshade's right side "... there's the first series of bottled blood unique to the Pen. They contain Blood Type P++..." "P++?" questions the curious applicant, taking a sample taste of the blood and cringing slightly at its highly acidic nature. "It's a very strong taste... what's in it?" "Ol' Peculiar." explains Grouchy in a typically grouchy manner "A very strong alcoholic beverage often consumed around these parts, which filters into the blood and renders it highly acidic..." Turning to another bottle excitedly, Nightshade takes a taste of the stuff in the bottle labeled "Blood Type Z", intrigued by the interesting name. She is surprised to find that the blood is extremely chewy... "What's this?!" asks Deadly Nightshade delightedly, pointing to the "Blood Type Z" bottle while chewing on the red fluid happily. "That's Zool's Rubber Chickens' blood..." explains Grouchy in a hoarse, tired voice. "It's widely known for its elasticity..." ...neither Grouchy nor Nightshade take notice of the forgotten rack of test tubes, which now has fizzling fluid overflowing from it in large amounts... "To your left..." notes Grouchy, pointing to the shelves on Nightshade's left side "... we come to the last item of our tour, a special "Blood Megamix" donated to us gratefully from the Pen member Vlad the Imploder. It's a mixture of numerous blood types..." Nightshade immediatly takes a bottle of "Blood Megamix" off the shelf and licks her lips upon reading the ingredients listed on the back, placing it in a doggy bag and turning once again to her tour guide. Grouchy grumbles "Hope you enjoyed the tour..." before stamping Nightshade's application "ACCEPTED". ... Grouchy and Nightshade don't notice the living blob that had formed from the overflow of the fizzling test tubes as it slowly crawls out of the office. OOC: An ACCEPTED application, Deadly Nightshade... welcome to the Mighty Pen! Be sure to post your e-mail address here or e-mail me at elitwack90@hotmail.com so that I can send you some additional Pen info...

Indeed, a slightly belated happy birthday to you Deadly Nightshade. As a gift, I'm immediatly getting to responding to your Pen application (my apologies for the delay in doing so). An application response should be posted some time later today... Thanks for your patience with me, and I hope you had a great birthday.

Just to let y'all know, I submitted two of the CDs (Gyrfalcon's and Imposter's) to my campus Post Office today. Unfortunately, due to the holiday of President's Day on Monday, they won't be able to send them off until Tuesday... meaning you guys should be expecting them on Thursday or Friday... Pered - still need a confirmation of your mailing address, check your e-mail.

Twin obelisks of innocence lost Stars in a silent sky mourn not the cross Of crowned emperor sitting upon barren throne Allegiences fought for causes unknown Playing cards dealt with abundance of Aces Unknown revenge's illusory places Not in the heart, but the grip of the stone First cast upon witches, later bemoaned When amiable soul first cast off the chains Belittling body and mind Those embracing freewill questioned all that they feeled Have we left those brave thoughts behind? The bright streak of dawn cares not for the rags Of colors abundant, of momentous crags In emotional outbursts from cannon's cold tune Forming rivers of red like roses in bloom. New impact craters from comets of fire Martyring many and flaming desires Ask not the Earth of its shattering hopes Dreams broken and severed, redemption revoked When common cause faultered and riots ensued Over barbarous actions and fate Leaders stopped their commands in civilized stands Must we kill over what we create? Twin obelisks of unparalleled angst Crumbeling emblems of modern day Must you fuel our dejection? Must you sever our ranks? Or will the west wind blow you away...?

"Welcome to "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"" "Now that my career as a model has ended and I've begun to take up singing, I'm hoping that I'll become more famous" "Bill Gates has founded an empire with Microsoft, and in doing so has become extremely famous" "Wyvern's a cheat, and will never become rich or famous" "Kiss me, I'm famous!" "If you keep slacking off like that, you're never going to become famous" "George Bush Jr., Ja Rule, and the entire cast of "American Idol" are all idiots that are famous" "Many great painters only after their deaths became famous" ... ;p

Drat... I knew I forgot to list somebody... Tzim's journal entry was, indeed, a very funny and original way of applying. Caused several grins and giggles from 'round these parts... I didn't list it as I was somewhat confused due to her second comment in the thread, which I thought implied that she never managed to go about writing one. 'Tis indeed almost like poetic justice that I ended up overlooking it... Anyhoo, thanks for posting Tzim. Reminder to the winners to e-mail me their mailing addresses ASAP. Send them to my e-mail addy: elitwack90@hotmail.com. The sooner you guys mail me the addresses, the sooner the CDs will be sent out! Coming soon: "Poetic Justice" tracklisting, lyrics, and perhaps even some Real audio... To be posted in the "Banquet Room"...

*ahem* Ladies and gents, it is now time that I announced the 3 winners of the "Poetic Justice" contest, but before I do so I first wanted to thank all of those who took the time and effort to post entries on the rather abstract subject matter of the contest. The entries were everything I had hoped for and expected from the Pen... incredibly creative and original, excellently written, and extraordinarily unique. As always, choosing 3 entries out of the 8 brilliant ones present is never an easy task... I want everyone to know that I went through the entries several times and spent quite a while considering them before ultimately reaching a conclusion. There were no bad entries, each of them was uniquely creative in it's own manner. The diversity of settings and subjects people chose to write about amazed me... which is great, since my compilation CD also touches a large variety of diverse subjects. Anyhow, I'm certain some of you are very eager to know who won, so I'll get to the point now and relieve you of the tension... First, some praise for the runners-up of the contest: - Vincent Silver "Mind's Eye" is a very nice poem. Clearly depicts justice through the "Mind's Eye" of the individual, or the persons conscious. I particularly liked the lines "You kill one person or any/ It's tourture you with the force of many." Thanks also for being the first person brave enough to post an entry in the thread... I was somewhat nervous when I saw few people participating in the beginning and your entry greatly assuaged said nervousness. - Archaneus Interesting and entertaining mini-story about an evil dictators failed plot for world domination... I suppose his sidekick has a far better shot at it now, eh? I particularly liked the reactions of Imarius after his enormous ego had been shattered upon the realization of his friend's betrayal. Nicely done. - Reverie "Casey" was a very good poem. The entire allusion to "Casey at the Bat" is exactly what I mean when I speak of diverse subject matter in entries... it was something I hadn't expected, yet which makes perfect sense when put in the context of poetic justice. I also really liked how you chose to rhyme the last lines of the stanzas, and thought the way you ended it was haunting and excellent. Well done. - Vlad the Imploder Excellent poem, Vlad... it's possibly one of my favorites from you thus far. The medieval tone and the uses of rhythm and rhyme really added to the narrated tale of a man who loses his wife to the very person he tries to steal from (which he does in order to have his wifes hand in marriage.) It had a very ironic and appropriate ending, which vividly displays the theme of poetic justice. Keep up the good work! - Nyyark A great story, particularly after you gave an explanation of how grasshoppers turn into locusts in the OOC "Poetic Justice" thread. I had no idea of that, and it was brilliantly incorporated into this piece. Once again, the diversity of entries can be seen here... I hadn't expected anyone to write a tale about the harvests and conflicts between insects, let alone such an original one! A very creative, entertaining, and thought provoking piece... Good stuff. And now, to announce the three winners of the "Poetic Justice" contest: - Peredhil "So if you'll donate most generously you'll have our gratitude. At least lend your applause to be Polite and not rude." Upon hearing these last two lines, Wyvern gives a standing ovation, and even tosses some (wooden) geld pieces! To quote Zool: "that ROCKS!" ;p Quite frankly, I think I'm gonna have to get you to expand this piece even further some day, because it's simply brilliant. The stage direction is extremely vivid and visualistic, the characters are well conceived in both personality and appearence, the neo-classical dialogue is absolutely stunning. That's not even mentioning the very original concept of setting up a play of several scenes and sets for an entry, or the excellent portrayal of poetic justice in the success of Aristophanes. Definitely worthy of a CD... be certain to share with Nyyark! - Imposter Something about this guy and contest entries... ;p Imposter pulls through with yet another incredible entry! To be honest, when I first started reading part 1 of this story, I got kind of confused in the midst of the incredibly intricate setting and didn't think it would pull through in the end... Boy, was I ever wrong! The story got better and more involving as it went along, and then I reached the ending and had to stop and consider it's brilliance for a good 20 minutes. What I love about this story is that it shows poetic justice perhaps better than any other entry... it has poetic justice on multiple levels. Not only was the wife's locking Alvaro out at the end a completely unexpected plot twist that perfectly displayed poetic justice... justice was also displayed through the amount of time Alvaro took walking back to his house and taking the wrong route. Had he not been considering his previous actions and the outcome of the trial, he might have arrived at his door earlier and been able to do something about it. Also, bonus points for determination in writing up two other entries that you later rejected. - Gyrfalcon A very original and entertaining vampire story that had me hooked from the beginning to the end. I still can't get over the brilliant concept... a plastic surgery vampire! And what a fitting ending for someone who chooses to try to tamper with elements of the supernatural as he did... Overall, a really excellent and well thought-out piece... certainly worthy of a "Poetic Justice" CD. Congratulations to winner #3! If the three winners could e-mail me their mailing addresses, I'll send out the CDs ASAP, and should have them sent out by the end of this week. Even if you guys have already mailed or given me your address, please send it to me again just in case. Thanks once again to everyone for participating!

Hopperwolf paces back and forth outside of Wyvern's Office door nervously, wondering what could possibly be taking the overgrown lizard so long to arrive. Beginning to get fed up with waiting for the Elder of Initiates and letting out an enormous sigh of frustration, Hopperwolf turns away from his pacing grounds to go seek information concerning the lizard's whereabouts, when suddenly he notices the door to the Recruiter's Office open by just a crack. As it does so, an eery streak of orange light escapes from the small opening and a tortured scream echoes throughout the Pen's halls, causing Hopperwolf to shiver in horror. The door opens wider and Archaneus suddenly rushes out as fast as he can, having faced Wyvern's beauty parlor methods and never wanting to have to endure their long duration again. Hopperwolf's eyes widen in terror as Wyvern exits his Office dressed in the most out-of-fashion beauty parlor smock imaginable... The overgrown lizard notices Hopperwolf, who is frozen in horror, and quickly grabs the canine applicant by the paw, pulling him into his beauty parlor/office lair... Seating Hopperwolf in the same chair that Archaneus had previously sat on and strapping him in tightly, Wyvern gently plucks the nervous wolf's application poem from his hand and reads it over in a concerned manner. After he's finished with it, the overgrown lizard exclaims: "I see that, like Archaneus, you've become upset by your own reflection... well have no fear my canine friend, I'm here to change that! Sit back and relax... this should only take a coupla days..." Having said this, Wyvern pulls out a manual of wolf hairstyles and flips through it a random, turning to a page that has a picture of a chihuahua on it and stopping there. Wyvern considers the pic for a moment, then shows it to Hopperwolf and asks... "What do you think of this look, Hopper?" Upon viewing the picture of the chihuahua and imagining himself having the same hairdoo, Hopperwolf goes pale and faints... Wyvern winces at the strong reaction of distaste, and decides that the style would perhaps not be the best for Hopper... but at least the picture had acted as a strong sedative. Flipping through the pages of the manual once again but finding nothing much of interest, the overgrown lizard sighs and tosses the manual to the side, deciding to form Hopperwolf's new hair style by his own design... A few days later... Hopperwolf awakens, as if out of a bad dream, only to find himself seated and strapped to the same chair he had passed out on. Looking at his reflection in a nearby mirror, the wolf practically roars when he see's that his fur has been braided into the curls of a french poodle. Noticing Hopperwolf's discontent, Wyvern immediatly undoes the braids and fiddles with the style again, coming out with a look similar to that of a long haired sheperd dog. Handing Hopperwolf a mirror and giving him a thumbs up sign, Wyvern exclaims: "I love it! It's definitely a very grungy look... Perfect for headbanging at the next "Lupis Exxxtreme" concert!" Hopperwolf pushes back the hair that now covers his eyes and, upon viewing himself in the mirror, decides that it would be best to cover his face with his hair again as the style looked awfull. Muttering curses to himself, Wyvern decides to start from scratch... A few days later, Hopperwolf's hair is restored to it's original form and his application is marked "ACCEPTED". OOC: On a more serious note... a very good application poem, Hopperwolf, and certainly ACCEPTED. Welcome to the Mighty Pen! Be sure to post your e-mail here or mail me at elitwack90@hotmail.com so I can send you some Pen info... once again, welcome!

I was going to announce the winners today, but unfortunatly I currently would only have the time to say who the winners are and not state my reasoning behind them or give proper praise to the runners-up. Thus, I'm postponning the announcement until tommorow, my apologies... Peace, Wyv-

Corny theme music plays in the background as several camera men move around a large comfortable-looking room in which two easy chairs and a large television have been situated amongst other things. A kindling fireplace crackles delightfully underneath a large flashy banner that reads: "Wyvern & Clueless... Your One-Stop Film Review Spot! ™" After the cameras have centered around this banner for a good 3 minutes and the corny theme music has subsided, the focus is turned to the two easy chairs, which are now occupied by Wyvern and Inspector I. M. Clueless respectively. The two characters grin towards the camera as Wyvern takes out a Pepsi logo and makes sure that the "Calvin Klein" brand name on his cloths is clearly present. The overgrown lizard then speaks up: "Hi, I'm Wyvern!" "... and I'm Ebert... errrr... I mean Clueless, I think." chips in I. M. Clueless somewhat hesitantly. Wyvern gazes at Clueless blankly for a moment, and then the two speak up in unison: "And we're Wyvern & Clueless... Your One-Stop Film Review Spot!" The words "One-Stop Film Review Spot" are echoed in the background of the room through the uses of cheap special effects. Wyvern then clears his throat and continues speaking: "If you tuned in with us last week, you might recall our review of 'Gyrfalcon: the Movie', which I gave a respectable thumbs up to while Clueless gave a thumbs down. This week, we review the hottest film on the market... yes, it's the review you've all been waiting for! Join Clueless and myself as we give our opinions of that wiggly-influenced, full-hearted, Christmas-spirited, box office sell out: "A Wiggly Christmas!" Clueless nods to this, and then mutters: "Horrible movie. Very few redeeming moments... one thumb down." Wyvern raises a brow to this statement, and then replies: "Really?! I actually greatly enjoyed the film and found it an excellent movie all around... it gets a thumbs up from me! What didn't you like about it...?" Clueless considers this question for a moment, then exclaims: "Well... to start with, the plot was WAY too far-fetched... I mean, who's ever heard of extraterrestrial cattle getting beamed down to earth and wreaking havoc on the grounds of the Pen?!" There is a long moment of silence in which a camera man is heard coughing in the background, then Wyvern sighs and responds: "Ummmm... I think you may have a different movie in mind, Clueless. "A Wiggly Christmas" is largely centered around the escape of breeded wiggly cabbages during the Pen's festive season, the mystery that evolves while trying to find them, and the drama that comes about as they do so." Clueless considers this, then responds: "Oh... I see. Well, anyway, that wasn't my only complaint about the film. Some of the characters in it were just so unrealistic... particularly this one character who's name I forget... It was Charley, I think... Anyway, I wasn't buying into his character for a minute. I mean, this guy kept mistaking people for people that they weren't and continuously arrested the wrong characters. Honestly, who would be idiotic enough to do that?!" A camera man passes by and Clueless suddenly jumps out of his chair, immediatly handcuffing the bewildered man and exclaiming: "AhHA! Wyvern, I've finally caught you!" "W-w-what are you talking about?" stammers the camera man "I was just..." "I'll have none of your excuses!" cries Clueless zealously, walking off of the set and dragging the camera man along with him. "You can explain it to me at headquarters, you dastardly lizard!" Wyvern watches this commotion from his seat and sighs, shaking his head and deciding to conclude the show himself... Brushing back the scales on his head and turning to the camera, the lizard once again speaks up and says: "Now that Clueless has gone, nothing prevents me from recommending this film whole-heartedly... I give it a big thumbs up! An excellent script, a plot accompanied by unexpected twists and turns which will keep you on the edge of your seat, and drama that'll bring tears to your eyes. Plus, as another bonus, you get some pure eye-candy, as can be seen in the following scenes of the film..." With that, Wyvern takes out a remote controle and turns to the large television set, playing several small segments of the film: Segment #1: We see Minta Rose streaking through the crowds in her underclothes. MINTA: Come back here you mangy, flea bitten pervert!!! Segment #2: Canid empties the Christmas sack she had brought under the Christmas tree and makes her way over to a table where Gyrfalcon is enwrapping Gwaihir (who is in her underclothes) in an evening robe, and Wyvern is seated, eyes fastened on the presents beneath the tree. Segment #3: Cheyenne gets up and opens the door, stepping in. She takes off the still dripping coat and dumps it against the opposite wall, then goes up to Wyvern’s cell and clings to the bars. CHEYENNE: Oh Wyvern… are they treating you ill? The television is then turned off and the cameras turn back to Wyvern, who takes off the drool-drenched AoA smock he had put on for this viewing session and declares: "So... as you can see, in addition to a great story-line and some superb dialogue, we get some pure eye-candy as well! Definitely worth every copper of the 2 geld it costs for a ticket... Be sure to see it today!!!" Having said this, Wyvern enthusiastically winks and gives a thumbs up sign to the cameras as the corny theme music begins to play again and the credits begin to roll... As the cameras pan out from the set, an audience of several hundred wiggly cabbages can be seen behind the backdrop...