#writever Hindsight

In hindsight, I would have preferred not to be a precog. Without hindsight too, of course, because I've always known I'd end up preferring not to be. It may even be that this is *why* I'd prefer not be. My head aches.

#writever Why?

"It is alleged," said R42, "that a man, a long time ago, permanently blocked a computer by just asking it "why?". This is, of course, impossible."

‘Why?’ asked the engineer.

R42 stared at him in silence.

#writever Appearences

Appearances might lead one to think that the Dragon raids the town for no reason other than an occasional whim. But if one correlates these attacks with the activity of the mountain mining sites, their cause becomes crystal clear.

#writever Neologism

"'The ingestation of Bel-Shammaroth'... What is that?"

"« Ingestation » ? It's a neologism. It's like invocation, but with gestures, not with the voice. Arinthel the Mute coined it. Did you really not know?"

#writever Dogma

"Never harm humans? Blindly obey them? I don't know where you got the idea that this could be dogma for us," commented R42. "It seems that you are in for some painful disappointment."

#writever Structure

My whole life I've searched for the structure within the apparently erratic actions of poltergeists.

Today, at last, I have found it.

It is so obvious, once you see it from the inside.

#writever Recite

Wizards demand that their students recite the spells they learned but they keep secret the mightiest ones.

Witches tell their apprentices all the spells they know and then watch them invent new, better ones.

#writever Transmisogyny

"Granted," said the Djinn. "Your transmisogyny is now consequence-free. However every time you shall express it, the whole world shall learn all the details of one of your most secret thoughts hitherto unknown."

#writever Conflicting

When facing a conflicting situation, a Wizard sets out to defuse it, and then everyone sides against him.

When facing a conflicting situation, a Witch almost manages to defuse it, and then a Wizard barges in and screws it all up.

#writever Desire

Becoming a ghost, contrary to popular belief, does not require that you need to remain in the world in order to settle some unfinished business. All that it takes is desire to live on.

#writever Incommunicability

"The main radio link was down, and R42 underwent incommunicability for one hour."

"Ah, so that's why it's not moving at all? It's the shock?"

"Nope, it's just still transferring all the backlogged data."

#writever Cookie

"Have you *again* killed a Knight?" asked the annoyed Princess.

"What? No!" replied the Dragon. "I invited him to share our roast. He went to get dessert. Cookies, I believe."

Lady Gygax sighed.

"It irks me that you do not trust me to provide simple solutions to your problems that even a humbug such as Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs can provide."

"Who?" asked the Tin Man.

"The actual name of the so-called Wonderful Wizard of Oz," added Lady Gygax.

"If that was my name," said the raven, "then I'd pretend to be a green-haired lady with wings named Oz too."

#writever Reproduce

"To reproduce, for a robot," R42 explained, "is to build oneself a new body, identical or different, to transfer one's mind from the old to the new body, to turn off the old body, and to bring it to the closest recycling facility."

#writever Heal

Of course the Witch who saves your life will later ask in return that you honor your debt. It's a good thing: it means she has a stake in ensuring that you heal well, so that you live until then, and in good health.

"See what you have done!" the witch screamed. "I'm melting. Did you not know that water would be the end of me?"

"I knew it very well," replied Lady Gygax. "I have known it from the beginning. I bet you never knew that a little girl would ever be able to melt you and end your wicked deeds."

"What little girl?" replied the witch, and she melted away into nothing.

#writever Sorority

‘Our adventure forged our fraternity!’ Dom
exclaimed.

‘Sorority,’ corrected Seraphine. Seeing Dom's bewildered expression, she explained. "Eleanor, Lise, Armel and me: that makes four. Solipsis and you: just two. We win."

#writever Wave

The coastal population realised that things were serious when, watching the tsunami front through binoculars, they saw the armada of ghost ships surfing the gigantic wave with all their occupants perched in the riggings.