Cat-Tales 52: Vault

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Chris Dee		#41	[url]	[-]
Posts: 796 07/09/07 10:43	Hi gang, This time, replies! Fangirl, thanks so much. I really wanted to give the effect of cinematic cut-ins into action-packed Volume I-style adventures at the height of the craziness (or When in Rome, as Abaddon notes). I'm so glad it worked. Random, yes, that did mean postponing the exposition to chapter 6, and believe me, however frustrated you are, Jason Blood is 6X moreso. Abaddon, "To quote Lewis Black, 'YOU DON'T KNOW!!!'" is the best laugh I've had in a long, long time. Right up until "So dark the con of Sly" which will hold the title for quite some time. Fett One identified the action stars, Chuck Norris and Stephen Seagal, and Abaddon explained/quoted the rationale behind them. Kudos guys. BenRG, you may be amused to know that the DEMON idiots who have never seen Stargate not only thought it was a genuine Egyptian deity, they thought it was the guy in charge of - I kid you not - guarding the departed's intestines. I really wanted to work it in, but alas… The look of Vault: I haven't been to Vegas, but that's the tackiness-in-theme element I was going for. I have been to theme parks and theme clubs, that was the model. Random, good eye. I love compare and contrasts, either with subplots within a story or with similar incidents then and now. Everyone who mentioned him: I do love Matt and he's very happy to be back. Allaine, I wonder if your Tim/Selina exchange is inspired by the scene it reminds me of from Last Crusade: Indy: looking at depictions carved on the wall That's the Ark of the Covenant. Elsa: Are you sure? Indy: Pretty sure. Anyway folks, thanks for the good word. Laters! Last Edited By: Chris Dee 07/09/07 14:24. Edited 1 time.
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Chris Dee		#42	[url]	[-]
Posts: 796 07/12/07 13:13	And here we are! Chapter 6: Exposition by Jason du Sang ad-free on the Cat-Tales website or at FFnet.
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Abaddon8780		#43	[url]	[-]
Posts: 345 07/12/07 14:34 Titans Together!	The history geek in me is grinning like a madman. The Templars are a fascinating subject and the view that Jason lends it is especially intriguing. Da Vinci code be damned, this is what I want. We also get all sorts of plot tie-ups like Eurothug, Bernard, and the vault itself. Good times had by all. Good chapter and I hope Jason's happier now that he's had his day in the Swiss sun. "And sometimes," Tim muttered, "it's like living with a bunch of second graders." -Learning Curve
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Fett One.gothampm		#44	[url]	[-]
Posts: 48 07/12/07 21:59	That was an interesting history lesson.
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fangirl1001		#45	[url]	[-]
Posts: 64 07/13/07 10:17	As a history major, this chapter made my toes curl and brought a stupid grin to my face. I now have a standing offer to marry Jason Blood and have his babies. "In the name of socio-economic analysis, they achieve the impossible: they make sex, war, and murder dull." You have no idea how much agree with that statement. Chris Dee, I loved your "Templar History for Dummies." Spot on. It was all excellenlty described - but why skip the execution part? The stake burnings certainly underline everything Jason was talking about of the ignorance of the era. So, the Templars were destroyed " becuase Etrigan got a hard on for Basina of Auvergne." That was a wonderful twist - mostly because, aside form the demon aspect, it was so true to life - its amazing how much of history boils down to lust. Also, was that a sly reference to the caption contest featuring the wonder twins? I really liked seeing Selinia's footwork - both physical and mental. I loved seeing her cut though all obstacles and dive right into the heart of the matter. And that phone call to Bruce was down right steamy. Can't wait to see more of this Eurothug and if he really is as dissapointing as Selina thinks. Evil Overlord's List Rule 42: "When I capture the hero, I will make sure I also get his dog, monkey, ferret, or whatever sickeningly cute little animal capable of untying ropes and filching keys happens to follow him around."
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Batfan7		#46	[url]	[-]
Posts: 13 07/13/07 11:22	That was a facinating look at Templars and European banking history. I have no idea how much of it is actually true, but I'm more than willing to assume most of is just because it was filled with so much pure human falibility. You managed to make about half the chapter a 'history lesson' and made it fun. Why can't real history teachers do that? We haven't seen Bruce's (or anyone else's) reaction to the whole 'Selina runs the new Underworld' thing yet. I'm actually of the opinion that Bruce doesn't freak out at all, just calmly tells his two youngest that they misinterpreted their findings and assigns them something that stretches their thinking and goes about finding the real story. He knows too much about what she's been up to lately to even concider what Tim and Cassie are going to say. I'd predict Selina's reaction as amusement and possibly as something useful to play with if other people besides the Bat-kids came to that conclusion, but not much more. The Penguin's reaction, however, I'd love to see. I bet he has an apoplectic fit, complete with wailing and gnashing of teeth. And maybe calling for a professional hit on Catwoman. So, little Eurothug things he can take Catwoman on? I'm betting on a nasty surprise in his imminent future. I can't wait to find out what happens!
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Random Equinox		#47	[url]	[-]
Posts: 292 07/13/07 11:25	Once again, Jason Blood fails to disappoint. One of the best things about Jason is that he has suffered a great deal, and has been cause of much suffering (eg. his role in a certain Templar purge). Despite that, he accepts responsibility for his past actions, only succumbs to it for short periods of time, and still comes across as source of knowledge (the true origin of "banque privee") and experience (eg. "reality of the crusader kingdom") Certain facets of jason's recollection of knights templar struck a particular chord: 1) The best lies (or conspiracies) always have a (generous) dollop of truth woven in (eg. much of what we "know" from sources such as The Da Vinci Code). That's part of the fun for those in the know: yes, we're telling the truth...but only we know how much truth. 2) Conspiracies often involve a lot of intricate webs within webs within webs. That's part of the fun: we know something the masses do not. However, this chapter reminds us that all those fascinating details can distract us from zeroing in on the pertinent information. Yes, what the Templar might have found would be worth knowing--but there are more relevant and critical things to worry about. 3) I agree with Jason on those who make history dull. History is an ever-expanding series of stories and tomes, not a simplified mindless slop of sanitized drudgery. On a lighter note, I love Jason's version of "secure the line." Once again, we see how important Bruce is to Selina. First, she gets in touch with him to "get a dose of Gotham" and, more importantly, a dose of the man she loves. Second, the way she ferrets out "the mole" indicates that the Detective aspect of Bruce/Batman may have rubbed off on her. The way she got outmanouvered, though, suggests that she hasn't learned as much from his Tactician aspect: the facet that contains situational awareness of the battlefield. Of course, she's not the Tactician, or even the Detective. She's Catwoman. And how she deals with this cliffhanger in Chapter 7 promises to be uniquely...feline. One last comment to the guy/gal with the sword: can one really be called an "infidel," if one is not part of, nor shares, your religion/ideology?
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BenRG		#48	[url]	[-]
Posts: 307 07/13/07 12:00	Chapter 6 - Exposition Well that was interesting. Jason has a particularly good insight on history, of course, because he was there. I also agree with his complaints over modern historians. All the best history teachers that have taught me have brought it alive and that is from where my love of history comes. I am really enjoying seeing Selina's own try at being a detective. Her methods are particularly intresting as they are those of the thief set to catch the thief. I wonder if she will want to try these ideas out with the talent back home; just to see if they work in other contexts you understand. There is no chance of her ever becoming a crimefighter full-time. Of course, she was right about one thing - The greater the treasure, the more likely that, eventually, there will be some betrayal and bloodshed to gain it. That, of course, means that she is in for a fight. I loved her 'recharge via battitude' mid-chapter. The relationship between Selina and Bruce is too cute for words sometimes. So! On to the wrap-up. Selina will get to hear the supervillain monalogue from the other side for once, M. Barras will find that trying to shed blood in an ancient vault is always a decidedly bad idea, especially when the original owners had Etrigan as a technical adviser and it will be time to go home. And then she will have to deal with the fact that, in her absence, she has become Gotham's Queen of Crime. BenRG's Rating: 8.5/10 ~~~~ They call me BenRG* But... I don't know why... ~~~*~
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Caracal.gothampm		#49	[url]	[-]
Posts: 21 07/13/07 19:32	I can't help but admire your work in this chapter Chris. I don't know whether you had some unknown source connected to the Knights Templar giving you insider information, or whether it's just your ability to research and link the facts together in ways that make sense, but your explanations just sound right. It was made even more engrossing by the fact that we had Jason Blood venting throughout as a side line.
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Chris Dee		#50	[url]	[-]
Posts: 796 07/26/07 13:36	Hi all! It's just the way this summer is going, I once again had to choose between responding to all the wonderful comments on 6, or getting to work on 7. I opted for the latter. naughty grin Chapter 7: Flashback now on the Cat-Tales website (ad-free!) and at FFnet. --Chris Dee Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Superpowers corrupts - superbly. --Identity Element Last Edited By: Chris Dee 07/26/07 14:07. Edited 1 time.
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BenRG		#51	[url]	[-]
Posts: 307 07/26/07 13:57	Re.: Chapter 7 - Flashback An interesting climax to the first half of the plot. Selina shows that the taunt is as useful as the claw or whip. Naturally, as this whole affair was under-the-table, there will be no official sanction to the villain of the piece. However, as Bruce would be the first to tell her, getting your enemy to the position where you can bring them down and where they know you can do it is often enough. Protocols, anyone? Poor Dick! You know, Chris, I love the way you write Dick and Babs; they really do still have the old Robin & Batgirl relationship after all these years. I also loved how Dick reacted to being given the brush-off so Bruce could pow-wow with Selina. So! Ozzie is starting up a favour-trading network in Arkham. You obviously can't keep a good (bad?) scam artist down. Show him an opportunity and he will take it. Spoiler [+] Initially, the conclusion could be bad but I doubt that even Bruce is enough of an emotional cripple to accuse Selina of being the new criminal mastermind of Gotham after mind-blowing sex. It is more likely that they are going to laugh about this and then go to bounce Sly's head off the wall for taking Catwoman's name in vain. The practical upshot of all this is likely to be Jervis' name going on the 'blackball' list for both The Vault and the New Iceberg. Anyway, looking forward to the conclusion and wrap up of the other half of the story. BenRG's Rating: 8/10 ~~~~ They call me BenRG* But... I don't know why... ~~~*~
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Fett One.gothampm		#52	[url]	[-]
Posts: 48 07/26/07 21:01	I can't wait to see Selina's reaction next chapter. One thing is certain, no matter how she reacts Sly is going to have a lot of explaining to do.
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fangirl1001		#53	[url]	[-]
Posts: 64 07/27/07 13:37	I was surprised - but very pleased - to see this was not the last chapter of the story. I loved Selina's little let's-give-the-stupid-villain-enough-rope-to-hang-himself-chat. It was a great exchange, showcasing many of the reasons why Selina is such a master thief and just a smart person in general. Her... ahem "assessment" of the sword wielding Eurothug was hilarious as well as snarky, intelligent, and doing a bit of a tap dance on the fourth wall as she assess most thugs in general and this one in particular. No race up a pyramid of fire to reach the totem of space-time before the infidel. Not a single pillar of godlight to burn the unworthy seekers into ash. Not that I was complaining. I don't think Bruce would be very amused if I asked him to move his giant penny so I could put the Ark of the Covenant in his trophy room. Love it, love it, love it. That might possibly be the best quote to summarize the entire story - at least, the 'Selina in Europe verses Tim watching Indiana Jones' part of the story. I'm just waiting for a sly reference to someone playing a game of Tombraider to complete the trifecta. And then we get it all topped of we a very interesting compare and contrast of flashbacks between Dick and Catwoman. Poor Dickie-bird! But at least Selina had a great night. I cannot wait to see - er, read - the look on Catwoman's face after that little bit of news Bruce oh so causally dropped in her lap. And Penguin wants to unionize! (sort of) That could go in several different directions, so I'll be interested to see where it goes from here. And, to misquote an old proverb: one vault closes and another remains open (and serving) Evil Overlord's List Rule 42: "When I capture the hero, I will make sure I also get his dog, monkey, ferret, or whatever sickeningly cute little animal capable of untying ropes and filching keys happens to follow him around."
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Random Equinox		#54	[url]	[-]
Posts: 292 07/28/07 19:55	Yep, Selina definitely responded to the "stupid villain" in a feline fashion. The funny thing is, Mark's responses aren't necessarily "stupid": they pretty much follow what many of us would say or do. However, his responses followed Selina's lead, like a musician follows a conductor. The more I think about it, the more I'm of two minds (speaking of which, haven't heard from Harvey in quite some time) regarding Mark's intelligence. There are a few things, though, of which I have no doubt: he's an amateur, he's completely out of his depth, and Selina knew exactly what to say--as well as how and when to say it--in order to "take him down." Defeating an adversary can be extremely satisfying. Setting the stage for the adversary to defeat himself, stepping back, and letting him fall is, in some ways, even better. The last touch on hitting multiple jewelers, putting the goods in his apartment to frame him, and still making it back in time for the chat, was very clever (but then, what else do you expect?). Looks like Selina's found a way to straddle the lines between fighting crime and committing crime. This whole "Selina Kyle and the Vault out of Legend" adventure mixed crimefighting (doing some detective work to find and take down the murderer/thief), burglary (cracking the security system of an ancient vault), prowling (in a foreign city), getting paid (with a unique form of barter), and, most importantly, Batman (adrenaline rush, role-playing the "bad girl," and cough engaging in extracurricular activities). As a bonus, she got to gain some information about the Templar that very few people know today (and Batman will have to be very nice if he wants that data). Maybe she should put out some feelers for other potential jobs. If they intrigue and/or challenge her, it might provide some interesting ways to spice up retired life. Heck, even Bruce might support that, especially if has the potential to provide inside information on the activities of criminals like Penguin (just as long as he keeps the blood from dripping down his fangs). Speaking of which, it's interesting to see how Ozzy's doing in Arkham. Even when he's apparently lost everything, he's still finding and exploiting opportunities. At this rate, he'll be back in Gotham and re-opening the Iceberg Loung in no time! I'm not sure what Dick has to complain about: the predicament is similar, but it's much better than going to an empty parking lot to "find some evidence." Problem is, he stuck his foot in the hornet's nest, got stung, and is now nursing the consequences. I'd pity him...if I weren't laughing at the whole "Holy [this], holy [that]" rant. Going back to Bruce and Selina: I don't think Bruce is that worried about Catwoman being the new "queen of the underworld." First, she was out of town when some of these events occurred. Second, this isn't the same Batman who was hyperventilating over trusting Selina (OMG/WTF/LOSINGCONTROL/GOTTASTOPNOWNOWNOW!!!). If anything, the lip-twitch suggests he's finding this amusing (and relieving--it's a known element, and one that isn't honestly attempting to maintain and expand an exploitative criminal empire). I'm sure Selina will find this amusing as well. Still, Sly's got some explaining to do...
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Nodrogs		#55	[url]	[-]
Posts: 243 07/29/07 13:49	Well, Bruce has some explaining to do first. I hope he remembered to have Alfred get ready in case he needs stitches and a blood transfusion if he doesn't talk quick.... When poking a tiger (or tigress), make sure to use a long stick. The Holy rant is extremely funny and well written, what makes this series great is how well all the charachters are portrated. Personally, I suspect the only reason why Batman HASN'T taken Sly down yet as he wants to give Catwoman a chance. If Sly talks fast, he might just have to worry about the police... or discovering the entire club now has a security system via Oracle. Hmmm, once question: With his beloved thater the new new place, where's one-face Harvey Dent been spending his nights?
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Chris Dee		#56	[url]	[-]
Posts: 796 07/30/07 09:39	Hi gang! Catching up on 2 chapters worth of feedback. Looks like we're all in agreement about constipated academics that suck the lifesblood out of history. I think we all know the breed and we all have our own horror stories, but I am especially indebted to Igor on this one. He gave me the name of Les Annales, a specific school of French historians the mere mention of which will elicit a groan from an entire lecture hall of European students at the same moment. Here, I have to hold myself back from going on a 4-page screed. I'll content myself with one exclamation and if anyone wants more than that, track me down in IM, wind me up and let me go. Paraphrasing Henry Lincoln, the least cuckoo of the Holy Blood, Holy Grail authors: if the mindset of the middle ages was truly as oblivious as some scholars assert, *the cathedrals wouldn't stand*. Let's not go saying the Templars or anyone else couldn't do what they actually did. Moving on… Random Equinox, I really liked something you said about lies and conspiracies (and let's face it, fiction of all sorts) having a generous dollop of truth. It reminded me of an exchange that Hitman, an old poster in our writers' forum, once quoted from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It went: "Everything I've told you is true." "Even the lies?" "Especially the lies" I hope that any backstory I provide, like the Berliani monks in String Theory or the Templar history here, will live up to that marvelous standard. On to chapter 7. Thanks Ben for enjoying Dick & Babs as much as I do. They are certainly my favorite couple after Bruce & Selina, and that is largely Dick's doing. He's incapable of taking himself too seriously. The work, sure, but himself, never. I don't know if it began as a deliberate reaction to Bruce, or if it arises from really growing up in this crazy crimefighting world in a way no one else did. But however it came to be, he is almost a hero version of a rogue in his outlook, and in Barbara he has found his perfect compliment. Oswald… what can I say, he is a born opportunist. I love him too, actually. He's not a good guy, he's greedy, he's cheap, he abuses the English language, he's such a pretentious snob it's painful, and he kwaks over my commas! But somehow, as a package, he makes it work. Mark Barras… what can I say. He's a tragic figure in my mind. Another story, centered on him and not Catwoman would certainly be a tragedy: He's not a born baddie. He does have some considerable moral shortcomings, but if not for finding out about a treasure like that, he may well have lived his whole life without doing anything terribly wrong. He did find out, and what he did as a result out-eviled the likes of Luthor and Sinestro. Only after committing the most heinous of murders, does he realize he may not be able to profit from it as he intended. And he's now driven to justify taking his brother's life by getting some measure of this damn treasure no matter what. I think Equinox used the perfect word: he is an amateur. He's not stupid because he can't banter like a Bond villain. He is on unfamiliar ground with the likes of Catwoman, however, and, as fangirl pointed out, Selina is adept at exploiting such a weakness. The same way a she-Rambo would exploit a blindspot or a wounded arm in a physical fight, Catwoman can ferret out where an adversary lives mentally, and in the long run, that is the most effective fighting art. As for where SHE lives, crimefighting by committing crimes - both in the course of her detective work breaking into the jewelers, and in setting Mark up for an alternate robbery - that's the sweetest victory she's had in a long, long time. I think will save any additional thoughts on her adventure and homecoming for later, in case I want to use them in chapter 8. Speaking of which, Bruce is clearing his throat. He does hate when I end a chapter when he has the floor. Ta! --Chris Dee Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Superpowers corrupts - superbly. --Identity Element
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Abaddon8780		#57	[url]	[-]
Posts: 345 07/31/07 15:42 Titans Together!	A quick note of interest, the Templar knights in Britain were also supposed to have survived and fled to Scotland. Several chroniclers credit them with breaking the English infantry at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, seven years after the order was to have dissolved. Though research suggests that the Templar force was a later addition to the story made in the eighteenth century, it is easy assume that at least some of Robert the Bruce's knights were former Templars. "And sometimes," Tim muttered, "it's like living with a bunch of second graders." -Learning Curve
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Chris Dee		#58	[url]	[-]
Posts: 796 08/11/07 13:44	Chris Dee, Queen of slow updates and procrastinating through the long, hot summer proudly presents Chapter 8: Queen of the Underworld On the Cat-Tales website and FanFiction.net.
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Igor.gothampm		#59	[url]	[-]
Posts: 805 08/11/07 16:57 Books. Cats. Life is GOOD	Lovely new chapter. As usual. It was a welcome relief from my thesis (only 10 days left). Especially liked: Matches Malone interplay Tim and Cass interplay (Batgirl, not that Wondergirl hussie) Description of diamond-neighbourhood, reminds me of Antwerp Thanks Chris
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fangirl1001		#60	[url]	[-]
Posts: 64 08/11/07 21:10	Chris Dee - as a writer, I think you will be happy to hear that I was so completely sucked into the current chapter storyline that when it ended I was caught entirely off guard, so engrossed was I that I didn't even notice the bottom of the page was coming, and my first reaction was to make an odd hissing noise of frustration and my left arm and hand twitched dramatically for several seconds of their own violation. I liked Cassie's abilities applied to movie watching, and Tim's inner monologue was hilarious. Meanwhile, it was just as much fun to see Selina and Bruce on their little fact finding tour, with plenty of interesting inner musings along the way. I suspect there will be lots more to muse on soon! Evil Overlord's List Rule 42: "When I capture the hero, I will make sure I also get his dog, monkey, ferret, or whatever sickeningly cute little animal capable of untying ropes and filching keys happens to follow him around."
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Cat-Tales 52: Vault

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