Introducing the Characters to IM/Chat

Devices of War - LOL!

I think this seriously dates me.

I pulled this out of the past! These were actually really fun graphics to make, counting down the release. Sky Games was originally called Knight Of Wands. That title confused so many readers. They couldn’t figure out what the book was about, which is why I changed it when I updated my author name.

I made the mistake—thanks to my daughters—of introducing my steampunk fantasy characters to the wonders of IM (Instant Messaging). My oldest daughter wanted to introduce them to Twitter or Facebook. She’s evil. I decided to give them each a phone and open a chat room for them. That whole sharing a computer thing just wasn’t working at all.

For your convenience, here’s everyone’s log-in names:

Synn: Flying_Vigilante

Nix: Evil_Seductress2536

Keeley: What_Is_This?

Joshua: Mad_ScientistT965

Yvette: Still_In_the_Room

Frankie: Insane_Author

This was the second apartment in Denver after the Big Blowout. So…this was probably… uh. Oh, you know what. I have the copyright date for Sky Games. 2013. So… not that long ago, but we still had chat rooms. LOL!! This was before Discord. Yeah.

Flying_Vigilante: I discovered popcorn.

Evil_Seductress2536: Why is this box whistling at me?

Flying_Vigilante: It’s telling you I’m IM’ing you.

Evil_Seductress2536: Why are you IMing me about popped corn?

Flying_Vigilante: It’s not popped yet. I’m popping it now.

Evil_Seductress2536: I don’t care.

Mad_ScientistT965: You discovered the microwave, Synn, not the popcorn.

Flying_Vigilante: The microwave just makes things spin. The corn sounds like firecrackers.

Mad_ScientistT965: You’re hopeless. You realize I’m in the room right next you. Right?

Evil_Seductress2536: I still don’t care.

Flying_Vigilante: The instructions say to punch in 4 minutes, but that it will stop popping at 2 ½ minutes. Why am I punching in 4 minutes?

Mad_ScientistT965: I can’t explain how everything works, Synn. Just follow the instructions.

Insane_Author: Hey! Don’t burn the popcorn, either.

Flying_Vigilante: How do I know when that happens?

Evil_Seductress2536: Why won’t this box stop whistling? How do I turn this off?

What_Is_This?: There’s a ribbon at the top. Just swipe.

Evil_Seductress2536: I don’t know what you’re talking about. There are no ribbons on this box.

Insane_Author: It’s a black strip at the top of your screen, and the “box” is a phone.

Flying_Vigilante: It’s popping a lot.

Evil_Seductress2536: Stop whistling at me, Synn.

Flying_Vigilante: I’m not whistling at you. Figure out how to use your phone.

Insane_Author: Synn, the popcorn is burning.

Flying_Vigilante: HOW CAN YOU TELL?

Insane_Author: The silence inside the microwave, maybe? Or the smoke?

Jack the Real Bird: *starts squawking in the Real World*

Insane_Author: The bird is letting you know you’re destroying the popcorn.

Flying Vigilante – has changed his name to Flaming Popcorn via Insane_Author.

Evil_Seductress2536: Would someone TURN THIS WHISTLING OFF?

What_Is_This?: You’re not swiping.

Evil_Seductress2536: What do you want me to swipe at?

What_Is_This?: Don’t swipe with the phone.

Insane_Author: Synn, would you open the window? The smoke detector’s about to go off.

Flaming_Popcorn: You have a detection device that tells you when there’s smoke?

Mad_ScientistT965: Because you couldn’t figure that out on your own?

Insane_Author: It helps me if I’m in the other room.

Mad_ScientistT965: You’re not supposed to start cooking and then walk out of the room. Now I know where Keeley gets it.

Insane_Author: Shut up, you. I don’t find you funny.

Mad_ScientistT965: I find me hilarious.

Still_In_the_Room: It’s so much easier to understand you when you IM.

Mad_ScientistT965: LJIEJSITW DKITH!@lkOksST

Still_In_the_Room: I don’t know what you just said. Is that even a language?

Mad_ScientistT965: Just wanted to make you feel at home.

Evil_Seductress2536: I’m going to kill someone.

Flaming_Popcorn: The smoke’s not going away. Someone open the door.

Insane_Author: And set the smoke detectors in the hallway off? No. I don’t need the fire department here on top of everything else.

Evil_Seductress2536: Seriously. If this box doesn’t stop whistling, I’m going to kill someone.

Flaming_Popcorn: Do you have something to pull the smoke out?

Insane_Author: Use your hands.

Flaming_Popcorn: On SMOKE?

Evil_Seductress2536: Would. You. STOP. WHISTLING AT ME?!

Evil Seductress has changed her name to I_Will_Kill_You_In_Your_Sleep

Insane_Author: You’re all cut off. Synn, get out of my kitchen. Joshua, you’re completely useless. Nix, put the phone down and go to your room.

Flaming_Popcorn: Aren’t we supposed to eat the popcorn?

Insane_Author: Let the popcorn go, Synn. You killed it.

Flaming_Popcorn: But it was so much fun.

Insane_Author: Walk away, Synn. Walk away now.

And that is a night in my head. There is really smoke sometimes. These characters do distract me to the point of forgetting what I’m doing. I hope you enjoyed.

Be sure to grab Sky Games if you haven’t already!