Chris King

@kidcafe.bsky.social

225 Followers 461 Following

Unpublished but optimistic and querying. Working hard to increase the stock of harmless cheerfulness, one post at a time. Instagram: @kidcafegram Twitter: @kidcafe He/Him

The good times sloth from Memetic by James Tynion III; a cartoon sloth with a thumbs up in front of a swirly background
The good times sloth from Memetic by James Tynion III; a cartoon sloth with a thumbs up in front of a swirly background
A tweet from Stephen Miller that reads: The conduct of the Democrat Party in vilifying, demonizing and attacking our brave ICE officers has created an extraordinarily perilous environment for our ICE heroes. Democrats have become deeply and dangerously radicalized.
A screenshot from Atomfall on PS5. A rustic wooden surface with handles for forks.
Screenshot from PS5 game Atomfall. A disheveled elderly man in a ramshackle open-roofed hut in front of a burning oil can. Dialogue reads: Nat Buckshaw: You have to be careful who you trust. Now civilised around here any more, just savages that roam about, and a few survivors like meself.
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: The Vizier chuckled, his little belly jiggling. "Ho ho! Here at Evil Triumphs, everything is always perfect. After all, its where good men come to do nothing!" As if to prove a point a waiter scuttled up and whipped the lid off a cloche, revealing an artfully arranged array of chocolate HobNobs. "Better just -" Nobody took one and munched happily. "Yep. Noh uh horrogrmm." He announced, spraying chocolatey oats over his waistcoat. "Or a hawwufunafum."
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: Tasuku shielded himself against a swing of those arms. "JANUS! Puroguraming ni shitagau hitsuyo ga arimasu!" he yelled. With a clang the arm pounded into him and he collapsed to the ground with a groan. "Father!" Sachiko screamed. "Won't somebody help him?!" Above her the metal monster flailed and jabbered as people fled screaming from the scene. Inside, Sachiko was grinning. Everything was going exactly as planned.
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: "Oh, stop!" Nobody was the clown again. "You guys are the best - or should I say the worst!" He chuckled, looking around the line of guards before sighing. "Tough crowd, as always." Klonos chuckled. "I appreciate your humour. It is a disguise, armour and weapon. You wield them well, foeman. Even against your own allies." He turned to Lindsay. "Do you believe his lies, female?" "No." she replied with venom. "Good!" He clapped her on the back. Clearly, he knew when to hold back; she barely staggered. "Good for you! And yet, a pity."
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: Nothing good ever happened in a pub with a flat roof. This wasn't a place where patrons were welcomed with warm cheers. It wasn't dark, quite the opposite in fact. Harsh fluorescents left no shadow to hide in, no illusion that the furniture was anything but cheap plywood varnished with lager. This wasn't a welcome hole in the wall. It was a room to get drunk and angry in, whichever order you felt appropriate. Sometimes you didn't want to go where everybody knew your name.
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: The boyishly mischievous eyes seemed to cloud over for a moment. "Kansas, 20 years ago. July 4h. Perfect summers day. Until living scarecrows came out of the cornfields. Turns out at least one crop circle was real, Agent Sheridan, and it wasn't a message of peace. It was an invitation to an all-you-can-eat buffet. It was chaos, until some kind of siren goes off. Someone or something hacked into the local radio station, set it to broadcast a very exotic microwave transmission. Every kernel of corn for miles around popped like a Jiffy bag. It was like a movie theatre exploded!" He chuckled before resuming, his tone dark.
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: There'd been a death on Lindsay's first night at the home. An old woman who looked barely there to begin with, the sheets almost flat across her frail body. There came a point, undefined but clear to everyone, when everyone was simply waiting. Lindsay wasn't sure what to do. It wasn't that she was flitting about cluelessly like a scared little girl. She just wanted to do something, anything to help. Death was a frustrating limbo for everybody involved. A more experienced carer took her to one side and explained it as kindly as she could. "We stay with her. That's what we do, that's all we can do. Doctors can come in, family can come in, but there's always one of us in the room at any moment."
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: Marion looked at the girl crouched in the corner of the room. Her quiet sobs were beginning to spill over into tears. She looked older somehow, though that may have been the clothes she wore — a charity shop buy? Marion watched as she raised one trembling hand and placed it on the flowery wallpaper. At first she stroked it almost tenderly, before beginning to scrabble and claw at it, tearing off pastel roses and peonies, as the crying raised into a howl of anger and loss.
An extract of The Companion Of Power that reads: The pair were on the bridge, surveying a chart of the seabed. The Private entered, opening a file. “Some local fishermen reported queer lights in the sky a month or two back. We thought nowt of it, like, thought maybe it were the Aurora Borealis.” He pronounced this last with great care. “Aurora -” began Nobody, before pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m turning into Superintendent Chalmers. I can’t be Superintendent Chalmers. I hate Superintendent Chalmers! Ok.” He took a deep breath. “So, the Stron crashed not too long ago. Maybe they were looking for the last lot and found your big metal overcompensation instead. They got into the base somehow and now -”
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: Sacreen ignored the comment. “We have intercepted the rogue human. She is to be executed imminently.” “What?!” Zym sounded annoyed, which meant he was furious. “Impossible! I thought she was part of your merry band!” “She gave some story about time travel, sir.” Due to his bulky weight Sacreen sweated constantly, but he felt his skin prickle with a new wave of hot liquid. “I thought it was the right thing -” “Sacreen,” Zym purred, “don’t think. It irritates me.” He sighed. “I shall send enforcers to your location.”
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: Marion thundered down the stairs, losing a purple slipper on the way. Her heart in her throat, she snapped on the big light and – There she was! Joy and sorrow filled Marion as she saw her daughter slumped in the corner of the living room. She was back! All she’d hoped, for what seemed like years, was to know that she was ok and now she was here! She’s not ok.
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: The man briefly examined her – not up-and-down like most men his age who think they are being subtle, but with a flash of intensity straight into her eyes. “That,” he said thoughtfully, “remains to be seen. Is there a sleeve or something for this?” Lindsay passed him a colourful square of cardboard that had fallen on the floor. “Look, you’re not meant to be here unless you’re family or a doctor. Are you a doctor?” He grinned. “Oh, definitely not. Can’t stand them.”
An extract from The Companion of Power that reads: Nobody smiled. “I thought we did all the stoic goodbye stuff earlier.” “No. this is the bit where I tell one of my mates that their ex is a bit of a knob and they shouldn’t text them for a booty call. It normally goes down better with a few Jagerbombs.” “My ex?” Nobody frowned. “I grant you, they’re pure evil, and we keep meeting like this, but -” Lindsay sighed. “They’re not pure evil, are they? They’re just a bunch of shouty blokes in suits of armour. It’s like a fancy-dress party in Cambridge.”
An extract from The Companion of Power that reads: She’d expected the crater to be a hollow basin, in her wildest expectations to be like a grey quarry. What she felt now was akin to waking up and finding herself on top of Everest. Behind her the flat dusty surface of Cassini, in front of her – space. The walls of the crater stretched endlessly, the other side so far away it was below her, around the curve of the moon’s horizon. It was as if the ocean had dried up and disappeared and she was an ant on the end of a pier. Far, far down below, disappearing in a faint mist, she saw an angry red glow. Above all of this, Saturn glowered down at them. She remembered a phrase Nobody had said earlier. “Magnificent desolation.” she whispered, feeling very small and very alone.
A scruffy angry border terrier sat on an orange armchair, begrudgingly wearing a party hat with a cartoon llama on it. Later he will take his revenge but not today- it’s his birthday.
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: “Congratulations Bill!” said a bearded middle-aged man with glasses. “You’ve got some prisoners. I know you’ve always wanted some, you must be so happy.”
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: All this made Tabby’s head spin. Images from television of the Selma to Montgomery marches, and Doctor King’s beautiful ‘I have a dream’ speech flashed through her mind. “I thought all that -” she began, then stopped. “The English Defence League? Are they anything to do with TASC?” “I have many issues with your employers, Tabby, but I can honestly say they are nothing to do with the EDL.” “But what does England need defending from?” “Anti-fascists.” “So…” Tabby was trying to do the maths, but it just made no sense. “So, who’s fascist?” “No-one, of course. A group of like-minded patriots simply marching together to protect a statue, and Brexit, from people opposed to fascism and racism.” Tabby still didn’t understand. “What’s Brexit?” Nobody laughed. “Oh, you’re going to love this! Basically -” he stopped, listening. “Ah, it’ll keep. They’re here now.”
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: In a secluded part of the Sussex countryside lies a stately manor. It looks across a landscape that makes every window look like the lid of a tin of biscuits bought by a grandparent. Elgar vibrates through every beam. The air conditioning, always the perfect temperature at all times of year, seems to emit ground up Werther’s Originals. It is one of the most heavily guarded locations on the planet Earth.
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: She sat alone in the flashing light of the Christmas tree. The living room was garlanded with tinsel and every other decoration she had in the big box from the attic. Whenever she went to the kitchen a small mechanical Santa Ho-Ho-Ho-ed, dropped his trousers and blew bubbles. At least, he would if she’d put soapy water in his little reservoir. Now he just laughed mockingly and mooned her.
An extract from The Companion of Power that reads: “Do you always do this?” Lindsay asked as they were marched onto the deck by the soldier. “Do what?” “Get captured and held at gunpoint within five minutes of arriving anywhere?” “Honestly?” Nobody looked at her. “I was surprised when you didn’t tell me escape was impossible and march me to a dungeon when we first met.” “Retirement homes don’t have dungeons.” “Depends how much you pay.”
An extract from ‘The Companion of Power’ that reads; “I always wanted to go to space.” Kurt continued dreamily. “It’s just… every atom in your being was once at the heart of a new-born star in some form or another. Every fibre of your being was present at the birth of the universe, and it will be there at the end. The infinite is a part of us and…” he trailed off, embarrassed. “In a way, it’s like coming home.” Lindsay smiled. “I never thought of it that way.” “But you!” he said excitedly. “You work in television! Going to all these places and meeting amazing people.” Kurt sighed, turning back to the controls of the craft he was driving across the surface of an alien planet. “It must be so exciting!”
An extract from ‘The Companion of Power’ that reads: Nobody approached Theroux and shook his hand. “Professor! I’ve seen so many of your shows. ‘Walking with Elephants’ was good, amazing special effects. So, what brings a nice biologist like you to a place like this?”
Seymour, a scruffy border terrier, is lying on a green cushion under a pine tree. The cushion is on a wooden floor, and a few feet away is an orange ball made of some rare material that Seymour can’t destroy in minutes. Seymour is glaring at the ball, plotting it’s destruction with his mighty jaws.
An extract from ‘The Companion of Power’ that reads: He became very aware of the Earth behind him. Alcohol gives you a very flexible relationship with gravity. Normally things were as solid as a rock between him and gravity, but now he had a bottle or two inside of him it seemed gravity had slipped the car keys into a bowl and was eyeing the vicar’s wife leerily. Right now, it felt as if he were strapped to the front of the world as it fell slowly into the starry void.
An extract from ‘The Companion of Power’ that reads: Nobody sighed. “Show me your face.” She laughed, a tinkle of broken glass. “Oh, I’ve got so many!” She began to blur, changing every second. Actors and politicians and artists and chiefs and kings and queens and reality TV stars all flowed by in a whirlwind. “Famous.” Nobody gently took the morphing hand. “Let me see you just once. You don’t need to make me laugh.” For a moment Inspector Clouseau lingered, looking morosely at the God Emperor. “There used to be a real me.” Peter Sellars said, before the slideshow began again. All sizes and shapes and colours, and that was just the humans.
An extract from ‘The Companion Of Power’ that reads: “Look at us!” The voice exclaimed, and an arm waved past his face. “Lying on our back in Innsbruck looking up at the night sky! It’s fantastic! If more people did that the world would be so much better. I learnt from you that being clever is all fine and well, but no-one likes a smart arse. Or rather they do if he’s a nice smart arse. Do odd things, make non-sequiturs, generally act like a mad uncle on Christmas day and suddenly the cold driven man who scares away everybody is a lovable eccentric. I learnt from you,” a hand patted his arm unseen, “how to make the perfect cup of tea. And, more importantly, why.”
Seymour, a scruffy border terrier, is lying on a grey furry cushion on a wooden floor. It is his cushion, you may not have the cushion, he will fight you for the cushion.
Get to know my writing For every like, I will post one quote
Seymour, a scruffy border terrier, is sat on a brown sofa surrounded by cushions and a yellow blanket. He is staring intently into the distance, wary of those who would dare attempt to storm Fort Seymour.
A poster for 90s animated show Sherlock Holmes In The 22nd Century. Sherlock wears a long flowing cloak, Watson is a human head on a cyborg body and there is a generic cyberpunk police lady, all in from of a silvery Big Ben.
Seymour, a scruffy border terrier, is lying on a yellow fleece blanket. Only his head is visible with his ears poking up. You can’t tell from the picture but he stinks.
A picture of my basic BlueSky profile, with the readout: 99 followers 222 following 443 posts’
An excerpt from The Companion of Power that reads: The slam of a closing door brought her back to the world. Marion shot up in bed, her heart pounding. Was it her? Had she imagined it? She must have. She’d been alone in the house for weeks. That was the whole problem.
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: August Ten th There were two people under the lamppost last night. None of them was the man so that was all right. It was a man and a lady. They were looking at my window and talking and the man waved. He had a coat like the man at the fruit stall at the market. The lady stood on her tiptoes and whispered something in his ear she was pretty like Mummy. The man looked like she’d said something that was a surprise and looked at her and then he laughed. Then they both waved at me and I waved at them and they laughed and walked away. I liked them.
An extract from ‘The Companion of Power’ that reads: Lindsay stopped for a moment. Without realising she was doing it, she slumped forward until her head rested on her locker door and closed her eyes. She stood like that for a moment, trying to get the energy to move. To walk out of the door and do the same things she did every day and probably would until her own stay in a place like this, full of corridors that led to one final destination.
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: Guns don’t change. Bullets overtake lead shot, become smart and multi-targeting, eventually become beams of light that go pew pew rather than bang bang, until people complain and a little speaker that goes either pew pew or bang bang depending on preference is installed. But like so many people in history across the universe, Lindsay found herself staring down the barrel of an evil looking thing with a trigger, contemplating the end.
An extract from The Companion of Power that reads: Marion looked at the girl crouched in the corner of the room. Her quiet sobs were beginning to spill over into tears. She looked older somehow, though that may have been the clothes she wore – a charity shop buy? Marion watched as she raised one trembling hand and placed it on the flowery wallpaper. At first she stroked it almost tenderly, before beginning to scrabble and claw at it, tearing off pastel roses and peonies, as the crying raised into a howl of anger and loss.
Christopher Ecclestone as the Ninth Doctor sat in the Big Brother diary chair, from the Doctor Who episode ‘Bad Wolf’
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: “The best place for sweet treats this side of a black hole!” he chuckled. “That’s their slogan, actually. The planet Soshuni – nowhere you’ve heard of – has a unique resource: a naturally occurring glucose which literally bubbles out of the bedrock. Oh, it’s scrumptious and frumptious and bondiggilyupmtious! I brought Roald Dahl here once and he couldn’t talk sense for days.” Lindsay was unimpressed. “So, they dig up sugar then?” “In the same way Faberge made Kinder Surprise, yes.’’
An extract from The Companion Of Power that reads: “Something like that. Did you ever what wondered to Dorothy when Oz sent her home? From a world of technicolour and singing, cast back into the dustbowl?” Lindsay began to walk forward. “They did a sequel, didn’t they? I liked the clockwork man best.” She bumped into something solid, a table. It didn’t move, so it must be huge. The voice chuckled. “I met a clockwork man once. He sang to me. It was nothing like your film. But back to Dorothy.”
An extract from ‘The Companion Of Power’ that reads: “Look at what we have achieved in this blink of a cosmic eye. We have shown respect to the bleak beauty of this world while making our own smaller world a little larger. Not to claim territory, but in the spirit of adventure, the thirst for knowledge that we hope to quench. If we discover there is no life on this world other than ourselves, I for one will not return home disappointed.” The corridor now complete and pressurised around him, the professor unclasped and removed his helmet in one swift movement, beaming at the camera. “Let us never forget what a magnificent creature we can be!”
An extract from ‘The Companion Of Power’ that reads as follows: ‘Fermat’s Theory – Last’ was 99.9% complete, he was pleased to see. Professor Wiles had been close but lacked the dedication to every conceivable outcome that only a machine could achieve. M-e ran his motors back and forth rapidly to free one of his wheels from a bit of toffee that had got caught in the tread. 100.0%! M-e allowed himself a moment of self-congratulation before saving his work. He added a footnote: ‘I have a truly marvellous demonstration of this proposition which this memory bank is exactly wide enough to contain.’ Considering this suitably droll, M-e turned to the next conundrum on his list.