#i have the entire thing mapped out but grrr no time

[polaroid-petals]

I'm this close to writing a fic where a few weeks post-confession, Hero has a dream where he gets the option to stab Basil in order for Mari to have never died, only for his knife to stab not this fictional dream version of Basil, but the real twelve-year-old one, whom he then slowly watches die as he's unable to save him from the gash in his stomach.

To his horror, as he wakes up four years after the murder with no memory of what happened afterwards, he learns that he covered up the murder, and he has no idea how or why he did it.

[icewindandboringhorror]

me everytime I am preparing a meal with multiple elements I have to balance so they all finish cooking at the same time: Wow this is just like the 2009 hit Nintendo Wii game 'Food Network: Cook Or Be Cooked'

[bryastar]

word salad #2

here we are, day 2!

....kinda

yes I did make a journal yesterday and am currently writing one today, but it's technically the middle of the day for me.....at midnight. yeah, working nights makes days confusing a bit (which doesn't help when I can never seem to remember what day of the week is). and honestly, yesterday's journal was only the first half of my day.... granted what happened before that was I was at work, driving home from work, and then going to bed and waking up and started the day hanging out with everyone at home. aa. maybe I should be primarily focusing on the day before when I make these entries.

anyway

so after writing my entry yesterday I spent most of my day playing sonic adventure DX on Xbox, primarily focusing on raising a power Chao for the Chao races. it's a bit of a grind because the quickest way I could do it is from the mystic ruins garden I dash all the way across the map, and pass through two loading zones to head to red Mountain. here there are not only primarily power type animals (and the random parrot like yuosdhfjkhsd no I don't need you!) but I've played this level so much I can easily get 250-350 rings in one go without getting hit once (except by those red bullet bill things that spin fire everywhere which always seem to hit me at the worst times grrr). and then after that it's going aaalllll the way back to the Chao garden, wrastle up all the animals so they don't keep falling into the pool and having the Chao sit still long enough while I'm trying to find the animal but it decided to hop right back into the pool hfuiashcjdsk aaaa...

anyway wanna see them~? lookit the babies!

afterwards Amber and I finished the main story for Mario rpg on switch. even though I've watched playthroughs of the original before, it's always nice when you still finish a game, especially with amber also playing and helping me with battle strategies while I primarily helped with the puzzles. it was a lot of fun and I'm glad I got to finally play it.

afterwards (I'm just repeating "afterwards" for now until I find more clever ways to say it x.x) I decided to play starfox 64 on the switch. before, while I had been impressed with how the SNES game was able to use primitive 3d graphic, but the game itself I had a rough time playing it without either getting bored or dying way too early on and feeling discouraged. but then I randomly decided to boot starfox 2, the formerly unreleased SNES sequel, and.......I don't know what it was but suddenly it just clicked with me and I was able to beat the game on Normal.......and that's how I realized that starfox is actually a relatively short game, heck it's literally a shoot em up, just in 3d. sometimes in my head I just imagine this and suddenly I'm less overwhelmed by the low res and choppy frame rates. heck, the walker segments used tank controls....yet I was able to work with that just fine strangely enough..... ok going way off topic but, I think I'm starting to understand the starfox series a bit better (and now I can see a bit better why starfox fans would be offput by starfox adventures on GameCube since it's practically an entirely different kind of game, altogether!

ok this entry is getting kinda long so I'll stop here oops. hope this was at least enjoyable aa

uhm

pizza 🍕

[kulaiyin]

(content: world 2 main story quest, world 2 city exploration, simulated universe world 5)

i feel like i sang many praises about xianzhou luofu’s environment already but the fact that it’s a ship and you can see so far below and it’s just clouds... i really love it, it feels very liminal. same chills as nagazora... (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ) 

this entry is heavy on world 2 content! if i were to give vague hints regarding what it covers... maybe from “diting” to “fu xuan”? 

onwards! 

AYO ITS THE SEVEN SWORDS VN GANG

YOOOOOOOOO ABYSS FLOWER?! (looks like it still has those powers over life and death...!)

OTTO-- i mean luocha-- IS SO CHILL HERE! i haven’t gone through the seven swords VN very closely but as far as i’m concerned, the personality checks out. really enjoying the parallels on how they meet

it’s also really cool that they’re previewing future character kits in the story! first kafka and silver wolf, and now luocha. i hope they keep this up!

already loving sushang’s countrygirl character... 

i just want to point out that this npc is actualy the npc from bailu’s character stories!!! i can’t believe she’s an actual npc in the overworld?! it makes the world seem so fleshed out!

for those who don’t know and want to know, i remembered reading that bailu once treated an incredibly young vidyadhara girl who kept undergoing the molting/reborn process every couple of weeks. i originally visualized it as an infant who kept reverting back to a newborn state (which was honestly scary) so it was a nice shock seeing her as a full grown woman here!

most of all, i never expected jinyu to be a romantic/heartbreaker! it’s such a surprising but understandable direction for her character to go in. grrr i love this worldbuilding... this is why i love talking to npcs 😤     

really love that they acknowledged the gay lions

i thought these two npcs were arguing at first but they’re a manzai/funny man straight man double act!!!! i immediately support 🙌

THIS IS SO PRECIOUS GYAAAAAA WHO KEEPS PUTTING ADORABLE DOGS IN THIS GAME-- 💞💥💥💥

this kid sounds like he got isekaied straight out of a chinese legend, it’s so funny... why does this kid have so much lore?! 

xianzhou luofu grows their ships?! HUH?!

IT LOOKS.... SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

ONLY ONE AVAILABLE...? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

how dare they keep making banger environments for a place barely anyone will pass through (i really enjoyed the npc in this area by the way. vidyadhara species continues to be really intriguing)

huh... 😨

the dialogue options are so funny

... I GOT ARRESTED FROM THAT ALKFJLAJDLAWHJDOHANJKANCBABN I DIDN’T KNOW THAT COULD HAPPEN 😂😂😂

but... they got a police station here?! i went through the entire city and never noticed any building i could enter... there’s a lot of read-able material here so this can’t be a one-time thing, right? (unless you can get arrested multiple times...)

oop--

it’s straight up an area i haven’t even unlocked in the story GYAAAAAA

it looks so metropolitan... i guess i could explore but i’m intimidated about exploring a map i haven’t unlocked 😂 i don’t want to break some events, so i teleported outta there!

the proof...

BY THE WAY, LOOK AT THE DESCRIPTION... 

HUA?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? 

MARSHAL HUA??!?!?!?!

IF... IF THIS IS FU HUA... I’LL SAVE FOR YOU 🤧🤧🤧💖💗💓💞💝💖 WAIT FOR ME!!!!!!

AY SHE HAS A GUN NOOOO SHE KEPT TARGETING BAILU TOO

THAT’S A CHILD MA’AM!!!!

HOLY F FU XUAN IS SO COOL 😳😳😳

i remember seeing this screenshot a long time ago when they did a dev talk or a preview of the next closed beta testing... she still has that elegant air about her! this is truly the battle of those who see the future... 

after this, i got formally introduced to that new city area from before! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧ glad to finally roam the streets... a free man...

this is so funny... 

big fan of this npc who is crushing on his homie and doesn’t know it... i support you... 

why they kiss me... 😳

this is THE absolute most busted simulated universe random event 🤯🤯🤯 i’m not going to spoil too much on what it does but... basically i was thinking “if i don’t beat world 5 with this, i have severe skill issue”

thank you... i’ll remember your name, ruan mei... (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

so yeah spoiler alert... she gave me ALL THE ABUNDANCE BLESSINGS... yes, the SAME aeon i just unlocked... GODLY OCCURENCE!!!

we are STACKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (look at the buffs)

i rolled over the world 5 boss but regrettably forgot to take a screenshot... i think you can see my blessings in the enhancement screen screenshot anyway

i am a ruan mei believer...  💪💪💪

i think it’s also highly implied that the woman in the geniuses’ repose lightcone next to herta and screwllum is her and she has a lovely design... I’LL SAVE FOR YOU TOO

i ran into the punklorde mentality curio, and i wonder if this is just like how silver wolf’s weakness implant works! 

very excited to see... i’ll be pulling for her next! (/≧▽≦)/ i hope everyone else rolling for her gets her early! 

(at the time of writing, silver wolf’s trailer and extra information came out and uuuuh i might be obsessed with the found family dynamic that the stellaron hunters have... I WANT SILVER WOLF 💥)

[dearhongjoong]

[2:58pm] You had seen Yunho sneak into the restaurant so it came as no surprise when you felt a sudden embrace from behind. You peeked over your shoulder to see your boyfriend pouting down at you.

“Baby” Yunho whined out. “Are you almost done?”

You couldn’t help but smile at the tall sweetheart in front of you.

“Two minutes, go wait for me at the front please. I’ll be right there!” You whispered before quickly kissing his cheek.

[avaantares]

Imma rant for a minute. (This is me being critical of a thing, so if you’re eschewing negativity right now, feel free to scroll on past.) :)

Sooooo I took a break from replaying FFVII:R tonight (last night, by the time this posts) to watch the stream of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies, a show I already knew to be terrible (but hey, you can't argue with free musicals, right?). Long before the musical opened, I’d read The Phantom of Manhattan, the book it’s based on, and that was... like... Hmm. Think of a bad fanfiction you've read. I mean a really bad one, one that gets every single character wrong, has the stupidest of stupid fiction tropes, includes ridiculously contrived scenarios to kill off characters and weird medical "science" and historical inaccuracies and a totally implausible plot, all mashed together just to reinforce someone's OTP which was kind of an unhealthy relationship to begin with and got considerably more unhealthy in this story, AND it includes a lengthy author’s note in which the writer bashes the author of the original work his story is based on and explains everything that author did wrong and how it should have been written, using examples from the fic writer’s own work to demonstrate.*

Then picture that as a $24.99 hardback.

So I knew the general story already, and I'd seen a couple of clips from the stage show, and from what I remembered it was all pretty forgettable. But like I said, free to watch, right? Nothing to lose but a couple of hours.

Oh. My. Goodness. I was not prepared for the full experience. It's like Phantom of the Opera and Cats had a (secret) baby that got shoved in a blender with all of circa-2004 Fanfiction.net and then pasted back together by a YA fiction editor’s intern. Despite a truly exceptional cast and some strong visual and set design, it wavered between cringe-y and I’m-going-to-hurt-myself-laughing levels of bad.

Mind you, it’s still better than the book, in which (SPOILER ALERT if anyone cares, which you probably don’t because if you’re the type of fan who would, you’ve probably already seen the show) Christine’s son is not the byproduct of a willing affair she had with Erik after she became disillusioned with her marriage, but was conceived after he kidnapped her at the Opera House, and... let’s just say consent was dubious, at best. (IIRC she was “half swooning” and not entirely aware of what was happening.) Also there’s some nonsense about Raoul being impotent from a war wound and never having consummated their marriage... But broadly speaking, the story is the same as the musical -- by which I mean it completely negates everything good and symbolic and meaningful about ALW’s Phantom of the Opera, to which the book was as much a sequel as it was to the original Gaston Leroux novella.

Love Never Dies fails as a sequel for a number of reasons: Every character you liked in the original? Assassinated. Raoul, who was willing to sacrifice his life for Christine in POTO, is now an abusive, alcoholic wastrel who has gambled his family into crippling debt. Christine cheats on her husband with a guy who has made a habit of kidnapping and threatening her, and who has actually murdered a number of people. Meg, Christine’s dearest friend and confidante, is now a washed-up burlesque dancer who -- again, SPOILER ALERT -- tries to kill first Christine’s son, then herself, then finally succeeds in killing Christine. The broadest take-home message of POTO, that kindness and love can heal even the deepest wounds, is undercut by these dramatic character reversals. Even the show’s title anthem “Love Never Dies” is contradicted by the love triangle at the center of the plot. Maybe love never dies, but that doesn’t stop Christine from cheating on her husband, Raoul from walking out on his wife and son, Erik from threatening to kill Christine’s child if she doesn’t do what he wants, Meg from betraying and murdering her best friend... yeah, let’s not take relationship advice from this group. 

But beyond that, LND is just bad structurally. The Phantom’s opening number builds up to be a “Music of the Night”-style anthem -- a dubious choice, since it makes everything he sings for the next half an act feel flat by comparison. Then we go into a surreal Coney Island segment for a while, then a bunch of really awkward dialogue exposition gets crammed in, and then twenty minutes into the show we finally meet Christine and her family, which kicks off the actual plot. The pacing is uneven. The tone is all over the map, too, bouncing between Phantom-like operatic ballads and Jesus Christ Superstar-esque carnival rock numbers. (All of which, I have to say, the Melbourne cast knocked out of the park. The vocal performances were definitely not a weak spot in this production.)

While I really like a lot of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stuff -- I've seen a number of his shows on stage, some of them three or four times -- his titles seem to be hit-or-miss. For every Phantom, there's a Whistle Down the Wind. Some of that isn't his fault; a mediocre lyricist or book writer can do a lot of damage, even with good music. This musical had two lyricists and four writers, and it shows. But IMO, this is also not Lloyd Webber’s best work. Apart from the title song, which I’ve heard often enough to know it outside of the show, I can recall the melodies of... two songs? The score isn’t bad, it’s just not as instantly memorable as Sunset Boulevard or Joseph or Phantom. And a weak story plus average music doesn’t equal a great show.

I’m sure I’ve complained more than anyone cares to read, but I have one final rant about something that caused me to startle my dog by making some very screechy noises: When Christine arrives by ship, the Phantom sends a horseless carriage to pick her up at the pier. Mind you, this scene is specifically stated to take place in New York in 1905. The crowd of onlookers is utterly SHOCKED by a vehicle that moves by itself. “There are no horses!” someone exclaims. "How does it work?"

Apparently all four of the credited writers slept through history class, and also couldn’t be bothered to Google a photo of New York at the turn of the century. Automobiles have been around since the 1880s, and by 1905, New York had so many cars on the streets that the New York Supreme Court had to hand down a ruling guaranteeing that horse-drawn transportation still had the same right-of-way as motorized vehicles, because the motorists didn’t want to share the road. Heck, my own great-grandfather owned a car by 1895! Glaring, easily-avoided errors like this jar me so far out of the story -- even good stories, which this one wasn’t -- that they actually bother me more than other, more significant failings. At least do your basic research, people. Use Google. Grrr.

Anyway, I’m just rambling now because I can’t sleep and I'm on prescription narcotics for pain and my dog is tired of listening to me grumble. Don’t mind me; I’m not actually this negative in real life. 😅

----------------------------------------------------

* I am not exaggerating. In the foreword, author Frederick Forsyth bashes Gaston Leroux and gives examples from his own works to explain how Le Fantôme de l'Opéra could have been written better. Like. DUDE. NO.

That book went straight into the donation box the moment I was done reading it. When Love Never Dies came out, I briefly regretted getting rid of it, but then I remembered how bad the story was and stopped feeling bad.

[jonathanalumbaugh]

Weekly Digest

January 7th, 2018, 6th issue.

A roundup of stuff I consumed this week. Published weekly. All reading is excerpted from the main article unless otherwise noted.

Read

Teen birth rates hit a new low in 2016, Boston has joined other cities in banning single-use plastic bags, Tesla restored electricity to a children's hospital in Puerto Rico after it was hit by hurricanes in September, the FDA cleared an earpiece that may help block symptoms of opioid withdrawal, 13 states saw record-lows of unemployment this year, Support for allowing same-sex marriage is at its highest point in 20 years, Vice President Mike Pence said in October that the U.S. "will return...to the moon not only to leave behind footprints and flags but to build the foundation we need to send Americans to Mars and beyond," a man in North Carolina has started the non-profit ChemoCars, a service that provides cancer patients with free rides to and from their chemo treatments, Uber partnered with the charity Whizz-Kidz to give those who use wheelchairs in the UK free rides to polling places this summer.

— 9 things America is getting right

This is not some “lite” version of Civ stripped down for touchscreen, mobile implementation. It’s the whole game.

— Civilization 6 on iPad is a marvel

First comment in thread: I keep seeing this referred to over and over, even TV Guide is calling the bad Cooper by the name BOB! In my opinion, this is something that people have been confusing for 25 years.

— Clarification: Cooper is not possessed by BOB

I got married two weeks ago. And like most people, I asked some of the older and wiser folks around me for a couple quick words of advice from their own marriage... Almost 1,500 people replied, many of whom sent in responses measured in pages, not paragraphs. It took almost two weeks to comb through them all, but I did. And what I found stunned me…

They were incredibly repetitive.

— Every successful relationship is successful for the same exact reasons

Explaining #Meltdown to non-technical spouse. “You know how we finish each other’s...” “Sandwiches?” “No, sentences. But you guessed ‘sandwiches’ and it was in your mind for an instant. And it was a password. And someone stole it while it was there, fleeting.” “Oh, that IS bad.”

— Scott Hanselman (@shanselman)

January 5, 2018

— Explaining Meltdown with parallel worlds, libraries, and a bank heist

TED Video: How to make stress your friend

— How to make stress your friend

A user visits a website, registers an account, and saves the data in the password manager. The tracking script runs on third-party sites. When a user visits the site, login forms are injected in the site invisibly. The browser’s password manager will fill out the data if a matching site is found in the password manager. The script detects the username, hashes it, and sends it to third-party servers to track the user.

— How web trackers exploit password managers

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP was negligent in connection with one of the biggest bank failures of the financial crisis, a federal judge has ruled, opening up the Big Four accounting firm to the potential of hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

— Judge Says PricewaterhouseCoopers Was Negligent In Colonial Bank Failure

Whether we see an LTE version of the Nokia 3310 in the US is still a major question, as is the release date of this phone — not the mention the battery life, which took a major hit when it added 3G support.

— An LTE version of Nokia’s 3310 may be coming

The Big Five... has produced results that can be shown to remain largely consistent across a person’s lifespan and that can be used to predict at least some part of a person’s likely academic achievement, dating choices and even future parenting behavior. It has also been validated cross-culturally to some extent, Soto told me.

— Most Personality Quizzes Are Junk Science. I Found One That Isn’t.

"Neither [Iraq] nor while I was in the military did I actually hear anyone ask whether we should be doing some of the research we were doing. You know, some of it was a little scary -- I don't know that it was necessarily unethical -- but nobody ever asked the question." -General Robert H. Latiff

— Nobody's Ready for the Killer Robot

If you are a low-wage worker who cuts your expenses to the bone in order to sock away $500 a year, on which you earn 8%, you will still not go more than a year in retirement without starving to death.

— Oh Damn, 401(k)s Aren't Magic

Ever stood at an intersection and prodded at, leaned on, elbowed and otherwise palm-slapped the ever-living hell out of a crosswalk button and wondered to yourself if the thing actually does anything at all, really? Well – chances are, it doesn't.

— Placebo buttons do absolutely nothing, and they are everywhere

Meanwhile, Pete is convinced the Log Lady stole his truck. But wait! It wasn’t the Log Lady. It was Windom Earle, says Cooper. How does he know? Well, look at the map up there. Duh. Try and keep up, people.

— Revisiting ‘Twin Peaks’ Season 2 Finale: An Appointment at the End of the World

In an interview with radio host John Catsimatidis in New York, Cohen said that it was clear that President Trump — like former President Obama — did not want to approve a plan to provide the new arms to Ukraine, but decided to do so in an attempt to shirk allegations that he has acted as a "Putin puppet."

— Russia expert: US decision to supply arms to Ukraine a 'mistake'

Scopophilia or scoptophilia (from Greek σκοπέω skopeō, "look to, examine" and φιλία philia, "tendency toward"), is deriving pleasure from looking.

— Scopophilia

The fatal swatting case started Thursday when a man called the 911 center in Wichita, Kansas, and said he'd shot his father and was holding his mother, sister and brother hostage inside a house, authorities said.

— Swatting case poses legal challenges for police, prosecutors

The IRS lets you claim investment-related losses on your tax return as long as you sell the money-losing investment at some point during the year. You can then use the resulting capital losses to offset any capital gains on other investments that you might have.

— Tax Loss Harvesting: Don't Wait Until Year-End to Save Thousands

Tesla was on the cover of Time magazine in 1931 but died a poor man in 1943 after years devoted to projects that did not receive adequate financing. Yet his most significant inventions resonate today.

— Tesla the Car Is a Household Name. Long Ago, So Was Nikola Tesla.

More than a century ago, in New York City, Paul Strand began creating some of the earliest candid street photography. His goal was to capture people as they act in public, unaware of the observing eye.

— Theater of the Streets, Shot On Google Glass

In 2016, psychologist Danielle Gunraj tested how people perceived one-sentence text messages that used a period at the end of the sentence. Participants thought these text messages were more insincere than those that didn’t have a period. But when the researchers then tested the same messages in handwritten notes, they found that the use of a period didn’t influence how the messages were perceived.

— There’s a reason using a period in a text message makes you sound angry

My beach wedding in Diani, Kenya, was supposed to begin at 4 p.m. It started two hours later. The reason: The photographer was late. He shrugged it off, blaming traffic. "I am here now and that is what matters," he said. Grrr, "Kenyan time."

That is what they call it in my homeland.

— Under 'Kenyan Time,' You're Expected To Arrive ... Oh, Whenever

The year 2017 was really successful for Vue.js. Even though the goals are partly fulfilled, I think that most of the goals are somehow achieved or getting more traction. Vue.js is spreading and a lot more companies are using it now, including: Behance, Adobe, Chess.com, GitLab, HERE Technologies, Car2Go, IBM, and many chinese companies like alibaba, ele.me

— Vue.js review of 2017

In 2007, Warren Buffett entered a million-dollar bet with the fund manager Protégé Partners that the S&P 500 would beat a basket of hedge funds over the next decade.

— Warren Buffett has won his $1 million bet against the hedge fund industry

Earlier today, Twitter published a five paragraph answer to the loudly, repeatedly-shouted question: “Why won’t you ban Donald Trump, a man who has actively used your platform to threaten nuclear annihilation against an entire country?”

— What Twitter's New Statement About Not Banning Trump Really Means

In South Carolina, for example, people hoping to buy a Siberian tiger to celebrate the new year are likely to be disappointed: As of Jan. 1, it is illegal in the state for typical residents — that is, if you're not a zoo — to buy or own exotic animals for pets.

— What's New In 2018? Here's A Brief Tour Of State Laws Now In Effect

Why people believe what they believe is a wide topic that many psychology professors investigate. And while Peterson’s lectures certainly do tend to focus on the idea of “pushing back,” the contents of them raise questions about whether the bad ideologies are the ones he’s rejecting or the ones he espouses.

— Why Is Monsanto Inviting This Alt-Right Hero to a Fireside Chat on Farming?

The danger is that such detailed, sensationalized coverage of suicide can prompt copycat behavior — a phenomenon called suicide contagion. “Suicide contagion is real, which is why I’m concerned about it.”

— YouTuber Logan Paul's video of a dead body put his own audience at risk

Then there’s the matter of how Uber treats its drivers. You know it’s not great, but it’s not as though competing services are much better. Before Uber, taxi companies were notoriously terrible employers. Lyft, like Uber, hires its drivers as independent contractors—they don’t get benefits or minimum-wage protection—and has cut their pay to make fares cheaper for riders.

— Are you a bad person if you still take Uber?

Forecasters are warning people to be wary of hypothermia and frostbite from the arctic blast that’s gripping a large swath from the Midwest to the Northeast.

— http://metro.co.uk/2017/12/30/niagara-falls-freezes-sharks-freezing-death-atlantic-7192401/?ito=cbshare

[a-rat-and-a-blob]

Drabble Arch: Hatching Potion - Hidden Away

The house was somewhat contaminated that day. People around the neighborhood had to leave. A gas leak my parents' said. They were escorted out like everyone else. Well, everyone else but the big talking green blob in a hidden basement. Minute by minute, hour by hour, the stomping of feet above me made me shudder, feeling the urge to hide in a loose pipe or crack. I already had the door closed off so they wouldn't know anything suspicious and I overheard that they've found the location of the leak, but the possibility was still there. Well, at least my parents are safe.

               I quietly sat on my bed and looked at the files again. I took the map out, the one with the marks of Twitch's domain. The killer that ruined the H.I.V.E. convention and destroyed so many innocents was the one I left unscathed. The paper shakes in my hand as I tried to process this. The memories as I gaze at the map. The gas suffocating.... The bodies leaking.. The screams piercing... The radio screaming... and now he left, planning to do it all over again. He left with arrows that even he supplied him with. I lay myself on my bed, map on my face, as I groan in disgust in my actions. I had him. He was right there, in front of my flashlight. I could've attacked first. Killed him. It wouldn't be a fantastic sight, but it was still saving someone. Save all those in the future. Avenges everyone that died to the little rat! Dad wouldn't even been mad about the rifle being thrown in the water. Why was I so stupid? Why was I so naive!? My dad's words still repeated in my head. "Sometimes.. we need to make those actions," I repeated as I took the map from my face and glared at the poster full of dreams and fantasies.  

               The ceiling being to rumble with how much stomping there was. Above me, the banging became imminent. I had to get out of here, even if mom said that it was too dangerous. I can't be some gift wrapped up in a pretty bow for them. They're supposed to check all of the pipes for this "gas leak". I quickly go to my open pipe and look to see if there's a way out through here. Sadly everything's blown open.. I quickly got out and look around as they feverishly  examine this side of the house. I look to the restroom quickly and ran in. The toilet was a sickly dark green color.. Well I can't get sick. Sigh. Here goes! I jump into the toilet and flush myself down the drain.

               The toxic water rushes through me as I move and slide into the cramped pipes of Zaun. The pushing became too much. I couldn't control my position. I twist and turn as gravity began to do its work. As I went down, I heard loud creaks and cracks as I went down. Suddenly the size of the pipe grows bigger and bigger and bigger until finally...

               SPLASH!

               I fall headfirst into the sewage. The rushing behind me stops as I scramble back up to the surface. I swim faster and faster until I could breathe air. Everything was dark. I could barely see the shadow of my hand. I trudge through to the ridge of the tunnel where ground was. I jump up and writhed violent to get all of the toxins out. Well... guess I'm gonna be grounded. Now.. where's the way out of here?

               I tried to walk around the sewers, probing around to see something familiar. I'm hoping that it was in a familiar route that I was on when I was searching for Twitch, but everything was shadows to me, and zaun was a great big place. He couldn't have gone that far down though. He just.. had to stick with the walls and move. Just.. go up. That's all I have to do. Just go up..

               Hours have passed as I made my ascent to nothingness. Or was it hours? Usually the bell would signify that... All of the pipes were complete mazes to me. I've never been through any of them. They weren't like air vents and the like. They go up and down and left and right. Water always rushes through them, making it sluggish to go through. Oh.. What can I do? There has to be some way out.. There has to be.

               I walk on the humid concrete, ignoring the instances of excrement that I have stepped on. I had better things to worry about. Gotta keep a happy face for this.. Step. Squish. Step. Splat. Step. Crackle. Crackle? Huh? I look underneath my feet. It was a large note, all folded up and everything. There was no way it could've been made accidentally..

               I quickly look at the shadows one more time, imagining the entire scene. The pillars were there. The wall. Twitch was once behind him. Only one thing could confirm it..

               I quickly stretched my hand into the water. No gun. He was still lost.

               I sigh loudly as I quickly took the note and opened it. It was all in large green crayon. I took it close to my face to read the fine print.

                 "Dear Goopy One,

                               I thank you for tribute. You're the first of many! Ammo like these aren't easy to come     by.. Twitch placed a book for you since you liked my stories. They don't have anything about me        though! I worked hard on them, and its                great someone has taste! Now... hopefully you'll give    Twitch better stuff next time..

               However, you're not surface. You may say it, but you're not surface. Why do you side with           them?

               Sincerely, your ruler, Twitch."

                               I look back at where I found the letter and grab the book. It was sticky with wrinkled papers. I opened it slowly and felt the pages. Seemed like he was writing ferociously on this one. Pressed hard on the page. I could feel the words on the paper, but can barely make them out. I was surprised. He did this for me? My skin began to heat up slightly at the offer. It was very rare for him to receive gifts like this. No matter how poorly done it was. I look to where I thought I once saw Twitch. No one would be down here. "Twitch?" I said in the darkness. Twitch!?" I shout, more loudly. I listen carefully. The bugs began to skitter around, notifying their master. "Twitch!!??" I shout.

               After a couple of minutes, I saw Twitch quickly show himself. He recognized my voice and slowly approached me. I could barely make out his shadow. "Oh! Twitch! I.. I.. need help.."

               "Goopy One! Did you call me to join my side!" he squeaked.

               "Uh.. no. I'm just lost here. Can you.. can you help me out? I.. got your note."

               Twitch growls. "Grrr... then answer my question then! On the note!" he shouts, stomping around. "Why.. why join them? You're not surface.. I.. I know surface! You're not.."

               "Because.. Because they raised me. They took me in pal. They showed me food.. a nice home.. love. I just wish I can say the same to you.. but it doesn't have to be that way all the time," I replied. No response came from him. "What'cha got there?" I asked, nodding to Twitch's arm deep in a pocket.

               "Huh? None of your business! Just.. just your ingredients! I can make another one.."

               I step forward. "Well... it ain't easy. Let me tell you that. The surface you keep talking about, they never made me. How about.. you let me help. I think I have some ideas on what I'm made of."

               "You'll.. you'll give me that..?" Twitch stuttered in amazement.  "That information?"

               "I can only make guesses.. but I can help. Shouldn't be that hard. I'm just ooze after all. Only if you help me get out. Promise?" I lend out a hand. Twitch shudders at the gesture. He was scared. Someone's willing to help. His Goopy One was willing to come back, and he was scared, but he knew of the bones and the experiments. Twitch slowly raised his hand to mine.

               "If this is a trick.."

               "I don't think I'm smart enough to trick buddy. Especially not to you, heh."

               Twitch smiled as he quickly grasped the hand and pulled me towards the lair, leading me out of the dark isolated tunnel. He began to mutter excitedly about his numerous plans, mixing and shaking, blending and testing, expecting this to be his best project. After that, I came home hopeful, with a wilted book in my hand.