Yep, more cat photos. Because… cat photos! Also, why wouldn’t I show you a picture of Arwen sitting on June? Exactly. Hence, cat photos.
More Cats
Month: April 2020
Raw Dialogue
This story was an exercise in revealing character through dialogue. The lack of context is intentional, so I’m not going to add any; instead I’m just going to let you enjoy it as it is, and interpret it as you will.
“Look at the mountains! I wish we could work out here, instead of inside. Man, that overlook never gets old.”
“You’ll see it again soon, Sam.”
“I know. I just can’t believe management is giving us so much time off!”
“Enjoy it while it lasts, eh? Good night, and safe travels!”
“Good night, Jack. I’ll see you in a few weeks!”
“Jack! There you are!”
“Kristin.”
“This view really is brilliant, you know.”
“It’s been there for years.”
“I know. I suppose I’m just delaying the inevitable.”
“Don’t bother.”
“I guess this is goodbye, then?”
“Goodbye.”
“You know that I have to go, right?”
“I know you’ve convinced yourself of that.”
“What would I do if I were to stay here, Jack? Spend the rest of my days doing mindless, joyless work? And the world would be none the better for it. I would be none the better for it.”
“It could be, you could be! You’re one of the best of us and you’re throwing it away!”
“It doesn’t help anything to stay! I don’t even have to think when I’m working, I just act! How is that going to help me improve? I would be wasting so much time and potential to stay here! And … and I can’t do that Jack, you know I can’t. You said it yourself, I’m good at this. Imagine how much I could do out there! How many people I could help! This isn’t just my escape, it’s my moral obligation. I have to go.”
“You keep telling yourself that.”
“Jack…”
“You want to go live a glorious, adventure-filled life, you go and do that! We’ll be here going through the standard channels. We all know the only thing you ever liked about this place was the view anyways.”
“You know full well that’s not the case. The only reason I’ve stuck around this long is because I didn’t want to say goodbye.”
“Got over that, did you?”
“Not really. But I accepted that I had to. For the closure.”
“Good for you.”
“So much for that… well, I have to leave, closure or no. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime, Jack. I hope that by then we’ll be on better terms.”
“Goodbye, Kristin.”
“Goodbye, Jack.”
Chrononauts — But Bigger
I’ve already written about Chrononauts — a fun game of time travel, artifact collection, and screwing with timelines. But now, I’d like to introduce you to ÜberChrononauts: the ambitious combination of original Chrononauts with its prequel, Early American Chrononauts. In other words, twice the timeline, twice the cards, twice the chaos!
So what’s different? Well, besides having mixed both decks for fun variety, the end of the game is a bit different. In either game on its own, you win by completing your (one) mission, returning to the timeline of your (one) ID, or getting ten cards in hand. In ÜberChrononauts, you need to complete one of your (two) missions, one of your (two) IDs, and get ten cards in hand. Not all at once, of course, once you’ve completed one of those objectives you mark it as complete, without worrying about keeping the criteria for it intact. That would be even more confusing. Yikes. Also, rather than 13 paradoxes blowing up the universe, those 13 have to be in four consecutive rows.
Worried about sorting the two decks back out once it’s over? Don’t be! While the backs of the cards are the same, all of the Early American cards (except the timeline) have a little star in one of the top corners. The timeline is set off by, rather than the original’s coordinates of A-D, having designations of W, X, Y, and Z, allowing the few intermixed dates in the middle of the map to be returned to their own decks with no hassle.
All in all, it’s a longer, more complicated version of a brilliantly fun game. So, if you’ve got the time and the dedication to your many missions, play some ÜberChrononauts for some ÜberChaos!
Siren With A Cold
This is the last (for now) of my (fictional) prompted anecdotes. To read the other two, click here and here, respectively. They’re not connected; each story stands alone. Still, I hope you’ll give them a read!
Bette was one of those singers that could sing anything — or at least make you think she could, which was how her career got started. We were at a party during our senior year of college, messing around, as college seniors are wont to do. Most of the time, Bette had a good voice — that night, it varied whether she had a voice at all. Still, she joined in on karaoke, just like she did at every party. And it was… well, it was brilliant. The thing about Bette is it’s not her voice that makes her special, it’s her presence. She has this confidence that justs radiates, and you can’t help getting caught up in it.
That’s why, after her performance, one of the designated driver kids walked over and introduced himself as the son of a music agent. He complimented her performance, gave her his number, and offered to introduce her to his dad at some point when she was sober. He said, in effect, that anyone who could put on a drunk karaoke song and dance number, with a cold, at three in the morning, and still somehow enrapture the whole audience absolutely needed to consider a career in music.