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Janus

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  1. Janus

    So I Did

    By Janus,

    FOR SCIENCE! 2.0 (6) 
    I'm tired.
     
    Very tired.
     
    This is what runs through my head--except this is like, maybe five-to-ten minutes of a dialogue that runs all day long.
     
    Wordcount: 536 (Anyone else notice the shrinking wordcounts? I do!)
     
    Enjoy!
     

     

    So I did 
    A soldier screamed as he fell, clutching his arm where the magic still burned his flesh. All around his comrades were dropping, their primitive blades no match for the small band of mages that had surrounded their leader.
    “Fools!” The archmage hissed, magical energy erupting from his body. “Taste my wrath!”
     
    “Nah” I thought, mentally shelving the idea.
     
    Almost instantaneously the battlefield melted away and I was left with a blank slab of sun scorched rock hanging high above a small winding river. Nearest the edge of the enormous stone was a figure cloaked in shadow, its eyes just barely visible through the darkness of its hood.
    “Why have you come here?” the figure questioned, and my view shifted to a shaded enclosure where a young man stood, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
    “To learn the truth” He muttered grimly.
     
    “Nope” I thought to myself. “Not quite what I’m looking for”
     
    As if it were a rubix cube my brain reassembled pieces of the scene until they resembled something completely different. Now I was in a deep pool, out of the corners of my eyes I could see my arms furiously driving in and out of the water---of course they weren’t my arms, and as my view shifted away I saw a young girl of about 20 pushing herself to her limit as she swam from one end of the large pool to the next. Then I found myself viewing the scene from underwater, large goggles filling my vision.
     
    For a moment I pondered.
    “I do love this feeling” I felt myself thinking “I really love the separation between above water and below. I love the way that line is so thin that all it takes to plunge your head in and it’s something completely different…and I love how peaceful it is under the water.”
     
    Already I could feel pieces clicking into place, replacing and altering themselves. No longer was it a young girl in my minds eye, instead it was an older man with the body of a swimmer. The pool itself melted away, leaving a vast oceanic plain for the man to cut through with his body. But I could feel the weariness though it wasn’t my own, could feel the way his body ached—could even feel the bite of the cold water as it surrounded his body.
     
    His face dipped under the water, revealing sights of beauty untold. Just beneath the surface lay all manner of life—but I could still feel the weariness, and could feel the man slipping further and further. My mind had already written the end to this tale, the man would die surrounded by the beauty of the ocean.
     
    “Nah, too depressing” I found myself thinking.
     
    For once my brain wasn’t able to think of anything further. The scenery of the ocean melted away into absolutely nothing, for the briefest of instants my brain was absolutely silent. Then came the image of me seeing the previous storylines in my head. A bit Meta, but I eventually figured it out
     
    “Oh. I get it. I’ll write about the process I go through to make a story for For Science! 2.0”
     
    So I did.
     
  2. Janus

    Chronology

    By Janus,

    FOR SCIENCE 2.0 (8) 
    Well I missed two days last week, one of them was because of a testing at our academy (Which I had to judge for) and the second of which was I was lazy and making excuses. Seriously people, bug me if you want stories.
     
    Is this short? Oh yes. Did I have to literally grind this one of out my brain? OH YES.
     
    But it's done now. Now I can stop worrying about it.
     
    Wordcount: 418
     
    Enjoy!
     

     

    Chronology 
    How then to describe it; the silvery craft that gently flowed through the air? It was sleek and smooth, vaguely oblong with a large protrusion towards the back of the craft. Or at least that’s all that I could see…it was distorted and distended, as though I was viewing it through some sort of inverted lense.
     
    The air around the craft seemed almost liquid like, waves of…something radiating off from its smooth silver hull. It stayed there in the air for the briefest of instants, hovering there and causing the air to ripple in a way that I’d never seen.
     
    Then it turned, its brilliant fuselage somehow not seeming to move…so much as simply appearing in a new place. From its new position I could see that two large sweeping wings emerged from the silvery hull. I marveled at this amazing sight before, this machine that seemed more organic that technological, this incredible wonder that floated in the sky and yet was unaffected by the suns rays. Somehow the silvery sheen of the craft was light internally—no beam of sunlight reflected off the marvelous thing.
     
    And then all at once it was gone. It did not streak off in a ray of light, it did not loop around in the sky and vanish in a flash of light. It simply wasn’t there anymore.
     
    I lowered the hand that had been shielding my eyes and simply gazed into the sky…
     
     
    How then to describe it; the land below me that stretched abundantly outward?
     
    Boring, quite frankly.
     
    It was a veritable plain of nothingness—and the miniscule matchsticks that they must have called ‘skyscrapers’ were but the things of a race in its childhood. My vessel remained temporarily frozen in this primitive time, having been flung from the deeper time space and down into this trickling stream…a time from the past.
     
    I grunted irately, taking note of the gawking faces below me. It was amazing that these people thought my ship was such a marvel—I mean I barely tolerated the lumbering hulk myself. It got me to the store and back, but it certainly wasn’t one of the more fuel efficient chronal-hoppers.
     
    Frustrated, I kicked a bulkhead—causing my ship to blink into temporal space and immediately outwards again…same time period, just a different direction.
     
    I sighed.
    “Great, just what I need”
     
    Then of course I realized I’d left it in neutral, and, mentally kicking myself sped out of that time period and back into the time stream.
     
  3. Janus

    Decisions

    By Janus,

    It finally happened to me. I found my Mass Effect Dilemma.
     
    Everyone tells me about their Mass Effect Dilemma, where they didn't know what to choose--and while I know I still have a doozy coming up (I spoiled myself years in advance) I found my first one last night.
     
    I've been completing loyalty quests for fun, and so far I've done: Miranda, Jacob, Jack, and Tali. I was in the middle of Garrus'--or rather at the end.
     
    Spoilers inevitably follow:
     
     
     
    And I'm going to be honest I didn't know what to do. On the one hand I needed to secure Garrus' loyalty, I can't let my mission against the collectors fail, it's life or death for humanity. On the other hand I don't want that Garrus. I don't want to let a friend become that. Additionally I don't think what he's doing is right--do I risk standing up to him and thus lose him as an asset in the war against the collectors? Or do I allow him to go through with what he wants and have a guilty conscience for what I allowed him to do?
     
    Or do I cheat, minimize, go check the wiki, and then answer?
     
    (The answer is the last one, by the way)
  4. Janus

    Great Big Sea

    By Janus,

    Is amazing.
     
    Seriously.
     
    If you can listen to songs like Lucky Me, Let it Go, Love, and Something Beautiful and not feel happy with life--there is something severely wrong.
     
    Look beyond the cut for my favourite bits of each song.
     

     
    Lucky Me
     
    Who would have thought for a moment
    She'd have to grow up so fast
    The school beauty queen with a child at sixteen
    Swore that her fortunes had passed
     
    But blessings can hide in the strangest disguise
    And I know she would agree
    As long as the river still runs to the sea
    Hey lucky you, lucky me.
     
    Hey lucky you,
    Lucky me.
     
    Let it go
     
    Hey man
    There's no time for crying now
    You've made your bed
    but you don't think it's fit to lie in
     
    You're wasted on the ground
    when you know you should be flying
    What are you waiting for?
     
    Love
     
    How many more of our children have to fall
    And just how high do we have to build these walls
    In fighting there's no dignity
    it's such a waste of time
     
    Take my hand
    I don't think god will mind
     
    Something Beautiful
     
    The years'll make us older
    The winters make us colder
     
    And there's one more thing I've come to know for sure
     
    There's no bitterness that smoulders
    No chip on any shoulder
     
    That a random act of kindness can't cure.
  5. Janus

    Painkillers

    By Janus,

    A Swollen Wisdom Tooth!
    Sounds uncomfortable, no, sounds like a lot of pain!
     
    But here in our little town of White Rock, British Columbia
    You might say every one of us has a swollen wisdom tooth...
    But I'm only speaking metaphorically
     
    It's not easy having a sensitive, bleeding mass of muscle in your mouth..
    But, there it is!
     
    White Rock is home to many strange dentists. A big swollen, puffy gum...you may wonder, how does he deal with it?
     
    That, I can answer in one word: Painkillers!
     
    Painkillers, Painkillers
    Painkillers!
     
    Painkillers, painkillers
    Painkillers!
     
     
    So, yeah. That's where I've been this week.
     
    FOR SCIENCE! Returns Monday, with a story about...Painkillers!
     
    If you know what the above tune is, I love you. If you know me and know specifically what the above tune is, I love you more. Like, tons.
     
    CI YU MONDAY.
     
    Love,
     
    Janobert
     
     
  6. Janus

    Consciousness 1.0

    By Janus,

    (21)
     
    I'm a terrible person who was terrible for updates last week. I know.
     
    But I have ideas for this week, and PLEASE bug me if I don't update. I want to update on time and stuff.
     
    Anyhow this is an idea that came to me sometime earlier this week...it's rough. Very rough, I'm not really that impressed with it--however the concept isn't complete.
     
    Word count: 1,072
     
    Enjoy!
     

     

    Consciousness 1.0 
    Code streamed across the many monitors that lay scattered across the small desk, the rapidly scrolling text dimly lighting the large room.
     
    It was a vast expansive room, a high-topped ceiling with various chains hanging at differing lengths and a guide rail that surrounded the small recess where the screen--and the two men, were located.
     
    It was this recess that the room appeared to be constructed around--though it could have been a warehouse at one point, it was now separated into many different recesses, all linked together by the sprawling network of railing that ran the length of the complex.
     
    And it was in this small, dimly lit room, that two men worked tirelessly. Their backs hunched and their goggled faces averted from the streams of text that even now filled the screen--had they looked, they have seen the blinking lights that alternated between red for two pulses...and then switched to green.
     
    However these two men were far to enrapt in their work to notice such things. Each had eyes only for the object that lay on the table before them.
     
    At first glance it was a body...which would have made the two men a sort of twisted doctor...and in a way that was true. However once one looked past the rough humanoid shape, things would come to bare that revealed the true origin of the object.
     
    It was large: about 6 feet long and a good 3 feet wide, but more than that it was heavy and...plastic.
     
    While some exposed metal remained on its outline--which the two men worked furiously to cover, nearly the entire shape was coated in a smooth grey plastic that gave a vague human shape to the thing--all but its head. Where the face would be on a human there was nothing more than an ovaloid dome of tinted plastic.
     
    There were faint lights beneath that darkened dome, and if the men were not so focused on the machine's knee joint, they would have noticed that these too pulsed in the same order as the computer. Holding a solid red for two pulses, and then switching to green.
     
    A loud grinding sound caught their attention and the two men gasped as they rose from their work, glancing around to see where the discordant noise had come from.
     
    "A bit of a shock, eh, Fred?" Said the shorter of the two, wiping the back of a black-gloved hand against his forehead and adjusting his goggles with the other.
    "Yes indeed, Dominic" the taller said, running his fingers through his sandy hair.
    "Jeese..." the one called Dominic spoke quietly, glancing in the direction of the machine's hand.
    "Is it supposed to do that, Fred?" he said nervously.
     
    The machine's digits shook almost violently as power coursed through the arm circuits; the fingers snatched and clawed at the empty air...before finally clenching into a cold metal fist. All this time the light patterns beneath the tinted 'skull' continued to pulse rapidly.
     
    Fred watched this with a detached calmness, returning his tools to the workbench as he watched the machine's hand grope the air.
    "Don't worry, Dominic." He said slowly "That thing is strapped down for a reason...still, I wonder why it's reacting so oddly..."
     
    There was a loud shriek of metal as a door above the two men opened and a figure in a black business suit walked in, staring down at them from above.
    "Gentlemen, I trust that your project is coming along well?" the man spoke smoothly, almost offhandedly, as he adjusted his tie.
    "Yes sir." Dominic responded, removing his goggles and looking up at the man. "However there is a slight glitch, it seems"
    "A glitch?" The man frowned, drawing out a small metal cylinder and pressing it to his temple. "That's not going to make my bosses happy."
     
    Fred, face averted from the smooth-talking man on the catwalk, scowled at the attitude of the man's words. With a sigh he turned to face the man and spoke:
    "Sir, if you'd like to come down here...perhaps you could see for yourself." In response the man simply raised an eyebrow, then, with an expression of interest he descended the staircase; the metal stairs clanging loudly with his every step.
     
    "I must admit, I'm interested in seeing this glitch" the man said glibly, sidling up to the two scientists. Both Fred and Dominic chose not to spoke, instead indicating the still moving hand of the machine as it grasped the air.
     
    The man, for his part, simply smiled.
    "That's no glitch, gentlemen" he said with a wan smile. "That's exactly what we want." Fred and Dominic stared wordlessly, indicating for the man to go on.
    "You see, gentlemen," the man began, watching the machine's hand endlessly clawing the air "You're not building a cyborg or an automaton. This is not an AI operated machine."
     
    "I don't understand..." Fred muttered, removing his goggles to better see the man. The man pointed in the direction of the various computer monitors that were scattered across the table, and to the code that still streamed across every one.
    "That's not a computer program, per se." he said teasingly. "Rather it's the approximate digitization of one of our fallen comrades...a backup, if you will"
    "So this is operating off a computer program based around a dead former employee?" Dominic asked, incredulously.
     
    The man simply laughed, withdrawing the metal cylinder from his breast pocket.
    "Not entirely. This cylinder is my backup...every one of us is assigned a backup. However that is old technology--not something that we would assign two top level scientists such as yourself." Both Fred and Dominic acknowledged the compliment, but still felt a shudder of dread run through them as the man spoke.
     
    "No gentlemen, what you're creating is but the frame...the shell, if you will. And we all know that a shell is useless without a soul."
    "You can't mean..." Fred began to speak, his eyes widening slightly.
    "Oh yes. This is our first experiment in harnessing the spirit of a deceased person--to give them a new lease on life!"
     
    Behind the men the monitors ceased their constant streams of code, now only two words blinked on the green, surrounded by the pulsing green lights.
    "STATUS: OPERATIONAL"
     
    The man glanced at this and smiled at the two scientists, laying a hand on each of their shoulders'
    "Congratulations, gentlemen. It looks like it's a success."
     
  7. Janus

    Days Of Future Past

    By Janus,

    FOR SCIENCE! 2.0 (2) 
    Yes. I missed yesterday. I was so ill that I fell asleep at 8:30 PM and still felt tired and ill upon awakening. I am feeling better-ish now.
     
    I need to make some sort of header for my FOR SCIENCE entries. its got to be easier than constantly typing out all that code.
     
    Anyhow:
     
    Word count: 1,393
     
    Enjoy!
     

     

    Days of Future Past 
    Six mighty Toa, elemental guardians of the Matoran stood at the ready; their faces grim and their bodies tense. Though no Kanohi masks were being activated, and no weapons were drawn, the Toa were clearly gearing up for a challenge.
     
    “Together we stand” Murmured Onua, Toa of Earth.
    “Do we really want to be together here?” joked Pohatu, Toa of Stone.
    “No.” Was the curt reply of Toa Kopaka, Toa of Ice.
    “Absolutely not” Growled Tahu, Toa of fire.
    “Nooooot really” Toa Lewa of air said with a half smile.
    “I don’t know, I don’t think it’s that bad…” Toa Gali, Toa of water, said with a slight frown.
     
    “Attention!” Came a loud and shrill voice, drawing all of the Toa’s gaze towards a small Matoran clad in a black Rau.
    “Attention! Would the Toa Mata please enter the theatre!” The small Matoran shouted loudly, seemingly oblivious to the shudder the Toa gave at being called “Mata.”
     
    One by one the Toa shuffled in a grim funeral march towards the large stone construct that the Matoran referred to as the ‘theatre.’ All except Toa Gali who simply frowned at each of her despairing brothers and muttered
    “I don’t think it’ll be that bad!” One by one each Toa handed in a small stone tablet that the Matoran assured them was called a “ticket,” (They had to wait a few minutes as the Matoran chiseled half of the “ticket” away. They also had to wait longer as the Matoran needed to explain to Tahu why he needed to do this.”
     
    After the last dying shouts of “But now there’s only half!” and “I need to do it! Company policy sir!” faded, the Toa found themselves in a large, dark enclosure. Noting rough seats carved out of the stone of the building, the Toa seated themselves and…stared in silence at the large black screen that dominated the entire wall in front of them.
     
    “Remind me again why we’re doing this?” Pohatu moaned.
    “Contractual obligations” Kopaka grated out, dropping the temperature in the room a few degrees.
    “I hate contracts” Pohatu muttered in response. The rest of the rest of the Toa, minus Gali, simply nodded their heads grimly. As for Gali, she simply sat with her arms crossed and stared at the screen, seemingly ignoring all of her brothers.
     
    “I’d like to welcome all you Toa to the theatre” came a slick voice. Turning their heads the Toa could see that the screen had lit up and…what they supposed was the face of some sort of pink fleshy…thing was speaking to them.
    “I think we’ve got something very exciting for you today. As you know we’re in our first few years of BIONICLE, but through advanced time travel we’re able to show you what you’ll look like in the future. And in place of your bonus this year, that’s what we decided to do!” The last sentence was spoken incredibly rapidly, and it was a few seconds afterwards that Lewa, finally understanding piped up with a
    “Hey!” but it was too late. The bizarre pink thing was speaking again.
     
    “We’ll start with your first transformation. Circa 2002 you’ll be dealing with a new threat, the BOHROK. Sounds scary, eh? But fear not, you’ll be turned into a new form at the end of it…hmm, guess I kind of spoiled that storyline, huh? Oh well, on with the show!” The screen flickered briefly and faded to black while some heavy drums kicked in. The Toa unconsciously began to nod their heads in time with the music, being unexpectedly pumped up by the event going on around them. Then the first slide appeared.
     
    “What the heck is that!” Pohatu shrilled, pointing one of his two fingers at the screen, his mask practically falling off his face.
    “Pohatu Nuva” a different announcer spoke “Toa Nuva of Stone, he wears the Kakama Nuva, the mask of speed”
    “…A moment of silence for Pohatu” Lewa said with a small laugh, patting his brother of stone on the shoulder.
    “I really hate contracts” Pohatu sighed, putting his face in his hands.
    “Next slide!” Lewa shouted loudly, a large grin on his face.
     
    The screen responded in kind, bringing up the image of a White-clad warrior.
    “Kopaka Nuva. Toa Nuva of Ice, he wears the Akaku Nuva” The announcer said clearly. Kopaka analyzed the screen, the various different booms of his telescopic lenses clicking in and out as he gazed. Finally he spoke.
    “Not bad. Where’s my sword?” said coolly, his single visible eye showing relief at not having a repeat of Pohatu’s fate. Lewa on the other hand was anything but pleased and grumbled “next!”
     
    Again the screen switched, bringing up the image of a Toa wielding two large weapons.
    “Wait…are those?” Pohatu questioned, eyes wide.
    “….Chainsaws?” Onua finished, clearly aghast at what he was seeing.
    “Onua Nuva. Toa Nuva of Earth, he wears the Pakari Nuva.” There was a pause in the theatre as the various Toa turned to face Onua. Even Gali looked sympathetic and simply put a hand on his shoulder while mouthing the words “I’m sorry.” For his part, Onua took the news like a real Toa. Only once screaming
    “CHAINSAWS?!” before turning and staring at the floor. Even Lewa wasn’t able to crack wise about this, and so the burden fell to Tahu to angrily demand “Next!”
     
    The screen seemed happy to oblige and changed again, the earthy hues of Onua’s land morphing to the bright greens of the jungle.
    “Lewa Nuva. Toa Nuva of air, he wears the Miru Nuva” At this announcement even Kopaka couldn’t hold back his snicker.
    “Your mask looks like a chipmunk.” He said with a snort of laughter.
    “…He’s right, you know?” Tahu said, staring intently at the image.
    “….I hate you all” Lewa murmured before looking at the image himself and screaming loudly.
    “MY MASK!” was all that he was able to get out before Gali put a hand over his mouth and glared
    “Shh! It’s not over yet!” Lewa simply whimpered in return.
     
    This time the screen changed without urging from the audience, the verdant greens of Lewa’s jungle being replaced by rivers of fire and high mountains of volcanic rock.
    “Tahu Nuva. Toa Nuva of fire, he wears the Hau Nuva.” Came the soothing tones of the announcer. The Toa simply stared at the image.
    “It’s…not bad, actually” Kopaka stated plainly
    “Why does Tahu get to look good?” Lewa whined plaintively
    “Well your sword certainly seems big enough” Gali said, eyeing the picture warily.
    “…I like it” Tahu said, surprising himself. Then he and Kopaka turned to each other and high fived over the heads of their brothers, large grins on their faces.
    “We don’t suck!” they both said, clearly relieved.
    “Shh!” Gali said “It’s my turn next!”
     
    And indeed it was. The screen changed for the final time, altering the intense reds for a softer palette of blues, and in the midst of those blues was a figure swimming serenely.
    “Gali Nuva. Toa Nuva of water, she wears the Kaukau Nuva.”
    “I….I….what?” Gali mouthed wordlessly.
    “I’m so sorry” Pohatu said with a sigh.
    “On the plus side, you got propellers” Lewa said with a grin. “I’d kill for some propellers”
    “All in favour of not letting Gali Transform?” Kopaka grunted. The Toa raised their hands unanimously. As this happened the screen faded again, and the pinky fleshy thing came back on screen.
     
    “I hope you all enjoyed this peek into the future, Toa! We’ll be testing these in focus groups soon, so don’t be surprised if the weapons get bigger…oh, you might get some guns too. Just a heads up!” And the screen went blank.
     
    The Toa walked wordlessly out of the theatre, past the black Rau’d Matoran and into the jungle that surrounded the large stone building. Various mutterings of
    “I want my money back” and “I hate contracts” could be heard through the thick foliage as the Toa wandered dazedly back towards their home Koro’s. As the Toa faded from view the Matoran took out a small walkie talkie and pressed it to the side of his mask.
    “It’s me lord Makuta, our plan worked perfectly.”
     
    On the other end of the walkie talkie a dark voice growled in response.
    “Wonderful. That’ll show those execs for making me look so terrible as a set!”
     
     
  8. Janus
    Again I die and break my schedule, I know, I know.
     
    Its been a crazy week, and I'm tired. In fact I should probably save this for the Monday update, but I wanna get it out of the way. Or something like that.
     
    Anyhow.

     

    On the current state of BIONICLE 
    I'm not happy.
     
    Strong words to start off with, I know, but it's true. I'm simply not happy with BIONICLE at this time.
     
    Now, before the accusations begin pouring in that I've grown out of it, or I'm a 2001-2003 fan, or something like that. Allow me to head that off--yes, In a way I've grown out of it, however I still purchase and enjoy the sets, and still read the comics and enjoy some of the media, as for being a 2001-2003 fan? I'll admit it, I love the Toa Olda--and I think the Toa Nuva were the most ugly things ever, I also highly enjoyed 2004 and others. This is not about not being on Mata-Nui, or anything like that. This is simply my opinion on the current state of BIONICLE, and the main problem points I've found.
     
    Problem point #1
    Accessability:
     
    Like many of you, I recall when BIONICLE first came out, and recalling the dissapointment that was Robo-riders and Throwbots/Slizers I warily stayed away--and then that accursed and beloved first comic appeared in mailbox and I was instantly hooked, the powerful story, the mysterious origin, everything was so very fascinating to me--and it continued to be throughout...until the first crash. Mask of Light.
     
    Now, don't misunderstand, I liked the movie well enough, heck, I still have it. My problem laid with the gaps in the comics, "CONTINUED IN MASK OF LIGHT" well, that bugged me, but it was minor enough that I could overlook it.
     
    2004 came with much fanfare, a return to the past and an interesting story of the Turaga we knew and loved as powerful (if somewhat unsure) Toa. It was an interesting story psychologically, going from the powerful and confident Toa Nuva to the unsure and frightened Toa Metru--and then that accursed thing appeared in the comics "CONTINUED IN LEGENDS OF METRU NUI"--or at least as far as I recall, as it was around this time that LEGO central seemingly forgot that I was to be sent comics as well as catalogues. Three catalogues, no comics. Frustrating.
     
    Likewise with 2005, but at least this time they were organized and didn't send me ANYTHING. No catalogues, no comics. 2005 passed without much fanfare from me (minus of course, my own stories) I also managed to snare every toy from this period minus some the Rahaga and the playsets.
     
    Ah, 2006 the return to comics and the return to the Nuva--or not. The Piraka were interesting, as was the new art style, but I couldn't help but feel that I wasn't getting the whole story, everything was being told in fragments, little tiny pieces of a greater whole. Where once I could pick up a comic and be quite up-to-date on the general going-ons in the mysterious world of BIONICLE, they started to become shallow, with little information and lots of fighting. (and this is a trend that's continued in my eyes.)
     
    And so to come to the crux of the issue, I find it wonderful that the BIONICLE books exist, it's a great way to give the story some depth--however now I find that the BOOKS are what contain most of the story, and the comics are really there to showcase all the nice toys you can buy, and show how 'cool' everyone is.
     
    A dissapointment, in my eyes.
     
    Problem Point #2
    Characters:
     
    A sensitive spot for many, I know. It is not that I dislike the characters, no, I quite enjoy many of them. It's more the fact that in my eyes in many ways they've ceased being just that, characters, rather they seem in many ways to be character-types.
     
    One of the reasons I fell so madly in love with the story of BIONICLE was the rich characters woven seamlessly with the story. The Turaga while all wise were also all distinctly different, the Toa while powerful had different opinions on how power should be used, they fought, they lost, they argued and they seemed to live. Around 2005 I began to notice this changing, with the advent of the books much of the life seemed to be leaving from the characters--even in said books (I've read quite a few of them, thank you very much) they simply weren't diverse, weren't interesting. It was as though one archetype was chosen and simply given different colours and slightly different views.
     
    I noticed this more than ever in 2006. Describe the defining characteristics of The Piraka, Vezon, and The Inika. Now describe the characteristics of the Toa Nuva--notice a difference?
     
    It was also around this time that characters truly began to suffer--gone were the brave and diverse Matoran of Mata-Nui, no, upon transforming into Toa it was as though they'd lost their old personalities completely--and still feel this. The Toa Mahri to me seem flat and uninteresting. Now I will admit that I have not read any of the books, but I going back to my first point, I don't think someone should have to read all the books simply to feel like there's a real character, rather than a generic hero.
     
    Problem Point #3
    Structure:
     
    This refers to two things, one, the construction of the sets, while having a definate shakeup in 2007, has been growing more and more generic. Two piece body, plus head, plus limbs. The Toa Mahri and Barraki were a welcome change, but even then the "Warriors" as they're now called, seem like more of the same--not in that they're all the same, as Gadunka is just about the most different thing I've ever seen from BIONICLE ever--but in construction. The pieces seem to be growing ever larger ESPECIALLY in larger sets--now I am not at all advocating for a return to the "Technic" style of the 2001 Rahi, nor the Bahrag. I'm asking for a between-ground.
     
    Back in 2003-2005 I could take any of my larger sets, and using only those pieces create something else, be it a Rahi or a Toa or another figure, I could create something.
     
    So I decided to do the same when I bought Vezon and Fenrakk--and was absolutely shocked that there was little I could do with the pieces, they were simply too large to do anything good looking with.
     
    Now I understand that that MOCers are not the primary market for BIONICLE--heck, we barely fit in at all, but as this is my opinion, I felt I should state it.
     
    The second structure?
     
    Toy/Story
     
    I believe that BIONICLE has a fascinating story, a story in many ways WEIGHED DOWN by the toys. While some of the toys are simply amazing, the fact that we have to constantly 'mutate' or otherwise change previously known Toa or 'create' them from somewhere is frustrating. Now I understand that LEGO is a play company, but I feel that the STORY should be at the forefront--Throwbots and Roboriders were good toys, but were utterly defeated by a lack of story. And now I feel that in many ways BIONICLE is fallling into the same trap, wherein Greg is forced to adapt sets into the story, rather than deciding
    "This is where we feel the story should go, could you create _____?" Which I feel would be a far superior structure.
     
    Problem Point #4
    Technology:
     
    BIONICLE, in my eyes always walked a fine line. Mysterious and fantastical, yet tempered with the obvious technology of the world (I mean, they're bio-mechanical)...yet with the advent of Metru Nui we began to move away from that and technology began to rise to the forefront, gone were the trials of seeking for the mystical Kanohi masks--here you could simply create them as you pleased, this problem has in many ways fluctuated, as we managed to go to a more primitive location on Voya Nui--unfortunately the Piraka and Inika felt that they needed technologically superior weapons in order to combat one another--even in 2007 we see this trait, Toa with high-tech gattling guns?
     
    It seems that in many ways BIONICLE has decided to stop walking that line and has sided unconditionally with Technology.
     
    I will also admit that much of my problems come from the "Kanohi" from 2004 onwards. While the interesting characters distracted me from it, I now find that what I had hoped wasn't true was indeed--gone are the simple and almost tribal mask shapes, masks that look ancient and powerful, now there are complicated and elaborate designs that obviously have a more technological and futuristic bend to them.
     
    For example, compare the Faxon of Hahli Mahri to the KauKau of Gali Olda, the difference is astonishing.
     
    Now while there is much more that I could nitpick, that's not the point of this entry. I still quite enjoy BIONICLE in many ways and am thankful it continues, and am thankful for all the hard work that LEGO puts into making it, these are just my thoughts on its current state.
     
    Finally, as many people will undoubtedly say "If you don't like it, why don't you do better", or even "LEGO is all about making your own stuff" To them I say, I can, I have, and will continue to do so.
     
    If you want to see my take (Which I understand in many ways would be impossible for Greg to do) then you'll get your chance in my upcoming entry. BIONICLE: Judgement
     
    Coming Soon: Ruby Gloom
    BIONICLE: Judgement 2003-2005
  9. Janus

    Gray Morality

    By Janus,

    So as everyone already knows I've been playing Mass Effect 2. And while for the most part I really enjoy it. I've been having some problems with the choices. Not just the "click something you think Shepard would say only for her to say something completely different, accidentally earn renegade/paragon points" but more specifically with the whole binary system in the first place.
     
    Spoilers to follow. Liek whoa.
     
    Mordin's Loyalty Mission
     
     
     
    Legion's Loyalty Mission
     
     
     
    Collector Base
     
     
     
    Again, none of these things were a deal breaker, in fact for the most part I far preferred Mass Effect 2 to Mass Effect 1. However in ME1 I never felt this huge problem with the binary choice system. The problem with the weightier choices of ME2 is that they don't lend themselves to the binary choice structure that's been built up this entire time.
  10. Janus
    ... is that he leaves himself logged in to his computer at all times, so I pretty much have free access to his account.
     
    ♥ you, Rob!
     
    - HH
     
    (honestly aside from this, all I really do with his account is fix his spelling and grammar, and edit his profile and then wait until 3 months later when he actually notices)
  11. Janus
    FOR SCIENCE! (8) 
    Okay, not so happy with this one. It's supposed to be part one of a two part tribute to one of the first stories I ever typed. That being a naive attempt to make a Novel out of Super Metroid. I got maybe fifteen pages in before I dropped it and never picked it up again.
     
    But I love Metroid, I love it so very, very much. So first of all we see a slightly different take on Metroid original, and then tomorrow there'll be something else. Thursday will be an all-original tale, though. So those of you who don't like this fanfic stuff don't have to worry, it won't be sticking around for long.
     
    I'd also like to apologize for a few things.
     
    One: I think the title sucks, but it's all I got, if you can think of something better please do suggest it.
    Two: There are all sorts of Metroid fan injokes, some of this you probably will not get. Like, at all.
    Three: The ending is both an injoke and a failtastic ending. I JUST NEEDED TO END IT.
     
    Anyhow, enjoy as much as is possible!
     

    Of Mothers. Who Happen to be Brains 
    I landed on the planet’s surface, rolling along the ground to cushion myself from the impact. Above me my ship flew on autopilot, the hatch I had emerged closing silently.
     
    I raised myself into a half-crouch, carefully watching my radar and readying my arm cannon, I knew it was more than possible that I’d be swarmed by Space Pirates at any point and it was important I stayed on guard. Luckily I was only five minutes away from the entry point to their lair—though I expected it to be heavily guarded. Five minutes later I had arrived…and underneath my visored helmet…blanched.
     
    It wasn’t heavily guarded at all. In fact there was a sign sticking out of the strange Blue-grey rock of Zebes that cheerfully informed everyone that this was in fact the express elevator into the Space Pirate secret lair. There was no way this was real. No way. I readied my arm cannon, waiting for the flood of enemies to wash over me at any point, I was most sorely disappointed when none showed up.
     
    “This has to be a joke” I muttered under my breath. I’d been hired to take care of the Notorious Space Pirates and their leader Mother Brain before they did even worse things with their newly discovered weapon, the species known as “Metroids.” So here I was on their home planet of Zebes…a well known Bounty hunter with a well known ship flying directly into their radar space and they have a SIGN that tells me this where their layer is, you’re kidding me.
     
    I sighed, there was nothing else on the planet’s surface, that much I knew, so unless I felt like making my own entrance (a tempting thought, albeit one that would take roughly 3 years by my calculations) I needed to take what I could get. Wary of any sort of trap I stepped into the elevator.
     
    Talk about cramped. With a full suit of armor plus arm cannon I barely managed to squeeze in, and for one second I thought the doors wouldn’t close—as it was they just barely managed to scrape over my armor and close. Phew.
     
    Then I heard it. I couldn’t believe it, but I heard it. How could Mother Brain have the absolute gall. How could it dare to do something like this? I sighed and dialed up my noise filters. There was no way in heck I was going to spend what looked like a long elevator ride listening to the tinkling, synthesized sounds of Muzac.
     
    At long last the ride ended and the Muzac ceased. Exiting the metallic squeeze tube I had been trapped in I entered a vast underground cavern. I realized now that the elevator wasn’t a conventional type and instead was some sort of light-based circular platform which rode down a tube until the exit point. Namely this place.
     
    There were two enormous stone pillars made of the same strange blue-grey stone that covered the surface of Zebes, each with a central tube running through it—maybe they controlled the elevator? If so perhaps If I could cripple the elevator I could prevent Mother Brain’s troops from escaping!
     
    But wait, there was something moving at the top of one of the pillars. I aimed my cannon upwards, checking my target reticle as some sort of…thing entered into my view. It was primarily yellow with faded green on the tips of its…spines? I really wasn’t sure, all I knew is it was an enemy—but perhaps it could serve useful.
     
    I tracked the thing’s movements then let lose a stream of fire directly ahead of it. The creature didn’t stop moving…in fact it seemed that it (and its partner, as I had realized there was another one on the other pillar) were only interested in crawling in a cyclical fashion, up one side, down the other. I fired again, speaking this time.
    “Listen up, there’s more than enough power in this cannon to destroy you! Where is Mother Brain?” The creature responded somewhat predictably, and when I say somewhat I mean incredibly predictably. It just kept going around in its preset path.
     
    I’d say it was a mercy killing, that I was putting the poor mindless thing out of its misery, but unfortunately I couldn’t even say that much, when I blasted the beast it sparked and exploded. They were some sort of Techo-organic security system. Great.
     
    “Oh Samus, you always were so violent” came a…somehow sweet, almost sickeningly so, voice.
    “Mother Brain” I grated out. I hate it when the villains play games with you, don’t they have any respect for all the effort it takes to infiltrate their bases and kill their soldiers? Jeese.
    “Of course!” The voice responded, sounding chipper and upbeat. What. The. Heck.
    “By the way if you’re looking for me I’m in Tourian, deepest layer of the Zebes Fortress. I’d come and greet you, but, you know. Giant brain in a jar and all that.”
     
    Okay now I was getting creeped out, Mother Brain was…chatting with me? Like she knew me or something? Was this all some massive prank?
    “You’re quiet dear, is there something on your mind?” She spoke soothingly. This was infuriating.
    “…Well, I didn’t expect the leader of the Space Pirates to be so…” I spoke before realizing it, why was I speaking to her?
    “Motherly?” She correctly intuited. And when did I start referring to it as a she?
    “Um…yes” I mumbled. Why was I still talking?
    “Well that’s how I got the name Mother brain, dear. Before that I was just brain. Oh by the way, we all pitched in and got a gift for your little attempt-to-kill-us-all party. If you check over on your left over the outcropping you’ll find it. Anyhow dear, my cannons are getting warmed up and I hate to let them get too hot. I’ll see you when you get down here!”
     
    And then the communication was cut, and I was left standing in the middle of a suddenly not-so-hostile enemy base. I think that was the most terrified I’d ever been in my entire life. But maybe, maybe, maybe that had all been a guise, you know, to lower my defenses! Yes, surely that was what it had been. I’d go look for the supposed gift and find it guarded by thousands of well-armed space pirates, or the gift would be a bomb or something that would destroy my power-suit leaving me helpless to fend for myself. SURELY THAT IS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
     
    I calmed myself, I hadn’t quite realized that I was hyperventilating—and fogging up my visor. I needed to remain calm, even in the face of such…I searched for the word, none of my usual ones fitting. Adversity? No, Overwhelming odds? No, Viciousness? Definitely not.
     
    Ah, absurdity, that was a wonderful fit—given that this entire situation was absolutely, irredeemably insane. But with luck there would be a band of murderous space pirates just around the bend, I’d shoot them all, and everyone would be happy.
     
    I glanced around the enormous cavern, the blue rock being weird enough at first, but with this fresh deluge of weird I felt like getting on the elevator and leaving. Of course when I looked at the ground I saw the circular platform of light wasn’t there anymore. Okay, so maybe Mother Brain was going to kill me and act like a villain should….Or maybe she just wanted to drive me to the brink of insanity.
     
    However, I realized that standing here wracked with indecision wasn’t going to help me either way. Plus if someone happened to be watching my exploits, or perhaps controlling them through some sort of controller, it wouldn’t be particularly interesting for them.
     
    I wasn’t quite sure where that last thought came from, but I went with it anyways. Then I turned to my left and exited from the ‘foyer’ and into the cavern proper. The first thing I saw was of course a gigantic stone outcropping with a tiny little tunnel underneath it…but it looked like it could be scaled, and in the lighter gravity of Zebes my jumps were nearly doubled. I was at the top in no time, scanning cautiously and seeing only one of those…strange…spikey things (I decided to call them Zebe-ites for sake of clarity.) crawling around on the farthest wall. In the center of the room, however, was a strange sphere that almost seemed to be made of glass, but shone with an intense light.
     
    Quickly realizing that this was the ‘gift’ that Mother Brain (and I assumed the rest of the space pirates) had gotten for me, I dispatched the Zebe-ite with a few well placed cannon shots, and moved closer to observe the strange crystalline orb. It seemed to be almost wholly transparent, with only a faint ring of blue showing where the outer line of the sphere was. Then of course there was the strange light radiating out from it, obscuring the lines even more.
     
    I scanned that thing with every scanner in my suit. Twice. And they all came up clean, upon seeing this verdict I hesitantly reached out with one armored hand and touched the sphere. Immediately the glow intensified and surrounded my suit (and I swear there was some sort of music playing ) causing all of the circuits to temporarily shut down and leaving me motionless—and without my visor, blind..
     
    Slowly the suit began to boot up again, sending power throughout my limbs and restoring my various sensors, but something was new, there was a new suit function listed in my schematics. I grunted and with my restored vision saw that the sphere was gone. Somehow it had been absorbed into my suit. I mentally shrugged, that was the kind of weird I could deal with. With the boot-up process complete the suit set to explaining the new feature installed, it seemed rather interesting, some sort of matter converter so that I could shrink into small spaces, moving around as a ball in an energy format, this I could get used to!
     
    I followed the instructions, I crouched down and then rolled, exactly as the suit had told me my armor began to fold and mould itself, turning into a spherical shape that wrapped all around my form and forming a shell around me. Next all that had to happen was for the matter converter to kick in and I’d be golden.
     
    I waited.
     
    And waited.
     
    My spine got sore very quickly, sitting in a ‘morph ball’ and curled into a horribly uncomfortable position with armor plating all around. Obviously the matter converter wasn’t going to work. I unrolled myself and glanced around the area, after all, I could live without the morph ball, I just needed to get to ‘Tourian.’
     
    Looking around the enclosed space I let out a stream of curses. On one side was the ending of the space pirates cavern, leaving only a sheer rock face that met the ceiling, on the other was the outcropping I’d climbed, but on this side it too was sheer and insurmountable. My only hope lay in that tiny little opening, which I could only fit through in morph ball form. I wanted to cry.
     
    I got as close as I could to the mouth of the tiny cavern, evaluating it mentally and with a few of my scanners as well. Even if I lay flat on my stomach and crawled I would be far too wide with my power armor—and if I abandoned my power armor I had no guarantees for survival, I wasn’t even sure if there was oxygen here! I sighed, crouched, and rolled; my armor again activated and formed the armored ball. Easy part was done.
     
    The problem with morph ball, I reflected, was not only that the matter converter seemed to be disabled, but also that when one is in a ball and curled into what was basically fetal position, one has no real means of locomotion—however I wasn’t the best bounty hunter in the galaxy for nothing. Sighing I heaved my body backwards, picking up just enough momentum that the morph ball slowly eased forwards and into the cavern.
    “Now that wasn’t so bad,” I mused to myself, heaving my body again and driving the ball a tiny bit further into the mouth of the cavern.
     
    All of a sudden there was a horrid screeching all around me. Instantly I was on my guard (though still trapped inside the ball) was this an alarm? Was Mother Brain attacking me now that I was trapped? Short answer: No, and also no.
     
    Instead, a monitor inside the ball activated and showed me that the cavern was tighter than even I expected, leading the metallic surface of my armor to scrape loudly across it. Sighing I brought up a map and found I was less than a quarter of the way through it. I think I could have killed someone.
     
    After an endless agony of that horrid screeching I finally escaped the tunnel, emerging into my fully armored form once again. I was going to make Mother Brain HURT for that.
    “BRAIN!” I shouted at the walls, I was sure she had some sort of surveillance, otherwise she couldn’t have spoken to me earlier. “Brain, I am taking you down, you hear me?” The response was faster than I could have expected, a speaker crackled to life and Mother Brain’s strangely comforting voice began to echo around the cavern
    “I’m sorry, I must have stepped out to raid some federation ships with my new army of Metroids, but your call is important to me, so please do leave your contact info and I’ll be sure to get right back to you! And if this is Samus, sorry sweetie, I guess you’ll just have to wait for me in Tourian, hate to leave you hanging like this.”
     
    My mouth dropped open, an answering machine? I got an answering machine? I realized two things right then and there. One: This was going to be a long and hard journey fraught with me wanting to kill things.
    Two: I hated this planet. I hated it so much.
     
    I sighed, some days just don’t end.
     
    Oh well, I’d get Mother Brain in the end, and hopefully she wouldn’t activate some sort of base-destroying bomb that I only had precious few seconds to escape from.
     
    But what were the chances of that?
     
    Word Count: 2,416
  12. Janus

    The Truth behind stuff.

    By Janus,

    Becca and I have come to the conclusion that Animal Crossing: City Folk takes place within the Capitol.
     
    Also that President Snow only became President because he wanted to be the mayor in Animal Crossing SO BADLY.
  13. Janus

    Just Some Kid

    By Janus,

    FOR SCIENCE! 2.0 (4) 
    I'll be perfectly honest with all of you. I had absolutely no idea where I was going with this.
     
    The opening sentence "What can I say..." popped into my head and I began to write...from there the character just directed the story. I got a brief idea of what went on towards about halfway through, but even I was surprised at the way it turned out.
     
    Wordcount: 813
     
    Enjoy!
     

     
     

    Just some kid 
    What can I say about Frederick Rollen? He was a punk, a snot-faced little brat who made my life a living nightmare. Am I glad he’s dead? No, of course not; no sane human being would be. But am I glad he’s finally out of my hair? You’d better believe it.
     
    Fred first entered my life ten years ago, just as much a punk then as on the day he died. I remember the reaction I gave him, the first words I ever said to him…heh, I told him I had no money for bums. He laughed at that, can you believe it? He, some punk teen of seventeen in his torn jeans and stained jacket; with his dirty hair and greasy skin, he laughed.
     
    “Man, I ain’t here for your money,” he said, drawlingly, rubbing his dark hands on his torn jeans. “I’m new to the neighborhood. Name’s Fred.” And with that he extended his hand, his dark, grease-stained hand. Surely you can’t blame me for shutting the door in his face?
     
    But I still remember what happened next, I remember it with a clarity that surprises even me. I shut the door on that young man, but I watched him through the peephole…I rationalized this to myself by saying it was to make sure he didn’t become violent, but nevertheless I watched. For a moment the young man seemed taken aback by having the door slammed in his face, then a grin crept to his dark face and he turned his back, raising a hand in a half wave.
     
    I don’t know what it was about that motion, but it broke my heart. I still remember the unfamiliar pain, which even now remains as a dull ache. I still remember the fact that I turned away a young man who simply wanted to be accepted. Albeit he was a punk, and he certainly didn’t belong—but nevertheless a man of my upbringing was taught never to turn away someone.
     
    I suppose it should come as no surprise that after I led the charge, the rest of the neighborhood was also reluctant to accept this dark stranger; and one by one doors slammed in his face. Nevertheless, young Fred still smiled.
     
    He was a mechanic in those days, can you imagine? Someone on a mechanic’s salary living in our neighborhood? Preposterous! Or at least that’s what I and the others told ourselves. We told ourselves it wasn’t the young man that we had issue with, it wasn’t the colour of his skin, or his hair. It wasn’t even the fact that he was constantly covered in grime and filth…it was the fact that he was a mechanic. Even in those days our words sounded hollow, even to ourselves.
     
    Now admittedly, Fred wasn’t exactly a saint—nor did he earn many friends on our block. He had the frustrating habit of playing his music too loud…even in the late hours. He also scandalized the women of the neighborhood (and shamed their husbands) by frequently walking around sans shirt. Heh, I suppose it was a simpler time.
     
    He did his best to fit in, he really did. But try as he might he simply wasn’t one of us. He didn’t have our upbringing, our education—he just didn’t belong. He was a punk…a punk living like a king, but nothing more than a punk.
     
    It came as no surprise, really, when it happened.
     
    I can only suppose it happened over money…maybe women. I couldn’t really tell you. All I do know is that Fred had been working late at the shop when a group of hooded men entered and demanded something of him. Fred didn’t know what they were talking about, he tried to calm them down—but they wouldn’t be sated. He tried to run…but they caught up. Two held him tight as one of them administered a savage beating to him…
     
    It…it wasn’t supposed to end the way it did. They were supposed to scare him, to show him that he was a punk! That he didn’t belong!
     
    I know I said that I didn’t know what happened…but unfortunately I wasn’t being truthful. I saw it all. They beat Fred until he was close to losing consciousness and then turned to leave.
     
    Fred was stronger than they expected, more resistant. He struggled to his feet and grabbed a wrench. He charged towards his assailants, knocking two of them to the ground with the wrench…he wrestled with the third before finally being taken off balance and losing control of the wrench.
     
    He looked at me with pleading eyes as I raised the wrench.
     
    I’m….I’m so sorry for what I’ve done. He needed to understand, he needed to see that there was a difference between us…I never meant to kill him…He was just some punk. Just some kid.
     
    And I was a monster.
  14. Janus

    Shyallright

    By Janus,

    (14)
     
    This story hurt my brain. It really seemed like a simple enough idea in theory--but actually putting it into reality? It feels like my brain was out walking in the wrong side of town and got strung up and beaten until at least two vertebrae shattered.
     
    Yes, I am aware that brains do not have vertebrae. FIGURE OF SPEECH.
     
    Word count: 115 (SUPAH SHORT)
     
    Enjoy!
     

     
    Shyallright
     
    Shyallright, thus heer iss atest. Wile et maight luk lyk rendam gybbersh, ets aktully en ettamt tu rite samthin antyrely en a korupt anglysh. Et maight halp tu reed et weth a slyt ecsent.
     
    Ubvyusly et’s naut goang tu b es laung es mye uthar wehrks, semplay bikus these s difikult.
     
    Oh god, my brain. Ow. Oh man it hurts.
     
    Okay that was an attempt to write something entirely in corrupt English. Post your translations and we’ll see if anyone hit it properly.
     
    I like experimenting, I’m crazy, and silly.
     
    Maybe one of these days I’ll write something entirely in slang, or code. I dunno. It was fun in a brain shattering kind of way.
     
  15. Janus

    I Wanna Be Sedated

    By Janus,

    (20)
     
    It is DONE.
     
    And with this the summary of my time off last week is basically complete.
     
    I was on various fun things that caused me to have dulled...everything.
     
    SO READ ON AND FIND OUT.
     
    Word count: 820
     
    Enjoy!
     

     

    I wanna be sedated 
    Well, after all the fun I'd had not a day ago (See: The Joy of Painkillers for more information) I quickly figured out how to actually ingest a painkiller. Oh the fun.
     
    It wasn't that bad, actually. In fact if I avoided biting into them then the disgusting taste was barely present. They went down just like any other vitamin.
     
    However, as I got used to my little routine of swallowing a painkiller in the morning, a painkiller at lunch, and a painkiller later in the night...I was unaware of the fun that lurked for me in the future.
     
    You see, I had conveniently forgotten about the prescription my dentist had written for me. Why? Because quite simply, he told me as he began to jot out the various pills I'd need to be taking:
    "I'll write you a prescription for an antibiotic to help your gum heal, and I'll give you some Advil to help the pain. However I'll also give you a prescription for Tylenol threes. They have a sedative in them."
     
    Now for those of you who actually know what I do. you will know this is the antithesis of what I need--for those of you who don't. You need to stalk me more effectively.
     
    I kid, of course. I am a Martial Arts instructor--you can see how well that would match up with taking a sedative. The answer, in case you are wondering, is not at all.
     
    And so I simply 'forgot' about my prescription. Or rather, I misinterpreted it. I believed rather foolishly that my dentist had written me two prescriptions--one for a painkiller WITH sedative and one for a painkiller WITHOUT sedative. I was dumb.
     
    Unfortunately it was my very own dear mother who realized what a putz I was. She very quickly informed me of the fact that I had only one painkiller prescription and that I would have to take a sedative--what fun.
     
    And so it was that one I came home and two pill bottles rested on top of the counter, almost innocent in their commonality. Of course they contained the things I really wasn't eager to be taking.
     
    "This one is your antibiotic" My mother dearest explained, indicating the bottle with MASSIVE pills inside. I mean pills that were bigger than skittles. It was terrifying.
    "You'll need to take these three times a day."
     
    Joy.
     
    Then of course she picked up the second bottle and told me that it was my painkillers--and that while the Advil was good for me for quick pain (and indeed, the non liqui-gel stuff actually tasted kind of skittlely on the way down. Mmmm) the Tylenol is what I would need for big pain--so I'd best take it at lunch and allow the painkiller to run its course.
     
    I complied.
     
    Getting myself some food I downed the painkiller, it was easier to swallow than the antibiotic or the liqui-gel capsules before it. However I didn't really feel much different.
     
    "Hum" I thought to myself "Perhaps it takes some time to take effect. After all, even the so-called fast acting advil took about ten-fifteen minutes to activate and dull my pain"
     
    And so I waited.
     
    And waited.
     
    I mulled various thoughts in my head as I surfed the internet, waiting for my supposed sedative to take effect. I mean, the pain was dulled but that could have been after-effect from the advil I had taken that morning. Where was my sedation?
     
    I frowned and continued to surf the internet listlessly.
     
    Then, following a request from my father (and upon realizing that I needed to put my dirty dishes in the wash) I made my way to the kitchen.
     
    Or rather, I attempted to.
     
    You see, my legs appeared to be stuck fast to the ground, and in no apparent hurry to move elsewhere. However I being a Black Belt, knew how to force my way past such menial things and heaved myself from the chair.
     
    To say that I did a nose dive isn't entirely accurate. I began to fall into a nose dive, however quick thinking avoided such a fate and I fell rather heavily into my chair with a
    "Whuuuuuh" sound.
     
    My father made a comment from the kitchen about my inherent wussiness to sedatives. I ignored him and attempted to stop my head from spinning.
     
    To sum it all up, sedatives are not fun, but they're also not entirely what you expect.
     
    Sedatives dull the senses and make you freaking TIRED. I would have gladly slept for HOURS with that dang thing in my system--so for those of you who have not yet experienced the so-called 'buzz' that these painkillers can give off...that's basically it.
     
    You get really, really tired.
     
    So basically you can get the same feeling from staying up really, really late.
     
    Which I do anyhow.
     
    I think I'll stick to that, sedatives suck.
     
  16. Janus
    (17)
     
    AGH.
     
     
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH.
     
    THIS STORY WOULD NOT END. I seriously tried. I tried, I wanted to end it around 1,000 words.
     
    BUT IT WOULDN'T LET ME WHY WOULDN'T IT EEEEEEEEEEEND?
     
    Read. Please read. AGH.
     
    *Brainsplode*
     
    Word count: 3,017
     
    Enjoy!
     

     

    Let's do the Time Warp again! 
     
    Blazing heat emanated all around the dry dunes of Po-Koro, and amidst this heat the Toa Nuva, brave heroes that they were, slogged onward. All about them there was only desolate desert, the only hope for some revitalizing shade being the distant canyons and mountains that ringed about the arid wasteland. It was towards those canyons that the Toa made their way, their eyes set grim and their weapons slung like weights across their backs.
     
    Pohatu led them across the blazing sands, and he was the first to break the heavy silence that had fallen across the group.
    “We really have to do this again?” He muttered grimly.
    “Unfortunately” Tahu grunted, wiping a bead of moisture from his mask.
    “Couldn’t we at least have the Matoran carry us? I mean, we are Toa!” Lewa chirped in
    “Nuva” Kopaka added curtly
    “What he said.” Onua began, always quick to ensure proper word usage amongst the Toa. “Well…that, and the fact that the Matoran are all living in Metru Nui, so there’s nobody here.”
     
    “Oh Yeah” Pohatu and Lewa both chorused.
    “As for why they didn’t put this thing down in Metru-Nui…” Gali murmured.
    “Budget!” All the Toa yelled synonymously.
     
    When at last they had made it to the inviting shade of one of the canyons the Toa allowed themselves to relax, depositing their weapons into one of the conveniently placed “Tool” storage bins. Then they all got ready for their least favourite experience. Before them, in the shadows of the canyon stood a newly erected Theatre, this time easily four times the size of the last.
    “Think they’re compensating for something?” Lewa snickered upon seeing the massive tower.
    “Yes.” Kopaka muttered, the rest of the Toa Nuva simply chose to ignore the two of them.
    “Well, may as well just get this over with...” Tahu muttered, striding toward the massive stone structure.
     
    Suddenly he halted mid-step and put up his fists, shouting “Toa! Get ready!” and each Toa in turn began powering up their elemental powers, temporarily devoid of their weapons.
    “Stupid bins!” Lewa was heard to shout as he saw the danger that now faced the Toa…a danger that seemed rather…uninterested.
    “Hmmm? Oh. Hello Toa.” Came a dark and gravelly voice
    “Nuva” Onua corrected.
    “Yes, yes. Toa Nuva. Whatever” The Master of Shadows said offhandedly, waving an armored hand.
    “Makuta! Enemy of the Matoran and Toa everywhere, how dare you come to invade our former home!” Tahu shouted, raising a flaming fist toward the imposing figure.
     
    Makuta frowned and checked what appeared to be a watch on his wrist. Then he looked nervously toward the sky, one of his heavily armored feet tapping the ground in an odd tattoo. He appeared to not even notice Tahu’s challenge.
    “Um?” Pohatu responded, finding it very difficult to look imposing in the face of Makuta’s utter indifference.
    “Makuta?” Gali questioned, allowing her elemental energy to fade and walking toward the armored colossus.
    “Hmm? Oh, what do you want Toa?”
    “Nuva.” Onua interjected helpfully.
    “Whatever!” Makuta snapped.
    “I trust that you are not here to deny us entry, or otherwise impede in our mission in any way?” The Toa of water said soothingly. The Master of Shadows simply sighed, his entire body slumping forward.
    “Indeed no, Toa Nuva. I am not here to be your enemy…in fact I do believe we have both been called here for the same reason.”
     
    Tahu’s eyes became wide.
    “You can’t mean that you’re going to be in the storyline again! You’re so…so….”
    “Dangerous? Menacing? Cruel? Wicked? Villainous?” Makuta inserted, hopefully.
    “..Overdone.” Tahu finally finished.
    “Yes. Well...” Makuta faltered and fell silent.
    “Um…shall we head inside?” Lewa spoke, indicating the enormous building and its now-open doors.
     
    Makuta said nothing and lumbered off toward the shadowed building, and after a choice
    “Awwwwwwkward.” By Pohatu, the Toa set off behind him. They’d almost made it to the towering theatre when they heard a cheerful voice shout out:
    “Master!” In response to this Makuta mumbled something vaguely threatening…but incomprehensible to the Toa. Luckily enough the cheerful voice was more than loud enough for everyone to hear.
    “But master! This is just a temp-job! Something to help me get back on my feet, I’ll be back to scheming with you in no time!” Makuta simply growled at these words and stormed inside.
     
    “Um, guys?” Lewa whispered “Isn’t that the guy who worked at the theatre last time?”
    And indeed, the black Rau’d Matoran who had staffed the ticket booth previously was sitting atop a luxurious looking stool directly outside the doors of the new building.
    “Oh. Hi, Toa.” He said with a nervous grin.
    “Nuva.” Onua muttered.
    “Right, right. Hi, Toa Nuva! Welcome to the theatre, how are you today?” The Matoran spoke incredibly rapidly, getting more and more flustered by the second.
    “You work for Makuta?” Kopaka asked, his voice like ice.
    “…Yes.” The Matoran replied truthfully, lowering his head in shame.
    “What’s the pay like?” Kopaka said, after a moment of consideration.
    “Well…I get to live!” The Matoran responded.
    “Not worth it.” Pohatu said with a frown as he passed through the doors. The Matoran simply shrugged his shoulders.
    “I also get to control Rahi and wear this totally awesome mask!”
     
    The Toa Nuva gave no response, simply ignoring the diminutive Matoran and walking into the well-lit hallway of the theatre. They promptly blanched as they saw Makuta, Master of Shadows…attempting to hide behind a garbage can.
    “Um?” Lewa said, dumbfounded.
    “Makuta?” Gali said gently, holding her hand out to the massive figure.
    “It’s light in here. I hate light” Makuta said simply. Then, with a strong blush evident on his mask he stood up and walked through the door into the theatre proper—leaving a large Makuta-sized hole in the wall. The Toa Nuva followed him wordlessly.
     
    Once inside (and once the Black Rau’d Matoran had been summoned to fix the gaping hole in the wall) they quickly found seats…as far away from the Master of Shadows as was possible.
     
    Unfortunately for all involved, they had all arrived horrendously early and had nothing to do to kill time. This of course led to conversation.
    “So…Makuta…what brings you here?” Tahu managed to force out, maintaining a large, fake, smile on his face the entire time.
    “Oh.” Makuta responded simply. “Apparently they’ve decided that one Makuta isn’t good enough, so it’s no-longer just my name, but the name of an entire SPECIES.”
    “Ohgod” Lewa squeaked, hiding half of his mask behind the stone backing of another chair.
    “Yes, that’s the response I would expect,” Makuta said haughtily. “however I simply don’t like it! One: It takes away from my individuality…after all, they’re all going to be just as powerful as I am!”
    “Mata-Nui…” Onua whispered, before joining Lewa in cowering behind his chair.
    “And Two: The only way they can get a sufficient amount of Makuta into the story is to make them canister sets! So there’s going to be six incredibly powerful Makuta (who aren’t me!) running around, while looking about as strong as you Toa!”
    “…” Kopaka said nothing, simply choosing to duck out of sight at that time.
     
    Thankfully, before any more Toa could be petrified, the speakers and screen activated and that horribly annoying voice once again assaulted the Toa’s ears.
    “Well hey there Toa! (and Makuta)”
    “Nuva” Onua popped up quickly, before retreating behind his seat.
    “We’ve got a fabulous show for you tonight! In fact we’re going quite a bit ahead in this one, this is Circa 2008, the “Final Battle” we like to call it. It sounds really dramatic, don’t you think??”
    “Desperate is more like it…” Tahu muttered, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.
    “Anyhow, without spoiling too much, it’s about The Toa Nuva’s face off with Makuta’s evil army of Makuta…wow that sounded confusing! Either way, it’s a desperate race for a Mask that none of you know about yet! And also there’s flying ships with tons of guns! Man are the kids going to love it!”
    “Please, please, please tell me they’re kidding.” Gali murmured, all idealism lost.
    “They weren’t kidding about chainsaws, why would they kid about this?” Onua muttered darkly, finally having returned to his seat.
     
    “Oh, one more note!” the announcer said cheerfully, his face filling the screen. “Due to….the creative process taking longer than it should. We’re only going to be able to show you three of each team: Makuta and Toa Nuva. We’ll call you back when they’re all finished!” Almost immediately as he finished speaking, the Toa Nuva looked at each other and then began fervent prayers that they wouldn’t be one of the three shown.
    “Anyhow, on with the show!” the announcer cried, and the screen faded to black as drums and guitar riffs kicked in.
     
    The Toa Nuva were not so easily tricked this time, not even one of them moving an inch as the music played. The Master of Shadows, however, seemed helpless to the thrall of the music…Even playing Air Guitar at one point.
    “Dude.” Was Lewa’s only response.
     
    Suddenly the screen lit up and text scrolled rapidly, explaining that the song currently playing was “Gravity Hurts” and that while it would be available for download in 2008—all of those in the theatre could purchase an advance copy for only $19.95! The Toa simply stared. Makuta bought five.
     
    The music continued to play, but now a short video was playing, showing figures flying through a dimly lit sky amidst massive stalagmites. When it ended (with the words BIONICLE 2008 – THE FINAL BATTLE) the true show began.
     
    A bright orange and grey figure appeared helicopter through the area, holding up massive claws that split into propellers and aiming an incredibly large cannon. On his face there was some sort of blue bubble and….
    “The Mask of time!?” Tahu gasped, incredulous.
    “Pohatu Nuva – Adaptive Armor” The screen stated, explaining that his armaments consisted of a “Midak Skyblaster” Twin Propellers (that double as drills) and the Kakama Nuva.
    “What.” Pohatu said dumbly, looking at the screen, then removing his mask and comparing the two with a quizzical look on his face.
    “How is that not the Vahi?” Tahu grunted. “That is totally the Vahi.”
    “I agree, Toa” Makuta responded, suddenly sitting right beside the rest of the Nuva.
    “Why are you orange?” Gali asked.
    “I….I don’t know!” was Pohatu’s only response.
    “Could be worse?” Lewa chirped in helpfully.
    “Mata-Nui…next!” Onua shouted.
     
    The screen flashed with thunder as a sinister looking red and black creature flew down, its clawed feet landing on the rough stone beneath. It was a lanky looking thing, with large bladed wings and vicious looking swords in its hands. Its chest seemed to be a glowing, pulsing orb, and on its face was a brutal looking mask unlike the Toa had ever seen.
    “Makuta Antroz” the screen explained. Listing his armaments as a “Tridax Pod” the Kanohi Jutlin, and poisonous fangs and claws.
    Both Toa and Makuta alike stared, mouths agape.
    “Scary mask.” Kopaka muttered, crossing his arms.
    “Why are my soldiers anorexic?” Makuta said with a frown. “What’s wrong with having a villain with some meat on his bones?”
    “There, there…” Gali said, patting Makuta on one of his massive shoulders.
    “Anyone really afraid of running into this guy?” Tahu asked
    “Nah!” The rest of the Toa responded. Makuta began to cry.
    “Next!” Lewa cried.
     
    The screen lightened considerably and a powerful thrumming noise could be heard as a grey and lime green figure streaked across the screen three times before gingerly landing. The figure was tall and imposing with a single jagged blade and large get engines strapped to his arms. On his face there was bright green Kanohi with jet-intakes in the sides.
     
    “Lessovikk?” Gali murmured. “Oh wait, I’m not supposed to know who he is. Carry on!” she said quickly, ignoring the strange looks the rest of the theatre was giving her.
    “Lewa Nuva – Adaptive Armor” The screen said, showing his equipment consist of a “Midak Skyblaster” the Air Saber, and of course the Miru Nuva.
    “It’s not as ugly as my current one!” Lewa cried happily, looking at the mask.
    “What is with those giant cannon things?” Onua muttered darkly.
    “Why do you only have one sword?” Kopaka asked slowly.
    “I’m not entirely sure. I’m also not sure where my WINGS are and why I have JETPACKS. But my mask is less ugly and that’s all I care about!” Lewa cried, looking about wildly.
    “But it still looks nothing like your original Miru…or your Miru Nuva.” Pohatu said carefully.
    “LESS. UGLY.” was Lewa’s only response. Tahu sighed.
    “Next!”
     
    Everything went dark and only a silhouette with piercing yellow eyes could be made out. Gradually as the light returned to the screen it could be seen that the figure was entirely black and silver, with cruel looking blades for hands and large batlike wings. Adorning its face was a vaguely skull-like Kanohi, and like the creature before it, its chest pulsed with an eerie orange light.
    “Makuta Chirox” The screen listed, showing his accessories to be a “Tridax Pod” a pair of Hook Blades, and the Kanohi Shelek.
     
    Makuta screamed. “Oh come on! You can see his ribs! Why are all of my soldiers so blasted skinny!?”
    “You don’t feed them?” Pohatu said with a shrug.
    “Of course I don’t!” Makuta trilled. “Do I look like a mother to you? But I do make sure that they eat four square meals a day—otherwise how can I expect them to kill you accursed Toa?”
    “Fair enough point.” Kopaka said offhandedly.
    “Still, those blades look pretty scary!” Gali said in a desperate bid to pull Makuta from his funk. Of course Onua didn’t exactly help matters when he finally spoke.
    “…So far they look like I could break them in half. Without using my Pakari.”
    in response Gali shot him a glare so venomous that even Maktua winced. Scrambling away from Gali Ground Zero, Pohatu shouted
    “Neeeext!”
     
    Light flooded into the room as the screen displayed a dark grey and white warrior effortlessly cruising through the air. With a slight spin and a loop-de-loop the warrior landed, folding large wings behind his back. He was holding an enormous cannon like the Toa before him, but this time it was two-handed with a tiny blade peeking out from the front. His mask was entirely white and resembled a cross between the great Ruru and the Kanohi Akaku.
     
    Kopaka looked up in abject horror, his mouth constantly moving but no words coming out. Then at last the inevitably happened and the words appeared.
    “Kopaka Nuva – Adaptive Armor” showing his equipment to be a “Midak Skyblaster” a Blizzard Blade, and the (There was a howl of agony from the audience) Akaku Nuva.
    “THEY GOT IT ON THE WRONG SIDE!” Kopaka shrieked, his normally cool exterior gone.
    “I could live with the butterknife. I could even live with the lack of a shield…but HOW in the name of MATA-NUI did they get my SCOPE on the WRONG SIDE?” Throughout Kopaka’s entire outburst, Makuta stayed oddly silent…then began whistling and twiddling his thumbs. Kopaka whirled on the Master of Shadows, his eyes ablaze.
    “This is your fault. Your entire existence will be agony so long as you live.” He said coolly, and then seated himself. The Toa simply sat there with stunned looks on their faces.
    “All in favour of never ticking Kopaka off…ever?” Lewa said meekly. Both the Toa and Makuta alike raised their hands in utter silence.
    “NEXT!” Kopaka growled, his eyes never leaving Makuta’s.
     
    The screen flashed with lightning as a dark, bat-like shape prowled through the air, at last coming to rest upside down. From their vantage point the Toa could see that the figure was almost entirely dark blue and silver with a blunt, vicious looking mask and baleful eyes. They could also see that unlike the other Makuta before it, it was not humanoid: With large looks for hands and wings sprouting directly from its arms…not to mention diminutive feet and legs, it resembled nothing more than an enormous bat.
     
    “Makuta Vamprah” the screen declared, explaining that his armaments consisted entirely of a “Tridax Pod” razor sharp wings and claws, and the Kanohi Avsa.
     
    “Now my soldiers don’t even have legs?” Makuta said blankly, his eyes wide. “What had I done so wrong?”
    “Try and conquer Mata-Nui and kill us, maybe?” Pohatu responded glibly, ignoring the vicious glare that Makuta sent his way. “It was just a thought” he said with a shrug.
    “Maybe it helps him fly better” Gali said soothingly, gingerly patting the armored colossus’ arm.
    “And that’s another thing!” Makuta said suddenly. “Why are there no girls in my army? I am an equal opportunity employer!”
    “Yeah, we know.” Tahu said darkly. “We heard all about Roodaka, thanks.” At his words the entire room shuddered violently, remembering all the trouble that Roodaka had caused with her blatantly female form.
    “I think even I could break this one in two” Lewa said cheerfully, glancing at the screen. Makuta gave out a wail.
     
    “Well that’s all there is to show, folks. We hope you enjoyed this preview! Remember, these aren’t final—after all, the focus groups haven’t gotten their chance yet! We’ll call you back in a few months to show you the finalized versions—and the rest of the lineup for the FINAL BATTLE. DUHN DUHN DUHN DUUUUUUHN.”
     
    The entire theatre blanched.
    “Did he really just do that?” Pohatu asked, wincing.
    “Yes, yes he did.” Gali responded with a sigh.
    “Let us leave and never again return?” Onua questioned hopefully.
    “Contract doesn’t allow it.” Makuta responded darkly, stalking out of the theatre.
    “May next month never come…” Tahu said grimly.
     
    Together the Toa and Makuta walked from the theatre, ignoring the shrill cries of the Black Rau’d Matoran and picking up their various weapons. They half-heartedly swore to defeat each other, but both sides could tell that their hearts weren’t in it. Everyone was too preoccupied with thinking of what horrors yet lay in store.
     
    If they only knew…
  17. Janus

    A Word From The Fascist

    By Janus,

    You wanna call BZP staff fascist, good for you.
     
    You actually want to talk to someone and show that you're above the age of five, feel free to talk to me.
     
    AIM - Janus262
    MSN - Prince_Janus@Hotmail.com [i made it when I was seven, deal with it >= ( ]
     
    Seriously folks, I suggest you stop demeaning the staff on this website until you do their work, we're not fascist, we're not dictators, and we're not mean-spirited. People who abuse their power are banned. Be they staff or otherwise.
     
    Seriously, talk to me about this, show you have a brain.
  18. Janus

    White

    By Janus,

    13
     
    You have no idea how long I have been trying to upload this blasted story.
     
    I finished it at...oh, about 12:04 AM this morning, and found that BZP's server was dead. So instead of waiting and struggling for an hour (Oh wait, I did do that) I went to bed. I awoke and tried to post it again and found that while the FORUMS were operational, all BLOGS were dead. Oh, unending fury.
     
    SO at last I managed to get this story uploaded and I am happy.
     
    It's a thought I've had multiple times while flying, by the way. Inordinately creepy, but a common thought of mine nonetheless.
     
    Word count: 1,491
     
    Enjoy!
     

     

    White 
    People milled all around me, eyes averted and eyes focused down the end of the cavernous passage; beneath me the ‘fast track’ path ground slowly toward my eventual destination. I was in no hurry, instead I allowed myself to relax languidly against the moving track and simply let it take me to where I wanted to go.
     
    Every once in a while people would pass me, their expressions varying from irritation to exhaustion—everyone in this place was in such a hurry it seemed. Pilots and stewardesses bustled in and out of crowds, security agents clothed in crisp white silently watched from their posts—or walked briskly to their destinations. And then of course there were the passengers: Throngs of people all desperate to get to their own destination and all more than willing to do whatever it took to get there. I gazed around at the sea of faces around me, noting the heavy looking carry-on bags that some people carried I rolled my eyes, clearly that’s why they looked so tired.
     
    Now me? I wouldn’t ever be that silly. No, instead I always arrived with more than enough time to spare, I didn’t want to rush or bustle. I didn’t want to panic or exhaust myself searching around the labyrinthine airport.
     
    I smiled as I arrived at the end of the moving track, hoisting my light bag over my shoulder and setting off at an easy pace. I kept my eyes up and focused, ignoring the thousands of people on either side of me—just as they ignored me. It was a mutual ignoring. However the important thing was that I kept my eyes open and I remained aware of where I was at all times, carefully studying the clean white signs placed around the bustling airport. Within a short matter of minutes I had arrived at my destination.
     
    I entered the roughly circular room, taking note of all the various different exit gates in rapid succession. Then, as soon as I had ascertained the location of my gate, I allowed my gaze to drift higher and take in the gorgeous view afforded to me and my fellow passengers by the nearly 360 degree ceiling high glass walls.
     
    It was truly a magnificent day outside—a perfect day for flying. The few clouds in the sky were white and fluffy, drifting leisurely through the sky. The sun was out in full force, its rays shining down on the tarmac and the aircraft assembled there, so bright was it that the luminous glare simply became a white blur in my eyes. It was almost painful to look at.
     
    Blinking and shaking my head to clear the remainder of the brilliance from them, I carefully found myself a seat and sat down to wait. Then, almost as soon as I was seated, I removed a small book from my bag, a fiction I’d been attempting to finish for the past few weeks. I flipped through the pages until I found my landmark, but found that the glare from the sun was brighter than I expected. Even my book’s pages seemed much more brilliant than before, approaching a nearly white sheen.
     
    I groaned internally and rubbed my eyes. Clearly I wasn’t going to be able to read any time soon. Instead I replaced the book in my bag and settled off to a light nap, leaning back in the seat and allowing the comfortable blackness of sleep to take me.
     
    I awoke to the slightly reverberating twang of an airline employee on the intercom. I glanced tiredly at my watch, and then at the main desk for my gate.
    “We will now begin general boarding for slight UA7643.” The young man said, indicating where exactly we should form our boarding line. I felt the slightest twinge of panic rise within me...I had completely slept through the pre-boarding! I could have missed my flight!
     
    I felt the prickles of fear threatening to rise and overwhelm my sense and forced them back, lifting myself from the seat as I did so. Then, while I appealed to my logical side to drown out the irrational fear, I slowly slid into line, my face emotionless.
     
    To say that the line went quickly would be somewhat of an overstatement. It didn’t exactly fly, nor did it crawl. It must moved along at its own leisurely pace—allowing me plenty of time to learn how best to avoid the bright beams of sunlight that threatened to turn my vision into nothing but a brilliant white expanse. In fact doing this helped to keep myself calm…to soothe the savage beast so-to-speak.
     
    When at last it was my turn to hand in my passport and deal with the smiling young man I found that my fear had completely evaporated—in part due to my own management, and in part due to the fact that I was clearly going to be onboard the flight. I returned his smile and retrieved my passport, setting off down the boarding hallway.
     
    Upon boarding the aircraft and double checking my boarding pass, I found myself fortunate enough to receive a window seat. A small smile briefly graced my face, and then I had seated myself and safely stowed my luggage. Shortly after I watched vacantly as the stewardesses went through the usual show and dance about aircraft safety—however it was at this time that I realized what good fortune I really had. Not only was I lucky enough to receive a window seat—but a window seat with nobody else in the adjoining seats! I was all by myself in an entire row of seats. How wonderful.
     
    The flight passed without even the slightest bit of interference—not even a pocket of turbulence disturbed the aircraft as it made its way through the skies. In fact the flight was as close to perfect as it could have ever been, from my comfortable row I saw mountains and rivers, lakes and cities, great plains of green and jagged peaks of ice. I saw gorgeous scenes stretch below me and I drank in every minute of it.
     
    However as is the way of the world, all good things must come to an end. The announcement came on the loudspeakers that we would be landing shortly and the craft began its gradual decline. I turned away from the window and leaned my head on the hard plastic that made up its surroundings. I had just begun to relax when I heard something strange. Sort of a “zzzt!” sound, like what we all imagine an electric shock sounds like. Opening my eyes slowly I looked around the craft and found that everything had gone dark, the lights, the TV screens—everything. All that was lighting the claustrophobic craft was the brilliant white light shining in through the windows. I paused with a frown. White light? Surely the sun couldn’t be that bright?
     
    Glancing out the window I found that we were submerging through the cloud cover, meaning that the only light that entered the airplane was nearly white. I made a face and turned back to glance around the cabin just in time to see the entire thing blink rapidly, flipping from total darkness to everything lit up and active multiple times.
     
    Getting a headache I averted my gaze again, choosing to look out through the window. This time I could almost see the distant outline of the landscape through the clouds, almost like it was a drawing in sand—the details being washed away by the wind. It stayed there for but the briefest instant before a large cloud mass eclipsed it from view—and at the same time everything in the aircraft blinked off for the final time.
     
    I paused in my chair, feeling that familiar panic welling up again. Then I felt it, the plane’s engines were thrumming just as mightily as ever but the plane wasn’t moving. Some how, in some way, the plane had simply frozen in the sky.
     
    With a sick feeling of dread I again turned to my window and glanced outside. That cloud mass hadn’t passed—if anything its seemed stronger, brighter. There was nothing I could see outside the crowded cabin of the airplane, nothing but those clouds.
     
    I felt my heart leap into my throat. Other passengers were beginning to feel the same feelings of dread that I had, but they hadn’t realized it entirely yet. There were rumblings moving throughout the people on the craft—talking about the strong cloud cover, and of course about the mysterious darkness that had invaded the vessel.
     
    But nobody turned to their windows and really looked. Had they, they would have seen what I did.
     
    They would have seen the infinte timeless expanse, they would have felt the sickening feeling of being trapped—as though in an enormous block of ice.
     
    They would have seen what I saw: Nothing but endless white.
  19. Janus

    Quite A Team

    By Janus,

    FOR SCIENCE 2.0 (1) 
    Lame name, I know. It was either that or the overused and terrible "Fire and Ice"
     
    Anyhow, this was spawned by boredom and by the fact that my fight scenes are always attrocious, so I tried this.
     
    It's not really that great, but it's something. It may have been better if I wasn't ill all day.
     
     
    Word Count: 1,169
     
    Enjoy.
     

     

    Quite a Team 
    “This cannot be good”
    The words escaped the warrior’s mouth before he had a chance to stop them. Mentally he ran over the facts in his mind.
     
    Fact one: He was trapped on a lava flow
    Fact two: He was a Toa of ice
    Fact three: Things were about to heat up quite a bit.
     
    The warrior known as Kopaka grunted as his Golden Kanohi Akaku’s telescopic lens shifted and brought into focus the incoming threat.
     
    A warrior near-identical to himself, but clad in crimson and amber was bearing down on his position with immense speed. Riding a spit of volcanic rock atop the crest of a massive wave of Lava, the Toa of fire was closing with speed.
     
    Kopaka stood entirely still, allowing Tahu to close the distance. He had calculated that if he allowed the Toa to make it all the way to his position, then the Toa of fire would have the advantage in this bout. Something Kopaka simply could not accept. The Toa of ice shifted his masks’ long range vision to Tahu’s eyes, angry red coals that eternally burned from behind his own Golden Kanohi Hau. Kopaka wanted to see the look on his face.
     
    With a single elegant motion the Toa of ice had drawn his blade and gently touched the tip to the raging stream of lava all about him. The effect was instantaneous; the quickly flowing molten rock began to harden and cool rapidly as ice overtook the immense heat. Spreading quickly like some infectious disease, the ice crystals made their way up the crested wave that Tahu was riding.
     
    Kopaka got a single glance at the Toa of Fire’s surprised eyes before the red Toa was sent hurtling ungracefully through the air. The Toa of ice grinned, he had ensured that the ice would be enough to hold the lava flow for a brief moment—brief enough to freeze the wave, but allow Tahu to maintain his trajectory—and speed.
     
    The moment passed, the frozen flow began to crack and split as angry rivers of fire began to emerge from underneath it, with a single resounding crack the weakened ice split, the pieces that remained being quickly devoured by the hungry lava. Kopaka ran over the calculations in his head one final time before watching the stream of lava rush towards him with renewed intensity.
     
    He was quite aware that his own spit of land would never hold against such a furious wave of molten rock and so had been running plans in his head while the lava was frozen. As the wave crested and built, rushing towards him, Kopaka leapt from the blackened ground beneath his feet and focusing his elemental energy downwards, created a slick slide of ice that he rode until he reached a large circular area of volcanic rock—roughly ten steps away from the calming lava flow.
     
    No sooner had he landed than a growl met his ear.
    “That wasn’t very nice, Kopaka” the Toa of fire muttered. Flames erupted all about him, their heat intense and the smell acrid. Acting in a moment of instinct Kopaka released his elemental energy in all directions, freezing the massive flames into an enclosure of ice stalagmites.
     
    A sudden crack drew his attention and he whirled to face his opponent…but found no one there. He paused, listening, thinking he heard a footstep he struck blindly, swinging his sword behind him to catch the intruder. Instead he found his blade burrowed deep within the ice. Reluctantly he let go of the hilt, wary of using precious time and effort to struggle with his encased sword.
     
    He didn’t have time to react. Too late he felt the shattered fragments of ice bouncing off his armor, too late he felt the intense heat from the Toa’s elemental energy, and too late he felt the sharp blade of the ruby hued blade pressing into his side.
     
    “Match.” Kopaka spoke simply. Raising his hands in a gesture of defeat he turned to face the crimson Toa and found himself looking directly into Tahu’s eyes. He seemed to be smiling.
    “You’ve taught me well, Kopaka” Tahu said, putting his hand on the Toa of ice’s shoulder.
    “You’ve been an excellent student, Tahu” Kopaka said with a small smile, then he retrieved his blade with a mighty heave.
    “And now I am to be the student”
     
    He had hardly spoken before he felt the first impact. Tahu’s fire sword slashing downwards upon his upraised shield—he had reacted instinctively.
     
    Pushing forwards to knock the Toa of fire off balance, Kopaka swung his own blade in a downwards arc, watching carefully as Tahu’s Kanohi Hau automatically activated and prevented the blade’s descent.
     
    Reacting quickly Kopaka drew back for another strike and, tracking Tahu’s eyes, found his attention completely focused on the blade.
    “Perfect” Kopaka murmured to himself, and with a torque of his body he thrust his shield into the side of Tahu’s head, knocking the Toa to the ground.
     
    Flames sprung to life around the fallen Toa, preventing Kopaka from accessing him further, but rather than calculate and wait he instead activated his own Kanohi Akaku, tracking Tahu’s form through the burning flames and thick smoke. Satisified he hurtled his shield through the fire, watching it strike the Toa in his midsection, doubling him over. Then the Toa of ice launched himself through the flames and into a second ring of fire, his blade arcing downwards.
     
    Sparks of metal flew as Tahu’s own fire sword parried the strike, though down the Toa of fire was not yet out. Tahu launched a vicious kick at Kopaka’s own midsection, but the Toa of ice nimbly sidestepped it, nearly tripping over his own shield in the process. Mind working rapidly, Kopaka kicked the shield towards Tahu, watching as the barrier field of the Hau was activated. In the split seconds that his shield attempted to penetrate the protective barrier of the shield, Kopaka focused his elemental energy around him, freezing the roaring flames as he had before.
     
    Tahu grunted
    “The same trick won’t work twice, Kopaka!” he said, the barrier fading as the Toa of fire launched himself forward in attack. Kopaka remained focused on the ice around him, his sword raised to parry, but his eyes closed in concentration.
     
    All at once the ring of ice split into thousands of fragments that hurtled towards the Toa of fire, unable to have forseen such an attack the barrier sputtered to life too late, already hundreds of razor sharp crystals had struck the Toa of fire and brought him to his knees, his chin resting lightly upon the tip of Kopaka’s blade.
     
    “Good match” Tahu said breathlessly raising his sword in salute of the Toa of ice.
    Kopaka simply smiled and helped the Toa of fire to his feet, reflecting on the irony of the two most diametrically opposed Toa secretly teaching each other.
     
    Then again, he thought with a smile, Fire and Ice together made quite a team.
     
     
  20. Janus

    Hullo Again

    By Janus,

    Hullo all,
     
    As the incredibly well-written and intelligent entry below tells, I was taken in by the twin vixens of Gundam, and Gurlfren.
     
    While Gundam held me only momentarily, Gurlfren held me quite entranced for the period of a week, and even now I am reeling from the lack of Gurlfren in my life. It is saddening.
     
    But worry not, FOR SCIENCE! Shall return, in fact it will return with a story on this very subject.
     
    Just not tonight, I need to make a one-minute speech and learn to sleep properly again.
     
    Ah, how I miss being able to sleep in until 2:30 PM, comfortable in someone's arms...
     
    Come back soon, Gurlfren.
  21. Janus

    Stream Of Conciousness

    By Janus,

    This is verbatim transcription (That means all the spelling mistakes and errors are intact) of writing I did this morning at roughly 4:00 AM after being unable to sleep (And finding that WinAmp Skin I wanted. Until the point that I begun writing I was operating the computer essentially blind, meaning no glasses)
     
     
    Well, this is quite the experiment. I’m writing blind here, literally blind. Eyes closed I’m relying only on mu drndr og youvh snf yhr dounf yo huifr mr.
    Z
    Music is a rhythm, a flow, something that we can follow and be inspired by. That’s what I’m allowing to lead me now. I’m simple alloinw myself to sit here,eyes closed ed and completely in sync with the msuci playing. Heck, I have no ideda how many spelling mistakes I’m making. Likely hundres. But the fact remains that I cannot see what I’m writing and will not see until tomorrow.
     
    And that’s beautiful, isn’t it?
     
    Trying something new, just for the heck of it!
     
    In fact I was trying to sleep before this massive surge of inspiration overcame me: So now here I am, at somewhere near 3:000 in the morning sitting on my computer and typing blind—why? Because I can. Because the world allows me to. Because this is what I choose to do.
     
    Choose, not decide. To actually choose is to hdo it with no reason why. And that’s why I’m doing this. Because I choose to, because I just wanted to do it. And it’s interesting.
     
    Seriously, the senstations one feels typing blind is incredible.
    My blody actually sfells like its changing shape.
     
    But the music stopped now. My guiding force has gone silent and so the moment of inspiration has passed. In fact I already feel the heavy coat of sleep settling over my shoulders, running up and ffown my neck. I can feel the bbuttons seeming to grow smaller and smaller anas my hands grow larger and large, inflating with the gross movements of a tired body.
     
    It’s a strange feeling, in my minds eye I can seee all sorts of things, but then I feel them. My body senses them as though they were true. Now my fingers are inflated and swollen like some sort of strange sausisage, now the keyboard is curved and spherical. Now I’m skinny as a twig with long spindly fingers that can dance over the mite sized keyboard with ease.
     
    I think I’m donw now. The keys have grown large and small, my fingers have shrunk and grown, and my minds eye has swollen and felcated. Everything’s run its natural course and so too is my stream of conciousness coming to an end.
     
    Perhaps I’ll edit this tomorrow. Perhaps not.
    Goodnight everyone,
     
    My love find you and carry you forward.
     
  23. Janus

    And Mortals

    By Janus,

    (11)
     
    Gah, this took way too long and was way too forced at points.
     
    But it's done. There, you have part two.
     
    I'm going to curl up and die in a corner now (That means sleep, mmkay?)
     
    Word count: 1,040
     
    Enjoy!
     

     

    And Mortals 
    Sam and his new ‘companion’ arrived home, having decided that it would be best to retire for the day. Or rather, Sam felt compelled to leave the rapidly darkening park and without consciously willing it began to stand up and walk through the near-empty streets.
    “Was that you?” He thought, wondering if his newfound compatriot would be able to hear him.
    “Of course it was” Came the near instantaneous response. “It’s not particularly hard to control you, Sam. You’re just bits of flesh connected to muscle.”
    Sam frowned but said nothing, instead concentrating on resisting his muscle impulses…just to see if he could resist the ‘God’s’ power.
     
    His legs continued to pump mindlessly and his steps never missed a beat.
    “Nice try” Came the dark humor of the voice. Sam bit his tongue in response, thinking about what he could possibly do—and the first thing he felt was to get information.
    “At least give me a name to curse, then” he mused.
    “I have none to give, mortal. I was given none” the voice responded. Sam’s face crinkled into a frown and his mind raced—in all of the reading he had done, he’d never heard of nameless Gods, in fact every God seemed to have a name and be at least semi-well known by the humans of the era.
     
    “And why do you think that is, Sam?” The voice murmured questioningly. Sam paused.
    “Because….Gods make themselves known to humans so that they might influence their world? Like you’re doing with me?”
     
    Dark laughter echoed all around Sam’s head as the voice chuckled maliciously.
    “No Sam, you’ve got it all backwards. Gods influence the world for only two reasons: To prolong their existence or to exact revenge.”
    “…And which are you here for?” Sam asked, the question sounding tremulous even within his own mind.
    “Neither.” The voice replied simply. “I’m here to benefit my parents.”
     
    The voice fell silent for the rest of the walk, simply steering the body to where it wanted it to go. Sam, likewise, remained quiet and ceased his efforts to regain control of his body, simply attempting to stop his racing mind from overwhelming him.
     
    At last they arrived at Sam’s home, and, upon entering promptly collapsed on the nearest chair. Though exhausted, Sam immediately felt a presence in his home and warily looked over—the child from the park was back.
    “It seems my experiment was successful” the boy said in his rich, dark voice.
    “You…left?” Sam asked hopefully.
    “Not entirely.” The boy said with a smile. “I’m still there, I’ve simply allowed some of my essence out.”
     
    Sam sighed.
    “Tell me again about this, please. Explain it to me, after all if you’re going to be inhabiting my body it seems only fair.” The boy paused for a moment, averting his eyes downward. Then with a sudden movement he stared unblinkingly into Sam’s own eyes.
    “Very well, mortal.” He softly growled. “It really is quite simple…the world of Gods is very different from the world of mortals—whereas everything here is bound in physical form, the world of Gods is unconstrained energy. Unfortunately that means that in order to access this realm we must also bind ourselves in physical form.” Sam nodded, his mind racing to keep up, but not wanting the boy to stop.
    “However this binding gives us limited time and once said time has elapsed we’re immediately snapped back through into our own world—naturally the process is quite painful and some of our energy doesn’t make it back.”
    “…And using me you won’t get snapped back?” Sam murmured, faltering slightly.
    “I never said that” The boy said with a wide grin. “All I said is that using you I’m able to stay here longer—for all I know you could come to the world of Gods with me…”
     
    Immediately Sam’s eyes lit up and his mind began to fill with imagery from the many books he’d read. Massive mountains and pillars of ornate stone, gorgeous scenery and Gods milling in and out of temples erected in their honor. He smiled.
    “Not quite” The boy said flatly, interrupting Sam’s reverie.
    “Not only is it not like that…they wouldn’t be particularly happy to see you”
    “Why?” Sam said, perplexed. “I haven’t done anything to them.” The boy smirked.
    “Not you personally, no. But Gods and mortals do not get along…very few Gods enjoy spending time with their creators.”
    “Creators?” Sam said, quirking an eyebrow.
    “Yes.” The boy said. “Legends, myths. The creation of Gods, the more belief the Gods get the more powerful they get—as their believers fall the less power they have and the more they fall from grace. You mortals are responsible for the creation and decay of every God.”
     
    Sam fell silent for a moment, simply allowing everything that he had learned to sift through his brain. Naturally none of his reading had prepared him for anything even close to this.
    “Then how do you have any power?” He finally asked, unsure.
    “Because I was born while my parents were at the height of their power and in the front of worshippers minds…but shortly after the entire structure folded—far too early for any child to join the Myth.” The boy smiled slightly.
    “But that means…”
    “Yes, Sam. That means that I’m not constrained by you mortals. I don’t have to worry about your belief in me.”
    “Then why are you here?” Sam asked, mystified. Who was this mysterious God and what did he want?
    “I want what any child wants, I want to help my parents.” The boy smiled widely and vanished again, simply ceasing to be in Sam’s eyes. Then he again heard that insidious voice in his head.
    “Gods of War, you see. So you’re going to help me out, Sam. Together we’re going to cause absolute mayhem…and when the streets run with blood then my parents will be revived. Sound like fun?” Sam said nothing, finding his jaw unable to move. He thought a variety of curses but almost nothing coherent, he was scared now.
    “Like I said, Sam. You and I are going to be getting to know each other quite well. Now let’s hurry…we have plenty of work to do.”
     
  24. Janus

    Imagine

    By Janus,

    Two things right off the bat:
     
    One: The Imagine title does not refer to my defunct BIONICLE: Imagine project. It was a cool idea, but it was undone by my desire to not do any work.
     
    Two: FOR SCIENCE! Will be returning monday, I already have two seperate stories in mind for Monday and Tuesday. I will not be writing them until that day, however (Maybe I'll write Monday's on Sunday, as Monday is a busy day for me)
     
    No, Imagine refers to the fifth part of an absolutely amazing series that has evolved beyond my wildest imaginings.
     
    Allow me to explain.
     
    About five years (Or more) ago, I discovered this hilarious little flash animation made by a group called SamBakZa, the animation in question was "There she is!!" and told the tale of a bunny falling in love with a cat in a society that did not look kindly upon this. It was hilarious because the cat resisted until the end, only giving up reluctantly--and then started to love her himself.
     
    That was supposed to be it, various theories were thrown around the internet (Mainly that the cat and rabbit did indeed represent the Korean-Japanese relationships during the period of time when it was forbidden. I'm not really sure what period of time this was, but I would guess it was during the Japanese occupation of Korea and in the second world war) but aside from that there wasn't much to discuss, but is sure was funny to watch. I shortly after forgot about it (after watching Hot Fish Same but Different)
     
    Later on I discovered that it was supposed to be a three-parter, and I watched the second part "Cake Dance" and found it both amusing and adorable. Incredibly adorable--then I again completely forgot about it.
     
    Last night my gurlfren being the incredible person she is reminded me of this little comedic series, and in fact linked me to all the videos. Number three was just as adorable and funny. It was called "Doki and Nabi" (Doki is the bunny, and Nabi is the cat)
     
    But number four was...well, it shocked me. Let's go with that. I was seriously concerned about the direction the series was going in and was not expecting it at all. Especially not with the name "Paradise"
     
    But I gotta say.
     
    It's rare that I feel as inspired and touched as I did when I watched part 5 "Imagine" It really was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, and the story it tells is amazing.
     
    I'd suggest everyone Check them out
     
    Sincerely,
     
    -Janus
  25. Janus

    Signifying Nothing

    By Janus,

    (10)
     
    First attempt at new title graphic, I dunno if I like it enough yet.
     
    We'll find out.
     
    You'll get part two of Gods another night, tonight I simply wasn't in the mood.
     
    Word count: 167
     
    Enjoy.
     

     

    Signifying Nothing 
    Sound and fury signifying nothing…that’s what this entire entry is about. I would have loved to write the second part of Gods—unfortunately when your mind is pre-occupied with other things it becomes most difficult to write to a satisfactory degree. (Or at least I find it hard to match my standards)
     
    As such I will instead default to my backup—that being this: A bunch of hot air, a bunch of anger that will do nothing and change nothing.
     
    Very little in this world infuriates me more than pointless discrimination—even discrimination is bad enough. However something has happened which I feel shows a clear example of this, and has even set me at the throats of my friends. Something of which I am not proud.
     
    But to be honest, the rage has left my system and now I’m just feeling very, very drained. Exhausted, really.
     
    So I’ll end this early and go to sleep, apologies for wasting your time.
     
    I did say it signified nothing.
     
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