TinkerTech

Ga-Wahi-----Ga-Koro-----Central Plaza Marya smiled and and returned the wave of the Po-Matoran as he approached the Kebab stand. "Hi!" She said with a smile. "If you're looking for something to eat, I'd recommend the Takea spears. I'm told they were freshly caught this morning."

Ga-Wahi------Ga-Koro-----Central Plaza If anyone was ever in search of sustenance when in Ga-Koro, they wouldn't have to look too far to find satisfaction. The central plaza of Ga-Koro was a melting pot of cuisine and trade. Marya wandered about the stalls, hungry but not quite able to find something delicious. She also needed to do some grocery shopping, but that could wait until after dinner. Food shopping on an empty stomach was a bad idea. She finally settled on some Takea skewers from an old friend of hers. A bit on the fishy side, but still delicious with a few seaweed rolls. She wandered about the plaza some more, watching a few stalls close as the day's business ended. Torchlight lit the plaza now, as the sun had set. Matoran, Toa, and other associated beings from around the island milled about, not quite ready to go home, but left with nothing else to do. It was a quiet night. Well, we could all do with more quiet nights. Marya thought to herself as she took another bite of skewer. Mata Nui knows we haven't had enough of them recently... *** OOC: Is back again! Sorry for vanishing for almost two months. Open for interaction once again.

So last November I participated in NaNoWriMo, and actually suceeded in writing a 50,000 word Novel. I'd really like to publish it, but there's a lot of work that's between now and then, if ever. What was my book, you ask? Well: The Lord of Misrule There used to be magic in the world. REAL magic. But as time went on, the magic faded. Now no one believes that it ever existed. Except for the Actors. Hidden away in the world is a special school dedicated to teaching actors and their ilk the ways of magic in their craft, to keep it alive in a world of cynicsim and blurred lines. Like every school, it has its quirks, in-jokes, and traditional celebrations. The most famous is the Feast of Fools, their own version of Homecoming. And the King of it all is the Lord of Misrule. Thing is, no one ever knows who it is. The voting process is a secret, and the mask is never removed. And This year, Elijah Goodblood plans to take the crown. The Lord of Misrule is about a magic school for actors, performers, and those who work behind the scenes. It's not wave-a-wand magic like in Harry Potter-No, this is more subtle. The magic is born from light, movement, props; It is a product of many parts, rather than a reaction to an action. It's also about the Green Room Gang, a collection of students who hang out in the New Globe's Green Room when not in class. A variety of students from numerous locales, backgrounds, and previous theatrical education. And the crazy shenanigans that they get up to. It's also about Elijah Goodblood, a sophomore member of the Green Room Gang who wants to win the title and position of Lord of Misrule, essentially the Homecoming King. Winning this title is acknowledgement of his abilities as a prankster and humorist. There may also be a cat hidden in the Girl's dorm. Just to let you know. *** So I've written this book. Now comes the fun part: Re-writing the whole thing! When I first wrote it, there were two main characters: Elijah, who drove the plot, and Avalon, who introduced the readers to the school. After some reflection, I decided that two characters with unrelated goals split the reader's focus too much, So I've narrowed it down to one. Elijah's still going to help little freshman Avalon adjust to her new school, but for the most part the story's focused on him. I've also changed the focus, screentime, and overall helpfulness of the Green Room Gang. In the original Script, they made cameo appearances and didn't do much in the way of story. I'm giving them more focus and more impact into Elijah's choices; this group is almost like a family. (and is certainly made up of a few.) Also, there's way too many fun characters to not use. Considering that, some of the other characters I've made (Namely Elijah and maybe Avalon's roommates) are going to be given less focus or cut altogether. They've been fun to write, so they may stay, but I really need to re-work their characters or meld them into existing ones. If I write more books, they may re-appear, but for now they don't have a lot of influence on my main character, so out they go. I also need to put more focus on the school itself. One of the few things I didn't like about Harry Potter in its later years was how little school was focused on, despite it being a part of the students' everyday lives. I want to show my characters in class, workshops, shop hours outside of class, ect... I want to show them interacting with professors and directors in a positive way, not the you-got-caught kind of way. These kids are in school and I want them to act like it! There's also a lot of little things that happen in the background, like hammering out the timeline and everyone's schedules. (Not that it matters for some students...) This whole post was mostly a personal lining-out of my next steps. So since approximately half my book is going in the dustbin, There's a lot of writing to do. I can't wait to get started.

Hi guys! I'm back! (Sorry, College wrap-up/surprise vacation/pure laziness caught me off guard this last month.) What have I missed in Ga-Koro? I just want to make sure the village didn't burn down while I was gone before I start posting again.

Wow, I haven't even thought about this in a bit. (College can be crazy at times.) I don't think I ever got beyond rescuing a few chapters of each, but I'm willing to take another stab at it since it's summer and I don't have anything else to do outside of work.

Hi guys! Sorry for the long wait: I got caught up in end-of-term stuff and then was whisked off on an unexpected vacation. (Add a couple weeks of pure laziness, and...) But I'm back! With another new Case File! Case File #891: Power Problems Day: August 15th Time: 7:43 P.M. Location: LCPD Headquarters, Cherry Tree Hills It wasn't often that Lego City got thunderstorms; the bustling metropolis was known for its sunny skies and profitable tourism business. But every now and then there was a day when the dark clouds rolled off the ocean and the air tasted of electricity. Hot Dog stands rushed to close down and beach-goers raced for the shelter of their hotels. When Lego City got a thunderstorm, it got a thunderstorm. Tonight was no different. Frank Honey jumped as another flash of lighting lit the room, startling him from his nervous stupor. Due to the...inclement weather, most of the staff had been unable to leave after they clocked out for the day. Frank's shift had ended two hours ago, but he was still hiding under his desk. Or rather, the receptionist's desk. "Frank, you've been hiding under there for an hour." Bea said, looking down at him from her chair. "Don't you have anything productive to do while you wait for the storm to pass?'" "I wish I did!" Frank cried from under the desk. "I don't remember storms being this long!" "This IS a rather big storm." Chief Dunby muttered from the middle of the lobby. "Spencer!" He shouted as a roll of thunder boomed. "Turn the radio on and see if we can get a weather report!" Spencer saluted and reached for the radio he kept next to his desk-an old 80s style, not the standard police issue most officers had. He fiddled with the dials as static weaved in and out. *kssh* "--oh-oh I'm Walking on Sunshine, Oh-oh-oh--" *Kssh* "--ancis, darling, we mustn't be found out!" "You're right! Let's get insid--" *kssh* "--uy your Lego City Sun Lotion today! Only $39.99 not including ship--" *kssh* "--nd Now for the weather!" "There it is! Hold it there!" Someone in the lobby shouted. Spencer balanced out the dials so they could (mostly) hear the announcer. "That storm is coming big and large, folks! The storm front is expected to last until midnight, hope you didn't have any dinner plans! In the meantime, make sure your flashlight batteries are fresh and you've got a couple gallons of water and some blankets, because there are expected to be pow--" There was a huge crash of lightning and thunder directly over the building. The lights flickered, then died as the front lobby was plunged into darkness. "...Power outages." Dunby finished. "Alright, Everyone stay calm." Naturally, this was the cue for everyone to panic. Five minutes later, after several screams and bruised shins and hips from bumping into desks and coffee tables, the lobby was almost back in order. Anyone who was likely to start screaming and running around again had been strongly encouraged to sit down and shut up. "Alright, now that that nonsense is over with," Dunby said, brushing off his jacket. "Chase, find the supply closet and more importantly, some flashlights. Baxter-" "Which one?" "Ted, find our maintenance man and make sure we're not going to lose anything else. Bea, see if you can find some asprin for my headache." "You have a headache, sir?" "I will soon. Now Hop to it! Everyone else, at ease. Eat a doughnut if you've got it." Chief Dunby snarled, then turned to the front desk. Quiet conversations started around the room as staff moved to find emergency supplies, occasionally cut off by the now frequent bursts of lightning and thunder. Tension was still high in the room, intensified by the darkness. Frank continued to tremble under the desk. It was dark now, and scary. If only Ellie were here to- He sat straight up, slamming his head into the underside of the desk. Ignoring his pain, he climbed out from under the counter and made a bee-line for the elevator. Or he would have, if he hadn't run smack into Chase on the way there. "Woah! Slow down, Frank!" Chase said, steadying the shaking police officer. "What's wrong?" "It's Ellie!" Frank panted. "She's down in the basement all by herself! It's pitch black down there! She's probably terrified!" Chase thought about it. While Ellie was probably far from terrified, she still wasn't in a good position. Unlike the lobby, which was half windows, the basement didn't have any natural light sources. They called it "the dungeon" for good reason. Ellie wouldn't be able to do anything but sit and wait for the power to come back on. Unless she'd gone home before the storm started. "All right, I'll come down and help you look." Chase said, leading Frank over to the elevator. They ran into Ted, who was standing at the elevator door. "Any luck finding the maitenance guy?" Chase asked as they waited. "Nope. Any luck on the flashlights?" "The supply closet didn't have any. I know Jimmy keeps one at his desk, though. I'm going to see if I can find it." "Good Idea. Why's the elevator taking so long?" They stared at the doors for a minute before it hit them. "Oh yeah...." "Power's out..." "Any idea where the stairs are?" *** As it turns out, they didn't have a clue. "Seriously? There's no stairs to the basement?" Chase asked after ten minutes of searching. "Maybe they got taken out during the last renovation." Frank suggested, still trying to feel for a doorknob. "Well, how are we supposed to get out in case of an emergency?" "There's a back door to the parking lot, but I'm not going out in the storm to get to it." Ted said with a shake of his head. "Face it, we're stuck." "Maybe not..." Chase said, looking up. "These ducts lead into the basement, right?" "Yeah, they reach the whole building. I can hear Rodney's workouts from the third floor with these things. It's the one thing they've never fixed." Ted said, squinting into the darkness. "You're not suggesting...?" "I am. We'll get to the basement with these." Chase said. "We just need to get up there..." "Oh! We can use this filing cabinet!" Frank said, running over to a cabinet along the wall. "Oph! This is heavy! How many files are in this thing?" Ted walked over to the cabinet and opened a drawer. "A lot. And some cake. And an anvil. Why do we keep our anvils in filing cabinets?" "Well, where else are we going to put them?" Frank asked as he continued to push on the cabinet. Ted shrugged then joined him. Eventually, they were able to get the cabinet underneath a vent in the air duct. Frank jumped up on the filing cabinet and pulled the vent off. "It's really dark in there..." He said nervously. "Aw, c'mon Frank, it's not like there's anything in there." Ted said. "Not even a Snipe!" "W-w-what's a snipe?" Frank asked nervously. "Oh, just a little thing with lots of teeth that likes to lurk in Air Ducts. But the exterminator was here last week, and he's mostly sure that the ones we had died out. You'll be fine." Ted replied cheerfully. "Now get in there!" Frank looked back into the darkness of the ducts, which seemed even darker than the darkness outside the ducts. Then, in an uncharacteristic fit of bravery, He pulled himself into the duct, vanishing through the open vent. "You okay up there, Frank?" Chase called. "Yep. It's just really dark." "Well, it's not like you can get lost." Chase muttered. "Just go right and follow the ducts down to the basement. And watch out for-" There was a sudden CRASH from within the vent, followed by several other unpleasant banging noises, grunts of pain and, inexplicably, a chicken. "-the hole leading to the basement." Chase finished with a wince. "Frank?" "Why's Frank in the air duct?" Ellie asked. "He's looking for you." Chase said, without looking away from the air duct. Three seconds later, he jumped. "How'd you get up here?" "I came up the stairs." Ellie said, pointing to the doorway which had been previously hidden by the filing cabinet. "You do know there's stairs, right?" "I do now...." Chase sighed. "Hey Frank? Ellie's up here." "Really?" Frank called from somewhere in the duct system. "Well, I guess I'll climb back up the ducts..." "Frank, there's stairs in the basement. Where are you?" "I think I'm in the supply closet next to the locker roo-GAH what was that!" Frank yelled. "It's skinny and has lots of little feelers on the end!" "...That's a mop, Frank." "Oh. Then I'm ok!" "Frank, are there any flashlights down there?" Ted yelled. "Yeah, a whole bunch of them." "Then bring them up. I still need to find the maintenance guy." "You mean Joe?" Ellie asked. "He stayed home sick today. Something about a bad piece of lobster." "Well, that figures." Chase muttered. "Any idea where the breaker box is?" "No idea." "Fantastic. With our luck, it's outside in that storm." Ted said with a shake of his head. "I think we're stuck until this storm blows over." "What are we supposed to do until then?" Chase asked. "...Well, we do have that paperwork that's been piling up. Don't need power to do that, just the flashlights Frank's bringing up." "Seriously?" "What, do you want to ask the Chief to gather everyone in a circle and start singing campfire songs?" *MEANWHILE, AT THE FIRE STATION* "Aw, c'mon chief, not Kumbaya again...." "I'm the Chief, I decide, Lopez-Delgado! Alright, altogether now..." *BACK AT THE POLICE STATION* "I guess paperwork's alright." Chase said. There was a CLUNK, then a hum as something in the building turned on. Then cheers rose up around the lobby as the lights flickered, then came back on around the building. "I'm back!" Frank shouted as he came back up the stairs with a box of flashlights. "I found the room with all the backup light switches, so I flicked them all on, but nothing happened, so I flicked them back." "Frank, you just got the power back on!" Ellie cheered, hugging him. "Where was the room?" Ted asked. "It's next to the locker rooms, across from the supply closet." "Good to know. I'm writing that down for the next time Joe's sick." Ted said, walking over to his desk. "I think the storm's clearing up!" Spencer said, looking out the window. Sure enough, the pounding of the rain was starting to lighten, and the lighting strikes were becoming less frequent. "Hey Chief, can we go home now?" Chase called across the room. "Yes. Ladies and Gents, have a safe drive home, and see you tomorrow." Dunby replied, already walking to the door with his coat and briefcase in hand. There were cheers, followed by a stampede for the door. The resulting rumble was so loud it almost drowned out the huge CRASH from outside. Almost. "Oh no..." Chase sighed. The front doors to the police station opened up to reveal a massive tree trunk blocking the exit. "We don't even have any trees on the compound!" The Chief yelled. "Where did this thing come from?" "It looks like a log truck tipped over outside." Spencer said, straining to see out one of the windows. "I think we're still stuck." "Hey, look on the bright side!" Frank said brightly. "At least we still have power!" The lights chose that exact moment to flicker out again. "I think one of those logs knocked over a light pole...." "...Thanks, Frank."

Both Rayman Legends and LC:U have been suggested, so I'm out of ideas. For Now.

Besides, we've already established that BZPRPG doesn't actually have any lawyers. So you're good there. I'm really tempted to make a lawyer character now, just to have one.

Purely for adventuring purposes, I suppose? Quick question- Just what time of Day is it supposed to be in Ga-Wahi right now? I can't tell if it's mid-day or in the evening. I've been playing like it's evening because there's a group out for dinner, but I'm not sure.

Wow. I can't imagine having more than 5-10 characters, and some people have a hundred?

Keep in mind that BZPRPG's storyline splits off near the very beginning. In our version, the Toa Mata failed to stop Makuta in their first battle with him, whereas in regular BIONICLE Canon, they succeeded. It's still a handy video to watch to understand the BIONICLE universe in general. Pleasure to meet you, FallenAtlas. I'm new around here too, so don't worry about knowing all the nuances right away. Also, just to let everyone know, my Ga-Matoran is currently wandering the streets of Ga-Koro looking for dinner. How long she ends up looking depends on interactions and how busy I get with the end of the term.

Or: Why TinkerTech should not be allowed near a sketch pad. I'm really happy with how Toa Gali turned out.

7 Secrets to being an adult Part 2 1. Dish soap and Dishwasher Detergent are not the same thing. Don’t put Dish Soap in the Dishwasher unless you want suds all over the floor. 2. When moving, know how to pack a box. Don’t stick all your books in one box or you will never be able to lift it. Instead, put a few heavy things in the bottom of the box, then fill the rest with lighter items or clothes. Sure, possessions get spread around a little more, but your sister will actually be able to carry the box without aid. (I’m looking at you, Railblazer.) 3. Have a Portfolio when you start working in the real world. A Portfolio is essentially a gallery or collection of previous works for review by employers. These don’t have everything you’ve ever done, just the best selections. Keep a few pictures, documents, or photos of each project to keep in your portfolio. In a creative world, this can be really helpful. Even if you are still in school, start building yours now. Just set a piece of work aside every now and then, and ask a teacher to review it for you. 4. Don’t undervalue a nap. Those things are gold once you hit college. 5. Coupons. Coupons are amazing. You will save so much money on groceries with these. On the other hand, you will buy more because you’re saving money, so it’s a dual-edged sword. (reusable bags are awesome because you can only carry so much-bring two and tell yourself to only buy what can fit in the bag.) 6. Eat healthy. Drink less soda and more water or tea or juice. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables and less frozen and processed foods. Sure, they may take a little longer to cook, but they taste better. Eat at regular times too-eating at the same time every day does wonders for your body. 7. Have a stupid joke or two on hand for when someone’s feeling down. Remember, it’s all in the delivery.

IC: Ga-Wahi-------Ga-Koro--------Secret Workshop Marya leaned back and sighed. This task was proving to be more difficult than she thought. The Onu-Matoran who made this iStone certainly knew what he was doing. She'd poked at the casing for an hour and still hadn't found a seam or niche to open it. She looked around the cave. There wasn't any sort of opening to the outside world, and she didn't have a clock, so it was impossible to tell how much time had passed, although she could take a guess. Time to stop for the night. She told herself. She'd been known to stay up until the wee hours of the morning working on something, unaware of how much time had passed. Now was not a good time to continue the habit. She gathered up her tools and put everything important in a small, locked chest hidden in the wall, carefully moving the stones back into place until it looked like a natural slide she'd never gotten around to clearing. Putting the few essentials back into her waterproof bag, she walked over to the pool at the end of the cave and swum back out into the bay. It was a short swim back to her hut-the tide had changed while she was in her workshop. She climbed the ladder set into the stem of the lilypad and carefully pried open the bottom of the false chest to climb back into her hut. No one ever looked under the lilypads. She set down her bag at the foot of her bed and stretched. Then her stomach growled. She'd forgotten to eat dinner again. She looked in a cupboard set on the wall. No food. Looks like I'm eating out tonight. She thought as she picked up the bag she used every day, with her widgets and her basic tools, and walked out to the Ga-Koro square. Now what do I feel like having...? OOC: Available for interaction again.

I know the feeling. I just moved into a new place, and I'm still trying to find some of my stuff. I'm open for interaction again, though. Just need to move my character back into town...

A lot of these sound really awesome. I've never played Portal, but I've wanted to (old computer+owner who knows nothing of specs= Nope.) I want to hear more about playsets from original lines, though. I want to know that LEGO isn't just taking advantage of the licences it has to up its popularity. (I'm looking at you, Batman.) It'd be really cool to see LEGO City, Ninjago, and other lines. Maybe even some older ones, like BIONICLE and Adventurers and Exo-Force. Or even older, like Rock Raiders and LEGO Island. C'mon, Lego, let the 90s have their time!

So I got moved into my new place yesterday! Yay! ...Unfortunately, I still have a lot of boxes to unpack. Mostly random stuff that was in my bedroom before, so I'm sorting through it all to see what can go and what should stay. Found most of my clothes, though! And my food! This doesn't mean I'm back, though. Still have a LOOOOOT of Homework to catch up on. Mainly a presentation that's due tomorrow morning. And I just spent two hours playing a sport I haven't touched in three years. My feet hurt. But it was awesome and we were supporting a good friend of ours. So it was worth it.

Three words for you, my friend. Save. Your. Work. Seriously. Type it up in Word or Pages or whatever and keep a copy. Especially if you are going to be changing out the chapters this much. Don't trust the internet to hold the only copy you may have. Also, You don't need to have separate brackets and parenthesis and such to denote different characters. I would recommend having the normal text of the comedy be in black, and whenever you appear or there is text not related to the chapter, have it in orange. You don't need to denote different characters with different text brackets. Simply noting who said what is fine. Your readers aren't THAT unintelligent. And are you aware that the post is formatted weird? It's cutting out every other line. I can't tell where the paragraphs start, or when they're a continuation of a previous line of thought. Sorry to sound harsh, but I just noticed these. I want to be nice, but I also want to help you. (and it's still the same subject matter, so I can only comment on the things that have changed.) The new format looks really good, but it needs a little fixing.

This is part of the reason I just claim I'm a muggle whenever my friends talk about what house they're in. (Also, because I don't really care.) Y'know... I wonder if there is homeschooling in the wizard community. Probably not, due to the nature of the power they're working with, but it's an interesting thought. Or exchange students. Or college. (Seriously, If Aurors have to take test after test to get a job, where are they going to learn those extra skills?)

Hey guys! So Marya (A Ga-Matoran in Ga-Wahi) Is temporarily unavailable for interaction. I'm in the process of moving and I'm not going to have a lot of time for complicated interactions and events. If you absolutely need to find her, (Say someone destroyed the Front gate or a bridge burned down) she's in her secret workshop in the Bay. I Should be back in a week. I'll follow the ongoing plotlines as best I can, but I won't interact myself until I'm settled in again.

Hey folks! So I'm going to be a little off the radar this next week. Why? Well, at the start of the school year, I started renting a house rather than stay on campus. The understanding was that the house would go on the market in the spring. It is now spring, and the house is now for sale. On top of that, there's been an offer. So I need to move. I've gotten really lucky and found a new place already, and a roommate- Now I just have to pack all my stuff! A lot of it's going to go into storage or back to my parent's house, since the new place is a LOT smaller, and my roommate already has most of the furniture we need. There's also the fun paperwork of shutting down accounts related to the old house and setting up the rental agreement with the new place. I'm both looking forward to and dreading this move. On one hand, it's closer to campus and I'll have a roommate who won't rely on me to get everywhere. On the other hand, I really love this house and I'm not ready to leave just yet. But I don't want to try to find a new place to live with a week or two left on the lease here, which is what will happen if I wait until the end of the term, and the last few weeks of said term will be madness. So I get to spend this next week packing up my stuff and getting ready to move. I moved my BZPRPG character in Ga-Wahi into a hidden workshop partially for this reason-I'm not going to have time to keep up on interactions. I just released a new chapter of Dispatches, so I'm good there for a while. I'll be on the low side of things until... Oh, next week I think. So if you don't see me around a lot this next week, that's why! See you all in a week!

I started working on a project involving, essentially, BIONICLE Gen1, 2001, with humanized matoran. (Partially because I'm taking a costume design course and I'm having fun coming up with ideas.) I got inspired by watching the old 2002 Bohrok animations and playing MNOG, going "what would these characters look like if they were human? What would their clothing suggest about their jobs and lifestyles, and where they live? What would they do if they were forced to go on a quest together?" That sort of thing. It's really fun, especially when it came to design. Hewkii, for example, probably wears his sports uniform all the time, while Jaller is constantly seen in his Guard uniform. Hahli wears sleek but comfortable clothing for her constant underwater expeditions for supplies, and Nuparu has a ton of pockets for spare parts and tools. Matoro has a thick cloak when he's hunting in the drifts, and Kongu... Well, I haven't gotten to him yet. Also have ideas for the Chronicler's company. I want to write a story based on these designs as well, but I'm going to wait until Some other projects are finished, or at least at a point where I can leave them sitting for a bit. It's fun to return to these characters and the world of Mata Nui. Also, there may be a running gag involving Hewkii's Jersey and the constant misspelling of his name.

Case File #523: The Gang’s (Are) All Here Day: July 24th Time: 2:17 P.M. Location: Lego City PD-Cherry Tree Hills Ted Baxter Dumped an Ice cube down the back of his neck and sighed. It was a hot day at the PD, and the air conditioning was straining as it was to keep the building cool. Whoever had designed the building with all these windows was an idiot when it came to heating and cooling. The place was a sauna in the Summer and an Icebox in the winter. Hopefully the heat would be enough to keep the criminals off the streets and in cooler places, like 5th floor basements. And ice cream factories. “That’s right folks, it’s a scorcher today!” A voice said from the radio that sat by the break-room microwave. “And it’s going to keep getting hotter! The Heat Wave is expected to last until the end of the week! Time to take a break, grab that sunscreen, and hit the beach!” Ted groaned. Sure, it was easy for the DJ to be chipper-He got to stay inside all day. Any Cop that hadn’t fallen from heatstroke was expected to pick up the slack, and that meant patrols in the hot sun. Three cops had gone to the hospital in the last two days. The rest were trying to stay indoors and in the shade as much as they could-Cars were not their friend when the AC started to give out. “Baxter!” A voice called. Ted looked over to see the secretary, Bea, walk into the room. “You busy at the moment?” “Just melting into the floor.” Ted said, pulling another ice cube out of the tray. “Well, stop melting and get out to your car. Officer Jenkins just called for back-up in the Pagoda district. She hasn’t engaged yet, but she probably will have by the time you get out there.” “Yes, Ma’am.” Ted said, standing up and pulling his blue work shirt off the back of the chair. Officer Jenkins was the PD’s expert in Gang crime. Specifically, stopping it. And she’d been stopping it for the past three days, non-stop. The Heat wave had brought a Crime wave with it. “And tell her that Chief Dunby wants to see her in his office right away, when you get out there.” Bea continued. “He says it’s urgent and he doesn’t have time to wait for lollygaggers.” Baxter winced. It was going to be hard to convince Jenkins to come in for a meeting, especially when she was on patrol. And Dunby didn’t like to waste time waiting for people. “This is going to be fun.” Ted said to himself as he walked out the door of the break room. Then he stopped, ducked back in, and grabbed an ice pack and some water bottles. Jenkins was one person that didn’t need to be dropping from heatstroke. *** Jenkins popped her gum and watched the group of gang members cross the street. They hadn’t done anything-yet. But there was that shifty look about their eyes and the careful way they stepped that suggested trouble. That, and they hadn’t even bothered to take off their prison uniforms. A dumb move, but it made it easier to spot crooks from a mile away. They were headed towards the Gates of Tranquillity with a purpose that could only mean one thing-property damage. Jenkins tossed her gum in the trash and crossed the street after them, moving to intercept. She’d called for backup when she’d first spotted the group, but there wasn’t any guarantee of it coming-not with officers dropping like flies. “Alright!” One of them yelled as they reached the top of the steps. “LET’S BREAK SOME STUFF!” Innocent citizens began to panic as Jenkins raced to the top of the steps. The gang members had started to smash decorative planters and carve....not-so-innocent things on the walls and the gates. There wasn’t a whole lot to break, but they were certainly trying their hardest. “Gentlemen, I’m going to have to ask you to stand down.” Jenkins said calmly, watching the scene. “It might start to get ugly if you don’t.” They didn’t hear her. And if they did, they acted as if they hadn’t. The chaos continued as citizens streamed away from the Gates. Jenkins smiled, shrugged and pulled out her grapple gun. She’d given them the obligatory warning. Now the fun could start. Three of the gang members were down before they even realized they were being assaulted. Jenkins got handcuffs on two of them, although the third broke out of his restraints disturbingly fast. The rest turned to see why their comrades had stopped, and one of them paled. “It’s GANGCRUSHER!” He shouted, backing away fast. “RUN FOR IT!” The Gang members turned as one and began to run down the West steps. Jenkins fired the grapple gun again, but only managed to snag a couple. She growled. It was going to be a nightmare to track down the rest of them. Then there was an engine rev from...somewhere. The crooks came screaming back up the West steps, terrified of something other than Gangcrusher. Then she saw why; a Police cruiser came roaring up the steps, not content to wait by the sidewalk for the crooks. But whoever was driving hadn’t accounted for the stairs acting as a ramp-They ended up flying over the heads of everyone involved, and down the steps on the other side. Jenkins wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth; the rest of the gang was in her sights again. She had the rest of them down on the ground and in handcuffs when the Cruiser came back up the steps. Slowly this time. It parked between a destroyed planter and an overturned cart, and the driver got out. “What took you so long?!” Jenkins called as Ted Baxter made his way over, slightly unsteadily. “Traffic.” Baxter replied, grabbing the first gang member to shove them in the back of the car. “I got stuck behind three different ice cream trucks on the way here.” “Well, Try to make it two next time.” Jenkins said, grabbing another crook and shoving him in on the opposite side. “This lot almost got away.” “No!” Baxter said in mock surprise. “They almost got away from Gangcrusher? How terrible!” Jenkins gave him a glare the would have curdled ice cream. “Drop the sarcasm, Officer. just get these guys back to the station.” She said as the grabbed the leader, who was cringing away from her fiery temper. “Can do. By the way, Chief Dunby wants to see you whenever you get back in. Well, he wants to see you right now, but I told him you were a little busy.” Baxter mentioned as he crammed a gang member into the trunk. “Geez, I should have brought the truck.” “And I’m staying busy.” Jenkins said as she shoved the last gang member in, pushing the door closed behind him. “Crime doesn’t wait for meetings and committees.” “I’m not going to argue with you.” Baxter said, reaching into the passenger seat. He tossed her a water bottle. “I’m smarter than that. I’ll ask you to reconsider. It’s almost three, and I doubt another gang is going to make trouble right after these guys made a fuss and got arrested.” Jenkins looked at the water bottle in her hand. Condensation still collected on the outside, and she realized just how thirsty she was. She’d drunk half the bottle before she’d realized it. She looked up at the sun. It was now the hottest part of the day-only idiots were going to stay out in this heat. “If you are going to stay out in this heat,” Baxter continued, reaching into the car again. “Take this. We don’t need one of our top officers passing out from heatstroke.” He tossed her a baseball cap. She looked at the cap in her hands, then at the sun. “I think I’ll catch a ride with you. I’m not gonna put off Dunby ‘till the end of the shift. He’d eat me alive.” “Not if you toss him a doughnut first.” Baxter joked as he climbed in the drivers seat. “And I’m driving, don’t fight me on this one. You take a break. You’ll need your energy when you meet with Dunby.” **** It was a blessing to be back in a place with air conditioning. Jenkins watched with another water bottle as the gang was hauled out of the cruiser and into the building for processing. She leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and listened to the opera of the Lego City PD; The echo of footsteps off the walls, the shuffle of paperwork, the dulcet tones of a phone ringing, and the not-so-dulcet CRASH that could only be Frank trying to fix the computer again. It was an office, sure. But it was also a kind of home. “Jenkins!” Someone shouted. She looked up to see Chief Dunby calling from the second floor. “Briefing room! ONE MINUTE!” She sighed, peeled herself off the wall and walked over to the elevator. Baxter followed her, in, tucking a file folder under his arm. “The meeting’s about the recent crime wave thats hit the city.” He said, handing her a piece of paper as the doors closed. “Dunby’s hoping that if we put enough heads together we can find a common link between all these crimes.” Jenkins looked at the list and whistled. “That’s a lot of crimes.” She said. She wasn’t exaggerating either-The PD hadn’t seen numbers like this in years, not even during the Fury case last summer. Baxter nodded as the elevator doors opened on the second floor, allowing a few more officers and detectives in. “This many crimes can’t be a coincidence.” “No.” Jenkins agreed as the elevator rose. “But most these look like they could be. I know most of these gangs; they all avoid each other if possible. I can’t see them working together.” “Officer Spencer said the same thing about the car robberies.” Baxter replied. “Way too many to be a coincidence, but none that have enough in common to suggest a link.” “And I suppose you’ve run into the same problem?” Jenkins asked. “Actually, no.” Baxter replied, scanning the list. “There haven’t been any huge crimes or frauds. It’s all little things.” “Well, we better find that link soon.” Jenkins said as the elevator opened to the briefing room. “There won’t be anything left in Lego City to steal at this rate.” The Briefing Room was a large, circular room where the BIG cases were discussed. There was a podium and stage, multiple chairs, and a popcorn machine. The PD knew what was important. It sat unused today, though-no one wanted extra salt when they needed to stay hydrated. Instead, officers milled around the room with water and ice cream bars, doing their best to beat the heat. Baxter spotted Shaky Harry over by the window with a cup of coffee, twitching nervously. Baxter wasn’t sure if he’d had six shots, or only five, but it was clear he’d had far too much again. “All right, settle down!” Dunby called from the podium. Around the room, officers and detectives settled into chairs. “I’m calling this meeting to order! Now, first off...” Baxter listened with half an ear as the meeting droned on. The facts were essentially what was on the paperwork everyone had got: Lots of little crimes with no connection. LOTS of them. It was like looking for a catfish in a murky pond full of minnows. He looked at the data map on the wall. Lots of dots, no lines. Yet there was something about the data that bugged him. “Baxter!” Dunby shouted. Ted jumped in his seat. “Yes Chief?” He asked, sitting at attention. “I’m putting you on Patrol duty with Officer Jenkins. I know its not your usual beat, but we need all the help we can get. And it’s not like you’ve been doing anything recently.” Normally, Baxter worked paper forensics. He looked at paper trails and insurance scams, and stayed indoors most of the time. Because of that, he had a bit of a unique way of thinking. One that he applied now; instead of looking for something that wasn’t there and should be, he looked for something that should be and wasn’t. He took another look at the date map on the wall. And he found it. **** Three days later, Baxter sagged against a wall as Jenkins cuffed another robber. He’d started a plain-clothes Patrol with her, and it had been an...interesting experience. Jenkins had this street presence around her, one that managed to keep crooks away to the point it was obvious they were crooks because they were avoiding her. She was calm, collected and had a look that said you were toast if you crossed her. Baxter, on the other hand, looked like a lost, absentminded tourist-In other words, a target. He’d been assaulted by ten pickpockets and robbers in the last three days. It wasn’t intentional by any means. But it made finding and catching crooks a lot easier. If not a little more painful. “That’s five today.” Jenkins said, observing as they tossed the crook into the waiting transport truck. “This is insane. They’re getting out as soon as we put them in. I saw this guy two days ago in Bright Lights trying to rob an old lady.” “Really?” Baxter said. “Yeah. Bit of a surprise for him when she started hitting him with her purse. It was kind of funny, really.” “I’ll bet. I’ll call the station and ask them to check security over at Albatross.” Baxter said, reaching for the radio in the truck. Albatross Prison had lax security on the best of days. But it wouldn’t do any good if crooks could walk off the island as soon as they got on. It was a minor miracle that they hadn’t seen Rex Fury back on the streets. Or a nightmare, depending on your paranoia levels. He looked in the truck. The Radio was gone. “Of all the...” “What?” Jenkins asked, looking over. “They stole the radio.” “....This needs to stop. NOW.” “I know it.” Baxter said, pulling out his personal phone, which thankfully was still in his pocket. “Bea? Baxter. Yes, I know. It got stolen. Look, can you ask someone to go check Albatross security? We’re starting to see repeat criminals. Chase would probably be a good choice. He terrifies the warden.” “Why don’t we ask someone who’s seen it a little more recently?” Jenkins said, hopping in the back of the truck. “Now, why don’t you tell us how you got back out on the streets so quick?” Jenkins said with a growl, pushing the crook into the back of the truck. “And maybe you would happen to know what’s with the crime sprees recently? Slicky Jims wasn’t a brave crook by any means. But he wasn’t stupid, either. “I don’t know nuthin’ about the hole in the laundry chute.” He muttered. “And I don’t know nuthin about the big rumble goin’ down in Fresco tonight.” “Fresco, huh?” Jenkins pondered. She climbed out of the truck and looked at Baxter. “We might have a lead. If Chase is headed over to Albatross, tell him to check the laundry chute.” “Got it.” Baxter said, and passed the information along to Bea. Then he hung up. “I hope we get this sorted out soon. Five more officers have gone to the hospital since yesterday-We’re on a skeleton staff as it is.” “I know it.” Jenkins said. Shifts were getting longer, and rest time was getting shorter. And the sun kept getting hotter and hotter. “Something’s going to have to give soon.” “Well, we can at least get this fellow back to the PD and...” Baxter said, looking into the truck. “And he’s gone.” Jenkins roared and hit the side of the truck. “That little punk!” She yelled. Baxter sighed. He honestly wasn’t that surprised. Slicky Jims was called that for a reason. It was hard to catch him. “Well, since we’re short one criminal to take back to the station, why don’t we grab something to eat?” He spotted a Pappalardo’s ice cream truck parked by the road further down the street. “Come on, I’ll pay.” “We just had a criminal escape on us and you want to buy Ice Cream?” Jenkins nearly shouted. “Look, it was Slicky Jims. He’s long gone by now, there’s nothing we can do about it. Besides, I’ve got a lead I want to follow up.” Baxter said, walking to the ice cream truck. “And I’d feel better about crooks stealing my wallet if there wasn’t actually anything in it.” He walked up to the Pappalardo’s Ice Cream truck and stopped in Surprise. No way he could be this lucky. Moe De Luca was in the truck, swapping money for ice cream cones faster than a professional cup-stacker. He waited patiently for the crowd to pass, then stepped up. “Two Blueberry Pomegranate cones, please.” He said, setting the money on the counter. “I’m surprised to see you out here, Moe. Don’t you usually work in the office?” “I wish I was.” Moe said, taking the money and nodding to the other man in the vehicle. “The Ice cream business is booming. TOO booming, actually. We can barely keep up with orders as it is. Vinnie’s got every man that’s not working in the factory out on the streets, including me!” “Really?” Baxter asked as Jenkins wandered over. “Yeah! We’re in an’ outta there with barely a chance to use the restroom!” Moe said, handing over the two ice cream cones. “The boys haven’t even had a chance to do the side work since this heat wave started-” Moe said, then cut himself off, wondering if he’d said too much. “Shame.” Baxter said, handing a cone to Jenkins. “Sorry the boys don’t get any time off. I’m sure their families miss them at the rate they’re going.” He continued, pretending not to hear the comment that Moe made. He put a few coins in the tip jar and turned to Jenkins, letting Moe deal with the next customer. “Now what was that lead you said you had?” he asked, carefully staying within Moe’s earshot. “Slicky said there was some sort of rumble going down in Fresco tonight.” Jenkins said, taking a bite of ice cream. “My guess is the gangs are tired of dancing around each others’ feet. Don’t know why it’s in Fresco, though-that’s the only place in the city there hasn’t been any crime. Any worse than usual, anyway.” She said, sneaking a side glance at the ice cream truck. “It’s odd.” The music, which had been playing from the radio in the ice cream truck, ended. “Hey Hey Hey folks!” The chipper DJ said from somewhere in LEGO City. “We’re taking a look at the weather and bad news! We’ve got a big ol’ thunderstorm that’s going to hit tonight! Stay inside and keep those windows closed, folks!” Everyone around the ice cream truck looked at the speakers. Baxter was the only one who smiled. A Break in the weather and a break in the case. *** The wind, hot and temperate, was picking up. Dark clouds started to cover LEGO City, sending everyone scurrying for home and the shelter of their beds. Well, almost everyone. “Why are we out here again?” Jenkins asked. They were over looking a large plaza in Fresco, which was abandoned, at least for now. Baxter and Jenkins had climbed up to a small ledge which gave them some cover, but allowed them to view the scene and intervene, if necessary. “We’re going to make an arrest. Several, if we’re lucky.” Baxter said, watching the plaza for movement. “And just now do you know that? Those gangs could be meeting anywhere in this District.” Jenkins pointed out. “Easy. It’s right in front of Pappalardo’s.” Baxter said, pointing to the popular ice cream business, which was still going full bore. “Remember the Briefing a few days ago?” “Of course.” “Well, something about all the data struck me as odd-it’s all been small groups. ALL of it. We haven’t seen any crimes from the big crime families in the City, including the Pappalardos.” Baxter pointed out. “And remember what Moe said earlier? They’re so busy the boy’s can’t do any of the ‘side work’? The demand for ice cream is so high they haven’t been able to keep up on the crime business. They’ve essentially dropped out of the race.” “I don’t get it.” “Think of it this way; When we were looking for the link between the crimes, we were looking for this catfish in a murky pond full of minnows. Well, we couldn’t find it because someone took the catfish out-It was never there. We weren’t looking for a link, we were looking for a catalyst. And that Catalyst is the Pappalardos.” “Well, if you’re so smart, why is the ruckus out here?” “Easy-The small gangs are getting braver. They’re trying to fill the power void left by the lack of big gang activity. The reason there’s been no crime boom here in Fresco is they’re still afraid the Pappalardos are going to come back. Except they’re not afraid anymore.” “You don’t think...” “They’re going to try to take out the Pappalardos for good.” Baxter said, leaning against the wall. Jenkins thought for a moment. “Well, What are we going to do about it?” “For now? Just watch.” Baxter said, pointing to the other end of the plaza. “They don’t know it yet, but their little rumble is going to end in pain, and handcuffs.” At the other end of the plaza, a huge crowd was gathering. Crooks and criminals from all over the city were gathering to lay siege to the Pappalardo Crime family. They crossed the plaza, monster trucks revving and crooks cracking their knuckles. “Come on.” Jenkins said, and crossed the plaza so that she stood between the mob and the factory. Surprised, Baxter followed. “All right!” Jenkins yelled, bringing the crowd to a halt. “You have five minutes to cease and desist! Scram or you’re going back to Albatross!” There was a pause. Then the trucks revved again as the mob pushed forward. “You can’t arrest all of us, Gangcrusher!” Someone in the crowd yelled. “You’d need an army to catch us all!” The storm broke, lighting and thunder echoing across the dark sky. The gates to the Ice Cream factory opened. It looked as if a small army had assembled within its walls. And at the forefront of that army was its general. Vinnie Pappalardo stepped out of the gates and looked at the mob outside his business. “Now, I’m told that you folks want to start a little fight.” He said, surveying the crowd with a steely eye as rain began to fall. “And I’m not too keen on starting a little scuffle now. Not in this weather.” NOW the mob was scared. It was one thing when it was just two cops. But the Entire Pappalardo Crime family... That was another thing. There was a long silence as the two groups sized each other up. Then a suicidal gang member rushed forward, waving a wrench. “We can take them!” He yelled. “They’re only-” A fist ran into his face. Then another to his gut. Then two strong arms cartwheeled him through the air and onto the ground, where handcuffs fell around his wrists. Jenkins looked down at the idiotic man then at the rest of the crowd. “Assaulting a police officer and aiming to start a riot.” She stated, looking at the crowd. “Who’s next?” There was a single pause. Then every member of that mob screamed like a little girl and started to run. The small army that was the Pappalardos yelled and rushed forward, giving chase. Except for Vinnie, who stood to the side with Baxter and Jenkins and watched the chaos as the rain poured down. “So...what now?” Baxter asked. “We start arresting people.” Jenkins said, walking away with a wolfish grin on her face. “Call Ellie and have her get people out here with prison trucks. We’re going to need a lot of them.” Vinnie looked over at Baxter. He leaned in, his voice low. “Thanks for the tip.” He whispered, then walked back into the factory. Baxter smiled. He knew that Moe would come through. He pulled out his phone and called the station. “Hey Ellie? Round up the crew. We’ve got a lot of arrests to make...”

Wow! Next up: Custom-Print Masks!

Sounds good! A Quick suggestion though-Don't delete the current chapter just because you don't think it's very good! A new reader is going to get confused when they read the topic and don't find any comedy chapters! You don't need to update the first post every time something happens with the comedy-a new post at the end of the thread will work just as well. (If you are updating the chapter, leave the old one in place until you are ready to switch it out. You never when Real Life will strike and keep you from changing it for three days.)