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Nio Love rolled 2 10-sided dice:
5, 9
Total: 14 (2-20)
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 Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 11:01 pm
The forest was an absolutely beautiful place. It was the first time, since he could remember, that he'd finally felt peace. So he reveled in it, and he took his time, walking through the forest. When it cleared, and he found the lake, the water called to him. Asked him to heal his children. Carry its water. He cupped his hands and gathered as much as he could, carrying it slowly, carefully over to the sickly tree that he'd passed before. If anyone needed healing, it was this. So he watered the poor tree, and from its branches shuddered a little acord. Robert plucked it, satisfied that he'd done something good for once.  14mm
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Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 11:10 pm
To return to the lake felt a little redundant. In fact, as he started to really listen to the words that he was hearing when his head was underwater, he started to realize that there was something truly sad and undoubtedly eerie about the wording.. and the situation. Whatever the voice had done, its Grief was the reason its children were dying.
There wasn't much time to consider it. The blue bubbles formed, floating nearby. Memories, he could see them from here. And he didn't know if he wanted them.
No, that wasn't true. He knew he needed them.
He pulled one forward, closing it around him slowly.
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Nio Love rolled 1 10-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-10)
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Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 11:11 pm
Robert stared at the X'd out sign. One more day until the trials, it said. That day had passed. Today was the day he and his swim club were going to face the challenges they had been preparing for since deciding to start the club. Today, they were going to become Swim!Heroes.
He'd signed up for the 400m. He had the endurance and he knew it. But there was too much competition, and he was too nervous. He'd trained his body for his. Every muscle was warm and ready for exhaustion. There was no reason to be - but his stomach had more butterflies than ever.
Cap snapped on. Goggles fastened. Speedo adjusted. He stepped out onto the platform, and waited for the gun.
When it went off, so did he. And just like that, all of his nerves disappeared.
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Nio Love rolled 1 10-sided dice:
5
Total: 5 (1-10)
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Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 11:12 pm
SQUIRREL.
Dear Invisible Minipet Diary.
It's been three days, four hours, and sixty million minutes since someone has petted me. My fur is getting matted. My ears can't scritch themselves. What has become of my life?
I used to be a housepet, you know. Just a careless pup with nothing on his mind but what time dinner was and where exactly should I place my poop for the big guy to step on. Now, look at me. No kibble. Not even any treats. Where are all the treats? Why aren't these trees dropping treats like the big guy did? I keep peeing on them hoping to get their attention, but no look so far.
I'll keep trying.
I guess I should explain. I mean, you don't go from a cushy home life to living out here in the wilderness for nothing. But the fact was, my parents told me; Son, you're the biggest, and strongest of our litter. It's your job to go out there and join Battle School. Make us proud!
I did not make them proud.
I made them forgetful. And I made the big guy broke.
And then one day, when my parents weren't looking, the big guy took me out for a drive. What a great drive! I love drives. I love sticking my head out the window and tasting the wind.
But not this drive.
This drive ended here. And so did my happy life. Now I'm hungry, cold, and nobody has scritched behind my ears in ages.
I think it might be driving me insane. What do you think, invisible diary? Do you think I'm going in-SQUIRREL.
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Nio Love rolled 1 10-sided dice:
7
Total: 7 (1-10)
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Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 11:13 pm
Warning: Gore Ahead, please be advised!
"Serpentarius."
Robert heard one side of the room cheer, and with a very small, cocky smile, he took the sorting cap off of his head and settled into his seat at the long table, beside what could only be described as the most stuck up individual he could find. Thoreau, he said his name was. Some kind of writer. It figured, Robert thought to himself maliciously. He looked like a bookworm.
The boy was six foot even, but Thoreau was even taller, and that made Robert unhappy. He'd never met a boy his age who had to look down at him to speak, but Thoreau looked down at everyone, right over the edge of those horn rimmed glasses. Down his long, narrow nose, with an expression that set Robert's teeth on edge.
But his family meant Robert had to be nice, for once. So he played nice. For now.
When Robert returned home from his first day at Pigfarts, his father was hunched over the table, working tirelessly on his latest project. Said project was screaming, still awake despite the procedure being applied to him. Robert felt nothing as he looked at the cavernous body open before him, all those organs and bones exposed and writhing and pumping and alive. It reminded him of dinner. He wondered if his mother was making lamb.
"Well?" His father never looked up.
"Of course I did." Robert growled under his breath. "Was there ever any doubt? What, did you expect to see me sporting Leo colors?"
His father lifted the wand he'd been using, and tapped his son's nose with it. "Don't get smart with me, boy."
It was hard to get smart with anyone over all that screaming.
Robert's second day at school was less nerve wracking, and more tense. At first, he'd come to loathe the boy who seemed to know it all. But now, he had no choice but to follow him.
"The Vanets have a very long upstanding reputation with Pigfarts, you know." Thoreau informed the thick necked boy beside him with distaste. "And you, mmm, Crim, was it?" His steel colored eyed looked a little too intensely. "Yes. Yes of course. My father has hired yours before."
Robert stiffened. Then he slumped. He supposed being a lackey to the most suffocating wizard in Pigfarts was better than going to prison for killing him.
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Nio Love rolled 1 10-sided dice:
9
Total: 9 (1-10)
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Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 11:21 pm
Everyone knew not to get too close to the Beast.
People walked in and out of the prison cells, but the one cell that no one walked in or out was that one. When someone fought long enough, or hard enough, they had to bring the Beast in to shut down their record. And the Beast always shut down their record.
He was a hulking man. His body hunched over with the weight of muscle stretching out underneath his skin. His knuckles were huge, and often on the floor, as he walked ape-like around his cage. He never spoke. He used to speak, some say. But not now.
Now, he just killed.
No one had ever survived the beast. It was a death sentence to be pit against him. But each challenger had to try, because he was their only chance at freedom. Beating the Beast meant you were on your last kill. It meant you were free to go.
No one ever beat the Beast.
But today was different. The room was filled with electric excitement. Today was the Beasts last day. He was the one who had to win, to get his freedom. And once he won.. they were all free. Free from a life of hopelessness that only ended in giant, bloody knuckles. The entire prison ward anticipated the moment they set Beast free.
But first, he had to fight one more match.
The only way handlers got the Beast out of his cage, was by elecrocuting him first. Once he was unconscious, they dragged him to the doorway, slamming it shut and waiting for him to rise. When he did, his challenger was released into the Arena, and eventually, so was he.
The bars came rising up and the Arena crowd roared at the sight of him. He always drew in a big crowd.
No one could say if the Beast was aware that this was his last battle. As far as anyone knew, he'd lost the ability to think like a human long, long ago. But he roared like the animal he was, and plunged into the fight regardless. He stalled when he saw his opponent - a small, lithe looking woman holding a crossbow aimed shakily at him.
She didn't even recognize him. Perhaps that was why she was able to shoot him straight in the heart, without him even dodging it. Perhaps that was why she was able to keep shooting, as the crowd boo'd the suddenly docile Beast, who let her fill him with wood and steel.
Or perhaps, his little sister recognized him all along.
Either way, Poe gave the Beast the only freedom he could have ever achieved, anymore.
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Nio Love rolled 1 10-sided dice:
10
Total: 10 (1-10)
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Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 11:23 pm
Robert was twelve years old when he accidentally summoned his familiar by sneezing. He hadn't meant to do it, but suddenly, after a great and mighty sneeze, there it was. A giant, dopey faced baboon. That's what he'd gotten. It wasn't the majestic monkey he'd been hoping for. No, it definitely wasn't that.
It was a dopey as hell baboon.
But, he thought, he'd make the most of it.
And then it turned around and showed him its shiny red a**, and Robert knew his life was ruined.
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Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 2:48 am
When Robert pulled himself away from the lake, and gave the memories to the tree to nourish it, he was left with a serious case of ******** syndrome. That wasn't going to go away for a long.. long time...
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Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 2:55 am
It was actually kind of a good feeling, an accomplishment, to see a tree grow (this fast) due to his care. He sat down for a minute, and actually watched it grow. It was a visible, tangible thing. He was pretty sure that trees didn't actually grow this fast.. so he enjoyed this for what it was; a very special occasion. But his work wasn't done, as the voice told him. More water. He returned to the lake, but everything had changed. And now, before him, was a choice. He was never good at picking the right choice.
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Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 3:09 am
He chose the dark pool. There was no obvious explanation for his choice; maybe it just seemed like the most nutritious looking water. But as soon as he poured the water against his trees roots, he realized that the memories this particular water flourished were probably the strongest of all. But his heart was so tangled, so broken and twisted, that he could only hear snippets. Voices, and faces, fading in and out of existence. He never chose to focus on any one, because he knew they would break him in the end. "I want you to leave."
"How could you kiss her?"
"Was I ever enough?"
"You're such an a*****e."
"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!"
"You promised!"
"I'll see you at the end."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Promise!"
"PROMISED!"
"Promise."He let the images go as quickly as he could, but the tree itself wasn't satisfied with dark water alone. It only grew once it was finally nourished by his own tears.
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Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 3:14 am
Robert could see his reflection in the shine of that giant, obnoxious red apple. And he hated it. He hated the weakness and the failure that reflected back at him. He hated everything about what he say. So no, tree. He wasn't very satisfied at all. As if it could hear him, it gave him a promise. It promised that he wasn't the monster he made himself out to be. He'd done terrible things, and he'd made mistakes, but there was good in him too. And it showed him that, by showing him just how hard he worked to take care of others. Specifically, how much work he'd put into Mimsy's health. When that piece of puzzle clicked into place, Robert felt better about himself, but worse about what he'd done. None of this was going to be any good for her. And now he was just another part of the problem, instead of a solution. That red assed baboon universe was looking pretty good, right about now.
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