Haha the real question is, if Norman gets glasses will his dream-self see better?
TOPIC | The Pack - A Pinkerlocke
@Petall @Kavryn
Here's a fun fact about Norman that I couldn't properly word in the text: his vision isn't actually blurry per se, it's just that Bako wouldn't have the experience to describe it as anything else. We would describe it more as "pixellated" - like a bug's vision! Higher-resolution than the average bug, but still less sharp definition than normal eyes. There might be glasses-makers in Sornieth by now who can make corrective lenses for faceted vision, but it would be a complex task compared to normal "bad" vision correction. Also the lower resolution allows him to see movement super well, probably better than most of the pack, and even if given the option he might not want to "fix" that. All this is also why Norman saw Hiruko first, but Bako was the first to recognize that Hiruko was a stranger.
And yes, eventually his dreams would probably get sharper if he wore anti-facet glasses, since dreams are made up of how we perceive the world. There have been experiments where people wear red-tinted goggles constantly and after a few days they start dreaming in red, for example.
Bako is definitely growing in power :3 And her sister is giving me ideas on how to write it... :D
Here's a fun fact about Norman that I couldn't properly word in the text: his vision isn't actually blurry per se, it's just that Bako wouldn't have the experience to describe it as anything else. We would describe it more as "pixellated" - like a bug's vision! Higher-resolution than the average bug, but still less sharp definition than normal eyes. There might be glasses-makers in Sornieth by now who can make corrective lenses for faceted vision, but it would be a complex task compared to normal "bad" vision correction. Also the lower resolution allows him to see movement super well, probably better than most of the pack, and even if given the option he might not want to "fix" that. All this is also why Norman saw Hiruko first, but Bako was the first to recognize that Hiruko was a stranger.
And yes, eventually his dreams would probably get sharper if he wore anti-facet glasses, since dreams are made up of how we perceive the world. There have been experiments where people wear red-tinted goggles constantly and after a few days they start dreaming in red, for example.
Bako is definitely growing in power :3 And her sister is giving me ideas on how to write it... :D
@Petall @Kavryn
Here's a fun fact about Norman that I couldn't properly word in the text: his vision isn't actually blurry per se, it's just that Bako wouldn't have the experience to describe it as anything else. We would describe it more as "pixellated" - like a bug's vision! Higher-resolution than the average bug, but still less sharp definition than normal eyes. There might be glasses-makers in Sornieth by now who can make corrective lenses for faceted vision, but it would be a complex task compared to normal "bad" vision correction. Also the lower resolution allows him to see movement super well, probably better than most of the pack, and even if given the option he might not want to "fix" that. All this is also why Norman saw Hiruko first, but Bako was the first to recognize that Hiruko was a stranger.
And yes, eventually his dreams would probably get sharper if he wore anti-facet glasses, since dreams are made up of how we perceive the world. There have been experiments where people wear red-tinted goggles constantly and after a few days they start dreaming in red, for example.
Bako is definitely growing in power :3 And her sister is giving me ideas on how to write it... :D
Here's a fun fact about Norman that I couldn't properly word in the text: his vision isn't actually blurry per se, it's just that Bako wouldn't have the experience to describe it as anything else. We would describe it more as "pixellated" - like a bug's vision! Higher-resolution than the average bug, but still less sharp definition than normal eyes. There might be glasses-makers in Sornieth by now who can make corrective lenses for faceted vision, but it would be a complex task compared to normal "bad" vision correction. Also the lower resolution allows him to see movement super well, probably better than most of the pack, and even if given the option he might not want to "fix" that. All this is also why Norman saw Hiruko first, but Bako was the first to recognize that Hiruko was a stranger.
And yes, eventually his dreams would probably get sharper if he wore anti-facet glasses, since dreams are made up of how we perceive the world. There have been experiments where people wear red-tinted goggles constantly and after a few days they start dreaming in red, for example.
Bako is definitely growing in power :3 And her sister is giving me ideas on how to write it... :D
[center][b][size=4]Day 54 - Moving Forward[/size][/b]
[size=1]@Kyrinasha @KCSquib @Caelyn @Tadi @Verdant @Silverhame @Ximena @MoonlitMage @Deathwolf555 @AThousandSuns @Muddledsketches @luckgandor @Violetah @Ezmara @xxWolfii @tigressrising @Neroli @Petall @DragonDraws @Tiirran @Emordnilap @Blackstone359 @clarax @Chelo @Amongthestars @Stormhawke @ilimati @PyroWyvern @Pandademic @aliciawonderland @TinPinLyn @Karrikut @CrAZDragon @LilacsandFreedom @catmeow1 @SquishyJellyfish @Kavryn @Weredogalism @yeezy13 @MLPMDog @TropicalDiamond[/size]
[b]Pulls:[/b]
[item=iron wrench][item=false podid]
Sentence: Writing, 40-50 battles in the Coliseum
-----[/center]
In all the commotion around Bako's enchanted dreams, no one noticed at first. It took the pack a full day to realize that Rhyme had wandered off. They speculated as to why. Maybe she didn't like the Starwood Strand, or just wanted to do something new. Maybe she didn't want to be involved in any more odd happenings. Maybe she was bored. In the end, it didn't matter. She was gone, and that was that. There was a brief moment to be sad, and remember her quiet, eager presence, and then - as they always did - the pack moved on.
------
-So yeah, that happened last time but I didn't really have a good way of non-awkwardly adding it into a Bako-focused chapter that I'd been planning for Quite Some Time. Not much else to say this time, so here we are. Rhyme is up for grabs if anyone wants her! Remember, she's XYY Hickory/Watermelon!
-[b][u]Art Update - [/u][/b] Shading is almost doneeeee. I would have finished it but I was super tired and couldn't do any more. Also I STILL haven't decided whether to do any kind of background.
Day 54 - Moving Forward
@Kyrinasha @KCSquib @Caelyn @Tadi @Verdant @Silverhame @Ximena @MoonlitMage @Deathwolf555 @AThousandSuns @Muddledsketches @luckgandor @Violetah @Ezmara @xxWolfii @tigressrising @Neroli @Petall @DragonDraws @Tiirran @Emordnilap @Blackstone359 @clarax @Chelo @Amongthestars @Stormhawke @ilimati @PyroWyvern @Pandademic @aliciawonderland @TinPinLyn @Karrikut @CrAZDragon @LilacsandFreedom @catmeow1 @SquishyJellyfish @Kavryn @Weredogalism @yeezy13 @MLPMDog @TropicalDiamond
Pulls:
Sentence: Writing, 40-50 battles in the Coliseum
In all the commotion around Bako's enchanted dreams, no one noticed at first. It took the pack a full day to realize that Rhyme had wandered off. They speculated as to why. Maybe she didn't like the Starwood Strand, or just wanted to do something new. Maybe she didn't want to be involved in any more odd happenings. Maybe she was bored. In the end, it didn't matter. She was gone, and that was that. There was a brief moment to be sad, and remember her quiet, eager presence, and then - as they always did - the pack moved on.
@Kyrinasha @KCSquib @Caelyn @Tadi @Verdant @Silverhame @Ximena @MoonlitMage @Deathwolf555 @AThousandSuns @Muddledsketches @luckgandor @Violetah @Ezmara @xxWolfii @tigressrising @Neroli @Petall @DragonDraws @Tiirran @Emordnilap @Blackstone359 @clarax @Chelo @Amongthestars @Stormhawke @ilimati @PyroWyvern @Pandademic @aliciawonderland @TinPinLyn @Karrikut @CrAZDragon @LilacsandFreedom @catmeow1 @SquishyJellyfish @Kavryn @Weredogalism @yeezy13 @MLPMDog @TropicalDiamond
Pulls:
Sentence: Writing, 40-50 battles in the Coliseum
-So yeah, that happened last time but I didn't really have a good way of non-awkwardly adding it into a Bako-focused chapter that I'd been planning for Quite Some Time. Not much else to say this time, so here we are. Rhyme is up for grabs if anyone wants her! Remember, she's XYY Hickory/Watermelon!
-Art Update - Shading is almost doneeeee. I would have finished it but I was super tired and couldn't do any more. Also I STILL haven't decided whether to do any kind of background.
@Leopardmask
I'm sad to see Rhyme go, but I appreciate the poetic way that you wrote her out. I feel as if the coming and going of mirror packs leaves a lot of good room for natural exits like this.
I'm sad to see Rhyme go, but I appreciate the poetic way that you wrote her out. I feel as if the coming and going of mirror packs leaves a lot of good room for natural exits like this.
@Leopardmask
I'm sad to see Rhyme go, but I appreciate the poetic way that you wrote her out. I feel as if the coming and going of mirror packs leaves a lot of good room for natural exits like this.
I'm sad to see Rhyme go, but I appreciate the poetic way that you wrote her out. I feel as if the coming and going of mirror packs leaves a lot of good room for natural exits like this.
@Petall
It does! It's nice having an out like that, so I don't have to write as many deaths or think up as many suitably dangerous situations/fights.
It does! It's nice having an out like that, so I don't have to write as many deaths or think up as many suitably dangerous situations/fights.
@Petall
It does! It's nice having an out like that, so I don't have to write as many deaths or think up as many suitably dangerous situations/fights.
It does! It's nice having an out like that, so I don't have to write as many deaths or think up as many suitably dangerous situations/fights.
[center][b][size=4]Day 55 - Fly Far and Fly Wide[/size][/b]
[size=1]@Kyrinasha @KCSquib @Caelyn @Tadi @Verdant @Silverhame @Ximena @MoonlitMage @Deathwolf555 @AThousandSuns @Muddledsketches @luckgandor @Violetah @Ezmara @xxWolfii @tigressrising @Neroli @Petall @DragonDraws @Tiirran @Emordnilap @Blackstone359 @clarax @Chelo @Amongthestars @Stormhawke @ilimati @PyroWyvern @Pandademic @aliciawonderland @TinPinLyn @Karrikut @CrAZDragon @LilacsandFreedom @catmeow1 @SquishyJellyfish @Kavryn @Weredogalism @yeezy13 @MLPMDog @TropicalDiamond[/size]
[b]Pulls:[/b]
an insect item and a material, somehow deleted all info on which ones
Sentence: 20-30 battles in the Coliseum, Writing
-----[/center]
"So the dreams we got from that magic spring a few nights ago WERE real," Dawn repeated.
Bako nodded. She had learned a little bit about the spell on the Dreaming Spring after asking Hiruko the previous night, and was now relaying the information to everyone else.
"I think it showed everyone whatever they were thinking about before they went to sleep," she said. "And showed it as it is, not the past or future."
"Hmm." Smash pondered this. "So someone - or a few someones - DID raid my lab. That's unfortunate news, knowing how much went into putting it all together."
"On the bright side," Allendis pointed out, "it's nice to know that the Gaoler didn't mean any harm, and Mom's doing fine."
"Yeah, I-" Howlite interrupted himself. "What is [i]that?[/i]"
The others turned where he was looking. A dark cloud was rising over the southeast horizon.
"Great Furnace erupted, maybe?" Korey guessed.
"I suppose," Smash replied, "but is it just me, or is that cloud not moving like smoke?"
Over the next few days, the pack saw the cloud spread and disperse, and realized that it was a huge flock of... something. Some kind of bird, Adalon asserted. Some birds form massive flocks, called murmurations.
This was no ordinary murmuration. Whatever it was that was flocking had spread so thin that they were in the air above all of Sornieth, and clearly not clinging to a single group. There were still enough, in smaller flocks, to be distinguishable from Sornieth's usual air traffic, but not by much.
One day, one of the flocks flew low over the Starwood Strand. The pack looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of what these beings were. Even Rosie peeked out from under Norman's wing, where she had instinctively hidden as the flying shadows passed. The creatures displayed a dazzling variety of colors, emblazoned on scaled bodies and huge outstretched wings.
"Looks like dragons!" Ripfang exclaimed. "'Cept not any dragon kind that [i]I[/i] know of."
Smash squinted at the stragglers as the flock continued west. "They can't be dragons. Dragons are six-limbed species, and I think those creatures don't have arms. More like birds or harpies."
Allendis shook his head. "I don't know how you could even see that much. All those stripes and patterns and colors got me a little confused. Like a herd of zeeba trying to outwit a predator."
"Yeah," Smash agreed. "I could be wrong. They could have smaller forelimbs, tucked up when they fly, like you do. But I was pretty sure..."
Bako, on the edge of the group, tuned out the conversation and stepped a little farther away from the pack. She strained her ears in the direction the colorful flock had gone. They were much too far away now, but as they passed, Bako had been sure she had heard singing.
-----
-I definitely meant to write this earlier... like a week ago lol. I don't have any particular excuse except that I have been obsessed with a particular Youtube series and haven't been thinking about much else. Also I've been kind of busy IRL but, like, not THAT busy.
-Okay so I think murmuration just refers to starlings and not other birds that do the Big Huge Swarm thing but I thought it might be the most recognizable word for the phenomenon.
-[b][u]Art Update - [/u][/b] !!!
[img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/444724100963893259/656975269747490827/Norman__Rosie.png[/img]
Day 55 - Fly Far and Fly Wide
@Kyrinasha @KCSquib @Caelyn @Tadi @Verdant @Silverhame @Ximena @MoonlitMage @Deathwolf555 @AThousandSuns @Muddledsketches @luckgandor @Violetah @Ezmara @xxWolfii @tigressrising @Neroli @Petall @DragonDraws @Tiirran @Emordnilap @Blackstone359 @clarax @Chelo @Amongthestars @Stormhawke @ilimati @PyroWyvern @Pandademic @aliciawonderland @TinPinLyn @Karrikut @CrAZDragon @LilacsandFreedom @catmeow1 @SquishyJellyfish @Kavryn @Weredogalism @yeezy13 @MLPMDog @TropicalDiamond
Pulls:
an insect item and a material, somehow deleted all info on which ones
Sentence: 20-30 battles in the Coliseum, Writing
"So the dreams we got from that magic spring a few nights ago WERE real," Dawn repeated.@Kyrinasha @KCSquib @Caelyn @Tadi @Verdant @Silverhame @Ximena @MoonlitMage @Deathwolf555 @AThousandSuns @Muddledsketches @luckgandor @Violetah @Ezmara @xxWolfii @tigressrising @Neroli @Petall @DragonDraws @Tiirran @Emordnilap @Blackstone359 @clarax @Chelo @Amongthestars @Stormhawke @ilimati @PyroWyvern @Pandademic @aliciawonderland @TinPinLyn @Karrikut @CrAZDragon @LilacsandFreedom @catmeow1 @SquishyJellyfish @Kavryn @Weredogalism @yeezy13 @MLPMDog @TropicalDiamond
Pulls:
an insect item and a material, somehow deleted all info on which ones
Sentence: 20-30 battles in the Coliseum, Writing
Bako nodded. She had learned a little bit about the spell on the Dreaming Spring after asking Hiruko the previous night, and was now relaying the information to everyone else.
"I think it showed everyone whatever they were thinking about before they went to sleep," she said. "And showed it as it is, not the past or future."
"Hmm." Smash pondered this. "So someone - or a few someones - DID raid my lab. That's unfortunate news, knowing how much went into putting it all together."
"On the bright side," Allendis pointed out, "it's nice to know that the Gaoler didn't mean any harm, and Mom's doing fine."
"Yeah, I-" Howlite interrupted himself. "What is that?"
The others turned where he was looking. A dark cloud was rising over the southeast horizon.
"Great Furnace erupted, maybe?" Korey guessed.
"I suppose," Smash replied, "but is it just me, or is that cloud not moving like smoke?"
Over the next few days, the pack saw the cloud spread and disperse, and realized that it was a huge flock of... something. Some kind of bird, Adalon asserted. Some birds form massive flocks, called murmurations.
This was no ordinary murmuration. Whatever it was that was flocking had spread so thin that they were in the air above all of Sornieth, and clearly not clinging to a single group. There were still enough, in smaller flocks, to be distinguishable from Sornieth's usual air traffic, but not by much.
One day, one of the flocks flew low over the Starwood Strand. The pack looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of what these beings were. Even Rosie peeked out from under Norman's wing, where she had instinctively hidden as the flying shadows passed. The creatures displayed a dazzling variety of colors, emblazoned on scaled bodies and huge outstretched wings.
"Looks like dragons!" Ripfang exclaimed. "'Cept not any dragon kind that I know of."
Smash squinted at the stragglers as the flock continued west. "They can't be dragons. Dragons are six-limbed species, and I think those creatures don't have arms. More like birds or harpies."
Allendis shook his head. "I don't know how you could even see that much. All those stripes and patterns and colors got me a little confused. Like a herd of zeeba trying to outwit a predator."
"Yeah," Smash agreed. "I could be wrong. They could have smaller forelimbs, tucked up when they fly, like you do. But I was pretty sure..."
Bako, on the edge of the group, tuned out the conversation and stepped a little farther away from the pack. She strained her ears in the direction the colorful flock had gone. They were much too far away now, but as they passed, Bako had been sure she had heard singing.
-I definitely meant to write this earlier... like a week ago lol. I don't have any particular excuse except that I have been obsessed with a particular Youtube series and haven't been thinking about much else. Also I've been kind of busy IRL but, like, not THAT busy.
-Okay so I think murmuration just refers to starlings and not other birds that do the Big Huge Swarm thing but I thought it might be the most recognizable word for the phenomenon.
-Art Update - !!!
BANESCALE ARRIVAL YES!!!!! I love seeing the pack's reaction to it!!!!!!
ALSO THAT ART LOOKS AMAZING AAAAAAAAAAAAA
ALSO THAT ART LOOKS AMAZING AAAAAAAAAAAAA
[center][b][size=4]Day 56 - Banes of Existence[/size][/b]
[size=1]@Kyrinasha @KCSquib @Caelyn @Tadi @Verdant @Silverhame @Ximena @MoonlitMage @Deathwolf555 @AThousandSuns @Muddledsketches @luckgandor @Violetah @Ezmara @xxWolfii @tigressrising @Neroli @Petall @DragonDraws @Tiirran @Emordnilap @Blackstone359 @clarax @Chelo @Amongthestars @Stormhawke @ilimati @PyroWyvern @Pandademic @aliciawonderland @TinPinLyn @Karrikut @CrAZDragon @LilacsandFreedom @catmeow1 @SquishyJellyfish @Kavryn @Weredogalism @yeezy13 @MLPMDog @TropicalDiamond[/size]
[b]Pulls:[/b]
[item=sparkling wasp][item=mammertee plushie]
Sentence: 20-30 battles in the Coliseum, Art
-----[/center]
Ripfang glared suspiciously at every thing they passed. After three days of this, Bako sidled up to him as they walked. "Why are you so tense?"
Ripfang curled his lip at a particularly quiet fern, then turned to her. "Mimics. It's Long Nights, so they're all comin' out to play."
Bako gave Ripfang a questioning look.
"Like that doll that follows Adalon around," Ripfang explained. "Or-" He paused, and cocked his head to listen. "Hear that? That sorta... wooshing?"
Bako nodded. Ripfang swung his head, tracking the sound, then pounced over a log. He leaped back with a blue orb clamped in his jaws. Two more, orange and lighter blue, followed, almost as though they were being dragged. Ripfang savaged the blue orb until it disintegrated into water. As soon as it did, he herded Bako and Norman behind a tree as the other two orbs crashed into each other, causing a small explosion.
"That," Ripfang spat, "was a mimic. Nasty devils. Thankfully they only come out o' hiding one year out o' twelve."
"Were the things we saw flying before mimics too?" Norman wondered.
"Might'a been," Ripfang asserted. "Weren't dragons. Least as far as we know 'em. Mimics only come out during Long Nights, though, so if they was mimics we'd've seen other mimics long before now."
"They came from the wrong direction, anyway," Smash interjected. "Creatures come out of the shadows during Long Nights - that's due east, maybe a little north. The dragons - or whatever they were - started appearing in the south."
"They sing, too," Bako said. "Do mimics sing?"
"They hardly make any sound," Ripfang replied. "Unless they're disguised as somethin' that makes noise. Makes 'em even harder to look out for. I've never known one to [i]sing.[/i]"
"Well, there you go," Smash decided. "Whatever we saw before can't have been a flock of mimics."
"Maybe we'll meet one again," Bako speculated excitedly. "Up close next time!"
-----
-Pinkerlock battles during NotN are HARD. Mimics are definitely some of the toughest things in the venue.
-I've been getting a lot of trinket pulls lately and I'm busy so I decided to buy art for this one instead of making it. Unfortunately, I haven't heard back from the person I ordered from yet. If I don't hear from them before the end of NotN (I'm paying with Strange Chests, so time is kind of a factor) - which seems likely at this point - I'll order from someone else. Either way, when I do get the art I'll of course show it off and credit them.
-I have been meaning to write this for... about a week. It's been busy busy trying to move house around here. I really wanted to get this done before the end of NotN though since it takes PLACE near the BEGINNING of NotN.
Day 56 - Banes of Existence
@Kyrinasha @KCSquib @Caelyn @Tadi @Verdant @Silverhame @Ximena @MoonlitMage @Deathwolf555 @AThousandSuns @Muddledsketches @luckgandor @Violetah @Ezmara @xxWolfii @tigressrising @Neroli @Petall @DragonDraws @Tiirran @Emordnilap @Blackstone359 @clarax @Chelo @Amongthestars @Stormhawke @ilimati @PyroWyvern @Pandademic @aliciawonderland @TinPinLyn @Karrikut @CrAZDragon @LilacsandFreedom @catmeow1 @SquishyJellyfish @Kavryn @Weredogalism @yeezy13 @MLPMDog @TropicalDiamond
Pulls:
Sentence: 20-30 battles in the Coliseum, Art
Ripfang glared suspiciously at every thing they passed. After three days of this, Bako sidled up to him as they walked. "Why are you so tense?"@Kyrinasha @KCSquib @Caelyn @Tadi @Verdant @Silverhame @Ximena @MoonlitMage @Deathwolf555 @AThousandSuns @Muddledsketches @luckgandor @Violetah @Ezmara @xxWolfii @tigressrising @Neroli @Petall @DragonDraws @Tiirran @Emordnilap @Blackstone359 @clarax @Chelo @Amongthestars @Stormhawke @ilimati @PyroWyvern @Pandademic @aliciawonderland @TinPinLyn @Karrikut @CrAZDragon @LilacsandFreedom @catmeow1 @SquishyJellyfish @Kavryn @Weredogalism @yeezy13 @MLPMDog @TropicalDiamond
Pulls:
Sentence: 20-30 battles in the Coliseum, Art
Ripfang curled his lip at a particularly quiet fern, then turned to her. "Mimics. It's Long Nights, so they're all comin' out to play."
Bako gave Ripfang a questioning look.
"Like that doll that follows Adalon around," Ripfang explained. "Or-" He paused, and cocked his head to listen. "Hear that? That sorta... wooshing?"
Bako nodded. Ripfang swung his head, tracking the sound, then pounced over a log. He leaped back with a blue orb clamped in his jaws. Two more, orange and lighter blue, followed, almost as though they were being dragged. Ripfang savaged the blue orb until it disintegrated into water. As soon as it did, he herded Bako and Norman behind a tree as the other two orbs crashed into each other, causing a small explosion.
"That," Ripfang spat, "was a mimic. Nasty devils. Thankfully they only come out o' hiding one year out o' twelve."
"Were the things we saw flying before mimics too?" Norman wondered.
"Might'a been," Ripfang asserted. "Weren't dragons. Least as far as we know 'em. Mimics only come out during Long Nights, though, so if they was mimics we'd've seen other mimics long before now."
"They came from the wrong direction, anyway," Smash interjected. "Creatures come out of the shadows during Long Nights - that's due east, maybe a little north. The dragons - or whatever they were - started appearing in the south."
"They sing, too," Bako said. "Do mimics sing?"
"They hardly make any sound," Ripfang replied. "Unless they're disguised as somethin' that makes noise. Makes 'em even harder to look out for. I've never known one to sing."
"Well, there you go," Smash decided. "Whatever we saw before can't have been a flock of mimics."
"Maybe we'll meet one again," Bako speculated excitedly. "Up close next time!"
-Pinkerlock battles during NotN are HARD. Mimics are definitely some of the toughest things in the venue.
-I've been getting a lot of trinket pulls lately and I'm busy so I decided to buy art for this one instead of making it. Unfortunately, I haven't heard back from the person I ordered from yet. If I don't hear from them before the end of NotN (I'm paying with Strange Chests, so time is kind of a factor) - which seems likely at this point - I'll order from someone else. Either way, when I do get the art I'll of course show it off and credit them.
-I have been meaning to write this for... about a week. It's been busy busy trying to move house around here. I really wanted to get this done before the end of NotN though since it takes PLACE near the BEGINNING of NotN.
EYyyyy, it's a NOTN update! And I feel you on the mimic difficulty.... I've had quite a few battle pulls and some of them have not gone well at all.... I'm hoping to get a chapter out today because gosh some things are about to go down....