User talk:Doom Vroom

Welcome! I'll respond to every comment that I see, if I miss you then it isn't because I'm ignoring you, but that I didn't see it. Please be kind and respectful to the other users that post on this page.

Archive 1 Greetings Archive 7 Batman

Archive 2 Besmirched Archive 8 Collector's Comics

Archive 3 Japanese

Archive 4 Murica

Archive 5 Endless 80

Archive 6 Cryptic Message

New talk page smell
I hope this is okay. I didn't name Archive 8 because I figured you'd want to do the honors.

I heard the Johnny Depp movie Dead Man features long passages of a Native American language without subtitles. I think filmmakers who don't have subtitles think they're being realistic, dramatic, etc. when really they're just making it inconvenient for the audience. I think it's funny how Chris identifies the language as Italian and Lois claims the language Peter doesn't understand is subtlety. Have you ever seen the movie Airplane!? (I wasn't trying to be overenthusiastic there; the proper title has an exclamation point at the end) They had a couple characters speaking "Jive" and that had subtitles. The best part was when Barbara Billingsley (the mother on Leave It to Beaver) served as a Jive translator for the stewardess.

Let's hear it for Tabitha King! I think everyone needs someone who refuses to let them give up. Sometimes you'll see a review for a movie in which they openly throw shade on another movie (i.e. "This is what [other movie] could have been."). Burn! Raidra (talk) 00:47, April 27, 2016 (UTC)
 * When I went to bed last night I felt guilty for archiving your talk page without asking permission first. I apologize for that. Raidra (talk) 12:46, April 27, 2016 (UTC)
 * That's a relief! While I was doing it I felt like one of those surgeons you see in cartoons sweating and worrying about bandaging someone up missing an ear or spleen or something.  I decided long ago that I could never enter the medical profession because I couldn't handle the pressure. “We need two cc of sodium pentothal, stat!”  “(nervously) Hang on! ~fiddles with hypodermic syringe, then accidentally drops it onto the floor~ (in harsh whisper) Dang it! ~grabs another hypodermic needle and starts fiddling with it~”
 * "Just hang, Looseblood! She gonna catch up on the rebound on the medi-sigh." "What it is, Big Mama? My mama didn't raise no dummies! I dug her rap!"  "Cut me some slack, Jack!"  I heard somewhere that the two jive guys improvised their lines, but I don't know if Mrs. Cleaver's jive speech were improvised or written.  My favorite part in Airplane! was when the reporter said, "All right, boys, let's get some pictures," and the reporters steal the pictures hanging on the wall.  Of course, my friend Nick jokingly claimed the funniest thing about the movie was it was only rated PG.
 * I'm sorry to hear you weren't feeling well. I know what that's like!  I hope you feel better today.  I also know what it's like to have to go around unplugging things.  The weather forecast has possible storms today and tomorrow, so we might have to do that soon too.  There was an episode of Mythbusters in which they were talking about not showering or talking on the telephone during a thunderstorm.  Adam always used to joke about Jamie being older, so he started, "Now, Jamie, I know they didn't have phones when you were little..." Raidra (talk) 15:41, April 27, 2016 (UTC)

"Why is the link red!?"

Get well soon! Yeah, sore throats that stick around are terrible. Here's a remedy that helps me- hot Dr. Pepper. You can Google it because this is a real thing. You simmer Dr. Pepper in a saucepan at 180 degrees, add lemon, and enjoy. I usually pour a can or small bottle in a little kettle, set the burner for medium low, and add a little lemon juice. Hot chocolate and hot apple cider also help. It's annoying when the weather reports keep talking about terrible weather and then nothing happens. I know they're trying to help people, and it's better than having no warning and then a disaster strikes, but yeah. Day 1- "We're expecting severe thunderstorms tomorrow!" Day 2- "We're expecting thunderstorms tomorrow!" Day 3- "We're expecting thunderstorms the day after tomorrow!" You think, "You really don't know what you're talking about, do you?" Raidra (talk) 01:09, April 29, 2016 (UTC)
 * "...I don't have any Dr Pepper in the house (he doesn't make house calls that often)." X-D I don't like tea, which is why I did the hot Dr. Pepper in the first place.  I didn't want to drink too much hot cocoa (though that's some good stuff!), and hot cider slipped my mind.  I thought about what else I could drink that would be hot and I remembered the hot Dr. Pepper.  I've heard of hot Vernor's (ginger ale) too, but I haven't tried that yet.  I have found ginger ale to be good for motion sickness, though.
 * I once saw a clip from a Disney Channel cartoon with insect characters (I think it was called The Buzz on Maggie). There was a scene in which a weather... um... bug was being punished by having to stand outside in the rain.  The weatherbug pleaded, "Can't I come back inside?!" and his boss replied, "No!  Stay outside where it's 'sunny' and 'warm'!"  Ouch!  That's harsh- unless the person being punished thinks ordinary hail is a more important story than four possible tornadoes.  It seems that every time it hails up here, someone sends in a picture to the local news station ("Twinklydog87 sent us this picture of hailstones in her garden!").  One time a neighbor asked me if it had hailed and I replied, "I don't think so.  I didn't see anyone send any pictures to Channel 7."
 * Today we had a special treat. We went to La Comedia Dinner Theater and saw Fiddler on the Roof.  It was a great show, and I have to admit that I was so moved during "If I Were a Rich Man" that I blotted tears from my eyes with a napkin. Raidra (talk) 00:40, April 30, 2016 (UTC)
 * That's great to hear! :-D I guess having your neck snapped back into place is one of those things that sounds uncomfortable, but is really beneficial. When one thing is messed up, the whole thing can get messed up!  I've heard that a lot of people use warm, flat ginger ale (ging-ale) as a cure-all.  Occasionally, when we're in Kentucky, we visit a place called Buckhorn Lake, and the mountain roads have a lot of twists and turns.  It's worth it when you get there, but the ride is murder on my stomach without ginger ale.  That's really the only place where I get carsick, and the ginger ale is a tremendous help.  Here's a toast to the Mythbusters for proving that ginger is an effective motion sickness remedy!  You made the rides to and from Buckhorn tolerable!
 * One time on The Late Show with David Letterman they had a segment with things compared to coins. In one of the pictures a man was holding something next to a dime for comparison.  Dave noted that the guy's thumbnail was also dime-sized, and he joked, "Why do you need the dime then?  Why can't you just use the thumbnail?"
 * I'll talk to you later! "TRADITION! ~music~ TRADITION!" Raidra (talk) 01:50, April 30, 2016 (UTC)

Chiropractors- snapping things back into place to serve you!

Yeah, that's the stuff! One thing I liked was while the ending was sad, it wasn't hopeless. There were sad moments (At one point I noted, "That turned ugly in a hurry!"), but there were happy and funny ones too, and while there was a sense of loss at the end, there was hope of a future and of reconciliation. There are a lot of writers who need to see Fiddler to see how it's done. The part in "If I Were a Rich Man" when I teared up was the part in which he described his dream home as having a tin roof and wooden floors. That's something so many of us take for granted. In my comics I have a character who describes his home as a mansion. However, it's just a one-story, average-sized house. He grew up in such poverty that what we would consider an ordinary house and lawn he considers a stately manor. Back to Fiddler, one of the best lines was, "They're so happy they don't know how miserable they are."

That must've been awesome! Here's a website about Buckhorn- http://parks.ky.gov/parks/resortparks/buckhorn-lake/. There are a lot of activities, but we go to eat and enjoy the scenery. The hotel also has a gift shop and a display about the history of the area. Maybe someday you can go on a trip there. Just be sure to bring some ginger ale or candied ginger just in case! Raidra (talk) 00:33, May 1, 2016 (UTC)
 * Let's not forget fans, air conditioners, and running water. I saw part of a funny Louis C.K. routine in which he talked about people taking air travel for granted. "(imitates disgruntled passenger) 'I sat on the runway for an hour!' And then what happened!?  Did you fly through the air!? (imitates disgruntled passenger)'I had to pay for my sandwich!' But you flew through the air while sitting down!"
 * Hopefully the Brontosaurus Burger didn't make the car tip over! Maybe that's just ribs.  I just had a horrifying thought.  Like the comedienne who wondered if the fish sandwich she ate at SeaWorld was a slow learner, I just wondered, "What if the Brontosaurus Burgers, Brontosaurus ribs, etc. were from the dinosaurs not fit to work at the rock quarry?"  Is that wrong?  Let's move on, shall we?  I remember when I was little one of the areas of King's Island was a Hanna-Barbara themed children's play area.  I don't know what it is now.  For all I know it may be Hanna-Barbara themed again.  Ah, for the cartoon-themed boat rides of yesteryear! Raidra (talk) 01:33, May 1, 2016 (UTC)

Hey! I was getting ready to respond to your earlier message when I saw you'd left a new one. First thing's first. I thought of something else to be thankful for- sauces and seasonings. They sure do a lot to perk up bland food, which is why they were so obsessed with finding spice routes way back when. In fact, I think spices was one of the things pirates took as plunder. These movies make pirates seem glamorous, but then you read about pirate life & history and it turns out they were thugs who stole whatever they would sell for cash, and they were often sick due to the miserable conditions on the ship. Whoever wrote, "Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me!" must not have been one. I've scanned and posted a picture of what character I mentioned, Vacon. Before you ask, "You named a character after vegetable bacon?!" let me explain that there's an accent mark over the o and it's the name of a martial art. The character isn't a bad guy, but he's an unfortunate and violent past. I plan to have a somber scene in which a visitor notes an odd piece of decoration, a wooden pole with a number of knives embedded in it. The visitor asks what it is and Vacon sadly explains that it's a memorial to the people he's had to kill in self-defense. I'll post his description soon. Boo on the people taking away playground equipment! They take away playground equipment and recess, and then wonder why kids are fidgety and fat.

I'm working on a new story in my Houseguest series. I don't have a title yet, but it will have four chapters. Hopefully I'll have the first chapter, "Band of Brothers", finished and posted to the WW soon. I'll let you know. I have ideas for other stories too, but I haven't started writing them yet.

"I know you aren't really interested in the Batman V Superman film, but it has been determined that it won't pass the $1 Billion mark and the Warner Executives are reportedly unhappy and might begin to reevaluate how they are having those movies pushed out (that'd be great). They were gloating that it would make an easy Billion right before release, lol. I think it is sitting at $800 Million-something." ~plays "Zonk!" music from Let's Make a Deal~ That is great! Make good movies, you stuck-up schmucks!

All right! :-D It's great when your throat and nose clear up. Thank you for telling me. Whenever you do go to sleep, pleasant dreams! Raidra (talk) 00:36, May 3, 2016 (UTC)


 * Thanks! I like to design hideouts.  Sometimes I'll do multiple drafts of one (I think the one I posted is the third draft, but maybe it's just the second).  That swing thing sounds like a shakedown.  Speaking of fundraisers, I saw something strange today.  It was a flyer for a school fundraiser, but they were trying to sell mattresses.  Yep. Mattresses. It's one thing to sell coupon books, pizzas, candy, or soft pretzels, but mattresses?  That's a big investment!


 * Hey, a little at a time! As for Batman movies, it would be interesting have a version of Knightfall, provided it's done correctly and not utterly botched.


 * That's great to hear! :-D Here's the entry on Vacon, and I also started a blog you might find interesting- http://creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:Raidra/Favorite_Family_Guy_Star_Wars_Moments.


 * Vacón
 * Nicknames and Aliases- Bakom
 * Secret identity- Anastasio Garcia
 * Birthplace- Peru
 * Occupation- fighter/philanthropist
 * List of powers, abilities, and weapons- combat skill, weapons expertise, weapons pouch, weapons jacket, intelligence, marksmanship, bullet-proof vest, speed, endurance, strength, heightened reflexes
 * Status- member of Basilisk, member of Re’em, member of Shophetim
 * First appearance- Purgative, part two
 * Hobbies- weaving/doll making/gardening
 * Personality- Vacón has great determination and fortitude. He is tough, but not malicious, and he doesn’t go around picking fights.  Though he has killed in self-defense, he does not enjoy doing so.  In his home he has a memorial consisting of a wooden pole with several knives embedded in it, each knife representing a person he’s killed in combat.  He sometimes uses underhanded tactics, but he has a moral code and shows candor when speaking to others.  He is sensible and knows the importance of keeping his skills sharp.  As a result of growing up in poverty he desires to help others and give back to the community.  This is also why he is grateful for possessions such as his house, which he views as a stately mansion.
 * Appearance- Vacón is a male Hispanic human of Peruvian heritage. He has a medium skin tone and spiky black hair with three tufts.  He wears a light brown hat, a turquoise jacket with blue gray sleeves, a light gray shirt, light lead pants, a gray belt with attached weapons pouch, and gray boots.  He sometimes wears a blue poncho with thin gold stripes.
 * Entry- Anastasio Garcia grew up in one of the shantytowns of Peru. As a result he desired to obtain financial security in order to support himself and improve conditions in his community.  He discovered the violent hybrid martial art called vacón, also known as bakom, and became an expert in order to protect himself and gain respect.  As his success and reputation grew he got the attention of Basilisk.  Dart Tongue admired his heart and determination, and he wound up becoming one of Basilisk’s chiefs.  He gave himself the alias “Vacón” after the martial art at which he had become so skilled.  Vacón has a reputation as being a skilled and fierce fighter, but he is not malicious and doesn’t go around picking fights.  He is also known for his philanthropy, and he is respected for his attitude.  As a member of Re’em he has the ability to help even more people.
 * Description of powers, abilities, and weapons- Vacón is intelligent with heightened reflexes and good levels of strength, speed, and endurance. He is a skilled fighter and can fire a weapon with accuracy.  He knows how to use a variety of weapons and use ordinary objects as weapons.  He wears a jacket and a pouch containing various weapons and other items as well as a vest which protects him from bullets, arrows, and blows to the chest.
 * Weaknesses- Vacón is susceptible to the same weaknesses as an ordinary person (extreme temperatures, poison gas, etc.).
 * Trivia
 * I created the character after I found an article on the martial art while doing research. “Anastasio” is a Spanish name meaning “Resurrection” while “Garcia” is a Spanish name meaning “Spear” or “Sharp” (which is ironically the same meaning as Dart Tongue’s name, Gerard). Raidra (talk) 01:31, May 4, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "Grave of The Seinfelds" message
Grave of The Fireflies is a Hiyao Miyazaki film about two kids who, while on a train full of ghosts, reminisce about how they got onto the train. Not to spoil a whole lot but there are a lot of tragic events that lead up to their deaths partly because the main teen boy refuses to let anyone help him and his sister as he thinks that asking for help is a sign of failure.

My dad watches Seinfeld a lot. Personally, I don't mind the show and I think it's rather decent with some funny moments. Have you ever heard of the show called The Adventures of Pete and Pete? It's kind of like Seinfeld except it deals with kids and teenagers issues in its own wacky and surreal way. It's also kind of like a 90's version of Malcolm in The Middle. I recommend giving it a watch!

I'm planning on trimming some more parts or reworking them. I'm going to cut the part where the protagonist grabs the chips and fix it so she goes right upstairs after she encounters the shadow again and discovers she's home alone. Also, when the protagonist tries to use the phone for the first time, I'll change it so that when she tries to call Erika, she discovers that the battery is dead and needs time to charge. Later in the story, the protagonist will try to dial 911 for help but the phone won't let her due to insufficient funds.

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   05:37, April 28, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "Chip Chasers" message
Here's a link to the changes I made: http://pastebin.com/7dHczJkZ

I'm going to do a bit more research on prepaid phones to see how they operate when you don't have enough funds. I know that if you try to call someone with low funds, it won't contact the person and will lead you to a voice message about how the call couldn't be completed due to insufficient funds. I'm not sure if this applies to emergency calls though. I doubt it does but I haven't been able to find any info on it. I used to have a prepaid phone as a kid so that's why I know about the insufficient funds part of it.

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   23:23, April 29, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "Emergency Calling" message
I was recently doing some research on phones.It turns out that there have been times where someone was either unable to call 911 or had difficulty doing so. Whether or not it was due to insufficient funds is a mystery. [http://www.dtccom.net/node/2082 I also found out that people prefer landlines when calling 911 as it can do a better job of helping the 911 team find the exact location. ] Yeah, cell phones have GPS but from what I understand, they aren't able to pinpoint your exact location like a landline can.

I just finished working on another Haunting Hour review! I plan to upload it next Friday as per my review schedule. I may consider uploading reviews every Friday but I don't want my reviews to feel rushed. I'll give this "Every Other Friday" schedule a bit more time until I feel comfortable moving up the upload schedule.

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   16:16, April 30, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "It Works Out!" Message
The good news is that I'm almost done reviewing the entirety of season two. So far, I have reviewed twelve out of the eighteen episodes that the entire season has to offer. That's probably the second shortest season in this series next to season four, which had a whopping grand total of only ten episodes. The review should be up this Friday though I think I might have something scheduled that day but I will try to upload it regardless.

I have an idea for what should happen next in the pasta. After Hotaka and Kristy bow to each other, The episode could shift to night time where we see Kristy's mom setting up a sleeping bag in Kristy's room. A while later, we see Kristy trying to fall asleep. She eventually does but ends up having nightmares. The next day Ashe wakes up and she's really tired. She also starts to hear voices, which is weird to her because she has stayed up all night once and we get this line: "Oh God, please don't tell me I'm THAT tired!" Or something else like that.

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   17:11, May 2, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "Livin on a Prayer" message
I've been thinking over my idea for what should happen in the pasta next. Maybe instead of having Kristy hear the voices after one night of no sleep, she can feel very tired and be a bit more clumsy and seemingly sick. After a couple of days her condition gets worse and she starts to hear voices. Her parents decide to take her to a doctor to have her evaluated. I'm trying to think up the nightmares Kristy would have but I don't want to repeat what I wrote for the cold opening way back in chapter 5. Maybe something along the lines of this. Kristy falls asleep and she's soon deep in slumber. A little while later, Kristy wakes up to the sound of a window opening downstairs. She slowly treks downstairs and sees nothing. Just as she's about to go to bed when suddenly, something emerges behind Kristy from the gaps in the hardwood floor. It grabs her and starts to attack her, all the while the attacker is never shown on screen.

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   02:45, May 4, 2016 (UTC)

May the Fourth Be with You
Thanks, you too! ~laughs~ That is pretty accurate, actually. I have some binders with my comic books, a thick binder with character entries, alien races, etc. and a thinner binder with housing plans, arsenals, etc. I've had this hobby for years, so it shows that, like I said, you can accomplish a lot by doing a little at a time. It's funny to imagine students trying to sell mattresses door-to-door, but no, I actually saw a flyer at my church (We have prayer meeting on Tuesday mornings). I think it's one of those things where you fill out the form and send a check if you're interested. The thing is, I don't know how many members of our congregation actually have children attending that school. Our church has members from the surrounding towns, so you really can't assume someone attends school in one district or another.

Mmm... bacon! Jim Gaffigan had a great routine about bacon, claiming at one point, "You can't tell me that Kevin Bacon's success isn't at least partly due to his name! You're not going to see a Kevin Hotdog movie!" I'm glad you like the character. The doll-making is just for fun. It's to show that he can create as well as destroy. However, that doesn't mean he doesn't have booby-trapped weapons and whatnot. You know how feudal Japan had seemingly everyday items that had hidden blades or other offensive capabilities? I imagine him doing the same thing. Having hidden weapons is something that's done by both heroes and villains in my comics. One time I had a heroine with a sleeping powder ball disguised as a gumball. The supervillain was approaching these two weakened heroines, and right after his boasting one of them offered the other one a gumball. Angered that they didn't seem to be taking him seriously, he grabbed the one that had just put the gumball in her mouth. Once she was in close range, the heroine bit open the gumball and blew the powder into the villain's face, weakening him and allowing the heroines to overcome him. Renegade has a number of hidden weapons. Since he's immune to poison gas, he has a fake deck of cards and even a bookmark that emit knock-out gas. The bookmark has a packet of chemicals on the back, and squeezing the packet & jerking the tassel causes gas to shoot out. Creating these weapons is a fun exercise in imagination. Raidra (talk) 00:35, May 5, 2016 (UTC)
 * The sad thing is I haven't been able to work on the actual comics as much as I'd like. :-( I'm going to make a comeback, though. :-) Right know I'm working on one's of Specter's hideouts.  I should have it done and posted soon.  (In Oliver Twist voice) "Please, sir. We need to sell these mattresses, and our arms are getting tired."
 * I have a list of good comedians I've seen on TV, and Jim Gaffigan and Gabriel Iglesias are definitely on it. I was just quoting a bit from a Gaffigan routine the other day.  "Have you ever seen a bag of garbage by the side of the road? Don't you wonder about that guy? I'm too lazy to take my trash out and he's taking his for a ride!"
 * I'm sure Bakom could handle the gopher in Caddyshack easily. I think in order to booby-trap a garden with a doll you put something good to eat in its hands and then cover its body with something sticky.  That way anyone who tries to mess with it gets stuck.  At least, that's what I've read . Eh, you could always rig a scarecrow.  I think Renegade rigging ordinary objects makes him even more of a threat because you could think he were engaged in some mundane activity and you were safe, and then boom! you're passing out on the floor. Raidra (talk) 00:41, May 6, 2016 (UTC)

Yo
Just checkin' in, man. Seein' if you're working on anything new. I have a feeling you probably are. Anyway, hope all is well. Have a good one.

Jay Ten (talk) 16:34, May 5, 2016 (UTC)


 * I'm not doing too bad. That's sounds awesome, man. My pants could use a good pissing. I'll try to give that other a look although I'm not very familiar with that genre.  I am working on a couple new things and just recently put up the sequel to Ned the Nihilist that I believe you read awhile back.  Some of my older stories are up now as well.  Decided I needed to put some things on the site and actually leave them on the site.  They're all on my userpage if you're ever feeling extremely masochistic.  I'll warn you, the sequel to Ned is much more graphic, but less devastating because of who it's happening to.  Be sure to let me know when you get those stories finished.


 * Jay Ten (talk) 17:46, May 5, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "Much Better! I Mean It Just Is" Message
I've been doing a bit more research on sleep deprivation. I found out that you don't usually experience hallucinations until you've been deprived for at least two to three days. That's one of the reasons why I decided to rework my idea.

"After the two had parted ways, the episode had cut to a scene showing the front of Kristy's house. The sky behind it was now a navy blue colour with very few white dots scattered about. I also noticed that the streetlights in front of the house had a milky white glow to them." That's what I have for the next part so far.

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   23:25, May 5, 2016 (UTC)

Hideouts
I have an upcoming storyline in which a viilainess robs a number of banks and stores. At one store she and her gang steal a mannequin, leading people to wonder why. Well, one of the heroes finds one of their hideouts. Her henchmen are there, but she's nowhere in sight. The hero is fighting her henchmen when all of a sudden the "mannequin" stabs him with a hypodermic needle. That's why the villainess stole the mannequin- she knew that one of the heroes would discover the hideout, and she wanted to hide in plain sight in order to ambush them. Since the hero knew that a mannequin had been stolen, he just assumed the female form standing still and lifeless was the mannequin and not a living person. That shows the patience and the mad brilliance of that character. Incidentally, that character is the subject of my pasta "Dawn's Notebooks"

In recent years Batman has been depicted as having several satellite Batcaves, smaller, alternate hideouts that he can use in case he’s far from the main Batcave, or if the main Batcave is destroyed/compromised. I decided to have Specter do essentially the same thing. Here are his two major hideouts. Before I go any further, I should note that I’ve decided to give Specter a tragic backstory. That’s so comparisons and contrasts can be made between Specter and The Flying Fox, and to show that you often don’t know what’s going on in someone’s life. He’s had two major tragedies in his life, one in his childhood and one in his twenties (The first I'm still fleshing out, but the second I've already decided for sure).

The first hideout, The Welcome House, is actually the house where Specter lived when the second major tragedy happened. Afterward he generously donated the property to a local church so they could rent it to anyone who needs it. They have to follow a few rules, and Specter occasionally visits so he can unwind and reflect. Basically it’s not a hideout at all, but rather a retreat. I don’t plan to reveal Specter’s connection to the house until long after I’ve introduced it. I actually plan to introduce it as a property The Flying Fox inspects so he can use it as an occasional retreat too. Yes, he knows Specter’s connection to it and has discovered the tragedies in Specter’s life, and yes, Specter knows about Fox using it as a retreat too. It’s neutral territory for them, and they're never there at the same time. I’ll leave plenty of evidence that there’s something special about the house, that it has both a good and a bad history, and then eventually reveal what it was.

The second one is Specter’s main hideout. I had the idea to have it built underneath an abandoned or nearly abandoned strip mall. There’s one like it where I live. There are still operational stores in smaller blocks on one end of the lot, but the other has a once-prosperous strip, however many hundreds of feet long, which now has only two or three still operational stores. You’ll notice that on the right is a three-part room with sections labeled “decontamination chamber” and “solitude chamber”. Specter sometimes goes in there when he wants some alone time. If he wants he can fill the air with scents like in a spa. However, if he really wants to be left alone, he can don his protective mask and fill the room with poison gas. I’ve thought about having a scene in which Specter, wanting to be left alone, is in the gas-filled chamber, and someone wearing a mask enters to talk with him, causing the exasperated Specter to sigh, “You have got to be kidding me…” Sometimes you just can’t get away from people distracting you!

This is the setting of that story I shared, and the far right is where the scene takes place. Here’s the background for that scene. Fox has already discovered Specter’s hideout. Specter has teamed up with another villain and Fox goes to his hideout to serve as a distraction, allowing his teammates to battle the supervillain without interference from Specter. He tells Super Creature what to do in case of the worst, but Super Creature expresses faith that he’ll be back safely and with Specter in tow. He goes to the strip mall, uncovers the stairwell, elevator, and slide leading to the subterranean hideout, and enters. Specter is in the kitchen eating cherry turnovers, unsurprised and unconcerned by Fox’s presence. Fox, intending to keep Specter as preoccupied as possible, requests a tour and Specter obliges. As they take the tour, Fox notes how odd it is that there’s a clinic and a chapel. Specter explains that he wants any visitors who need medical care to have it, that sometimes he needs to reflect, and that he wants any visitors with loved ones staying in the clinic to have a quiet place to reflect on whatever happens, good or bad (hinting at a kinder, more sympathetic side as well as an event in his past). He asks Fox if he’d like go in and spend some time; Fox thanks him and spends several minutes in the room. Specter watches him quietly, and after he’s done they continue. They eventually reach the end of the hideout. Realizing what lies ahead, he asks, “This room is prepared for me, isn’t it?” He then allows Specter to knock him out, and you already know what happens next.

I have more thoughts on hideouts in my comics, but they'll have to wait for next time. I hope you enjoyed this installment. Raidra (talk) 01:33, May 7, 2016 (UTC)
 * Thanks! Here are the thoughts I promised.  In my comics the villains are usually able to go to their hideouts.  Some might wonder, “Well, why don’t the heroes destroy the hideouts?”  There are a number of reasons.  For one thing, leaving the hideout means the heroes have an idea where the villain is going to go.  I thought about how so many times in comic books the villain breaks out of jail and goes to his hideout, and the hideout is still perfectly maintained and functional.  I figured it would make sense for there to be people hired to maintain the hideouts while the villains were away, like a house-sitter.  I figured that would be one of the things Basilisk (the criminal gang formed by iguana man Dart Tongue alias Gerard Ripley) could do.  However, they have their moral code, so they wouldn’t furnish any deadly weapons or accept commissions from terrorists, drug-dealers, sexual predators, etc.  I imagine that Re’em (the heroic offshoot of Basilisk formed by Gerard Ripley and other reformed members) would keep doing that as it would allow them to keep tabs on criminals/villains, and it’s better they do it than some bunch with no morals or concern for anybody.  I imagine the world of supervillain hideouts to be like an underground version of the construction, real estate, and housekeeping industries, so one of my next thoughts was, “What about co-ops?”  Can’t you just imagine supervillains entering co-op agreements, rent-to-own agreements, and whatnot?  You shudder to think of what would happen if something goes bad, though.  There you are going to get your mail and there’s a shady figure wearing chain mail, a trench coat, a mask, and a belt with daggers & hypodermic needles tucked into it, wielding a ray gun, and telling you, “You thought you could cheat me out of our time share agreement and leave me to be captured by the authorities?  Well, bad move, son, bad move!”  On a more positive note, I have a superhero team called the Loser League, and they got their hideout through a rent-to-own agreement (since they don’t have Batman Incorporated type money).


 * You nailed it exactly! In fact, I think your description is actually more profound than any I could offer! :-D  I recently wrote a scene about a guide showing Wayne around the house, and I'm currently working on another scene, so I'll post those soon.


 * Thanks again! My Dad was into genealogy, and one time he met with a local architect to discuss rootin' (a slang term for genealogy).  Since I had the day off school, I got to go along (I don't remember how old I was, but this was in elementary school, so I was probably under twelve).  The architect generously let me sit at his desk and draw so I wouldn't get bored while they talked.  You know how carpenters have electric drills?  Well, he had something similar, but it had a pencil eraser instead of a drill bit.  Oh, that was fun!  I drew a house, and he told me I did a good job making the windows.  A couple years ago I got this book called Architecture in Cincinnati by Sun Ann Painter  and it made me look at buildings in a whole new way.  Also, I just find floor plans interesting.  I have for years.


 * "I also really like the idea of someone donning a gas mask and flooding a room with poison gas just because they want some alone time. You should definitely do that scene!" Hey, that sounds like a commission!  Just ask Azu how I am at drawing weird things.  I'll see what I can come up with in the next few days.  Incidentally, if someone does decide to have such a feature in their house, I happened to see these signs in a store yesterday- http://www.hobbylobby.com/Home-Decor-Frames/Mirrors-Wall-Decor/Wall-Art/Gas-Mask-Required-Embossed-Tin-Sign/p/80641280, http://www.hobbylobby.com/Home-Decor-Frames/Mirrors-Wall-Decor/Wall-Art/Poison-or-Flammable-Gas-Embossed-Tin-Sign/p/80641278.  I don't care for some of the descriptions, but how uncanny is it that I saw these signs so soon after designing the hideout? Raidra (talk) 00:29, May 8, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "Sleepy Death" message
I heard that the longest that someone has ever gone without sleep is eleven days according to the Guinness World Record Book. But I think a few days without sleep can still take a toll on you. In fact,  Guinness is no longer keeping record of things like sleep deprivation because it's so dangerous to one's health. Here's an article about the 11 day no sleep guy: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Gardner_(record_holder)

I recently added the latest part with the establishing shot of Kristy's house to my story. So after the shot, it will cut to Kristy's mom setting up a sleeping bag in her daughter's room. Kristy is still upset about it but not as much as earlier. This time, she apologizes for the way she reacted to the missing bed earlier but her mom tells her that they were going to go bed shopping tomorrow anyway and to just rest up seeing as how she had a big day. She has the nightmares and the next day Kristy is tired and is a bit more clumsy than usual. She and her mom later arrive at a furniture store. Here, as Kristy is looking around at the beds and she goes to try out some of the beds to see how good they are by lying down in them. Because she is tired, she eventually nods off. Not sure if the nightmares will come back here.

I also got a new Haunting Hour review up!

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   05:54, May 7, 2016 (UTC)

Welcome House Tour
I'd say it would get hard for supervillains and criminal masterminds to get home insurance.

That was nice of him, and he was sincere in his compliments too. He liked the shapes and my neat lines. From time to time you hear about would-be robbers whose plans are botched because they got an outdated set of building plans, like they drill into an empty room thinking it's the vault, or drill into a water pipe. I think some mapmakers add small mistakes (such as having a non-existent river tributary) on purpose as a copyright thing (If someone else has the same mistake, then it's proof they copied the map without permission). However, this escalated into an untrue urban legend that mapmakers will add imaginary cities to maps. In debunking this, one guy asked something like, "Can't you imagine that? 'Are we there yet?' 'Sorry, kids, it turns out it's one of those, you know, fake copyright enforcement towns.'"

Signs can be fun! That's why I was looking around in that section in the first place. Somewhere around here we have a small Yield sign made of paper. I seem to recall that on the back there was a disclaimer noting that it wasn't an actual YIELD sign.

Without further ado, here's the description of The Welcome House. Fair warning- this may or may not turn into a feelspasta in places. Hopefully my annotations aren't too distracting.

The guide first gave Wayne a tour of the property. The one-story house wasn’t large, but it had a homey, comfortable feel. By a door at the side of the house there was an attached carport. The other side had an area with receptacles for trash and recyclables. In the back yard there was a storage shed for lawn care tools and miscellaneous items. The property made use of the front and back lawns by having flowerbeds and gardens, including a Japanese rock garden. Scattered atop the bed of gravel which formed the rock garden were smooth black stones bearing inscriptions such as “BELIEVE” and “HOPE”. The other gardens were decorated with signs and figurines. Bells and wind chimes hung in front of some of the windows. A pair of small guardian lions stood on either side of the front door, the male with the orb of power and the female with their cub. Wayne noticed that both the female and the cub had white ribbons tied around their necks while the male was unadorned.

The guide led him into the house. The floors were adorned with carpets and rugs. The front room, a sitting room serving as a reception room, lounge, and studio, was the main room of the house. On one end of the room were a half bathroom, a closet, and a writing desk with a rolling chair, a typewriter, and a calligraphy kit. A computer sat on the floor nearby. At the other end was a doorway leading to the kitchen. A doorway in the wall opposite the front door opened to a hallway leading to a laundry room, a guest room, a master bedroom, and a furnace room. The sitting room was furnished with a couch, a coffee table, a love seat, a padded rocking chair, a lamp table, a hexagon-shaped piece of furniture serving as a table and a cabinet [Our house and my grandmother’s house both have this piece of furniture], and a couple of shelves. One shelf was a bookshelf which was well-stocked with books, movies, and albums and topped with a music player and a small television set with a built-in VCR. The other was circular and mainly held curios [This is based on another piece of furniture that we have]. The walls and some of the furniture were well-decorated, and while the hallway was devoid of furniture, its walls were equally well-decorated. [I somehow decided that Specter was big into ancient Chinese weaponry and art. Luckily my local library has a book on Chinese art symbolism, so I checked it out and looked through it for ideas. Much of the decoration in the Welcome House has either Chinese/Asian or Christian symbolism] The walls bore numerous small paintings, prints, and scrolls bearing images such as doves, a stork by a pine tree, a magpie, a waterfall scene with a fish transforming into an Oriental dragon, a fox, a leopard, a snow leopard, peonies and other flowers, and a book with a spear head. There were folding fans, banners displaying calligraphy, and various mirrors as well, and a decorative broom and pigeon staff leaned on the wall close to the front door. The shelves and tables bore decorative items and knickknacks such as statuettes of a monkey in a plantain tree, a falcon, and a wild boar, porcelain sheep figurines, flower vases, lanterns, incense burners, candles, music boxes, a set of scales, and a pair of abacuses.

The guide gave Wayne a tour of the other rooms. The quaint kitchen had a door leading outside and was furnished with a refrigerator, a circular wooden table with four chairs, a cabinet, and bins for trash and recyclables. One side of the room had a short counter with a sink and enough space to dry dishes. The other side had a stove and a counter which ran along the rest of the wall. The long counter had drawers for utensils, compartments for storage, and sufficient counter space for food preparation, a few small appliances, jars, and a few thin cookbooks. Cupboards were situated above the counters. A mop, a broom, and a bucket were situated between the long counter and the cabinet. Decorative gourds sat on the table, and the walls were decorated with small paintings of fish with bread, praying hands, a mulberry tree, and a blossoming plum tree as well as hand-painted tiles depicting plums, cornucopias, and gourds. The cabinet served as a sideboard, and its shelves displayed porcelain decorated with plantain leaves, a tea set with color-changing dragons, colored bottles of glass and clay, a brass wine-pot, and a pair of jars shaped like a rooster and hen. Wayne looked at the pair of ceramic chickens, and it was just as he suspected. Like the guardian lions, the hen had a white ribbon tied around its neck while the cock had none. He carefully took down the hen and lifted up its top. Inside was a small ceramic chick, also with a white ribbon around its neck. He found himself starting to tremble with emotion.

“Is something wrong?” asked the guide.

“No,” replied Wayne. He delicately put the top back on the chicken and returned the jar to its rightful place. “It’s just that…I can tell this house has a history, both good and bad. The decorations allow me to connect with the… with the original homeowners.”

The guide nodded in understanding. “Yes, this place has heart and emotion. I’ve felt that myself. Shall we continue?”

“Yes, please.”

The laundry room had a washer, dryer, and shelf for cleaning supplies. Part of the room served as a linen closet, and another area had shelves for jars and cans of food, allowing it to serve as a pantry as well. The original homeowners had certainly made good use of the space through the house.

The guest room had a bed, a nightstand with a lamp and clock radio, a shelf, a dresser with a toy lamb, a padded rocking chair, a closet, and an attached bathroom. There were shelves along the walls, and there were also extra blankets and a folded crib leaning against the wall by the dresser. The bathroom was well-stocked with towels, washcloths, and various bottles of lotions, powders, bath beads, and whatnot. Wayne told the guide that the quarters would be more than sufficient, causing the guide to be impressed by the millionaire bat man’s humility.

Since the master bedroom was generally off-limits to those renting the property, the guide had to unlock it. The room seemed a little crowded, but there was an intimate feel to it. The bed, dresser, and closet were all large enough for two people. Each side of the bed had a small nightstand with a small reading lamp. The nightstand on one side also held two small glass angel ornaments, also with white ribbons around their necks. Along the wall above the head of the bed was a shelf with Lion King plushes (Simba & Nala kissing cubs, Kissing Kiara & Kovu, Nuka, Vitani, and Kovu plushes, and Kiara, Kovu, Nuka, and Vitani beanies, as well as a couple cubs that Wayne assumed represented characters that were non-canon if not out-and-out fan-made) and various soap figurines [Most of these characters are from The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, which I didn’t especially like. There’s also a reference to Kopa, the son of Simba and Nala who appeared in some books, but is now considered non-canon]. The dresser had various crystal figurines, a few small glass bottles, and a ceramic jar shaped like a turkey [I have one of these] in addition to a clock radio and a small television set with built-in VCR. The walls were decorated with posters of unicorns (both the European unicorn and the Chinese qilin), a simple and delightful Noah’s Ark painting, and a plaque bearing the text from I Corinthians 13 [The chapter concerns love, called charity in the King James Version, and famously declares that love is patient, kind, and greater than faith & hope]. Wayne suspected that underneath the bed or in the closet were various photo albums and scrapbooks, but he wasn’t going to violate anyone’s privacy. The attached bathroom had a shelf which, in addition to towels, lotions, and whatnot, held more tchotchkes, including a soap oyster with a matching pearl and a small imitation jade bowl and pitcher [The bathroom belonging to my mother and my late father has these same knickknacks]. Wayne noticed two sets of towels hanging neatly on the rod of the shower-bath. Raidra (talk) 00:19, May 9, 2016 (UTC)
 * Hey! I happened to be checking my email and saw you'd left a message. So they really are co-ops!  Speaking of things going wrong, there's a scene in Robin Hood: Men in Tights in which it appears that Robin has lost.  He asks, "I lost!?  Wait, a minute, I can't lose!"  He whips out a copy of the script and looks it over while people are throwing things at him.  He finds that the script calls for him to get another shot.  Prince John and the Sheriff look at each other, look at their own copies of the script, and admit, "Yeah, he does!"


 * Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!  I figured you'd be able to read between the lines.  You deciphered the meaning of the guardian lions correctly.  Years before he went on his crime spree, Specter lost a wife and an unborn daughter (This is why Fox trembled when he examined the chickens- he knew exactly what they meant).  He and Fox have an unspoken connection because they've both suffered tragedies in their lives.  Yeah, TLK II was made simply for money.  They shouldn't have made a sequel, but I do think Kiara and Kovu made a good couple.  Specter and his wife felt the same way- they didn't like the movie, but they liked some of the characters.  The plushes, in addition to showing their interest in the franchise, basically represent their love and their hopes for the future.  The character Nuka (a brother to Vitani and Kovu) died in the film, so now that I think about it, you could say that having them all as one big happy family represents happy times and a world of possibilities.  Specter also considers himself to be strong and formidable (which he is).  I still have that book on Chinese symbolism, so was able to make a guide to the other items.
 * Dove- The dove, a symbol of innocence and peace in various cultures, is also a symbol of long life, faithfulness, impartiality, and filial duty in Chinese culture.
 * Stork by pine- The stork and the pine tree are both symbols of longevity with the pine also representing constancy (For instance, a friend who stays by you even in hard times).
 * Magpie- The magpie is considered a good omen, though there’s also an expression saying, “Its voice is good, but its heart is bad,” referring to the bird supposedly being a flatterer.
 * Waterfall with fish transforming into a dragon- The carp symbolizes martial attributes and perseverance. It’s believed that a carp that manages to pass above the rapids of a certain river will become transformed into a dragon (Think of the Pokemon Magikarp and Gyarados).  Fish in general are symbols of regeneration, freedom, and wealth & abundance.
 * Fox- The fox represents longevity and craftiness.
 * Leopard/snow leopard- The leopard represents bravery and martial ferocity.
 * Peonies and other flowers- Peonies are omens of good fortune and symbols of spring, love, affection, and feminine beauty. Various other flowers have their own symbolism.
 * Book and spear-head- These are symbols of learning and courage.
 * Mirrors- Chinese superstition grants mirrors powers of protection, revelation, and luck, but symbolically they represent conjugal happiness.
 * Broom- The broom represents insight, wisdom, and the power to brush away all the dusts of worries & trouble. I think that in America they’re considered examples of country décor and represent a simple, rustic, laid-back life.
 * Pigeon staff- This is a one-foot long staff adorned with a pigeon at one end. It represents protracted longevity, the giver wishing the receiver may continually digest food as well as pigeons do.
 * Monkey- The monkey is one of the Twelve Animals. It represents ugliness & trickery and is said to control hobgoblins, but it’s also said to bestow health, protection, and success.  There is also the legend of Son Wukong the Monkey King.
 * Plantain- Plantain leaves represent self-education since legend has it that a student, lacking paper, wrote on plantain leaves.
 * Falcon- The falcon represents boldness and keen vision.
 * Wild boar- The boar, one of the Twelve Animals, represents the wealth of the forest, but multiple sources depict it as a fierce, rampaging, fearsome beast.
 * Sheep- The sheep is often used in Judeo-Christian symbolism, with the believers as the sheep and the Lord as the Good Shepherd. In Chinese culture it’s one of the Twelve Animals and represents a retired life & filial piety.
 * Flower vases- Vases have various shapes & decorations and are symbolic of perpetual harmony (I thought they were just for decoration, but it turned out there was more to it).
 * Gourds- Gourds represent longevity and have been used to hold medicine. A gourd-shaped lantern is said to ward off pernicious influences.
 * Fish and bread- This was inspired by the miracle of Jesus Christ feeding large crowds with just a few loaves of bread and a few small fish, making it a symbol of provision and grace. Since bread and fish are both staples, it’s also a symbol of contentment.  The fish is also a Chinese symbol of regeneration, freedom, and wealth & abundance.
 * Mulberry- The mulberry represents the comforts of home, industry, and filial piety.
 * Plums- This represents winter and a long life, and the five petals are also considered symbolic. There are numerous references to plums and plum blossoms in Asian culture, and students are sometimes compared to unripe peaches and plums.
 * Rooster and hen- The rooster and hen represent the pleasures of a country life. The cock is also said to have a literary spirit, a warlike deposition, courage, benevolence, and faithfulness.  I like to think they represent a good marriage too.
 * Unicorn and qilin- The European unicorn has been used to represent both fierceness and purity. Even in its fierce aspect it’s said to have healing powers.  The qilin is a good omen symbolic of longevity, grandeur, felicity, illustrious offspring, wise administration, goodwill, gentleness, and benevolence.
 * Pearl- Though this is based on a knickknack Mom has, I should note that the pearl is symbolic of the Moon, genius in obscurity, and feminine beauty & purity. Raidra (talk) 15:28, May 9, 2016 (UTC)

Yeah, I meant I got an email notification. I worded that badly, didn’t I? Of course, having someone receive an email you never sent, or vice-versa, could make for a good creepypasta, feelspasta, or trollpasta based on how it’s handled. Ah, you’re thinking of the classic Blazing Saddles! That and Robin Hood: Men in Tights were both the work of Mel Brooks (In fact, Men in Tights has a couple Blazing Saddles references). I saw part of this special with Mel Brooks receiving the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and it was hilarious. There was one scene (I think the movie was called The History of the World: Part I, but I could be wrong) in which he was a king preparing to do some skeet shooting. Someone told him that the peasants thought he didn’t care about them, and he demanded to know where they got that bosh. He called, “Pull!” and it showed that they were using peasants as clay pigeons. There was this guy flying through the air, screaming and flailing his limbs, and I burst out laughing because it was just so wrong! To quote Adam from Mythbusters, “That’s one of the most wrongity-wrong things we’ve ever done!”

It wasn't the triggering event, but it's safe to say he wouldn't have started down the criminal path if his family had lived. I know this won’t be news because you’re a writer too, but it’s interesting how characters can develop. One idea or “What if” can open up a world of possibilities. I have a White Tigress villain named Dominick Orson alias Vindex (That sounds like someone mispronouncing a cleaning product, but it means something like “Avenger” or “Vindicator”). He’s dangerous, but also sympathetic. I had already given him a back story, but I was thinking about the character one day and thought, “What if he and Tigress had some kind of connection?” Then I thought, “What if he knew her secret identity?”  With that idea the extended back story just wrote itself. Specter has been one of my favorite characters since the two-parter which introduced him, and lately I've developed the character a lot more. I’ve expanded his story and, as you know, written some scenes with him for upcoming issues. Speaking of which, I’ve started on that comic. It’ll be two pages long and hopefully I’ll have it done by the end of the week. We’ll see. I have some other things to post too. Yeah, unicorns are cool, and it's interesting to see the varieties from around the world.

That sounds like a cool game. The random creatures and settings made me think of the computer game Castle of the Winds. “Now, slaves, fetch me some chickens and clusters of grapes, and then make me an army of wax dolls and tar babies to subdue my enemies! Bwahahahaha!” Raidra (talk) 00:38, May 11, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "The Dolan that Knew Too Much" Message
I added a new part to my R.L Stine pasta. It goes like this: "A few seconds later, the focus shifted to Kristy's room where Kristy's mother was busy setting up a temporary bed made up of at least a dozen milk crates and a purple sleeping bag. Kristy then walked into the room where she was immediately greeted by her mother. " I'm trying to figure out what the two characters will say without starting off with the word "Sorry".

I watch Dolan's content every once in a while. I think my favorite character from that channel is Hell-bent because his voice is really friggin cool! It's a mix between a somewhat deep voice and a southern accent.

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   22:19, May 9, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "Hell Ya Hell-bent!" Message
"Hey there honey! I just finished making up your bed." Kristy's mother said. Kristy had yawned and stretched for a few seconds. "Oh yeah... That looks real comfortable mom." Kristy giggled wearily. Her mother sighed as she began to sit down on the bed. "Now I know this isn't a very comfy bed but it's the best I can do for now until we go shopping tomorrow." Kristy had giggled once again. "Mom! It's okay. I'm just happy I don't have sleep on the floor."

This is an idea of how I want part of the conversation to go. I'm still thinking of the other part. While I'm doing that, I decided to try my hand at rewriting Sonic.exe into something a gazillion times better than the original. These are the first few paragraphs of the story:

The day was foggy and the rain was pouring down hard. I was lying down on my bed, playing Crash Bandicoot. I found myself yawning very frequently and nearly every part of my body besides my arms seemed nearly impossible to lift. A few moments later, my blinking got slower and slower until my eyes completely closed.

I was soon woken up by the sound of someone talking outside. I then heard my mail box's creaky metal door opening. When the creaking stopped, I paused my game to see what I got in the mail. The only thing in the mailbox was a white rectangular envelope with my name and address on the front of it and the name "Tom" tucked away in the upper left hand corner. I instantly recognized it as my best friend's name and my heart began to race. I hadn't seen him since we attended that film festival in Rhode Island last year.

I ran inside as fast as I could in order to escape the heavy rain. As I sat down on the couch in the living room, I wasted no time opening the envelope and quickly pulled out the contents. In the envelope, I found a CD ROM protected by a transparent jewel case and a note. I briefly looked at the CD ROM and saw the words "Aguja Ratón Vuelva a Elaborar" written on the case. I decided to look at the note hoping that there was a translation for the words on the case. When I opened up the note, I was greeted by these words:

"María, I can't take it anymore, I had to get rid of this thing somehow before it was too late, and I was hoping you'd do it for me. I can't do it, he’s after me, and if you don't destroy this CD, he'll come after you too! Please María, destroy this god-forsaken disc before he comes after you too, it's too late for me. Destroy the disc but do it quick otherwise he'll catch you. Don't even put that disc in your computer! It's what he wants, just destroy it. Please! From your friend, Tom."

By the time I finished reading the note, my heart had instantly sunk and I felt an icy jolt run across my body. A million thoughts were rushing through my mind and my breathing started to speed up. A few moments later, a lightbulb went off in my head and I rushed over to the phone mounted up in the kitchen. As soon as I picked up the phone, I dialed Tom's number. I stood there until I heard these words, "Hey! It's Tom! Sorry I can't get to the phone right now. If you leave a message with your name and number, I'd be happy to call ya back as soon as I can!"

Before I had the chance to leave a message, I slammed the phone back into its wall mount and picked it up again. I rapidly dialed 911 and repeatedly tapped my foot on the floor until someone eventually picked up on the other end. "911 what's your emergency?" A woman with a British accent asked. I told her about the envelope I received from Tom and how I found its contents to be rather concerning. I also told her how he never answered when I tried to call him.

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   00:56, May 11, 2016 (UTC)

Specter's Hideout Tour
I'm afraid I got some bad news today, but I wanted to respond.

"Spaceballs?! Well there goes the neighborhood!"

I get what you mean about making the world too small. There was a website which showed a scene from an X-Men comic with Professor X and Wolverine working together in what I assume was the Korean War (It's hard to tell with the sliding timeline, retcons, etc.). Someone in the comments section asked, "What next? Are they going to have Wolverine on the planet Zenn-La before Norrin Radd became the Silver Surfer?" Someone claimed, "They already did," causing the first to reply, "Please tell me you're joking."

It's great when you can tell someone put some thought and effort into a project, that they didn't do some slap-dash job. From time to time you hear about video games with loads of glitches- and not even the amusing kinds of glitches- because the company didn't care about their own work. That's just sad.

The comic is coming along well. Here's the scene I wrote with Specter's hideout. Before we go any further, I made a mistake in a previous scene with The Flying Fox and Specter, and it’s one that only I would know. This is a strange one, so bear with me. I have three characters- superheroes Super Creature & Flying Fox and supervillain Lortic- who will at some point start mainly using “Your servant” and “your servant’s” in place of the pronouns “I” and “my”. It’s a sign of humility and piety (Lortic not realizing/accepting that his actions are villainous), and they use the terms when speaking to friends, foes, and neutral parties. Therefore most of the I’s and my’s in the deathtrap scene should have been “your servant” and “your servant’s”. I’m making the necessary changes in the scenes I’ve written, and I didn’t want you to start reading and wonder why Flying Fox was speaking the way he was. Super Creature and Lortic, having public identities, speak that way all the time while Fox, having a secret identity, only speaks that way when in costume or when addressing someone who knows his identity. How do Fox’s foes feel about his way of speaking? Many of them are irritated by it, Renegade is somewhat amused by it, and Specter couldn’t care less. With no further ado, I hope you enjoy!

The Flying Fox drove to a nearly abandoned strip mall. Parking his vehicle in the back lot behind what used to be a Chinese restaurant, he got out and strolled, almost casually, to a defunct ATM. He found the trapdoor disguised as a patch of concrete and opened it so he could walk down the ramp to the subterranean chamber. [As you can see, I rejected the idea of there being an elevator, staircase, and slide] He walked down the corridor leading to the double doors. He sighed, braced himself, and walked through them.

He entered a large, open room with a few scattered furnishings, including bookshelves. [I wasn’t as concerned with the furnishings here as I was with The Welcome House, as you can tell by comparing the diagrams. I can always flesh it out later] The corner on the far right had two small rooms. There were three other rooms to his left, and ahead of him was a slight bend and a long hallway lined with rooms. Paper lanterns lined the walls, providing ambiance in addition to enough light for most humans to navigate the area easily. The doors of most of the rooms were propped wide open. They were usually open until Specter retired for the night since he generally had no reason to close them.

Flying Fox saw light coming from a nearby room. He walked over and through the doorway he saw Specter sitting at a counter & eating cherry turnovers. He was neither surprised nor concerned by Fox’ appearance, telling him, “I’m glad you stopped by. Have you been here before?”

“I have. Your servant has done a walk-through before, but since you’re here your servant would be honored if you gave me a tour. You know, give this place the MTV Cribs treatment. Surely you could take the time to make sure your old sparring partner doesn’t get lost.”

Specter smirked. There was no way a well and healthy Flying Fox was going to get lost in that hideout. He could navigate the area without any lights or lanterns, and surely he’d made notes when visiting before. No, the goal was to keep Specter preoccupied while the others handled Professor Cerdis. They both knew it, and they both knew the other one knew it. There was something else they both knew- Specter wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity.

“I always have time for you,” Specter replied. He finished the turnover he’d been working on, washed it down with some milk, and put the glass in the sink. He faced the vigilante. Do you want to go up one side and back down the other, or take the rooms as they come?”

“Take them as they come.”

“I think that’s the best choice too.” He turned off the kitchen light and stepped into the main room to begin the tour. “This is the combination lounge, meeting room, and library. I don’t get many visitors, but you know how it goes. Over there is a bathroom and the room for the furnace and the generator.” He gestured to the three rooms on the left of the lounge. “Over here we have a storeroom, the kitchen, as you saw, and the laundry room.”

They proceeded down the hallway to visit the other rooms. They entered a room with exercise equipment, a shelf, a training dummy, and an open space with a padded floor. “This is the gym, for exercising and keeping my skills sharp.” He pointed to two smaller rooms. “Those are the showers, and that’s my arsenal.” He opened the arsenal door so Fox could look inside. “As you can see, it’s mostly ancient Chinese weapons.”

“You’ve got a nice collection.”

“Thank you. It is sweet, isn’t it?”

On the other side of the hallway was a room with a couple well-made and cozy-looking cots with a small table between them, a couple chairs, and a cabinet. The room also had its own bathroom. Next to it was a smaller room with soft carpet, a padded pew which was long enough to stretch out on and had a box of tissues, a pillow, and a folded blanket underneath, a table with a Bible, and a shelf with various candles, candlesticks, and books. “This is a clinic, and next to it is a chapel.”

“It’s interesting that your hideout should have these,” Flying Fox noted softly.

Specter paused and then softly replied, “I want any visitors who need medical care to have it. Sometimes I need to reflect, and I want any visitors with loved ones staying in the clinic to have a quiet place to reflect on whatever happens, good or bad.”

Those words hinted at a kinder, more sympathetic side, as well as sadness in his past. However, his next words had an ominous undercurrent. “Would you like to go in and spend some time?”

Fox understood his implication. Specter had made the gesture as a last favor to the condemned. He nodded and replied, “Yes, thank you.”

They entered the small room. Specter got two votive candles- one prayer candle and one memorial candle- off the shelf.

“Get another prayer candle,” requested Fox.

“You have another request, eh? That’s fine.”

He grabbed another candle, set them on the table, and lit them before stepping aside so Fox could have plenty of room. Fox knelt down at the table which served as an altar, read some in Genesis 22 [The chapter with the trial of Abraham] and John 16 [A chapter in which Jesus addresses his disciples before His arrest in the garden], and began to pray. Specter watched him quietly. After several minutes Fox casually wiped his eyes, blew out the memorial candle, and arose. The two exited the room to continue the tour.

Past the chapel were a safe room and a bedroom with its own bathroom. Fox noted the similarities between that bedroom and the master bedroom at The Welcome House. On the left were a combination workshop and lab (which Specter noted, but refrained from giving a tour of) and a room with three parts. Each door in the room had a window. The first part of the room was unremarkable, containing only a short folding shelf on which folded clothes could be placed; it was the other two parts that were notable. The second section had disinfectant sprayers, a row of protective masks (most of them in Specter’s unique style) hanging on the wall, and a counter with compartments for spare clothing and decontamination equipment. Above the door leading to the third section was a sign which, when lit up, warned that there was poison gas inside and a mask was required. There was also a key on a chain long enough to reach the door. Inside the section were a bench, a number of buttons, disinfectant sprayers, and vents.

Fox turned to Specter. “When your servant came across this room, a chill ran through me because your servant wondered if this was a death chamber you had planned for me. Then your servant noticed that there were no chains, shackles, or bonds, not even a space for them, and that the gas chamber locked from the inside. Then your servant saw that while three of the buttons were for starting the flow of poison gas, draining the poison gas, and spraying disinfectant, the others were for scents. This chamber is for you, isn’t it?”

“Mmm-hmm. You have the fresh air chamber, the decontamination chamber, and the solitude chamber. I use it when I want some alone time. I can fill the air with scents like in a spa, but if I really want to be left alone…”

“…you use poison gas, huh? Well, that should keep people from bothering you.”

“Most of the time.” His voice took on an irritated turn. “Cerdis came in and bothered me earlier. Donned a mask, unlocked the door, and came in to talk to me about something that could have waited.” He shook his head in disbelief. “He really is some piece of work.”

“For what it’s worth, your servant would have left you alone until you were done.”

Specter let out a chuckle. “Well, that’s why you’re a pro.”

When they reached the end of the corridor, there was a long, perpendicular corridor. At one end was a door. Realizing what lay ahead, Fox asked, “This is the section prepared for me, isn’t it?”

“Mmm-hmm.” He showed him a hypodermic needle with clear fluid. “This is why you’re here, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” With the valor of a samurai, he presented his right arm. Raidra (talk) 00:24, May 12, 2016 (UTC)
 * I appreciate that. Here’s the update/explanation.  Recently my mom has had to deal with a left big toe that refused to heal.  Yesterday she went to a wound specialist.  They had her stay at the hospital while they did some tests.  It turned out that the bone was infected, and last night they told us the options weren’t good.  This afternoon they removed the toe.  To quote a line from a Family Guy scene I came across while flipping through the channels, “Had better days, Lois. Had better days.”  Luckily the surgery went well, and we’re optimistic her recovery will go well too.  We’re thankful because things could be a lot worse.  I won't be doing any heavy work on the wiki for a while, but I can still converse with my friends.  Thank you for everything. :-)


 * That is sad. That's just fleecing the customers.  "You always hurt the ones you love, the ones you shouldn't hurt at all."  Recently I told Azu about a great Sunday strip the comic strip Dilbert had about botched products. An engineer will tell his boss that he'll need six months to develop and make the product (three months to work on the project and three months to play Doom on his computer), then that boss will tell his boss the project will take twelve months, and then that boss will tell his boss that the project will take eighteen months. In the meanwhile, the sales division will announce that the product will be available in three months and boast about all these great features. This causes the company to rush out a shoddy beta version. In the last panel a potential customer was looking over some product made of cardboard. She notes, "Cardboard? That's stupid," and Dilbert replies, "Oh, then it's beta."


 * That's actually what I thought. At one point I considered having a ladder, but then I thought, "No, it should be wheelchair accessible! He'd want anyone who needed to enter his hideout to have access."  I want to do things to show that Specter has a good side.  I'm glad you liked the trapdoor.  I thought that Specter would have something secretive, and it made sense considering it's an underground hideout.  You understood the point of the description and lack of description exactly.  With the description of The Welcome House I want the reader to think there must be a reason that the scene is being so thoroughly set, then realize that something happened and the history of the house is important, and then want to find out more.


 * Glad to hear it! Hopefully things will settle down and I can post some more things soon.  Thanks again for the kind words and well wishes.  I hope this year is good for you too. Raidra (talk) 04:03, May 13, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "Best Rewrite! Best Rewrite! Ten Outta Ten!" Message
I think the note could be interpreted as either Tom escaping from a kidnapper and sending a key piece of insight into what the kidnapper did to him or it could be a suicide note written by Tom.

So I was looking over the first chapter of my Haunting Hour pasta and I found a problem with this paragraph:

"However, there was another episode made after "Goodwill Towards Men" that was never part of the original run. Oh don't get me wrong! From what I understand, this WAS supposed to be with said run but I haven't seen it on Discovery Family nor have I seen it anywhere on the internet where I could watch it for free! When all of my available sources hit dead ends, it seemed like I would never know the truth behind this episode."

Let me break it down. First, the paragraph doesn't address how the protagonist knows about the episode if she found little to no information about it on the Discovery Family channel or the internet? This is before she visits Erika's house and finds the episode by the way. I think I put this in because this pasta was inspired by a blank iMDB page relating to an episode of season four but in the context of the story, it's never elaborated on that much nor makes any sense.

Second, it comes off as just a bit TOO coincidental. She does research on this episode and then in the next chapter, finds the episode. I tried to rework this part to address some of these issues. Granted, I might make a few more changes but I might as well show you what I have.

"From what I saw, the series seemed to end in its 4th season on the episode "Goodwill Towards Men" and I was rather disappointed that it had ended so suddenly. I think this had to do with the fact that I found it pretty underwhelming for a series finale. After the series ended, I went back and watched a few episodes from Season 4 of The Haunting Hour on the DVR at my mom's house. It was a rather hit and miss season but not anything atrocious. The only episode in the entire series that I considered god awful was Poof De Formage. Ever since the Goodwill Towards Men episode first aired, I  constantly wondered whether or not it was even intended to be the series finale as I always felt like the network wanted to air another episode but couldn't do so for whatever reason.

Chapter 2

When the warmer months came, my brother and I decided to go up to Cape Cod and stay with my mother's friend Erika for a little while. Our mother didn't object to it since she and Erika were on good terms. Not only that but she also felt like we were mature enough to go by ourselves, but reminded us to be on our best behaviour anyway."

Let me know what you think of this change.

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   05:30, May 12, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "No Coincidence Here!" message
On my God! That video was friggin hilarious. By the end of it, I could barely breath! I remember reading a few articles on a site called rocketnews24 (a site focused on Japanese news) where there were a few articles that focused on heavy textbook vandalism. Here's one of those articles for reference: http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/03/21/impressive-textbook-doodles-from-asia-%E3%80%90photo-gallery%E3%80%91/

I remember another article from this site that had funny test answers. One of them involved the following:

"Change the Following Sentence Into Past Tense: 'I live in Tokyo.' Answer: I live in Edo."

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   14:39, May 13, 2016 (UTC)

No Clever Response Title
I don't mind you asking at all, though I don't have much to tell at this point. It's too early to know about movement. She'll be in the hospital for a few days so they can determine that all the infection is gone. In fact, they haven't closed the place yet because it needs to drain. Right now they want her to stay in bed except to go to the bathroom. Today they told her she can put weight on the foot as long as she puts her weight on the heel. She was doing well today. When we went to the hospital we met a couple of our friends from prayer group who had just finished visiting. They noted that Mom was in better spirits than she was before going to see the wound specialist, and we agree that her condition is better. You're certainly welcome; I'm thankful that I can trust you. :-D

I remember one time I stubbed an end toe, fell to my knees, and almost starting punching the couch in pain. A college athlete named Kevin Ware noted that stubbing your toe was the worst pain. What made that quote interesting was Ware is the former Louisville Cardinals player who gruesomely broke his leg during the NCAA Men's Playoffs a couple years ago. I had the TV on, but thankfully I wasn't watching when the poor guy's leg got broken. I looked up, saw the players looking horrified, and thought, "What just happened?!" Yeah, that is a true poem! I wonder how many shows, movies, and games got green-lit because of people like the ones in that poem. There's always someone who twists something, is tone-deaf, or both. "In the beginning was the plan. And then came the assumptions." Yep!

Here's some more good news- I finished that comic today. As you can see, I recently decided to change my style from the eight panel page format I had been using. Some of the coloring didn't show up as well as I would have liked, but I hope you enjoy!

Page 1
 * Notice that the lanterns and the sleeves on Specter’s smoking jacket have four dots, a sign of the danger one might encounter in that room. The number four is unlucky in Chinese culture because the words for “four” and “death” are the same (which is bad planning if you ask me.  Seriously, did no one look at the language and ask, "Hey, why don't we have a different symbol for four?").
 * Dressing for comfort, not fashion
 * Is it just me, or does that gas look familiar?

Page 2
 * Professor Dante Cerdis- one of the biggest jerks in the Karaverse.
 * Even though his tone is irritated rather than sarcastic, Specter’s response to Cerdis’s question made me think of that episode of Dexter’s Laboratory in which Dexter said something disrespectful to his computer and it/she gave him lip. He asked the computer something and it/she replied, “Well, I don’t know, Dexter. You’re the genius.”
 * I thought of ending with the line “As he tried to unwind again, he reflected that some people had mental problems, and some were just a-holes.” I also thought of throwing in the line “What did he have to do, wrap himself in a blanket like the depictions of hikikomori?” However, I decided that ending it the way I did was short and to the point, and also reminded me of a scene from Blazing Saddles.

Thanks again for the well-wishes, and I blush at the compliment. I hope the rest of your year is positive. Let's have a sparkling juice toast to enduring and to hopes for happier times! Your comment reminded me of one of Grandpa Boris's lines from The Rugrats Hanukkah Special- "The real miracle of Hanukkah is that these foods have been clogging our people's arteries for thousands of years, and yet we survive!" Raidra (talk) 01:31, May 14, 2016 (UTC)
 * We're hoping she'll be out of the hospital in a couple days. My nephew is graduating from high school on Saturday the 21st, so we're hoping she'll be able to attend.  My brother told us the school tapes the graduations for families in which the parents are deployed, so she can still see it even if she can't attend in person.


 * Ouch! Well, that's an interesting injury story!  In fourth grade I got my leg cut on one of my shoes.  They had these metal decorations, and apparently one hit my leg the wrong way as I was playing at recess.  I went to the office and they called my parents to come take me to the doctor.  While I was waiting there was a boy there for something.  He looked at the wound and claimed, "If that was any deeper you'd need stitches."  I don't know how he acquired this knowledge, but I have no reason to doubt his assessment.  The doctor applied a couple butterfly bandages and there weren't any problems, although I have a scar by my right knee pit.


 * There's a great story from Marvel Comics. Stan Lee read an issue of Iron Man in which Iron Man's helmet looked too flat, and he asked, "Where's his nose?"  He was saying that the helmet looked so flat it didn't look like Iron Man could possibly have a nose underneath, but someone misunderstood it as him ordering that a nose be put on the armor.  They found an excuse to put a nose on Iron Man, and sometime later Stan looked at an issue and asked, "Why in blazes does he have a nose on his armor?!"  The sad thing is a lot of people, either not knowing or not caring about the real story, respond to the iron nose debacle as "Hey, isn't Stan Lee a demanding jerk?" instead of "Hey, aren't some misunderstandings comical?" ~sighs~


 * Good to hear! Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”  Sometimes that fitly spoken word is "schmuck" because it just says so much.  Thanks for the compliment on the skull & crossbones and masks.  As far as the masks go I have experience on my side at this point.  The first time I drew a mask I was so unsure that I ended up showing the character holding the mask instead of wearing it.  There was going to be a scene later in the issue with the character wearing it, but then I copped out, erased it, and redrew it showing her from the back so you could tell she was wearing it, but couldn't really see her wearing it.  For the record, Stan Lee had nothing to do with this decision.  You're certainly welcome, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. :-D Raidra (talk) 00:49, May 15, 2016 (UTC)
 * Thanks! I told Azu that lately when I hear about birthdays, I think of this video with Orius the Yorkie- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifToNGo2A-w. When the lady sings "Happy Birthday", you see him lick his chops and look around as if to say, "I don't know what this is about, but could you hurry up and give me my treat?"


 * We'll see what news they have for us tomorrow. Graduation day does seem awfully early this year for some reason.  Good luck on the job hunt.


 * That's probably pretty accurate because he spoke like he had experience/expertise. Your theory made me think of Mr. Krabs in the episode about the pie bomb. "You've seen this before?!" "Eleven times, in fact."


 * "Happy birthday, we're killing off the character." Wow.  Yeah, he seems like a cool guy.  Here's a link to an article about the iron nose- http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2010/05/27/comic-book-legends-revealed-262/.  However, I think Lee himself did a better job of telling the story in his book Amazing Fantastic Incredible.


 * Yep! Sometimes it's better not to show something, or to show it in an indirect way. Raidra (talk) 00:43, May 16, 2016 (UTC)

Mom was released from the hospital today. She isn’t feeling the best right now due to the antibiotics, but she’s able to walk as long as she puts her weight on her heel, and my aunt and I are here to help. She had a lot of good nurses (most of which were male, interestingly enough) and a lot of well-wishers during her hospital stay, so that’s good. We appreciate everyone who’s given their support.

Either paranoia or an over-inflated sense of being cool, that's why. I once read a magazine article with people telling their worst movie-going experiences. Someone went to see Pretty Woman and ended up sitting behind a row of what were clearly gang members. When it came to the shopping spree scene, one of them shouted, "Yeah, that's the [stuff]!" before taking out a gun and firing a couple shots into the ceiling. Apparently this gang was from an old-timey western. Sometime later I was chatting with a guy at Sinclair Community College. I brought that up and he told me that years ago someone starting shooting at a theater in Dayton. The people in the theater understandably started screaming and running (I don't know if he had been there or just heard about it). The movie was one of those "hood" movies like Boyz in The Hood or Menace II Society, though it would have been interesting if it had been A Troll in Central Park or something. "Ah, this picture is sappy!" ~bang! bang!~

"Ouch! That hurts! W-Wait!! This is not the same ride!!!"

I don't think anyone's been this sensitive about a nose since Cyranose de Bergerac on Sesame Street. I think I hinted at this already, but I have a couple more Specter scenes which I've written recently (I started on them before the other scenes I've posted and finished them a couple weeks ago). The first one is long so I'll split it into two parts. A few days ago I saw a segment on the news and thought, “Oh, my gosh, Specter is Prince Harry!” Both had important, kindhearted, female figures in their lives, and seemed adrift in the years after the deaths of those figures. Both had training before important crusades in their lives (military service versus the less noble path of a criminal mastermind). Both have done questionable things, but have also shown to have goodness in them. Finally, the symbol of England is the lion, a creature Specter has an affinity with. Of course, I wasn’t thinking of Prince Harry at all when I created the character, and I didn’t develop certain aspects of Specter’s character until recently. That just goes to show how people can look at cartoons and come up with something which is both plausible and wrong. Raidra (talk) 00:52, May 17, 2016 (UTC)

Specter story
Yeah, it's not right to make assumptions like that. When I graduated from Sinclair there were a bunch of nursing students graduating too. There was a poster with the graduates, and two of them were male. It had a quote, from what I assume was an old book, saying, "A nurse should make her patients her first priority." One of them had a thought bubble asking, "'Her'?" and the other one had a speech balloon declaring, "His!" I thought that was a neat way of addressing the stereotype.

Wouldn't you hate to be that usher? I have some books reprinting Mad magazine segments from the 1980s, and one of them talked about thankless jobs. One was an usher at an all-night Times Square movie. There was this small, scared, pathetic-looking usher having his boss tell him, "...and if anyone gets rowdy, just throw them the [blazes] out!"

''That was one of the best "Monsterpiece Theater" segments ever. ~laughs~ I think the lack of red hair is proof he's not really Prince Harry. Here's the first part of that Specter story, and this will occur near the end of the run of Super League of Justice (I plan to end my numerous comic book series someday and just have one title which will be a showcase alternating between the various teams and heroes). The Flying Fox and Specter end up meeting face to face during an adventure, and then this happens.''

Specter turned to The Flying Fox. “How does one gain membership in the Super League of Justice?”

The question froze Flying Fox, but he recovered quickly. “One applies for membership, or is offered membership based on ability and character. There’s usually an interview, and there may be a testing period. Why do you ask?”

“Why do you suppose?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m serious. I may sound nonchalant, but I can assure you that I don’t take this lightly.”

“We’ll have to meet with Super Creature. As a precaution, you’ll be searched and put in a straitjacket.”

“I’d be disappointed if I weren’t.”

Flying Fox took out a tranquilizer dart. “Here’s another precautionary measure. Think of it as a trust-building exercise.”

“By all means.” He presented his right arm.

Specter awoke sometime later. He realized that he was in a straitjacket, and that he was in new surroundings. He looked and saw Super Creature, Green Beam, and The Blue Battler observing him. “I remember now,” he noted to no one in particular. He looked around and saw The Flying Fox slightly behind him. “Thank you.”

Flying Fox nodded. He carefully removed Specter’s straitjacket. Specter slowly stretched and then coolly grabbed the bottle of water that was sitting before him on the table. He took a long draught and then nodded for Super Creature to begin the interview.

“The Flying Fox told us you indicated an interest in joining the Super League of Justice,” Super Creature told him.

“That’s right. Join the league or else become an ally.”

“Why?”

“I admit it’s not entirely selfless. I want to be on the winning team, and I want to better myself. An alliance with you would allow me to use & hone my skills, by combating lowlifes and sparring with my teammates.”

“Is that the only way you want to better yourself?”

Specter paused, then admitted, “No. I…have a lack of balance in my life. I’ve been thinking about things.” He chose to leave it at that.

The Blue Battler told him, “You’re noted for your confidence. Are you confident with this?”

“I know this is unusual, and I want you to know that I take this seriously. I have great skills and my heart is sincere, but I know my past is an obstacle. If this is meant to be, it’s meant to be, and that’s that.”

Green Beam remarked, “You mentioned your past, and stated that your heart is sincere. You’ll understand if we test you.”

“Flying Fox mentioned that there might be a testing period, and I’d be disappointed if there weren’t. I understand, and I trust you.”

Super Creature nodded. “In front of you is a paper with the SLJ bylaws.”

Specter took the paper and started to read it. He was mostly through it when he turned to Flying Fox. “I have a question. How can A.Q.P. aid and abet Hyena Harry and yet be an ally?”

“It’s a give and take. We overlook him being a Profane Partner and he receives fewer benefits than other allies. For instance, he can’t just come in any time and use the SLJ computer without permission and supervision.”

“I see.”

“He’s a good guy.”

“Yes, he is.” He finished reading the paper and set it back on the table. “I think I’ll be fine. For the record, I have character flaws, but dishonesty is not one of them.”

“Your servant can vouch for that,” replied Flying Fox.

“So can your servant,” added Super Creature. He arose from his chair. “Excuse us for a minute.”

Super Creature, Green Beam, and The Blue Battler exited the room. Flying Fox and Specter remained silent as they waited. The trio re-entered the room a short time later, indicating that they had discussed potential options before Specter had awoken.

Super Creature gave a friendly nod and addressed the master criminal. “Okay, we’re going to put you on a probation period. For now you’ll be staying in the prison area as a sign of good faith. Sometime later today you’ll have various truth tests as a precautionary measure.”

Specter found himself smiling in relief. “I get that. I have no problem with any of that. I’m thankful I’ve made it this far.”

“That’s good to hear. It’s always our hope that our foes will reform. You have so much potential. It would be a blessing for you to join our side.”

Specter was speechless for once, absorbing Super Creature’s encouraging words. Green Beam gave him a chance to soak it in and then told him, “I’ll escort you to your cell.”

Specter started to follow him, but then he stopped and asked, “Where’s Pathology’s seat?”

“Right over there. I’ll show you.” Green Beam brought him to Pathology’s now empty chair. The two stared at it sadly and reverently. Finally Green Beam explained, “It’s been decided that this seat will remain empty unless Renegade decides to join the SLJ.”

“Renegade, huh? Imagine that.” He stared for a few more seconds, then announced, “Okay, I’m ready now.”

When Specter came to the cell he found books and puzzle books. He smirked when he saw The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas on top of a stack. Someone had a sense of humor. Raidra (talk) 00:44, May 18, 2016 (UTC)

Mom's health has improved since she first got home. She felt uneasy yesterday, but she's felt better today, and she's getting around pretty well. I've shared the comments people have made and she appreciates all the well wishes.

That sounds like it could be an Abbott and Costello routine or, oddly enough, a scene in a Mel Brooks movie. "I'm hysterical, and I'm wet, and my face hurts, and now they're firing bullets into the ceiling!" Oh, you have to share your moviegoer and usher shooting off guns scene with Azu! You two could write a great scene.

''Another Saturday night and I ain't had nobody search me and put me in a straitjacket. You can see where he's coming from, though. One thing you can say about Specter is he's bold. Here's part two.''

Sometime later Pyr came to his cell and unlocked the door. “I’m ready to start testing you. The interrogation area is close by. You may have seen it on the way here.”

“Mm-hm. There’s a polygraph involved?”

“Yes.”

“Well, let me make sure it can get the best possible reading.” He removed his shoes & socks and set them aside. Then he removed & folded his jacket, pants, and shirt in turn until he was nude except for his shorts.

Pyr smirked in surprise and amusement. “You’re thorough, aren’t you? All right; follow me.”

As they started to leave the prison area, Specter told him, “I have a question.”

“Shoot.”

“What if someone believes something to be true, but it’s not?”

“Like they’re misinformed, or like they’re in denial?”

“Like they’re in denial. For instance, there are people who swear they don’t have an alcohol problem, and there they are drinking a gallon of vodka each night and vomiting every morning.”

“Well, if they’re not completely delusional, there will be a conflict because deep inside they know something’s not right.” He looked at Specter. “Is there something you’re struggling with?”

“That’s my affair.”

“All right, but if you change your mind, then let us know.”

Specter stayed silent for the short trip to the interrogation area, a 5’x5’ space between the staircase and the prison area. There was a strange chair with an attached computer station. Attached to the back of the chair was what appeared to be an overhead lamp. Hanging from a hook on the wall was a helmet with a visor and two knobs, and nearby was what appeared to be a medicine cabinet. The helmet was a hypnotic energy helmet, and the cabinet mainly contained hypodermic needles, medicine cups, and various truth drugs & hypnotic drugs. Specter drank in the scene and then looked over the chair & its various attachments. “Is that an EEG [Electroencephalograph]?”

“Yes. In addition to the standard polygraph equipment, this has some other features. One is the EEG to monitor brainwaves.” He pointed to the lamp. “When activated, this shines a hypnotic light that compels someone to tell the truth. The combination of polygraph and truth-inducing hypnotic light is why this is called the truth chair.”

“On or off, I’m going to tell the truth either way. So if someone takes over a leaguer’s mind, that light can prove he or she was being controlled?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a relief.”

He calmly and willingly sat in the chair, which had sensors to detect arm & thigh movements. Pyr pressed a pair of buttons. Shackles emerged and covered Specter’s wrists & ankles, locking them in place.

“Another feature?” he asked with an air of amusement.

“Another feature,” nodded Pyr.

Pyr wrapped the respiration cuff around the front of Specter’s chest, attached the galvanic reflex electrodes to his palms, applied the blood pressure & pulse cuff to his left arm, and placed the EEG band around his head. The front of the band was semitransparent plastic, allowing Specter to see and be seen. The lamp was lowered to shortly above Specter’s head.

“Are you comfortable?” asked Pyr.

“Yeah.”

“Before I forget, you don’t have to answer just ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.”

“That’s handy.”

He went to the computer. “Okay, let’s begin”. He flipped a switch, activating the polygraph.
 * Pyr- Are you willing and prepared to answer all questions truthfully?
 * Specter- Yes.
 * Pyr- Are you known as Specter?
 * Specter- Yes. At times I’ve been called “The Specter” too, or even “The Specter Bandit”.
 * Pyr- What is your real name?
 * Specter- Casper Dugan.
 * Pyr- Are you nude except for your underwear?
 * Specter- Yes.
 * Pyr- Did you strip to your underwear of your own accord?
 * Specter- Yes.
 * Pyr- Have you allowed yourself to be hypnotized or drugged in an attempt to beat these tests?
 * Specter- No. Nothing like that.  I wouldn’t do that.
 * Pyr- Have you smuggled in any dangerous weapons or hidden tools?
 * Specter- No.
 * Pyr- Are you submitting to these tests of your own accord?
 * Specter- Yes.
 * Pyr- Have you attacked any members of the Super League of Justice or its allies?
 * Specter- Yes, more than once.
 * Pyr- Have you expressed interest in joining the SLJ or becoming an ally?
 * Specter- Yes.
 * Pyr- Are you interested in joining to get prestige or power?
 * Specter- No. It’s true that I want to be on the winning team, and I want to better myself, but I’m not requesting a membership or an alliance for some ego trip.  This isn’t about a power trip.
 * Pyr- Your reasons for joining are sincere?
 * Specter- Yes. My reasons aren’t entirely selfless, but yeah, I’m sincere.
 * Pyr- Have you ever double-crossed an ally?
 * Specter- No. I worked with Flying Fox against Cerdis that time, but that lowlife double-crossed me.  You know the story.
 * Pyr- I do. You were definitely double-crossed.  So to clarify, you’ve never intended or plotted to double-cross an ally.
 * Specter- No. I don’t double-cross my allies, no.
 * Pyr- Are you taking potential membership or alliance for granted?
 * Specter- No. I have skills, but I also have a history.  Like I told the others, I take this seriously, and if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.
 * Pyr- If you were refused membership in the SLJ, would you be satisfied with being an ally?
 * Specter- Yes.
 * Pyr- You wouldn’t hold a grudge?
 * Specter- No. Not at all.
 * Pyr- Have you read the Super League of Justice bylaws?
 * Specter- Yes.
 * Pyr- You’re willing to follow them?
 * Specter- Yes. I have character flaws, though, so there might be some hiccups.
 * Pyr- Fair enough. Are you willing to risk your life to protect others?
 * Specter- Yes.
 * Pyr- Are you willing to risk your life to protect your allies?
 * Specter- Yes.
 * Pyr- Are you willing to risk your life to protect your enemies?
 * Specter- That’s an interesting question…but yes.
 * Pyr- Do you trust the SLJ?
 * Specter- Yes. I wouldn’t have approached them if I didn’t trust them.
 * Pyr- Can you be trusted by the SLJ?
 * Specter- Yes. That’s why I’m going through this- to prove that I can be trusted.
 * Pyr- Would you trust the SLJ or its allies with your life?
 * Specter- Yes.
 * Pyr- Could the SLJ and its allies trust you with their lives?
 * Specter- Yes.
 * Pyr- Would you give support and comfort to your new allies?
 * Specter- I don’t know how good I’d be, but I’d be willing to help.
 * Pyr- Would you allow your new allies to give support and comfort to you?
 * Specter- You sly devil…Yes, if the time was right.

“Okay, that concludes the first round,” Pyr told Specter. He turned off the polygraph for the moment and looked pleased with how the round had gone. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“No,” admitted Specter. “Not at all. You know, you’re okay.”

“That’s good to know. I hope I can tell you the same when this is all over.”

“Yeah, well…Let me guess. You’re going to repeat that round with the truth light, and maybe again with truth drugs and/or hypnosis?”

“You got it.”

“Bring it on.”

Later that night Super Creature met with The Flying Fox. “Specter passed all the truth tests with flying colors.”

“Your servant knows that was all a formality since you can tell whether or not someone is lying, and so can Green Beam’s ring.”

“Mmm-hmm. We’re not the only ones, though, are we?”

“No,” admitted Fox. “Your servant could tell he was sincere too.”

“You all know your servant was being sincere as well. It would be a blessing to have him on our side.”

“Yeah,” Fox agreed. “Yeah, it would.”

''So there's your answer- our boy is sincere. :-D'' Raidra (talk) 02:08, May 19, 2016 (UTC)

The alleged method I heard was to put a tack in your shoe. Of course, you'd have to know in advance that you were going to be given a test. "You say you didn't have advance knowledge of the robbery. We're going to give you a lie detector test and see what we find." "Uh, wait, I need to go to the bathroom real quick...for...you know... something." That doesn't seem suspicious at all! That's why Specter stripped to his underclothes- to show that he didn't have a tack in his shoe or anything. The thing is it was completely pointless since they have multiple ways of determining someone's truthfulness (not to be confused with Colbert's "truthiness") even if they were to try to beat the polygraph. It was a nice gesture though. :-D

~laughs~ Oh, don't worry! There are zero plans to kill off Specter. There is no way I'm doing such a terrible cliche with such a great character. You made the comment, "It'd be nice to see him turn too because it shows character development. It doesn't have everyone locked into a certain routine/static world." I was glad you said that because you get it. I don't get these people who want to keep everything the same, nothing can ever change, status quo is god, etc. That's not how life works. People can change, for better or for worse, and comics shouldn't perpetuate some hopeless cycle. I wanted to say that earlier, but I didn't want to tip my hand since at that point you didn't know which way the story was going.

''One day I thought how great would it be, how great of a development would it be, if Specter reformed. Like Super Creature said, he has such potential that he'd be a blessing to their side. After a number of events he reflects on how noble and self-sacrificing the heroes are and decides that their way is the best. He bonds with and uses his skills to help those he once attacked while atoning for his past. Here's the third part (a follow-up to the previous scene) which shows a softer side to Specter.''

Specter was reading when he heard a knock on his cell door. He looked to see Super Creature, wearing his Mark Cent reporter guise, entering. He nodded hello and explained, “Your servant decided to do guard duty this shift. It’s just us if you wanted to talk.”

Specter was surprised, but he recovered quickly. “Please, have a seat.”

Mark closed the door, took a seat at the table, and removed his sunglasses. Specter set down his book and joined him. “How are you today?” Mark asked him.

“I’m all right,” Specter replied. He admitted, “You all have been taking good care of me.”

“That’s good to hear. Whether friend or foe, we try to treat others the way we’d want to be treated. You know we’ll treat you right.”

“Thanks.” He remained silent for several seconds before asking, “Any particular reason you mention that?”

“You’ve seemed uncomfortable lately. You try to disguise it, but your servant can tell. Pyr told me that you hinted that you were struggling with something. Your servant knows he let you know this already, but your servant wanted to reaffirm that you can be open. Whenever you’re ready-”

“I’m ready.”

“Please continue.”

He heaved a sigh. “Everyone knows what I did. I tried to kill The Flying Fox in his own hideout, and pushed him into post-traumatic stress syndrome.”

Mark replied, “Well, we obviously don’t approve of that.” Specter chuckled despite himself and Mark continued, “That was a terrible thing, but with you sincerely wanting to reform and join us, that’s water under the bridge. Your servant makes it sound casual, but it’s true. Your servant is the one who saved Flying Fox from your death-trap, remember, and your servant forgives you.”

Specter’s eyes started to brim and Mark added, “Flying Fox forgave you long ago.”

“How can you forgive someone who hasn’t-” His voice softened. “-who hasn’t apologized yet?”

“Do you think that’s what’s troubling you?”

“Yeah. It is. You-You all have been so good to me throughout this, despite the things I’ve done.”

“You must have suspected that it would be that way or else you wouldn’t have approached us. You told Pyr that you wouldn’t have approached us if you didn’t trust us, and that, like everything else you said during your interrogation, was sincere. II Corinthians 7:9a says, ‘Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance.’ You should read the rest of the chapter too.”

“Do you think Fox knows…that I regret what I did, and I appreciate everything?”

“Your servant thinks so, but you should still tell him.”

“How?”

“Tell him like you told me just now. It’s your sincerity and not your words that count. Telling Fox how you feel will take a load off both of you.”

“I think you’re right.”

“Would you like to pray together?”

“I would. Thank you.”

''Right now I don't even know if he'll just be an ally or if he'll graduate to being a leaguer. I have a lot of time to decide though, and either way he'll be an asset to the team. I look forward to having The Flying Fox and Specter interact after his reformation, working as comrades/sparring partners and talking about their tragic pasts directly.'' Raidra (talk) 01:43, May 20, 2016 (UTC)

I wanted to ask this earlier, but there was some kind of computer issue that prevented me. Now that the computer is working again I wanted to ask how your dad is doing. You mentioned him having heart surgery. Raidra (talk) 01:47, May 20, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "I Slept Once... It Didn't End Well" Message
Sorry it took me awhile to get back to you, Doom. I've been having a busy week so far preparing for my graduation on Saturday. I'm currently staying at my mom's house to prepare for my graduation rehearsal on Wednesday. I have to be at the rehearsal with my cap, gown, and diploma by 6:45pm.

I've been binge watching a lot of Danger Dolan lately. I like how they actually try and make their lists entertaining instead of being like "OK here's a fact next!". Is Binge-Watching a new term or has it been around for years and has slowly gained popularity? If it's the former, then it's one of the few modern terms that doesn't enrage me like micro-agressions.

I'm not sure if I showed this to you or not but I have a new part in my Haunting Hour pasta. Here it is: "Hey there, sweetie!" Kristy's mother said softly. Kristy had stretched out her arms as far as they could go and began to yawn. She then turned her head to the right and noticed the bed her mother had set up."

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   04:26, May 18, 2016 (UTC)

Re:
84 hours?! I bet you left a helluva dent in your couch after that. But honestly, don't worry about it, my friend. I just wanted to let you know it was out there if you were ever feeling bored and wanted something terrible to read. And definitely don't feel like you need to give some lengthy feedback, just a simple comment about whether you liked it, hated it, or vomited halfway through triggering a re-examining of your life trying to figure out where you went wrong. Of course, if you have any advice, feel free to give it. I read the first few paragraphs of the pastebin story you left me, but I didn't finish it. I'll try to look over it soon. Hope all is well.

Jay Ten (talk) 12:52, May 18, 2016 (UTC)


 * Well damn, DV, this is what I've been waiting for. You've made significant advancements.  There are a few occasions here and there where you use a few too many words, and one or two occasions where you don't use enough, BUT there is a lot of solid writing in there.  Major improvement, my friend.  I'm very glad you showed this to me.


 * Jay Ten (talk) 14:25, May 18, 2016 (UTC)


 * What's really good is that the genre of your story isn't something I've ever been into or read much of, but I still found it engaging. That was what really stood out.  I feel like an ass sometimes, acting like I have a clue what I'm talking about, but I guess it's all a bit subjective.  I just feel like you took a big step forward, one that I knew you would eventually take.  Always gotta keep striving to improve though.  Hone the hell out of it.  I still hate pretty much everything I write, but I keep plugging along hoping I'll make something worthwhile someday.


 * Sounds like you've got a lot of good ideas for that story, so definitely take it slow, which I think you're already doing. I like the thought of branching out into Youtube. I'd like to get more of my stuff on there, but so far I've only found four narrations of the same damn story, lol. I suppose not many people would be interested in narrating stories involving coprophagia, rape, and cannibalism ; ) God bless, when I put those three words so close together, it doesn't really sound like something I want to read either.


 * A little off topic, but I just watched The Witch, and you should check it out sometime if you're in the mood for a good film. It's ominous as hell. Not your typical horror film. I watched it twice in 24 hours, which I never do.


 * Jay Ten (talk) 19:33, May 18, 2016 (UTC)


 * Well I appreciate that, my friend. And I'm glad you approve of the way I do rape, lol.  Dear God, I hope no one is reading this exchange.  But I know what you mean.  I try to make sure I never do anything for shallow or contrived reasons, even though I'm sure I let it happen from time to time.  Definitely keep me posted on your Youtube situation.  I don't spend a lot of time on there, but I do have an account so I will subscribe to your channel whenever you want.  I don't put anything on there myself, I just have it for commenting. And yeah, smaller budget movies often produce the best content.  A24 has made some of the best movies of the new millennium.  You should check into their work.  Thanks for reading and commenting on my latest story.  Have a good one.


 * Jay Ten (talk) 14:02, May 19, 2016 (UTC)

Thanks for sharing that. Looks pretty damn good as far as I'm concerned. I'm not much of an authority on such things though. I've been known to horribly disfigure poor stick-men. And I replied to your comment on Verner. I'm considering a couple different options on a sequel or prequel like you mentioned. Anyway, have a good one, man.

Jay Ten (talk) 17:18, May 20, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "Netflix or Nothing!" Message
Unfortunately, because Netflix raised their prices to $10 dollars a month (oh the horror!) I no longer have Netflix. I used to use it on the XboxOne at my mom's house but I guess it wasn't frequent enough for the $10 a month to be worth it. Perhaps some episodes are available online on sites like YouTube or something.

So I expanded upon my new part in my new R.L Stine Pasta:

"Hey there, sweetie!" Kristy's mother said softly. Kristy had stretched out her arms as far as they could go and began to yawn. She then turned her head to the right and noticed the bed her mother had set up. "Now that's what I call a bed!" Kristy giggled wearily. Kristy's mother had also giggled a bit as she grinned and scratched the back of her neck. "Well, I know it's not the comfortable thing ever but I think it should get you through the night. Then after that, you can pick out whatever kind of bed you want at the store tomorrow."

Let me know what you think of it.

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   04:50, May 20, 2016 (UTC)

Full throttle
Last night I thought about another cliche I don't like. I think we've touched on this before, but I don't like writers making everything dark & depressing (thinking they're hip and edgy instead of just some unoriginal hack) and never allowing any character to be cheerful or show any emotion other than anger, despair, and sadism. I have no problem with showing tough, confident characters, such as Flying Fox, Specter, and Dart Tongue alias Gerard Ripley, cry, laugh and joke around, feel awkward, etc. I'm reminded of a piece of commentary that heavy metal/hard rock icon Henry Rollins made on I Love the 80s. I may not be quoting this exactly right, but he noted, "I prefer bands like Bon Jovi and these that go, '(enthusiastic, friendly tone) You people ready to party out there-yeah?!' to these people that go, '(serious, hostile tone) This song is about people in Bolivia. Stop smiling!'" Stan Lee had his characters show human emotions, and that worked out pretty well, wouldn't you say? Also, one of the reasons The Killing Joke is so acclaimed is it shows the various aspects of the characters. Comics should have characters with human emotions and not warped, ultra-downbeat versions of these scenes.
 * http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/post/3485051891/g-g-the-book
 * http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/post/62845445053/g-g-the-book-g-g-on-facebook-g-g-on-twitter
 * http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/post/67318568865/g-g-the-book-g-g-on-facebook-g-g-on-twitter
 * http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/post/72885725446/g-g-the-book-g-g-on-facebook-g-g-on-twitter
 * http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/post/33440062423/g-g-the-book-g-g-on-facebook-g-g-on-twitter
 * http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/post/16871258281/g-g-the-book
 * http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/post/840610191/g-g-the-book
 * http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/post/404891596/garfield-minus-garfield-the-book

I'm glad his heart's doing better. I'm sorry to hear about the back problems, and about and the doctor's office being a bunch of- no, I can't call them that. That would be offensive to donkeys. Yeah, that's messed up. You're certainly welcome. I wish him and the rest of you the best. :-) Raidra (talk) 00:41, May 21, 2016 (UTC)
 * "Margaret... ugh...your pie was the worst. It was somehow raw and burnt.  It made me wanna barf."- Mordecai, Regular Show (Quote included because it describes some of these characters/plots so accurately)


 * You got it exactly right. Too many people do shoddy rip-offs of popular characters, shows, movies, books, etc. without understanding what made the originals popular.  Didn't The Dark Knight Returns have a moment in which The Joker announced he was going to kill everyone in the studio, and someone replied that that was pretty darn rude?  See, even Frank Miller knows to have lighter moments!  One show that did a great job of blending humor and pathos was Monk.  One episode had a scene in which an overwhelmed Monk collapsed and a scene in which a politician's hairpiece was forcibly yanked off.


 * Anytime. :-) At one point the show Barney Miller had a policewoman who would get frustrated and start yelling into her purse to blow off steam. There are times when we all feel like yelling into a bag.  This may be one of them- http://creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:Raidra/The_Case_for_Vetting_Graduation_Speakers. Raidra (talk) 00:23, May 22, 2016 (UTC)
 * I don't know, but it sure sounds like something he'd do. Your comment about him having something against mugs reminds me of a joke on the comic book humor site Superdickery (which I almost universally call "Superjerk").  Commenting on this page- - the Superjerk guy joked, "I have a fairly good idea what the context behind this one is, but it’s just so much more fun to imagine that Batman has an irrational hatred of ice cream cones."


 * Yep! :=D I just searched my paper arsenal and fantasy arsenal pictures on Google Images because I thought, "I'm going to be really angry if someone plagiarizes those!" Thankfully no one has, but I found something funny.  Each one had a "Best Guess" description.  Most of them were understandable, such as paper, floor, tile, wall, and design, but there were a couple for which their best guesses were glass, landmark, and building.  The lesson- Don't send Google Images to buy supplies! Raidra (talk) 03:54, May 23, 2016 (UTC)

"Hey, what happened to that Laughing Bat place?" "It's gone. Some mysterious fire or something. Luckily I saved a cup from that place. Should be worth something on eBay."

Yeah, that's a relief! As angry as I am about stories getting stolen, I'd be enraged if someone passed those off as their work. The one they labeled a landmark was the one with the paper daggers, knives, and kunai, so now I can brag that I created a landmark piece of art.

Yum! That sounds awesome! :-D You'll have to keep me posted. I got a $10 Meal Deal from Pizza Hut just last week. I always tip the pizza guy because they work hard and have to put up with a lot of nonsense. Raidra (talk) 12:54, May 23, 2016 (UTC) Today Mom had a follow-up appointment. Thankfully the doctor said it’s healing well and she didn’t have to walk on her heel anymore. She has another appointment next week, and the doctor thinks he can take the sutures out then. Raidra (talk) 00:19, May 24, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "New Episodes Here" Message
Oh that's cool. If I get a chance, I may check out a few episodes. I do see trailers for the show on Food Network all the time (my mom loves that channel) and if I remember correctly, Alton Brown, who also has his own show on that network, is the host of Cutthroat Kitchen.

So I corrected the mistakes in the part I sent you and I also took out the description of the bunk bed that was featured in chapter three. I decided to remove this part because as you may have noticed, all of the furniture at some point or another is featured in a later point in the story and serves to not only develop the setting but to further the story as well. Other than being described in chapter three, the bunk beds were never brought up again and thus didn't make much sense to be in the story. I added to a list of other scrapped material I've been compiling since I started work on the story back in 2015. I can send the list to you if you're interested. I already sent the list to Raidra. I'm also planning on removing the golden streak. The original idea behind it was that towards the end of the episode, it would be revealed as a kitsune and protected the forest against things like war. But now I'm not sure if I can fit that in without having to rely on info dumping.

I'm still adding to the latest part of the story so once the part is more complete, I'll send it to you.

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   14:57, May 21, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "Alton's Always Right" Message
So I graduated from homeschooling. Funny thing though, I still got a high school diploma instead of something like a G.E.D. It was a very good ceremony and I was trying to hold back my tears the entire time. There were some who did the same such as the parents and one girl just let out the waterworks as she was coming up on stage to receive her diploma. All of the graduate's parents were allowed a one or two minute (about 250 or so words) speech yet the guy who was giving the opening prayer seemed like he was going on for way longer than that. Quite a few of my family members showed up and next Sunday, my dad's family is going to get together and throw a party for me. It will be less hectic and I'm going back to my mom's this Sunday anyway.

Personally, I don't mind cooking shows because they serve as a base for me to work off of if I need an idea for a recipe or something. Sometimes, they may even encourage me to try new things. I think Alton Brown is the host of another show called Good Eats and it's a cooking show that combines humor, history, and cooking all in one package. As you can tell, I'm kind of a big fan of cooking.

I'm doing quite a lot of research for this Haunting Hour pasta, specifically on Japanese culture. For example, I wasn't sure if Japan had big furniture stores that were similar to something like CARDI'S, Bob's Discount Furniture, IKEA, or Lazboy. So I looked it up and found two major furniture stores that stuck out to me. One is called Nitori and the other is called MegaMax. One of those two stores may be featured in the story when we get to that point.

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   05:40, May 22, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "Reverend Slowpoke" Message
Surprisingly, he talked at a normal pace. However, he had a lot of inspirational Bible verses to project onto us mixed in with his speech. At my brother's high school graduation, there was also a person who had way too much to say. I remember my dad's opinion on the speech at my brother's graduation. It went something like this: "Instead of going on for an eternity about some guy in Buffalo and his blog, she could've just said 'Thank you for showing up and not wrecking the joint. Now go forth and search for a job if there are still some around.' Jesus!"

I've been investigating this program called Visionaire Studio and it's a program that allows you to make an adventure game without having to put in a line of code. They do offer a freeware version for both Windows and Mac but if I want to buy the full version, it costs about forty nine Euros. Since I live in America, I don't have easy access to Euros outside of currency exchanges at the bank and even then, I'm pretty sure there are fees involved. Here's the link to the Visonaire website:

http://www.visionaire-studio.net/

I recently downloaded the free version on my computer and I may try it out some more once I get back to my dad's house. I found a series of tutorial videos on how to use Visionaire Studio on YouTube. If you're interested, you're more than welcome to click this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch v=TUVE8BmsC7I&list=PLfsiC3OLVf-5sx9vCG70nryBdskH-ggIP

Because gaming jobs are practically non existent in Rhode Island, I think the best thing to do is to go the indie game development route and just make the games myself with maybe somebody else's assistance. My only other options are to go to California or Japan if I want to work with a game company unless there are studios that are closer to Rhode Island.

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?  00:21, May 25, 2016 (UTC)

Frog legs
I agree. There have been bad experiences with food service workers, but generally they work hard for little appreciation, and some customers are just nasty and hateful. I commented on the good and the bad a little in the comments section of this old blog of mine- http://creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:Raidra/Creepypasta_Thanks.

She's able to walk faster now, but she's going to take it easy (maybe walk on the heel sometimes and on the sole sometimes) until the sutures are removed.

That reminded me of a story- http://www.abrahamlincolnsclassroom.org/daily-story-page-frogs-legs/. It also reminded me of a story from when my brother was a bachelor living in an apartment. There was this big frog that hung around the apartment house, and he noted that his encounters with that were probably why he was kinda creeped out by frogs. However, a few years ago we found one of his baby pictures. Dad had bought this rubber frog toy, and there the baby was looking up at this frog dangling from a string. He (My brother, not the toy frog) noted, "Oh, my gosh. That's probably what caused it!" Raidra (talk) 00:40, May 25, 2016 (UTC)
 * "Agh, my dreams of a prosperous frog leg empire are vanishing into mist!" You see these computer games like Fast Food Tycoon, Pizza Tycoon, etc.  Could you imagine Frog Leg Tycoon?  I somehow get the feeling that wouldn't get past the development stage. Did I ever mention that video about "Freaky Bootleg Pokemon Merchandise"?  If I didn't, here it is- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0Nai5TH7R8.  There are also video lists of the creepiest children's toys, but you can't always trust those because sometimes they have art projects, not actual children's toys.  It's like if someone did a list of strangest weapons and they showed the pictures of my paper arsenal.  I don't mean to show a model of an unusual weapon, like the chicken saber sickles, pistol crossbow, or urumi; I mean if they showed them as if I actually used the paper weapons in mortal combat.  Cripes, there are plenty of creepy toys that really exist; there's no need to include these other things.


 * Thanks! You're a smart one yourself. :-D You're right; I do look stuff up.  I have my desk next to a bookshelf with reference books, which is convenient for when I do my comics. Raidra (talk) 00:51, May 26, 2016 (UTC)

You have your sections for gold, silver, oil, and of course, frog legs. That was a vague reference to Trading Places, in which they inexplicably had a section for frozen orange juice concentrate futures among the other things on the commodities trading floor. I've seen the end of that movie, but I can't understand it for the life of me. I have the intellectual ability; I just don't have the knowledge. I'm not the only one who doesn't understand what they're talking about, though, as evidenced by this. I see they've expanded the end of the "Plot" section of the article, so maybe I'll try re-reading it until it makes sense. Anyway, I was thinking about every step of the process, starting with some idealistic guy in the swamp trying to catch frogs. Then again, they probably raise them on farms now, like bison. Saturday Night Live had a sketch in the 1990s in which the animated chicken mascot told how their chicken is made. The twist was it started with, "First, we chop off the chicken's head!" and ended with, "And then it's digested and turned into waste matter!"

There are some great ones on there! I found a print version of that video recently and showed Mom some of them. I didn't share all of them because, well, I don't think I need to explain. One of my favorites is the one about giving milk to children who've swallowed poison so they'll be happy before they die, and the giraffes one is pretty funny too. On AFV one time they had a little girl who'd done a worksheet with simple arithmetic and shape recognition. She had identified the trapezoid as "pizza hut roof." :-D You know, if you have a room dedicated to bookshelves you can tell visitors, "This is the library," like a fancy person. Raidra (talk) 00:32, May 27, 2016 (UTC)
 * I don't know enough about that movie to know about the ending, but I know there are a lot of confusing movies. One day I happened to see a sports show in which the subject of Inception was brought up.  One co-host mentioned seeing six or seven theories on the Internet about what the ending meant, and the other replied, "Look, I once saw a movie called Mulholland Drive, and nothing could be more confusing than that!"  Earlier I heard the song "Ode to Billie Joe" on the radio, reminding me that there are songs that are the same way.  Occasionally a theory about a song will get so far out that the songwriters have to step forward to clear things up.  One of my favorite quotes about confusion comes from the Wikipedia article about a show called Space Cops- "Meanwhile, in The Sunday Times, Patrick Stoddart was confused by the plot of 'This Case to be Opened in a Million Years' asking readers 'if you are following any of this, please write to me and explain'."


 * "Boss, I gotta talk to you. Everyone's nice, and I've been treated fairly, but I... I just can't do this anymore."  "Well, I'm sorry to hear that since you're one of our best frog wranglers, but I understand.  In honor of your long and dedicated service, here's your compensation package- a gold watch, a crate of chocolate frogs and coconut water, a pair of running shoes, and a coupon for the Chinese Well Health Spa. Good luck in your next endeavor."


 * One time, on a college sociology final, there was a section in which you had to match words with their definitions. A lot of the terms started with "culture" (such as "culture shock"), and I couldn't help myself.  I added the definition "One of the greatest 1980s bands" (or something to that effect) and added the term "Boy George & The Culture Club".  I don't know that I was penalized in any way.  The professor knew I had an interesting sense of humor, but did my work faithfully.  Ice T was on an episode of MTV Cribs and one of the items in his house was a vending machine for the moochers.  "You want [whatever snack item it was]? They're a buck! Stop begging!" Raidra (talk) 00:26, May 28, 2016 (UTC)

Reply to "Studio Group" Message

So in terms of an indie studio, I haven't found anything online. I found a site called IndieDB that had a jobs section for different parts of game development. However, there were mostly jobs for artists and whatnot so there wasn't anything there that I could apply for and have the skills to do. Don't worry, I'll keep looking but I think I might want to do a lot of the development myself with maybe one or two other people if I can find them.

I've just finished working on a concept sheet for a game I have dubbed "Project: Vintage Mouse". I have the link to the sheet right here: http://pastebin.com/avVXA7ki

I've also been working on my Creepypasta if you're interested in reading the latest version: http://pastebin.com/f66fMfMT

Mr. Duplin has been a big help in answering my questions regarding game development and whatnot. I'm going to try and learn some coding and whatnot on Wednesday when I attend a coding club event to learn how to use JavaScript. I think it's a good start for now.

I'm not sure if Vintage Mouse will be one of those easy to make games but I do have other ideas for games so if that one ends up being a bit too hard to make with my current skill level, I can turn to other ideas. One of those ideas was to make a game about a girl who daydreams about being in other games like Sonic, Mario, Megaman, Castlevania, Batman, etc. This may be a better first game idea since they are mostly 2D side scrolling games. This idea is based on an NES game called Day Dreamin' Davy which had an awesome idea but a poor execution. Here's the AVGN's review of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSjq4Am-5Aw

I'm going to create a concept sheet for this game and title it "Sally's Pixel Quest". The levels won't explicitly reference the franchises but they'll play like their respective games.

Heeere's Hailey!  Wanna Talk?   04:14, May 28, 2016 (UTC)