IdiosyncraticCats

Smoke and Mirrors Part 3 Before an Eternity After what feels like years of battling the BLUs, my team had finally gotten the hang of the battleground.  It was hard to disappear into simulated smoke when you were wearing bright red uniforms, but we managed it just like the girls did.  The Spies figured out how to clog the smoke emitters in the chamber room with cloth and how to widen them to produce more.  The engineers built sentries that could tell the difference between a mirror reflection and a real person.  Our Demoman even figured out a way to stay sober for some of the fights! Melody and I didn’t see each other much; since we

The Outsiders: He Always Gets What He Wants Baking chocolate cake can be a time-consuming, attention-devoting thing.  I was carefully applying the creamy icing, ensuring that there wasn’t a single smidgeon out of place.  I bit my lip and readjusted my glasses as I turned the cake around on the platter to spread more of it on the other side.  Just as I was putting on a little more chocolaty goodness from the container, I detected movement in my peripheral vision. Wham! A hand slammed down on the counter on either side of me, creating a noise that was louder than I had previously thought possible.  I jumped slightly but made no noise,

The Outsiders: He Always Gets What He Wants Sunrise showered Tulsa in golden light, reflecting off the Arkansas River and winking on the windows of the buildings.  The harsh beauty of the dawn momentarily blinded me, and I shielded my eyes from it with a cupped hand at my brow.  The city was just beginning to awake, its inhabitants staggering about in their drunken, sleepy state. A new beginning. That was all my family wanted.  Tulsa could give us just that. “Hey!” I jumped to feel a hand come down roughly on my shoulder.  It was my sister, Wren.  She smiled, brown eyes shining.  I returned the gesture and we both turned our g

Smoke & Mirrors Part 2 Peace of Mind, Doubt of Heart The girl grinned mischievously, flashing a perfectly white smile. Oh, hell no. She thought she could seduce me into a false sense of security?  Like that could ever happen.  I knew that the moment my head was turned, my head would get knocked clean off. I sneered and raised my chin defiantly. She frowned. “You’re different from other boys,” she muttered, seeming to take me seriously now.   “You’ll be a challenge.”  I couldn’t help but be startled by how excited she sounded, and how eager she looked.  Her bright teeth were flashing again.  I

Smoke & Mirrors Part 1 Something Different 30 seconds until mission starts! Excitement hung in the air, thick with tension and crackling with impatience.  The team shifted about, glancing at one another nervously and adjusting their weapons just one last time.  I couldn't help but smirk slightly. I wasn't nervous! (Well, I’m never nervous, but if there was a day to be nervous, it would be today.) Don’t get me wrong, my teammates had every right to be nervous.  None of us had received so much as a map of this new battleground.  Not to mention the fact that we’d be fighting a team of girls. I should probably explain th