Wyvern

Nice poem, Kikuyu. :-) The cold and damaged character depicted in it and the way that the narrator connects to her were interesting to read. I particularly liked the third stanza, with the contrasting image of the woman's tears and approaching fire, though the "anyway" at the end of the fourth line of that stanza felt a little off to me as far as tone goes. I also like the way that this piece and Degorram's "I'm Alive" compliment each other, nicely tied together there gals. :-) I must say, my biggest complaint with this poem is the title, which I find sort of gimmicky and which I don't think does the poem justice... I say give the woman a different name, and let her apocalyptic traits be implied through the poem itself! Thanks for sharing this Kikuyu, cool as always. :-)

Wyvern tip-toes his way through the darkened halls of the Cabaret Room, curving his tail stinger up to not awaken any pennites with the sounds of static carpet scratches or floor wood scrapings. His beady eyes dart left and right as he adjusts his dark gray overcoat further over his scales, the bulge of his wings barely letting the cheap fabric cover his snout. Once he's confident that no one is around to watch him, Wyvern reaches into his overcoat and begins digging through it in search of something, dropping a loud clown horn, a sensitive alarm clock, an extra rowdy imp and a banana peel in the process. The overgrown lizard curses loudly over the resulting sounds, only adding to the Pen's late night noise pollution as he pulls out the black bow-bonded gift he was searching for. Wyvern bites his lip over the noise and quickly scampers over to a darkened corner of the room, raising a claw to his snout in a desperate plea for the imp to keep quiet. He whimpers when it starts ambling towards the alarm clock, and quickly turns to the dark corner to whisper in rushed hisses: "Quick, there'ssss not much time. Sleep-deprived pennitessss will be flicking on the lights any minute now." Wyvern kneels down and sets his gift in the very center of the darkened corner, leaning in carefully. "Think she'll like it?" Wyvern listens to the soft whispers of the shadows for a moment, trying to ignore the imp pouncing towards the clock and slowly nodding. "Well I found'em in sssilvery black. I'm sure the glovesss'll look nice on her plus the guy at the second-hand magi shop told me they were only worn once by sssome sassy shadecrafter." Wyvern's snout darts back to the scene of the Cabaret noise, then focuses on the shadow again. "I alssso included some Almost Dragonic Brand Even Slower Motion Potions™, sssince we could all use a few those at the moment I'm sure. You will deliver this to her, wherever she is, won't you?" Wyvern leans in to hear the soft whisper of an answer, only to suddenly jump as an angry mob of pennites storms in, yelling something about angsty imps and alarm clocks not mixing. Bright lights suddenly fill the room, causing the shadows to disperse... and causing the gift that Wyvern had entrusted them with to vanish along with them. "L-l-lisssten folks, I can explain..." Wyvern stammers as he backs up against the wall, slipping slightly over the lost banana peel in the process. OOC: Happy Birthday, Yui-chan. Hope you have a great one, and many happy days to come!

So in the last couple of months, I’ve been sort of schooling myself on the films of Takashi Miike, an acclaimed Japanese director renowned for his bizarre and occasionally morbid and extreme movies. I’ve gone through my periods of binging and have been watching his movies on and off sporadically for the last few months, and personally I’ve found his work hit or miss, though it’s never without a few interesting elements. He’s a director that plainly loves shocking people, but given his level of productivity and the sheer range of films in his repertoire, there are bound to be as many misses as there are hits. Here’s a breakdown of some of the films that I’ve seen from him, starting with the best of the bunch. “Audition” – This infamous Japanese horror flick is definitely one of Miike’s best works, with some astoundingly gruesome and disturbing images that stick with you long after the credits have rolled. Granted, the graphic nature of the film’s last 15 minutes has been a bit overhyped by the more sensitive movie-goers that saw it, but there were points that were pretty painful to watch. One brilliant thing about this movie is the pacing, as the first hour and a half feels very light and upbeat, like a romantic comedy made for the whole family… only to suddenly shift into something exceptionally dark. I wonder what reaction a person would have to seeing this without being aware of its genre, as the way it suddenly veers into nightmare-land is pretty brutal. It’s a pretty great flick with some very memorable things in it, though it does involve some torture and isn’t for the faint of heart. “Gozu” – This might be one of Miike’s most overlooked and underrated films, as I don’t hear much talk of it and would put it on par with “Audition,” though for different reasons. It plays out kind of like a Japanese David Lynch film, with elements of a supernatural thriller or psychological horror flick combined with the setting of a yakuza gangster movie. It has plenty of comedy as well, including a terrifically funny intro scene involving a poodle and lots of bizarre surreal interactions between characters. The final scenes set up a very effective sexually charged atmosphere that hooks the viewer in with its eroticism, only to go a horrific and hilariously weird route for the ending. Plus it has a cow-headed demon in it as well! Very odd movie, but high quality and well worth checking out. “City of Lost Souls” – In case horror films and thrillers aren’t your cup of tea, this is a hilarious and seriously bad-ass yakuza action film from Mr. Miike’s repertoire. It’s the story of an ultra-cool Japanese-brazilian criminal named Mario who ends up entangled with the yakuza when a mob boss pines for his girlfriend Kei, which leads to some serious ass kicking in as many over-the-top ways as possible to get her back. The story is pretty thin and ultimately irrelevant, since the thing that drives this film is the hilariously stylized action sequences, which come at surprising times and are over-the-top to the point of parodying the action genre. Think vodka match flame throwers, deadly booby trapped ping pong matches, and cock fights where CGI chickens perform Matrix moves on each other. Tarantino fans, eat your heart out. Very entertaining movie. Some Takashi Miike films that I had mixed feelings about: “Ichi the Killer” – Probably Takashi Miike’s most famous film, and widely regarded as one of the most graphically violent films of all time. The violence of “Ichi the Killer” is indeed at a level of gruesomeness that surpasses most films, and is worthy of some praise for the creative ways in which it’s depicted, but the movie suffers a bit when it comes to the characters. The protagonist is just a little too weird to carry the film, and the plot is a little on the shaky incomprehensible side of things as well. It was directly adapted from a hardcore adult manga, which might offer some explanation for the strange directions, but something still felt off about the story. Still, it does have some very interesting sadistic imagery that’d make it worth watching for someone who’s a Takashi Miike fan. “Dead or Alive” – To be honest, this movie is really not that great on the whole. This tale of a yakuza boss and a rival detective trying to bust down on him and his gang is really a little too boring at times, and drags for a good portion of the movie. However, what seems like a very grounded and mature (albeit dull) yakuza flick suddenly takes a different direction in the last ten minutes, which are almost worth bearing through the entire rest of the movie to witness. Spoilers would ruin the entire purpose of the movie, but let’s just say it’s an ending that I doubt I’ll be forgetting any time soon. The first 5 minutes of the film are also famous for how fast-paced and graphic they are, but it’s ultimately the ending that very nearly makes this film great. It still doesn’t feel quite up to par on the whole, though. Some Takashi Miike films that I wasn’t a big fan of: “Visitor Q” – This might technically be the most graphic of Miike’s movies, but somehow all the combined elements of shock value just make it feel like it’s disgusting for the sake of being disgusting. Spousal abuse, incest, rape, necrophilia, lactating breasts over men in raincoats… you name it, it’s in this movie. The way that the school bullies harass the teenage son by throwing firecrackers through the windows of his house was interesting, and the breastfeeding scene at the very end of the movie was strangely touching, but for the most part this movie just left a bad taste in my mouth. Goes to show that you need something more than just shocking displays of depravity to make a film work as a whole. “The Bird People in China” – This flick was surprisingly tame for a Takashi Miike film, as it felt like a long drawn out drama with one or two yakuzas thrown in for good measure. I suppose this film speaks to Miike’s diversity as a director, since it’s nothing like his other movies, but it doesn’t really have his stylistic touch and falls a bit flat for that reason. The story had some fairly intriguing elements to it, and the acting was decent enough, but it felt a little too drawn out and never really grabbed me in the way that some of his other movies have. It’s not nearly as weird or unconventional as most of Miike’s films, and not a good example of his work for that reason. “Sukiyaki Western Django” – Takashi Miike’s take on the Western genre is likeable and bad-ass at times, but ultimately feels like a B-version of “City of Lost Souls” and isn’t that great. Having the Japanese actors speak broken English the entire film was an interesting choice of direction, but became grating and annoying after a while and really dragged the film down. Quentin Tarantino has a cool acting guest spot in it, but the storyline involving the white clan vs. the red clan was just a little too simple and didn’t have much holding it together. Has some stylistic flourishes that are cool to watch, but not too good a movie in the end. A Takashi Miike film that I’d like to see: “The Happiness of the Katakuris”

Nice poem, Vlad. :-) I like how it starts off with basic counting and number-related imagery, and then shifts into a contemplation about the losses of time that the habits have caused. The lines "on all fours" and "a fifth out of reach" are both excellent creative uses of numbered imagery, and the religious undertone in "early sabbath morning service" and "amen" gave the habits an even more shameful and sinful feel. In terms of possible things to improve in revisions, the line "how unlucky for me to be this way" felt a little off to me, since it's the only example of self-pity in the piece and kind of feels like an off-handed comment on the side compared to the rest of the poem. Anyway, good poem Vlad. :-) Thanks for sharing it here.

A few new junkfoods judged under the heat of almost dragonic tastebuds: Strawberry Peanut Butter M&Ms - These are unfortunately every bit as bad as they sound! Peanut Butter M&Ms were not terribly appetizing to begin with, but adding a strawberry flavoring to the candy coating is just overkill and the combination of flavors tastes awkward. Further detracting from the candy's credibility is the gimmicky ad campaign revolving around Transformer M&Ms, which look like something that Autobots and Decepticons would team up to destroy. One tiny slim bag of these and I was tired of them before they were gone... Avoid. Oreo Cakesters - I'm a big fan of most things Oreo (best fro-yo topping everrr), but was a bit skeptical of these when I first spotted them on the shelves. The thought of pre-packaged cakes with oreo filling between them made me fear something more akin to Hostess Cupcakes than to the Oreo we've come to know and love. Well, I finally caved in and let my curiosity lead me to buying a pack, and you know what? They taste exactly like Hostess Cupcakes! Pretty bad, the sort of stuff that you can see yourself getting sick off of if you eat more than two in a sitting. Not recommended, unless you're into the whole pre-packaged pastry thing. Ben & Jerry's Mission to Marzipan Ice Cream - Balancing out the negativity of this post is this innovative new flavor from the exceptionally creative minds at Ben & Jerry's HQ. Their latest oddity is a combination of sweet cream ice cream, almond cookies, and a marzipan swirl... and the experiment is a success. Granted, it's not my very favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor or anything, but it's undeniably unique and I could see myself picking it up ever so often. Opinions of this flavor will widely vary depending on one's take on marzipan, which is an acquired taste and not up everyone's alley. If you can get down with marzipan or really enjoy it, I would definitely recommend giving this flavor a shot. Especially since the almond cookie chunks are rather tasty!

Nice poem, Ozygenplant. :-) The temple works quite well as a metaphor for sin, and I like the way that you personalize it a bit in the final stanza. I was contemplating which sin the temple is most a metaphor for in this, and lust seemed to stand out in particular for its reference in the fourth stanza, though the imagery of "Trinkets and potions" and "riches to his fill" suggest greed more... not sure if you had a particular sin in mind since the metaphor can cover a bunch of them, but if it's lust you're aiming for I wonder if there's some other metaphorical temple object or imagery to depict it. Also, in considering the metaphor, I'm not sure about the title of the poem, since "Invaded Temple" sets the temple up as if it were innocence being invaded but the temple is a place of sin in the poem itself... still, the title does have a nice ring to it. Anyway, very nice poem overall Oxygenplant. :-) Thanks for sharing it here.

*Sneaks into the Cabaret Room and drops his stack of schemes to wrap Kikuyu up in a winged hug, dragging Degorram into it with the tip of his tail as well* Thanks for sharing these thoughts here Kikuyu, they're very personal and touching. I sympathize in a lot of ways, particularly with the things you said about friendships. Good friends are really hard to come by, and you have to cherish those that you have while they're around. I'm glad that you have people in your life who brighten your day and who you feel really close to, and am also glad that you feel comfortable sharing your feelings with the people here. :-) Outside of folks in this community, I could name one or maybe two people who I feel close to outside of my family, and that's pretty much it... makes me relate more to the difficulties you described in that regard, though the way a twin affects the workings of it all is foreign to me of course. :>) Anyway, I'm sure if the leader of the renaissance-festival band could read this now, he'd be brimming with happiness and pride. Still, a diary's a diary! *Wyvern slaps an Almost Dragonic Brand Geld Fine Seal of Approval™ on Kikuyu's new journal before unraveling his wings and allowing the ninja and shifter to breath. He grins toothily and half-bows his head to each of them in turn, then turns with a swoosh of his tail in a gentlemanly fashion before dropping to the floor and scrambling for his dropped schemes like a stray dog sorting through bones in a junkyard.* ;-)

I like this a lot, Jason. :>) The way that you structure the verses around todays and tomorrows is very cool, and you can feel the musical quality of the piece in the flow of the lines and the refrain. Thinking about it, the transition from "goat" to "mountain" in the fourth stanza is the opposite of the transitions in the first two stanzas, which were from inhuman things to human things... it was probably intended that way, which is well done. :-) The fifth stanza, with"a float" and "a-marchin,'" was the only one that hinted directly at this being a song, though the repeated refrain did sort of suggest it as well. Looking forward to hearing a recorded musical version of this if you get around to it after buying the guitar strings... thanks for sharing it here!

I've been putting off on responding to this for a while now, but just wanted to finally chime in and say that I really enjoyed it Quincunx. :-) The rhythm of the lines definitely stands out to me, as the way the syllables are paced feels like a congo drum with alternating patterns, very vibrant and upbeat in an unpredictable and exciting sort of way. The imagery and vernacular of the piece also really adds to the feel of it to me, as the lingo and fast-paced flashes of dancing and haggling all had a very exotic and mirthful feel to them. I will say that for some reason, the puppies being sold for "attack" struck me as a little odd, though I could certainly see violence as a byproduct of the sum of the hectic situations at hand! Very well done, as always... It definitely grabbed me. I look forward to reading any revisions as well.

Last night, I went and saw Doomtree, Approach, and Paulie Rhymes perform at the Elbo Room in San Francisco. I was excited about this show since Doomtree is my favorite hip hop group at the moment, and my anticipation was paid off by the quality of the show. Terrific sets by both Doomtree and Approach, which had the fairly large crowd of fans going nuts. Paulie Rhymes took the stage as the opening act, with DJ Mad Hatter backing him up on the scratches and track selections. I’d seen Paulie Rhymes at several other bay area shows under the moniker Public Radio with his producer Dee Dot, and he always struck me as a fairly good MC who was maybe a little too conventional to stand out in a live setting. His set at this show was similar to the other times I’d seen him, nothing overly impressive but nothing terrible either. A little boring at times maybe, but a fairly solid opening set. Approach was the next rapper to the stage, and he proceeded to completely tear the house down with his set! The last few times I’ve seen him live he’s killed it, so his amazing performance here came as no surprise to me. He walked out to a Michael Jackson tune with an “RIP MJ” shirt on, introduced himself as Approach and explained that he makes disco music for people to dance to, and raced straight into the crowd for an extra hype club track. The crowd aside from me and one or two other people seemed a little self-conscious when it came to dancing, but Approach got the rest of the people moving in the span of three songs… At one point, he even sat next to a girl sitting near the front and rapped beside her to see if he could motivate her to move a little. This was the first time I've seen him without a hype man to back him up, and he proved to be just as energetic and captivating solo. Most of his songs are oriented towards live settings, with deep buzzing bass lines to bounce around to, and his accapellas are equally mindblowing. Really great set from Approach, do not miss out on seeing this guy if you want to have an awesome time at a live show! Doomtree stepped out as the evening’s headliner after a short DJ set from their awesome DJ Paper Tiger, and they put on an amazing show. One great thing about Doomtree live is their lack of gimmicks, as the quality of their material speaks for itself and translates extremely well in a live setting. Another great thing about them is the variety of their material, as Cecil Otter, Dessa, Sims, and Mike Mictlan all have very different styles of hip hop that blend exceptionally well together. Despite P.O.S’s absence (he's tour in Europe, and was not advertised on the bill), Doomtree played through one colossal anthem type track after another, starting with the crew track “Drumsticks” and finishing things off with Mictlan’s “Prizefight.” Some stand out tracks included Sims’ “Say It Like You Mean It,” Cecil’s “Black Rose,” Dessa’s “Sadie Hawkins,” and Mictlan’s “Fire on the Watermark.” My favorite part of the evening was hearing some of the new tracks that the crew have been working on, which sounded amazing. Lazerbeak a.k.a my producer hero was in attendance as well playing the MPC live, and it happened to be his birthday that evening which was extra nice! Super quality show, I can’t emphasize how great a group Doomtree is. My only regret is that they didn’t have any new merch for sale… I need a Dessa solo album and a Sims & Lazerbeak collabo album badly! Speaking of Sims and Dessa’s upcoming records, here are live recordings of two brand new unreleased tracks of theirs: New Sims track: New Dessa track: Too much talent pouring out of that crew… it’s unfair to the rest of hip hop!

The news cameras flicker on through short spurts of static, the airwaves twisting and distorting before finally focusing on the image of the same red carpeted area and circle of pillowed chairs that were displayed in episode 123 of the Report. The cameras shift their angles to catch sight of the same projector screen in the background and podium center-stage, though the crystal ball so prominent in the previous episode is nowhere to be seen. The cameras swing left to spot and trail after Wyvern, who wanders onto the set wearing a tattered and disheveled version of the cardigan sweater and French barret that he reviewed things in on the last Almost Review. The only new item in the almost dragon’s repertoire is a long pointy cane, which has a flag attached to the tip of it that reads “Happy (belated) Birthday Stick!” Wyvern hobbles over to his seat with minimal use of the cane and collapses into it with a huff of smoke, craning his neck back and puncturing the chair cushion and the barret simultaneously with his horns. A belated Almost Review kazoo medley warbles away in the background as Wyvern begins hissing. “Greetingsss, and welcome to a new episssode of the Almossst Review – the only review program that bases its rating syssstem entirely on the weight of the geld offered in bribe.” Wyvern pulls out a measuring scale with a grin, only to frown as he realizes that he has no means of properly demonstrating it without an actual bribe. He tosses it aside with a grumble, his tail swinging and swatting it to the other side of the room. “Of courssse, we do make exceptionsss when it comes to programs that advertise Almost Dragonic Brand products, so here’s a ssstellar review of the Almost Report, episssode 123!” Wyvern clears his throat just as the news medley noise finally dies down, adjusting his scales in his seat. He glances upward and grins as the projector screen suddenly flickers to life without the use of a crystal ball or reel of film, revealing an image of Wyvern seated in the exact same comfy seat staring over a crystal ball. “We’re broadcasssting the images this week via psionics, in belated honor of Psimon’s birthday.” Wyvern points up at his own face in the psionic video and taps it with his big pointy cane, waving the Stick birthday flag in the process. “As you can see, a superior host was chosen for this program, and he also happens to be reporting on a celebrity of an equal caliber of class. Truly, thisss should be considered the highest grade of Pen programming… even without a bribe to weigh in on the quality.” Wyvern grins and leans forward as he watches his previous review on-screen, pointing out the various random subtleties with his cane. “Notice how he leans back in the chair so nonchalantly, as if he’s already decided how he’s going to review the episssode. And how he always setsss the mug of Bruteweiser-spiked caffeine at an angle that greatly accentuates his crimson critic look. It’s almost enough to make you want to switch positionsss with him, just to be able to experience his style.” Wyvern leans back in his chair, tilting it to the point of almost toppling over. He flails for his mug, only to remember that he didn’t bring it today before grumbling and shifting himself back upright. “*Ahem* Or wrestle with him or something. He’s hot, either way… *grumble*” Wyvern raises a claw to his chin as a picture of a picture of the picture of the Portrait of Zool flashes across the screen, raising a brow as his brain tries to process that one but fails. “Y’know, another thing you gotta admire about this program is its sheer consistency.” Wyvern waits until the final images of the Wyvern doll conversation have flickered across the screen, so that the thoughts projected there so longer pertain to the episode being reviewed. He twists his snout in a discontent manner and drags his tail stinger along the carpet. “Which is why it painsss me to announce that the Almost Report will no longer be a weekly program… Sssorry folksss! Insufficient funds have cut our advertising budget, resssulting in sssponsorship fall-outs and a complete reworking of our marketing overhead pre-budget semi-Almost Dragonic Brand balancing system. While it’s uncertain whether the show will be canceled altogether or re-scheduled, the non-aquatic soap favorite ‘Dawgrim’s Reek’ will continue to air for at least one ssseason in varying time slotsss, in order to avoid goblin rioting. To the longstanding Almost Report fans - all evil things must come to an end, but fear not…” Wyvern’s saddened expression suddenly perks up as he pulls out an extremely cheap looking flip book with doodles sketched in it, extending it for the cameras to see. “With these Almost Dragonic Brand Almost Report Re-Run Flipbooks™, you can relive all of your favorite Almost Report momentsss in marvelous 2D stick figure animation! Just call 1-900-EXPLOITIMA-“ *static*

The other night, I went and saw the “Kill the Radio” tour starring Xololanxinxo, Neila, Avatar, and a gang of opening acts from the bay area at El Rinco in San Francisco. I had never been to El Rinco before and it seemed like a nice enough small-scale venue, though the show unfortunately suffered a bit from sound difficulties and the poor scheduling of acts. It also felt a bit odd being one of the very few people in attendance who wasn’t a friend or family member of the acts performing, though it was also sort of special given the intimacy of it all. First of all, a summary of the opening acts, who were not bad but who each performed far longer than was merited. A group called Brothers Amos were the first to take the stage, and performed a set of laid back traditional jazzy hip hop that had a few stand out tracks but was mostly pretty boring and formulaic. Thank You Julius stepped things up a bit after them with a set of live funk and some latin hip hop grooves, with a singer and live band backing them up and bringing some good instrumentation to the table. Their set was quite engaging, but at least twenty minutes too long as they must have played for at least an hour. Nomadic Souls performed after them and had a mixed set, as two of the group's MCs were totally lackluster while the third and final MC was surprisingly excellent, with a ton of passion in his voice and some serious rapid-fire rapping skills. Maleko of LA2theBay also showed up to make a guest appearance for a verse on one of their songs, which was a welcome surprise since he was the first rapper in the opening line-up that I’d actually heard of and respected. The verse that he kicked during this set was nothing particularly special though. By the time all of these opening acts had finished performing, it was probably close to 1 in the morning, which cut some of the headlining acts’ sets short. Neila was the first of the central acts to perform, and was one of the reasons I decided to come out to the show. She’s been making moves in the stylistic LA underground scene for a while now, and has a monotone style that takes a few listens to get into but is ultimately rewarding. The tracks she performed were quite catchy and it was interesting to see her do her thing live, though her set was limited to only about 6 songs. Frustrating, since she was one of the more interesting acts to take the stage. Avatar came on next, and I wasn’t that familiar with his work, though I’d seen his production credits on rapper’s tracks here and there. Unfortunately, while Avatar’s beats were pretty well-crafted, his rapping was painfully off-beat at times and didn’t really hold my attention over the course of his set. He kicked things off with a track that sampled “Die Without Honor or Humility” off of “Kill Bill,” which should have been hype and got the tiny crowd moving... but a combination of sound difficulties and his rather poor MCing caused the track to lose its umph. His set was also longer than Neila’s for some reason, though it may have just been that it dragged. Xololanxinxo (pronounced Cholo-lan-seenko) was the final headlining act of the evening, and another reason I chose to go and see the show. He’s another stalwart of the LA underground who’s been putting in work for years, though he’s mostly known as one half of the group Of Mexican Descent and he doesn’t have a huge following as a solo artist. I consider him somewhat overlooked as an MC, as he has a wide variety of interesting styles and is known for freestyling from the perspectives of different characters he invents on the spot. His set was fairly good despite the rather poor sound equipment. He started things off with some very soft almost spoken word-ish verses over reggae-style beats, then moved into some more angered and energetic territory. His set ended with a freestyle session involving all of the show's artists trading verses, traditional LA cypher style. All in all, I would say that this show was slightly below average due to the poor scheduling of the acts, which didn’t allow the main people I wanted to see to go on for as long as I would have liked… Still, it was cool to meet a few of the artists I admire, and I got to pick up Neila’s brand new record there as well.

A sign that reads “Magic Testing in Progress, Please Stand By” flashes over the screen before the cameras fade in to a shot of Wyvern sitting on some sort of strange copper platform, which is shaped like a fluffy cloud or thought bubble with none of the associated comfort. The overgrown lizard brushes a few cookie crumbs from his spotted pajama pants and shirt, then adjusts the copper wreath of leaves held tightly in place around his horns and signals to a troglyodyte off-stage. A spark of blue magical current flickers through the air as Wyvern turns his eyes towards the cameras, a slightly sleepy grin spreading over his snout. “Greetingsss, and welcome to the Almost Report.” Wyvern spreads his arms as the cameras pan out a bit, revealing troubled sleep’s quarters minus their regular décor. The pennite’s abode is completely covered in white protective pillows and padded furniture veils for the experiments in progress… mercifully so, given the almost dragonic reporter’s tendency to break things. “For thisss episode, we’ve chosen to test out a new magical artifact still in its experimental stages, to bring you the very first details of its functionality. That, and to document just how much geld a group of desperate magi will pay you to test their enchantments, *ahem!*” As if on cue, the copper wreath circling Wyvern’s horns begins radiating a dim purple color, causing the lizard to pause and go still for a moment. The reptilian reporter shuts his eyes and slowly spreads his wings through the open back flaps of his night shirt, and as he does so mountains of shiny coins begins materializing around him. It’s quickly apparent that the stacks of geld are mere illusions as his tail passes through them effortlessly, but the sheer range of currencies is never the less impressive. Traditional geld, goblin booty, fairly platinum dust, and even Kender birthday coins suddenly litter the area in equal measures, their tall stacks causing Wyvern’s eyes to widen into a fully alert state. “Wow…” Wyvern pokes at the illusionary currencies, looking slightly disappointed when his greedy claws pass right through the staggering wealth on display. He pauses to glance down at a lacy pink double D bra illusion that materializes at his feet, licking his lips at the directions that his thoughts might be taking the artifact. “Looksss like this Fantasiara Headpiece is workin’ jussst like those long beards sssaid it would… words associated in dreams, channeled into illusionsss. And alluring illusions, at that!” Wyvern grins and begins wandering through the room, flapping his wings behind him a bit as more and more suggestive objects begins materializing in their illusionary state. The overgrown lizard passes by a long list of Pen gals labeled “Almost Dragonic Brand Budget Harem™” and passes through an increasingly large number of articles of women’s clothing on the floor as he approaches a tall door of troubled sleep’s quarters. In the illusionary image projected by the artifact, the door has the words “Open me for a good time” smeared across it in red lipstick. “Almossst makes ya wonder what sorta images this Fantasiara thing would produce through the eyes of another, doesn’t it?” Wyvern grins at the cameras and lifts one claw to the door, anticipation over upcoming images written in his grin. “I sssuppose we’ll just have to settle for these for now.” Wyvern winks at the cameras as he pushes the door open, and turns his head to view its contents only to suddenly let out a scream of horror and topple backwards with a leap. The cameras catch a very brief glimpse of what appears to be Melba in black leather before a series of red “Nightmare” alarms begins flashing across the ceiling, sending the enchanters responsible for the artifact racing into the room. The sound of a whip cracking down can be heard as the cameras topple over, ending the report just when things start to get really interesting.

The other day, I went and saw Sacha Baron Cohen's latest film "Bruno," and I must say that as a fan of Cohen's work I found it disappointing overall. The film has a few hilarious scenes, but for the most part it's pretty formulaic ground being tread and I occasionally even felt that the humor was in bad taste. I guess it's only natural that we know what to expect from Cohen's films at this point, but everything just felt a little too familiar to me to really be interesting and it wasn't very memorable for that reason. Granted, Cohen has still got a larger pair of balls than the majority of comedians working today, and some of the stunts that he pulls off in this are just as dangerous and outrageous as you'd expect... but at the same time, more of this film felt scripted than his other works, which is inevitable given his rising popularity but which also causes the humor to lose some of its magic. A shame, because the highlights of this movie are still comedic gold. Anyway, I wouldn't call it a terrible movie, but it's not a great movie either... I don't even know if I'd be willing to call it a very good movie. Nowhere near as good as "Borat" and not even close to touching "Da Ali G Show." It'll be interesting to see where Cohen goes from here, now that he's exhausted his base of characters... perhaps he'll turn to more conventional acting, though it'll be a shame to no longer experience his particular brand of humor!

Wyvern's face twitches as the private massage oil dribbles down his outfit and scales, his eyes clearly focused on the room's demonic center of attention while his dangling tongue and pants (and pants) speak volumes. The overgrown lizard tilts his head in the hopes of spotting a better angle of Signe's outfit and all that it encompasses, then clears his throat and turns in the direction of Carrotstick with a competitive sneer. He coils his wings around himself to spread the oil better over his body, overlapping them as best as he can to imitate chest muscles and flexing his arms around them in an ample display of almost dragonic machismo. Wyvern's eyes dart back to Signe and the handmaidens ever so often as he speaks, evoking little pauses and slurs in his speech. "So uhh, Ssstick... I'm not so sure if there's a civil way to settle this wrestling match, but I'll offer ya a deal." Wyvern spreads his wings out and arches them back, his previous shirt now hanging over one of them as his oil slick crimson scales gleam in the spotlights. "You know those bootleg Almost Dragonic Brand Mr. Bunni products you were trying to confissscate from me all those years? Well... you can HAVE'EM!" Wyvern reaches into his belt and pulls out an Almost Dragonic Brand Bootleg Mr. Bunni Stuffed Carrot™, tossing it at Mr. Bunny and charging forward with a shaky almost dragonic battle hiss. The reptilian wrestler immediately begins slipping over the massage oil surrounding his feet as the bootleg stuffed carrot bounces harmlessly off of Mr. Bunny's ears, proving to be little distraction for Stick as he winds up the Big Pointy Mallet for another swing. Wyvern lets out a high-pitched yelp as he stumbles forward over the oil, his tail stinger accidentally hooking itself onto Stick's shoe as he flails his way into batting range. Stick promptly connects with a clobber of his mallet, only to send Wyvern spinning in circles around him, his tail raveling further and further around Stick's leg and bringing the overgrown lizard closer and closer to him. A few high-pitched whistles ring from the crowds as Wyvern's tail finally runs its length, sending the scaled dynamo into a head-on collision with Stick and nailing the two of them to the floor. Wyvern stuggles in full-on wrestling mode with Stick, wings batting behind him, his eyes spinning dizzily. "H-hey, no fair multiplying yourssself like that Ssstick!" Wyvern blinks over the dizzy images as his eyes slowly come back into focus, but not before the sight of Signe's derriere begins spinning around his head, momentarily distracting him from his wrestling grapples.

Wyvern steps into the Cabaret Room with a grin, a shiny red price tag dangling from his tail stinger and dragging along the floor as he walks. The overgrown lizard grins and blows hisses to his many adoring fans in attendance, soaking up any tiny amount of attention he can muster. He moves in and marks his name deliberately close to Signe's on Snypiuer's sign-up sheet, his "W" overlapping with her "e," before adding as an addendum: "800 geld per story" ;-) OOC: And yes, my character is always available for use.

A circular timer with a “stand by” screen as a backdrop beeps its way through the 687 seconds displayed at its center, its cycles spinning at an extra sluggish pace sure to piss off even the most patient of viewers. Once the timer has run out and several more minutes have passed, the words “Almost Dragonic Brand Emergency Broadcast Extortion System™” begin flashing across the screen with more than a few subliminal advertisements snuck in-between. The visuals eventually cut to a view of a messy room flooded with stacks of paper similar to the Recruiter’s Office, though the layers of dust and cobwebs rival even the oldest of unattended Pen applications. The news cameras pass by several well placed stacks of papers resembling a desk and several taller stacks resembling a wardrobe before reaching a smaller stack similar to a stool, where Wyvern sits with a manila folder in claw. The overgrown lizard creases the folder shut and adjusts the hypnotic swirl tie over his infomercial suit, the bright blues of the fabric contrasting sharply with his crimson scales. Wyvern nods and stares towards the cameras with a steely look of determination, then lifts himself to his feet only to fall backwards as the papers supporting him tumble into a shapeless mass behind him. The cameras move in to stare down at Wyvern, only to find the reptilian reporter grinning in an effort to maintain his almost dragonic “dignity.” “Errr… We interrupt your regularly ssscheduled programs for a ssspecial message from the Almost Report.” Wyvern spreads his arms and wings, stretching the collar of his suit and creating little angel shapes in the floor papers that surround him. Or were they devil shapes? “Reporting to you from Archive bot’s quarters, in an effort to dig through the archives for a proper view of an Almost Dragonic Brand World.™ Let’sss take a look-see, shall we?” Wyvern shifts up to his feet with some effort and grins, holding his manila folder up high so that all the viewers can see. His tail flicks left and right, piercing and potentially damaging old archived Pen works with his stinger. “Now I’m ssssure you’ve heard rumorsss of the world being saved, or the world coming to an end, but the contentsss of this folder will prove these theoriesss false.” Wyvern thwaps the folder with a claw and grins. “So in case watching the local succubus (or watching people wrestle over the local succubus) didn’t rid your thoughtsss of false notionsss, this document is certain to turn your world view in an almost dragonic direction.” Wyvern grins and holds the folder up higher still, marveling at its shape and grinning over the masses of easily influenced viewers that its contents are bound to brainwash. The overgrown lizard cackles with a single beat of his wings, churning a small flurry of dust and papers behind him as his eyes stay locked on the folder. “And now, without further ado, I presssent to you evidence that an Almost Dragonic Brand World™ is the only view worth profiting off of.” Wyvern licks his lips as a drum roll cues up in the background, slowly opening the folder with the edge of one of his claws. “The end-all schemer’s philosophy, the undisputed truth about gelding… Behold!” Wyvern opens the folder, only to have his jaw drop as a gust of wind blows the single sheet of paper inside it into the air. The reptilian Elder lunges for the document but slips on a sheet of paper detailing the ways that the world has been saved, stumbling forward and crash-landing. The vital document is lost within the storm of papers that follow Wyvern’s flailing limbs, and the cameras go white with old Pen works before refocusing on the fallen almost dragon. “Ugh.” Wyvern squirms about until he manages to sit up, and immediately begins digging for his document in what’s obviously a lost cause. “We were gonna wish both Nyyark and Kokuryuu a happy belated as well… perhapsss we could invite’em over to feather dust, or burn the place down if necessssary?” The news cameras turn their lenses to the floor in disapproval.

Wyvern rushes into the Cabaret Room with a harried expression on his snout that hints at his devilish concern, his tail followed swiftly by a gang of news rats carrying mouse traps with mics attached to the ends of them as bait. The almost dragonic Elder pauses at the center of the room and raises his claws to quiet the squeaky news rat chatter, then glances around at the gathered pennites and hisses: “Now now folksss, let’sss not be too hasssty here.” Wyvern observes Gwaihir and Peredhil to make sure that they're occupied with their warm greetings, then flashes several claw signals in the air and motions with the tip of his tail twice towards Stale. “After all, we all know that the world will never truly be saved until it's been taken over by Almost Dragonic Inc. Any other form of salvation is a mere imitation of Almost Dragonic Brand Second-Hand Seller's Salvation™, possibly marked down in priccce due to the inferior quality of the product.” Following Wyvern's signals, four troglyodytes wearing dark suites and shades step out of the crowds to surround Stale, two standing in front of him and two guarding his rear. The troglyodytes are each at least a foot shorter than Stale in height, with their pointy sticks barely even high enough to reach the pennite's neck. "Ssso please, don't believe any peon rumorsss you may have heard." Wyvern glances over at the surrounded Stale with a sinister look in his eyes, lifting one rotten cookie to his mouth and snapping a bite out of it before the taste dispels any aura of cool the lizard might have had. "Aherm, urgh... Jussst remember: a profitable world is an Almost Dragonic Brand World™, all geld savingsss aside." OOC: Welcome back, Stale. ;-)

Wyvern slowly cranes his head up from the small puddle of drool it was resting in, his tongue still hanging loose as his eyes widen over the sight of a shapely fish-netted leg resting right in front of his nose. The overgrown lizard lets out a dry squeak of breath as one of Signe's boots shifts slightly over his horns, the light sound of her groan causing his mind to race over whether it's reflexive or done intentionally. With the angle between the boot on Wyvern's horns and the leg next to his face becoming more and more apparent, the lizard's eyes begin trailing up the generous display of flesh and fishnet stocking, his breathing growing slightly heavier with each passing inch. He eventually turns his head a bit to follow the sight further, only have the tip of a red succubus tail slap gently against his face, moving instinctively across his cheek and trailing leisurely over his eyes. The tail eventually slides off the other end of his face, giving the gibbering almost dragon a much clearer view of Signe than even he could have hoped for. "... medic." Wyvern barely manages to croak the word through his open jaw as Signe's tail swings back in the opposite direction, gently landing on the other of his face and sliding across his upper lip. Whether the medic requested was for Signe or Wyvern's recovery is really any pennite's guess... ;-)

The news cameras slowly fade in to a circular red carpeted area of the Cabaret Room, complete with two pillow-laden chairs surrounding a crystal ball elevated on a copper counter. A reflecting lens is set up adjacent to the crystal ball’s glow, projecting its dull purple hue onto a wide screen set up on a wall behind the broadcasting area’s seats. Miniature spotlights begin passing over the ceiling courteousy of two crouching troglyodytes holding flashlights, and a peppy kazoo medley cues up in the background as Wyvern steps onto the scene wearing a cardigan sweater and a dark brown French barret. The overgrown lizard seats his himself in one of the seats as an applause track of three troglyodytes manually applauding cues up in the background. He sets his mug of Bruteweiser-spiked caffeine on a little table that extends from the side of his chair, then turns to the cameras with a grin. “Greetingssss, and welcome to Almost a Review – your one-ssstop program for almost dragonic reviews of all the hottessst Pen shows and events.” Wyvern leans an elbow back against the arm of his chair and raises a claw to his chin, staring off-screen with a nonchalant critic’s demeanor. “Sssince a review of Signe’s recordings was deemed inappropriate for public broadcasting, we’ve decided instead to review the finessst show available to the Mighty Pen. The Almost Report, of courssse!” Wyvern snaps a claw over the crystal ball, which flashes speedily through a series of random images before reaching an image of Wyvern setting aside a large tome and lifting himself from a seat, revealing an exaggerated polar bear fur coat. The crystal ball begins playing through the episode without sound, its images broadcasted across the screen in the background. “The Almost Report, episssode 122.” Wyvern stares into the crystal ball, and nods with a serious expression on his face. “As you can clearly sssee, the superior quality of this show becomes apparent right from the beginning, when that handsome hunk of a lizard Wyvern begins ssstrutting around in his elegant furs. Clearly, his very presence is reason enough to induct this program into the Sexy Reporter Hall of Fame, which makes this a must-watch for all the eager Pen gals out there.” Wyvern reaches over to his mug of liquid indulgence and takes a sip, watching the crystal ball play through the moment in the episode where Wyvern observes the stuffed Werewolf in the study. He leans back in his seat and raises a claw, nodding in a studious manner. “Here, we can see the brilliant set design that’s put into each episssode of the ssseries, proving once again that illegally breaking into the quarters of different pennites and stealing their styles pays off.” Wyvern grins as more of lumpenproletariat’s private lodgings from the episode are shown on the crystal ball. “This episssode is short on plot and heavy on propaganda, as any good almost dragonic show should be, and revolves around getting pennites to vote for a political party that will inevitably save the world… or at leassst last all-night long! The show delivers an affirmative message to hardcore party pennites everywhere, raisssing the bar and saving the leftover booze from it as well.” Wyvern raises his mug with a wink and takes a long sip to emphasize his point about booze, then tosses it to the side as he watches the scene of Wyvern looking through the portraits of pennites lined up on one of lumpenproletariat’s walls. “Of courssse, no great show would be complete without a random celebrity guessst appearance, and episode 122 proves to be no exception to that rule.” Wyvern pauses as the crystal ball broadcasts a picture of the picture of a picture of Zool, raising a brow at the thought of this picture being broadcast to pennites and scratching his barret over the matter. “Take thisss exceptional cameo by, errrr, well, sssome sorta slight variation of the Portrait of Zool. The famed Portrait happens to have recently celebrated his birthday, so we’d like to take this opportunity to wish him a happy belated and to broadcast him in the highest grade of technicolor! Here’s hoping you had a good one, Zool.” Wyvern taps his claws over the armrests of his seat, his restless tail stinger pulling at the circular carpet beneath him. The reptilian reviewer shifts forward and turns his head to the other chair, maintaining his serious critic demeanor. “So, what did you think of it?” The cameras turn to the seat that Wyvern’s staring at, only to reveal a tattered Wyvern doll seated in it. The doll remains silent, inanimate object that it is. “Well…” Wyvern turns back to the cameras with a wink. “I think that the episode was so good that it’s rendered him speechless. Jussst send in geld donations if you agree.”

Wyvern steps into the Cabaret Room with a calm expression on his face that betrays his devilish glee, his tail followed swiftly by a gang of news rats carrying fishing rods with mics attached to the ends of them. The almost dragonic Elder pauses at the center of the room and raises his claws to quiet the squeaky news rat chatter, then glances around at the gathered pennites and hisses: “Now now folksss, let’sss not get carried away here.” Wyvern steps between Appy and Big Pointy One, putting his arms around their shoulders in a suspiciously friendly manner and glancing at each of them in turn with a grin. “After all, jussst because Almost Dragonic Inc. is plotting world domination does not mean that the end of the world is nigh… I’m not really sssure how that rumor got started!” Wyvern clears his throat and winks at the pennites at his side, then moves through the little crowd of news rats with a series of “no comment” statements until he reaches Snypiuer. The overgrown lizard pats the demi-God on the shoulder and raises his other claw to the news rat cameras with a grin, reveling in the flashing lights for a moment. “No, an Almost Dragonic Brand World™ will be a happy and profitable place … you have my Almost Dragonic Brand Second Hand Word of Someone Else’s Honor™! (that’ll be 50 geld).” Wyvern quickly reaches into his tunic and pulls out a little gold badge etched with a picture of a brain with lightning bolts falling from it. He slaps it onto the front of Snypiuer’s shirt without warning, grinning at the cameras. “Jussst to reassure the masses in light of recent rumors, we’d like to note that in an Almost Dragonic Brand World,™ Snypiuer would be promoted to Secretary of States of Mind. That’sss right, a demi-God would be amidst the leading cabinet, wielding his authority to convince people to worship Almost Dragonic Brand Products. And seeing how good he is at conveying his own insanity, you can only imagine how great he’ll be at manipulating the insanities of others!” Wyvern nudges Snypiuer with an elbow in the hopes that he’ll grin and wave, then flashes another wide grin to the news rats. “But in cassse you still don’t believe that an Almost Dragonic Brand World™ will be a happy place, jussst ask Nickoli here.” Wyvern gestures towards the pennite in question, causing the news rats to turn in mass. “He alwaysss has something bright to say about it!” ;-)

The news cameras slowly fade in to a painted picture of Wyvern posing against a crimson backdrop, his claw raised to an Almost Dragonic Brand Promotional Propaganda Pamphlet™ while his beady eyes stare off into the distance… possibly staring at Signe. A crackling recording of the Red party’s rendition of “Ding-Dong, Wiggly-Wong, Polling Song” cues up in the background on an old phonograph, with the static ushering the words “Almost Report” across the screen in a distinctly Russian font. The cameras pan out from the painting a bit to reveal the dusty study of lumpenproletariat’s quarters, its aged architecture dotted with long-forgotten empty booze bottles and radical radio playlists. Wyvern lifts his head up from a giant tome labeled “1001 Ways to Please a Succubus, in Detail” and slowly nudges it shut, adjusting it over his lap for a moment to avoid any broadcasting embarrassments. He fidgets in his position on a stool modeled after a statue of a thinking man, then grins and slowly spreads his arms to the cameras. “Comradessss, so glad you could join. Welcome to Almost Dragonic Brand Promotional Propaganda Moving Picture.™ I am Wyvern, leader of the Red party.” Wyvern moves the book to the side to flaunt his polar bear furs, penguin loafers, and otter tooth arm bands. His tail swings across the floor in the background, waving the geld piece insignia flag attached to its stinger with pride. “This is a video for those who have yet to join and support the cause of the Red party at the Conservatory voting booth. We think it will convince the semi-believers, the non-believers and, yes, perhaps even the party poopersss. So pleassse, join me as we explore the most exciting political platform on offer since 'Queen of the Collective Universes.'” Wyvern lifts himself to his feet, his excessive furs shaking uncomfortably while the beaks of his penguin loafers squeak along the study floor. He pauses at a mounted stuffed werewolf, and crosses his claws behind his back as he stares up at it thoughtfully. “It should firssst be noted that the Red party knows no bounds of age, class, gender, race or creed. Only geld.” Wyvern’s tail flicks up for a moment to accentuate his statement with its geld flag. “Even the inmates of Lupine Asylum are welcome in the Red party, and will get their equal treatment for their equal sum of geld. It is bound to be an insssane party, after all.” Wyvern sticks his snout up and continues holding his claws behind his back as he wanders past the stuffed werewolf, examining the ceiling until he reaches a wall loaded with an odd selection of Pen portraits. The portraits are painted in a manner that makes the pennites in question appear as though they originated as 17th century aristocrats, with excessive curly wigs of grey hair and white ruffled tunic collars framing the otherwise normal pennite faces. “The politics of the Red party have originated from only the finest of pennite role models.” Wyvern points at paintings of a high elf holding an ornamental katana, a wolf with a lofty wig of hair, and a man with a sideways hourglass painted as a mustache. “Gyrfalcon for proving that geld flows forth when heroic deeds are accomplished. Canid for viewing geld as one of nature’s many resources. Xaious for showing that geld transsscends time. A very happy belated birthday to the three of you! Your memoriesss live on here at the Pen.” Wyvern pauses to scratch his head over a portrait of the Portrait of Zool placed in a medieval frame within a medieval frame, then makes his way back over to the statue he was sitting on and scoops the succubus tome back up in his arms. “Sssso vote for the Red party today.” Wyvern flips through the pages of the book in the hopes of locating a section for succubus party games, lifting his snout to wink at the cameras briefly. “Tanuchan’sss place, after the voting is over… though only if we win, of course!”

Nice poem, Face. :-) While reading it, I could almost envision the dead souls chanting "Along the Rio Grande" as they waded into the river, and I thought the repetition of that line worked well in conveying a tone and feeling of being hopelessly trapped. Out of the imagery of the poem, my personal favorite part was the bit when the narrator notices the others "rise from the current" with their "empty eyes and translucent faces," which made me think of the masses exiting a subway station on their way to work for some reason. I also liked the bone comparison in the second major stanza, and thought it was a cool way of depicting the Grim Reaper's duty. Thanks for sharing this here, Face. :-)

"I sssee..." Wyvern strokes his chin as he reads over the cease and desist order, the catapult cocked back and ready to fire but waiting for his final signal. The almost dragonic Red party leader strokes his chin and nods over the various clauses and terms of the lawsuit, then adjusts his polar bear fur hat and folds the sheet in half. He admires the folded sheet before creasing it again diagonally, and he folds it several more times until its been transformed into a neat little Red Party paper airplane. Wyvern scribbles a quick geld insignia on the airplane's side and tosses it into the air, cocking his head back with a triumphant laugh until the plane turns and crash-lands on his horns a few seconds later. He clears his throat and turns to the legal otters with an awkward grin. "*Ahem* Forgive me, my good otters, but the Red party system does not follow your conventional sssystems of law. But worry not, for there is hope for you and your kind. Vote for my party, and your roads will be paved in dam wood. Dam wood stolen from your dams... but dam wood never the less!" Wyvern grins over the confused faces of the otters and wastes no more time, raising his tail flag in the air and waving it in a swift "Fire the Propaganda!" motion. The catapult promptly fires its giant ball of pamphlets off in the direction of Curiousity while the surrounding pennites watch dumbfounded, scratching their heads over the spectacle. The pamphlet sack gains velocity as it soars through the air, narrowly missing the Naked Angel and its ferret target mid-air as it comes plummeting down towards an unknown destination. The surrounding spectators let out a collective gasp as the ball crashes down upon the polling booth's ballot box with a sickening *CRUNCH*, sending votes flying through the air like political party confetti. The booth workers stare in horror for a moment, then go nuts as they scramble to recover as many ballots as possible. "Errrr..." Wyvern winces over the results of his missed shot, then considers for a moment before grinning and hissing through his loudspeaker. "Well! As you can clearly see, there is no question that the Red Party is one of the most popular and influential in recent memory. The ballots are simply overflowing with propaganda! Pleassse vote for the Red party today; your liver will hate you for it, but that'll be the last thing on your mind with the Wizard Academy of Plane-Iota-Psi-Nine buying you free drinksss. In summary: vote for me, vote for me, vote for me!" Wyvern blows kisses to the masses from his platform while his troglyodyte followers pass through the crowds, carrying sign-up sheets and hassling bystanders to abandon the polling booths in favor of the "Radical Red."

Cool poem, Celtios. :-) What's interesting is that it didn't strike me as a particularly cheerful piece due to the ending, where all of the narrator's love is still hidden inside for him to struggle with. Still, the way that the narrator's heart reacts to seeing his love is certainly upbeat and happy, and just experiencing happiness by being around someone you love is an easy thing to relate to. In terms of possible things to improve, I felt that the bit about turning "to mush" in the last stanza was a bit more sentimental and Hallmark-y than the rest of the poem, and thought that it felt like a bit of a forced support of the rhyme scheme. Perhaps you could change that line and base it around a different rhyme like "rush" or "crush" to make it feel more in line with the other stanzas? Or you could re-format that stanza to touch more upon the longing present in it... Just a few possible options that come to mind. Thanks for sharing this here, Celios. :-) Welcome to the Pen! *Offers a sampler of Almost Dragonic Brand Booze-Flavored Mega Mush™ for only 5 geld a piece*