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Gamma Leaves Home (Part II) Gamma woke up to Elora poking him in the side. “We’re here!” she smiled at him in the dark. Before him sat several tents and huts made of tarpaulin or canvas, a few camper trailers or RVs surrounding the makeshift camp. Several trucks and jeeps were resting quietly, a few people watching them from the cabs. The three of them jumped out of N’athir’s truck, Gamma staring all around him at the various fires that w

An early piece detailing Gamma's departure from the Tribe of the Malmoken.

Gamma breathed deeply, blue-metal eyes closed as the breeze played in his silver-flecked hair. His skin, already dark, was tanned from working the gardens of the Malmoken, hours of sunlight echoed by his skin’s melanin. Steel blue eyes opened to gaze at the pond one last time. Just yesterday he had stood on the banks and cast lines with his tribe-brother, Joe. They had discussed Gamma’s Exodus, his leaving that was scheduled for his sixteenth year. He had planned to leave after

In facing our shadows we find whence comes our strength. In accepting our past we can accept our present.

Gamma Recovers His Staff By Trenton Pennington An old, dusty-blue pickup truck travelled down the road while the sun set in the West. In the driver’s seat a woman with long black hair watched the potholes, turning the wheel whenever a large hole threatened to eat the truck. Sitting beside her was a man with shaggy brown hair, his metal-flecked blue eyes gazing through the world around him. “We can make another staff, Gamma,” the woman broke the silence, her

In leaving a sick system we must seek freedom. Freedom, to be gained, must have a sacrifice. You must cut it from the world and run off into the night with it.

Cutting It Out “You’re not going to like it.” Engedi’s green eyes looked to the blonde-sand eyes of Gamma, calm, steady. He had decided to have the RFID tag removed from behind his ear to be sure the Municipality couldn’t track him, and the Outlaw Gamma was the only person he knew who could cut it out. The two of them were sitting in Gamma’s truck on a moon-lit dune a few miles outside of the City. Engedi had tracked him down earlier

The Coliseum, a place where the bloodlust of the masses is sated by the death of those whose fates are decided by others. What happens when freedom and slavery clash? Who walks away?

Coliseum Sechariah looked to the brand that scarred his upper arm, the seal of the House of Crombie a fierce reminder of who owned him. Running his hand over the thick, tough lines, he thought about the combat he was forced to do, the fighting he had fought for years now in the Coliseum. Taken as a slave during a raid on his tribe when he was still a boy, Sechariah had come to be trained in the martial arts so that he might duel for his master’s h

Lol of course you would! We Librans agree just so we don't make a scene! Haha I'd say this was superficial, but spot on. An interesting diversion. If you want to know more, you should check out www.cafeastrology.com . They have a free natal chart program that goes really in depth about your astrological profile. Definitely a great way to waste time lol

Hey there, fellow gamers! I just recently started playing FF6 and am at the point where Terra turns into some weird thing and flies off after speaking to an Esper. I'm really enjoying the storyline so far, and being able to return to 2D graphics is an interesting distraction from writing. So, to all the gamers out there who have played Final Fantasy VI, what is your opinion about the game, and is it one that you would recommend?

It seems that some parents want video games to perform the same role for which they employ television shows: to baby sit their kids rather than actually human-ing and being a parent. I am glad that EA is essentially telling parents to eff off. It's time that people put asshats in their place. Besides... You don't have a problem with the thought of contaminating young minds with images of guns, blood, and death fights, but the moment that two dudes establish any emotional connection with each other it's the end of the world? Small wonder little timmy ends up being a douchebag who beats women and prowls craigslist for DL hookups... Just saying.

I always understood "magic" along the lines of subconscious projections and associations, etc. Were you being ironic/sardonic in your post?

I want to move out of the USA, but I have no idea where to go. It seems like everyplace has pros and cons, and I haven't really stopped to seriously consider the details (I should probably do that...). I have considered the UK, Spain, and Australia, but it's difficult to really decide. The whole pros/cons thing again, and I honestly don't know what I would want in a new country. Reading everyone's comments makes me realize... I should think this through more thoroughly lol

This question makes me think of the idea of "attachment to illusions" in some Eastern philosophies. Basically, when you set an expectation, the mind becomes "attached" to that idea and wants reality to conform to the idea. Sadly (in my case at least), reality rarely is what I want it to be. Thankfully, it's often much better than I could have imagined. Because of this, I think that having ANY expectation is a bad thing, regardless of how high or low it is. However... It is human to have ideals and expectations. It is the path of wisdom that allows us the opportunities to accept the world for what it is and let go of our expectations. Once we make peace with reality, moving through it becomes much easier.