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FB: No battles tonight

LarlarLarlar consecutive normal brunchesModerator, ClubPA Mod Emeritus
edited March 2007 in Social Entropy++
Both Aneurhythmia and Knob failed to submit anything. Feel free to wait for them to go home, then jump out from behind a bush and pee in their hair.

Here are the entries that actually appeared:

Monkeybomb

Butler
This battle is spoilered for your convenience.
Tycho posted the following story on the front page of Penny Arcade early this morning. However, it was taken down almost immediately after at my request. Upon my shoulders rest certain responsibilities that are vital to the proper functioning of the Universe at large, responsibilities that this tale only hints at. The overwhelming publicity that such broad exposure would bring would the proper fulfillment of my duties extremely difficult.

However, as we all know, only a tiny fraction of the people who come to this website visit the forums; and I am not above taking a more reasonable risk in posting it here if it means winning a Forum Battle. With that, I give you...

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE FUNKY KIND

A True Story by Tycho Brahe


This morning, I took Elliot on a walk through the Washington Park Arboretum. Brenna had had her hands pretty full with him lately and needed some time to herself; So, I had acquiesced to take him out for the day, and she had gone off to a salon to get expensive things done to her cuticles.

Of the arboretum there is not much to be said, other than that it was a pleasant day for an outing and, well, we sure did see a lot of trees. Elliot seemed to enjoy the whole experience immensely, jiggling enthusiastically in the stroller, filled with the sublime joy brought to him by all sensory stimuli other than diaper rash. Oh, Father dear, he seemed to say as we rounded each curve in the path, look! Stuff!

At around 11:00am, we started to make our way out of the park. Elliot began to make his “jonesing for formula” noises, so I paused by a bench to oblige him. I sat down, reached into the pouch on the back of the stroller, pulled out his bottle, and offered it to a pair of greedily clutching hands that were no longer there.

Elliot had vanished.

Staring into the abruptly empty seat, I froze for exactly one second. How to convey the feeling to those of you who are not parents? Try this: think of the last time you realised you had lost something very important to you, say your wallet. Now imagine how it would feel if you had lost, simultaneously, the wallets of every person who has ever lived ever, and they all knew it was your fault and were armed with shuriken, except for your wife who had poison laced shuriken. You’ll still be several orders of magnitude short of the real thing, but you can perhaps understand my compulsion in that moment to melt into a pool of Lovecraftian dread.

Then I heard a very familiar gurgle – but this noise only prompted the strangling horror I had felt to take a firmer grip.

The sound had come from directly above my head.

Time slowed to standstill. Birds halted in mid flight. I looked up…

A nightmare in the shape of a man floated in the air, three or four feet above my head. Two baleful pink orbs glistened mockery at me from within the writhing mass of dark shapes that formed its body. The thing was pure living hell – just looking at it nearly wrenched my eyes from their sockets.

Despite the agony it caused me, I forced myself to stare at it one second longer, one second longer, until finally I caught a glimpse of a leg in a blue jumpsuit. As if feeling my gaze upon him, Elliot’s voice cried out then, and in rhythm with his bleatings a name suddenly slid against my eardrums like a gob of welling pus: Aneurhythmia. Aneurhythmia. Aneurhythmia.

“Give me back my son, you dick-shitting fuck goblin!” I tried to climb up on the bench and leap up to grab him, but he slid out of my hands like greased soap. I fell heavily to the earth, winding myself badly. The thing that had Elliot – Aneurhythmia – floated down to hover just slightly above the ground in front of me.

“Jeremy,” it slithered. The very sound of its voice made my stomach heave. “I do not want this creature.” It held Elliot out by his legs at the end of an arm seemingly made of bats and boiling tar. “But you do. And you have something I do want.”

It loomed closer. “Your lexicon. All those pretty pretty little words that you stuff into your fat melon head. Your wit, humour and eloquence. Give them to me and this pathetic maggot lives.”

I tried to stand but found my legs paralysed. Tears of rage blurred my vision. “Fine. Take them. Just spare his life.”

The pink orbs in its head glowed bright with glee as its other arm reached out towards me. The world began to grow dark, like the moon was falling. I felt my mind stretching, stretching, stretching towards its breaking point as a part of it was ripped out of me. I clutched at memories – Elliot’s laugh, Brenna’s hand on my arm, Mike hunched over a tablet at 2:00am. I held them close to me and hung on tight.

“That won’t be necessary.”

A man’s voice came from behind me. Aneurhythmia withdrew its hand and I slumped to the ground, shuddering uncontrollably. I remained conscious, however.

“Butler,” snarled Aneurhythmia. “You fool. You can’t stop me. Against my power you are but a gnat in a hurricane.”

I could only just lift my head. I turned it to watch the newcomer as he came towards us. He was a tall, handsome man in a smart lemon yellow suit and black patent leather shoes. His head was unusually high-domed and completely bald save for a luxurious moustache. His entire appearance was one of ageless style. He stopped about two feet from my left shoulder and smiled placidly at Aneurhythmia.

“Now, now, Annie,” he chided, wagging an index finger. “You should know by now that it isn’t my power you need concern yourself with.” He reached into his jacket and withdrew from an inner pocket what looked like a pale brown hen’s egg.

“For I am but a vessel for a far greater force.” He raised the egg above his head. Aneurhythmia seemed to recoil as the air seethed with a tremendous energy.

“I am a gateway into this dimension – a gateway to a universe of pure… FUNK!” He crushed the egg in his fist and the world exploded with light.

“AAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOWWWW!”

From out of nowhere, a drumbeat and a baseline started playing. The glare vanished as quickly as it had come.

“No!” shouted Aneurhythmia. “Impossible!”

Blinking, I looked up. Butler had vanished. In his place – and his suit – was…

“Holy fucking balls,” I whispered. “Michael Jackson!”

And it was. Michael Jackson, only black, and young, like he’d just stepped off the cover of “Off the Wall”. He looked down at me and smiled, revealing two rows of perfectly white teeth.

“Don’t worry,” he said gently. “Your son’s gonna be just fine. This won’t take long.” His gaze returned to Aneurhythmia, his smile growing wider. Holding his hands down by his sides, he started snapping his fingers in time with the mysterious beat. Suddenly an entire invisible band kicked into gear, and I realized I was listening to the opening bars of “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough.” Michael started to sing:

“This party’s over,
Ain’t no escapin’ now,
I’ll make you want to die
My groove will show you how”


Still clutching Elliot, Aneurhythmia sank until his feet touched the Earth. He moaned and took a step backwards as Michael advanced upon him.

“You ain’t got rhythm
And you sure ain’t got rhyme
I’m gonna kill you bitch – ohhh, kill you bitch,
Permanently this time”

“Give up
or I’m a fuck you up
Your face and balls are fresh outta luck”

“Give up
or I’m a fuck you up
Your face and balls are fresh outta luck”


Aneurhythmia sank to his knees. Acrid smoke rose from his shoulders and Elliot started to cry. Feeling began to return to my legs, and I grabbed on to the bench and hauled myself upright. Michael – and the chorus – moved relentlessly onward.

“Give up
or I’m a fuck you up
Your face and balls are fresh outta luck”


Two balls of multicoloured light began to form around Michael’s hands. I staggered forwards. My mind, I admit, was not completely clear, and I had no idea what in the hell was going on – but someone had taken my son from me, and I was damned if I was going to let that state of affairs continue. Elliot, red faced and snot-nosed, saw me coming and stretched his arms out to me.

“Give up
or I’m a fuck you up -”


The invisible band suddenly stopped.

“Worm,” sneered Aneurhythmia as I faced him, “You dare approach me? I, who am older than the phantom you call God? Your doom is sealed. There is nothing in your bloated vocabulary that can save you n-”

I grabbed the back of his head and slammed his face into my upraised knee. “Patella,” I said, and gripping the back of his jumpsuit I snatched Elliot out of his grip.

“- Your face and balls are fresh outta luck.”

Clutching Elliot to my chest, I leapt out of the way. The band returned, soaring into an instrumental break as a colossal rainbow erupted out of Michael’s hands. The beam thundered right into the crotch of Aneurhythmia, who let one final enraged screech before erupting in a fountain of soggy leather and mucous.

“AAAAOOOOOOW!” said Michael.

There was a moment of silence after the last clods splatted to earth. I looked down at Elliot. He gurgled happily, grabbing at my glasses, and I let him take them.

I turned to Michael Jackson, who stood facing me with his hands in his pockets. “How did you… I mean, you can’t really be…”

He shook his head and gave a small, sad smile. “No, I’m not Michael Jackson. Not quite. But when Michael was at the zenith of his powers he was incredibly strong with the Funk. Maybe the strongest there’s ever been. I am the impression he left upon the Funk.”

I glanced at the small, wet crater in the ground beside us. “And him?”

“Aneurhythmia is – was – a very old parasite. He wandered from universe to universe, feeding upon the abilities of others, but had no real talents of his own. I’m glad you grabbed your son when you did. You allowed me to use the full extent of my power and destroy him once and for all.”

“I should be thanking you. I… I honestly don’t know what to say.”

Michael laughed. “Thank Butler. He’s the one who summoned me.” Suddenly he bent over and winced. “I can’t remain here much longer. I must return to the Funk, before I fade out of existence like Leo Sayer.”

“No, wait! Where are you going? What will I do if I ever need you again?”

“I’m always around,” he said, smiling one last time. “Every time you grab your crotch and scream, I’ll be there.”

Clouds of steam shot out of the neck and cuffs of the suit. When they cleared, Michael Jackson had vanished and the mysterious, handsome stranger he had referred to as “Butler” was back in his place.

“Who…?” I began, but Butler just winked and raised one finger to his lips. With the other hand he reached into his jacket and pulled out a second egg, which he hurled at his feet. There was a bang, and a flash of light…

A jogger dropped an empty bottle into a nearby bin. I looked up with a start. I was slumped over the back of the stroller, inside which Elliot was safely tucked. My glasses were back on my head.

Blinking groggily, I reached into the back pocket of the stroller for Elliot's bottle. Had I really dreamed the whole thing? I hadstayed up pretty late playing Wii Bowling last night…

The bottle wasn’t in there. I must have already given it to him. I leaned over to check on him and did an honest-to-God double take.

Elliot was happily sucking away on his bottle. But on his right hand was a single white glove that most definitely had not been there before.

I looked closer. On the back of the glove was a cluster of rhinestones in the shape of an egg.


THE END

tl;dr version for Synthetic Orange:
Awesome stuff happens and then you vote for me.

iwantanswers3.png
Larlar on
«1

Posts

  • ButlerButler 89 episodes or bust Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    oh word

    Butler on
  • WhippyWhippy Moderator, Admin Emeritus Admin Emeritus
    edited March 2007
    monkeybomb

    Whippy on
  • potatoepotatoe Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    i'm convinced Aneurhythmia is a chick

    potatoe on
  • SheriSheri Resident Fluffer My Living RoomRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Holy crap Monkeybomb

    <3

    Sheri on
  • ButlerButler 89 episodes or bust Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Monkeybomb you poor bastard that was brilliant.

    Butler on
  • OdenOden Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Monkeybomb I love you

    I helped with that submission 8-)

    Oden on
  • AximAxim Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    oh god it is poetry in motion my eyes

    Axim on
  • ShortyShorty touching the meat Intergalactic Cool CourtRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I want to vote for Monkeybomb.

    Shorty on
  • ButlerButler 89 episodes or bust Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I had completely forgotten about Daylight savings in America. It's just dumb luck I submitted mine before the deadline.

    Butler on
  • potatoepotatoe Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    when butler wins it is like i am winning

    potatoe on
  • mullymully Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    oh monkeybomb
    i think i might not hate you
    this is a beautiful thing

    mully on
  • potatoepotatoe Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    monkeybombs was almost too professional...you know?

    like, oh hey, he stole that from a professional site with paid professionals doing professional things
    he has a suit and a tie and a tophat and everything

    i love him

    potatoe on
  • WhippyWhippy Moderator, Admin Emeritus Admin Emeritus
    edited March 2007
    butler's story makes me want to buy the xbox toejam and earl game

    Whippy on
  • FalloutFallout GIRL'S DAY WAS PRETTY GOOD WHILE THEY LASTEDRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    monkeybooooooooooooom(b)

    Fallout on
    xcomsig.png
  • ButlerButler 89 episodes or bust Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    potatoe wrote: »
    when butler wins it is like i am winning

    :hairy man-hugs:

    I am really stumped for what to do for Lord Dave now. I have exactly one idea left, and it's terrible.

    t Whippy: I just wiki'd that game and now I want to play it too.

    Butler on
  • Synthetic OrangeSynthetic Orange Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I AM DISAPPOINTED AND ALSO DISAPPOINTED. (I'll have a look at the entries when I get home)

    Synthetic Orange on
  • AbracadanielAbracadaniel Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Monkeybomb that rocked.

    Abracadaniel on
  • FalloutFallout GIRL'S DAY WAS PRETTY GOOD WHILE THEY LASTEDRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    fucken' knobeurythmionk

    ye bastids

    Fallout on
    xcomsig.png
  • MonkeybombMonkeybomb Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    You guys are making it much harder to tie the loops around this noose.

    I mean

    Knob

    Knob didn't submit

    THE CURSE OF MONKEYBOMB

    Monkeybomb on
    Xbox Live Gamertag: Triplemonkeybom
    monkeysig-1.jpg
  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2007
    MB you rock.

    Druhim on
    belruelotterav-1.jpg
  • MonkeybombMonkeybomb Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I just drove 6 hours and got to my downtown Chicago hotel. I think maybe I'll keep driving until I get to knob's house.

    Monkeybomb on
    Xbox Live Gamertag: Triplemonkeybom
    monkeysig-1.jpg
  • FalloutFallout GIRL'S DAY WAS PRETTY GOOD WHILE THEY LASTEDRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    bonk always forgets to submit or gets lazy and throws something together at the last second eventually and loses D;

    Fallout on
    xcomsig.png
  • MonkeybombMonkeybomb Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Also

    Credits:
    mully

    Monkeybomb on
    Xbox Live Gamertag: Triplemonkeybom
    monkeysig-1.jpg
  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    So much effort for no-shows.

    DarkPrimus on
  • Lord DaveLord Dave Grief Causer Bitch Free ZoneRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Monkeybomb that was delightariffic.

    Lord Dave on
    mkc.png
  • FalloutFallout GIRL'S DAY WAS PRETTY GOOD WHILE THEY LASTEDRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    THE BUTTANS WERE TINY AND HARD TO PRESS I GIVE IT A 4 OUT OF 13

    Fallout on
    xcomsig.png
  • ButlerButler 89 episodes or bust Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    So much effort for no-shows.
    I was up until fuckin' 1:30 last night working on this. I could have been working on a project for uni.

    (Actually, I should be working on a project for uni right now...)

    Butler on
  • MonkeybombMonkeybomb Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Fallout wrote: »
    THE BUTTANS WERE TINY AND HARD TO PRESS I GIVE IT A 4 OUT OF 13

    giant ham hands

    Monkeybomb on
    Xbox Live Gamertag: Triplemonkeybom
    monkeysig-1.jpg
  • mullymully Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Monkeybomb wrote: »
    Fallout wrote: »
    THE BUTTANS WERE TINY AND HARD TO PRESS I GIVE IT A 4 OUT OF 13

    giant ham hands

    mash the buttons to request a dialing wand

    mully on
  • FalloutFallout GIRL'S DAY WAS PRETTY GOOD WHILE THEY LASTEDRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    i have tiny girl hands ;(

    srsly though it was great

    Fallout on
    xcomsig.png
  • KusuguttaiKusuguttai __BANNED USERS regular
    edited March 2007
    oh god damn it knob
    you beat me WHEN I WASNT SUPPOSED TO BATTLE YOU AT ALL
    and then you do this shit

    Kusuguttai on
  • JordynJordyn Really, Commander? Probing Uranus. Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Larlar, I am submitting this as Knob's entry:

    SpaceGhostBatCountry.jpg

    Jordyn on
    thumbsupguy-1.jpg
    JordynNolz.com <- All my blogs (Shepard, Wasted, J'onn, DCAU) are here now!
  • AneurhythmiaAneurhythmia Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Butler wrote: »
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    So much effort for no-shows.
    I was up until fuckin' 1:30 last night working on this. I could have been working on a project for uni.

    (Actually, I should be working on a project for uni right now...)
    I told you I was flooded with school shit and hadn't even started anything.
    potatoe wrote: »
    i'm convinced Aneurhythmia is a chick
    What're you doing later?

    Aneurhythmia on
  • ButlerButler 89 episodes or bust Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    True. I had assumed you were going to pull something out of your arse at the last minute though.

    Eh, even if you'd explicitly said "Fuck this, I'm not going to submit", I was far enough along that I probably still would have finished what I was doing anyway, so no harm no foul. Now let's forget our troubles with a big steaming bowl of robococks.

    Butler on
  • KnobKnob TURN THE BEAT BACK InternetModerator Mod Emeritus
    edited March 2007
    thank my dickheaded coworker who no-called and made me work a ten hour shift on top of my ten hour shift

    Knob on
  • FalloutFallout GIRL'S DAY WAS PRETTY GOOD WHILE THEY LASTEDRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    brutal

    (guys working on forum battles even when you know the other person is going to drop is okay because if it is good it wins you Internet Respect)

    Fallout on
    xcomsig.png
  • AximAxim Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    the ultimate currency

    Axim on
  • ShortyShorty touching the meat Intergalactic Cool CourtRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    mully wrote: »
    Monkeybomb wrote: »
    Fallout wrote: »
    THE BUTTANS WERE TINY AND HARD TO PRESS I GIVE IT A 4 OUT OF 13

    giant ham hands

    mash the buttons to request a dialing wand

    Obscure fact: David Cohen (I believe) wanted all their Simpsons operator gags to sound authentic so they found the old lady who actually does the voice and asked her to do that stuff for them.

    Shorty on
  • WhippyWhippy Moderator, Admin Emeritus Admin Emeritus
    edited March 2007
    Shorty wrote: »
    mully wrote: »
    Monkeybomb wrote: »
    Fallout wrote: »
    THE BUTTANS WERE TINY AND HARD TO PRESS I GIVE IT A 4 OUT OF 13

    giant ham hands

    mash the buttons to request a dialing wand

    Obscure fact: David Cohen (I believe) wanted all their Simpsons operator gags to sound authentic so they found the old lady who actually does the voice and asked her to do that stuff for them.

    Remember when we were at the arcade in that pizza place playing the Simpsons game?

    And I made a comment talking about Brock Kentman, and everyone thought I was stupid, thinking I meant Kent Brockman?

    Yeah.

    I was making a reference so obscure even you, you, didn't get it.

    In one of The Simpsons comic books, Kent Brockman is accosted by some extortionists, who threaten to reveal that his real name is Brock Kentman.

    the quote is a link

    Whippy on
  • ShortyShorty touching the meat Intergalactic Cool CourtRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Shorty wrote: »
    mully wrote: »
    Monkeybomb wrote: »
    Fallout wrote: »
    THE BUTTANS WERE TINY AND HARD TO PRESS I GIVE IT A 4 OUT OF 13

    giant ham hands

    mash the buttons to request a dialing wand

    Obscure fact: David Cohen (I believe) wanted all their Simpsons operator gags to sound authentic so they found the old lady who actually does the voice and asked her to do that stuff for them.

    Remember when we were at the arcade in that pizza place playing the Simpsons game?

    And I made a comment talking about Brock Kentman, and everyone thought I was stupid, thinking I meant Kent Brockman?

    Yeah.

    I was making a reference so obscure even you, you, didn't get it.

    In one of The Simpsons comic books, Kent Brockman is accosted by some extortionists, who threaten to reveal that his real name is Brock Kentman.

    the quote is a link

    Hey I spent four years watching the simpsons, not reading comics.

    Plus, his real name is Kenny Brockelstein.

    Shorty on
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