Nick the Astronaut

    "T-minus ten seconds until today's historic launch! The whole world gathers around to watch astronauts Ledahn, Pauaul, and Mickey venture into the cosmos in attempt to meet an alien civilization!" The TV blared as Nick lay on his tummy watching the broadcast. "Someday I'm going to be just like astronaut Pauaul!" he told his parents. They too were watching intently.

    When the countdown reached zero, the rocket launched off the pad, and applause roared through the speakers, and the streets outside. Nick's dad surprised him and picked him up, swooping him through the air. Nick laughed and said "Yeah, like that! That's what I want to do when I grow up!"

    "Go for it, bud, they'll need more astronauts, and good ones too!" Nick's Mom replied.

Eggnozdle's New Pen

    "Stupid pen!" Eggnozdle shouted at the wretched writing instrument. "Every single time I finish a manuscript you spurt ink all over the page! Why do you hate me so?"

    At the question, the pen stood up, turned toward the writer, and glared. "Because everything you write is awful! And you use ME to write such despicable excuses for literature. I'll not see my good use tarnished with such horrendous writing."
    "Oh, here we go again! Someone isn't getting their way and so they cause destruction instead of being constructive. Well, I've had enough. I do think it's time for a new pen!"

    "HA! Good luck finding any that would sit in your hand. The callous and clammy thing that it is."
    Eggnozlde turned back and stared at the pen. "Why I'll snap you in two you filthy. . . No, no I'll just be on my way" and Eggnozlde stomped out the door.

    When the author returned, he held a shiny new gold pen in his hands. He sat at his desk, flicked his old pen into the rubbish bin, and began a new manuscript. Midway through the first sentence, the sassiest voice in the world began blathering on about the clamminess of Eggnozle's hands, his poor writing ability, the smell in the room, and anything else that could possibly be complained about.

    Eggnozlde quickly realized his mistake, and threw the gold pen out the window, which landed with a quite audible "Oh throw me out the window will you! Come back here and pick me up you fool, you're in for it now. I'm no ordinary toss-out-the-window pen! Uh-uh, I'm a GOLD pen, and you don't just toss a gold pen out the . . ."

    Eggnozlde shut the window, and picked up his old pen. "I suppose you'll have to do then. Sorry for tossing you in the rubbish bin."
    "Promise me you'll never buy a pen like that again, and I'll keep my mouth shut about your hands and your writing from now on."
    "Deal!" Eggnozlde said, then began a new page, ignoring audible shudders from the instrument.

The Infernal Fox

    The Great Green Tree stood at the center of the Tall Mountain, giving shade to the Brown Forest far below at the base. Magic wisps floated down from its branches, inspiring the hearts of all living things they touched. One such creature was the Infernal Fox who lived near the lava spout on the north side of the Tall Mountain. Each morning it would lap up fresh lava for nourishment, then go and patrol the perimeter of the mountain, where the base met the edge of the Brown Forest. If any fiends chose to wander near, the Infernal Fox would lay waste to them, engulfing them in its breath of fire and lava.

    One day such a fiend did choose to approach, and the Infernal Fox was quick to act. The fiend clawed its way up the mountain, and it almost reached the lava spout, but the Infernal Fox wouldn't let a tarnished fiend touch its precious lava spout. Just as the creature neared, The Infernal Fox blew a searing breath towards it, encasing it in lava and cooking it from within. As the lava hardened, a frozen figure that barely resembled the fiend stood there, warning any trespassers of their fate.

Putty Man

    Putty Man sat sad and glum on the rainy day. No outdoor play for him today. All he dreamed of was some hot, sweltering weather so he could glop right out to the driveway and form into a myriad of different shapes. Then turn into a ball and bounce his way away. Not today, though. The rain was too cold, and not good for forming shapes. Suddenly though, a ray of sunshine shone down on Putty Man, giving him hope that his desires could come true.

The Krinkle King

    Merry Christmas from the Krinkle King! I'll be visiting all the good little boys and girls this Christmas to make sure each and every one of their gifts are krinkly and ragged.

    All the hard work put into wrapping gifts?

    Gone!

    All the beautiful presentations?

    GONE!

    MWA HA HA HA HA YOU'LL NEVER OPEN A BEAUTIFULLY WRAPPED PRESENT AGAIN IN YOUR LIFE! That's what you get for making fun of me in Santa School all those years ago!

Shmelgra the Dragon

    Pieces of gold trinkled down from the pile as Shmelgra landed atop it, warming it with her fiery belly.  From the pile she gazed out across the city, through the panoramic window surrounding her chamber at the top of the tower. The architects had questioned what the purpose of this tower would be; it hardly matched the aesthetic of the rest of New York, but for the price Shmelgra paid, they didn't ask too many questions. And now that the tower was complete, the dragon would simply eat the architects and reclaim her stolen gold.

    Shmelgra called her broker to inquire about her investments. The thought of willingly giving up her gold made her stomach churn, but the idea of so easily gaining more gold outweighed her jealous grip.  After the broker, she called the foundry foreman for a report on the bullion production. Naturally Shmelgra had her dividends distributed in gold metal, which she had processed through the tower's foundry, built deep into the earth so as to utilize the natural heat of the Earth's mantle for smelting.  Lastly the dragon called her rancher in Montana. She'd be hungry later and wanted to ensure a large herd would be ready for dinner.

    After all her afternoon calls, Shmelgra took a fiery nap until dinner time. It's hard work being a dragon. Especially a dragon in New York city. As they say though, "if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere." And Shmelgra had certainly made it here.

Sweltering Under the Midnight Sun

    Silence filled the corridor as Swelt tied his Swiftmax shoes. They provided a quiet step and exceptional feedback, perfect for an agile athlete. Swelt opened the door, letting a burst of air and light fill the corridor. Outside, Thornbeasts and Minstrel Meisters roamed back and forth. Avoidance would be best, but there were too many for that to be likely. Swelt would attempt to, but was prepared to fight just in case.

    He dashed from the open door, weaving between the first few ranks, but eventually they grew too dense, and he brushed one. Immediately all of the foes turned their heads toward him, and glared with fierce smokey red eyes. One Minstrel Meister slashed at him, then the rest, and Swelt had no other choice but to Blaze. He drew forth energy from within, then burst into a flaming figure floating before the enemies.

    As they approached, his mere proximity singed the hair of their bodies, and those that dared to continue forward, he grabbed with burning hands and flung them off to the distance, streaking smoke through the sky. To give himself a path, he shot blasts of fireballs through to the dunes far off. And as the bulk of his power began to fade, he summoned his sword and ran the rest of the way through the path he created, slicing through any enemy that moved to intercept him.

Bando Tames the Baskerwolf

    "Fisker's over that ridge, Barrel" Dep said.

    "I told you to stop calling me Barrel, Dep! It's Bando."

    "Hey kid, no one goes hiding in a barrel and gets away with not being called Barrel."
    "I wasn't hiding, Fisker shot at me and my gun slipped and fell in."
    "Well, whatever the reason, now's our time to get 'im. Let's go."

    The two hunters snuck out from their cover to try and sneak up on the beast. Stealth was the best way to eliminate a Baskerwolf, if you could manage it. As they crept up behind it, though, Dep tripped on a rock. Bando immediately jumped to hide behind a bush, leaving Dep exposed. Dep gave Barrel one last angry look before being obliterated into a cloud of dust.

    Baskerwolf's laser beams completely disintegrate any object they hit. In this case it was Dep. Finally, Bando wouldn't have to hear his annoying voice anymore. Now, time to catch a Baskerwolf.

    Any chance of sneaking up on Fisker was gone now, so Bando leapt out from the bush and ran straight for the beast, pulling his snatchreins out as he approached. Fisker darted his head towards Bando and leered at him, his eyes beginning to glow a bright red.

    Before he could get his shot off, though, Bando hooked him right in the mouth, slung himself over Fisker's back, and hooked the other side of his mouth, thus securing a new Baskerwolf mount for himself. This would be a little easier for him in the outlands for a while now.

Sparklespritz the Eggnog Drinking Champion

    "Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!" The crowd cheered and Sparklespritz began her eighth pint of eggnog. Bumbleflap was the only other contestant that hadn't dropped out, and it was clear he was struggling.  Sparklespritz wasn't immune to the bloat though, and she was only consuming the drink through sheer will and concentration. Keeping all of this festive beverage down wasn't easy.

    Eventually she did finish her eighth pint, and right as she did, Bumbleflap stood up to congratulate her, then immediately fell flat on his face, thus crowning Sparklespritz the Eggnog Drinking Champion. It's a good thing too because the Eggnog Drinking Champion's main job is handling logistics for Christmas delivery.

    After a stop at the bathroom, Sparklespritz had to rush to the Logistics Operation Center and settle into her cozy seat to manage the route for Santa as he prepared to leave. Looks like presents would arrive on time, and as efficiently as ever this year.

Earthmind's Defense

    A celestial gaze stared down Earthmind. He quivered but did not stand down before Moonshot. So, she had no choice. The heavenly woman swooped down upon the terrestrial man and struck him with a powerful moonbeam, shattering him into thousands of pieces. But his magnabind returned his form moments later. The he called to below for his iron staff.

    As Moonshot swooped upon Earthmind again, his staff swelled up from the ground. He grabbed it, and smashed it right into Moonshot's face, knocking her to the ground. She lay there for some time. It seemed like she wouldn't rise, not for a while anyway. And Earthmind was tired. Should he wait and see if she stirs? Or should he return to his cavern to rest, so he can fight better the next time?

Cosbell Among the Stars

    "Ignite the ion thrusters Cosbell, the long stretch of your journey begins now."
    Cosbell did so and felt. . . nothing. The ion thrusters accelerated slowly, so his job now was to hibernate and enjoy the ride. The cute little spacecraft made its way out of the solar system, towards Proxima Centauri, with only emergency, and periodic, scheduled communications online.
    The gentle hum of the ion thrusters was the only sound Cosbell had to accompany him as he nibbled his freeze-dried lettuce, and drifted off to sleep, and out among the stars. 

Farmer Scrikwick

    "Pour the water on the plant for crying out loud!" Farmer Scrikwick yelled at the new farmhand. It had been a week and still the boy didn't know how to water a plant. It was the most aggravating thing Farmer Scrikwick had ever experienced, and he didn't know what to do. Every time Evbrabell came out to try and assist the situation, he'd just yell at her and tell her to leave him to his job.
    One day, though, Evbrabell finally snuck Farmer Scrikwick's glasses onto his face, and all became clear.  He'd been yelling at the old fence post for the past week, and the farmhand had been tending the crops and livestock all on his own. Evbrabell had given him some guidance when her first arrived, but otherwise he was self-sufficient. Not one to be humiliated, though, Farmer Scrikwick continued yelling at that fence post until it had learned how to water the plant. And when it did, he was one content farmer!

Magnazyte and the Special Sector

    The fourth platter held the sector Magnazyte sought, and before the head could read him, he phased through. Fortunately, he had enough energy to phase directly through to platter number four, but he still had to be worry about being read. He hovered just above the platter surface scanning the disk for the sector.

    There. As soon as he found it, he bound to it, reading the contents.

    It was taking longer than he expected, though. Could he finish before he finished his revolution? It didn't seem likely. He'd risk being read by the head. So be it.

    Magnazyte used some of his remaining charge to try and cause the head to skip, but it failed. As soon as he reached the tip, he could feel the entirety of his data being read. Just as it did though, he finished reading the contents of the sector. He zipped it up and charged up again to phase back through the disks.

    Magnazyte had used too much charge to attempt skipping the head, though, so he had only one other option. At the right vector from the spinning disk, he leapt off directly towards the SATA connection.  Once he found his way to the network adapter, he'd be able to make his way back home. He'd have to lie low as a background process for now, though, hoping he wouldn't be detected. Small chance, but better than leaving with the now-compromised hard drive.

Pepperonellifocellis

    "Hello, Welcome to Pepperonellifocellis, home of the Spicy Slice (TM)! Can I take your order?" the waitress, Rylex, asked Diggory.

    "Um, hi, excuse me, are all the slices spicy?" Diggory asked.

    "Sir, do you presume Pepperonellifocellis to jest about the Spiciness (TM) of its slices?" Rylex replied.
    "Oh goodness, no, not at all! I was just curious as to whether all the slices were in fact spicy. Do you have anything more on the mild side? It's my tummy you see. . ."

    "Sir, we have Spicy Slices (TM). We are Peppernoellifocellis after all. Would you like a slice or not?" Rylex asked, clearly frustrated with Diggory.

    "Oh, um, yes ok, I'll have a slice, thank you." Diggory said, deciding to face a Spicy Slice (TM), rather than endure any further beratement.
    "ONE SPICY SLICE FOR THIS GENTLEMAN HERE! Please have a seat, your robot will be with you shortly." Rylex told Diggory, typing the order on her holopad.

    Sigh "Okay, thank you." Diggory said as he waved his cylet for the WavePay scanner. He took a seat to remarkably wait for his Spicy Slice (TM) to be served to him by a robot.

    How am I ever going to get back home?  Everything is so strange and complicated in this futuristic cyberpunk world. . .

Mite Michael

    It was tickle time for Melanie, as designated by Mite Michael, whether she wanted it or not. So when Melanie got out of bed to go to the bathroom, Mite Michael activated his Mite Power and shrunk to the size of a mite.

    Melanie returned and snuggled into her side of the bed, and that's when Mite Michael attacked. He leaped under her armpit and began munching right where the tickle nerves were, and Melanie began convulsing uncontrollably with laughter. This went on for fifteen minutes, far past Melanie losing her breath. When Mite Michael's Mite Power wore off, he went to relieve himself, then snuggled back in bed with his wife, who lay there defeated, sobbing. One day she'd fight back but today wasn't that day.

Nolan Colon

This is a poem about Nolan

Who'd often go about his day swollen

From gas he'd complain

About bloating and pain

Until the gas was released from his colon

Mesh Potential

    "Vey, this technology is incredible, and right up your alley." Juniper said.

    "Up my alley? How so?" Vey replied.

    "Well with your chemistry experience and your tendency to be where the action is. . . I think this will enhance those traits."

    Vey's interest piqued. "You're telling me those guys were testing some kind of superpower gadget?"

    "They are testing some kind of superpower gadget, Vey. You still don't know that you lost them, and you clearly only stole a prototype. We still need to be very careful, but yes, with some work, and cautionary testing, we might be able to enhance some of your natural talent, maybe even grant you additional."

    "And then maybe we can find our way out of this place?" Vey realized.

    "Maybe. Hopefully. Though we've gotten our hopes up too much to place any more on this find."
    Vey deflated a bit at that, but a new spark enkindled in her, and ideas and plans began forming, no matter the disappointment she'd experienced from past plans.

    "Yeah, we do need to be careful. But Juniper, this does feel different than previous attempts, doesn't it?"

    Juniper shrugged but agreed "It does. But please Vey, please take precautions this time? Can we please pace ourselves? I really want to understand this tech before we move forward with anything. I think this could be dangerous too, and I don't want to lose you for good."
    Right. Juniper could handle himself, but losing a friend certainly puts a damper on things, the plans you had with them being no exception.

    "Alright, we'll take this easy. And I guess I'll try to smooth things over with Res. Sounds like I might need a longer-term gig."

    Vey smiled. Juniper smiled back and nodded. Dealing with Res and his remarks would be a lot easier with something bigger to focus on.

Vey Returns from the Alley

    Vey burst through the door to her shack and slammed the door behind her. Panting, she peered out the cracked open window to check if anyone was following her.

    "What happened?" Vey jumped at Juniper's question.

    "Oh jeez! You scared me."

    "Did you forget I was here? Why are you so out of breath?"

    "Right! Check this out!" Vey handed Juniper the mesh. "Think we can make use of it?"

    "Whoa. I'll have to run some diagnostics on it, but this doesn't look like something you picked up at the mart on the way home. . ."

    "Not quite. . . I spied some weird activity down one of the alleys, and snatched this during a lull, though I think they know it's missing."

    "They?"

    "I saw two men experimenting with another one of these things, and the technology looks pretty cool.  It seems to exploit different substances' inherent properties to enhance the user in various ways."

    ". . . Yeah, I'm gonna need to do some tests. You might have something really valuable here. But first, what if they did follow you?"

    Vey thought for a moment. "Got that mouce working yet?"

    Juniper shook his head and smiled, knowing exactly what she was thinking, then sighed "just about."

Vey's Finding in the Alley

    On the way home from the diner, Vey took a longer route back, wanting a little extra time to think. As she passed through, she heard a hushed commotion down an alley. Her stealthy reflexes kicked in, and she managed to hide and spy on what was going on.

    She saw a small, academic-looking man fitting some sort of mesh atop another, hulking man's head.  Once the mesh was fastened, the academic man smashed a vial of something right on the other's head. After a brief grunt, the mesh began to glow and crackle.
    Moments later, the shorter man gave some kind of command, and the larger man punched a hole straight through the wall. It was frightening, yet fascinating, and though it was obviously dangerous of her to remain there, Vey had to see what this was. The shorter man followed up by smashing. . . a beer bottle of all things on the other man's head. I wonder if they're hiring Vey thought. I have plenty of experience doing that.
    After the glowing and crackling subsided, what happened next nearly literally blew Vey away. The hulk's arms lit up in flames, and he started crashing through the alley, burning everything he contacted.  He seemed a bit deranged and turned toward the academic and began chasing him. The academic dropped his equipment and fled. With the two men on their own pursuit, Vey found her opportunity to inspect the scene.
    She mostly found papers strewn about, charred from the experiment. Among them, though, she found another mesh like the one strapped on the man's head. She inspected it briefly, then pocketed it as she heard the men returning. Evidently the experiment wore off.

    Vey dashed back out the way she entered, and before she was out of ear shot, she heard a clear concern for the missing mesh. Vey thought better than to stick around and be caught with it, so she ran back to her shack to show Juniper. He'll love this she thought.

Vey at the Diner

    Vey walked into the diner and was immediately greeted by a "Well well well, look at that, Valence, you've returned! Shaped up a little since the last time we saw ya?"
    Vey rolled her eyes and greeted Res back "Hey Res, I'm short on cash, any shifts I can pick up?"
    "Eager as always! No shifts free right now, sorry kid." Res said.
    Vey sighed "alright, thanks. Will you let me know if any open up?"
    "Well, there's some dishes in the back that need cleaning. Clean those for the next hour and I'll pay you the normal wage"
    It was hardly worth it, but this was the best opportunity she had at the moment so Vey took it.

    "Alright, thanks Res." Vey grabbed an apron, still a habit, and headed to the kitchen to start cleaning.
    "And remember Vey. I wanna see my reflection in those plates"
    Vey rolled her eyes again, then turned back to get to work.

Evening in the Sink

    Rain fell down past the Nexus, the surrounding skyscrapers, through to the Sink lining the base of the city. The Mesh protected them from lightning, though most people in the Sink would happily have risked being struck for open airwaves. Vey paced in her shack while Juniper worked at the bench, trying to reverse engineer one of the myce they managed to capture.

    Hopefully Juniper managed to cut off power and comms before surveillance found them. . . again. It'd been three months since Vey was released for her six month sentence. Juniper managed to get away with only a fine. He felt like he'd betrayed Vey for managing to hide his involvement in their heist well enough but knew they'd succeed as a team better for it.

    "You're distracting me." Juniper said.

    "Well, it's raining outside, and it's cold enough in here as it is. Any better ideas?" Vey replied.

    "We're short on cash, credits, and food. Will Res give you a shift this evening?"

    Vey sighed. She did not want to go back to work for Res, though it probably was the best option she had. "Fine, I'll go talk to Res. Maybe he'll go easy on me. I just can't stand his banter, and you know he's going to give me the smuggest look in the world when I walk in."
    "Yeah, he will." Juniper replied, setting his tools down and turning to face Vey. "But we aren't going to make progress on the Catalyst if we can't even keep ourselves alive. I'm on board with the plan as much as you are, but I can't shake up my job, and you need something else to occupy you until the next prototype is out anyway."
    "Yeah." Vey said, scuffing her foot against the floor.

    "Plus, you know at the end of the day Res has your back. He's just shorting your circuit when he makes those comments."

    "I know, they're just so irritating. Alright, I'll go. Good luck overriding the mouce; another set of eyes would be really helpful. . ."

The Snoring Snogglesnouts

    The Snoring Snogglesnouts like to sleep together making sniffling and snoring sounds all night. It's not a bed you'd like to share very much, but you may have to at some point. While one snores with a rhythmic whistle, the others will chime in with their own snorty sniffles, sniffing snot in a chorus of snorting sounds.

    In the lulls between snores and sniffs, you might get some sleep, and cherish it while you can because inevitably, another snore or sniff will wake you right back up. Eventually, morning will come, and the Snoring Snogglesnouts will wake up and be ready to play. Their sniffling and snoring will all but vanish, but you can expect it to return the next night. It's a good thing they're so cute!

Fan and the Creeping Buildings

    The bulbous stacks began billowing out steam again, like they did every morning. Fan walked through the alley, peering up at the sunlight reflected off the plumes. These plumes would reach high in the sky and remain long into the day, leaving trails that reached just above the horizon. What the steam was from, he had no idea, but the buildings crept along the flats every day, with no indication of their purpose, always releasing these clouds.

    Fan found a handhold alongside the creeping building, grabbed it and pulled himself up. It was low enough that he managed to avoid having to climb on the building's treads. They were dangerous, and though he'd done it many times, one wrong move still meant getting crushed under the unforgiving treads.

    Fan caught his breath and allowed himself a moment to breathe before ascending the building.

It was a nearly sheer, flat surface until the large, round protrusions near the top, but Fan had been climbing for a while and managed to find handholds in the smallest nooks of the wall. Eventually he reached one of the protrusions and pulled himself up to the roof, where he could rest.

    White plumes continued to billow out from the stacks. The shafts of the stacks jutted out from the roof and formed a large round volume before curving to a narrow outlet the same size as the shaft. They made for good shade under the glaring sun, and the shafts weren't too hot, so there Fan decided to take a nap.

Erasing Eraser

    The graphite men ran for their lives. Fortunately, one had the sense to call in the Inklings before resuming his flee. Eraser chased them furiously, driven by an insatiable need to wipe the graphite men from existence. He managed to get one's foot, who hobbled, screaming in agony at his loss, before two Inklings slammed into the ground before him.

    Eraser stood up, eyeing the two units. "Bringing ink to the fight huh?" he asked.

    "You chose this battle, not us, Eraser. Now face your consequences" one of the Inklings said as they stepped toward the enemy, pens drawn.

    Eraser turned to flee, but the other Inkling leaped in front of him and began drawing a holding cell to contain Eraser for prosecution. Frantically, Eraser tried to erase away the lines they drew, but he knew from the beginning it was futile.

    This was ink.

    Permanent ink.

    The best he could do was smudge some of the lines, but by then they'd drawn even more of the holding cell, eventually containing him entirely.

    They brought him to graphite court, where the judge slammed her gavel without a word and sent Eraser to a lifetime of confinement. Four Inklings brought Eraser, bound by his holding cell to the giant confinement facility. The guards unlocked the chamber and slid it out from the larger structure. In went Eraser, and the cell slammed shut with a metal clang. The guard reached up to the middle of the cell and locked it, thus sealing Eraser's fate.

Ashface

    Ashface came running up to Grandpa again to give him a big kiss. He shuffled away as fast as he could before her mother snatched her up. "No more kisses until you wash your face Ashface, no one wants soot all over their clothes." Ashface stood there glaring at her mother, but this time her mother stood firm.
    She pointed upstairs, a gesture that said, "you will go upstairs and wash your face, there will be no discussion." With a pout, Ashface stomped upstairs to wash her face. And to plot her revenge on her mean mother. Sooty curtains in all their bedrooms perchance?

Mazdagna and the Burger Banshees

    At the horrific sound at the door, Mazdagna grabbed the first object she could find: a spatula. With the object raised to her head, providing a false, but comforting sense of security, she slowly walked towards the door. Scraping and groaning noises continued just on the other side, and with a glance out the window, her worst fears were confirmed. Burger Banshees hovered across the lawn, seeking anything to frighten. Fortunately, there was a way to defeat them, and even more fortunately, Mazdagna held the power in her hand.

    It's not how she wanted to spend the evening, but for the sake of peace, quiet, and the wellbeing of her neighbors, she chose to fight. Mazdagna donned her apron, tied up her hair, then flung the door open crying "it's burger time, baby!"

    At this, all the Burger Banshees turned and darted toward her. One by one they swooped in to consume her, and one by one they were flipped on their head, no match for Mazdagna and her spectral spatula.  Moments after being flipped the banshees would each sizzle out of existence, and before long the only remnant of them was the smell of grilled meat. Typical of them.

    The smell would only linger for a day or two, and some neighbors would raise complaints, but that would be for another day. Mazdagna couldn't handle Mrs. Schmucksworth today.  So, the Hamburger Hero returned to her kitchen to clean up before going back to bed. She'd deal with the aftermath tomorrow.