Who's The Boss
Game #2863: Writer's Block the Second
This game is moderated by christiangrl. Please read the rules and contact the moderator with any questions or concerns about this game.
This game finished in 3 rounds.
Round 2: Everyone write their own story beginning with this sentence:
Thomas, the king of the pickles, was having a really bad hair day, which is saying something, because pickles don't normally have hair.
Sarcastic people with large vocabularies are my favorite.
Thomas, the king of the pickles, was having a really bad hair day, which is saying something, because pickles don't normally have hair.
Sarcastic people with large vocabularies are my favorite.
I'm at mcdonalds on my iPod so I can't type now
So we have a clear of aceofspades and sad said she voted rhythmic which would clear him too.
Im confused, because the memo sounded like an adult female and the psych answer sounded like an adult male. Last round id say sounded like an adult male too. Im gonna vote mru for now, subject to change.
Happy ever after in the marketplace, Desmond lets the children lend a hand. Molly stays at home and does her pretty face, and in the evening she's the singer with the band!
Im confused, because the memo sounded like an adult female and the psych answer sounded like an adult male. Last round id say sounded like an adult male too. Im gonna vote mru for now, subject to change.
Happy ever after in the marketplace, Desmond lets the children lend a hand. Molly stays at home and does her pretty face, and in the evening she's the singer with the band!
Thomas, the king of the pickles, was having a really bad hair day, which is saying something, because pickles don't normally have hair. This worried him greatly, because in Pickleland, the pickle with the best and most beautiful hair was the king. Thomas had been the king for a while now, and he certainly didn't want to give up the crown. Each and every day there was a hair contest to determine who was king that day. All the pickles who possessed non-wig hair would show up. The winner was determined by a panel of (bald) judges. When Thomas arrived at the contest after hours of trying to perfect his hair, he saw that he had a lot of competition. He almost ran away. That was when he came up with his devious plot. He ran off to find the items he needed.
***
All the contestants, except Thomas, were in their dressing rooms, doing final adjustments to their hair. Suddenly, at the second one (the first was reserved for the current king, who was Thomas), there came a knock at the door. When Elckip, the runner-up from the day before, opened the door, he saw a very bald, polite salespickle there. This was, of course, Thomas. "Hello sir," the salespickle said, "would you like to buy this amazing conditioner? It'll really make your hair look as cool as a baby pickle!" (a baby pickle is obviously a cucumber) "Why, I sure would!" exclaimed Elckip. Little did he know, the "conditioner" was actually a hair loss formula. Thomas sold a bottle to every contestant that day, from Lickep down to little Clepik. When everyone took the stage, the winner was obvious. Apart from Thomas, every single pickle had 3 hairs or less on their head. So Thomas forever remained the king. And they all, except Thomas, lived baldly ever after. The end.
The moral of the story? Always check the label before applying so-called conditioner.
Safety vote for dp for now. Will come back to see if anyone wants to start a majority. I think the psych sounded like a younger (20 or less) person to me. But we'll see.
***
All the contestants, except Thomas, were in their dressing rooms, doing final adjustments to their hair. Suddenly, at the second one (the first was reserved for the current king, who was Thomas), there came a knock at the door. When Elckip, the runner-up from the day before, opened the door, he saw a very bald, polite salespickle there. This was, of course, Thomas. "Hello sir," the salespickle said, "would you like to buy this amazing conditioner? It'll really make your hair look as cool as a baby pickle!" (a baby pickle is obviously a cucumber) "Why, I sure would!" exclaimed Elckip. Little did he know, the "conditioner" was actually a hair loss formula. Thomas sold a bottle to every contestant that day, from Lickep down to little Clepik. When everyone took the stage, the winner was obvious. Apart from Thomas, every single pickle had 3 hairs or less on their head. So Thomas forever remained the king. And they all, except Thomas, lived baldly ever after. The end.
The moral of the story? Always check the label before applying so-called conditioner.
Safety vote for dp for now. Will come back to see if anyone wants to start a majority. I think the psych sounded like a younger (20 or less) person to me. But we'll see.
Voting buu again for now so I don't forget.
Loved how the names in your story are all anagrams of pickle, kitty
I think that the first person to be PMed last round is most likely clear, because cg specifically said that she PMed the winner AND the boss to let the boss know not to fire either.
So, whoever it was, LET US KNOW.
Will write story later. Can we write about Harry Potter or something next? Something I can make messed up?
I'm good at messing stuff up
Loved how the names in your story are all anagrams of pickle, kitty
I think that the first person to be PMed last round is most likely clear, because cg specifically said that she PMed the winner AND the boss to let the boss know not to fire either.
So, whoever it was, LET US KNOW.
Will write story later. Can we write about Harry Potter or something next? Something I can make messed up?
I'm good at messing stuff up
babyjuice wrote:
Loved how the names in your story are all anagrams of pickle, kitty
Haha yeah. I didn't feel like coming up with better names (normally I agonize over every single name in the stories I write) so I just decided to be lazy and anagram it. My computer freaked out trying to autocorrect them.
Loved how the names in your story are all anagrams of pickle, kitty
Haha yeah. I didn't feel like coming up with better names (normally I agonize over every single name in the stories I write) so I just decided to be lazy and anagram it. My computer freaked out trying to autocorrect them.
Thomas, the king of the pickles, was having a really bad hair day, which is saying something, because pickles don't normally have hair. He called an assembly to take place in Cucumber Hall. "I have an announcement," Thomas declared. "I have realized my hair looks horrible today. Anyone who figures out a way to fix it will be granted one wish from my personal magician." A huge clamor filled Cucumber Hall. Other pickles were jumping out windows, sprinting toward doors, and hurrying to find something to fix King Thomas's hair. After the Hall had emptied, only one pickle remained. It was an elder pickle, who had been in Pickleland longer than any other pickle. Being as old as he was, he slowly hobbled up to Thomas's throne. "May I have my wish before I fix your problem?" he croaked out. "Of course, but if you fail to fix my bad hair day, you will be forever banished from Pickleland," replied Thomas. He then proceeded to call in his magician to Cucumber Hall. The old pickle, who was unselfish, then made his wish. "I wish for King Thomas to have a good hair day." Sparks flew, smoke filled the air, and when it cleared, Thomas had a fantastic new hairdo. He was overjoyed, and the old pickle was quickly given a place on the King's council because of his wisdom. He never had a bad hair day again. The End.
Randomly voting for book.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy books and chocolate, and that's more or less the same thing.
Randomly voting for book.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy books and chocolate, and that's more or less the same thing.
Look at sirhars new game... his whos the marxist was offensive enough but this is going to far.
Anyway back to the game at hand. Heres my story.
Thomas, the king of the pickles, was having a really bad hair day, which is saying something, because pickles don't normally have hair. Pickles are a very interesting species, actually, despite the common belief that they are just a delicious pickled food. They have feelings, ya know.
Happy ever after in the marketplace, Desmond lets the children lend a hand. Molly stays at home and does her pretty face, and in the evening she's the singer with the band!
Anyway back to the game at hand. Heres my story.
Thomas, the king of the pickles, was having a really bad hair day, which is saying something, because pickles don't normally have hair. Pickles are a very interesting species, actually, despite the common belief that they are just a delicious pickled food. They have feelings, ya know.
Happy ever after in the marketplace, Desmond lets the children lend a hand. Molly stays at home and does her pretty face, and in the evening she's the singer with the band!
God... he is really pushing it.
What was his other game?
I don't wanna type. MAKE ME
What was his other game?
I don't wanna type. MAKE ME
Cg sent me a pm saying I had immunity for round 2 which is kind of strange because i didn't even write a story...
Anyways I'm going to keep my pickle story short cause I'm getting ready to go to bed and school starts back up for me tomorrow.
Thomas, the king of the pickles, was having a really bad hair day, which is saying something, because pickles don't normally have hair. But it just so happened that this one did. And that is why this pickle was the king. When Thomas was being made from a cucumber to a pickle, a clump of hair was dropped onto him right before he was put into the preservatives. And so he mutated into a pickle with hair. Nobody would eat him because he had hair so he was crowned king and has been king for the entire five years he has been a pickle.
Now it just so happens that Thomas was having a bad hair day. When he reached up to fix his hair, he realized that there was something squishy under his hair. He realized it was him! He was rotting! Soon his entire body was rotted and he died. The end.
Safety vote on koin.
Ghosts are actually caused by Chuck Norris killing people faster than Death can process them.
Anyways I'm going to keep my pickle story short cause I'm getting ready to go to bed and school starts back up for me tomorrow.
Thomas, the king of the pickles, was having a really bad hair day, which is saying something, because pickles don't normally have hair. But it just so happened that this one did. And that is why this pickle was the king. When Thomas was being made from a cucumber to a pickle, a clump of hair was dropped onto him right before he was put into the preservatives. And so he mutated into a pickle with hair. Nobody would eat him because he had hair so he was crowned king and has been king for the entire five years he has been a pickle.
Now it just so happens that Thomas was having a bad hair day. When he reached up to fix his hair, he realized that there was something squishy under his hair. He realized it was him! He was rotting! Soon his entire body was rotted and he died. The end.
Safety vote on koin.
Ghosts are actually caused by Chuck Norris killing people faster than Death can process them.
Wow. That game could end badly. At least it's private? IDK if that'll change anything...
Wow rach, that's... unfortunate.
If God is watching us, the least we can do is be entertaining.
If God is watching us, the least we can do is be entertaining.
looks like i got online pretty late yet again. am at school now, so i wont type a story. might not type a story this round later as well
i will log a random vote for now....
edit: voted sadface for now.
voting list, anyone/?
---This message was edited on 2012-09-04 02:25:26---
Leo: Hold on. This is gonna hurt. Coach Hedge: I was BORN for HURT!!
i will log a random vote for now....
edit: voted sadface for now.
voting list, anyone/?
---This message was edited on 2012-09-04 02:25:26---
Leo: Hold on. This is gonna hurt. Coach Hedge: I was BORN for HURT!!
For my story now, since i have reached home.
Thomas, the king of the pickles, was having a really bad hair day, which is saying something, because pickles don't normally have hair. He woke up that morning to find that overnight, his facial hair had grown so long that he couldnt walk without tripping over his beard. He immediately summoned his barber, Mr. Snippets, to cut his hair. But he didnt realise that along with length, his hair had also grown in strength, and it was impossible for Mr. Snippet to cut that hair with his tiny scissors.
The council advised Thomas to call a woodcutter to chop off his beard. The king decided that it was a wise idea, and asked his steward to summon the nearest woodcutter.
It so happened that the nearest woodcutter was a burly man named Haxaw, who could weild 3 axes at a time. He was so big that his girth was bigger than most of the trees he felled. And his arms had become huge as he had been chopping wood since he was 5.
When Haxaw arrived, the king was pleased with his steward, and gifted him 2 gold coins as a reward. Then he asked Haxaw to weild his axe and chop off the long beard that was troubling him since morning.
Haxaw called the steward and asked him to hold one end of the beard and walk as far as possible, so the the beard was fully stretched. Then he lifted his heaviest and sharpest axe 8 feet above the ground, and brought it down in one sweeping arc, cutting clean through the beard.
But the froce on the axe was so much that the axe lodged itself 5 inches into the ground. But Haxaw, being as strong as he was, simply pulled out the axe like a match stick, took his reward from the king (5 gold coins), and walked home to continue chopping wood.
Leo: Hold on. This is gonna hurt. Coach Hedge: I was BORN for HURT!!
Thomas, the king of the pickles, was having a really bad hair day, which is saying something, because pickles don't normally have hair. He woke up that morning to find that overnight, his facial hair had grown so long that he couldnt walk without tripping over his beard. He immediately summoned his barber, Mr. Snippets, to cut his hair. But he didnt realise that along with length, his hair had also grown in strength, and it was impossible for Mr. Snippet to cut that hair with his tiny scissors.
The council advised Thomas to call a woodcutter to chop off his beard. The king decided that it was a wise idea, and asked his steward to summon the nearest woodcutter.
It so happened that the nearest woodcutter was a burly man named Haxaw, who could weild 3 axes at a time. He was so big that his girth was bigger than most of the trees he felled. And his arms had become huge as he had been chopping wood since he was 5.
When Haxaw arrived, the king was pleased with his steward, and gifted him 2 gold coins as a reward. Then he asked Haxaw to weild his axe and chop off the long beard that was troubling him since morning.
Haxaw called the steward and asked him to hold one end of the beard and walk as far as possible, so the the beard was fully stretched. Then he lifted his heaviest and sharpest axe 8 feet above the ground, and brought it down in one sweeping arc, cutting clean through the beard.
But the froce on the axe was so much that the axe lodged itself 5 inches into the ground. But Haxaw, being as strong as he was, simply pulled out the axe like a match stick, took his reward from the king (5 gold coins), and walked home to continue chopping wood.
Leo: Hold on. This is gonna hurt. Coach Hedge: I was BORN for HURT!!
Here's my story. I'll vote in a little while.
Thomas, the king of the pickles, was having a really bad hair day, which is saying something, because pickles don't normally have hair. King Thomas was famous throughout the land for his luxurious locks. Beets, olives, and even apples would travel for miles and miles just for a glimpse of the top of King Thomas. They would bring gifts and jars of all sizes for King Thomas to bask in. But not today, today was different.
For some reason, on this particular day, King Thomas's hair was standing straight up in the air. Maybe in was the friction in the air. Maybe it was that faulty electrical socket next to him bed. No one really knows. King Thomas just knew he didn't like it. He tried washing his hair. He tried mousse, hairspray, gels, and oils. Nothing helped. His hair would do nothing except what he didn't want.
However, there was one, who did indeed like the hair. If fact, this one loved the king's hair very much. Marty the sunflower seed had been looking for a new home for himself and his family. Ever since the calamity of 83, they had nowhere to live. He saw upon the king's head a lovely forest with plenty of room for Marty's family to grow. So Marty approached the king and began to speak. King Thomas could not hear, so Marty spoke louder.
Marty beseeched King Thomas with his request. King Thomas was taken aback. His hair was his crowning glory, the envy of all. But even though King Thomas was a proud pickle, he was also a benevolent one as well. So, Marty and his family moved into the hair atop King Thomas's dome.
Eventually, as Marty and his family grew older, they became beautiful sunflowers. They sprouted forth from between King Thomas's hairs. So, King Thomas with his sunflower hair became even more renowned than ever before.
"For me, the saxophone is a way of expression" - Kenneth Thomson
Thomas, the king of the pickles, was having a really bad hair day, which is saying something, because pickles don't normally have hair. King Thomas was famous throughout the land for his luxurious locks. Beets, olives, and even apples would travel for miles and miles just for a glimpse of the top of King Thomas. They would bring gifts and jars of all sizes for King Thomas to bask in. But not today, today was different.
For some reason, on this particular day, King Thomas's hair was standing straight up in the air. Maybe in was the friction in the air. Maybe it was that faulty electrical socket next to him bed. No one really knows. King Thomas just knew he didn't like it. He tried washing his hair. He tried mousse, hairspray, gels, and oils. Nothing helped. His hair would do nothing except what he didn't want.
However, there was one, who did indeed like the hair. If fact, this one loved the king's hair very much. Marty the sunflower seed had been looking for a new home for himself and his family. Ever since the calamity of 83, they had nowhere to live. He saw upon the king's head a lovely forest with plenty of room for Marty's family to grow. So Marty approached the king and began to speak. King Thomas could not hear, so Marty spoke louder.
Marty beseeched King Thomas with his request. King Thomas was taken aback. His hair was his crowning glory, the envy of all. But even though King Thomas was a proud pickle, he was also a benevolent one as well. So, Marty and his family moved into the hair atop King Thomas's dome.
Eventually, as Marty and his family grew older, they became beautiful sunflowers. They sprouted forth from between King Thomas's hairs. So, King Thomas with his sunflower hair became even more renowned than ever before.
"For me, the saxophone is a way of expression" - Kenneth Thomson
buu441 wrote:
edit: voted sadface for now.
voting list, anyone/?
Uhhh....sadface was fired. How could you have voted for her? Sounds like the boss or rat to me.
I'm voting buu441
Voting list so far:
aceofspades29 - Voting for bookworm4god
babyjuice - Voting for buu441
bookworm4god
buu441
dangerouspie101
JQPublic
kitty-cat
koin_era345
marcuslikespie
mru212
rach2cats - Voting for koin_era345
Rhythmic - Voting for buu441
Let me know if I missed anyone.
"For me, the saxophone is a way of expression" - Kenneth Thomson
edit: voted sadface for now.
voting list, anyone/?
Uhhh....sadface was fired. How could you have voted for her? Sounds like the boss or rat to me.
I'm voting buu441
Voting list so far:
aceofspades29 - Voting for bookworm4god
babyjuice - Voting for buu441
bookworm4god
buu441
dangerouspie101
JQPublic
kitty-cat
koin_era345
marcuslikespie
mru212
rach2cats - Voting for koin_era345
Rhythmic - Voting for buu441
Let me know if I missed anyone.
"For me, the saxophone is a way of expression" - Kenneth Thomson
I agree with mru. What CG said didn't imply that the boss had not won. I can't say more, though, for I have the clearing clue here.
christiangrl wrote:
Weird. I wonder if the 'he' instead of a 'she' says anything about the gender of the boss. It's certainly possible that CG accidentally slipped this small piece of extremely useful info along. Dead/sleeping seems to imply inactivity. This seems to point to ace. However, after what I said about clearing ace, I don't think CG would be kind enough to offer such an obvious clue to ace. Therefore, I think the boss may be someone who didn't post but did vote.
By the way, if my intuition is correct, the memo and answer are either written by buu or imitating buu. I wonder which one.
I'll put my safety on buu for now. I'll write later.
Edit: On second thoughts, buu might be the rat. The boss would probably remember whom he or she fired. I'm not changing my vote, though, since it's not clear who the likely boss is yet.
Edit edit: Wait, no, sadface could be a mandatory. Please forget what I just wrote. Also, the only two people who fit in the description above (didn't post but was active) are rash2cats (though she posted this round) and marcuslikespie.
---This message was edited on 2012-09-04 06:56:13---
'An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.' - Charles Dickens
christiangrl wrote:
Is he dead, or is he sleeping?
----------------------------
"You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid – we know we're called Gred and Forge."
----------------------------
"You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid – we know we're called Gred and Forge."
Weird. I wonder if the 'he' instead of a 'she' says anything about the gender of the boss. It's certainly possible that CG accidentally slipped this small piece of extremely useful info along. Dead/sleeping seems to imply inactivity. This seems to point to ace. However, after what I said about clearing ace, I don't think CG would be kind enough to offer such an obvious clue to ace. Therefore, I think the boss may be someone who didn't post but did vote.
By the way, if my intuition is correct, the memo and answer are either written by buu or imitating buu. I wonder which one.
I'll put my safety on buu for now. I'll write later.
Edit: On second thoughts, buu might be the rat. The boss would probably remember whom he or she fired. I'm not changing my vote, though, since it's not clear who the likely boss is yet.
Edit edit: Wait, no, sadface could be a mandatory. Please forget what I just wrote. Also, the only two people who fit in the description above (didn't post but was active) are rash2cats (though she posted this round) and marcuslikespie.
---This message was edited on 2012-09-04 06:56:13---
'An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.' - Charles Dickens
did i write sadface? dammit... i hadnt even noticed that. i had meant rach2cats. i guess i was in a hurry at school. didnt get much time then. and sadface stuck to my head when i headed back to the discussion after logging the vote.
sorry for the error.
Leo: Hold on. This is gonna hurt. Coach Hedge: I was BORN for HURT!!
sorry for the error.
Leo: Hold on. This is gonna hurt. Coach Hedge: I was BORN for HURT!!
voting buu for now. kk that's all.
Sorry, buu, but I'm keeping my vote on you. It really sounds like you. Look on the bright side: if we get a majority on you, you get cleared.
Thomas, the king of the pickles, was having a really bad hair day, which is saying something, because pickles don't normally have hair.
He sighed a heavy sigh as he looked into his mirror at his dishevelled hair. It had held the kingdom together, until not long ago. Now it was doing the opposite. At least the terrifying hair would speed up his downfall.
Since the beginning of the year, he had not had the will to carry on. Nonetheless, he could never get himself to commit suicide, and no one wanted to assist the king who cried 'kill me' in doing so. Several times during his reign, he had asked one of his pickle subjects in secret to kill him, then had them executed for murder. It was so much fun at the time.
Before the beginning of the year, he was not even sure what it meant to be distrusted. He remembered how he had deceived all the people of Pickledom. His father died the year he was twenty-four. He knew very well that his older brother, Zhangzi*, was the rightful heir. However, he had no intention to stay prince for the rest of his life. He fabricated a story about the Cucumber Emperor (the ruler of the Pickle Heavens) having curly hair. He spread rumours that whoever had curly hair was meant to be emperor by the order of the Cucumber Emperor. He also made 'miracles' like stone statues of himself being dug up by miners. It was so believable that even Zhangzi believed him and happily handed over the crown.
After his coronation, he had Zhangzi killed in secret so that he could never be a threat again. He had his brother 'accidentally' drowned in the River of Onionodiles. The body was bound to be eaten by onionodiles, ensuring that his brother's body could not be preserved. If only he had not gone soft and killed his nephew Disun as well. It was him who was heading the revolt, at least on the surface. Then again, two 'accidents' was bound to be more than coincidence. Plus, the child was kind of cute. He had hair that was almost curly, blue eyes that flashed an emotion Thomas could not understand, a rather large nose for his size, and a mouth that was shut at most times.
His stream of thoughts was interrupted by the sound of a leaky tap. Drip. Drop. He tried to cover his ears to shield himself from the sound, but the tears that sprang out of his eyes only added to his melancholy. He was reminded of the massive canals he had built. He thought he had won the support of the people with them. It seemed such a great idea back then. It would have been had it not been for the forced labour. He had forced all men over the age of twenty to contribute to its construction. It stirred up a couple of small rebellions that were suppressed quickly.
At this point, he breathed a heavy sigh. How was he different from Paocai Shi Huang**? The thought of his own tyranny gave him shivers. As if the canals weren't enough, he had, on three occasions, attempted to invade the Kingdom of Fruit. The casualties were so great that he could not recall ever reading such a number in the pages of the history books. He pictured history books of the future, dedicating pages upon pages to Thomas the Tyrannous, from the murder of his brother to the construction of the canals, from the Fruity Wars to the Great Pickle Massacre.
The Great Pickle Massacre was the only one for which he didn't give himself full credit. It was mainly Jianchen's*, he assured himself. The grey-eyed pickle had done everything for him: he had killed Zhangzi, led the construction of the canals and suppressed several small uprisings. Using the king's trust, Jianchen had persuaded Thomas that all citizens who were not pickled, or were of mixed blood, were Fruity spies. Since Jianchen said it, Thomas believed every word of it. He ordered the torture and execution of all non-pickles, and offered a reward of 5000 pickle coins for every living non-pickle captured. As it happened, only 5% of the population were non-pickles, but at the end, 15% were brought to the capital and executed. No doubt some had brought pickles to the capital for the reward.
It was something for which he could not credit himself, yet it was also exactly what triggered his downfall. Another series of sounds interrupted his thoughts. He recognised them as Jianchens'. Suddenly, he had an idea. If he was going to be a tyrant, he was going be a tyrant to the end.
'Lingchi% that man, guards!' shouted the king.
The next few moments happened quickly. The door was smashed by a figure wielding two axes. Having killed the two guards, the grey-eyed figure threw one of the axes towards Thomas. As the axe flew near, the assassin took off his mask, revealing a face with blue eyes, a smile and a rather big nose ... and curly hair.
It looked like history would blame him for the Massacre after all.
*That means 'eldest son' in Chinese. Sorry again for the lack of naming creativity.
**Paocai means 'pickle' in Chinese.
***Jianchen means 'evil subject' in Chinese. That's not a very good translation, but there's not English equivalent of which I know.
%Lingchi is a form of execution in Ancient China in which a person's flesh is sliced off bit by bit.
P.S. if you don't understand the story:
Disun killed Jianchen, then pretended to be him. He then persuaded Thomas to perpetrate the massacre to stir up the rebellion. At last, he assassinated the King to ascend to the throne. As an added bonus, history would remember him only as Disun and not Jianchen, so he won't get blamed by the history books for the massacre.
---This message was edited on 2012-09-04 09:50:11---
'An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.' - Charles Dickens
Thomas, the king of the pickles, was having a really bad hair day, which is saying something, because pickles don't normally have hair.
He sighed a heavy sigh as he looked into his mirror at his dishevelled hair. It had held the kingdom together, until not long ago. Now it was doing the opposite. At least the terrifying hair would speed up his downfall.
Since the beginning of the year, he had not had the will to carry on. Nonetheless, he could never get himself to commit suicide, and no one wanted to assist the king who cried 'kill me' in doing so. Several times during his reign, he had asked one of his pickle subjects in secret to kill him, then had them executed for murder. It was so much fun at the time.
Before the beginning of the year, he was not even sure what it meant to be distrusted. He remembered how he had deceived all the people of Pickledom. His father died the year he was twenty-four. He knew very well that his older brother, Zhangzi*, was the rightful heir. However, he had no intention to stay prince for the rest of his life. He fabricated a story about the Cucumber Emperor (the ruler of the Pickle Heavens) having curly hair. He spread rumours that whoever had curly hair was meant to be emperor by the order of the Cucumber Emperor. He also made 'miracles' like stone statues of himself being dug up by miners. It was so believable that even Zhangzi believed him and happily handed over the crown.
After his coronation, he had Zhangzi killed in secret so that he could never be a threat again. He had his brother 'accidentally' drowned in the River of Onionodiles. The body was bound to be eaten by onionodiles, ensuring that his brother's body could not be preserved. If only he had not gone soft and killed his nephew Disun as well. It was him who was heading the revolt, at least on the surface. Then again, two 'accidents' was bound to be more than coincidence. Plus, the child was kind of cute. He had hair that was almost curly, blue eyes that flashed an emotion Thomas could not understand, a rather large nose for his size, and a mouth that was shut at most times.
His stream of thoughts was interrupted by the sound of a leaky tap. Drip. Drop. He tried to cover his ears to shield himself from the sound, but the tears that sprang out of his eyes only added to his melancholy. He was reminded of the massive canals he had built. He thought he had won the support of the people with them. It seemed such a great idea back then. It would have been had it not been for the forced labour. He had forced all men over the age of twenty to contribute to its construction. It stirred up a couple of small rebellions that were suppressed quickly.
At this point, he breathed a heavy sigh. How was he different from Paocai Shi Huang**? The thought of his own tyranny gave him shivers. As if the canals weren't enough, he had, on three occasions, attempted to invade the Kingdom of Fruit. The casualties were so great that he could not recall ever reading such a number in the pages of the history books. He pictured history books of the future, dedicating pages upon pages to Thomas the Tyrannous, from the murder of his brother to the construction of the canals, from the Fruity Wars to the Great Pickle Massacre.
The Great Pickle Massacre was the only one for which he didn't give himself full credit. It was mainly Jianchen's*, he assured himself. The grey-eyed pickle had done everything for him: he had killed Zhangzi, led the construction of the canals and suppressed several small uprisings. Using the king's trust, Jianchen had persuaded Thomas that all citizens who were not pickled, or were of mixed blood, were Fruity spies. Since Jianchen said it, Thomas believed every word of it. He ordered the torture and execution of all non-pickles, and offered a reward of 5000 pickle coins for every living non-pickle captured. As it happened, only 5% of the population were non-pickles, but at the end, 15% were brought to the capital and executed. No doubt some had brought pickles to the capital for the reward.
It was something for which he could not credit himself, yet it was also exactly what triggered his downfall. Another series of sounds interrupted his thoughts. He recognised them as Jianchens'. Suddenly, he had an idea. If he was going to be a tyrant, he was going be a tyrant to the end.
'Lingchi% that man, guards!' shouted the king.
The next few moments happened quickly. The door was smashed by a figure wielding two axes. Having killed the two guards, the grey-eyed figure threw one of the axes towards Thomas. As the axe flew near, the assassin took off his mask, revealing a face with blue eyes, a smile and a rather big nose ... and curly hair.
It looked like history would blame him for the Massacre after all.
*That means 'eldest son' in Chinese. Sorry again for the lack of naming creativity.
**Paocai means 'pickle' in Chinese.
***Jianchen means 'evil subject' in Chinese. That's not a very good translation, but there's not English equivalent of which I know.
%Lingchi is a form of execution in Ancient China in which a person's flesh is sliced off bit by bit.
P.S. if you don't understand the story:
Disun killed Jianchen, then pretended to be him. He then persuaded Thomas to perpetrate the massacre to stir up the rebellion. At last, he assassinated the King to ascend to the throne. As an added bonus, history would remember him only as Disun and not Jianchen, so he won't get blamed by the history books for the massacre.
---This message was edited on 2012-09-04 09:50:11---
'An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.' - Charles Dickens
Voting list so far:
aceofspades29 - Voting for bookworm4god
babyjuice - Voting for buu441
bookworm4god
buu441
dangerouspie101
JQPublic - Voting for buu441
kitty-cat - Voting for buu441
koin_era345
marcuslikespie
mru212
rach2cats - Voting for koin_era345
Rhythmic - Voting for buu441
"For me, the saxophone is a way of expression" - Kenneth Thomson
aceofspades29 - Voting for bookworm4god
babyjuice - Voting for buu441
bookworm4god
buu441
dangerouspie101
JQPublic - Voting for buu441
kitty-cat - Voting for buu441
koin_era345
marcuslikespie
mru212
rach2cats - Voting for koin_era345
Rhythmic - Voting for buu441
"For me, the saxophone is a way of expression" - Kenneth Thomson
I'll go with the majority and change my vote to buu.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy books and chocolate, and that's more or less the same thing.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy books and chocolate, and that's more or less the same thing.
Had a lot of fun writing the story.
aceofspades29 - Voting for buu441
babyjuice - Voting for buu441
bookworm4god
buu441
dangerouspie101
JQPublic - Voting for buu441
kitty-cat - Voting for buu441
koin_era345
marcuslikespie
mru212
rach2cats - Voting for koin_era345
Rhythmic - Voting for buu441
People who stated his or her vote: Six
People who voted for the majority: Three (if both boss and rat lied) to Five
People who voted for a minority: One
Total number of people: Twelve
'An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.' - Charles Dickens
aceofspades29 - Voting for buu441
babyjuice - Voting for buu441
bookworm4god
buu441
dangerouspie101
JQPublic - Voting for buu441
kitty-cat - Voting for buu441
koin_era345
marcuslikespie
mru212
rach2cats - Voting for koin_era345
Rhythmic - Voting for buu441
People who stated his or her vote: Six
People who voted for the majority: Three (if both boss and rat lied) to Five
People who voted for a minority: One
Total number of people: Twelve
'An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.' - Charles Dickens
you guys should count my vote as well. i wont be truly cleared that way. 7 votes logged. and 5 on me. 4 needed for maj, leaving two for boss and rat.
Leo: Hold on. This is gonna hurt. Coach Hedge: I was BORN for HURT!!
Leo: Hold on. This is gonna hurt. Coach Hedge: I was BORN for HURT!!
On second thought, since over there aren't half the people voting for buu (which would fire buu, if he was the boss), and I don't want to risk being a lemming, I'm going to change my vote back to bookworm2god. Sorry guys!
Edit: bookworm4god
---This message was edited on 2012-09-04 10:48:32---
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy books and chocolate, and that's more or less the same thing.
Edit: bookworm4god
---This message was edited on 2012-09-04 10:48:32---
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy books and chocolate, and that's more or less the same thing.
buu441 wrote:
Whaat? We need 7 people to vote for someone to clear them. Here's how: 12 people total. 10 can vote (boss and rat can't vote). So 5 is half, so we need 7 to include Boss and Rat.
you guys should count my vote as well. i wont be truly cleared that way. 7 votes logged. and 5 on me. 4 needed for maj, leaving two for boss and rat.
Whaat? We need 7 people to vote for someone to clear them. Here's how: 12 people total. 10 can vote (boss and rat can't vote). So 5 is half, so we need 7 to include Boss and Rat.
Oh - I forgot the boss and rat don't vote. I'm going to vote buu again. (I realize I've been back and forth a LOT this round, and I apologize for that).
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy books and chocolate, and that's more or less the same thing.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy books and chocolate, and that's more or less the same thing.
Sorry, I had you and rach mixed up. You win the real immunity for round 2.
^from christiangrl. So I'll vote buu for sure, because I won't get fired. Yay!
^from christiangrl. So I'll vote buu for sure, because I won't get fired. Yay!
@ace: you need half of the total votes for a majority, not half of the total no of players. so if 8 votes, 4 valid votes is enough.
Leo: Hold on. This is gonna hurt. Coach Hedge: I was BORN for HURT!!
Leo: Hold on. This is gonna hurt. Coach Hedge: I was BORN for HURT!!
We had this discussion in the last game I was in.
From the rules:
"The Boss must receive more than 50% of the votes to be fired"
It reads of the votes not of the people. But either way, I'll be leaving my vote on buu.
Voting so far (about 33 minutes left)
aceofspades29 - Voting for buu441
babyjuice - Voting for buu441
bookworm4god
buu441 - Voting for rach2cats
dangerouspie101
JQPublic - Voting for buu441
kitty-cat - Voting for buu441
koin_era345
marcuslikespie
mru212
rach2cats - Voting for koin_era345
Rhythmic - Voting for buu441
I added buu's vote in there. I think that's how it stands.
"For me, the saxophone is a way of expression" - Kenneth Thomson
From the rules:
"The Boss must receive more than 50% of the votes to be fired"
It reads of the votes not of the people. But either way, I'll be leaving my vote on buu.
Voting so far (about 33 minutes left)
aceofspades29 - Voting for buu441
babyjuice - Voting for buu441
bookworm4god
buu441 - Voting for rach2cats
dangerouspie101
JQPublic - Voting for buu441
kitty-cat - Voting for buu441
koin_era345
marcuslikespie
mru212
rach2cats - Voting for koin_era345
Rhythmic - Voting for buu441
I added buu's vote in there. I think that's how it stands.
"For me, the saxophone is a way of expression" - Kenneth Thomson
4 minutes left guys, get those votes in!
Follow Braingle!