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It seems that the 1792 flashbacks (or the 1792 flash forwards, depending on what you take as the baseline) have caught up with the 'present time'. Ebenezer Scott was killed by this Sebastion, who then moved on and assaulted Huard (as seen in the first post), Huard was nursed back (well, not really nursed back, considering he's still a vampire) by the mystery woman, then he dug his way out from his grave and ran wild through the streets, until the same mystery woman again ensnared him.

It seems a safe bet that the woman who has Huard in thrall is the same woman who hid in Scott's store. Others have already discussed whether that means she's good or bad. Finding out what her agenda is has become, to me, the most interesting current thread in this tale.

I agree with stnylan: the lady can work with others. And as Scott showed, she can work with humans. A capacity that Sebastion lacks, thankfully. As powerful as Sebastion is, his direct-action, take-no-prisoners approach is a handicap.

Based on the few interactions we've witnessed between the lady and Huard, I'm not hopeful that she'll turn out to be one of the good guys. Maybe an enemy's enemy is the best we can hope for.
 
Fb-fb:

That upsets the hypothesis that this all was a flashback. It is worrying but there does seem to be a disagreement among the evil ones. Let us see.
Well, there are still some flashbacks, but indeed not all of what you've just read with Huard is flashback. And will there be fighting? Likely, very likely. :D

That is a.... wow.... a twist and a half. I did not see that coming. So scott is dead and Sebastion is on the war path, so now it is Vampires vs. Vampires? But what of Temple? I reckon he will come in a save the day by freeing Huard from the Vampiric grips! Woo! Go Temple!
Indeed, we have a bit of a battle to look forward to. As for Temple, we'll have to see what he thinks of all this. He's not gone anywhere.

But of course. She would not abandon him, for he is her asset. Her play. Sebastion does his dirty work himself, but this lady appears to desire to set something up a little distance from herself.

He has to exist with his altered state now. That will not be easy, but then Huard was already a little possessed as far ago in London, thirsty with a different hunger. Now perhaps he is given the sort of existence that can withstand his famished intellect even as it makes new demands on gut and gullet.
Well stated, sir. Indeed, his change will come with consequences and choices, which you allude to a bit later in the comments. I'll address that in a sec.

I guess this means a vampyric civil war of sorts! What a shocker~ :eek:
Maybe not a full on civil war, but certainly two very powerful vampires. :D

Soon everyone is a vampire. :p
Maybe not everyone, but I have some ideas. One in particular I want to put in here if there is any way I can. Not saying who, however. Not yet at least.

A fine but somewhat expected twist! I look forward to the vampyric infighting!
Indeed, I've been setting this for a while. I did not want to whole change over all at once. I wanted to look at it in stages. Hopefully it drew out the tension a bit as well.

When do you introduce the Lycans? :)

Great stuff, coz. The setting is properly moody, Scott's frantic terror quite palpable. Sebastion definitely seems like a fangs-on kind of vampire, while the lady appears to be a touch more subtle in her methods.
Heh. If there's room, maybe in chapter 2. :D I'm glad you thought Scott's terror worked. I had not built that up enough at first blush and had to tinker with that scene a bit. Great that it came out as desired.

Stupid vampires. What do they know? Always sucking on blood and things like that . . . looks like Scott blew it, in a manner of speaking, both with his dispatch of Huard and with his getting totally killed by a vampire. I guess that vampire chick alluded to in the previous chapter either signed off on this or decided to go out for a stroll at a really inopportune time.
Scott may not have come out well with Sebastion, but his "dispatch" of Huard has more to it than simply sending him to his death...well, his final ending, let's say. As for the vampire chick...well, we'll see more of her motivations soon.

This really is the kicker. If she merely wandered off at the wrong time, Huard has a chance of retaining some form of morality even if he becomes a vampire, but if the former we have a horrendous plot...
Her desires play into this, definitely. As for wandering off, I'll admit, the timing was imperfect, at least for Scott. Do you wonder if she is aware Sebastion is so close?

Ultimately it will be Huard's choice whether or not to retain his morality, the lady can only influence him. She cannot choose for him.

The for all we know the lady could be motivated by the purest of motives in abandoning Scott. Or maybe not. I suspect the truth is somewhere inbetween. Perhaps she will serve what is right not because she is inherently good, just because she is opposed to one who is inherently worse.
I think this is spot on. Huard will have to be the one to deal with what he's become from this point forward. And her motivations...well, there's a bit there that I'll have to paint as we got forward.

You make good points but I would add that it probably is easier for him to retain his own conscience if there is demonstrably the choice to be made.
He'll try, but there will be some hurdles obviously. Can he remain moral even though he is a monster?

That is true. But the lady so far has shown one capacity Sebastion clearly lacked - she has obviously worked with Scott. Abandoned him yes, but worked with him. Sebastion clearly does not work with mortals.
This is a good point too. She's got something Sebastion does not...or it could be looked at the other way around. They are certainly different, but how different I guess is the question. Likely no way to tell that until the reader knows more.

Stake anyone? :D

I think I must have missed when he did the cross over.
The cross over came in a few updates, a little bit at a time. See Stuyvesant's comment as he's got a good idea on that.

Wow. Unexpected to say the least. What is going to happen I can only guess. I assume good ole Abe will still be good, but I don't know if I can continue to hope for that. Two vampires racing for the eye? I like it, though the mysterious woman is the root of it. She is probably the mastermind that pits her pets (vampires) against each other so that she can have the prize (eye).
That's a great thought there - I'll have to keep that in mind and see how close you are to the mark. ;)

It seems that the 1792 flashbacks (or the 1792 flash forwards, depending on what you take as the baseline) have caught up with the 'present time'. Ebenezer Scott was killed by this Sebastion, who then moved on and assaulted Huard (as seen in the first post), Huard was nursed back (well, not really nursed back, considering he's still a vampire) by the mystery woman, then he dug his way out from his grave and ran wild through the streets, until the same mystery woman again ensnared him.

It seems a safe bet that the woman who has Huard in thrall is the same woman who hid in Scott's store. Others have already discussed whether that means she's good or bad. Finding out what her agenda is has become, to me, the most interesting current thread in this tale.

I agree with stnylan: the lady can work with others. And as Scott showed, she can work with humans. A capacity that Sebastion lacks, thankfully. As powerful as Sebastion is, his direct-action, take-no-prisoners approach is a handicap.

Based on the few interactions we've witnessed between the lady and Huard, I'm not hopeful that she'll turn out to be one of the good guys. Maybe an enemy's enemy is the best we can hope for.
I think you have it, by jove. Nice piecing it together. I thought it would be more interesting to keep the audience guessing. Hopefully it has worked. I think it has, though were aren't quite done with the "transformation." In truth, it'll be a struggle from now on. As for our lady vampire...an enemy's enemy...I like that. Not saying that is what she is just yet, but that is close enough to the mark.


To all - I hope to have another update tonight but it may not get there. I'll work on it but some other stuff may come into play. Thanks for reading and your great comments, especially the discussion over Huard and our lady vamp. Very interesting to read your theories. It let's me know what is working and what isn't. Thanks!
 

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* * *

New York City, 1938

Sam woke up with a heavy head. Was he alone? He reached over with his left arm to feel at the other side of the bed. She’d left a few hours ago, carefully picking up her things and sneaking from the apartment back downstairs. She was at the bar when Sam showed up, early in the afternoon. A few drinks softened things up and then the two realized they lived in the same building. Imagine that. Of course, that conversation led them home to the very same building and now left Sam with an empty bed and hangover. But sleep was needed after his beat down earlier in the day and the exercise he’d had with…what was her name? Sheila? Sarah? Cynthia maybe? It started with an S sound, he knew that much.

He stretched his arms as far as he could letting out a long yawp to wake up. A sink full of ice ought to help the head. But what of the case? He really wanted to see that Else Sullivan again. Suspecting that was reason enough for his tryst, Sam let out a chuckle. He appreciated a little introspection as much as the next guy. But why wallow in it? Confront it and move on. Sam was into action and not spending too much time on things he couldn’t control.

After finally rising, he turned on the small light in the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He ran his hand lengthwise down the long bruise on his face. It still hurt. Perhaps the only thing that might take away the sting was a kiss from Miss Sullivan…or a better lead than a stolen notebook and an aching body. He did not look forward to facing Jasper White but they were scheduled to meet at the diner down the street. Then both would go to the address Sam had found in Professor West’s apartment. Another look in the mirror saw him sigh at the prospect of Jasper ruining his meal. Perhaps just a quick cup of coffee then.

Dragging a comb through his tussled hair, Sam went over the events in his head one more time. The beautiful woman…a rare gemstone…a notebook…a missing professor…the damn Germans…he didn’t know what he’d been caught up in, but his style wasn’t to roll over. With his teeth clean and a fresh shower, Sam seemed good as new on the outside. Even if his head still hurt, he was ready to tackle the case once again.

He found his way down stairs, careful to walk softly by…Sylvia? Maybe that was her name. Yeah…Sylvia’s place and he went out into the street, pulling the collar of his overcoat to his neck in the chill winter air. He made quick work of the sidewalk and soon found a hot cup of coffee in front of him. Blowing on it, he was surprised to see Jasper sitting down the counter from him. The reporter stood and sidled over, sitting with an exasperated look on his face.

“It’s nearly eleven, Finch.”

“Keep your shirt on,” Sam answered as he sipped his coffee. “We have plenty of time. The house ain’t going anywhere.”

“Can you understand the urgency of this, Finch? We must find Professor West. Do you handle all of your cases in such lackadaisical fashion?”

Sam turned to the reporter, wanting to send a fist his way as well, “Watch yourself, White. I don’t want to smack you, but I will.”

“I dare say we’ve had enough of that already. You got your rest and recovery. Now we need to move, Finch.”

Sam looked down at the eggs and toast recently served to him and sighed. He should have just stuck with coffee. He picked up a corner of toast and dragged it through a sunny side up egg, breaking the yolk and bringing the runny thing to his mouth. Taking one last sip of coffee, he stood quickly and moved to leave the diner, “Well, come on then.”

Jasper ran after and the two grabbed a cab in front of the diner. Sam did not speak the entire way, seeming distracted. Jasper did not interrupt as he too had some thinking to do. But he could not help but be distracted himself by the turn of Sam’s neck every so often.

Carride.jpg

Finally, Jasper asked, “What is it?”

Sam pointed ahead, “Nothing, we’re almost there. It should be right up here.”

The car pulled to a stop and Sam got out first, again looking back down the street. Jasper looked as well when he moved from the cab but he saw nothing. This area of town was not well off and many of the homes had long since lost their luster. There was no activity, and nothing but beat up cars lining the street.

“It’s this one,” Sam stated as he looked down at the piece of paper in his hand and up at the side of the old brownstone, dilapidated with windows boarded up and an iron fence outside missing half its length.

“Doesn’t look like much.” Jasper snorted.

“It never does, White. Ain’t ever how you envision it. But here it is anyway.”

Sam walked up the front steps and poked at the door, already opened slightly. That was a break. Perhaps too much of one. With caution, he held his hand out for Jasper to wait as he walked inside turning on his flashlight. It was musty; an odor coming from all over it seemed…a strong odor that he could not quite place. Jasper did not wait as Sam had suggested and bumped into him as he too walked in.

“Cool it, fella,” Sam turned quickly. “We don’t know if we’re alone.”

“It certainly looks deserted.”

“Yeah, well we don’t know that. Keep quiet.”

Something was knocked over somewhere in the distance and both turned quickly, Sam ready and Jasper finally realizing they might have some company. Sam pulled his gun and moved forward towards the noise. They walked down the hallway, the rooms having been turned into separate apartments long ago. The door to the left was ajar and opened onto a large room, dust and dirt covering the floor and only a filthy sofa sitting in the middle of the room. The fireplace was large but empty save for a can. Beside the can was a rat trying desperately to find some last morsel of food from the waste.

“It’s just a damned rat, Finch. Put that away.”

Sam could not seem to take his eyes off the creature and soon saw it rush away as if scurrying from something. And behind them a voice rang out from down the hall sending shivers up their backs…
 
Cthulhuy, right down to the looks-like-it-came-from-the-games picture. Poor Sam can't catch a break. I mean, he can catch a break, I guess, since he got lucky, but he can't catch a break. There are some clever scenes, as well as an allusion that Sullivan is a wampire. A strong allusion. :) I dunno why, but I like the eggs best of all. Maybe it's because it's 8am and I could really go for some eggs and toast.

Jasper is turning into kind of a jerkface, and Sam really does need to punch him. Right in the kisser, that's the lingo, right? Right in the kisser. Pow.
 
Jasper is turning into kind of a jerkface, and Sam really does need to punch him. Right in the kisser, that's the lingo, right? Right in the kisser. Pow.

Pow! Right in the kisser!

-Jackie Gleason

:rofl: Excellent work, coz1! :D
 
I reckon they have visitors they would rather not have, ie. Vampires. At least they stand a chance against the Germans. Certainly looks to be a bad situation for them, and White is being a fool!
 
This, my dear Watson, has all the makings of a 'clue':
It was musty; an odor coming from all over it seemed…a strong odor that he could not quite place.
Now, don't ask me what that clue signifies, but it has to be important. At first, I thought it might be the smell of blood, and that Sam and Jasper were about to find a vampire's victim. But then, 'musty' is not usually an adjective associated with blood. 'Irony', or, less confusing, 'coppery' would work better for blood...

'Musty' reminds me of 'earthy', which makes me wonder if the house has witnessed the rise of a vampire from the grave (if houses in horror movies can be built right on top of Indian burial grounds with disastrous consequences, then why could the house in this story not be built on an undead burial ground?), much in the way that Huard clawed his way out of the ground in 1792.

The last line, however, makes me wonder again if Sam is smelling blood:
And behind them a voice rang out from down the hall sending shivers up their backs…
I think this could be two things. Well, three things, but let's bury the most unlikely candidate right away. It is possible that Sam and Jasper are once again joined by the Germans, but I would be a bit disappointed if that were the case. After all, the voice sends shivers down their spines - if Sam's reaction to the Germans showing up is shivering, then I'm afraid I have to borrow from the Governator and declare him a bit of a 'girly man'. That doesn't quite seem to fit with the man.

So, the other two possibilities I can think of: either Sebastion or some other vampire is paying a visit, or there is someone near death in the house, letting out a blood-curdling cry for help.

Or maybe I'm once again way off target. Maybe my musings on the musty odor are so much hot air. Maybe all there was to it was Sam smelling, literally, a rat. They can be stinky buggers, after all. <groan>
 
I was suspecting vampires after the first update and I'm glad my suspicions came true because I love everything about vampires (Vampire - The Masquerade & Vampire - The Masquerade: Bloodlines are some of the best games ever made, especially how they set up the vampire - society en history) and i'm wondering how you will set up your vampires. Are they decedents of Caine? or a Curse? etc etc.

I still have to read the last couple of updates.. To my shame I kind of forgot this AAR (I will punish myself later) and missed the last updates.
 
A vampire is behind them I think!

A chilling and amazing update here, I can't wait for more...
 
Fb-fb:

Cthulhuy, right down to the looks-like-it-came-from-the-games picture. Poor Sam can't catch a break. I mean, he can catch a break, I guess, since he got lucky, but he can't catch a break. There are some clever scenes, as well as an allusion that Sullivan is a wampire. A strong allusion. :) I dunno why, but I like the eggs best of all. Maybe it's because it's 8am and I could really go for some eggs and toast.

Jasper is turning into kind of a jerkface, and Sam really does need to punch him. Right in the kisser, that's the lingo, right? Right in the kisser. Pow.
Not spooky enough for me. Good thing there is more to that scene coming soon. I'm curious as to your theory on the allusion with Miss Sullivan. Do share. And I'm sure Jasper would love to hear your thoughts on him. He'd tell you about it too. ;)

Pow! Right in the kisser!

-Jackie Gleason

:rofl: Excellent work, coz1! :D
Thanks. And yes, Sam would like to do that very thing at times.

Ooh, nice cliffhanger. Better churn out the next 1938 chapter quickly! ;)
It's coming, though there is a bit of business to handle before that. :D

Bad aggressive fellas have bad endings. I wish. :D
They can, but it's how they get there that can be so much fun. :D

Germans again? Vampire? I agree that Finch is somewhat out of line. Wariness is good in the business.
Could be a few things, none of them likely good for Sam. You know I can't make this too easy for him. ;)

I reckon they have visitors they would rather not have, ie. Vampires. At least they stand a chance against the Germans. Certainly looks to be a bad situation for them, and White is being a fool!
Indeed, Sam should hope it's not vampires. of course, he's not even sure of their existence...yet. ;)

This, my dear Watson, has all the makings of a 'clue':

Now, don't ask me what that clue signifies, but it has to be important. At first, I thought it might be the smell of blood, and that Sam and Jasper were about to find a vampire's victim. But then, 'musty' is not usually an adjective associated with blood. 'Irony', or, less confusing, 'coppery' would work better for blood...

'Musty' reminds me of 'earthy', which makes me wonder if the house has witnessed the rise of a vampire from the grave (if houses in horror movies can be built right on top of Indian burial grounds with disastrous consequences, then why could the house in this story not be built on an undead burial ground?), much in the way that Huard clawed his way out of the ground in 1792.

The last line, however, makes me wonder again if Sam is smelling blood:I think this could be two things. Well, three things, but let's bury the most unlikely candidate right away. It is possible that Sam and Jasper are once again joined by the Germans, but I would be a bit disappointed if that were the case. After all, the voice sends shivers down their spines - if Sam's reaction to the Germans showing up is shivering, then I'm afraid I have to borrow from the Governator and declare him a bit of a 'girly man'. That doesn't quite seem to fit with the man.

So, the other two possibilities I can think of: either Sebastion or some other vampire is paying a visit, or there is someone near death in the house, letting out a blood-curdling cry for help.

Or maybe I'm once again way off target. Maybe my musings on the musty odor are so much hot air. Maybe all there was to it was Sam smelling, literally, a rat. They can be stinky buggers, after all. <groan>
You are definitely on the right track. I'm going to be setting up some possibilities with the next few posts and then we'll see the reveal. Keep an eye out for that smell, it's there for a reason, to be sure. The real question is - is it a clue for Sam? He could use some.

I was suspecting vampires after the first update and I'm glad my suspicions came true because I love everything about vampires (Vampire - The Masquerade & Vampire - The Masquerade: Bloodlines are some of the best games ever made, especially how they set up the vampire - society en history) and i'm wondering how you will set up your vampires. Are they decedents of Caine? or a Curse? etc etc.

I still have to read the last couple of updates.. To my shame I kind of forgot this AAR (I will punish myself later) and missed the last updates.
I'm rather fascinated by them too as a villain construct, but so too to tell the history of a time. I admit, I am aware of the Masquerade but have only taken cursory looks at the material available. There is a lot of it. I have tried to build the foundations of these vampires using material from across the spectrum, hopefully utilizing those more familiar elements to assist the reader in seeing a strong vision of them, but I also want to be careful in choosing my traits, history and meaning. My "backstory" here will be likely similar to ones used in the past, but hopefully I can put my own spin on things. :)

A vampire is behind them I think!

A chilling and amazing update here, I can't wait for more...
Hmmm...could be. But then again...I'll have to keep you guessing. :p:D Thanks.


To all - another update should follow tomorrow at some point. Thanks for your great comments! :)
 
Indeed, Sam should hope it's not vampires. of course, he's not even sure of their existence...yet. ;)

Its going to be one of those moments when you know what is coming and they don't, perhaps they don't even believe in what it is, and you are screaming at the television... well... computer screen. :) I will try and subdue myself, but no promises.
 

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* * *

New York City, 1792

brownstone.jpg

“How?” he asked with sorrow.

“Would you rather be dead, Abraham?”

He drew his hand under his eye to wipe away a tear and looked up at her face – she was one of them. He was sure of it. He began to understand – she had done this. Anger began to surface and she seemed to see it and stare at him intensely. The force of her eyes made him want to look away but he could not.

“Why?” he simply asked.

She stood and walked the length of the room, again standing by the fireplace. She held her arms in front of her, her hands lost in her flowing dress. The smile on her face was too believable causing Abraham to wonder what reason she had to be happy. She did not say a word at first causing Abraham to stand and ask the question again with more force, “Why?!”

“Calm yourself,” she answered in a stern voice. “I will give you my reasons. You should thank me, Abraham Huard. I saved your life.”

“Life? What have I of life now?” He sat again, dejected and dropped his face into his hands.

“You have life for all time if you can use it correctly. I think you can. That is why I chose you.”

He slowly pulled his hands from his face and looked to her, surprised. “You meant to do this? This was no act of a Good Samaritan. You sought me out?”

“I found you, Abraham Huard. And I have given you a gift. One you will surely be careful with, but one that also gives you great power…and responsibility.”

“How can you…” he began to ask but she held up a silencing hand.

“You were looking for the Eye of the Dragon, yes?”

Abraham remained silent and the thought returned; his brain seemingly quicker after having been nourished. “Yes.”

“I offer it to you, Abraham.” Her smile dropped from her face and instead, she found a look of melancholy.

“You what?” he asked incredulously.

“I offer you the Eye. You shall keep it safe. You shall keep it away from Sebastion.”

“Sebastion?” Again his mind began to work through his memories; sorting them out one by one…he found the one with Ebenezer Scott and remembered the name.

“It was him!” Abraham finally shouted out.

“And he will return. You do not have long.”

Caught between questions and urgency, Abraham asked the only thing that came to mind, “Where is the Eye?”

Looking him up and down, she answered, “It is close to you, Abraham, but far away still. Buried deep, it shall never again see the day. But its power will always call for you as it has for me. You are entrusted with its care because I do not fear wrong from you, but I see your light. You must never allow him to possess it.”

“Why?” Abraham heard all the words and struggled to make sense of it all.

“It would make him all too powerful, Abraham. I cannot know what he might do with such strength, but it would be no good thing. He must never have it.”

“Why offer it to me? How can I protect it? He has already beaten me.”

“Has he? You ask why I bring you to me as I do. There is your answer. You are far more powerful, Abraham Huard. Your strengths…and weaknesses…must be learned and fast.”

“Will you teach me?”

“I cannot. I must stay here. We must separate and remain so.”

“But how will I learn?”

“You will learn fast enough. Stay away from the day, do not bring too much notice of yourself, stay hidden and in the darkness but never let the light leave your mind. That is how you must live.”

“That does not sound of life, my lady.” Abraham answered with sad eyes. “It sounds as if a sentence.”

“You may call it such, Abraham Huard, but it is your task to master.”

He suddenly looked around the room, a clarity coming over him, “Where is the Eye?”

His question came again and caused the woman to dip her head. She did not want to tell him too much. He must remain in the dark, otherwise Sebastion would see through him instantly.

“Do not seek it out, Abraham. Its power is not completely known and you, not sure enough to use it wisely. Trust I have hidden it away so that no man shall find it. Only you hold the key.”

“But why do you not simply hold it close? You seem far more aware of it than I. And surely you…”

“I must not have it!” she said strongly. “I do not trust myself and nor should you.”

“I do not understand any of this, my lady.”

She returned the smile to her face and said to him softly, “You will, Abraham.”

“I do not even know what to call you…”

“I am Selene. And you shall never have need again to call me forth. I shall not see you again, I do not think. The secret will be safe with you and away from myself…from Sebastion…from anyone wishing to hold the sacred Eye.”

Abraham thought about all she said and his mind raced. He found a natural feeling come over him once again and he looked to her once more, “My lady?”

“Yes.”

“I am hungry…may I feed?”

She smiled at his instincts; after all he was still young. But she knew time was scarce. “No. Now you must go, Abraham Huard. Do not seek me out ever again.”

“But what shall I do?” he pleaded.

“You must find your way, Abraham. You must keep it safe.”

She moved swiftly and in seconds, she was by the front door. She held it open and watched as Abraham slowly walked to her. She beckoned him out into the street and he followed her blindly. He turned before walking down the steps as if to ask a question but she held up her hand.

“Understand your instincts, Abraham. They should serve you well.”

She shifted to move back inside and he wanted to run to her but somehow could not, as if frozen in place. He watched as she turned, smiled and then slowly closed the door. All of the sudden, Abraham Huard was cold and alone in the middle of the night. Confused and hungry, he turned to face the street. He had no idea where he was to go, but he recalled her last words…understand his instincts.

Abraham Huard took a step and walked out into the night.
 
Ugh, it's difficult coming up with new ways to express my feelings about this AAR without repeating myself! Just consider the previous comment as written by me! :)
 
Ugh, it's difficult coming up with new ways to express my feelings about this AAR without repeating myself! Just consider the previous comment as written by me! :)

Get you own comment! :mad:

:rofl: JK... :D