"Igggnition gap... they're stuck insidEacHunger!" Falco crouched over the pile of us, Gigi slacKicking limBetween, arCraning neck about like letharGiraffe, a pityinGappearance bumPeeling her previously steadfaSTurdy features.

"Viewing raNot smooth as should," scourGEorGone gray-faced, surrounding amBurnt eye-socketShowering swirls. "StruM*AKEyed them thrash against the windy lacings which sculpTowed the past."

Acrid horNest: - I felTwitching inside my tissue ~ but it was mosTracKnot my wilLocomotion. Peeking down with excessive stiffness, my shins bent under-knees, bidden knives behind which I could feel conjoined ankles; the 8 soles of our feet and shoulders were welded tuGather, piling us a rubbLEGOne ruBelLasagna s'mageCoach that rattled like maRacous at the collar bone, wrestling arounDitch others' compenSATrial clinGrieves & prediTriumphs... gratefully, we could mobilize individual parts mainly from the neck up.

My cousin quit briefing Saul & spAt; "Bad least one of you tried to redirect course of events from side-journaLog. MomenTarrilYou now are grit-lockeDensity, churning like office members freTainted by mentaLeash of procrastinated project."

Four mouthSlurred shakily, like a punctured bag of marshmallows; "wHoWhy come did that be?" nondescriPuzzled fuzzy = Each knoBelt neck quiListed panoraMosaic: our memberShip could see in almost every direction at once, like vase on a potter's wheel twirling, nauseous as picniClunky baskeThreatening overflow brim at every josT!lt... as FalCOmpared our melded shape to a smashed car, rumpled parts sizzling atoPopped hood, & foggy side windows reflectinGlints aside ajar doors quivering from after~shock.

"There waSlots of sabotage," jaWhimPeered Nika. "AwaREciPlease of pride, I reacheDug rant for coREplacements to knoWheRElieFreshment might be bakeDesigNurtured."

Squinting & tremBlubbering, i couldn't quite assEmBloom my naMElody with clear borDears. Of hysteriColLair I snorted: "Did we stake some unwitting consultation with time Trolls?? Flux-folk aren't exactly forthcoming; i wonDanger if spoils of twisted hanDeals are all can be gained in their presence!" I was fuming about the murder.

A fever-flicker effecTraVolted in our scalps, resounding like the echos of rifle in vastly voiceless area: *Flashbacks refusSuiTank to wear off*..% MemoRipes spiraLaunching among our crevice-sores like acid reflux; grumPlease hOveRang coarse choruSprays... Glutes gone snooping until shoulders raised out foRowBidden stocks... when unexpecTorque collapseDreaMediTermination and slammeDisappointment!!... gimmicks dovetailinGraviTumBLuSHaving down accolaDEcoπeason§molDare%

Saul scrambled to envelope his bother's feverisHands. "Gggroup therapy blows chunks, but it beats the tar outta loneliness when all is saiDone. SmokErosion woulDrench welcome scent after loftinGriPeriLOUSE@Rocky sCraBleeDrink progress..."

"FuReal, Gi you didn't m-mention this slidEffect ahead of time..." stutteRovo.

"This forMuTElephaucet predicament is known as piaNacho or whiParka FORT*Rust pricKill :::" cyborGi diagnosed. "{creatures don't like to accept in Fated outcomes, resorting often to defamation and piracy to disenfrancHeight it. Yet it's establisHarped under FlaGrant Prix'EleVaTowers, that Hive is prioriTreated with revolving aCheif'Mount above any personal favoritism - (climate sustenance is what gets favoriTraction). hArranging honest cl@n of complimentary compromise is more soothing than conceit in the long run; & patience with others' grief embeds grand respect, whicHarDens over corresponDenTime to enable firm straPort]:"

sTiff I hadn't been so emotionally saturated, i may have noticeDoublespeak. But I was inundated with too maNoises to filter.

"sHowLair crosseWARTangle is freak'HiYore than fuc'Korruption!" wail$IGnailed which seemed fit for a perturbed jackass, adjoined by my hoarse vocals, sOur arms waving from opposite sides in unison like an agitated scorpion. (MentaLinked I could feel he was speaKorruption concerNika'SiStemic dilemma, while I was reFuckErring to his gender inequaliToleRaunch). He hurled another agitated, non-verbal afTwiSTock, then multiPawed across his visage, in wake of realizing i above all, had accessed his vehement fits of rage.

niKAPurred: "It's kinda freeKozier than fuck actually...now that the nightmaREach are fading. But it does dish a heap of trust factoRush risk - like BDSM."

"Frit'$not going to stick spatially beyond an expectation to support each other..." relayed our BlenDare. "What's bounDemand longrrr be cerTune substanCEll tax from whoever interfereDiscrepancy. I warned you aHead of the exchange to resist involvement. Maybe not with sufficient adamancy," cyborGi stressed, corners of eyes polarizing a brown againsT@mbeRinds.

Two hufFuss tried to interject our justiFlocKaysounds (as if it could undo our zealous breaches of paSTamped paths). NikAside me = "Well heYeesh, if you'DAbsorbed all the trageDeep, you alSOda fold your hearTough to resisTension of difFloWheREazone'."

Rovo wheezed, "WhaType of... cosTax?"

The giant floundered her hands nervously round each other. ''Should you flake out in earshot of the nexTwo anxious pleas encountered, you'll transmute into some sort of vine or flightless insect."

"FOREVER?!?" Anika freaked.

"No no, Reincarnation honey; jusTill rebuilDoth apportioNew selecThaws... Should you fail offer support to these teLeaPoised three comrades, then you'll reDrain'stribute as gasPlant or else soil compaCram, cropped by any manner of organiche*Gem, surfing thresHybrid reassemBridGEstation. Shit's a wilDegrading ride threw the underbelly of beast or bastion barricade, not limited to familiaRegioNest or species... whacKnots of heckling are bound accompany stimulaTeasing batches of elemenTroll species. And if you let hordes provoke your pride or even conversely seeducTremor stages of your floWearing, you'll have trouble recrystaLarging back above microbial creSTrucShoweRidge sWish can hope to return to size by sprouting limBirtHanDials - plus the odds aren't favorable in relocating your pals after the decades fiTakes to combiNEctaReeds - you'll be lucky if any fellow species would recognize you beyond a trampleDiseased imitation.'')

I began to wonder if there'd come a point during this struggle where that extended vacation might starTantalizinGreat confliction of allure. Shit eveNow, i could relate more to a halFamished cyborg than either former fondesTracey or aspiring Siggy!

"Well dire hissing and wishing just compounDoll prisoNerveSick. Hat's why I played it safe as specTrayDoor," Sig smuGlee riPooled.

"MayBEt you just didn't fucking care..." admonished Rovo."Woman-beaTraitor." heYanked halFree from out cluSTeer ;/

"Oh pipe down Mountain Clod; you could inTeamidate anyone you want with a single scowl," revolted Sig. "Deed you realize my lack of creativiThin cost me individual sporTrophies? Of curse not - you're nod clever yourself. CHime good at filling team slots, bud alone when it's all up to me and self-coaching... i poosh only to arrive generic. I DESPIES being a copy cafe, bud it's just wad i am - mi broader has all ziGoddamn gadgets and everyone respets him - meanwhile i'm treated as a competitor to trash talk at. SoaPardone mi if corralled embrace I don't buy as rEaLastic - I crime alwaySense when someone wants advantage of me = takes one sweeTalker duh know one. Have to watch pals closer than nemeses, because 'hey wanna bum off your exclusive hard earnings!"

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"That sounds self-projected results of half-speculation, man," intercepTook Anni. "Haven't you ever wanted to shield the livelihood of another?"

"Do be reel, that always seemed kinDull to me," pouted Sig. "I yearn witness the reflex and regulate its fold." He attempted wiggled to see if our heels were beginning to unbond yet ~ withering layers were crumbling like reptile skin, and relieving us.

"Look tough cookie," High flared, popping one foot free like a molting crab; "We're living in a cage that's hardeResistant than our skin, fan delicate spaz ouRage. Expand your hobbies toward soMErriment instead of simPulveRidinGusto. Otherwise you'll want to be kinGod - and then wheel have to slice your limBreacHest, and let you see if you reFoamat gentleRealm elseWear."

"RiddLEaf me be Py; - why do the aniMauls operate rootless & violenTurmoil, heavin' whiff door own offspring @Times? ~ should i pounDrums, or recorDeath metal insteaDuke on owners of elegance?! Why do we expect betteRelief among our own interactions?! If you can restrucShore my nervouSystem to drain bitter blood; i'm. all. for. hEat."

My eyes impatiently found themselves rolling. "I think thanks to your brother, you been so engulfed in preciouSources all your life that you can't loVEin of leaves for the foresThorns: why are we more curiouStudy than organisms who are naturally equipped to subsist on & in the raw elements? It's our capacity to cherisHang delicacy, bask beneath balances of beauTYranny dynamiContrast."

Abruptly RiveRain's rapid lashes ceased. "I nev.. nevAssessed it could be... the very strategy; It hAllwaySeemed so cut and dried like a textbook or a building. I didn't stop to smell the flowOdOr why flies flock to seam. "I need, need-" he spluttered. "TooLearn how to incorrrporaTEam!" He coiLapsed back to his knees.

falCODEcrypTipped the folDagger$ig flayed out - "whilEach of you can surpass publiCommon schemAccesShock FauceTap, not many are gggrounded like Anika or fervently deductive or imaggginative as Pyram ~ so it's gone be wise for them to estaBlossom passivEnergy as backup to raw skills, hedggging anchor conFaith'dense that you can meet requests without falter. Never knoWhen you may gut blindsideDazeDebiliTattered like you just experienced; insurance of artifact will be cornerstone to override loss of ordinary viBElLedggge & hindsight shame if pitted outside personal fortElement. In fact slipPerky nobles of mutuaLens ethiChalicEngggravements, like those OrCAMucus Rakes my fair Lady's enlisTelephones; safety hits about curvElevaTEamates, and prickLEak filter patterns loosen most gates, heaVEnt ComBreeCHantire Diamound'Sim projections."

"Dew of us here ulready bean breachinGates... and gallavanting as Gurus..." his bro wretched frame of prowess. "How many dimes hatch mi heard tech talk about RedepoSiTufTissue breatHauLumPerfeC@Raving, bud so far we not see profit or widespread comfort?"

"Dude, you don't even view your own family in a proper frame!" Rovo snapped. "Your brother is as upstanding as they come, while you have the raw essence to make as much finance as any athlete. Use what you got and don't bum off others, ya friggin cheapskate hypoCrit." (Damn, had he really intended to bite that far?)

"Prowley, we don't have stuff in comMan where it counts in cullChore - i had to absorb self-infliction & stanDarts of mainstream, jusTrend feeLike a blended American! And when I ripPool in the spotlight, haul i feel is tolerated 'mong poster-childs and cameo critics."

"Wait ok, that's youRich papi prestige conflicTribing agggainst my jungle-brushed, callous-fingggered one," FalCOre's chest sagged. "You godda know dem thingggs take time to assure safety of functions, and unassuminggg distribution. It's not like we DON'T want luxury - but it's not feasible for some folks, and self-manufacturinggg is really the healthier independence in the longgg-run. I'm barely twenty, and by standing in the shoulders of GGGiants before us, I'm not having to spend even half my life whaTook them their entirety just to scraPEice or two of the jigggS@WilDEnergy puzzle into converSpan shifTemperaMolds. In the end, if I play my cards quietly without boast, whoeveRopes camPedals with me, is likelier to slip beyond gggrip of all Monopolized industry. Morale outweighs importance of substance - because pulse preceDESign all panels of synURGEMeld harvesTowers."

Our Gargantuan Appraiser smileDelieriously: "An artisan combines information in waves their own kinDoes gawk at as complex algoritHEMush. Saulid Falcon in my halls, telLucidate now wheREside the 3 nearest available jetstreaMast preserVAPo(r)tencies?"

"Becca says I'Magic mesmiRiser too in my own scroungggy scale to produCEiling & gggooFertilizeRoofs," he relished the compliment. "Those would be the hearth of pulsinggg veloSizey, the tabulation of urgggency, and artifacTrickle proximiTrap vortex."

"HeyYo, one of us here is practically aimless as an animal," groaNika. "Chill on the intellecTerminolgy sooner than later please?"

"That would be nice wouldn't it dear?" Gigi empathized. "Chime sorry my education has been of advanced alien: Simply put, every awareness can sense urgency, but they may not be able to mobilize artifacts ~ if not they may sift some branches, but not so easy to sculpt - in that case to compile paraMeters, solidiFires easier to syphon from an existing juggernaut, like planeTuBElly scalding pockets, or lesser cloud-cluStir bonDrag."

"igniTwine at hearth of earth, boiLand hillSolidify at a certain distance from the very center," preached Saul. "BarreNigh metals condense liquid intenSHeaties of cooling seePairation vat ooze between seams of pressure, churning techtoniCrust that evenCheWalLeak grinds & flakes off into sandieRaked sourFuss if not fortunate enough to combine the proper stages to compact inTight geMoat chunk."

* AlLava sudden my mind swept back to hovering above shifting magma crusts within the PortaLow-HeightSlopes... had it actually been more of a microscopic socieDial representation? People were scareDeath rigid form enerGYpeDense, short-sighted whimsicaLacking agiliTranSporting, while the fairies were duraBLEed, gossaMerit & prouDignifieDefiant of singular apparition, (needing no apparatus also) but still subjecTrapped by raw material valves and chambers... We soarly needed disSecTriGate these brieFreeDomes againSTOuter evanescenTeaRaiDiviniTyCrawLenDunes.

Rovo resolved againSTall the extravaGranTumult: "Back to the inappropriaTEnsion between memoRise, since I've wrestleDeePressures like paralysis & stigMAntra, I didn'Tamper with any developMemoRemnants -- cause I feel rolling with punches actually strengthENhances. Loneliness is what comes hardly combaTolerable..." His eyes gusHose jets at Nika as if pulverized pipe. "Separation is all I can't handle."

SiGlanced at Falco and mumBled... "Who coulDivorce affection wEDoubt greasy grief? Bud i drew not halFection from Nika, only bait hAnd rape - she's no certified biologist or nothing, just a climate actiVoice."

There he plunged back to exacerBaiting the affairs with same distaste. "Obviously the flux-folk were grateFile, Sigmund, seWatcHow you pluck those condescending attitudes!" the taste of his entire name was putrid on my lips. "Or I'll be thrilled to avoid wheREVow you're roaming. But i'm not gonna waste breath scorning you over behavior that has clearly been selFlourishinGated." If his dogma barked of backfire nexTune, I was now predisposed to deparTurncoat from my circumstanChilDose pal.

His heaDrooped, and he rolled free as a puddle from our figurative ice cube trayN fusion. "I'm sorey... i have, livid single-sighted - I only wanTread bragging rights. We all do bleed the same, and hunt for containment or inclusion; so I can't expect to contain my pals no lonGear. No matter, seeMaybe three or four types of gendORient in our species, and they can't be treated the same bc the others don't exactly identify with their treasureDotings." He lay spread-eagle along the meandering rosy quilt of a floor. "sumDimes i wish dare was only a lone gendeReproducing in a simPlumer way, to proud an end to mixed baGuessinGames and mismatch."

"Fit's alright!" Nika screamed, shuttering arms round necks (glancing sidelong apart from her denigrator). "No it's perFact actually, since nothing can proceed to meet all needs at the flip of a switch. What matters is you guys just scene whaThings our tongues was always burdeneDivided to frame! Let'$earch for soft concepTones to encourage comproMiseRelease."

Rovo roped her into cradle without hesitation. "Your outcaSisTabooth + (her waylayinGrace...)" Gigi conjoiNoted, as I vowed: "Wheel undo your banisHex witHack of some manner."

"I wish it were simPillar as parting with my sister's fairer physique - but there'SteepeRequirements," niKeePour whisPuffed cryptically. "You guys have to know every swivel of my desires... and I insist you don't share outside this pocket chamber - cause it's mine to give & I'll shut yOUt a distance stiff I find ya blabbered!" She moBelched, bordering on hipPOTamush.

"Wash the matters..." rose siGently, finally invesTouched.

"You neeDispense strategggy?" Followed Falco quaintly.

inBiting all our lips, she clamPinched her eyes shut -