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Souperion   Members

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  1. Like
    Souperion got a reaction from TheVideoGamer in PRC458 - The Town Is Shining Lively (Shining Force II)   
    Gratz, Evktalo. Nice work, all.
  2. Like
    Souperion got a reaction from Eino Keskitalo in PRC458 - The Town Is Shining Lively (Shining Force II)   
    Gratz, Evktalo. Nice work, all.
  3. Like
    Souperion reacted to HLEET in PRC459 - The 19th Anniversary - Free Round   
    Happy New Year !
  4. Like
    Souperion reacted to Bundeslang in PRC458 - The Town Is Shining Lively (Shining Force II)   
    It's results time
    TheVideoGamer contributed again with a bonus mix.
    Souperion ends with 4 points and receives the last place wooden spoon.
    And the winner of PRC457 is Evktalo with 6 points.
    Evktalo, you are the winner. You may pick a source for PRC461. Send the new source to me (with a MID/MP3 file, otherwise send a second source with a MID file) by PM, other options are PM me @ ThaSauce or by e-mailing to bambombim@gmail.com (I prefer a PM @Ocremix). Send your source before next Wednesday (11 January 2023), 11:00 AM ThaSauce time (18:00 UTC, 19:00 GMT).
    You may select any source from any game, but not a source with an OverClocked remix or a source which has been used in PRC before. An overview of the past PRC's can be found in the following links (I recently updated this site):
    http://sites.google.com/site/bambombim/prc
    http://bambombim.googlepages.com/PRCRemixList.doc (also downloadable via the link above).
    https://compo.thasauce.net/rounds/view/PRC458 for the votes and comments.
     
    PRC Round 459 is already happening.
  5. Like
    Souperion got a reaction from The Vodoú Queen in An OverClocked Christmas v.XVI   
    Cheers, participants and listeners!
  6. Like
    Souperion reacted to The Coop in An OverClocked Christmas v.XVI   
    Thread's up, for those interested...
     
  7. Like
    Souperion reacted to Cyril the Wolf in An OverClocked Christmas v.XVI   
    Flippin' great set of tunes as always.
    Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all of the above everyone!
  8. Like
    Souperion reacted to The Coop in An OverClocked Christmas v.XVI   
    And thus ends the submission window. I'll be getting it all put together and sent to Dyne within the hour. Thanks to everyone who submitted a remix
  9. Like
    Souperion reacted to The Vodoú Queen in An OverClocked Christmas v.XVI   
    Listening to it now.
    Great stuff and flows so well. ♥
    Feliz Navidad and a pleasant New Year everybody.
  10. Like
    Souperion reacted to The Coop in An OverClocked Christmas v.XVI   
    And here we are yet again. Another year has passed and the latest AOCC is done and ready for consuming. For the moment, it's a link to my Dropbox. But once Dyne gets the site ready, I'll change it go there.
    From all of us who took part in the overclocking of Christmas this year, we all hope you enjoy the music
    https://williammichael.info/aocc/
  11. Like
    Souperion reacted to Cyril the Wolf in An OverClocked Christmas v.XVI   
    Great job everyone. Love the arrangements!
  12. Like
    Souperion reacted to Lampje4life in An OverClocked Christmas v.XVI   
    That artwork is genious! Well done everyone, time to put this album on repeat the coming week  
  13. Like
    Souperion got a reaction from TheVideoGamer in PRC457 - We Need Remixers This Time (Lemmings)   
    Gratz TVG, it was slammin. And I love these wooden spoons!
  14. Like
    Souperion reacted to Bundeslang in PRC457 - We Need Remixers This Time (Lemmings)   
    I completely forget about this round.
     
    It's results time
    Souperion ends with 2 points and receives the last place wooden spoon.
    And the winner of PRC457 is TheVideoGamer with 3 points.
    TheVideoGamer, you are the winner. You may pick a source for PRC460. I already have a source, so I can use that one. If you want to change the source, send the new source to me (with a MID/MP3 file, otherwise send a second source with a MID file) by PM, other options are PM me @ ThaSauce or by e-mailing to bambombim@gmail.com (I prefer a PM @Ocremix). Send your source before next Wednesday (28 December 2022), 11:00 AM ThaSauce time (18:00 UTC, 19:00 GMT).
    You may select any source from any game, but not a source with an OverClocked remix or a source which has been used in PRC before. An overview of the past PRC's can be found in the following links (I recently updated this site):
    http://sites.google.com/site/bambombim/prc
    http://bambombim.googlepages.com/PRCRemixList.doc (also downloadable via the link above).
    https://compo.thasauce.net/votes/index/PRC457 for the votes and comments.
     
    PRC Round 459 is the current round.
     
  15. Like
    Souperion reacted to The Coop in 'Twas XII: Gone With The Wind   
    Another year's gone by, and it's time once again for the yearly Twas poem. This one's a bit long (as usual), but it's ready for reading. So grab yourselves something to drink, use the bathroom if you need to, and let's jump right in, shall we?
     
     
    'Twas XXI: Gone With The Wind
    by
    The Coop

    Twas two weeks before Christmas,
    and in the town hall,
    one Nick Fern listened as
    each man there spoke of all
    that had happened in their lives
    over the last two
    weeks since the last time
    they had all gathered there to
    talk of the trials that
    came with their struggle to stay
    on the wagon and keep
    their addiction at bay.
    Pam was the councilor
    for each session they'd hold,
    and her group was made up
    of just five men, all told.
    And though the room was
    warmer than the air outside,
    they left their coats on,
    rather than put them aside.
    Nick was the newest
    member of Pam's AA group.
    Matt, Todd, Brad and Joel,
    made up the rest of the troop.
    They sat in a circle,
    each on a folding chair.
    Six people were present,
    but seven chairs were there.
    The four other men spoke of
    how long it had been
    since the last time they'd touched
    some beer, whiskey or gin.
    They spoke of bad moments
    that tested their resolve.
    Of avoiding events
    that would surely involve
    everyone around them
    drinking or getting drunk.
    Of how the struggle, at times,
    left them in a funk.
    Of the yearnings and such
    that made some days so rough
    when problems arose
    that made sobriety tough.
    With the group being small,
    Nick's turn soon came about.
    He stood up from his seat
    and let a small sigh out.
    “My name is Nick Fern,
    and it's been over a year
    since the last time I drank
    any whiskey or beer.”
    After some light applause
    from the rest of the group,
    “However,” Nick added,
    “my will power did droop
    “a bit a few days ago,
    when I was alone
    scrolling through Facebook while
    I was on my iPhone.”
    “What happened?” asked Pam
    with some concern on her face.
    Nick said, “A memory
    I wish I could erase
    “came back at me when I
    wasn't expecting it.
    My mood really tanked and it
    made me feel like shit.”
    “Is that memory really
    that bad?” Pam asked him.
    Nick nodded a bit with,
    “Yeah, it's pretty damn grim.”
    Pam then asked, “Is it something
    you feel you can share?”
    “No,” Nick replied. “It's not
    something I want to air.”
    Pam could see that Nick seemed
    like he felt out of place.
    “That's fine, Nick,” Pam said with
    a small smile on her face.
    “If it's something that hard
    for you to go into,
    then I think moving along
    is what we will do.”
    She looked about at
    all of the other men there,
    who looked curious over
    what Nick wouldn't share.
    “So... now that we're fnished
    with our meeting,” Pam said,
    “rather than going home,
    let's have some fun instead.”
    A few seconds later,
    into the room strode a
    man dressed in attire
    for the nearing holiday.
    From the red coat and pants
    lined with furry white trim,
    to the thick black boots and
    white hair and beard on him,
    the heavy-set man gave off
    a very jolly air
    as he smiled warmly at
    the people who were there.
    As he approached, he gave
    his large belly a pat
    and let out a “Ho ho ho!”
    on top off all that.
    In one hand, the man held
    a full, big and red sack
    that he'd slung over his
    shoulder onto his back.
    He looked the part as
    he came up to the men, who
    looked as if they didn't
    know what to think or do.
    Some groaned a little,
    while others looked on, confused.
    And others still seemed
    to be a little amused
    as the Santa-looking man
    sat down with a grunt,
    removed his fuzzy red cap
    and rubbed his forehead's front.
    He brought the sack around
    and put it at his feet,
    then looked out at the men
    that he'd been brought to meet.
    “Gentlemen,” Santa smiled.
    “Greetings to all of you.”
    He looked to Pam with,
    “And Pam, hello to you too.
    “I've come here tonight
    to wish you all some good cheer,
    and to congratulate you
    for still being here.
    “For fighting your demons
    and trying your best to
    overcome your addiction
    and just make it through
    “each day, one at a time
    as you rebuild your lives...
    not just for yourselves,
    but your children and or wives.
    “You've all struggled and fought,
    and tonight, I'm here to
    give a very special gift
    to each one of you.”
    Santa then leaned forward
    and rested his elbows
    on his knees, then opened
    the sack before his toes.
    “So tell me,” Santa said
    as he looked to his right.
    “What present is it that
    you'd like to get tonight?”
    The man who sat there gave
    a bit of a laugh as
    he held up a hand with,
    “Thanks, but I think I'll pass.”
    “Oh come now,” Santa scoffed.
    “There must be some thing that
    you lost in your battle
    with your addiction, Matt.”
    Matt looked to Santa with
    suspicion in his eyes,
    and said, “Telling you that
    wouldn't be very wise.”
    “Why is that?” Santa asked,
    to which Matt then replied,
    “Because I'm the reason
    that someone I loved died.”
    When the man stayed silent,
    Santa patted his knee.
    “It's alright, son,” he said.
    “Go ahead and tell me.”
    It took a few seconds,
    but Matt let out a sigh
    with, “My old calico cat,
    who I caused to die.
    “I came home drunk one night
    and pulled up to my place.
    I went in to my bedroom
    and planted my face
    “on my bed and passed out
    until later that day.
    When I woke up, I called
    my cat to come and play.
    “She always did before.
    It was kind of her thing.
    But this time, Casey didn't
    seem to be coming.
    “I got up and checked
    ev'rywhere for my old cat,
    but just couldn't find where
    Casey was hiding at.
    “I started to worry
    and got dressed to go see
    if somehow she'd gotten
    outside because of me.
    “But when I went outside,
    I got to the drive way
    and saw something that I
    can't forget to this day.
    “Casey was pinned under
    the front tire of my truck.
    She'd died because of me
    being a dumb, drunk fuck.”
    Santa could see the pain
    strongly in the man's stare;
    a stare that was getting
    glassy as he sat there.
    “Bringing back the dead is
    well beyond my control,”
    Santa said in a tone
    that was meant to console.
    “But I think I might have
    something that you can take
    home with you that might help
    a bit with your heartache.”
    Santa reached into his sack
    and dug for a bit,
    then pulled something out that
    made Matt gasp, “Holy shit!”
    In Santa's hand was
    a small stuffed animal that
    looked very much like
    a chubby calico cat.
    “This is yours,” Santa said
    as he held out the toy.
    Matt just stared at it with
    both sadness and some joy.
    He looked at the way
    the white, orange and black fur
    was patterned on the toy,
    and said, “It looks like her.”
    “This is my gift to you,”
    Santa smiled as Matt took
    the toy from Santa's hand
    with a bewildered look.
    Matt's had fully teared up
    as he smiled at the toy.
    “Thanks,” he croaked out.
    Santa said, “You're welcome, my boy.”
    From there, Santa looked to
    each of the men and asked
    if they would tell him of
    what they'd lost in their past
    thanks to the addiction
    they continued to fight.
    And one by one, each man there
    answered him that night.
    Todd lost a coin that was
    a gift from his dead dad.
    He'd pawned it because it
    was all the cash he had
    and needed to go get
    his next alcohol hit.
    He didn't pay them back
    and they got to keep it.
    Brad lost a pocket watch
    he'd gotten from his son.
    It was lost in a drinking
    game he hadn't won.
    Joel sold his wedding ring
    to get booze, and his wife
    found out, divorced him,
    and then walked out of his life.
    As each man got their turn,
    Nick listened to their tales
    of how their addiction
    led to the biggest fails
    of their lives and how it
    cost them all something dear,
    and gave them the regrets
    they'd endured ev'ry year.
    And once each man was done,
    Santa reached in his sack
    and pulled out something that
    made each man's face go slack.
    A coin that looked just like
    the one that had been pawned,
    the sight of which left Todd
    unable to respond.
    A ring that was sold and
    cost Joel his lovely wife,
    which he viewed as the biggest
    mistake of his life.
    And a watch that was gambled
    away on a game;
    an act that left Brad filled
    with great remorse and shame.
    With that, Santa said,
    “I know these gifts won't undo
    all the feelings of regret
    that still trouble you.
    “But keep them close as a way
    to spur yourself on
    and focus on the future
    and less on what's gone.
    “You can't change your pasts,
    but you can make each step count
    as you go forward in life
    and work to surmount
    “the choices and moments
    that came from your mistakes.
    And I believe you will.
    You've all got what it takes.”
    Santa then looked to Nick,
    who seemed filled with unease.
    “Now it's your turn, Nick,”
    Santa said. “If you would, please,
    “give me some insight on
    what you lost on your way
    to ending up here with
    all of us on this day?”
    Nick was quiet at first,
    but then spoke with a quick,
    “My drinking didn't cost
    me anything, St. Nick.”
    “Are you sure?” Santa asked.
    “Nothing was lost with you?”
    “The thing I lost,” Nick replied,
    “had nothing to do
    “with me getting too drunk
    and screwing up my life.
    I'm just here to stay clean
    and prevent any strife
    “before booze gets a chance
    to screw up my life too.
    So just skip me, please,
    if it's all the same to you.”
    With that, Nick left the room
    as each person still there
    looked a bit uneasy
    as they stayed in their chair.
    “I... guess that's it,” Pam said,
    in a caught off-guard tone
    as she looked at the time
    that was shown on her phone.
    “Our last meeting of this year
    has come to a close.
    And with that, you're all free
    to head home, I suppose.
    “Just remember that our next
    meeting's on the fourth.”
    To Santa, “Thanks for coming
    down here from up north.”
    “You're welcome,” Santa said
    with a smile as he stood
    from his seat, and added,
    “I hope I did some good.”
    “By the way they acted,
    I'd say you did just that,”
    Pam said as she gave Santa's
    shoulder a firm pat.
    “Thank you for coming,
    and have a great holiday.”
    “You too,” Santa said,
    and then started on his way
    out of the room he'd given
    presents to the men.
    But as he went through the door,
    he found Nick again.
    Santa stopped where he was
    and looked over at Nick,
    who cast him a sideways glance
    that was very quick.
    “You alright, son?” Santa asked.
    “I will be,” Nick said,
    to which Santa replied with,
    “I'm about to head
    “back home for the night
    and take some time to unwind.
    I'm still willing to listen,
    if you're so inclined,
    “to share what it is that
    pushed you to end up here.
    If you want to, I promise,
    I'll lend you my ear.”
    Nick said nothing for a bit,
    as he closed his eyes.
    “The dead can't come back,
    no matter how someone tries.”
    “Who died?” Santa asked.
    Nick said, “Someone that I can't
    picture in my damn mind.
    So, unless you can grant
    “the dead some kind of way
    to visit with someone,
    I think this conversation
    is pretty much done.”
    With that, Nick walked away
    as Santa watched him go
    out the building's doors and
    into the falling snow.
    Nick got to his car and
    drove back to his home, where
    he got changed and sat down
    in his reclining chair.
    With a mumbled swear word,
    he got back to his feet.
    “I just want to sit down,”
    he grumbled. “I'm so beat.”
    He got a fire going
    to help warm up the place,
    then got back in his chair
    with some ire on his face.
    He rested his head back
    and let out a small sigh.
    Within a few minutes,
    he looked ready to cry.
    The ire had faded and
    was replaced with sorrow,
    until tears broke free and
    reflected the fire's glow.
    “I hate this,” he muttered.
    “This whole damn time of year.
    Ev'ryone else is happy
    and I'm sitting here
    “trying not to cry over
    who I can't recall
    even a little of what
    they looked like at all.”
    The minutes ticked by as
    Nick sat there quietly
    and a few more of his tears
    silently broke free.
    But in time, Nick dozed off
    and left the waking world
    for the one his mind's eye
    cruelly went and unfurled.
    The roar grew louder
    as ev'ry second ticked by,
    so much so that he could
    barely hear himself cry,
    “Mommy, what's happening?!”
    in a child's voice that held
    great amounts of panic
    in the words that were yelled.
    He looked all around
    at ev'rything in his sight,
    with his eye level at
    a six year old boy's height.
    This made the noisy house
    that was all around him
    seem much scarier as
    daylight began to dim.
    The world grew darker;
    like the sun was blotted out.
    And a panic filled, “MOMMYYYY?!”
    was what Nick did shout.
    The air was filled with a sound,
    not unlike a train,
    and the wind whistled through
    ev'ry closed window pane.
    His ears began to hurt
    as the air pressure grew
    within the home until
    the roof of the house flew
    up into the air
    in chucks that were big and small.
    Then came a woman's voice;
    one with a southern drawl.
    The house began to shake,
    the cacophony swelled,
    and he could barely make out
    what that woman yelled.
    “MOVE IT, NOW!” she shouted,
    and the next thing he knew,
    he was pulled down a hallway
    and hurried into
    the bathroom where she
    shouted, “GET IN THE TUB, NOW!”
    over what sounded like
    something'd begun to plow
    through the entire house
    as the sound of breaking wood
    and things that were shattering
    did all that they could
    to drown out the world
    with the loud racket they made.
    And as this went on,
    the light continued to fade.
    But for a moment,
    he saw the shape of someone,
    with their face and body
    blurred as ev'rything spun
    wildly out of control
    through the air behind them.
    And as the bathroom
    became chaotic mayhem,
    that same woman's voice
    came as daylight faded out.
    “I LOVE YOU, NICK!” were her words
    as she tried to shout
    and be heard over all
    of what was going on.
    Nick let out a scream...
    and then ev'rything was gone.
    All of the loud noises
    could no longer be heard.
    The wind, the woman's voice,
    and not a single bird
    made even the slightest
    little bit of a sound.
    It was as if there was
    nothing alive around.
    The silence was a shock
    as Nick found himself in
    the middle of what had
    at one point in time been
    the house where he grew up.
    But now it was no more.
    There was no ceiling or walls.
    Not even a floor.
    Instead, ev'rything he'd known,
    was now just debris
    that seemed to stretch out
    as far as his eyes could see.
    But unlike before,
    ev'rything was seen from a
    grownup's height while his thoughts
    went into disarray
    as he saw the rubble
    where his home used to be.
    And in panic, Nick let out
    a pain-filled, “MOMMYYYY!”
    But the voice that rang out
    wasn't that of a child.
    Instead, the voice was that
    of a grown man whose wild
    and panicked eyes scanned
    over the debris that lay
    on the ground around him
    as he relived the day
    where all that he had known
    was taken away by
    a violent wind storm that
    came down from the sky.
    “Mom?” he called in a voice
    that was filled with dismay.
    “Where are you?! Answer me!
    “Tell me that you're OK!”
    When all that he got back
    was a silent reply,
    he looked to the storm clouds
    and simply muttered, “Why?”
    as tears built up fast
    in his sorrow-laden eyes.
    But sorrow was soon joined
    abruptly by surprise
    as Nick heard a man say,
    “I can see why you had
    reluctance to bring up
    a memory this bad.”
    Nick looked around with,
    “Who the hell's out here with me?”
    as his eyes looked about at
    the scattered debris.
    “It's just me,” came the voice,
    and Nick turned back around.
    He looked utterly confused
    and what he then found.
    Where once no one had stood,
    there now was a man who
    was dressed like Santa,
    and who seemed familiar too.
    “Aren't you the guy from the
    AA meeting last night?”
    Nick asked, to which Santa
    replied, “That's me, alright.”
    With ire, Nick demanded,
    “Why the hell are you here?”
    Santa looked to Nick and
    saw both anger and fear
    in Nick's eyes as he stood
    on what had at one time
    been a house, but was now
    rubble covered in grime.
    “What happened?” Santa asked,
    his voice filled with dismay.
    “Get out of my head!” Nick strained.
    “Go the fuck away!”
    “Please, talk to me, Nick,”
    Santa said as he drew near
    to where Nick stood on some rubble.
    “What happened here?”
    “What the hell do you think?!”
    Nick shouted at the man
    before he turned around
    and continued to scan
    what had once been a house
    before the storm moved through.
    “I have to find my mom.
    I'm done talking to you.”
    “You're mother was here?”
    Santa asked as he followed
    a bit behind Nick,
    who walked toward the nearby road.
    “Of course she was!” Nick snapped
    as he pointed to where
    the old bathtub still stood.
    “She was standing right there.
    “She grabbed me and put me
    into the tub before
    ev'rything was ripped apart
    from ceiling to floor.”
    Once he had reached the road,
    Nick looked up and down it.
    He saw no one about,
    and uttered a hard, “Shit!
    “Why's nobody coming?!
    I need help to find my
    mom and get her to safety,
    or else she might die!”
    Santa watched as Nick returned
    and began to dig
    through the many chunks of
    his home; both small and big.
    He pushed rubble aside.
    Lifted up partial walls.
    He dug through broken
    furniture and let out calls
    to his mother in hopes
    of getting a reply.
    At times, he looked mad.
    At others, like he could cry.
    Santa could do little
    as he watched the man pour
    over all the debris
    as he kept calling for
    his mother to say something
    so he could find where
    she was trapped and be able
    to free her from there.
    But the minutes ticked by
    as the light of day waned,
    and Nick's calls to his mother
    grew more and more strained.
    Santa heard how the heartache
    in the man's voice grew
    with each patch of rubble
    he finished going through.
    “Mom, please answer me!”
    Nick yelled as his voice cracked while
    he moved over to the next
    mangled debris pile.
    As Nick did so, Santa
    looked about at the scene
    and took in what little
    around him could be seen.
    Besides the rubble of what
    had once been Nick's home,
    the world seemed to be
    encased inside of a dome
    that was made up of a thick
    gray fog that blocked out
    ev'rything fifty feet
    away, or just about.
    What had to have once been
    the back and the front yard,
    were coated with debris
    and so utterly marred
    by the wind and rain from
    the twister that came through.
    And what grass still remained,
    was all torn apart too.
    At the front yard's end,
    the sidewalk was quite tattered.
    The street fared no better,
    as it too was battered.
    Chunks of concrete and asphalt
    had been thrown around,
    and holes in both the street
    and sidewalk were abound.
    Yet it all faded away
    into that thick fog.
    Meanwhile, Nick dug through debris
    like a panicked dog.
    “Nick,” Santa called out.
    And when he got no reply,
    Santa turned and saw how
    Nick continued to try
    to find the one who
    he desperately searched for.
    “Nick!” Santa then shouted.
    “She's not here anymore!”
    “Bullshit!” Nick yelled back.
    “I know my mom's here somewhere.
    So help me or fuck off!
    Which you choose, I don't care!”
    Santa stood there and watched
    for a few moments more,
    as Nick called out to the one
    he was looking for.
    Santa then went over to
    where Nick stood and dug.
    And without a word,
    Santa gave Nick a large hug.
    “LET ME GO!” Nick shouted
    as he tried to get free.
    “I HAVE TO FIND HER!
    GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME!”
    “She's gone, son,” Santa said,
    his voice soft and somber.
    Nick replied with a frantic,
    “I HAVE TO FIND HER!”
    Santa kept hold of Nick
    until the man grew still
    and at last had a chance
    to let his anguish spill
    out of him in a sob
    that was filled with sorrow.
    And when Nick's crying had stopped,
    Santa let him go.
    Nick did his best to get
    his emotions pushed down.
    He looked embarrassed
    and kept his tear-filled eyes down.
    “I... I'm sorry,” Nick said
    with both remorse and shame.
    “I didn't mean to shout
    at you and act so lame.”
    “It's fine,” Santa said,
    his words filled with empathy.
    “I'd be in tears too if
    it had happened to me.”
    Nick was silent as he
    awkwardly looked around
    at the rubble of his home
    that was on the ground.
    “Will you tell me what happened?”
    Santa asked gently.
    “Back when I asked what you'd lost,
    you had said to me
    “that you couldn't remember
    how someone did look.
    I'm guessing they're the one
    that violent storm took?”
    Nick took a moment,
    but soon nodded in silence.
    Santa said, “The pain from that
    must have been immense.”
    “Yeah, it was,” Nick replied
    and then remained quiet
    as he seemed to gather up
    his thoughts for a bit.
    Before long, he looked to
    Santa with a pained stare.
    “My mom and I lived
    in the middle of nowhere.
    “Some dull, little town
    called Forrestville or some shit,
    which made no sense since there
    were no trees around it.
    “But that's where we were
    living until I turned six,
    and then Mother Nature
    played the meanest of tricks.
    “It was after my birthday
    that a storm came through.
    I'd only been six for
    a measly day or two
    “before ev'rything got turned
    onto its head by
    a strong tornado that
    dropped right out of the sky.
    “The thunderstorm didn't seem
    all that bad at first.
    But that changed pretty quick
    when the tornado burst
    “out of that damn storm and
    initially touched down
    maybe a half mile or so
    just outside of town.
    “The thing quickly became
    a really bad F3.
    When the sirens went off,
    my mom came and got me
    “from where I'd been watching
    it out on the front lawn.
    And barely a minute later,
    my mom was gone.”
    “That fast?” Santa asked,
    his voice filled with great dismay.
    “Yeah, that fast,” Nick nodded.
    “It took my mom away.
    “I remember her yelling
    my name as I stood
    scared shitless as the storm
    tore up my neighborhood.
    “I can still hear her voice
    and how panicked she was.
    But I stood in place
    like I was frozen because
    “of ev'rything I
    was seeing all around me.
    Our house was being torn
    apart, literally.
    “Chunks of roof were pulled off
    and the house shook like hell.
    But on top of all the noise,
    I heard my mom yell,
    “'Get in the bath tub!'
    as she put me in that thing.
    The next thing I remember,
    I just heard nothing.
    “No wind, nothing breaking,
    no yelling from my mom.
    When I got out of the tub,
    it looked like a bomb
    “had gone off where our home
    had been standing before.
    But thanks to that tornado,
    our home was no more.
    “I called out for my mom,
    but I got no answer.
    So I dug through the rubble
    to try and find her.
    “I called and called for her,
    but she never replied.
    I refused to believe
    that my mother had died.
    “An hour later, some people
    showed up to help me,
    and they got me over to
    an emergency
    “shelter so that I could
    be checked for injuries.
    The whole time I was there
    I just begged them to please
    “find my mom and to make sure
    that she was OK.
    For nearly a week,
    I had no choice but to stay
    “at the shelter 'till
    the police came and told me
    that they couldn't even find
    my mother's body.
    “They all searched for days
    and several miles around.
    But despite all of that,
    no trace of her was found.
    “Ev'rything in our home
    was completely destroyed.
    And from that moment on,
    my life became devoid
    “of people who truly
    tried to take care of me.
    I just bounced from one
    nameless foster family
    “to another for years
    until I turned eighteen.
    By that time, I'd become
    a drunk prick who was mean
    “and pretty much hammered
    twenty four hours a day.
    And for the next twenty years,
    that how it would stay.
    “I was angry and hurt.
    I had not one thing to
    remind me of my mom
    as I tried to work through
    “all the shit that had happened
    to me on that day.
    But instead of getting help,
    I kept folks at bay.
    “I shoved ev'ryone off,
    being the prick I was.
    I mean, I was ten
    when I got my first booze buzz,”
    Nick said with a small laugh
    and a shake of his head.
    “I'm honestly surprised
    I didn't end up dead
    “before I had become
    a legally grown man.
    And now, here I am,
    doing the best that I can
    “to keep my life from taking
    another nose dive.
    Taking it day by day
    and just staying alive.”
    At first, Santa didn't
    seem to know what to say.
    He stood there in silence
    with a look of dismay.
    “You don't have anything?”
    Santa finally said.
    “Nothing,” Nick replied.
    “All I've got's what's in my head.
    “A nightmare where I just
    never seem to see her.
    And in my other memories,
    she's just a blur,
    “like she's out of focus
    or something. It's damn weird.”
    Santa let his gaze lower
    as he stroked his beard.
    “At least I can remember
    her voice,” added Nick.
    “But what my mother looked like
    just refused to stick.
    “I tried therapy when
    I wanted to get clean.
    I told my shrink about this,
    asked, 'What does it mean?',
    “and he said that maybe what
    I saw scarred my mind.
    The trauma of the storm
    and how they couldn't find
    “my mother got mixed up
    inside of my own head.”
    With sadness in his eyes,
    he sorrowfully said,
    “But I really wish that I
    could see her again,
    and not just this blur
    that I've had ever since then.
    “To hear her talk to me
    without having to yell
    over ev'rything around
    us going to hell.”
    “I wish I could help, Nick,”
    Santa said with regret.
    “If I could, I'd do something
    to help you forget
    “what happened to you
    and your mom on that bad day.
    But I'm no magician
    who can just wave away
    “a bad memory or
    bring back those who've passed on.”
    “I know,” Nick replied.
    “I just wish she wasn't gone.”
    “I do too,” someone said
    in the same woman's voice
    he'd heard in his nightmare.
    “And if I had the choice,
    “I'd be right there with you
    to ease your mind and heart.
    But the world had other
    plans to keep us apart.”
    Nick began to look
    all around bewilderedly.
    “What the-?” he uttered.
    “Yes, Nick,” the voice said. “It's me.”
    “But... how?” he asked, puzzled
    at what he had just heard.
    That was when a shape appeared
    that was very blurred.
    So much so, that it looked
    like some odd-colored cloud
    that resembled who
    he'd seen when the F3 plowed
    into their home and he'd been
    gotten to safety.
    “Mom?” he asked as he watched
    the cloud. “Is it really-”
    “I don't have a lot of time,”
    the woman's voice said.
    “So please, don't ask questions.
    Just let me speak instead.
    “I know you lost me
    when you were just a young boy.
    That you suffered a lot
    and found so little joy
    “as you tried to grow up
    without me at your side.
    That you felt so alone
    as you grieved and you cried.
    “But I've always been near you
    when you needed me.
    I just had no voice to hear,
    or body to see.”
    “I don't even have a place
    to mourn you,” Nick plead.
    “No pictures, no trinkets...
    I got nothing, instead.”
    “I know,” the woman's voice came.
    “I'm here to fix that.
    It's the best I can do
    with our brief time to chat.
    “When you wake up, my boy,
    go to the place you'll see.
    Once you get there, I promise
    that you will find me.”
    It was then that the sound
    of sirens began to
    fade in from the distance
    as they made their way through
    the fog that surrounded
    where Santa and Nick stood
    among all of the pieces
    of metal and wood.
    “Help's on the way,” Santa said
    as he looked to where
    the road vanished into
    the dense fog that was there.
    As the siren's grew louder,
    the woman's voice said,
    “I'll be at that place, Nick.
    You'll find me in my bed.”
    “Bed?” Nick replied as he
    watched the cloud start to fade.
    Then with urgency,
    “Mom, you can't leave!” he forbade.
    Within a few seconds,
    Nick was snapped wide awake.
    He sat up in his chair,
    gave his head a small shake,
    then mumbled, “What the hell?”
    as he rubbed his forehead
    just before a mumbled
    “I gotta piss,” was said.
    Inside the bathroom,
    as he took himself that piss,
    a mental image surfaced
    from his mind's abyss.
    He stood in place and mulled
    over what he had seen;
    of a place familiar
    with a lake so serene,
    the water had no ripples.
    It was smooth as glass.
    The lake was surrounded
    by a huge field of grass,
    in which a single tree
    rose up above it all.
    “I know that place,” Nick gasped.
    “I have to make a call!”
    Within a couple of hours,
    Nick had called in sick
    to work and gotten himself
    a plane ticket, quick.
    By early afternoon,
    he was on his way to
    the place he'd seen that he
    was certain he knew.
    Once on the ground, Nick
    got a rental and went down
    to the cop station
    of what was once his home town.
    He told the police chief
    about what had gone down
    with his dream and the lake
    some ten miles from the town.
    And once Nick was finished
    describing ev'rything,
    he was insistent with his
    request that they bring
    anything that might be
    needed to search the lake.
    The chief was hesitant
    and thought Nick's tale was fake,
    but Nick swore that it was
    all true and not a lie.
    At six the next morning,
    the search team was parked by
    that lake as they began
    to sift through the water
    and the lake's slimy bottom
    as they searched for her.
    Nick paced back and forth as
    he stood near the shore line.
    Hours passed by, until it was
    about half past nine
    when someone yelled they'd found
    something in the lake's bed.
    At that moment, Nick knew,
    they'd found his mom's deathbed.
    In the days that followed,
    DNA tests were run.
    The remains where Nick's mother's,
    which meant that her son
    could give her a proper grave
    for her final rest.
    And doing so took a huge
    weight off of Nick's chest.
    He paid the extra cash
    to get it done so she
    could have her place of rest
    given to her quickly.
    And on Christmas Eve,
    Nick paid his first visit to
    his mother's resting place
    in plot three-twenty two.
    On that night, for the first time
    in what had to seem
    like an entire lifetime,
    Nick did not have that dream.
    Instead, he slept soundly
    and began Christmas Day
    with a smile as he got up
    and then washed away
    the “sleepy seeds” from his eyes
    in the bathroom sink
    and used the cup in there
    to get water to drink.
    He left the bathroom as
    his eyes stung from the soap.
    And that was when he saw
    the small white envelope
    on the coffee table.
    “That wasn't there before,”
    he mumbled to himself,
    then looked to the front door.
    He could see that the door
    still remained chained and locked.
    The sight of that brought him
    to look a little shocked.
    He went over and picked
    the envelope up and
    took out the letter
    within it with his right hand.
    He tossed the empty
    envelope onto the floor.
    And soon, his sleep-riddled
    eyes had begun to pour
    over what was written
    in the letter he held.
    But just a few lines in,
    “What the hell?” he expelled.
    “Nick,” the letter began.
    “I want to talk with you
    a little about the
    nightmare that you went through.
    “What I saw in your mind
    was something horrific.
    A brutal tragedy
    like that would surely stick
    “with someone who'd gone through it
    for their entire life
    and undoubtedly cause
    untold amounts of strife.
    “It's easy to see why
    you had turned to the drink.
    To endure such a thing
    would cause most hearts to sink
    “to a bad place that
    many would not want to see.
    And such events can cause lives
    to shift drastic'ly.
    “You lost all that you knew
    in one minute's passing.
    Your home, your mom and
    the life you knew... ev'rything.
    “Those are things I can't return
    to those who would ask.
    To make it all come back,
    is just too big a task.
    “Your mother gave her life
    so that you might live on.
    She did that out of love.
    And although she's been gone
    “for quite a few years,
    it still stings you to this day.
    But please, don't fear that pain
    or push it all away.
    “It's there to remind you
    how she loved you so much,
    that your mom was willing
    to endure death's cold touch
    “and make sure you saw
    the life that she wanted for
    the one who came from her.
    The one she did adore.
    “That bad day took her from you
    in more ways than one.
    And though that event's
    something that can't be undone,
    “I hope what you saw
    last night will give you some peace.
    That the nightmares and hard nights
    will finally cease
    “to burden you now that you'll
    get to see her too.
    And that, my dear boy,
    is my Christmas gift to you.”
    “See her?” Nick remarked with
    confusion on his face.
    “It was just that odd cloud
    in my dream of that place.”
    It was a moment before
    a bright flash appeared
    that filled the air with light
    before it disappeared.
    Nick looked down a bit as
    he blinked his eyes quickly
    a few times to both
    recover and let him see
    that the light had come from
    the envelope that he
    had opened, which continued
    to still glow dimly.
    “What the hell?” Nick uttered,
    confusion in his stare
    that was locked on the
    envelope as he stood there.
    It took a few seconds,
    but he soon reached down for
    the envelope where it
    still rested on the floor.
    When he picked it up,
    he felt something inside.
    “This was empty before,”
    he said, then chose to slide
    his fingers into it.
    And what he found inside,
    made his jaw go slack
    as his eyes opened quite wide.
    He pulled out an old photo
    that was stained by mud.
    And when he saw it,
    memories began to flood
    his mind as he looked at
    the scene the photo held,
    which brought tears to his eyes
    as his emotions swelled.
    In the photo was a boy
    who was about six.
    He wore a shirt with
    the logo of the band Styx
    going across its front
    as he smiled with such glee
    in the midst of what looked
    like a birthday party.
    There were balloons behind him
    and a small cake that
    was adorned with six burning
    candles where it sat.
    Behind all those balloons
    was a banner that read,
    “Happy Birthday, Nick!”
    in blue, green, yellow and red
    letters that were tilted
    and lined up so askew,
    that it looked like it was drawn
    by a child of two.
    “That's me,” Nick said as
    a small smile came to his face.
    “I remember that shirt
    that I won in some race
    “at school, where we had to
    spin around where we stood,
    before we all had to run
    as best as we could
    “to the finish line without
    falling to the floor.
    I came in second, and that
    shirt was my big score.”
    But his train of thought then
    vanished when his eyes came
    to rest on who else
    was there in the cam'ra's frame.
    There was a woman next
    to his six year old self.
    She was leaning over
    and looked beside herself
    as she smiled with her arms
    around his far shoulder.
    She looked at most thirty,
    and not a year older.
    Her round face and warm smile
    were filled with so much joy
    as she gave a side hug
    to that six year old boy.
    Her cheek was pressed to his
    as they looked at the one
    who had been taking
    the picture of all the fun.
    Nick said nothing as
    his eyes grew glassier still,
    until from their corners,
    his tears began to spill.
    They made their way slowly
    down his left and right cheek
    as he let out a sad, “Mom,”
    that was strained and weak.
    He looked at the picture
    for just a moment more,
    until his emotions
    at last began to pour
    out of him as he started
    to quietly cry.
    He did this for a
    minute until he did try
    to regain his composure
    just enough to say,
    “Hi, Mom,” as he fought hard
    to keep his tears at bay.
    He set the envelope
    on the coffee table,
    then went to get tissues
    so that he was able
    to look over what was
    in the photo and not
    damage the photo more
    with falling tears and snot.
    Once he'd left the room,
    the envelope was taken
    away in a bright flash
    of light that was gone when
    Nick returned to the room
    and had himself a seat
    on his sofa before
    he brought up both his feet
    and rested them on the
    coffee table before
    him so he could look over
    the photo some more.
    For the first time in quite
    a large number of years,
    he saw his mother through
    both sad and happy tears.
    In a violent moment,
    nature took away
    ev'rything he knew just
    after his sixth birthday.
    The horror of it
    left him without even one
    thing or mental picture
    of the loving woman
    who brought him into
    the world, 40 years ago.
    But now he could see her
    and how she loved him so.
    The short stretch of time
    she was with him as he grew,
    come flooding back to him
    as if it was all new.
    He now had a face
    to put to her, which meant he
    felt more attachment
    to each precious memory.
    And though they were few,
    they brought him a new found joy
    as he looked at the one
    he lost as a young boy.
    Sometimes the world can take
    what is dear to someone
    and cause deep scars on those
    left behind when it's done.
    They can be on the body,
    or the mind and heart.
    And the latter two scars
    can still tear lives apart.
    But once in a while,
    even unseen scars can be
    healed so that the one
    inflicted, can be pain free.
    And so, as Nick basked in
    that moment's healing light,
    Merry Christmas to all.
    And too all, a good night.
  16. Like
    Souperion reacted to Bundeslang in PRC458 - The Town Is Shining Lively (Shining Force II)   
    Welcome to the voting stage
    The mixing stage is over. This round has 2 songs and 1 bonus by TheVideoGamer. The following people compete against each other:
    Souperion
    Evktalo
     
    To vote, do the following:
    Visit https://compo.thasauce.net/rounds/view/PRC458 and listen to all the entries
    Scroll to the form at the bottom of the screen or click PM.
    Fill in the entries from first to third in the ThaSauce form or fill in your top 2.
    State a reasoning for it.
    Participants are encouraged to vote and leave feedback. They get a 3 point bonus, but they are not allowed to vote for their own track. They should fill in their first place and leave the second and third box empty. It doesn't affect the results.
    TheVideoGamer has a double vote.
    Always look in this thread to find out who's the winner of the round after the voting stage instead of only looking at ThaSauce for the results.
    You have until Friday December 30th 2022 10:59 AM ThaSauce time (11:00 UTC, 12:00 GMT) to vote. There's extra time.
    If you vote by PM make sure that your top 2 is clear. I prefer something like this:
    (To)
    (Subject)
    PRC ## Vote
    (Message):
    1: (remixer A )
    2: (remixer B )
    (reasoning)
  17. Like
    Souperion reacted to TheVideoGamer in PRC458 - The Town Is Shining Lively (Shining Force II)   
    I got my bonus in!
  18. Like
    Souperion reacted to Eino Keskitalo in PRC458 - The Town Is Shining Lively (Shining Force II)   
    Proud to say I have 8 seconds started!
     
    edit: submitted
  19. Like
    Souperion reacted to Eino Keskitalo in PRC458 - The Town Is Shining Lively (Shining Force II)   
    Oh my Water Goddess Mitula!! Shining Force II is soooo good and Motoaki Takenouchi is such a fantastic composer. I also would like some _sleep_ in my life but if I can't find time for this round what is even the point.
    I know right?!
  20. Like
    Souperion got a reaction from Eino Keskitalo in PRC458 - The Town Is Shining Lively (Shining Force II)   
    What a fun town theme, should be a blast to work with.
    For clarification on the poll, are the double votes in question those of the winner of the previous round who chose the source?
  21. Like
  22. Like
    Souperion got a reaction from TheVideoGamer in PRC458 - The Town Is Shining Lively (Shining Force II)   
    What a fun town theme, should be a blast to work with.
    For clarification on the poll, are the double votes in question those of the winner of the previous round who chose the source?
  23. Like
    Souperion reacted to Bundeslang in PRC457 - We Need Remixers This Time (Lemmings)   
    Welcome to the voting stage
    The mixing stage is over. This round has 2 songs. The following people compete against each other:
    Souperion
    TheVideoGamer
     
    To vote, do the following:
    Visit https://compo.thasauce.net/rounds/view/PRC457 and listen to all the entries
    Scroll to the form at the bottom of the screen or click PM.
    Fill in the entries from first to third in the ThaSauce form or fill in your top 2.
    State a reasoning for it.
    Participants are encouraged to vote and leave feedback. They get a 3 point bonus, but they are not allowed to vote for their own track. They should fill in their first place and leave the second and third box empty. It doesn't affect the results.
    Always look in this thread to find out who's the winner of the round after the voting stage instead of only looking at ThaSauce for the results.
    You have until Friday December 16th 2022 10:59 AM ThaSauce time (11:00 UTC, 12:00 GMT) to vote.
    If you vote by PM make sure that your top 2 is clear. I prefer something like this:
    (To)
    (Subject)
    PRC ## Vote
    (Message):
    1: (remixer A )
    2: (remixer B )
    (reasoning)
  24. Like
    Souperion reacted to Bundeslang in PRC457 - We Need Remixers This Time (Lemmings)   
    Two songs yet. I'll give two extra days
    I cannot update the first post (get an error message) so the end time is wrong in that post.
  25. Like
    Souperion got a reaction from TheVideoGamer in MnP 137: Double Dose: Dragon Quest VI - In The Town & E.V.O: Search for Eden - The Ocean   
    Plucky village or the actual ocean? Choices, choices.
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