"Don't tell me you guys are still having this go-to-hell party!"
-one of zot-fot-piq's neighbors, day 4
We'll be legendary in Columbus, at least until this cycle of collegians turns over. We'll be infamous on Hubbard Street for a long time coming. Neighbors don't tend to forget (and seldom forgive) loudish people with arcane equipment hanging out on a front lawn for nearly five straight days. Somewhat to their credit, the only complaints came when the integrity of automobile paintjobs was ostensibly threatened by bottle rocketry. Good faith attempts to learn which of the cars belonged to the complainant, the better to avoid damaging it, were ignored.
Wholesomeness is going to the Columbus zoo to ooh at monkeys and manatees. Depravity is a field trip to Outland to watch noders get whipped by professionals. Contentment is standing on a screened-in porch and seeing a country yard filled with noders; noders under trees, in the pool, sitting on the grass, playing badminton. Amazement is hearing noders read their work, thanks to Walter's node slam. Drunkenness is the Klaproth. Incredible, overflowing hospitality is zot-fot-piq and _the_devil_. They gave us their home to overrun and their city to share, and boy did we.
E2 gives the finger to geographical limitations on friendship, which is beautiful and painful.
There's really no good way to do this; this aftermath thing. How does one sum up five days of infinitely tiny slices of amazing time? How about these:
I'm in the kitchen with my fingers in my ears.
jessicapierce tings, swishes, taps and waves on an oven rack,
and there's low music in my head.
We were lighting sparklers by dipping them into each other
and how brightly they flared when we did
was kind of an obvious metaphor
The sign on his unlocked door
simply read
"Noders welcome".