Introduction
Pattern of the Whole
by Synchronik


"A story cycle is a set of stories linked to each other in such a way as to maintain a balance between the individuality of each of the stories and the necessities of the larger unit ... [so] that the reader's successive experience in various levels of the pattern of the whole significantly modifies his experience of each of its component parts."

Forrest Ingram


What you have ahead of you is a story cycle -- which means, at least theoretically, that you should be able to read the stories independently and still have them make sense, but that there is a larger story going on as well, in which each smaller story is a chapter. For that reason, I can see it being read in two ways: you can read it in the order I've arranged it -- number 1 to number 20. Or, if you follow the second link at the bottom of each story, you can read it by point of view --all of Lance's stories, all of Justin's, et cetera. You pick.

Incidentally, this is the story in which I am "mean to Justin" according to Dacey, and for which I had to write Overra ted, in case you're interested in how I made it up to her.

That said, ge t to it.