So I guess since we have so many new people here I need to explain what some readers have dubbed "The Saga of Years"

Basically I realized early on that 2016 and 2017 were different people

2016 murdered David Bowie out of the box
2017 did a lot of goofy set-up and then went nuts

Looking back January 2017 was the first time I referenced this difference; I made a bit of a joke of it but they really didn't have personalities yet. https://twitter.com/hradzka/status/821359613979328512?s=20

By the end of the year the running gag had taken off and their personalities had crystallized in my mind https://twitter.com/hradzka/status/939935118986113025?s=20

And at some point I realized they were people

and roommates

tl;dr for three years now I have accidentally been writing flashfiction about the years 2016-2020 living together

with a subplot about intelligent rats

So, in order to minimize the confusion on the part of those just joining us, I will now briefly recap and sum up The Saga of Years.

Once upon a time, there was 2016.

He murdered celebrities and lived alone.

But time passes and 2016's time ended, and 2017 showed up at the door to live with him.

For half of his time, 2017 dicked around not really killing anybody, which caused a now-powerless 2016 no end of irritation.

Eventually, '17 did massive amounts of cocaine, went completely lunatic, and set California on fire many many times, rather unnerving 2016.

Finally, 2017's time ended, but then: https://twitter.com/hradzka/status/949501991373426688?s=20

2018 was an absolute asshole from the beginning who domineered 2016 and 2017 and kept threatening annihilation (remember when people briefly thought there was a nuclear missile heading towards Hawaii?).

Eventually, 2016 and 2017 rebelled, tackling 2018 and tying him to a couch on New Year's Eve to prevent him from killing absolutely everyone, but not before he managed to get off terrorist attacks on crowds.

And then 2019 arrived.

2019 -- sweet, heartwarming 2019 -- stashed a still-bound 2018 in the basement as her prisoner and cheerfully domesticated 2016 and 2017, instituting brunches, a chore wheel, and wholesomeness.

The boys turned inward, assuming 2019 had things well in hand in the outside world.

Thus 2016 and 2017 failed for most of the year to realize that 2019 was actually an ardent cultist who saw her mission as preparing the way for her hero and idol, 2020.

2018, who knew her for what she was, was trapped in the basement with a swarm of intelligent rats.

2017, inexplicably missing his buddy 2018, begged 2019 to take 2018 the cinnamon buns that '17 had learned to bake.

2018 used these to bribe the Lord of the Rats, establishing an alliance.

Eventually, 2017 found the key to the basement door and took 2018 a big tray of cinnamon buns, enabling 2018 to warn him in explicit terms of exactly what 2019 was and the danger she represented.

By this time, 2016 and 2017 loved 2019, so refused to believe him.

Now established, 2019 freed 2018 from the basement. He spent several months completely failing to convince 2016 and 2017 of her duplicity, and eventually enlisted the Lord of the Rats to steal 2019's phone so he could prove what was going on in the world outside.

The Lord of the Rats succeeded, but a rival, the Witch of the Rats, took the opportunity to launch a successful coup. 2018, given the chance to rescue his ally, declined. The rats gained a new Queen, and the Lord of the Rats became 2019's prisoner and pet.

2018, finally, exposed 2019 for what she was.

It did not go as he expected. https://twitter.com/hradzka/status/1197597373091872768?s=20

On New Year's Eve, 2018 made a final attempt to kill 2019 -- during her time, so he failed.

2019 gave 2018's cheek the kiss of death, disintegrating him into dust.

And 2020 arrived.

As things are now:

2020 rules all he sees.
2019 is overjoyed; 2020 is everything she dreamed.
2018 is dust in an urn on the mantel.
2017 begged 2020 for enough power to bring back 2018 -- which 2020 gave him, but not enough, so every failed attempt is a horrifying monstrosity

2016 harbors nagging doubts. He is working on a quarantine hobby: learning to speak Rat, using a book found in 2018's room.

2019 has given him a rat to practice with: the Lord of the Rats, now an Exile, who thinks only of revenge.

Also they play Mad Libs, and there are movie nights and karaoke nights.

Anyway, that's the Saga of Years.