Beans and Screens – Daniel Flatt, The Mail Order Ninja Mage!

*This interview has been edited for clarity, but definitely not for conciseness…*

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Beans and Screens! I’m your host, Ryan.

Most times, shows like these start with me going through some sort of monologue, but there’s two problems: 1) Monologuing is not really my strong point (I tend to ramble) and 2) we don’t have the budget for it. So, let’s go right into today’s guest on the show!

He’s a father of two wonderful children that is happily married to the love of his life, a hardcore gamer who plays every system, an anime fan, martial artist and an avid reader, writer, and consumer of most things that can be defined as geeky. His 90 WPS typing speed allows him to churn out content at blazing speeds, of which I’m super jealous about! (Just kidding!). Combined together, they form a super geeky but amazing individual, not unlike the defender of the universe, Voltron.

He is the owner of the blog, Home Button Gaming, a fellow Mage, a sparkling conversationalist and a totally awesome guy to hang out and talk gaming with, please welcome to the stage, Daniel Flatt, the Mail Order Ninja Mage!!!

*Applause and cheers fill the studio as Daniel enters the stage wearing his Ninja Mage Garb. Despite his imposing height and build, he comes on with a good natured, goofy smile on his impressively bearded face. The studios lights reflect perfectly off of his polished bald head and accidentally blinds an audience member.*

*Daniel takes his seat on the couch amid the cries from the blinded audience member (“My eyes!”). He leans back and makes himself comfortable. The cheers start to die down as the interview commences*

Ryan: Welcome to the show! It’s an honor to have you here today to plumb the depths of your psyche. But first, anything to drink? Tea, beer, soda… Coffee perhaps?

Daniel: *Pats his considerable stomach* Just water for me, I’m trying to ‘drop the LBs’ as the hip young kids say nowadays.

R. Great! Just gotta dig behind my seat here, mini-fridge is behind it. *Digs up a bottle of water and places it on the table.* And this is the reason why we can’t afford a monologue!

Right, so besides the awesome intro I belted out, let’s get a little personal here: tell us a bit about yourself?

D. Whoa boy, that is quite the open question isn’t it?

You pretty much nailed the highlights about me, but I’m happy to reiterate. I consider myself a gamer and geek as self definition, but what defines me most is likely the fact that I’m a married father of two, as my children come first in everything I do. I’ve been dabbling quite a bit in writing again after a long hiatus from it, and am currently trying to bring more attention to Home Button as my primary gaming blog, since gaming is the hobby I’m most passionate about. I’d love to turn it into a career someday, but that is pie-in-the-sky kind of stuff.

I do have two other blogs though, one that focuses on all of my writing outside of gaming, and another that I just started that is designed to motivate me to lose weight. Outside of that I’ve started back to Tae Kwon Do after 17 years away, and in between all of that I’m juggling a full time job.

Not really an exciting life per say, but it certainly keeps me more than a little busy.

R: It definitely sounds like it! How you’re able to do all that with two kids is pretty inspiring. I have a son and he’s practically everything to me, so I can see where you’re coming from!

So, fun fact: I’ve also practiced martial arts! I was a blue stripe in Tae Kwon Do and a yellow belt in Karate! I had to give it up after I got married, but I try to keep practicing at home so I don’t get too rusty. Might I ask what rank were you when you left?

D: Awesome! It is always cool to meet a fellow practitioner. I never was really into sports growing up, but Tae Kwon Do was immediately satisfying to me on a number of levels. It is a long story really that involves a con-artist, but I only ever got my green belt certificate from Korea, even though I was higher than that.

Either way my son joined recently, and I guess my wife caught the longing looks I had when he was in class. One day I took him to the Dojang and they had a uniform ready for me, and my wife had paid for a full month. Call it a mid-life crisis if you must, but I must say it has felt like recapturing a bit of who I used to be.

I had to start over as a white belt because I forgot a lot of the forms, but coming up through the ranks with my son should be a memory he will cherish forever. I know I certainly will!

R: Wow that is so sweet of your family to do that! What I admire about martial arts of any kind is that it teaches modesty, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit and it’s great that you and your son can experience that together. It will make both of you stronger physically and mentally!

Now, regarding your blog, Home Button Gaming – what got you to start it and what’s the significance of the name?

D: I’ve actually worked as a very modestly paid part-time writer for video games before, but that was almost six years ago now, and I really missed it. I had disagreed with a lot that went on the site, and had always wanted to try my hand at my own site, but there was always some sort of excuse there.

Not to be a downer, but my father passed away suddenly in October of 2017, and after recovering from some of the shock I realized the cliche about life being horribly short was all too real. I found myself realizing I was sleep walking through life, using my age and children as an excuse to not try. Regardless of a chance to fail, I started writing again and doing Tae Kwon Do, things I used to love, but found reasons not to have the time for.

So I started the blog back in January, with an ultimate goal of maybe making a career out of gaming in some form, though I knew it was probable that it would never happen. The surest way to fail though is to never try, so why not give it a shot? In the interim I love writing and sharing my passion on gaming, so I really couldn’t find a reason not to.

The name was simply wanting to find something that was related to video gaming, without being confined to one device. I believe in playing all the systems with none of the fanboy nonsense, and things like The Start Button were taken. However, nowadays every platform has a Home Button of sorts, and believe it or not their weren’t any gaming sites already claiming the name.

R: It’s interesting that you bring up your dad, he’s a subject of another question I have later on in this interview. I’m especially intrigued at your realization that you were coasting through life; not many people can admit that, so I applaud your self awareness. I’m also glad you made the decision to give writing another shot because without it, we wouldn’t be sitting here today and I wouldn’t have gotten to know such an inspiring fella! The term “Home Button” for some reason also makes me think of home and family itself and I like the focus on a family of systems and games as opposed to focusing on one console or one type of game. It’s very refreshing to see!

One of the things I like about your blog are your Photo Mode posts, they are very creative! *Turns to the audience* I have here some of my favourites if you want to take a look:

*Turns back to Daniel* So what made you want to start them anyway?

D: *Blushes a bit* I don’t know that I would say all of the inspiring bit.

One of the most wonderful things about gaming is its ability to transport us to fantastical worlds, or even places on this Earth we may not get to venture to. Just like spectacular views or stunning backdrops in real life I feel that these moments created by digital artists should be shared. Not only that, but each screenshot I take tells some story, and it is fun to go back through them like a digital journal of sorts.

I’ve always wanted to be a digital photographer of sorts, but before this current generation of hardware that took additional tools in order to do so. Now that sharing screenshots is built in to all of the current gen consoles, it became easier than ever to take shots of the wonders we see when playing through a game. Sharing them may be a little strange, because I can’t take credit for creating these wonderful moments. However, we can’t take credit for the beauty we see in nature either, we can just photograph and share it.

Photo modes especially in games are the most wonderful thing, because it allows me to move the camera, remove characters, and otherwise play with the shots. The coolest thing about sharing these shots I think is for people that may not have played the game, or may never play games period, to let them see the beauty inherent in some of these video games. It was nearly criminal that we didn’t get a photo mode in Breath of the Wild, but I did the best I could capturing my favorite places and moments in that game regardless.

I have something like 400 screenshots on my PS4, and over 2500 on my Switch. The Switch especially makes it so easy to capture moments, but because sharing them requires a little more work I’ve gotten a little lazy with it lately. The Xbox is pretty easy to share through their app, but to take a photo with out the Kinect takes some doing. On the other hand the PS4 has a lot of games that have photo mode, but sharing through their program is currently very difficult, so I hate to say that Photo Mode has slowed to a trickle lately.

Funny you should ask about Photo Mode though, I’m committed to uploading a ton of shots this weekend, so people should look forward to that coming back. I also have plans for some Photo Mode community events coming up, possibly even competitions, so people that are interested can look forward to that also. Sorry, that was a bit of a long winded answer! *Laughs*

R: No problem! I’m especially glad the Photo Mode posts are making a return! I loved the concept and it’s inspired me to pay closer attention to my surroundings in games just in case I get an opportunity to take the perfect screen capture. I’m stoked to hear that they’re may be Photo Mode Competitions in the near future! I’m definitely gonna sign up for one!

Another segment of yours that I enjoy is the Weekend Whatcha Playing. It always makes me consider to myself “Hm, what AM I playing this weekend?” *Strokes chin in thought*

Let’s talk about a few specific games now. You’ve recently got into a spat with the Well-Red Mage regarding the latest Pokemon release, Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee for the Switch. As I understand, your vehemence against the games was quite severe; care to tell us what got you so riled up?

D: *Smacks forehead playfully* Oh man, this was something of an embarrassment for me. To be honest, I had a knee jerk reaction to the original trailer. Funny thing is that I don’t really even play Pokemon, but I was really looking forward to something deeper on this iteration, as were a lot of fans. You remember earlier I said that I play all consoles? Well that is true, but I certainly favor experiences from Nintendo in a lot of ways. I have this strange thing with Nintendo that I don’t get with any other platform, and that is that I really want to like everything Nintendo does.

I was someone who owned a Wii and played pretty much every hardcore title they had on it, but I think they lost their way a bit chasing that “Blue Ocean” philosophy of creating new gamers with a more casual approach to gaming (i.e. Wii Music). What happened is that everyone bought one as the latest craze, but dropped it like a rock to move on to mobile gaming. You saw a lot of people buying a Wii, but with hardly any software attachment, which means people were buying the system and not buying games for it.

Nintendo went a long way to addressing some of that with the Wii U, but made other mistakes in marketing and in trying to tie it to the Wii. Those consumers had moved on, and the hardcore gamers that built their business were disgusted with them at this point. The Wii U is written off as a failure by a lot of people, but it had a ton of really good games, however it was too little too late for most people. That is why the Switch has done so fantastic, they refocused direction on the more hardcore gamer, while also having a concept that it is easy for more casual people to understand. You can take this console anywhere, it kind of sells itself.

Now here we had this trailer of something that is a clear play for more casual players and the cultural phenomenon that was Pokemon Go, and not at all the more hardcore Pokemon so many wanted. It makes perfect business sense as they can use this to possibly get new gamers interested in the franchise, but honestly how many people that downloaded a free app to be involved in a social movement are going to buy a $300 dollar device to get deeper in?

Either way I broke a cardinal rule, which is writing off something that clearly wasn’t made for me, not to mention judging a game I haven’t played by a trailer. I’ve since been informed by my daughter that we absolutely have to buy it, so that she can play her first Pokemon game. As a six year old she can’t read through the bigger games, so this is something she can drop in and out with Daddy. So maybe it is for me and my family after all.

I still can’t help but worry though about this direction meaning another move toward that “Blue Ocean” for Nintendo, after all we’ve seen it happen before, so it isn’t out of the question.

R: Gamers like us do get a lot of flak for writing off something before trying it. I recall in my youth that I would write off Mario games because they were too childish, not realizing that I missed out on some of the best platformers Nintendo had released! I do understand how you feel about Nintendo once again possibly shunning the hardcore crowd to draw in new gamers though. It’s a situation I hope Big N avoids this time around.

I also recall you were quite critical about the Nintendo Labo when it was first announced, but you made a full 180 upon trying it out with your kids. If you had the chance to go back to when you were initially critical about the product, what would you say to yourself? Do you think the same thinking should apply for the new Pokemon games as well?

D: In the case of Labo I think it was entirely on Nintendo and their withholding of a lot of information. I wasn’t extremely critical of it, I just wasn’t sure who the demographic was, and I was hesitant about the pricing. For some reason they never let anyone know the prices of replacements, if those replacements for the pieces would be available online, and for how much. In that case I assumed the worst, especially considering the cost of the initial starter packs and their refusal to comment on it.

On top of that so many people kept lauding how much creativity this would bring to the table, but this was far before we knew about Labo garage, which again they didn’t tell us about till far later. Without the garage I still think that the value proposition there is problematic, as these games are incredibly simplistic, akin to mobile games. The whole idea of learning and engineering wasn’t really ringing true, because after the initial build, then what?

Once they announced the garage I was on board, because I saw the potential there. I also should have accounted for the sheer Nintendo charm, and how much fun these things would be to build. Largely these pieces of cardboard now lie discarded in my house as I predicted, abandoned for deeper gameplay that is far more readily available, but they were novelty things that were worth the price for the experience alone.

As for Let’s Go, sometimes I get too caught up in the idea of what this does for the industry, so while I didn’t care personally, it is a worrying trend when companies push for the casual dollar. It almost never goes well for the end consumer, even when it does for the company making the money. I am still worried about how this will impact Nintendo in the future; especially since we know it will sell well just because it has the Pokemon brand on it.

Still, I need to learn to distance myself from industry impact when personally responding to news especially where Nintendo is concerned, and if the Big N fall on their face again just realize there is plenty out there that isn’t Nintendo to play. I love Nintendo, I’m extremely passionate about them and want to see them succeed, but they are a company that I’ve seen over and over take 2 steps forward and 4 back, so I’m very wary of things like Labo and Let’s Go.

R: That’s a solid answer. I too worry about Nintendo’s track record of trying to be innovative but falling on their faces (see the Virtual Boy). However I’m confident that the company will not forget it’s roots, given the lineup of games that coming out in the next few months. Which now takes us to E3… You have to agree this year’s show was pretty alright: great games, not so exciting conferences and presentations. You’ve written at length about each of the conferences, even going so far as grading their performance, but who would you say ultimately won this year’s event and why?

D: I agree with you ultimately, I think Nintendo are at a good place and the E3 lineup was very promising.

As for E3: the gamers won.

Ok, I know that is a lame answer. It is hard to say who “won” E3, because I felt all the big three did a solid job, and in this case it really came down to what games you like. If you look at all my articles side by side I gave Nintendo the best score, but I admit that is 100% my bias and my love for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

If we were grading for sheer excitement and fantastic pacing I would say Microsoft won, as they had exactly what people want from E3. However, they were a little light on exclusives we can play now, and I think they are getting ready for their next console, very similar to what Nintendo did the last year of Wii U coverage. We see how that turned out for them with Switch, so maybe Microsoft is conceding this generation in order to wow everyone in the next gen.

Sony easily had the most promising exclusives, if I had to pick a game of the show I would be hard pressed between Smash and Ghosts of Tsushima. However their pacing was really bad out of the gate, though they managed to recover and have a great show by the end. So really Microsoft put on the best conference, Sony had the best slate of exclusives present, and Nintendo had the ultimate version of one of my favorite franchises of all time.

I won’t leave you with a half way answer though, so I’ll go Microsoft. They clearly knew where they were at going in and they brought a stellar show of games. They might not have been all exclusives, but if we are talking about the sheer hype of E3 and how to put on a conference, they really did a great job.

R: “The gamer’s won.” That’s not a tacky answer, I also think it’s the truth! I mean as I once said, we are in a period of renaissance in the gaming industry. We have so many amazing games available to play in the next 6-8 months from this year’s showing and there’s virtually a great game for everyone. So it’s no stretch that we all win in the end! *Grins*

I agree that Microsoft’s conference was quite well paced. Sure, there were a lack of exclusives but the hype around a new console release in the next few years definitely made a buzz. I honestly thought Nintendo was the clear winner, simply because of the games that will be released in the near future. However, it’s as you said: we gamers are the clear winners!

Alright, I alluded to this question earlier, but now’s a good time to bring it to the forefront. I read a very powerful piece of yours surrounding the game Rime and your father’s untimely passing last year… It was extremely moving to read and I urge the audience to go and read it. You can find it here.

Daniel, I want to ask you, how difficult was this to write? I understand that you are still grieving over your loss, so I’m curious to know what inner strength allowed you to produce such a wonderful piece?

D: I’m not sure it was any sort of inner strength really. I should probably be in therapy or on medication, but in the meantime one of the very few things that makes me feel better is putting my feelings on paper, however sad they are. It is why I started a writing blog outside of Home Button, just to dump a bunch of my writing as a repository, like a digital journal. If someone reads it, great, but I don’t advertise or publish it at all typically.

Writing allows me to make my feelings physical in a way, not purging them, but getting them out in the opening. Once I write about something it is easier for me to dissect how I feel that way, so in a way it is a crutch I can lean on in these hard times.

Rime was a case of something at the exact right time, as if the universe conspired to have me experience the message at the time when I needed it most. When I had completed the game I felt sorrowful, of course, but I also felt a deep sense of a calm I hadn’t felt in months. As a light spoiler the game is about death, and the sorrow of losing someone you love. Acceptance seems like such an easy thing, after all how can you not accept the reality of a situation? However, the truth is that everything I did from then on I would only compare against when my father was alive. I kept asking myself how this happened, why it happened, replay the situation over and over again hoping for a different outcome that obviously would never come. I couldn’t believe or accept he was dead, it was easier for my subconscious to deny the trauma in a way.

R: It’s good that you did share it. I personally resonated with the post and it was the first one I thought of when my wife’s grandmother passed away recently. It helped me to understand that writing out your feelings is a critical tool to aid in the recovery process after losing someone close to you. It’s a great piece and again I urge you members of the audience to check it out!

Now let’s get back to a lighter subject: your kids. So, you’re a gaming dad with older children: a little daughter and a son approaching his teen years. And I’m a gaming dad with a 5 month old who shoves everything at arm’s length into his mouth, regardless of whether it’s edible or not. Seeing as you have been in the fatherhood game for some time and have experienced the highs and lows that it brings, what kind of advice, tips or wisdom would you be willing to share with fellow gaming dads who have younger children, like myself for instance?

D: Gaming with children presents its own joy that can also be a burden at times. At first my kids were happy holding a controller that wasn’t plugged in, but they swiftly came to understand that did nothing to control the character on the screen. Since they want to always mimic their parents, they really want to game with you, and I decided to embrace that instead of discourage it.

One of the great things about being a gaming dad is that is you can relate with the things your children love more easily. I’m always the cool Dad at any of my son’s friend’s birthday parties , because I can talk Overwatch, Minecraft, or Fortnite with the best of them. My daughter fell in love with gaming also, let me tell you that she plays a pretty mean Charizard on Smash Bros. for the Wii U, and can name nearly every Nintendo character I have an amiibo of, and I have a lot of those.

On the other hand you always want to be careful not to allow them too much video game time, and of course it is something where you’ll have to defer your violent video games to later in the evening after their bedtime. We have a rule of one hour a day of gaming time in my house, but they can lose minutes or gain minutes depending on certain behaviors. Also, playing with Dad doesn’t count towards their game time, because I can cheat like that since I’m the father.

There are some games I recommend especially when your child is younger. My personal favorite to start my kids with was Kirby’s Epic Yarn, because they can easily bubble up or fly with no issues, and you can pull them along with you if they don’t have the skill to tackle obstacles early on. The new Kirby Star Allies game is good for that too, as there are 3 other companions in total, and so there is never an impetus on your child to do extraordinarily well.

I also have raised my kids on Little Big Planet, because you can search literally anything on there. Kid’s interests change so rapidly when they are young, and they always get a thrill seeing their favorite thing represented in game form. A lot of them are poorly done, but playing through them with your child is a lot of fun. My son made a lot of progress learning his alphabet when he was younger thanks to a cool level someone made in Little Big Planet 2.

Either way I don’t like the idea lately that gaming is something that is bad for children, because like anything it just needs to be moderated and not used as a free babysitter. However, gaming has brought my family closer together, taught my children the idea of friendly competition and good sportsmanship, and affects their strategic thinking as well as their hand-eye coordination. Worlds like Minecraft especially give children a sense of ownership and agency that, since they are young and being guided so much, they may not get a lot of in their lives. It is a huge benefit to confidence and creativity.

R: Well done! It’s awesome that you and your kids are able to bond so well thanks to video games. And I totally agree that, in moderation, gaming can really foster creativity, sportsmanship and critical thinking and problem solving skills. Not to mention hand-eye coordination can be extrapolated to other fields, such as team sports or (in our case) martial arts. I’m really excited to bring gaming to my own son when he’s old enough and I feel like Kirby or even Yoshi games will be an excellent introduction to gaming.

Also, I didn’t realize that games like Little Big Planet could be used as an educational tool!? That’s fantastic! I assume that this can also work with other level editor games, like Super Mario Maker and Minecraft.

I will definitely use your arguments to make my case be heard with my wife! She’s not overly fond of gaming, but I feel that your experiences really codify a great example of how to be a gaming parent.

So, tell me Daniel, what’s coming down the pipeline for Home Button Gaming? Any upcoming projects or collaborations we should keep an eye on?

D: As I mentioned earlier I plan on doing a lot more to insure that people see Photo Mode at least three times a week again, because it appeared to be such a popular item that I feel bad it fell by the wayside. In addition I’m excited by my new set of articles called +1 to Joy, where once a week I discuss something that I love. The great thing is that this doesn’t have to be only video games, so if people want to learn more about me or maybe discover some cool book series or TV show that will be the place to do it. In addition it just lets me bring a little more positivity to the video game space, as well as remind myself all the wonderful small things I am grateful for.

I also contribute as one of the venerable Mages to The Well Red Mage with regularity, and have been doing a series of interviews with the Mages. So far I’ve interviewed the admin of the site, Moses, and this incredibly talented coffee addicted individual I can’t quite remember the name of right now. *winks at audience*. People can look forward to much more of those coming in the future, and just recently, I was featured on The Well Red Mage in the 30 Day Console Challenge where we rank the 7 best games of the system as we see it.

If we are talking big future plans I want to establish a podcast and a YouTube channel, but those things are pretty far down the road, as I have little expertise in such things.

R: Wicked! Looks like there’s a lot going on in the near future! I especially excited about the +1 to Joy articles, I feel we as gamers all need some more positivity in our lives, so this is a wonderful initiative!

*Turns to the audience* If you all want to see some of Daniel’s interviewing chops, definitely check out his talks with Moses from The Well-Red Mage and with this truly mysterious Coffee addict… Who seems rather familiar, don’t you think audience? *Grins maniacally*

*Turns back to Daniel* Right, now final question before we hit the lightning round: 90 WPS. How in the name of the Coffee Gods are you able to type so bloody quickly? *Laughs*

D. *Laughs* I have no earthly clue really. I took typing in middle school, and have been jamming away ever since. I think when we finished class I was at 50 WPM in middle school, and I guess working in admin the last 13 years or so combined with writing on my off time has jacked that up tremendously. It isn’t something I brag about at parties or anything, but it certainly helps with pumping out content when writing and at work.

R. I theorized that your typing skills were developed through some secret and ancient ninjutsu training, but I like your answer better. *Shrugs* Still it’s an impressive accomplishment! I mean the fastest I can type is barely over 65 WPM… And that’s not taking into account me being distracted either with games by or drinking coffee!

OK! So it’s time for the Lightning Ninja Round!!!! *Pulls out a percolator, a bag of coffee grounds, a filter and some water.* In the time it takes to brew a coffee, you will answer the following questions! Each answer yields a point, but like the show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” The points don’t really matter much. *Starts preparing a brew.* And I was also craving more coffee anyways, hence why the percolator is the timer. Now, onto question 1!

If you were ever in a jam and needed a giant-ish robot to bail you out, who would you choose between Optimus Prime, a Gundam of your choosing or Voltron? No need to give me reasons why! *Grins*

D: The defender of the universe of course. Voltron, no question.

R: All time favorite anime of any era?

D: Oh man, that is a tough question. Rapid fire off the top of my head? Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. This answer shall come to haunt me as I change my mind daily.

R: Can’t take it back! Next: Pick two of three: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch.

D: Diabolical question. Switch and PS4.

R: Ooooh tough choices. Next: Favourite Splatoon Loadout?

D: I’m an Aerospray man myself, with curling bomb special. I’m starting to tinker with Brush and Baller though.

R: Nice! I do like the Aerospray, but I hardcore rep the Dualies with the Tenta Missile special. It’s such a great combo *Grins*

Next: What recent game have you played frustrated you to no end?

D: Ni No Kuni 2 actually. I want to play it so bad, but I’m having to grind to proceed and I hate that in a game.

R: Hmmm… I recall you mentioning that in our various, magely conversations. *Winks.*

*Checks the percolator.* Got time for one last question: What game have you started that you were really into initially, but can’t get around to finish it?

D: There are way many of these than I care to admit, but the first one that leaps to mind is Halo Wars 2. I played it, I adored it, but the gaming calendar was so packed I just fell behind. *pulls out phone, holds receiver towards mouth* Hey Google, remind me to install Halo Wars 2 when I get home…Again.

R: *Laughs hard, tears start forming on the corners of my eyes* Oh-ho-ho man! That was good! Hopefully you’ll get it installed this time! *Percolator dings* And just in time too! Coffee’s done and so’s the Lightning Ninja Round! You did well!

And thus, another day, another episode completed! Daniel, I want to thank you so much for joining and sharing your story with us. We were really happy to have you here today! *Audience claps and cheers raucously*

D: *Smiles and waves at the audience* It has been a real pleasure. My job here is done.

*Daniel tosses down a smoke pellet to escape in true ninja style, but it is apparently a dud as it gives off no more smoke than a cheap 4th of July smoke bomb. It barely curls around the ankles and certainly doesn’t obscure him in the least. He shrugs and dashes from the stage awkwardly, his arms out behind him in a dorky approximation of a ninja run.*

R: …Daniel Flatt, the Mail Order Ninja Mage everybody! And join me on the next episode, of which I will host a secret and special guest! Until next time, this is Ryan from Beans and Screens, signing off! See ya next time!