Double D opened the door to his room, his head whirling in a storm of ideas that had no conclusions.

"Messy, messy…" he muttered as he methodically cleared the clutter of the last big score off of his drafting desk. He stared at the blank space and retreated back into the confines of his mind. He had a process that he often used when brainstorming, sort of a mental template that he could populate with his thoughts. It came in three steps, the first of which being the output of what he wanted to achieve. This meant thinking out his problems.

He thought of Kevin's experience with the obstacle course. There was not one moment he could observe in which Kevin actually accepted the premise of a virtual reality experience. This meant that the whole idea was moot; they could have just handed him the slingshot and asked him to shoot Eddy. Therefore, the first thing he wanted to achieve was authenticity. The premise needed to be delivered exactly as advertised, no more paper tacos, no more green-tinted goggles. This was the only way to be proud of what he had designed.

The other part of Kevin's experience was his mild reaction. Double D couldn't explain it, but he had a strong feeling of wanting to blow Kevin's mind. He wanted to provide him with an unforgettable experience, and most importantly, he wanted Kevin to respect him. But why Kevin, he thought? He considered that it might be Kevin's "cool factor," an immeasurable variable that somehow made his opinions weigh more heavily than the rest of the cul de sac. It felt irrational, but it was succinct; his other goal was certainly to impress Kevin.

Thus concluded his desired output: He wanted to create something real, and he wanted to impress Kevin. Simple. Now the next step was to consider his input. What did he need in order to achieve his desired goals? Well, he considered, quite a few things. The first on the list would have to be a "good idea," something to base the whole project on. Unintentionally, his eyes wandered to the fake VR goggles from the scam. He raised an eyebrow. It wasn't a bad idea, he thought, it just wasn't executed in the way it deserved. What if he actually created a virtual reality course? That would certainly be an unforgettable experience, maybe even impressive enough for Kevin to take note.

It was then that Edd pulled out a notebook and started to plan the project. He jotted down his work so far under the heading of "Virtual Reality Project," leaving space to fill in the rest of his inputs. To make a virtual environment, he would need a computer. It would be simple enough to borrow the family computer in the living room, if he merely explained what he was doing to his parents. He took note of that. On that computer, he would need to install some sort of 3D modelling software. He brought the end of his pencil to his chin, recalling that there were many open-source programs for this purpose. He wrote that down. He would need to build working display goggles that accurately placed the user in the 3D environment. A challenge, but he jotted it down nonetheless. Finally, he'd need physical space to build the area the user would be walking around in. That step would be the easiest; it wouldn't need to be very detailed, as the goggles would do all of the work.

The third step of the planning process was where the real work came in. Double D would have to figure out how to apply his inputs to create the desired output. Essentially, problem-solving. How would he make the goggles? How could he make the goggles work? How could he make the physical space match the 3D environment?

He leaned back in his chair and sighed. Listing the problems of a task was essential, but quite daunting. He was reminded of an elaborate model bridge he had made out of toothpicks after an entire sleepless night. The model ended up huge, but he remembered one thing; it started with one toothpick.

Edd circled his first task and focused on it. The goggles. He'd have to think of some way to make it display a 3D picture first, as the whole project depended on it. Using the same three-step process, he determined that he would need some costly supplies. Two small LCD screens, for example, among other things. He would have to come up with a detailed list and propose it to his parents, perhaps at the cost of taking on more chores. An equitable trade, he thought. This project was worth it.

As he continued drafting and planning, his mind flashed back to earlier events. Had he been too harsh with Eddy? He and Ed were both the best friends that Double D had ever had. They'd spent so much time together, coming up with scams which, to be fair, had only reached their completion due to Eddy's tunnel vision. Certainly, he thought, Ed didn't deserve any of that. He seldom even knew what was going on, the poor chap. Ed would do anything for his friends, no matter how much pain Eddy coaxed him into inflicting upon him.

On that note, Double D's anger returned slightly. Eddy needed to be told "no," he thought. Perhaps this little break would help him learn his lesson about having consideration for others. Another concern entered his mind, however. What if Eddy didn't learn?

Could he really allow himself to lose Eddy as a friend?

He finished his list of supplies and put it neatly in a folder, ready to be proposed to his parents. It was a long shot, but he always believed in the phrase, "nothing ventured, nothing gained." A mental image of Kevin flashed in his mind. Odd.

Shaking his head, he set the folder aside and began sketching out designs for his goggles. While he didn't have the supplies yet, it wouldn't hurt to start planning ahead. He labeled each component clearly and accurately, trying to keep the design as simple and efficient as possible. He grew more excited with each stroke of the pencil as his plans started to come together.