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((Sorry, there's nothing wrong with the Farplane. sweatdrop Jalisat didn't see anyone mainly because there's no lost loved ones that he wants to see; Aer didn't see anyone for his own reasons; and Amalio only wanted to see Kavindhra, which he got.

Bah! I need to get a PlayStation, but now that the PS3 isn't backwards-compatible anymore, I'm kind of discouraged against getting BOTH a PS2 and a PS3. I kind of just want to be happy with my Wii, DSi, and XBox 360. And the high-performance gaming computer I'm about to buy. I mean, there are only so many gaming systems you can have before you just don't need any more video games. sweatdrop

Hey! I would like to take this chance to recommend that you take a moment to check out the book "Devices and Desires" by K.J. Parker. It's the first book in a singularly unusual 'fantasy' trilogy called the Engineer Trilogy. The setting: There are three civilized nations all situated on the same continent; the Duchy of Eremia and Civitas Vadanis, two pretty classic medieval nations that spend most of their time beating the snot out of each other; then there is the Perpetual Mezentine Republic, an unbelievably mercantile nation founded by immigrants from an overseas nation, which does factor pretty heavily into the books, but which I won't mention for now because it's not necessary. So there's the capital of the Mezentine Republic, a walled city full of craftsmen and merchants. In Mezentia, if you don't have a marketable skill, you're less than worthless, and in Mezentia, everything is by the book. Everything. All production standards must be maintained to within decimal points. The size of a bolt, the angle of a cut in a piece of wood; simply put, to the craftsman of Mezentia, there is no such thing as 'good enough'. It's either right or it's wrong, and it doesn't take much to be wrong. They place an almost religious reverence on those standards and regulations ( the "Specifications"), and when a man named Ziani Vaatzes is caught deliberately deviating from Specification on a private project at home, he's quite literally tried and convicted of Abomination, and sentenced to execution. Long story short, he narrowly escapes, flees the country, and then comes the premise of the trilogy: He engineers a war for the purpose of reuniting with his family. The trilogy follows the ensuing events. One of K.J. Parker's most unique traits is that her books, like so many try to be, are genuinely, totally, and legitimately free of any kind of overarching moral principles. There is no clear parallel to Biblical stories, no Messiah character, no trite implications that "love and peace will always triumph" or that "everything turns out all right in the end" or that "cheaters never prosper and justice will always be served". You hear a lot about authors who attempt to pull that off, but K.J. Parker does an impressive job of actually accomplishing true moral ambiguity throughout the trilogy. Supposedly all of her books are like this, but I'm only a bit of the way through "Evil for Evil", the second book in the Engineer Trilogy. I can honestly say that Devices and Desires hooked me with less than a chapter, so I'm confident in recommending it to almost anybody who likes fantasy. 3nodding

Which actually brings me to another point I should make before posting. It's not fantasy. Not by my definition, anyway. Yes, the setting is by no means a real-world setting, and yes, sometimes Ziani Vaatzes seems just *too* amazingly clever (kind of like Anasurimbor Kellhus from the Second Apocalypse series of books, but we won't go there), but when you get right down to it, the Engineer Trilogy has no magic, no supernatural beings, no mysterious artifacts that *seem* to have strange powers, no mythological creatures. And yet, without all of that, it manages to be an impressive and extremely enjoyable fantasy trilogy. Kind of like how Douglas Adams wrote five Hitchhiker books that somehow managed to become one of the most beloved science-fiction-comedy trilogies of all time.

In any case, you should pick up the first book, "Devices and Desires", when you get a chance. You'll be glad you did. biggrin

Short, half-assed post because I don't have anything else worth doing in the Farplane, and I'm not *quite* ready to have Cal return yet, though I'm thinking he'll come back soon, just to get him back into the storyline.))

They're so close. So close, but I have no power over that demon Yu Yevon. If only I could drive the witch to where they are... No, they aren't strong enough yet. And Eddora has not yet acquired all of the Aeons. Damn, damn. My patience wears thin after so many years...

The beast opened its eyes and stared out over the wavering landscape of the old Zanarkand.

Calaman whirled when his newfound abilities alerted him to Pheos' presence.

"You look nervous," Pheos remarked idly. Calaman narrowed his eyes an instant, then forced himself to relax.

"You sound suspicious," Calaman retorted.

"You sound defensive. Something I should know about?"

"If there was anything, you'd already know," Calaman muttered. "Leave me to practice my magic, I never called you."

Pheos smiled. "Goodness, I only came to talk. Very well. But I do wish to talk, so please, call me when you are finished. There are important things to discuss."

"There always are."

Then Pheos was gone, and Calaman found himself staring at the space where he'd been, trying to remain calm.

He didn't read my thoughts... or else he's a very good liar. But if he saw what I was thinking, surely he would have acted. I'm so close... to reveal myself now would be too foolish. Still, to think I was able to conceal my thoughts without him even noticing the magic...

All he could do was grin.

"One more try," he said to himself, readied the magic power inside himself, and vanished.

((Ogawd, I'm so sorry for ruining the mood here, but, well, it was irresistible, and after all, you can almost never have too much comic relief. xd

But before that... I read the Chronicles of Amber! That's a modern fantasy classic if ever there was one. I'll refrain from telling you too much, but I do love the Chronicles of Amber. I've drawn a lot of writing inspiration from those books, and it's not every day you see a device as clever as the Pattern. I'm not sure when the Pattern comes into play in those books, though, so I won't say anything about it.

One other thing I will say about Amber is that books 1-5 have a different main character from books 6-10, and that makes it a little difficult to get started on book 6. Once you get past the change in narrator, though, the last five books are just as enjoyable as the first five.

I dunno, I was always fond of the PS2 because it was the first non-handheld console that was completely backwards compatible (and don't get me started on the DS and DSi not being backwards-compatible after years of every new GameBoy being totally compatible with all the previous ones back to the very first - I still think that was a big F-U from Nintendo). Now I think the 360 is 'mostly' backwards compatible with the XBox, at least with mainstream games. But I was very disappointed that the PS3 isn't, because in my humble opinion, the PS2 had the best selection of games out of all the last-gen systems. Taking away backwards-compatibility means the PS3 is no longer capable of playing a lot of seriously badass games, like Final Fantasy 7-12, Ace Combat 1-5 and Zero, the .hack games, and a lot more. Well, hopefully my badass new computer will be capable of running a PS2 emulator (though I'm not holding my breath), so it won't be an issue anymore. We'll see, I suppose. crying

If you have a GameCube (actually, I think you suggested that you have a Wii, so that will do just as well), you might try Tales of Symphonia. That game has a deliciously long and in-depth storyline that is told very skillfully, neither too fast-paced nor drawn-out, and plenty of emotional factors, although I am not above hating Collette for being moe crap. (Don't ask.) But for the love of video games, don't play Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World. I can't emphasize this enough: ToS2 plays like a bad fanfic, and ToS never needed a sequel to begin with, so coming out with a bad sequel is nigh unforgivable.

...Of course, I can forgive them since all the mothership Tales games are epic.

Also, since you do have a PS2, I can also recommend Tales of the Abyss. I personally don't think it's quite as good as Symphonia, but it's damn close. If you don't already know about Tales, it's a series somewhat like Final Fantasy; the mothership titles all take place on different worlds and are unrelated to each other except through certain details like the system of money, many of the spells/techniques, and the overall gameplay. In addition, the Tales games I have played (Phantasia, Symphonia, Abyss) have all had a running story theme of trying to fight social discrimination against a particular group (half-elves, monsters, and one case that I can't even mention because it's a spoiler). A big thing I like about Tales is that the characters always have vivid and unique personalities. The games aren't quite as mature as Final Fantasy, but they tend to tackle bigger conflicts and the characters are almost always more fleshed out.

*Babble babble babble*

Since they're so close to the Thunder Plains already, I think I will go ahead and wait to bring him back, even if I am more or less ready right now. 3nodding ))

Aer started to open his mouth to say something that was less than completely wise, but before any sound could come out, something behind Ed made his eyes go almost as wide as his mouth.

From behind, she would hear an extremely familiar young man's voice call out, as if echoed over a wide open space, " - with this thrice damned magic, I swear I'll never get the hang of - " and then it merely echoed into the silence.

Aer, Amalio and Jalisat all looked well and truly stupefied by whatever they'd seen behind Ed, and none of them was volunteering an account of it.

~

The Farplane was a hellishly convoluted place. If Calaman had known how confusing it would be, he might have thought twice before diving out of Pheos' sanctum and into the maelstrom of magic and spirits and Yevon-knew-what else.

To make matters worse, he didn't feel like anything he was doing was having any effect on his trajectory through the Farplane - he didn't know where in Spira he was going to emerge, or even if he was going to emerge.

After the first few seconds, it just began to make him mad; when his eighth attempt to exert some power on his wild flight through the storm seemed to amount to a man trying to bail water out of the ocean, he snapped.

"Damn you, Pheos, whoever and whatever you are! Damn Sin! Damn Yevon and damn Bevelle and damn it all! To the depths of the sea with this thrice-damned magic, I swear I'll never get the hang of doing anything useful with it!"

He didn't know what he'd been expecting in response to his tirade, but it didn't happen. Sucking in a deep breath that tasted oddly metallic, he closed his eyes to shut out the chaotic mass of aimless energy and struggled to think.

It wasn't easy. And it wasn't fast.

((That was the version of Amber I bought. Not sure why, probably just my tendency to instantly buy any fantasy book I see that has a pretty cover. (It's not pretty anymore - it's had the daylights beaten out of it from constantly lugging it around in high school. But it's still an old favorite of mine. 3nodding ) I can see what you mean about the introduction being a little misleading about the nature of the series. Most of it is very fantasy-oriented. I don't recall whether Corwin ever returns to "Earth", but I believe the character of the last five books does spend a book or two in the real world. Actually, I think he spends his first book on Earth, like Corwin did.

Anyway, when you say The Three Musketeers, do you mean the original, by Alexandre Dumas? To this day the only Dumas book I've read has been The Count of Monte Cristo - which, also to this day, remains an extreme favorite of mine in terms of books in general. Definitely my top three or five. I really have no excuse not to read another Dumas book, considering that I loved Monte Cristo so much. sweatdrop

I'm getting more and more intrigued with the Engineer Trilogy. I won't reveal anything significant, but there is a character named Daurenja who shows up in the second book, and he's just... fascinating. He's around so frequently that you quickly get used to his presence, but at the same time, when you stop and think about it, you realize you know nothing about him. I'm positive the author is doing it on purpose, but I can't figure out anything about the character's nature, his intentions, his background... All I see of him are his actions, words, and demeanor, which gives me a good, if narrow, picture of what he is likely to do in the short term, but in the big picture, he's little more than an intriguing and confusing character. It's hard to believe he isn't significant - I'm sure he'll probably pull something out of his hat at the end of the book that will either impress the bejeezus out of me or make me want to kill him, possibly both. But right now, he's probably my favorite character - just because he makes me so curious. Now that I'm used to the main character (who is nevertheless still awesome), Daurenja has stepped up to fill the main character's previous role as "enigma of the moment".

To be perfectly honest, I don't play our Wii very much, but if I had one of my own, I would probably play more GameCube games on it than actual Wii games. I think the XBox 360 has the best library of all the current-gen systems (I have yet to play a Wii game that has really wowed me, with the possible exception of Boom Blox, which is an incredible party game, so if you play with family, I would highly encourage trying out Boom Blox) and there is just no game I have seen that would make me forget about the PS3's price tag.))

Aer just shook his head, mouth open; Amalio tried a little harder.

"He - someone - Calaman? He was there, in the air, but - transparent, ephemeral, like a ghost. Like..." He didn't say the word that came obviously to mind: Unsent. "But he must have been alive, I've never seen an... an Unsent show so much emotion."

"It was Cal, and he looked right pissed," Aer said simply, having got his wits about him. "What did he say? Something about magic. Oh, dear. I wonder if this is all a result of him playing with magic again." He bit his lower lip and looked sharply back at Amalio. "You've been doing this a lot longer than I have, though your specialty is white magic as opposed to black. And Venez, you as well. Have either of you ever heard of anything remotely similar to this happening with magic - most likely as the result of a self-taught non-initiate using it?"

"Something like... teleportation?" Amalio asked, his brow deeply furrowed. "Who... was that boy?"

"Never you mind," Aer said. "I don't know, maybe he teleported himself somewhere by accident and is trying to come back. I'm just trying to figure out if there's any way we might be able to help him... if that is, in fact, what happened. I don't know what would make him come here, to the Farplane - he can't have simply guessed that this is where we'd be. And it didn't look like he recognized us, or even saw us for that matter. I think it's likely that he was... is, somewhere else. We just caught a glimpse of him. Only Yevon knows if we'll see him again."

"I've heard of nothing in my experience," Amalio said to break the morbid mood, "and traditional teleportation magic is white. There have been forays into the field using magic of the black school, so that may not be impossible, but..."

"I know, I know. It isn't your forte. Venez, do you know of anything?"

((I've probably already mentioned R Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing trilogy, which I will boldly state is the best epic fantasy I've ever read, since I mention it to just about everybody. I found the first book, The Darkness That Comes Before, at a public library and picked it up because of its cover. Ironically, that's the hardcover edition - I own the paperback edition of the trilogy, and I hate the covers. xd

If I haven't mentioned it to you yet, let me put it as succinctly as I can, since I don't want to go off on a full-blown review (unless you want me to - over PMs, maybe. I can talk about it for hours): Just as I always say that Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams are the fantasy and science fiction counterparts of each other, so too do I often say that R Scott Bakker is the fantasy counterpart of science fiction's Frank Herbert. The Prince of Nothing is like a grittier, somewhat more focused, fantasy version of Dune. It's got some more mature elements than Dune - the trilogy has sex and violence to spare, but don't get me wrong, it's always about the storyline, and the storyline is incredibly complex, encompassing two separate eras, each with a beautifully crafted history and backdrop. Not to mention, the story is riddled with the same kinds of philosophical ramblings and concepts that I loved about Dune, but it's more evenly spaced - you're never required to sit through an entire chapter of one character expounding on minutiae of his philosophical worldview.

But, ah, I said I would keep it brief. If you want to unleash my torrent of ranting about how amazing the Prince of Nothing is, PM me about it. razz

I should read the Three Musketeers... but the guy I lent my copy to back in Portland never gave it back. stare *sigh* That sucks, too, because it was an omnibus with the Three Musketeers, the Man in the Iron Mask, and the Count of Monte Cristo. More importantly, even though it was a cheap Barnes and Noble edition, I really liked its translation of Monte Cristo. It felt more authentic than most of the others I've dipped into, somehow. *sigh*

My enlistment bonus arrived, and I've been spending inordinate amounts of money on Xbox 360 games. In the last two weeks alone, I've got my hands on: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Darksiders (haven't played it yet but I have high expectations), Halo 3, Fable II, Beautiful Katamari, Tales of Vesperia and Mass Effect. If that's not enough, I'm strongly considering getting a PS3. The only things stopping me at this point is that I don't have a TV that I would want to play it on. For the Xbox 360 right now, I'm using a computer monitor with satisfactory speakers, but it only has one HDMI port and no remote control. If I can offload this monitor on someone (probably someone who actually needs a monitor rather than a TV), I will probably not wait a week before I buy a TV that better suits my needs, a PS3, and a small handful of games. I really want to play 3D Dot Game Heroes. biggrin The sad thing is there's nothing wrong with this monitor, it's just not what I need. It's got a beautiful picture, a 23" screen that supports up to 1080p resolution, and I don't know if the built-in speakers are amazing, but they are more than clear and loud enough for my needs.

Like I said, if you are big on playing with family or friends, I heartily recommend Boom Blox. I don't think it gets enough attention. I want to play the sequel that just came out.

If you start this fic, I would love to read it. I will have high expectations of you. razz ))

Aer was involuntarily distracted from Ed's raving, solely by Venez's tone of voice.

"What? Oh, no, don't apologize. It's no fault of yours. The situation is rather less than orthodox, so it's no wonder we're all unequipped to handle it. But... well, we're making quite a scene here. Ed... we should move on. There's nothing more we can do here. If Cal's going to come back, he'll come back when he can." He didn't add, and if he's not coming back, well... because it was self-explanatory.

((Short post. crying ))

Bizarrely, Amalio actually had a small, possibly nostalgic smile on his face as Ed walked away. He said nothing, but nodded as if Ed had given him a pleasant farewell.

Aer pretended not to notice; Jalisat scowled at the mage and made a face.

"Wait, boy," Amalio said suddenly, as Jalisat turned away. The boy looked back, discomfort already plain on his face. Amalio made a face of his own.

"I already know you're not her, boy, and even if you were, I'm not... just don't worry about me troubling you. What I want to tell you is... I'm not entirely sure that what she had was a disease in the traditional sense of the term. It may have been a more elemental malady."

"Elemental? Like magic?"

"Er, that's not quite what I mean, but suffice to say I want you to keep this in mind: The first symptom I remember her experiencing was an unnatural fatigue. After that, she lost her appetite almost completely. If you feel any of this - and relay this message to your summoner, as I'm sure she'll understand the importance - you should seek out a man named Cestin, a man who lives in - "

"Bevelle," Aer interrupted, turning around.

Amalio looked up, frowned. "I see his reputation hasn't faded over the years."

"No, and it hasn't improved, either. Remind me again why you're imploring this lad to seek out that crazy old badger?"

Amalio's frown only deepened. "That crazy old badger might have been able to save Kavindhra's life, had I not insisted on my own methods. He was a good friend of mine, though he may not have held the same opinion of me. He's a good man, though, and if the boy takes ill... even if it doesn't seem serious, just... try to see if that man can help."

Aer didn't look happy, but Ed was too far ahead to hear and she was clearly not about to stop, so he nodded curtly.

"I'll do what I can, but so far, I don't have a very good running track record when it comes to saving idiot kids from strange magical maladies," he said.

"That's all I ask," Amalio said. "You should go; your summoner's hell-bent on leaving, and I don't blame her. This is no place to linger, and you have more important business to see to."

((Oh, the characters in the Second Apocalypse (Bakker's overarching series; supposedly, it will be in three sets of books, though it's anyone's guess whether the second and third sets will be trilogies or duologies) are one of the highlights of reading it. My favorite characters (all the surnames come first, as in Asian names, and while even I will admit the names in this series are infinitely worse than Tolkienesque in their length and difficulty, the main characters get much easier to remember as you read. Unfortunately, place names never seem to get any easier, and minor characters' names just never make any damn sense) are Anasurimbor Kellhus (pure and simple amazingness; I would kiss the soles of this man's shoes if I could, and that's exactly the way he would want things); Drusas Achamian (more like myself than I would like to admit, in personality anyway; his disillusionments, his vices, his desires, and above all his flaws, all make him a very sympathetic character for me. I don't know if all readers would feel the same, but I love Achamian's character. I didn't click with him as much in The Judging Eye (second trilogy's first book), but I am still jonesing for the next installment); and Ikurei Xerius III and his mother, Ikurei Istriya (Xerius III is a love-to-hate type of character who, as Aspect-Emperor of the Nansur, quite literally believes himself to be an 'aspect' of the God (God is always referred to as 'the God'). His mother, Istriya, doesn't help him with his delusions, since she's the one fueling half of them. She's also a love-to-hate character, but with her, I think it's less love-to-hate ad more oh-my-gawd-I-hate-her-so-much-I-could-puke. To her merit, though, most of the scene's she's in are very interesting, so she must be doing something right.)

Other characters that I've heard people like are Esmenet (can't remember her surname at the moment), the whore-with-a-heart-of-gold, who, like Achamian, appeals to most people more because of her flaws than her merits. Even I will agree that her background greatly endears her to me as a character, but over the course of the story I just... can't like her anymore. You may disagree as you read the series, but by the time I finished the first trilogy, I no longer liked her, and at the end of the Judging Eye, I didn't hate her, I just could no longer relate to her enough to bother getting emotionally engaged with her as a character. And this is just a guess, but I think you will like Cnaiur, the exiled barbarian warlord. I can say very little about him without spoilers (he gets quite a lot of developments throughout the series, all of them pivotal, all of them important, all of them fascinating), but suffice to say I think he will appeal to you as a character.

I don't know that there are as many characters in The Second Apocalypse as there are in WoT (Be fair, WoT has an ungodly assortment of characters), but I can confidently say that they're more complex and, to me, more engaging; they are darker, in the sense that the Second Apocalypse treats morality very subjectively, depending on the characters involved. Sometimes the characters will try to do what is 'right', but you'll find that more often, they are forced (or perceive themselves as being forced, as a justification) to act based on instinct, necessity, or simple desire.

Oh, and so you know: The battle scenes are all but nonexistant in the Judging Eye (I think there may have been one, but I'm not certain), but for the first trilogy they are quite prevalent (the trilogy is about a Holy War, after all). However, coming from someone who usually can't comprehend more than a single paragraph of any large-scale battle description, they are well-written and fairly easy to follow. Usually this is due to some sort of magic or other focus point on which the narrative centers, but even when it's a realistic battle with nothing unnatural to drive the outcome, I don't recall ever finding myself confused about what was going on.

Also, plot twist at the end of the first trilogy is mind-blowing. Good for you, you won't have to wait a few months for the next book, since it's already out. I was devastated when I realized I had just burned through the entire trilogy and there was MORE, and it wasn't out yet. To be honest, I hadn't done any research, and I thought it was just one trilogy. I was almost to the end of the third book before I realized there was no way Bakker could possibly wrap everything up by the end of the book. Then I started looking... and found out the Judging Eye wasn't out for about a year. So upset. Gah.

I know exactly what you mean about the WoT covers. To be honest, I'm not a big enough fan of WoT to be picky about the editions, but I do prefer the British ones (I've seen them in used bookstores, though I've never gone hunting for them).

I did indeed get myself a PS3, but have used it very little. I'm not impressed with White Knight Chronicles (It features the only single-player campaign in history where you play a MINOR SUPPORTING CHARACTER) and I've bee procrastinating with the God of War collection because I've got so many 360 games I need to play.

*Gasp* I adore Mass Effect! I can't wait to play Mass Effect 2, I've read all about the changes and it seems like it'll be awesome! And Force Unleashed is a great Star Wars game. Very shortly after beginning the game, if you have any aptitude for it at all (and by 'aptitude', I mean 'opposable thumbs'), you will quickly come to think of yourself as a Sith Lord, even if you have only one or two Force powers to start out with. It's just so much fun to slaughter helpless enemies with your Force powers. xd

*babble babble babble [/babble]* ))

((If we're strictly speaking of what would make it easiest on me, I'd prefer to keep the roleplay going here, but just drop me an e-mail when you post so that I get a reminder. I realize that it's kind of rude to ask you to send two messages every time you post, though, so if it'd be simpler to just continue over e-mail, that's no problem. I just like having this big long thread handy as a reference.

And I don't even remember what I was trying to do with the girl from the tavern... she was a spur-of-the-moment tenuous idea anyway. If I remember, I may bring her back, but... >_>

The inconsistency of Shepherd's conversational abilities in Mass Effect does annoy me greatly, and on one occasion even caused me to handle a situation in a manner in which I did NOT intend to handle it (wanted to kill everyone in a crime ring, and 'accidentally' walked away peacefully...) but the action and the RPG elements hooked me. To be perfectly honest, I would have preferred it if Mass Effect played like Borderlands, another b*****d RPG/FPS offspring that, I think, pulls off the combination more effectively and enjoyably. But, eh. Also, Mass Effect's music is great. I like it, anyway, especially in the opening segments.

Also, heads-up: FFXIII is AMAZING.))

Aer opened his mouth several times during the exchange, but somehow, it never seemed quite the right time to say anything. By the time he'd composed his words, the moment of opportunity had passed, Rogan was a Guardian, and Ed was once again storming off.

He was beginning to think what Ed really needed was a hug. He wondered, if he were to spontaneously hug her from behind, how long it would take for the scars to heal. Best not to chance it.

Jalisat hung behind, oddly enough, trailing after the rest of them. He had a brooding expression and seemed barely cognizant of the Rogan's spectacle ahead.

Is she really dead? What does that make me? Possessed? But it's not like she's separate from me. If what he said is true, then it's - I'm - I have the same soul, which means... I really am her, just in a new body. What kind of disease could kill her - me - and then stay with me even if I have a completely different body?

A strange feeling, one unlike anything Jalisat had ever experience, swept through him, like a pulse of cold had gone out from the entrance to the Farplane, behind him. There was no movement, no wind, but it was as if a silent wave of cold had overtaken him from behind. For a moment, he felt like he was suspended in time.

Not a disease. A curse. An experiment... a toy. The first time, I expected it to kill you. This time, knowing what afflicts you and what it is capable of, I want to see if you can break my toy... or if it is as foolproof as I intended.

Then the cold was gone as if it had never been, and Jalisat was faced with the strangest sensation of uncertainty - even though he had just heard the distant voice, he could not be at all sure that he had, in fact, heard it. It was like he'd awoken from a nap, only to find himself uncertain as to whether he'd actually been asleep.

Suddenly unsure as to whether he had even the slightest grip on the situation, he shook his head and hurried to catch up with the others.

"...st going to leave your ship here?" Aer was saying, a bit stiffly, to Rogan. "This place is dark, isolated. The perfect place to try and steal something conspicuous and valuable without getting caught. I'm not saying you should reconsider your offer, but maybe you ought to leave your ship somewhere else. Like a shipyard in Bevelle, you could meet us there. Or something."

((Bit of a short post, but Cal's approaching return will be glorious and somewhat traumatizing, so it should make up for any short posts until then. 3nodding ))

((BioShock is an incredible game. I have BioShock 2, but I haven't played it yet. Still burning through too many other games.))

Despite Aer making a fantastic show of being ready for any vile fiends that might assail them, taking advantage of the dark and the rough terrain to sneak up and ambush them, the trek across the Plains went largely without incident - for the most part. They'd crossed perhaps two-thirds of the wasteland, and Aer was beginning to wonder if he was wasting his energy here of all places, when a nearby flash of lightning revealed an encroaching fiend that more than justified Aer's vigilance.

"Behemoth!" Jalisat shouted, running up from behind the party. "Behemoth!"

Aer whirled, almost certain the boy had mistakenly identified an Aerouge or a Buer, and dropped his jaw.

It might have been a Behemoth, except for the distinctive coloring of its taut, muscular flesh and its rain-matted mane.

"That's not a Behemoth," he said absently, while the beast reared up. As it came back down, its weight shook the ground. A lightning rod nearby toppled. The telltale glimmers of magic rose into the air around the fiend, and its already bulging muscles grew further, giving the Humbaba an almost mythic appearance.

"I think we may need an Aeon for this battle," Aer said, mustering up the energy for a party-encompassing Aero spell.

" - then, fine! If that's the way all of this magical nonsense has to be d - gah!"

Another burst of lightning, alarmingly close now that the nearest lightning rod had been demolished, and something came flying out of the darkness. Whatever it was, it seemed to have brought a measure of pure and simple chaos along with it - the flailing figure rocketed out of the darkness like a projectile, trailing the most bizarre stream of multicolored sparks Aer had ever seen in its wake. It hit the Humbaba squarely in the forehead and toppled the monster backward despite its increased mass and strength. The fiend roared loudly enough to shake the ground, but the unknown figure had vanished as soon as it had collided with the monster.

"Wait a second!" Aer shouted. "That was - "

Another burst of lightning, even closer, and this time even the Humbaba looked alarmed.

" - ot again, for the - wha!" The same figure, with the same voice, this time seemed to erupt out of the ground, colliding with the Humbaba's chin and throwing it several yards into the air. Something screamed, either the Humbaba or the figure or both, and the figure vanished again, though its trail of multicolored sparks appeared to nest in the Humbaba's mane - and promptly set it alight despite the downpour. Howling in pained fury, the fiend lumbered off into the shadows, remaining visible for some time thanks to its burning mane.

Aer watched it go, one eyebrow raised higher than it ought to be able to go.

"That was... interes - "

Another flash of lightning, and this one made both Aer and Jalisat jump back and away from it - it had been mere yards away. It was impossible to see in the dark thanks to the lightning, but from the sound of things, there was definitely someone there. Someone stationary.

" - many times is this going to happen before - no, damn it!" A pause. "Wait... I'm standing. Still."

Before the streak of light burned into Aer's retinas could fade, he knew who was standing there. And a moment later...

"... Eddora?"

((From what I've heard (or rather, read in GameInformer), one vital piece of the BioShock puzzle that BioShock 2 lacks is the sense of discovery in an alien world. Part of what made Rapture so amazing in BioShock was that it had never been done before. But since BioShock 2 also takes place in Rapture, albeit some time after the first game (I think), its world is no longer new and mysterious. You are used to the atmosphere, and unless you're very jumpy, you're not going to be intimidated by it anymore. I've also heard that the difficulty curve of the Big Sister fights is stupid; early on, the fights are near-impossible, while late-game fights with her are just pointless. None of this is from my own experience, though. I'm still trudging toward the end of Mass Effect. stare ))

Before Ed could reach Cal and crush him to death with an embrace, he proved that his own personality hadn't changed by immediately dropping to one knee, aiming his face directly at the dirt (mud?), and announcing, "Lady Eddora, I beg your forgiveness for my extended and unexplained absence. If the transgression is not too grievous, I humbly request that you accept me once again as your Guardian for the remainder of the pil - " he was cut off by Aer's boot on the side of his head.

"I'm pretty sure the long-winded speech is unnecessary," the mage said flatly. "More importantly, where on Spira have you been?"

Struggling to regain his balance, Calaman rose once again to his feet.

"Nowhere. Well, at least, nowhere on Spira... I think. It's... complicated."

He looked at Ed, his expression difficult to make out in the dark, but certainly grim.

"I'll need a little bit of time to sort out everything I need to tell you, and besides, I think you'll want to hear it somewhere more..." he trailed off in the wake of another, more distant thunderbolt, "...conducive to thinking."

((I think that's a fair assessment of what I know of Ed's personality. I'm unfortunately finding that my characters are more shallow than I usually like. Aer is showing very little personality lately, except as mild comic relief to break somber moods; Jalisat seems to just be around as a plot point; and Calaman is... difficult. I'm not even sure about him at the moment.))