The Path to Sin (Ikken Isshu + Griselda Banks)

[Griselda Banks]

Ed squinted down at the boy who seemed to be dancing around her. Why wouldn't he hold still? The buzzing in her ears was making it hard for her to understand what he was saying. She caught a few words here and there, but they didn't make sense.

"Ed ... going ... boat ride ... Calaman...."

Ed drew in her breath and grabbed at him, missing on her first try and finally clutching one of his shoulders. "You know where Cal is?" she demanded thickly. "Tell me, tell me where he is! Gotta find 'im...gotta find...." The world spun around her, and for a moment she seemed to be spinning around in the Sending again. Gradually she realized that she was lying on her back on the ground.

"Where's he..." she mumbled as the buzzing grew to a roar. "Cal...gotta find...." And then, blissful darkness.

((I dunno if this whole thing is realistic or not, having never so much as tasted alcohol before >_> We can say it's extra-potent sake, I guess xp ))  

[Ikken Isshu]

"Oh, for Yevon's..." Aer began, and dove forward to catch Ed as she started to fall, but she slipped through his arms like a limp fish, crumpling to the ground. He cursed and felt the back of her head; dry, for a miracle, and she didn't look any more impaired than she already was.

"What's... is she drunk?" Jalisat asked blankly.

Aer rolled his eyes. "Yeah. She'll sleep it off by the time we reach... wait a moment, how are we going to get to Macalania by boat?"

Jalisat frowned and looked up at Rogan. "Can we?"

"Wait!" Aer said. "I seem to remember hearing about a small town on the eastern edge of the Moonflow, where the marsh begins to run into the sea. There's a little bit of solid, flat ground just northeast of here. They have a Shoopuf, too, but only one, and rides aren't cheap. But with Ed like this, we don't really have a choice, unless we want to spend a night or two here in Djose. We can't travel over land with her in this state. And with Luseik already caught up with us, I don't think we have time to be sleeping off hangovers in town."

Jalisat nodded, though he hadn't understood most of what Aer had said. "Then let's get to the boat!"

Aer looked up to Rogan and started to rise with Ed in his arms like a bride. "Do you know the place? I've never been, but it's on the coast, so if we just sail northeast along the shoreline, we should see it. It's small, smaller than Kilika. More a cluster of docks and shacks than an actual town."

((I realized recently that it wouldn't really be practical to take another boat ride in the traditional sense to get to Macalania, but who's to say we can't take a little detour from the course of FFX's pilgrimage? twisted

Also, I have never had sake, so I'm not sure how strong it is, but I doubt she'd be that drunk that fast, especially if she tends to drink as much as she seems to; she'd probably have a pretty decent alcohol tolerance if she drinks a lot. But you're right, we can always say it's extra-potent stuff. Not to mention, it's easier to get drunk if you want to get drunk, and she wanted to get drunk very badly. Alcohol is one drug that is particularly psychosomatic. Anyway, you don't hear me complaining. razz ))

 

[Griselda Banks]

((I was pretty sure there wasn't any way to get to Macalania except over land, but after looking at the map (what a novel idea!), I think I have a plan. I had an alternative ready, but I like this way, since it ties into Ed being drunk.))

Venez let out a frazzled sigh as she followed her companions outside. "She should've thought of all this before traipsing off to get drunk..." she muttered under her breath. Not like anyone was actually listening to her.

Rogan strolled up, hands in pockets, as Ed collapsed, and watched with mild amusement. Thankfully, everyone in the vicinity was inside or hard at work, or they might have been making quite the scene. "Poor thing," he said lightly, looking at Ed's unconscious face.

Then he looked up at Aer. "Hmm," he mused, rubbing his rough chin. "I do know the place, but I've got an even better idea. The Moonflow cuts all the way across the continent, you know. Goes right past Guadosalam. The usual route is to cut overland to get to the Moonflow and then to Guadosalam. It's a bit longer by sea - probably a couple days - but once you get to the mouth of the river, it's the quickest way to Guadosalam. Most passenger ships are too big, which is why they use shoopufs, but as you know...the Fayth is a pretty slim vessel. Might be a tight squeeze in some parts, but I think we can make it. Plus, my offer still stands, so it'd be a lot cheaper for you all than riding the shoopuf."  

[Ikken Isshu]

Aer's mouth actually dropped slightly open. "You want to sail your boat up the Moonflow?"

"Why not?" Jalisat asked, confused. "It's just a river, isn't it?"

"Well, I don't really see a good reason why not, but how the idea even occurred to him, I haven't the faintest..."

Jalisat grinned. "Then it's settled. All aboard! Next stop, Guadosalam!" Without waiting another moment, he took off at a dead sprint back toward the boat.

Aer sighed and stood up, hefting Ed in his arms. "She owes me for this," he muttered as he followed Jalisat, not even looking in Rogan's direction.

((I really need to start working Venez into my posts, I always seem to just ignore her... emo ))  

[Griselda Banks]

((Oh, I hope I didn't make you feel guilty or anything by writing that in my last post! It makes sense; Venez hasn't really been very cool so far. But actually, I was brainstorming the other day, and I think I have an idea that will make her very cool indeed, farther down the road. And actually, it might help her character growth/whatever-you-want-to-call-it more if people continue to sort of ignore her. Not to the extent that no one talks to her or anything; basically...just carry on like things have been. Though...I've been wondering if it would work for Venez to kind of...get a crush on Aer stare You know, so there'd be jealousy within the party and stuff. What do you think? All that would require would be something like Aer saving Ven's hide in a battle or something, and then she'd go all, "Ooh, Aer, you're so brave... *bats eyelashes*" XD))

Rogan grinned at Aer's reaction. "True, nobody's really tried that before," he admitted, "but I've been wanting to give it a go for a...well, for a long time. We Spirans are just to set in our ways sometimes, you know?" He chuckled at Jalisat's enthusiasm, then turned to meander back down to the boat himself, hands still in pockets.

After a few paces, he drew up short and said, "Oh, you want some help? I can grab her legs if you like."

Venez, taking up the rear as usual, grumbled to herself something that sounded like, "brainless and emotional".  

[Ikken Isshu]

((Works for me. I'm always in favor of angst and awkward romance. That's what anime is all about. razz

When was the last night? They didn't arrive in the morning, did they? Well, anyway, I'd say they've been on the island long enough (Cloister, graveyard, ensuing drama) for it to be sunsettish when they get on the boat, so on the next morning, I'm going to post Cal's next post.))

Aer couldn't help it; his teeth were bared before he'd even registered what Rogan was talking about. Then he closed his lips tightly and shook his head, perhaps more sharply than he'd intended.

"No," he said. "I'm fine. There's a gangplank or something, isn't there? I don't think I've properly boarded a ship on this entire pilgrimage..."

Glancing back at Venez, he raised a discreet eyebrow but said nothing. It sounded like Venez was saying something about Ed's lack of self-discipline, but he wasn't too irritated with Ed for this (after all, she'd just been through a traumatic event), and neither did he want to make an enemy of Venez. Instead, he chose a happy medium and just followed Rogan with Ed's inert form in his arms.

 

[Griselda Banks]

((As I recall, they got to Djose sometime around midmorning or so. So yeah, I think it would make sense if it was "sunsettish" now. Timeskiiiiip!))

Rogan shrugged and continued on his way. "Yep, got one stashed away somewhere. Hold on a sec." They had reached the Fayth, and Rogan vaulted nimbly over the railing, disappearing below deck. He was gone for quite a while, until he finally re-emerged, holding a warped-looking gangplank. He banged it down over the side of the boat and stood back, looking at it critically. "Kind of old, but it'll do, right?"

He didn't seem to notice that it barely spanned the gap between the boat and the dock.

((On second thought, this would actually be a good place for me to stop before my week-long absence from Gaia. In my next post, I'll do Ed waking up the next morning; feel free to post for Aer or Cal or whoever you like.))  

[Ikken Isshu]

((It's great, gives me a fitting chance to include some slapstick comedy and then cut to the emoness that Cal oozes lately. razz

See you when you get back. I'll miss you, trust me - this is one of the only RPs I have right now that isn't completely blown out of proportion. This one and Splinter are probably the only really, really decent RPs I'm in right now. stare I mean, honestly, Hearrtes is very fun, but it's just so far removed from its original premise... I mean, if Happy Days jumped the shark, Hearrtes has jumped FFIV's Big Whale. Several times. Scratch that - at least a dozen times. And I'm also in a one-on-one RP over PMs that I'm struggling very hard not to turn into a tacky Anne Rice lemon-slash fanfic. So this RP and Splinter are kind of my bread and butter lately.

In other words, HURRY BACK. gonk ))

Aer looked at the gangplank for a moment, raising an eyebrow uncertainly, and then tested it with his foot. It held. Stepping onto it, he stepped slowly at first, then picked up his pace and walked quickly up the gangplank onto the boat. He took Ed below deck without waiting to see that the others made it on safely.

Jalisat was not quite so worried about the gangplank, which might have been a mistake. Grabbing Venez' arm with the inexplicable excitement of a child about to do something he thought incredibly daring and clever, he tugged the white mage up the gangplank.

About halfway up, the thing slipped to the side, dropping both Jalisat and Venez tumbling into the water.

~

About fifteen minutes later, Jalisat sat on the deck of the ship, wet and cold and sullenly watching as Aer repeatedly apologized to Venez on Jalisat's behalf, as well as using a bit of air magic here and there to help her dry off quickly. Jalisat, of course, had been told to go sit down and air dry, because Aer wasn't going to help clean him up after doing something so reckless.

After about five minutes of shivering and wishing he had a towel or at least that he'd fallen into the sea earlier in the day, when the sun was still high in the sky, Jalisat flopped onto his back - the more he showed the setting sun, the faster he would dry - and closed his eyes, thinking about Guadosalam. How many more days would it be? Five? Six? It couldn't possibly be a week, and then he'd meet the mage from his dreams, and... Well, that wasn't certain. But even if he didn't meet the man, he'd at least have some light shed on the strange dreams. And then...

That was about as far as he got before he drifted off, even as cold and wet as he was.

((Even though he took a nap earlier. He's exhausted himself, so he's tired enough to sleep. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. ninja ))

~

((Took a bit of liberty with Rogan in this post, tried to keep it in character. Let me know if I should change/delete anything. biggrin ))

Aer sat with his back against the door to the cabin, keeping a strict vigil against any lecherous attempts Rogan might make to go and 'check up on Ed' while she slept. He'd made certain of getting Ed situated before Rogan could notice what he was doing, and no matter how important Rogan was on his own ship, Ed needed the bed more than Rogan.

"You can sleep on deck with the rest of us," he'd said sternly, and proceeded to ignore any appeals Rogan might have tried to make.

Thus, the dark form of Rogan's body obscured a bit of the lightening horizon to Aer's right. Jalisat slept not far from Rogan, farther up toward the prow.

And Venez... well, Aer could only assume she'd chosen a spot farther aft, because he didn't see her. For a moment he felt a little guilty about forbidding everyone from entering the cabin, but on second thought, Ed probably wouldn't have appreciated waking up in bed with Venez - There's absolutely nothing in that scenario that I should be thinking about, in any way, under any circumstances... - and after all, Venez was a white mage. A healer. He didn't know much about her craft, but he could only assume that if she woke up with a stiff back or a pinched nerve, she could just magick it well again. Or something. Either way, she wasn't hungover, so she could probably manage.

The sun had just peeked over the edge of the sea when Aer finally succumbed to the dragging of his eyelids, and slumped over sideways in front of the door.

~

((And Cal's third post! This is one of my favorite posts for him, because there's angst and because it's the real beginning of him losing his duty-spawned attachment to Ed and the pilgrimage. But I'll let you see for yourself. biggrin

You may or may not recognize the names of the songs Pheos plays on the piano in this post. I'll note each of them here just in case. biggrin

'Waltz of Pain' is a solo piano (of course) rendition of Mallow's depressing theme, Sad Song, from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. I found it on OCRemix, and even if you don't know the original song, 'Waltz of Pain', despite its corny name, is a morose but beautiful song. It's much more moving than the SNES chiptune original, that's for sure.

'Unrequited Love' is from Final Fantasy IX, and the one I'm referring to is a solo piano version available on the album "Final Fantasy: S Generation".

Finally, 'Eternity ~Memories of Light and Waves~' is the solo piano version of the prelude to Final Fantasy X-2, the original of which is called 'Eternity ~Memory of Lightwaves~' (or 'Kuon Hikari To Nami No Kioku' according to my copy of the soundtrack, which for some frustrating and unfathomable reason is entirely labeled in Japanese ninja ). There are quite a surprising number of versions of this song available; I have the oddly ambient original, a beautifully rearranged orchestrated version, and a solo piano version; I'm certain there are a few more kicking around that I haven't yet snapped up. Anyway, it goes without saying that Pheos plays the solo piano version.))

Calaman awoke. As always, he tried to imagine how long he'd been here. As always, he failed to come up with a concrete figure. He knew he'd woken up in that bed a handful of times, but he didn't know if he was really sleeping eight hours every time and remaining awake for sixteen. More likely, he was skewing those numbers because of his inability to tell the time. There was never anything outside the window except darkness and, occasionally, a school of those bizarre dancing lights. (Thankfully, they'd stopped dancing around in his head not long after his fireside chat with Pheos.)

When he finally gave up on the futile math, he noticed a soft and intensely mournful tune being played on a piano. He sat up and stared across the room, where Pheos sat playing an ebony grand piano. The instrument had not been there until today. Just another demonstration of Pheos' power, Calaman supposed. He got up and glanced down at himself, checking out of habit to make sure his equipment hadn't been tampered with while he slept. (For some reason, Pheos had never taken Calaman's weapons. Perhaps he knew Calaman couldn't do any lasting damage with them.) Then he made his cautious way toward Pheos.

It was a waltz Pheos played, but so slow and depressing that Calaman couldn't imagine dancing to it - even if he was the dancing type, and he wasn't.

"It's called the 'Waltz of Pain,'" Pheos said without turning around or even faltering. "Such a clichéd name, don't you think?" The music intensified, and Pheos began to rock slightly as he played. "But," he said as if to himself, "a rose by any other name..."

Calaman didn't ask for clarification, though the meaning of Pheos' last words escaped him. "It's a beautiful song," he said. "Very sad. Where did you learn it?"

Pheos laughed, a quiet sound that was almost swallowed up by the notes coming from the piano. "I don't know. Is that strange?"

Calaman shrugged. "Do you mean you don't remember?"

"I mean what I said," Pheos said without impatience. "It happens more often than you'd think. I know many such songs... I don't know if I composed them myself without realizing it, or..." He trailed off, and the music did likewise. He looked over his shoulder at Calaman and smiled. "Even when I don't know where the songs come from, playing the piano relaxes me. It's an opportunity to create something beautiful, even if it's only a sound that will fade as soon as I stop creating it."

Pheos turned back to the piano and keyed a few apparently dissonant notes, then began another, somehow more romantic song. Calaman came around to watch from the side, and noted that Pheos was smiling as if at some private joke.

"This is 'Unrequited Love'. I know that I wrote this one, a year or so after the beginning of the last Calm. It soothed my heart during those times."

Calaman frowned. Though he appeared to be concentrating on the piano, Pheos must have noticed the frown, because he added, "The Calms aren't all roses... Sometimes being left behind is more painful than dying."

Calaman's mouth formed a silent 'O' and Pheos closed his eyes, continued playing.

"You're wondering why I keep you here," Pheos murmured. Calaman had to strain to hear him over the piano, even as soft as he was playing.

"I am Lady Eddora's Guardian," Calaman said simply. "I should be with her."

Pheos stopped playing abruptly and turned a narrow-eyed stare on Calaman. Then his facial features relaxed. He said: "You are one person, Calaman. Spira has hundreds like you, and thousands that have never heard of you. Do you think Eddora will suffer for the loss? You're just a man with a sword. A boy, not even properly a man. So what if you have skill and conviction? Those aren't so rare. Not in a world where Sin can show up at any moment and destroy everything. No, the only value you have to Eddora is your loyalty, which can be quickly earned from anyone by virtue of a few coins."

Calaman scowled. "Watch your tongue, Witness," he said in a low voice. He didn't bother drawing a weapon, but his hand itched to do so. "As her Guardian, I won't stand by while you slander Lady Eddora."

Pheos waved a hand dismissively and turned back to the piano. "'Eternity - Memories of Light and Waves,'" he murmured as he began the fluctuating, almost hypnotic melody. Calaman stared at him for a long time, then turned away.

"Wait," Pheos said without stopping. "Wait. Do you want to know what they are doing right now?"

Calaman stopped and closed his eyes. "Yes."

"They are going about the pilgrimage without you. You have been here about a week and a half - they are already passing through Guadosalam. Eddora has allowed Jalisat to accompany her, too. The boy. What did I tell you? As soon as you were no longer available to swing your sword around, she snapped up the first available substitute."

Calaman opened his mouth to retort, but stopped. Why would she have brought Jalisat with her? They'd agreed that the boy was too young for the pilgrimage. Unless the Witness was right.

"She just wants someone whose specialties lie outside of magic," Pheos said. The music never faltered. It seemed to cushion Calaman's mind, to buffer it, to enclose it. "Eddora can pull a mean punch out of her sleeve when she needs to, but she's a Summoner, and that takes priority. Aer and Venez are both mages. You see the value you have? You're a fighter. A physical force. Nothing more. Jalisat is the same, with his sling and his - that is, your bow."

Calaman shook his head. The piano notes almost sounded like voices, singing wordlessly.

"I am more than a swordsman," Calaman said. "I'm a loyal servant of Yevon. I have protected Eddora thus far, along with Aer. It's my responsibility..."

"Along with Aer? The mage hates you." Pheos sounded highly amused at Calaman's naïveté. "Listen."

For a moment Calaman heard only the piano, singing out its nostalgic aria. Then the piano really was speaking - in Aer's voice:

"Finally, that little b*****d is gone. Don't know what did the trick, but I'm not complaining. Now there's nothing standing between me and my true love!"

Calaman fell back a step, caught himself on the edge of the piano. Pheos kept playing, faster now. Eddora's voice swelled out of the music:

"I can't believe my stupidity in choosing that arrogant brat for a Guardian, but it seems Yevon has seen fit to save me from at least that one idiotic decision. Now that I don't have to babysit him anymore, I can concentrate on what's important - the pilgrimage."

He shook his head vehemently. "That's not... She wouldn't..."

"What an imbecile." Venez' voice. "No proper Guardian would be foolish enough to fall for such a simple trap. Good riddance to him. Less useless flesh for the rest of us to worry about."

His stomach tightened, and a baseless, visceral fear welled up inside him. Jalisat's young voice emerged from the notes of the piano:

"The brute's gone and got himself killed, or whatever it was that happened to him. Now I get the adventure I wanted in the first place! It's too bad whatever happened to him, but the stupid git was in my way."

His mouth opened. He wanted to rail against what he was hearing. It was contrived. It had to be. But he couldn't say anything; the words wouldn't come. He started to take his hand away from the piano, started to stagger toward the bed, but another voice from the music stopped him.

"And he has the nerve to call himself my student. No student of mine would have been ensnared in a trap like that. He's a cretin. Pathetic. Worthless."

Calaman froze. "M...Master?"

The piano notes quieted, and in seconds, the voices were gone; only soft notes, dancing through the still air. Calaman whirled, but before he could say anything, Pheos murmured: "You've already had your doubts, haven't you? About the pilgrimage. About Sin."

Calaman broke off and stood silently. For perhaps the first time, he realized he was dealing with a very dangerous entity; someone who could, apparently, read his mind, and someone with powers of which Calaman suspected he had not even seen a fraction.

"You don't know the half of it. Sometimes I wonder if even I know the half of it. But I know that these insipid pilgrimages aren't doing a damn thing to help anyone." The music swelled, but Calaman paid close attention to it this time. Nothing abnormal happened; it was just music. "It's not a solution to a problem, it's maintainance for a situation."

"There's nothing else we can do," Calaman said in a low voice. "That's the way Yevon has decreed things must be."

"Yevon!" Pheos exclaimed, and the music intensified again. It was at the level it had been when Calaman had been hearing the voices, but it was still just piano music, nothing more. "Yevon is..." His eyes went covertly over to Calaman, and he scowled. "Your perception of the world disgusts me," he grumbled. "But nevermind that. You can prattle off at me about Yevon as much as you want, but I know you've wondered why things are the way they are. I don't know the answer to that question, but I want to change the world. I want to fix this broken world."

Calaman narrowed his eyes. He was no priest, no Maester, not even a theologist, but this sounded like heresy. Deep heresy.

"I am no heretic," Pheos snarled at the piano. "I am holier than any Guardian, holier even than a Summoner, holier than a Maester! You know not who and what you are dealing with, Calaman!" The notes now were sharp and angry, harshly at odds with the delicate melody they indecorously twanged.

"Then tell me who and what I'm dealing with!" Calaman snapped. "Don't ridicule me for being ignorant of the situation when you are the one who is keeping me ignorant!"

Pheos's hands froze, and he stared blankly at the silent keys for a few seconds. Then he laughed. "Of course you're right. I must apologize, Calaman. I am letting my emotions get the better of me. Please, don't mind my little outbursts. They are meaningless frivolities, nothing more."

Calaman said nothing, so Pheos pushed himself back from the piano, stood, and continued: "I will leave you now, Calaman. I've bothered you long enough. Please, though, think on what I've said. We can do great things, you and I. Consider forswearing your vows as a Guardian. Consider working with me, instead. Don't worry about contacting me. I'll know when you reach a decision." With those words, he vanished. Calaman stared at the piano for a long time, then shook his head and went to sit by the fire.

It was nearly two hours before he was able to get Pheos' last song out of his head. It felt like an eternity.

 

[Griselda Banks]

((Again, I'm so so sorry for needlessly taking so long. I have no excuse (except my own pigheadedness. I've missed this rp a lot too; it's so fun - both to read and to write. I loled at the first half of your post, and sank into dread at the second half. Oh my DX What's gonna happen to Cal?! *goes crazy and wants to become Ed just to tell him none of that was true* Oh, and the thing with Rogan's fine, as long as you take the "appeals Rogan tried to make" as Aer's perception of those appeals. (Did that make any sense?) But I'll grab Aer for a tiny thing as well, if that's all right.

On a different note, I've started a couple things that I thought I'd tell you about. For one, I've finally picked up where I left off in the Wheel of Time series; I'm almost 200 pages into Book Four. You've read them, right? (Duh, you must've read them, because you quoted an Aes Sedai in a Splinter post a while back *feels proud to have noticed it*) Have you read the whole series? *feels like we must've talked about this before*

My brother and I have also started playing FFVII. Yes, that's right, we'd never played it before. And yes, that's right, we fail epically x.x But hey, we were like eight and six when it first came out, and we didn't get into RPGs until FFX. It's so great to finally experience a game that's so popular. I still think FFX is better, but FFVII is nothing to sneeze at. We're in the second disc now, after a huge long sequence of quasi-revelation that's kind of confusing but appears to mean that Cloud isn't actually Cloud. (DON'T SAY ANYTHING, PLEASE!!!!)

Anyway, so that's what's been occupying my imagination lately, until you came steamrollering in with this post DX

Those songs sound beautiful. The only one I'm familiar with is the one from FFX-2. Um...if I gave you my e-mail address, do you think you could send the songs to me? sweatdrop And while we're on the topic of pretty piano pieces, don't forget To Zanarkand! Such a pretty song; I could seriously put it on repeat for an hour.))

Venez cried out in surprise as Jalisat suddenly tugged her forward from where she had been standing at the back of the group. She lurched to the side as they rushed pell-mell up the gangplank, and clutched desperately for a handhold as they tipped over. Uttering a scream that was suddenly silenced by a mouthful of water, she realized she was in the water.

Then, just as suddenly, someone was pulling her out of the water and back on board the deck. Someone with a worried expression that somehow made him handsomer than ever. Was that...Aer? Venez blinked as though she had never seen him before. And, in a way, she hadn't.

Finally, she got her senses about her enough to stammer, "Th-Thank you...Aer." I never realized just how strong he was....

~

Eddora woke to the rocking motion of a boat. Where am I...? She groggily opened her eyes and squinted around the dark cabin. Was the whole thing rocking back and forth, or was that just her head? She sat up and nearly fell back down as her brain pounded angrily against her skull and whirled around as if hoping to shake her consciousness off. It very nearly worked, too. Cradling her head in her hands, Ed tried to remember what had happened. The headache, the dizziness, and the thick fuzzy feeling of her tongue were all too familiar to her. Drunk.... Oh Yevon, I hope I didn't do something stupid.... Why had she gotten drunk again? There was something...a Sending. And Calaman- Oh Yevon.

Ed had leapt to her feet as everything came rushing back to her, and almost doubled over from the pain in her head. Letting out a low moan, she waited till her head stilled enough to let her walk, and then she walked over to where she thought the door was. After fumbling around for the doorknob a while, she finally found it and opened it. Ed gasped as the light stabbed at her eyes and right through her brain. Shielding her eyes with an arm, she tried to stumble out onto the deck - and found herself sprawled on the ground half on top of someone. Squinting and shielding her eyes while gritting her teeth against the pain, Ed tried to make out who it was. Then her eyes widened, startled. It was Aer.

((To clarify, they're lying kind of perpendicular to each other, if you know what I mean - Aer was lying sideways to the door, and Ed fell forward out of the door.))  

[Ikken Isshu]

((I've slightly amended Rogan's hypothetical appeals, if you're interested in going back and taking a look. razz

I've read the first four Wheel of Time books, and have been stalled somewhere near Chapter Two or Three in the fifth book for several months now (since I've been reading Dune, The Godless World, the Second Apocalypse, The Engineer Trilogy, and trying to get into any one of a thousand other books that just don't seem to be clicking for me. I think the next one I'll try is the Nightrunner books. They're supposed to be good, and they have a gay main character, so huzzah razz ). I think maybe I should just power through the fifth book, because from the impressions I'm getting from others who have read it, it's the slowest book in the series. Lots of troop movement and plot setup, very little action. So I've heard, anyway. And it has the longest prologue in the universe, did I mention that? (And now I'm wondering when I quoted Aes Sedai, because I've forgotten. I may have done it unconsciously. ninja )

I actually never got past the early sewer level of FFVII. The graphics made me cringe every time... well, every time something happened. I'm honestly not that picky about graphics - I liked Vortex on the SNES, for crying out loud - but something about FFVII's graphics literally distracted me from the game itself, they were so bad. Anyway, you can't run in anime-fangirl/boy circles for as long as I have without picking up virtually the entire storyline of FFVII just by association, so by this point, I hardly need to play the game at all. (...But if they remake it with better graphics, I will anyway. Unlikely that they will, but the fact remains.)

I'd love to send you the songs, as well as any others I may have mentioned that you're interested in. Hell, rent a P.O. Box and I'll send you my entire iTunes library on a collection of CDs. biggrin (Well, it'd be about 70 CDs if my math is right, but hey, it's good music. xd ) Anyway, I picked the songs half for their titles and half for their ambiance, so if you give them a listen, it might give the roleplay (or at least that post) a new dimension. Incidentally, have you heard Russel Cox's orchestral OCRemix of To Zanarkand? It's not the most thoroughly-produced or delicate piece of music I've ever heard, but it's rather nice to hear the song played in a medium other than solo piano.

And on a completely unrelated note, have you seen the show Firefly? I recently finished it, including the movie Serenity, and I've been going around ranting about it. The bit I said in Splinter pretty much sums up my opinion: If you've seen it, you are enlightened. If you haven't seen it, you have only two options; watch it, or kill yourself. No exceptions, because if you don't watch it, your life has no meaning. In all honesty, my only regret is that the show was canceled, so it couldn't be longer. But at least the movie gave the show some closure, even if I wish like hell it could have gone on much, much longer. Incidentally, my disappointment is only at the length of the show. Even though the movie gives the show a conclusion that shouldn't have come until much later, it's a damn good end to the show. I'm really just disappointed that there had to be a movie at all - not disappointed in the movie itself, which was just as badass as the rest of Firefly.

And two more bits I have to say, even if you have no idea what I'm talking about: In episode twelve, Heart of Gold, I cried with Inara. And in the movie, avoiding specific details that might be construed as spoilers, the scene with the graves made me cry too. Considering how genuinely uplifting this show is, that's saying something. Even now, the scenes that made me cry are making me choke up a little. So very moving. crying

Anyway... ninja Now that I'm done babbling, on to the Eph-Eph-Ecks! Rather pathetically short post after all of that, but there you have it. I more or less missed my chance to have Aer respond to Venez, too. emo Now I need to get back up to speed on my own plans for Calaman... as well as actually start pre-typing his posts again, because I think I only have one more lined up, though several will be needed to wrap up that arc and bring Cal back. Anyway, done ranting. emo

COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY AND SUPERFLUOUS EDIT: Wow, all of the, uh, emoticons really stand out, don't they? sweatdrop ))

Aer blinked groggily, still half-in, half-out of his dreams.

"Ed?" he mumbled, and repeated himself twice. "Ed? ...Ed?" Then his eyes widened, his pupils constricted to a reasonable diameter, and his dreams dissipated.

"Ed! Are you all - " He interrupted himself to scramble out from under her, then put an arm across her back. " - right?"

 

[Griselda Banks]

((*approves of said changes*

Yeah, Robert Jordan can get a bit carried away with his prologues, I think stare My brother is reading book six, and the prologue in that one was like...70 pages or something, at least @_@ I'm not going through book four very fast either; there's so much else I need to do. Who would you say is your favorite character? The only one I care much for is Perrin; almost everyone else annoys me to no end -_- As for your quote, I can't remember exactly who you had say it, and I'm too lazy to go rooting through all those pages just to find it, but it was from Verin Sedai in The Dragon Reborn: "Always plan for the worst, child; that way, all your surprises will be pleasant ones." biggrin

Sewer level...sewer level confused I vaguely remember something about a sewer, but I don't remember what they were doing there.... I agree; the graphics aren't the best. For curiosity's sake, when was it that you tried to play FFVII? I don't mind the graphics too much; I've seen much worse, and I've discovered I can get used to almost everything (except maybe 8-bit graphics or something like that *cough*Zelda1*cough*). The main problem in FFVII is, I think, their choice of camera angles. Often, it's really hard to even see where your person is, and it's almost always impossible to tell whether something's a door or not. Thankfully, they have a button you can press that will put red arrows over all the doors, and a finger pointing to where you are. That helps, but still. My brother and I decided that since FVII is so popular it's worth a ton of bad graphics just to experience it. And we run from spoilers like the plague, so I'm pleased to say I actually gasped aloud when Aeris died. Sure didn't see that one coming! I doubt I'll ever put it on par with my favorite games, but since the last FF game I'd played before we started was FFVI, this looks amazing razz I think the thing that gets me more than the graphics is the translation gonk Ugh, it's horrible! "The upper world…a city on a plate… It's 'cuz of that #$@*&#' pizza, that people underneath are sufferin'!" o.0 What the heck?! I think a remake just to give a better translation would be in order.

Okay, I'll send you a PM soon as I'm done here. Prepare for lots of sending music back and forth! twisted Oh, and I've heard that remix, but I thought it was kind of boring, actually... stare The "Ending Theme" track on the official soundtrack is basically the same idea, and loads better.

Lol, ya don't say? I hadn't noticed all those fanboy squeeing posts in Splinter... razz No, I haven't seen Firefly emo I was going to, but then I got into Lost and then I forgot about it for a bit, then I remembered it again, then I ran out of time @_@ I'll try to see it one of these days! (If only so I won't have to commit seppuku to appease the Wrath of Ikken.) But anyway, have you seen any of Lost? I was rather skeptical for a long time; I said to myself, "No western TV show can actually be that good!" Then I watched the pilot...and I was converted eek I've watched the entire first season, and we have the second season sitting on the shelf for sometime. Awesome show. Excellent acting.

And don't worry about not responding to Ven. There'll be puh-lenty more times xd

And yes, they really do *proceeds to add more*))

"Yeah- Oof!" In their combined scrambling to extricate themselves from each other, Ed found herself sprawled on the floor again. She pushed herself upright again, then groaned and pressed her hands against the sides of her head. "Oh, my head...."

Slowly, her fuzzy mind began to put two and two together, and she looked around the deck of the little boat warily, shielding her eyes from the blinding glare of the sun. "What the heck are we doing back here?" she demanded irritably. "We should be hurrying to Guadosalam...." Her head was pounding like a tribal drum, which, as she discovered, made it very hard to think. "What did Loa put in that stuff, anyway?" she muttered under her breath.  

[Ikken Isshu]

((Ah, I remember quoting that now. It's one of the quotes I make rather often, because it applies in too many situations not to make it memorable. razz

It's been rather a long time since I've cracked open any of the books, but I remember getting very frustrated with Jordan's method of going from character to character. For one thing, I was never very fond of Perrin. I'm not known for my affinity for characters that are basically big and strong and kindhearted and not much else. (And yes, I know there's more to Perrin than that, but that's the essentials.) So every time I got to read about Rand or Mat or the Aes Sedai or anyone else, I was all, "Yay!" and every time it went to Perrin, I just thought, "Great, now I get to read eight chapters of NOTHING." With the sole exception of a neat battle in... Wait, you're reading book four? I'm not sure if the battle happens in that book or before it. Just to be safe, I'll keep my mouth shut. But anyway, yeah, Perrin's segments bore me, and his personality is dull to me, and his allotted amount of screentime frustrates me.

I much prefer Mat. He's lively, he's a horn-dog, he's paranoid (even after getting rid of the cursed knife, did you notice he's still wary of everyone and everything?), and most of all, he has a unique, original characterization. He's not just a metaphor for Jesus or a wolf-man or a country girl who just happens to be the most powerful channeler since the Age of Legends or a quick-witted and sharp-tongued bard or an emo sorceress or her stony-faced bodyguard or... Well, you get the picture. If you couldn't tell, I got a little annoyed with all the character archetypes in WoT. But Mat - He's a reincarnated-martial-genius-slash-lucky-devil. Not something you see every day. And as I said, his personality is awesome too. biggrin

When did I play FFVII... I was in high school, I believe freshman or sophomore year, which would make it 2004-2006-ish. Late enough for it to be way out-of-date, anyway.

And... *twitch* You have something against 8-bit graphics, huh? HUH? What about Tetris? Zelda: Link's Awakening? Super Mario Land? Super Mario Bros.? Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow? Ice Climbers? 1942? Mr. Do? Donkey Kong? Pac-Man? Frogger? Asteroids? Pitfall? Space Invaders? All of those games were 8-bit - or 4-bit - when they were released, and they're staples of the video game industry even today! *pants rapidly, his retard-strength expended* So there.

AND, the original Legend of Zelda is a bastion of video gaming history as one of the most immersive and expansive games of its time, not to mention almost single-handedly giving birth to the entire RPG genre of video games as well as spawning an obscene number of sequels, ports, remakes, and spin-offs, none of which would have happened without that first 8-bit game, thank-you-very-much.

On a side note, I actually miss the SNES' graphics. The difference between what I like about SNES-typical graphics and what I don't like about the ones you see nowadays is pretty simple; nowadays, everything is three-dimensional, which makes it pretty much impossible for the producers to slap up a pretty picture and call it a background. Unfortunately, that means they have to do a lot more work making pretty scenery, for less reward. In the days of the two-dimensional SNES graphics, though, there were no polygons to muck about with, so everything was just artwork - the sprites, the backgrounds, the scenery, everything could be solved by sticking up a pretty picture.

Of course, lately that problem is diminishing due to advances in technology (one need only look at the stunning scenery in the Halo series to see proof of this), but the scenery of Yoshi's Island alone stands as a symbol of what the SNES was capable of, as opposed to the scenery of, say, FINAL FANTASY VII. xp

Another short post... Sad...))

"We - er - we are," Aer said. "Hurrying to Guadosalam, I mean. Rogan had the idea that we should go through the Moonflow. I mean, on the ship. Taking the ship with us. Through the Moonflow."  

[Griselda Banks]

((Oh? I think that's the first time I've ever heard anyone complain about Perrin. I find him rather refreshing after all the other characters in the book who seem to be perpetually irritated for one reason or another. I like that Perrin is a bit less selfish than most of the characters. But you're right; there's tons of archetypes in WoT, and it can get rather irritating at times (I especially dislike how all the women seem to be clones of each other....). When I first started reading WoT - I'd guess I was thirteen or fourteen - I thought it was the most amazing thing I'd ever read, what with the complexity of the plot and the sheer number of characters and the epic-ness of it all. Coming back to it now...I dunno. I see a lot of things in it that don't impress me very much anymore. Like the romance. *cringe* After seeing Hiromu Arakawa's delicate handling of romance in the FMA manga, Robert Jordan looks like a bumbling butterfingered teenager stare ...But that's a different discussion.

sweatdrop Uh-oh, I've roused the Wrath of Ikken! wahmbulance I'm not saying those games aren't extremely influential, classics and staples of every gaming experience...but the graphics. Just...sorry, but some of those games are impossible for me to play because of the graphics. I'm very glad that Zelda 1 was made - I love the Zelda series - but I just can't play that first game. Sorry. If you couldn't finish FFVII because of the graphics, surely you can understand how I can't play 8-bit games? sweatdrop ))

Eddora stared at Aer for several moments after he finished talking, her mouth slightly open and an utterly bewildered expression on her face. "Huh?"

"Allow me to explain, m'lady!" Rogan appeared as if out of nowhere, grinning his ever-present smile. Then he launched into a lengthy explanation of how the Moonflow cut straight across the continent and how the flow of the river would carry them speedily along towards Guadosalam.

Ed looked up at him stupidly, her mind slowly piecing it all together. When Rogan finished with an expectant grin as if waiting for her to praise his ingenuity, she could only say, "Oh."

Rogan's face fell slightly, then he sighed and shrugged his shoulders, turning to look out to sea. "I've always wanted to try this, ever since- Well, for a long time." Clearing his throat loudly, he moved off again to adjust the sail.

Ed massaged her temples as her only distraction from the pounding headache walked away. Then the boat bobbed over a particularly large wave, and Ed suddenly became aware of the bobbing, rocking motion of the boat. Groaning, she clutched her stomach and pushed herself laboriously to her feet. She stumbled over to the railing and emptied her stomach over the side. As she clutched the railing and wiped her mouth, she thought grimly that this might be incentive to give up drinking once and for all.

((If you feel like you don't have anything to do, I can write a big long post - I have some ideas for a conversation or two between my characters - that will make some time pass. I didn't want to put you completely out of the action if you didn't want that, though.))  

[Ikken Isshu]

((I could make a post for Calaman at any point, but I don't have any plans for anyone else until Guadosalam, so feel free to pass as much time as you like. razz

I guess I should clarify my view on video game graphics (and, indeed, special effects all over the board, including film). What bothers me about graphics is when the producers don't do the best they can with what they've got. I don't like it when people try so hard to use special effects when they don't have the resources to pull off whatever it is that they're trying to do. A perfect example of this would be my previously-made comments about the Dune and Children of Dune miniseries. It's not that the effects are cheap or anything - I'm sure they required a lot of very cool computers. But the fact is that they weren't done skill- or tactfully. Conversely, another example I constantly cite as an example of amazing special effects is the movie Alien. This movie was, if I recall correctly, made in 1979, and the only extensive special effects it uses, to the best of my knowledge, are a plastic spaceship on a wire, an animatronic alien face, and a dude in an alien suit. Despite these clearly skimpy special effects options, Alien is terrifying, believable, and kickass - especially in the scenes featuring the alien. On the other hand, I felt the best moments of Dune and Children of Dune were the parts that consisted mainly of people talking, because those scenes had virtually no special effects, which I felt cheapened the experience. Point being, they should make the best of what they have, rather than playing up half-assed or clumsy special effects.

Bringing this back to FFVII, I felt the graphics were not merely bad, but lazy. I'm not saying they should (or even could) have made FFVII look like FFX, but they could easily have made the graphics more minimalistic, instead of trying to be flashy and ending up blocky and eye-bleedingly nonsensical.

And yes, Robert Jordan's romance does get a little repetitive after a while. razz One of the things I love about WoT, though, is the vast multitude of characters, character interactions, and subplots. Even when I grow old and tired and I am sick of WoT, I will still love that aspect of it. I do love my plot complexities.

Brief and minor character-borrowing for lulz in the first paragraph here. I doubt you'll mind razz ))

Aer stayed close to Ed while she emptied her guts over the railing; he winced at one point when she appeared to hiccup and swallow some of the bile, grimacing at the evil taste.

Best way to deal with a hangover is not to have one, he thought to himself. It wasn't as if he disdained alcohol like Calaman - far from it - but he just rarely had the inclination to indulge. Thinking hard, he thought the last time he'd had more than a single glass of wine had been three years ago, at a friend's wedding. He couldn't remember which friend it had been, which now did not even strike him as odd.

"If your stomach is well and truly empty, perhaps you should walk around a little," he suggested. "Work off the sickness. I'll get you some clean water to drink."

He headed over to the cabin door and descended to find his supplies, some of the many pieces of which included a small china set that, while completely impractical to take on a pilgrimage, were nevertheless convenient to have on hand when your summoner was puking drunk and hungover.

((That last line made me lol. xd ))

 

[Griselda Banks]

((Okay. Your post is actually playing right into my hands, making this conversation fit right in. Thanks!

I can understand that, I suppose. I saw Alien a month or two ago, and I agree - the movie looked like it could have been made now, simply because they did the best with what they had and knew their limitations. But, having just finished the second disc of FFVII, and having watched many a horrible-looking movie or anime, I've discovered that I can get used to just about anything, so long as it has a good story. And FFVII might not have the best video game story out there, but it's pretty interesting nonetheless.

Jordan is certainly to be commended for the complexity of his stories. I can only dream of writing something like that someday.

Pfft. Aer brought a tea set? razz ))

Eddora followed Aer's advice, taking deep breaths to settle her squirming stomach as she walked up and down the length of the little boat, clutching the railing to keep herself steady. She passed by Venez, who turned from her glum scrutiny of the empty horizon to give her a sideways look that seemed to say, You should have known better.

Gritting her teeth, Ed sat down in the shade of the little cabin. The sun was blinding and made her head spin even more. With her forehead resting on one arm, and that resting on her knees drawn up towards her, she didn't notice Rogan's approach until he spoke.

"So, Eddie, you doing okay?"

"That's Lady Eddora to you, buster," Ed growled, leaning back to rest her head against the side of the cabin.

Rogan perched on a coil of rope next to her with a soft grunt. "You shouldn't do that to yourself...but I guess I can understand why you did. I heard you had to Send your family."

"Aer should keep his mouth shut," Ed grumbled, trying to sound as if she didn't care.

Rogan let out a sigh and locked his hands behind his head. "It's hard, being a summoner."

"What would you know about it?" Ed asked irritably, wishing he would just go away and shut up so the pounding in her head would stop.

Rogan smiled and closed his eyes. "I was a summoner once."

Ed sat up straighter, headache forgotten again. "You what?"

Rogan chuckled at her astonished expression. "Don't seem the type? Yeah, well, it didn't take."

"That's not...I mean, if you were a summoner before, you'd have to be...." The last time Sin had appeared had been when she was fourteen, and what with all the training that would have to be done.... And Rogan didn't look that much older than she was....

Rogan grinned, but his usual cheerfulness seemed somewhat dimmed. "I'm older than I look, you know."

Slowly recovering from her surprise, Ed sat back again. "How come you didn't...I mean...."

Rogan snorted. "How come I'm not a saint of Yevon now? I never made it much farther past Bevelle. Lots of issues cropped up on the pilgrimage, but I kept on thinking I could just keep going. Thought I was a summoner of Yevon, so nothing could keep me back. But...well. When I Sent my guardian, I realized I wasn't cut out to be a summoner after all."

Ed looked at the slight smile on his face, belying the sorrow in his eyes. She tried to imagine Sending Aer...or Calaman. A shudder ran down her spine.

"So then I made this boat," Rogan said heavily, as if those words carried great meaning to him. "I'm meant to be a sailor, not a summoner. But I have great respect for people like you. People who are willing to give up their lives just to give the rest of the world a few years' peace." He turned to give her a long look; his eyes were deep green, like ocean waves washing over her head, drowning her in depths that she could never understand. "You're so much braver than I."

((Would this be a good time for a comedic entrance from Aer? xp

EDIT: I just discovered that Rogan is actually a real name. It's Irish, and it means "red-haired". Go figure.

Oh, and did you ever get my e-mail?))