The Path to Sin (Ikken Isshu + Griselda Banks)

[Griselda Banks]

(( razz The intro was kinda funny. I don't know why, but I love it when people change the way someone talks if they get their nose injured. "Boodflow!" xd And thanks for telling me your schedule! I'm actually leaving for a trip on Saturday; I think I should be back sometime around October 20 or 21, so I might get another reply in before you don't have access again. We'll see!

As for FFXII...I can't remember if we talked about it before, but it was a big disappointment for me. I was probably just expecting too much out of it, but yeah. If I haven't linked you to it yet, I wrote a rant about it here. I'm enjoying Xenogears a lot more 3nodding

I just finished a cheesy shoujo anime called Kaitou Saint Tail last night, and surprised myself by actually liking the last two episodes quite a bit. I was mainly doing it for a friend, but I'm glad to be moving on - to another recommendation by that same friend, Lovely Complex. This one, however, looks to be more my kind of thing even if it is still really romancey and girly. I've seen three episodes before, and it's hilarious xd ))

Eddora had been yawning expansively and missed the reason Aer was now pinching his nose helplessly, and she quirked an unimpressed eyebrow at him. When Venez got her wits about her, she turned to Aer and said, "Here," softly. She took his face in her hands, which glowed faintly as she cast a small healing spell on him. When their eyes met as the glow faded away, she blushed and looked down, twisting her hands in her lap.

Ed wasn't yawning this time, and felt something twist inside her. Worry for Jalisat. Yeah, that had to be what it was. "I can summon just fine," she said, a little louder than necessary. "That's all that matters, right? If we sit around waiting, there might not be anything left of the kid when we get there. We'll just be careful, that's all. Now help me up, Cal, okay?" She held a hand out to him and waggled her fingers impatiently.  

[Ikken Isshu]

((After about an hour of searching through old posts, I found it - I KNEW you mentioned FFXII, and mentioned liking it! That was apparently right after you started playing, though, in January. It's on page 23 of this roleplay, the second post. (You mentioned it before then, but did little more than mention it - that post is the one where you really talked about it.) I must say, I agree with one major point of your rant (among others, but this one stood out to me): Vaan has no reason to exist. He reminds me of a game called White Knight Chronicles for the PS3, a game which had incredible potential and incredibly failed to reach any of it. One (of several) major failing of WKC is that your character has no story significance at all. I'm not saying he's like Vaan, where he's a part of the story but so insignificant that you could remove him without necessitating a huge amount of rewriting; he/she literally has no story significance whatsoever. You spend all this time customizing his/her appearance, only to find that he/she, and you, are not at all welcome in this story, though you can feel free to participate in the gameplay all you want. I was so pissed.

Have you seen Baccano? I could get into the plot of Baccano but if you ask me, Baccano's appeal is not in its plot but in its presentation; it is a lively, chaotic and complex anime that masterfully weaves about a hundred different character storylines into a coherent whole. Durarara is pretty much the same thing (It's by the same studio). Baccano is a little more colorful (I mean this literally; it's just a brighter visual experience) and takes place mostly on a train in the - 1930s, I think? While it takes place mostly on a train, that is definitely not to say that there isn't much action. There's a train heist, a mysterious entity murdering people, a surprising number of homocidal maniacs, and a particularly amusing couple of clumsy and unbelievably lucky con artists to spice it up. Durarara is a little duller in visual style and takes place in modern Tokyo, but aside from that, they are pretty much the same show with a different plot. Baccano centers (sort of, if it really HAS a center) on alchemists and the secret of immortality, while Durarara centers (sort of, if it really HAS a center) on a dullahan, a Celtic headless fairy vaguely similar in concept to the grim reaper, searching for her head. Along the way, in both shows, you meet a LOT of very interesting and enjoyable characters who get into a LOT of interesting and enjoyable scrapes with each other.))

Calaman took Ed's hand and pulled without hesitation, more on instinct of obedience than because he actually thought it was a good idea to help her push herself beyond what might be her limits.

"If you're sure, I won't argue," was all he said.

"Even if she is sure," Aer started, touching his nose gingerly to make sure it was healed, and decided not to finish the sentence. He pushed himself up and extended his hand to Venez in a mirror of Cal's gesture.

((Short post. crying ))  

[Griselda Banks]

((Oh yeah...wow, back when I was still hanging on for the turning point in FFXII's story quality DX After I wrote up my big long rant, I discovered that in the original concept of the game, Vaan actually didn't exist. Basch was apparently going to be the main character, but then they stuck Vaan in for some stupid reason like they thought preteen girls wouldn't buy it if the main character was a grizzled old war dude ._. I felt like screaming at the developers, "UM HELLO I WOULD'VE LAPPED IT UP INSTANTLY IF I WAS A PRETEEN!!!" I mean, guess who my favorite character was in FFX? No way was it Tidus. I was hanging onto every moment Auron was on screen. It would've been so cool if Basch had been the main character. It would've been even better if it was Balthier, though razz I liked him so much I've ended up basing a character for a future novel on him, heehee....

No, I've not seen Baccano yet, but it's on my list, and if I remember our last conversation correctly, I think I'll be watching that with my brother when he comes back home for Christmas. It looked promising (any mentions of alchemy and immortality make me immediately perk up, lol). I tried watching Durarara a while back, but I just...couldn't get into it. The whole time I felt like I was meant to either think it was super awesome or be laughing uproariously and I just...wasn't :/ But then, there are many animes that I've heard people rave about, then tried out and wondered what the big deal was. It might've just been the mood I was in at the time.

And now, I feel a need to move this thing forward.))

Smiling winsomely, Venez let Aer help her to her feet...and didn't let go of his hand. Eddora tried to pretend she didn't notice, and that she didn't feel a cauldron of molten, red-hot rage simmering away in her gut. The delay. Right. This stupid delay and confusion; they needed to get going before all the other summoners reached Zanarkand ahead of them. "Moving out!" she said loudly, leading the way out of their makeshift shelter.

She moved stiffly at first, but she was determined to show Calaman that she was strong enough to continue. And she really didn't feel like checking to see if Venez had decided to show some propriety and drop Aer's hand, the sneaking, simpering little.... As she marched through the snow, beginning to lengthen her strides as her muscles loosened up, she struggled to keep her anger in check. They had every right to do whatever they wanted; they were both single, weren't they, and it wasn't like she had any claims on.... But she sensed a wave of depression in the wake of such thoughts, so she turned her mind to the challenges ahead.

Once they got to higher ground, where the snow was shallower, they made a surprisingly good pace, despite several annoying breaks that Calaman insisted on. The sun had hardly reached its zenith when they finally reached the great stone door built into the side of the cliff, which led into Macalania Temple.  

[Ikken Isshu]

((Finally got my hands on a copy of FFX, and it's every bit as enjoyable, and possibly more enjoyable than I remember. biggrin

Ugh, sick... Fever of 100.9, head feels like a stuffy, sore, fuzzy balloon. Not fun. And I felt fine yesterday. I went to sleep around 1:00 AM and woke up at 6:00 AM because I was too sore and stuffed up to sleep. Not fun at all.))

Aer raised his eyebrow at Venez, but was either too surprised or too dazed from the morning's quick progression - or both - to do anything about it until it came time to dismantle the shelter. No sense leaving it here, he reasoned, since it could lead unsavory characters on their trail; he didn't stop to consider that anyone with a mind to harass a summoner's party need only wait at one of the Temples.

"I don't think anyone needs to be reminded that staying together in here is imperative," Calaman remarked as they entered the Temple. "We've been through enough of these trials by now to figure that out."  

[Griselda Banks]

((Hey, great to see you back! Hope you've been feeling better lately sad

I was actually just reminiscing about FFX myself. My sisters finally decided to give up Kingdom Hearts, because it's just so stupid and poorly done that they can't take any more, and we were talking about games that actually are good. I was telling them about my first introduction to FFX: We'd just bought the game knowing almost nothing about it, but the picture of Tidus on the front looked pretty cool. Then I opened the box, saw the picture on the booklet of Tidus and Yuna standing in the water...and my jaw just dropped. That's such a beautiful picture, and looking at it again reminded me of why I love FFX so much (though it's not for the Spring Scene razz ).

But anyway, back to the story! I'm assuming it's Venez's turn to get waylaid by the aeon? Can't remember if we talked about this before.... Or are we doing something different this time, what with Jalisat and all? I have an idea for Venez, but it's not like...vital to the plot, really.))

Venez looked somewhat disappointed at Aer's lack of response, but no one particularly noticed, so she said nothing about it and trudged through the snow at the back of the group.

When they had reached the entrance to the Temple, Eddora turned from her contemplation of the icy cliff that made the outer wall and gave Calaman an approving nod. "Yeah, and don't forget that the kid's in there somewhere. Sleeping or whatever. It sounded kinda like he might be in the Chamber of the Fayth, so I think we'd better try to actually get there this time."

She made to head through the door flanked by blue-burning torches, but then she remembered what had happened in the last temple and turned back to look at her three remaining guardians. "Um...nobody disappear this time, okay?" She knew her deep-rooted concern and confusion were showing on her face, but she didn't care. She planned to make it to Zanarkand with all her guardians intact, or she'd make a pretty poor excuse for a summoner.

With one final bolstering nod, she turned and entered Macalania Temple.  

[Ikken Isshu]

((I just reached the Macalania Woods, and I left my PS2 back in Indiana (I'm in Oregon for Christmas) so I can't quite catch up with the party yet... ah, well.

No, Jalisat is in the Chamber of the Fayth, so until we get there, the Cloister can be whatever we need.))

Calaman stayed almost improperly close to Eddora as they entered the Temple, his narrow eyes on a swivel and his hand on his sword; Aer, however, had been traveling with Calaman too long to wonder about the boy's motivations. Instead, he hung back just slightly and watched the back of the white mage's head. He may be lost in his own concerns, but he was at least within spitting distance of normality, and he wasn't totally blind to the way she'd been acting around him.

What he couldn't figure out was whether or not he should encourage it... and whether he wanted to encourage it. He was still courting Eddora, after all... though he wasn't sure if even he really believed that anymore. He shook his head and rubbed at one temple, shunting the questions aside for now. There were more important things to deal with.  

[Griselda Banks]

((Okay, getting my butt in gear and writing this now, even though it's past midnight now. Forgive any resulting lapse in quality.

In other news, I'm currently going through the Abridged Series of Yu-Gi-Oh!, created by Little Kuriboh. Have you seen them? xd OMG, they're hilarious! "Screw the rules, I have green hair!" "Friendship is the most powerful thing in the universe! It's even stronger than Chuck Norris!" And plenty of other jokes that are only funny in context.

Oh, and Merry Christmas!))

The temple, being surrounded by walls of perpetual ice, was cold; the Cloister of Trials beyond was even colder. Steam issued from four mouths as the companions entered and started cautiously down a hallway that appeared to be made completely out of smooth, seamless ice. Eddora was careful to keep an eye out for possible traps and for aeons that might pop out unexpectedly at them, but that meant she wasn't careful enough about her footing. Just as she slipped with a cry and grabbed at a wall to keep herself from falling, Venez let out a small, almost identical cry as the floor opened up beneath her and she slipped away from her companions while they were all facing towards Eddora.

----------

Venez slid down a long, smooth slide made entirely of ice, her back too cold to give her breath to scream. She finally shot out at the end, skidding forward several feet on more ice, and picked herself up carefully so she wouldn't slip and fall over again.

"Oh dear. We seem to have been interrupted."

Venez whirled around, almost losing her balance after all, and instantly froze as though the other inhabitants of the room had cast Blizzara on her. Aer and Eddora stood not far off, both looking at her with mild surprise. Ed's arms were locked around Aer's neck, and he was absently trailing a few fingers through her hair, which shone with much more luster than Venez remembered.

"Well, never mind, darling," Aer said softly, turning his back on the confused and embarrassed white mage. "We have unfinished business, and she won't be disturbing us much longer."

As their lips met in a passionate kiss, shards of ice seemed to seep up her legs, rooting her to the spot and anchoring her eyes on the sight. The whole world seemed to whirl around her, until she realized the sensation of cold was not just shock.

Venez stared in horror at her legs, frozen in a single chunk of ice to the floor. And when she looked back up, Aer and Ed were gone. In their place stood a tall woman whose bluish skin and long, splintery blue hair seemed made of ice too. Shiva lifted one long-fingered hand into the air, preparing to snap.

Venez screamed.  

[Ikken Isshu]

Aer was the first to turn at the distant sound of the scream - he'd later wonder about that, and later still he'd remember it with something like a wince - while Cal was still holding out a hand in case Ed needed it. The mage took two quick steps toward the hanging trap door, realized his mistake too late, and slid the rest of the way. He threw out his hands and caught the edge of the chute, suspending himself above what looked like a deadly trap. He visualized pushing himself up, maybe a boost of air to help him out.

Then, frowning, he drew his arms in and let himself fall.

~

Before Venez' scream had faded into the echoing halls of the temple, Aer descended from the ceiling like a fiend, flawlessly catching hold of one of Shiva's braids and swinging around. At the height of his arc, he released his grip and landed near Venez. He rolled a bit at the end, but salvaged the roll with a quick jump to his feet, and was otherwise quite graceful. Realizing what he'd gotten himself into and deciding that he was probably not equal to the challenge, Aer threw an arm out in front of Venez and stared Shiva down, hoping he could bluff the Aeon into believing that he thought he could take it. Her. Whatever.

"No more tests," he said loudly. "No more singling. We're a Summoner's party, and if you want to challenge us, you'll challenge us as a unit."

Shiva tilted her head. Her mouth didn't move, but from the air around the two - or maybe the three - a feminine voice issued softly, mildly, without rancor or threat.

"You would challenge an Aeon alone?"

"I'm not alone," Aer said, almost petulantly, "and even if I was, this is no test, isolating and attacking a white mage."

Shiva's head tilted the other way now.

"I could freeze you solid in the blink of an eye and have my way with her, whatever you may say of challenges and tests," the voice suggested. Shiva looked at Venez, but her head remained angled, one thick braid obscuring an eye. She might have been smiling. "What say you to this man's brashness, white mage? Should I kill you in front of him, or should I wait until your Summoner finds her way into this chamber, so that they may die in each other's arms, as they deserve?"

"You're not an Aeon," Aer said forcefully. "You're a fiend. I may not be as devout as some, but you profane this place. Venez..." He turned his back on Shiva (whose mechanically precise eyebrows arched in surprise at this act of defiance) and put both of his hands on Venez' shoulders. "Venez, it's a test, some kind of awful, stupid test. Whatever you do, resist it. They try to trick you, somehow. Whatever it's trying to tell you, don't believe it. It's a lie."

Shiva just smiled.

~

Calaman stared down into the trap chute, shaking his head.

"Not smart," he decided. "There must be another way down to wherever this leads." He didn't add that that was only necessarily true if it wasn't a trap designed solely for killing, because if that was the case, then what was the point? "Lady Ed... We have to continue. We'll find them. All of them."  

[Griselda Banks]

((I had to look at a walkthrough to remember how to do this Cloister of Trials. I hated this one -_- So I figured neither of us would care if I just cut it short.))

Eddora turned just in time to see Aer disappear down the chute and Venez nowhere in sight. "Hey!" she called. "I said no disappearing!" Cursing, she stomped her foot - then had to grab at the wall again to keep from falling down. "Bet Shiva's trying to test us, just like the others," she muttered. This was happening so regularly, she was almost getting used to it by now. But they had to hurry and get to the others, or they might get whisked off by Calaman...and Jalisat.

Muttering to herself, Ed shuffled carefully along the icy corridor until she found a doorway leading down to what appeared to be the main chamber of the Cloister. Unlike all the ones they'd been in previously, this chamber was well-lit, though it was also coated in snow and icicles. The two of them hurried through the puzzling contraptions as fast as they could, moving spheres about that felt like balls of pure ice. Finally Ed placed a sphere in the right recess, creating a steep slope of ice that led to another chamber below.

"Let's go!" Ed cried, sliding down on her back. In the chamber below, which had a lower ceiling but just as much snow and ice, her eyes were immediately drawn to Shiva, standing in the middle of the room. The aeon was larger than she'd imagined, but fit the descriptions from her training. Since she was the only aeon that resembled a human at all, it was easy to see the expression of detached amusement on her ice-blue face. She was lazily trailing her fingers through the air, preparing a spell Ed was prepared to guess would be fatal, while Aer and Venez stood a short distance off.... What were they doing?

For a moment Ed didn't understand, but then she realized that Aer was trying to melt the ice that encased Venez's legs and prevented her from escaping. He had probably intended to do so quickly and then turn his attention to the aeon, but Venez was making this very hard. She fought with all her might, trying to push him off her, a look of abject terror on her face as if she thought he would burn her legs completely off. Which was stupid, because Venez knew as well as any of them that Aer wasn't that lousy of a mage.

"Look out, idiots!" Ed cried, hastily gesturing in the air to summon Ifrit.  

[Ikken Isshu]

((Nope, I don't mind. As I mentioned over PM, this will probably be my last post in quite a long time. I will try to keep up with my e-mails if I can - particularly while in PMT, since I will still have my BlackBerry until I leave the country - but I doubt I'll be on Gaia at LEAST until I get to Iraq, and there's no guarantee I'll be online there. Honestly, even if I can get online overseas, Gaia probably won't be a priority. But I'm happy to stay in touch over e-mail if I can.))

Calaman was relieved to find that he was able to put aside the hundred warring concerns in his mind for the sake of the fight - he supposed that was the important thing. When Ed began the summoning, Cal drew his short sword with one hand, and with the other - damn. Damn! Jalisat still had his shortbow. He changed course - he'd been going low not far from Ed, to shoot, but that obviously wasn't going to fly. Instead, he opted for a simple strategy: He ran straight for the Aeon - subtly angling himself toward Aer, in case the mage could use some help - readying his sword for a strike as he ran past. If he could draw the Aeon's attention long enough for Ed to summon Ifrit, surely the battle would be downhill from there.

"You know," Aer was muttering, as if there wasn't a fifteen-foot ice-queen behind him, ready to strike, "you're not exactly helping my concentration much. There, your left leg is free." He snuffed the flame spouting from his right forefinger, and concentrated the one from his left. "Now just hold still for another moment and I can cut away the rest of this piece, and we'll be home free."

((Kind of a lame goodbye post, but there you have it. <_< ))  

[Griselda Banks]

Finally Venez calmed down, gazing up at Aer as though he were an angel of deliverance.

Meanwhile, Eddora succeeded in summoning Ifrit just as Shiva shot a blast of ice at Calaman. Even as she did, the blue aeon turned to face Ifrit, who crashed into being through the floor, melting the ice in a clean circle around him. Before Shiva could attack, Ifrit sent a gout of flame towards her, and she was forced to bring up a wall of ice to protect herself. It quickly melted away, and Shiva leapt backwards, gesturing with both hands.

Lances of ice shot out from the wall behind Eddora, who stood immobile and vulnerable. Ifrit whirled around just in time to reduce them to puddles of steaming water, but while his back was turned Shiva sliced into his unprotected hindquarters. Roaring with pain, Ifrit whirled again.

The two aeons faced off, crouching and watching each other's every move. Then simultaneously, they both shot blasts of fire and ice at each other. The continuous rush of flame and ice clashed into each other, both equally powerful and negating each other. The aeons were evenly matched, and could keep this attack up for as long as their strength held up.

Of course, that left them wide open to attack from any other quarter.

((And so I will wait for your return.))