ECA 92-100

This is it! The finale of ECA!

I was originally going to do this in two parts, with a break between parts 95 and 96, but decided that it'd be more fun to just finish it in one long post :)

There won't be a proper story-post next week, but I might update with a little life-rant and what not. Basically, I know there's people that are waiting for ECA to finish so they can read it all at once (because goodness knows it's hard to follow T_T)

Regardless, please enjoy!

PREVIOUS SET (87-91)

92. Innocence

While Arlin covered Anuna’s escape from the arena, Rhys directed a relentless multi-elemental assault at Arlin’s back.

“That was low,” Arlin commented, barely surviving the blow.

“Your innocence is disgusting,” Rhys spat, preparing a finishing fire spell in her palm. “Your precious moral rules crumble in battle.” 

Tagh reprimanded and warned Rhys with a growl, but Arlin ignored the taunt. “I’m sorry.” 

“You ought to be. You humiliated me not only at midterms, but all subsequent matches.”

“No…for thinking you were a respectable opponent.” Arlin stood. “I am innocent of humiliating you. You brought upon your own loss.”

93. Simplicity

“Nothing…nowhere,” Elysia murmured obsessively. She used to fear she was an unwanted nothing that would never go anywhere in life. “Nowhere…nothing…”

But watching Arlin face Rhys down so resolutely, Elysia knew not to falter now.

“I’m much simpler than you.” Elysia’s lips turned slightly up in a wry smirk. “Taurus is my patron; the Holy House is my family. That’s all I need.” 

This time, conviction filled her words with emotion. In her hand, Sye’niar saw and approved: it glowed and shifted, still elegant and strong, but closer to the rapier Elysia had designed for simplicity and speed.

94. Reality

Just as the last summon and minion vanished, Lyciar raised his staff, his obliterating laser almost ready again. Defeat clutched their hearts, choking any hope. It had been a foolish fancy, to face off the King of Dreams. They were just college freshmen; this was bitter reality: they wouldn’t always win.

Celestine gazed into last clock: it had all come true. The shattered room of clocks, ECA’s fight to the death, the prophecy—no. They weren’t finished yet.

 “Delusions?,” Celestine whispered. “No…Reality exists within the mind. This defeat…it’s an illusion. Rhys…you’re right. Willpower can equal out affinity.”

95. Acceptance

As the laser readied to fire, Rhys realized she was in the razing path. “Wai—“ 

“You’ve served your purpose,” the possessed Lyciar cut Rhys’s plea off coldly.

Suddenly, Rhys was stranded between stubbornness and betrayal.

Elysia extended a hand to her former foe, “Equality is admirable…but isn’t diversity necessary as well?”

Rhys was about to accept Elysia’s hand—and her humiliation— but a casual wave from Lyciar sent her spiraling into a wall, out cold. 

Celestine couldn’t accept that their lives ended there. Yet as the laser encroached, ECA found themselves praying for strength and a deus ex machina. 

96. Lesson

They knew it was futile. 

“All together,” Arlin croaked, raising her wand. 

“Just one strike,” Elysia echoed. Sye’niar’s armor was gone, but the smoking rapier remained.

They might not be strong enough, but they’d learned that friendship meant never giving up on each other, even in the face of the impossible. That was now.

Celestine notched a defiant arrow. “Now!”

Sword, arrow and dragon whirled about each other as they flew, combining into a single golden-blue bolt of light and metal that represented their final, desperate chance. 

As the lights collided, a second portal blazed into existence, revealing reinforcements.

97. Enthusiasm

Behind them, a twisted smoke escaped the collapsed body of Lyciar. 

Anuna closed her eyes, calling on the power of her patron, the Seraphic guardian of Somnia as she touched the diamond pocketwatch to the Curtain of Lights. 

As ECA and their friends watched, miniature auroras flowed from Anuna and the last clock and into the ethereal dark silk. 

Lights flared along the curtain, lighting up as they were renewed with energy, burning bright as the threads tightened themselves. Magic danced excitedly through the ripples of the fabric, revealing the silent enthusiasm of the world of dreams being born anew.

98. Game

“Elysia, wait.” 

It was Vesper. Elysia waited until the others had passed them into the portal and they were alone in the dreamland. “What’s bothering you?”

“Is this rivalry…real?”

“Eh.” Elysia looked away, “It’s just a game.” 

“Just a friendly competition to keep us academically on our toes?”

“Like that,” Elysia agreed. 

“The whole time?”

“Eh. Just about.”

“But you still get irritated whenever I visit Celeste…”

“Her feelings aren’t a game.” Elysia stared him firmly down. “Convince her that trusting your sympathetic side is worth putting up with your idiotic arrogance.”

Vesper beamed confidently. “I will.”

“…You’ll try.”

99. Friendship

Between explanations to the other staff at the university and completing the Excursion as normal students, the rest of the month for Elysia, Celestine, Arlin, Vesper, Aldis and Rhys rushed by. They kept contact with Anuna, who was trying to heal her parents and track down the possessing villain. They would help when they could, but for now, the group just reveled in the wonder of being alive.

“It’s comforting,” Celestine mused, “Having people to count on, to support you, even after the battle. But it’s also about being there for them: it feels redeeming. Like you’re worthwhile. It’s… fun.”

100. Endings

“I’m a bit disappointed,” Celestine joked as ECA cleared out their room. Their first year at Vesper University was officially over. “We can’t expect every year to be as world-shattering and life-changing as this year was. It feels like an ending.”

Elysia smiled mysteriously. “There’ll be new challenges, definitely. The Signs always have something planned.”

As Celestine laughed, Epsilona agreed fervently through their mental link.

Arlin looped her arms around her roommates and best friends. “Chin up,” Arlin cheered. “Endings are just beginnings disguised. Life’s a cycle; a line drawn into a circle: This is only the beginning.” 

Comment Blurbs

92. Innocence

As Anuna escapes the arena to locate the Curtain of Lights, Rhys attacks and then taunts Arlin for her strict belief in moral law. Even though they are at a disadvantage, Tagh reacts, belying the anger Arlin feels as she cooly responds to Rhys’s taunt. Rhys meanwhile, looks ready to take Arlin down for beating her in every match they faced throughout the school term.

I admit, Arlin is kinda Out Of Character (OOC) in this part. She’s a little harsh, and more stubborn than considerate at this point. The indignant and firm manner of responding though, is definitely her. 

93. Simplicity

Watching Arlin respond to the taunt without fazing, Elysia gets the little boost she needs to overcome the lingering bit of insecurity Rhys had triggered. She refuses to believe that her faith is so weak that she would be shaken by simply not knowing her birthparents and decides to stick to her usual statement. This time though, Sye’niar decides her feelings are true and not just words and accepts her officially as its master, shifting to become the blade that Elysia had redesigned in part 38 (Burning). 

 This is another echo of the line Elysia gave back in the second post of the tale (Complicated), which was briefly mentioned back in part 90 (Nothing and Nowhere). Since the guiding principles Elysia had focused on in her redesign was simplicity and speed, and because she gains the insight that she is simple in that she doesn’t need to know her birthparents to feel accepted, I gave Elysia the limelight for both Complicated and Simplicity.  Finally, realizing the potential of Elysia’s latent insecurity and bringing it back at the end of this is thanks to my editor, Forsaken. (She’s also the one that’s been pushing me to finish ECA so I can finally put it to rest ;) )

94. Reality

Despite regaining their footing and facing down the taunts, ECA realizes they really can’t face off against the King of the Dream realms—especially not his possessed form. After all, they are just a handful of undergrad freshman. But as Celestine loses hope and looks desolately at the last clock, she realizes that the prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. 

This concept of the prophecy as a ray of hope was best said in the unpublished Island Prophecy by AshMac: “The gods give us prophecies to give us hope. Not because we need to know exactly what they mean in order to fulfill them.” From this idea, Celestine gains the courage to draw up enough magic for a last stand. 

95. Acceptance

Rhys is betrayed by the force possessing Lyciar. Not missing a beat, Elysia realizes this is Rhys’s least favorite feeling: the person with the advantage turns against the weaker one and humiliates them. Immediately Elysia offers her support to her former foe. Rhys, knowing she can’t fight alone, accepts Elysia’s kindness. Meanwhile, Celestine puts everything she has into protecting the four girls from Lyciar’s obliterating laser. Even so, the girls know they won’t win this battle without a deus ex machina. 

96. Lesson

This is actually the revised edition of this post! (The original ending will be posted with the other deleted and bonus scenes.) But basically in the original ending, Dr. Nox shows up at the last minute and finishes Lyciar with his infamous knockout jinx (mentioned in part 51, Troubling Thoughts). 

In this revised version, ECA decides that if they’re going down, they’re going down with a bang and they’re going down together. Celestine puts all her remaining energy into an arrow and Arlin’s dragon summon leaps forward, air churning around him. At the same time, Elysia makes a final dash forward. In the split second before she (maybe) makes impact with Lyciar or his laser, Celestine’s arrow and Tagh join forces with Sye’niar, becoming part of the blade for that charge. When they collide, a second portal opened, revealing Vesper, Aldis and Dr. Nox. 

I realized afterwards that it sounds like Elysia throws her sword. This could have worked with the one-handed longsword Sye’niar was before, but after the transformation in Simplicity (post 93),  Sye’niar now resembles a weighted rapier in Elysia’s hand. I don’t know if people actually threw rapiers, but it seems kinda ineffective. So I’m using the comment blurb to clarify that Elysia herself makes the attack. 

97. Enthusiasm

Whether because ECA’s final strike actually managed to deal enough damage, or because Dr. Nox followed up in an unmentioned few seconds with his knockout jinx, the force possessing Lyciar flees! (Pick whichever version you like more ;) )

Instead of chasing the force in vain, the group watched as Anuna, with the help of the last clock from the magical Room of Clocks, takes the place of the ancilla needed to complete the Ceremony of Rebirth. The ceremony mends the Curtain of Lights for another year. 

98. Game

Vesper and Elysia settle their rivalry as a game designed to keep them academically fit. Elysia makes it clear to Vesper that he cannot treat Celestine’s feelings as a game and constantly tease or offend her: Elysia knows that Celestine needs a dependable person to rely on as she overcomes the trauma of being labeled and treated as insance, and feels that Vesper can fulfill that role—or at least he can try. 

99. Friendship

ECA and friends (minus Anuna) return to school and finish off the school year as normal students that just saved the world (or at least the dream world). They soak up the joy of being alive and in the bond of friendship that kept them alive. 

ECA really was supposed to be a story of three friends, but also on the development of each girl in the trio. Celestine in this penultimate post verbally reveals her change. 

100. Endings

ENDINGS! It’s the day before school starts (I’m writing this literally the last day of summer) and I am FINALLY, after THREE YEARS of plodding inconsistently through this, FINISHED with Project ECA. I will be revisiting these characters at some time, but for now I’m just happy to have this story completed. I had once again come to the point (as I had at the end of the Spring Ball Trouble arc) that I just wanted to finish for the sake of finishing, but now that I’m actually finished, with everything (story and comment blurbs, this really is a relief and  happiness. 

A big thanks to Forsaken, my editor and fellow writer, who really cracked down on me these last few weeks of summer to finish. To AshMac, who encouraged me to continue writing even those 100-250 micro pockets even with the insanity of school. To Forte-Rock, who provided consistent and detailed comments on the posts. To my twin, theTATAbox, for loving my characters even when they’re silly. And if I don’t know you (comment! :D)  thank you for sticking around for all 100 themes (and comment blurbs, which total to 4,000 words more than the story itself T_T)

This is the end of this story for Elysia, Celestine and Arlin, but there are other stories I’m excited to get to writing. “Life is a cycle; a line drawn into a circle: This is only the beginning.”

In a fortnight: 

NEXT SET (Bonus Scenes!)--The story proper might be over, but I have a few deleted scenes and extra bits for your reading amusement!

ECA 87-91

Today (omg posting at school lololol) I've got a drawing of Arlin to share! I drew this a while back in early December and got around to tracing, inking, and coloring this winter break. In this picture she is dressed in her "dreamer" attire; her clothing when adventuring on the Land of Dreams.

I kinda messed up on the legs and I think the fingers of the wand-holding hand are a little weird, but I was focusing on the costume design and think I did pretty well :). The giant belts were kinda inspired by Ezreal in League of Legends ;)

It wasn't mentioned anywhere in the story proper, but Arlin has been secretly adventuring on Somnia in her sleep. Her dreamer codename is Frostlight (pun on frostbite). Her summoning bracelet is an item that's been carried over from the mortal realm (although she can't summon Tagh on Somnia), and she rebuilt her Somnian wand to have the same stats and properties as her mortal one does. As usual, whether on the mortal world or dream world, she wears white boots. Her socks in this outfit are different lengths and patterns, similar to how she mixes and matches clothes for casual, "staying home" wear. The little symbol on her top is supposed to be a symbolic representation of her draconic familiar, Murantagh.

Hope you like the drawing! Comments welcome :)

For now though, please enjoy the first half of the final battle!

PREVIOUS SET (83-86)

87. Gunshot

An impossibly powerful blast of light-magic burst from the newly minted staff, threatening to consume the girls instantly. 

“Stop!” Anuna screamed in protest. “No!”

Her bow already strung and an expression of grim defiance on her face, Celestine launched the diamond pocketwatch to counter the blast. Energy radiated around the clock, shielding them and consuming the blast.

Following up, Rhys directed her four elemental summons at the four girls.

Under the cover of light and smoke that billowed from the impact, Elysia shot forward like a bullet from a gun, partially invisible despite the light that flooded the arena. 

88. Possession

As her friends fought, Anuna turned to her father. Around them, Elysia battled Rhys and Arlin and Celestine defended against Rhys’s summons and Lyciar’s newly -generated horde of energy-based minions.

“Father. Why are you fighting us?”

Her only reply was a wave of magic that swerved diagonally at her. Anuna hardly needed to dodge. “Father…you’re not yourself…your light is…distorted…”

Lyciar’s handsome features twisted suddenly and his laugh echoed with malice. “Of course,” a voice his yet tainted and not his boomed a response: “Your father’s not himself. He’s my possession. And you, princess ancilla, are next.”

89. Twilight

Arlin touched her topaz-charm bracelet, calling Murantagh. But for the first time ever, there was no reply. Confused at the unresponsive bracelet-vessel, she focused harder on the line between the paradox. Good, bad, noble, evil, black, white. She could feel that delicate yet unbreakable border.

But now…the division wasn’t so definite. It contained neutral, apathy; it was the gray band between black and white. Arlin touched her vessel again. “Tagh…this is the nuance you meant…not the clear cut division…but the blurred line: the twilight.” 

With this insight, Arlin summoned Tagh again, this time successfully.

90. Nowhere and Nothing

“Who are you, anyways?” Rhys murmured quietly in their duel. “What lineage gives you the legendary Sye’niar sword to wield?”

Elysia retorted evenly as she lunged forward: “Taurus is my patron and the Holy House is my family. That’s all I need.” 

The magic student responded with a scoff and fire barrage. “You mean you have no one.” 

A firebolt slipped past Elysia’s sword, burning her spelled cloth armor. 

“Aren’t you depressed?” The fire barrage turned into ice and water, stinging and ripping wherever Elysia left undefended.

“Behind that cool facade, behind your questions, Elysia, you are nothing, going nowhere.”

91. Answers

“Why do you oppose us?” Anuna demanded the mysterious force possessing her father. “You should know…without my ancilla abilities, I am useless to you.” 

Lyciar snickered. “You have other purposes, princess. You won’t touch the Curtain of Lights.” With a casual wave he sent her hurtling away. Luckily, Tagh caught her mid-flight.

“Curtain?” Anuna was confused. 

“It’s a slip,” Arlin whispered excitedly. “You haven’t mentioned anything about the Curtain.”

“I just want my powers back first….then I can fix it.”

“Right. You know where it is?”

Nod.

“Then go. Just touching the Curtain will restore your abilities.”

Comment Blurbs

87. Gunshot

Celestine prevents Lyciar’s obliterating laser from instantly finishing them off by using the diamond pocketwatch she got from the Room of Clocks as a shield and absorbing the power. The clock remains intact, but Rhys follows up immediately, directing her summons to attack. Meanwhile though, Elysia has oriented herself enough to know that there is a battle going on and she charges for her opponent, Sye’niar in her hand; the partial-invisibility the sword grants is working wonders for a sneak-attack.

(I just realized that I'm obsessed with obliterating lasers. This is because of Lux Crownguard. <3) 

88. Possession

As the other girls fight, Anuna questions why her father—who last she knew was trying to figure out how to repair the Curtain of Lights and revive the Queen—is attacking them. She has noted that his magic seems a little distorted, and when she vocalizes this, the force possessing Lyciar reveals itself. 

89. Twilight

Arlin can’t summon Tagh for some reason. She realizes that the concept she focused on when summoning him has changed and that her crisp line between good and bad has been blurred—has always been blurred. She refocuses her summoning on this gray area and this time manages to bring Tagh into the fight. 

90. Nowhere and Nothing

Rhys taunts Elysia about being abandoned and unwanted, with no future to look forward to outside of the care of the Holy House. Elysia keeps her face calm, but she’s obviously a little shaken by Rhys so directly pinpointing a fear. 

About the last line: “Behind your questions…”: Elysia really does ask a lot of questions. In writing her character I did my best to use a question whenever I could to indicate her speech. It may sound a bit arrogant, but I always thought of it as her way of expressing curiosity and interest.

91. Answers

The force possessing Lyciar slips up by mentioning the Curtain when no one has mentioned the curtain before in the battle. Arlin picks up on this quickly, realizing that the Curtain itself is the key to unlocking Anuna’s powers as an ancilla again. 

This was really hard to write T_T Another stalling point. 

NEXT SET (92-100)--The finale!
FUNNY STORY/ ADVANCE NOTICE: I thought of a new way to end the story last night. I'm considering changing the ending now. XD If I take too long to change it, 92-100 might be broken up into two parts! Hopefully not though. Have a fun and productive three-day weekend everyone!

This Winter

Hey look, it's actually a Friday update! Winter Quarter's only one week in and it's already kicking my butt, haha. But I'm sanguine about the upcoming quarter. My classes are interesting and (all minus one) of my professors seem like awesome people. I really need to stop spending every spare moment doing silly stuff (like rereading Busted for the millionth time. But who can resist? Jon Wisnewski= <3 XD)

This post contains my comments on stuff I read/ watched/ played this past winter break. It isn't eloquently written at all. It's more like a rant on stuff I got while/ after playing/ reading them.  ECA will return next week!

I try not to spoil everything, but SPOILERS AWAIT!

All images were screenshotted from the Bastion Wiki and the Bakuman Wiki.

Finished works:

Mashiro Moritaka (blue jacket) +
Takagi Akito (red jacket) =
Ashirogi Muto

• Bakuman: Bakuman is a shonen manga about making manga and mangaka. Protagonists Mashiro Moritaka and Takagi Akito--the artist and writer duo that make up Ashirogi Muto--are aspiring mangaka. The action is brilliantly paced, making the story impossible to put down.
  
  Romance: (Because we all know I love romancy shoujo fluff) Mashiro makes a deal with the girl he likes, Azuki Miho: when Ashirogi Muto's manga becomes an anime, Azuki (an aspiring voice actress) will voice the lead female role and then they'll get married. However, until they achieve their goals, they cannot hang out or anything like that. So they end up communicating primarily by text message, an occasional phone call, and end up physically seeing each other like 3 times. I'm not sure if I like this method of dating, but it is very pure and beautiful and was super cute. I also really liked Takagi's friend/ girlfriend Miyoshi Kaya and her invaluable behind-the-scenes help to Ashirogi Muto. Her work is overlooked, I think, but her cheerful personality and effort are incredibly admirable.
  
  
  

  

  Team Fukuda

  
  Teamwork and Rivalry:
  Mashiro and Takagi's teamwork to form the pen name Ashirogi Muto was incredible. They did their best support each other and bounce ideas off each other and work to each other's strengths. That teamwork...is so beautiful. (I kinda wish I had someone that I could get along with so well, haha.) But my absolute favorite feeling from the manga was the friendly rivalry among the members of Team Fukuda, especially Mashiro's rivalry with manga genius Niizuma Eiji and Takagi's rivalry with fellow writer Iwase Aiko. These were relationships that motivated everyone onwards, to do their best and better themselves. They didn't need to give each other advice that much: simply by doing better themselves, they knew they could motivate their other mangaka friends.
  
  Bakuman definitely makes my top five manga, on par with my all-time favorites of CardCaptor Sakura, Skip Beat, and Fairy Tail. (I also wish I could read Perfect Crime Party, one of Ashirogi Muto's manga. It sounds amazing!)

The Kid

• Bastion: (SPOILERS AWAIT!!)
  Bastion is an action rpg adventure game available on a variety of platforms. In addition to a variety of weapon customization, Bastion features an interesting and thought-provoking story. I really enjoyed the narration (Logan Cunningham as Rucks!) and how the story integrates the backstory of the world of Caelondia.
  
  
  
  What struck me most about the story was the morality. The Ura are kind of demonized throughout the game. The war with them threatened the safety of Caelondia, they live underground, and they're a superstitious lot that's always getting in the way. Yet Rucks admits outright that Caelondia made some terrible moral decisions in creating the Calamity. Caelondia, not the Ura, are the cause of the end of the world, the bad guys that started this whole mess. Zulf's anger is justified (especially given he was a supporter of Caelondia before the Calamity). But now Rucks and the Kid (Caelondians) are trying to put the world back together. They're trying to make up for the mistakes of the other Caelondians who made the Calamity. The Bastion isn't at fault; it's a good thing. Now Zulf and the Ura are "the bad guys" hindering them. Or maybe there's no good and bad. And by that I don't mean that everything is morally gray, but that good and bad are kind of dotted and striped in everyone. To make a genetics reference: good and evil are codominant in everyone. Sometimes Caelondia is the bad guy. Sometimes the Ura are.
  
  

  

  Everyone.

  From left to right: the Kid, Zulf, Zia, Rucks.

  
  In the end, the moral conflict isn't really solved. Like the Kid says, "The Windbags, the beasts of the Wild, the Ura...they fought so hard to stop [the reconstruction of the Bastion]". Rucks comforts him: "Don't let anythin' you done get to you. You can save all those creatures here and now." Rucks urges the Kid towards Restoration of the old world, before the Calamity. In the end, Restoration means that all the creatures of the Wild and all the people that died in the Calamity and in the process of restoring the Cores and Shards never died. The evil done against them is justified because it was for the purpose of restoring everything. But it doesn't matter if it's justified or anything, because ultimately it doesn't matter: no one remembers. Restoration is the forgotten hope that as a civilization they'll find a path that averts the Calamity.

  Meanwhile, Zia urges the Kid towards Evacuation. So we don't get the happy no-one-needed-to-die scenario. But it means that all those deaths happened for a reason: bringing the four of them somewhere else. Evacuationis a new start, where the four of them (supposedly) have the memory and wisdom of the past to guide them forward. It's bitter, and maybe it won't go as planned, but it breaks the cycle.  Zia tells the Kid, "Any moment I'd want to live again happened after the Calamity. Not before." That's interesting. Her life before was pretty cooped up, dull and miserable, but it strikes me more that she's just found more adventure and life in the world after the Calamity than before it. The apocalypse is something to be feared. If you don't die, you'll end up in a barren wasteland of a world. But maybe, maybe the apocalypse would make things better.

  
  
• Inu x Boku Secret Service: (I watched the anime rendition.) It's cute. I don't quite like the protagonists, but I really like most of the other reoccurring characters. (Karuta is so cute! <3 She's always eating and her alternate form is a giant skeleton, and she's really adorable.) I hear that the manga goes beyond the anime plot, but don't think I'll be reading it, at least not for a while XD.
• Kaichou wa maid-sama: It finished! So I went back and reread the whole thing. Ayuzawa Misaki's fighting spirit and relentless diligence definitely motivates me, but I never got really into the cast and story as much as I did other in other mangas. It is though, very popular and quite good. The ending was pretty nice. :)

Movies (SPOILERS AWAIT!!)

• Frozen:  Frozen was great! The story was nice, the characters were funny, and the soundtrack is amazing. "Let it Go" is just a little bit of the incredible, soundtrack (Link is to the Demi Lovato version that plays at the end of the movie). I was a little put out that there had to be a betrayal and thus an actual antagonist, because I thought that it would be a lot more dramatic with no clear antagonist, but it does make for a simpler plot. That, and interestingly enough, it makes a clear stance about the love-at-first-sight/ first-love-is-true-love thing that most disney movies seem to take after. I absolutely love Elsa's ice powers, and Olaf and Sven are great comic relief. But THE SOUNDTRACK! <3
• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: After watching the first movie I went back and read the book and decided that The Hobbit really didn't need to be broken into three movies. It's a bit overkill. The elf-dwarf implied romance really was unnecessary. The dwarves fighting Smaug makes them seem a little less pointless in defeating Smaug, but really wasn't needed. That said, the Desolation of Smaug isn't bad, and Peter Jackson can definitely make great action scenes.
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire:  If you read the book, you will love the movie. The movie is done magnificently. The action and appearance of Panem is fabulous. The casting was amazing. Jena Malone as Johanna Mason was great, and performed Johanna exactly as I saw her in the book (with a lot more spunk than I could ever do). Sam Claflin didn't look like how I imagined Finnick Odair, but his performance was more than enough for me to say he was the right choice. :) In a few scenes, the movie is done line by line, perfectly as described in the book.
  
  (So this goes to show that movies can be spectacular when filmed true to the book they're based on! I'm looking at you, Percy Jackson movies. Please!)

Unfinished Manga:

• Daytime Shooting Star (Hirunaka no Ryuusei): Pretty average shoujo, but if it's adorably cute and well paced. It's light hearted and cute and the story is likeable :) Actively following this one (and reading the reader comments, because I end up reading each chapter like 3 times before the next comes out XD).
• The Gamer:  The protagonist wakes up to one day to discover his life is a video game. The concept is really interesting and the execution is pretty interesting itself. (I've been mulling about this idea for a while, but never could think of a story to put it in, so I'm really intrigued in how the story in the Gamer develops.)
• Watashi ni xx Shinasai: Another shoujo, centered around a Himuro Yukina, who is cold and observant at school, but secretly a popular cell phone novelist. When her readers mention her stories could be better with some romance, Yukina recruits the school playboy to help her experience "love". However, her cousin (and only friend) starts competing for her attention, and the playboy's childhood friends join the picture. Soon, Yukina's novel world starts blurring with her real feelings. The characters are interesting and decently strong, and I really, really love the concept. I'd like to have Yukina's dedication and talent. :)

BOTTOM LINE: PLAY BASTION. READ BAKUMAN. 
(And join me in listening to the Frozen soundtrack while waiting for Watashi ni xx Shinasai updates^.^)

ECA 83-86

Hello! This is Minerva, here for my (somewhat late as usual) weekly post!

PORO! <3

Winter break ends in a few days! I need to get into serious school mode after a winter vacation of lounging around playing League of Poros.

That being said, I would like to make my Winter Break summary post before I get too far into school; thus, instead of an ECA post, next week is my rant on the stuff I read/ watched/ played this last month.

The second to last ECA story post will be the week after that!

PREVIOUS SET (79-82)

83. Breakfast

Anuna rehashed the situation over a dinner of cereal and milk: “My mother, the Queen, fell ill; I was framed for poisoning her and banished. Rhys is aligned with the real poisoner. My father, the King Consort, hasn’t found a way to revitalize her or Curtain of Lights that holds the Land of Dreams together; The rift corresponds to a tear in the Curtain. I’ve discovered I can mend it, but I’ll need to restore my full abilities first.”

Elysia added calmly, as though this was normal breakfast discussion: “Given the portal, they're making their move now. We’ll need backup.”

84. Echoes

Celestine dangled her arms over the rail by the cliff, pondering what Vesper had said about the face of the target and trying to grasp Arlin’s favorite, meditative feeling: being on a delicate yet unbreakable balance between worlds. 

“They’re coming, Lyciar. The princess…” Princess. Princess.

She looked around for the quiet, echoing voice. 

“And the midnight sword?” Sword. Sword.

It was like her dreamscape, only Celestine knew she wasn’t asleep. 

“I see…we will fight.” Fight. Fight. 

She followed the echoes to an unrailed part of the cliff-site. 

“Defeat them here.” Here. 

“Here,” Celestine whispered, staring down. “It’s here.”

85. Falling

Just before they were about to jump down the portal, three griffins spotted and dove for them, screeching to any nearby monsters. Even the golem below them responded, climbing slowly but surely up.

The earth jutted upwards suddenly at Aldis’s command to shield the group. Vesper whipped out his wand. Celestine drew her bow, but Vesper stopped her: “Girls, go! We’ll take care of these monsters and find backup. Elysia’s right; this is over our heads.”

Elysia, Celestine, Arlin and Anuna hesitated for a moment before falling over the edge of the cliffscape, heading hopefully for the Land of Dreams.

86. Picking up the Pieces 

As ECA and Anuna spun through the portal., the world splintered into thousands of colors and sensations before rebuilding itself into a spacious dirt hall, bathed in piercing white light.

The four students stumbled drunkenly, mentally reorienting themselves. 

“Anuna, You’ve returned.” A man draped in light and a woman surrounded by elemental summons approached: King Lyciar Erkygon and Rhys Vesper. 

“To reclaim my ancilla abilities…” Anuna replied hesitantly. This was wrong. The light in the room was off. 

King Lyciar sneered. He flaunted his power, picking up sand grains and transforming them into his staff. “You face only destruction. Come.”

Comment Blurbs

83. Breakfast

 Given the situation, it was really hard to come up with a chill 100 words for the breakfast theme. So instead I basically used this as an opportunity to rehash what was happening and break a possible information-fast XD 

84. Echoes

Celestine wanders to the edge of the cliff, pondering what Vesper told her in part 81 (Only Human) trying to put herself in Arlin’s favorite mediative state of mind. However, the echoing voice that’s usually only in her dreamscape (or once in the Room of Clocks) is back, and this time just floating around her. She listens and feels for the source of the voices and discovers that she’s somehow hearing through the other side of the portal, where their opponents are getting ready to face them. 

85. Falling

As the group is about to go through the portal, another group attacks, threatening to follow them through the portal. Aldis and Vesper stay to defend while the girls go through the portal to seal the rift on the other side. 

So even if they didn’t face it head on someone in the group would have to end up facing the earth elemental XD 

86. Picking up the Pieces

ECA and Anuna arrive through the portal to face the King of Somnia,  Anuna’s father, and Rhys herself. As the girls struggle to reorient themselves after bursting through a portal, Lyciar initiates the fight. 

For the record, Rhys got there before them, and has summoned the elemental summons so that they would work autonomously for her. That way, she can concentrate on using her multi-elemental magic barrages she started way back in the Vengeance post (part 17)

NEXT SET (87-91) --will be posted in a fortnight!