Tales of Cadence

[Sediea]

[Roadie]

They're so CUTE, Trixie! I'll add it to the front page when I get home.

And you're not fail. The only fail in this thread is my writing.

And the poll amuses me.
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[Sediea]

[Zandra]

[Roadie]

Stephen art colored by Yoru. <3

I was going to finish more questions today, but two+ hours of math I didn't understand made my brain shut off so I'm posting a crappy chapter instead. :,)


Chapter XIX

Raven only woke before noon the following morning because Felix had left the curtains covering the window wide open, allowing the unbearably bright morning sunlight to fill his corner of the room. He blinked groggily several times before pushing himself up, running one hand lazily through his messy hair. The recurring dream—a constant replay of the events that had pushed him away from his old life—was haunting him more frequently.

Raven quickly looked around the room as he gathered his belongings. Felix’s bed was already neatly made and his things were gone—he had a habit of quietly waking with the rising sun before almost everyone else in the group. Stephen was still curled up in the corner of room where Raven and Felix had thrown him the previous evening before they left for dinner.

‘Should I wake him up, or just leave him?’ Raven wondered as he latched his belt around his waist. According to Felix, Stephen had not slept properly for days; it was probably best to leave him for the time being.

Raven left his bed in disarray and went to join his companions in the shabby restaurant nearby the inn. Through the windows he could see Elsynne, Skylar, Felix, and Ilia sitting around a table, studying another large map that had been laid out in front of them. Elsynne was drawing a line from one landmass to another.

“’Morning, Raven!” Felix greeted him enthusiastically as he joined them at the table. “We’re all stocked up on supplies, so we’re ready to leave at any time!”

“If Stephen ever decides to wake up, that is,” Skylar said, taking a sip of warm coffee from the mug in his hands. “Felix can pilot the boat fairly well, but Stephen has Evadne. The craft won’t run unless they’re both here.”

“There go my hopes of leaving him behind,” Raven said sarcastically. “He was still sleeping when I left.”

“Maybe I added too many sleeping pills to his drink...” Felix said apprehensively, ducking his head. “What if he-“

“He’s not going to die!” Ilia interrupted exasperatedly, stifling a yawn as she spoke. “If that stuff was going to kill him, it would have done so already.”

Felix nodded uneasily, although he still looked uncomfortable.

“He’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Elsynne said reassuringly as she finished drawing the line on the map. Raven leaned forward and saw a light pencil mark leading from the Estershore harbor—the small village where they were—to the edge of the map.

“I thought we were going to Lavinia,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“We are,” Elsynne responded before taking a bite of the sliced apple on the plate in front of her. “But Lavinia hasn’t been properly mapped by your people. They believe that the world ends after they run into that massive black magic crack.”

“Oh,” Raven replied simply, leaning back in his chair. He knew that already, and immediately felt stupid after having been corrected. “How can you be so sure that we’ll make it over the crack?” he asked, hoping to cover up his blunder.

“Felix and I made it across.”

“That was before you destroyed your ship and Felix’s got stolen and beat up.”

“I made sure the repairs were finished before I gave Stephen the sleeping pills,” Felix added confidently. “The shields we put up before the crossing will work, no problem.”

Raven placidly took a drink of his own coffee, hoping it would wake him up. “I’ll hold you to that, then.”

He glanced over his shoulder as the door to the restaurant swung open and hit the wall with a dull thud. Stephen staggered in and seated himself at the table, still bleary and half-asleep.

“I told you he wouldn’t die,” Ilia whispered to Felix.

“Are you all right?” Elsynne asked nervously as Stephen laid his head on the table.

“Coffee,” he muttered.

“Don’t you ever get sick of that stuff?” Raven asked, poking him in the side. “You’ve been drinking it nonstop since you started working on the ship.”

“It’ll wake me up.”

“He needs to be awake to steer the ship,” Skylar pointed out before ordering more coffee from one of the waitresses weaving between the tables of customers.

“How long will the trip take?” Ilia asked, picking through her food.

“It took me several days to get to the southern end of Austror from the port in Carme. That’s the city where I grew up,” Elsynne added quickly. She looked to Felix. “How long did it take you?”

“Several days,” he agreed, nodding his head approvingly. “It’s an easy trip, usually.”

Raven groaned and put his hand to his forehead. He was not looking forward to another trip on a boat so soon. He could already feel the nauseating sensation of the rocking ship and the humid, uncomfortable air out on the ocean.

Elsynne sensed his discomfort and smiled reassuringly. “You’ll be fine, Raven. I’ll do my best to help you out again.”

Ilia snorted loudly as she tried unsuccessfully to suppress a laugh. “You get seasick so badly that you need someone to help you?”

Raven lifted his head and shot her a dangerous glare. “I’ll still be strong enough to throw you off the ship if you-“

“Raven, when we’re on a boat you aren’t strong enough to even pick yourself off the floor. Don’t go making empty threats,” Skylar warned, grinning cruelly.

Ilia laughed. “I can’t wait to see this.”

“Good thing I’ll be far away, driving the ship from the control room,” Stephen said calmly. His cup of hot coffee was already empty and he seemed refreshed.

“We can take turns driving! That way you’ll get a chance to rest,” Felix offered.

“Rest? Why would I want to rest? I can’t wait to start working with the ship!”

“We don’t want someone sleep-deprived to be in control of he boat taking us to Lavinia,” Skylar said, shaking his head.

“Both of you will have enough chances to steer the ship,” Elsynne said cheerfully. “The rest of us will keep an eye on things out on the deck.”

“Is there even anything to look out for?” Ilia asked tentatively.

“Besides merchant ships and ferries, I think we’ll be alone out there. Besides, no one goes out the area around Lavinia—a lot of people still think the world ends after you cross the black magic.”

“Except for the religious folks,” Stephen added. “Many of us still believe that the Penna live behind that wall of black magic.”

“Sailors are too superstitious to believe that kind of stuff...oh, and Edward,” Ilia chimed in.

“I said I’d believe it when I see it!” Raven said angrily when he saw Elsynne’s imploring gaze. “Leave me alone about it already!”

“I’m personally excited about seeing what kind of technology the Penna have...” Stephen said, trailing off in midsentence as he daydreamed. “And how do the Penna live...?”

“You’ll see when we get there!” Felix said, still smiling eagerly. “It’ll be fun to show you all around!”

“I’ll need to check on my mother and sister when we get back. I need to ask about the Scale, too,” Elsynne explained, pushing her plate of food aside. “I hope they’re all right...”

“Your mother and sister are both strong,” Felix said reassuringly.

Raven looked back and forth between the two cousins. “What-“

“It’s none of our business, Raven. Stop being so pushy,” Skylar cut in. Raven glowered at him, biting back a protest.

“You’ll probably meet them when we get there. Then you’ll see,” Elsynne said, lowering her gaze. “It’s...complicated to explain. I’m sorry.”

“We’ve wasted enough time chatting here,” Skylar said, interrupting Raven again as he started to reply to Elsynne’s vague statement. Skylar rolled up the map on the table and replaced it in one of his pockets. “Are we ready to set sail?”

“Yes!” both Felix and Stephen exclaimed in unison. The group stood and left the restaurant, with Raven following at a slower, more reluctant pace.

He groaned. It was going to be a long trip.

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Elsynne stood at the edge of the ship, leaning absentmindedly over the railing. The cool breeze felt welcoming after the gusts of hot air they had endured on their voyage thus far; she noticed a distinct change in the temperature as they neared the cold, frosty island ahead.

“The Snowcap continent...” Skylar murmured, still reading over the map Elsynne had marked in the restaurant several days before. “That’s definitely a place I wouldn’t want to go to.”

“Why not?”

“It’s very, very cold. The freezing temperatures are supposedly influenced by a Spirit,” he explained, tapping a small landmass on the map. Elsynne noticed the words ‘Snowcap’ written in delicate, calligraphic cursive.

“We should be getting the help of every Spirit-“

“Passing one Spirit up won’t hurt us. Besides, we’ve already got the Messenger in our sights.” Skylar motioned towards Raven, who was curled up nearby in a medicine-induced slumber. “And, fortunately for us, it looks like he has no plans to stop you.”

“That’s true, but...”

“But?”

“It makes me feel better to know that the Spirits are on our side. What if another group manages to form pacts with them—a group that’s against us?” Elsynne questioned nervously, tightening her grip on the railing of the boat. “I know the possibility is slim, but-“

Skylar’s laugh cut her off. “No one in their right minds would go to Snowcap! And besides, we’re returning to Lavinia so that you can perform the ceremony, correct? We’re nearly at the end.”

Felix shuffled his feet uneasily. “We don’t need all the Spirits for the ceremony, right? And what about the Scale?”

Elsynne lowered her head, focusing her gaze on the calm waves surrounding the ship. “I know for a fact that not all the Spirits are needed.”

“Then why the hell did we waste our time trying to get them?” Raven demanded weakly, rolling over slowly on his back. Although his face was unusually pale and he still looked tired, he was still able to manage an irritated grimace.

“The Spirits have been helpful, haven’t they?” Elsynne questioned, gesturing at the boat. “Rhett and Evadne are the ones protecting this ship from the black magic. I’m sure that Leander will be of use to us later.”

“It still doesn’t make any sense...” Raven muttered, keeping his gaze on the sky overhead.

“Collecting pacts with the Spirits ensures that we’ll make it to the Heir’s ceremony safely. We may still have enemies waiting for us in Lavinia,” Skylar said.

“Yeah, but isn’t the ‘Messenger’ supposed to be her enemy or something...?”

“Don’t forget about Ophelia and the dragonlings. I wouldn’t underestimate them; they may still try to follow us to the continent.”

“I guess...”

“My sister was the one who told me about the Scale. She told me to find it if I wanted to...” Elsynne suddenly trailed off and stopped herself before rephrasing her sentence, “I’m supposed to find it if I want to live.”

Both Raven and Skylar looked at her questioningly. “What do you mean by that?” Skylar asked, looking genuinely confused.

“My sister said that the ceremony I have to perform requires a lot of energy and a good handle over light magic. The Scale gives ‘balance’, she said.”

Skylar narrowed his eyes. “Why are you trusting your sister’s words?”

“I know I can trust her. She’s never lied to me before.”

“But-“

“You haven’t met her before, Skylar. When you do, you’ll understand what I mean.”

Skylar shrugged and folded his arms over his chest. “I...suppose. But it still sounds sketchy to me.”

“Now you’re starting to sound like Edward,” Ilia said, rolling her eyes. “Don’t start rejecting everything you hear.”

“I don’t reject everything,” Raven protested. “And stop calling me that.”

“I can call you whatever I want!”

Felix ignored their argument and turned to Elsynne. “Are you sure about the Scale? I mean, I hadn’t heard much about it before your sister talked about it.”

“Several days before I left, I asked her what she knew about the Scale, and she told me that it was a sort of ‘balance’.”

“Did she specifically say that it would help you during the ceremony?”

“Not...per se.”

Felix sighed. “The ceremony isn’t supposed to kill you, Elsynne. So why go after the Scale?”

“The balance,” she insisted. “We can ask my sister more about it when we get home. I’m sure she’ll know.”

“I’ve never heard of the Scale before, and neither has Stephen,” Skylar said uneasily. “How can you even be sure it’s real?”

“I know it is. Like I said, my sister’s never lied to me before.”

“I suppose we’ll find out when we meet her,” Skylar said unenthusiastically.

“Is your sister really trustworthy, or are you just trusting her because you’re related to her?” Ilia asked incredulously.

“She’s kind of creepy sometimes, but I think she’s trustworthy,” Felix insisted. “I’ve known her since she was born!”

“She’s younger than you?”

“Yes. She’s my younger sister, by five years,” Elsynne responded. “She’s like a close friend... I’ve missed her since I left. Besides Felix, she was one of the only people I talked to back home.”

Skylar narrowed his eyes, but chose not to speak.

Elsynne quickly noticed his discomfort. “Just because you haven’t heard of the Scale doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”

“To be honest, I knew almost nothing about it until Elsynne’s sister brought it up before we left Lavinia. But she said it would help us, so we should still try to find it!” Felix said determinedly, clenching his fists at his sides. “We’ll need all the help we can get to unseal the goddess!”

Ilia shuddered inwardly and turned away from the group as they continued to talk. She saw Raven still lying on his back, staring quietly at the sky.

“Hey, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” she whispered as she knelt down next to him. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, trying to keep his gaze off the rolling waves.

Ilia cleared her throat and looked over her shoulder, making sure that the others were not eavesdropping before she continued. “You’re still with Elsynne and the others because she’s paying you, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” he mumbled, gesturing towards his gald pouch. “Why else would I follow them around and listen to their stupid stories?”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good...so you don’t believe them?”

“No way. That’s why I’ve been denying the whole Messenger thing. It’s not real. It’s just a myth.”

Ilia’s eyes widened and she pulled her legs up to her chest. “I thought you were putting on a pretty convincing act.”

Raven turned and glared at her incredulously. “An act?” he repeated, emphasizing the last word with disbelief. “Why would I pretend?”

“Well, y’see, I thought you said you didn’t believe the stories because you knew you were the Messenger and you didn’t want Elsynne to kill you...” Ilia said quickly, tracing the lines on the deck with her forefinger. “I, er, I thought you did believe the scriptures and-“

Raven managed to push himself into a sitting position, ignoring the dull throb of his empty stomach and the faint onset of nausea. “Ilia, I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t believe the stories. I need solid proof to believe any of that stuff. Even if you guys believe the stories about the Messenger and the Heir, I don’t.”

“But what about Stephen’s evidence? The stuff he told us back in Estershore?”

“That’s not enough for me.”

She lowered her gaze and sighed. “I was hoping you did believe in it, because I have a plan for when we get to Lavinia.”

Raven cast a quick gaze in Elsynne’s direction. Fortunately, she was still chatting with Skylar and Felix, debating over the Scale. “What kind of plan?” he whispered.

Ilia smiled deviously, glad to have his full attention. “Lukas didn’t just want me to follow you to make sure Elsynne didn’t try to kill you—he wants me to try to stop the unsealing, too. He had a feeling that’s why Elsynne’s gathering all these Spirits.

“I was thinking that, since you’re supposed to be the Messenger, we could stop her together,” she proposed, speaking in a low tone.

Raven rolled his eyes, still trying not to look over the railing. “You know what I think about all that-“

“Please, Edward. You might not believe in the unsealing, but everyone else here does. If Albasta’s unsealed, then everyone will die. You, me, your family...everyone except the Penna.”

“Tell me, why the hell would Elsynne unseal a god that’s supposed to kill everyone?”

“Think about it. She probably doesn’t have a full grasp on the situation. Maybe she thinks that those of us with her will be all right. But our scriptures say that everyone except the Penna will die. That’s why we have to stop the unsealing.”

Raven glanced at her and saw the desperation in her violet eyes. She really believed that Elsynne’s actions would end up destroying their friends and family, as well as all of Austror and Libra. He still could not bring himself to believe the scriptures, but her tone was almost convincing.

“Listen...when we get to Lavinia, let’s see how things go. If it really looks like something bad will happen during this... ‘unsealing’, or whatever it’s called...then I’ll think about helping you stop it.”

Ilia’s smile suddenly faltered. “You’ll be going against Elsynne, you know. Are you all right with that?”

“I’ve only been contracted to protect her.” He suddenly smirked. “If that ceremony threatens her life, then my actions will be justified, won’t they?”

Ilia’s grin returned and she playfully punched his arm. “Good plan! You’re sneakier than I thought!”

“Peh. It won’t be easy to convince me, though. I’ll only take action if it looks like something weird is going to happen, okay? I’m not making any promises. I still don’t believe in all this religious stuff.”

Ilia still nodded enthusiastically and held out her hand. “Shake on it.”

Raven sighed exasperatedly and shook her hand. “Okay, okay. A deal’s a deal. That’s how mercenaries live, anyway.”

“And remember,” she put her finger to her lips and winked, “this is our secret!”

“I know. I won’t say a word to anyone.”

Ilia jumped to her feet and walked to the other side of the ship, still smiling. Raven caught a glimpse of Skylar before he lay back down to sleep. The elf was watching him warily.

“What?” Raven demanded self-consciously. He nearly smacked his forehead with frustration; his involuntary question made him look even more suspicious.

“Nothing,” Skylar replied casually, grinning confidently. “I’m just not used to seeing the two of you talk without it resorting to an argument.”

Raven ignored him and leaned back, taking deep breaths of the salty sea air to calm his stomach. He could see Elsynne out of the corner of his eye, staring quietly over the horizon.

If it came down to it, he silently decided, he would keep his word to Ilia and stop Elsynne if her so-called ‘ceremony’ would hurt her. He convinced himself that he was only keeping to the contract by protecting her.

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After the sun finally set and the ocean surrounding them was engulfed almost completely by the bleak darkness, Felix managed to pry Stephen out of the control room and offered to take over driving for the remainder of the night. Stephen wandered uselessly around the deck for several hours, checking parts and muttering to himself.

Raven had propped himself up against the side of the ship, staring blankly at the cold, pitch-black sky. Elsynne was sitting nearby, although she had already fallen asleep with Reo purring quietly on her lap. Ilia had gone below deck after announcing how tired she was several hours earlier. Skylar still stood outside, dozing off as he leaned against the rail. Raven silently prayed that he would slip off and fall into the sea; he was growing desperately tired of Skylar’s strange behavior. He noticed that the elf had only been acting somewhat differently after Elsynne revealed that they were ready to travel to Libra.

“Feeling any better?” Stephen suddenly asked, stopping beside him. Raven tilted his head towards him and nodded silently, annoyed that his brief reverie had been interrupted.

“Are you looking forward to seeing Lavinia? At all?” Stephen continued to press him with question after question, all of which Raven answered with a simple nod; yes or no. Finally Stephen quieted and seated himself beside him, resting his chin on his hand as he followed Raven’s gaze skyward.

“Hmm...quiet evenings like this remind me of when I was younger,” he said after a long pause.

Raven frowned. “You’re not that old yet.”

Stephen laughed. “Sometimes I feel like I am, surrounded by a bunch of younger kids like you. I was just remembering growing up in the city when I was about...oh, seventeen? Eighteen? I can’t quite recall.”

“In Brancove? That place was more of a large town than a city,” Raven said, shrugging. “It was smaller than Itona.”

Stephen shook his head slowly. “I grew up in Clayridge, the biggest city in Libra. It’s even bigger than Itona, from what I’ve heard.”

“What were you doing in Brancove?”

“There were...complications in Clayridge. I felt like I needed a change.”

Stephen fell silent after his statement and pulled something out of his pocket, holding it tightly in his hand. He stared at it for a long time before Raven spoke.

“I’m almost afraid to ask, but did you leave because you blew something up?”

Stephen startled him when he laughed again. “No, no. I wasn’t interested in science and experimenting around the time I left,” he admitted, placing the object in his hand back in his pocket. Raven only caught a quick glimpse of the trinket; it resembled a small silver locket. Stephen continued, not noticing his curious glance. “To be honest, the reason why I left was because of my former girlfriend-“

Raven shot up and spun around, staring at Stephen with disbelief. “You had a girlfriend?”

Stephen blinked and smiled, scratching the back of his head in a poor attempt to mask his apparent embarrassment. “Why does that come as such a surprise?”

“Well... I never imagined someone like you with...” Raven paused, fumbling uselessly for the right words, “...a girlfriend, I guess.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I only had one girlfriend for three years until something happened,” Stephen explained, suddenly solemn. “Remember the Tower we saw in Libra? The one that’s supposed to house the spirit of Baldur?”

Raven nodded again. “Yeah, I remember that place. You were the one who pointed it out, I think.”

“We went to the Tower one afternoon, just to check something out that a close friend of mine told me about. Something...bad happened and she got sealed inside.” Stephen lowered his head sadly, unable to hide the faint note of despair that had appeared in his tone. “I tried to get her out for almost a week, but one day...I didn’t hear her voice anymore. She died in the Tower, and I was never able to open the doors.”

Now Raven ducked his head. He had not heard Stephen sound so grave before. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“To make a long story short, her father was very angry...no, that’s an understatement.” Stephen stopped himself and put his hand to his chin thoughtfully before he nodded. “He was enraged about what happened. I wasn’t too keen on the idea of staying in the same city as him, and I didn’t want to stay in Clayridge anymore, either. Too many memories, I suppose.”

“I’m...sorry,” Raven repeated, still avoiding his gaze.

To his surprise, Stephen clapped him on the back and his normal, pleasant tone returned. “It happened six or seven years ago. You have to learn to pick yourself up and move on.”

“Is that why you invent things, then? Because of her?”

“Sort of, I suppose. I began inventing as a pastime after I left Clayridge, and I found that I enjoyed it. I used to make smaller bombs when I was a teenager, but I never considered it as a serious job.”

Stephen chuckled and fell silent again, staring silently at the starlit water around them. Raven leaned back and kept his gaze focused on the sky when he felt the seasickness returning.

“Her name was Dahlia,” Stephen said quietly after a long, pensive silence.

Raven only nodded, unsure of how to reply. He shifted uncomfortably and closed his eyes, hoping to force himself to sleep.

For a while, the entire ship was silent, save for the gentle lapping of water against the metal sides of the craft. Even Stephen was completely still, no doubt impatiently waiting for his turn to drive the ship.

Raven felt himself finally drifting into a restless sleep when a loud, unnatural bang rocked the ship. When he opened his eyes, breathing heavily as he tried to force himself awake, all he saw was fire.

Elsynne was suddenly in front of him, grabbing his arm and pulling him to his feet. “What do we do?” Raven demanded wildly, another adrenaline rush taking over the nausea in his stomach. He had not been on a sinking, burning ship before; he had no idea what their first priority should be.

Elsynne, to his relief, was thinking quickly. “We don’t have any life vests, do we?” she asked, looking back towards Stephen.

He shook his head, frowning. “No. The ship didn’t come with any in the first place, and I never thought to replace them.”

Raven heard the door behind them swing open and Ilia stumbled out, coughing loudly as she choked on the thick smoke. “What happened?!” she asked, holding her hand over her mouth.

“Just jump!” Skylar called through a wall of flames. He and Felix were on the other side of the ship, backing into the rail as the fire drew closer.

Elsynne nodded reluctantly and turned to the others. For the moment, Raven had to admire how calm and collected she had remained in the situation while he was panicked.

“We’ll have to jump,” she said, motioning towards the edge of the boat.

“We’ll drown!” Raven protested, his hands tightening into fists at his sides. “We can’t-“

Stephen leaned over the rail and pointed towards a silhouette in the distance, now slightly visible in the sudden light of the fire. “There! It’s that Snowcap continent!” he yelled over the roaring flames. “It’s close enough to swim to!”

“We can make it,” Elsynne murmured as Stephen jumped over the side and dove neatly into the water below. She exchanged a quick, reassuring glance with Raven and quickly slid over the rail.

Raven gripped the sides of the ship with white-knuckled hands, staring nervously into the dark, freezing ocean. He could see Stephen and Elsynne below; for a moment, it looked as if they were struggling to keep their heads above the rising waves.

The flames were suddenly hot against his back; he did not have much time left. Raven took a deep breath of frigid air and threw himself over, twisting uselessly in midair several times before crashing into the freezing, icy sea.
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[Swordmaster69]

Ohhhh. Very interesting chapter Midna. Raven and Ilia's plan... I wonder if the cermony will really revive Albasta. And Skylar seems to know everything, but no one knows anything about him. He's a sly one. Stephen finally comes out about his past!! I wonder If well get to hear more about the tower and stuff. I think this is my favourite chapter with no fighting in it!!
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Tales of Glory

Judith Avatar by Dimentio
Tales of Candence Rotating Fanbar by Squidmaster!!!

[TKNO]

Wow, another good chapter Mid...I mean, Roadie!

Man, Stephen's past was sad. If they have to go to the tower to get the summon and find her bones...That would be hardcore.
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Through the cracks in the hourglass spill the days of our lives.

Titles: None so far!

[Kevvie]

[KK Twain]

I haven't a clue as to who to choose for the character poll. I think it might be Felix, Raven, Stephen or Cymbeline, but it's hard to narrow it down. I think I'll wait awhile before I vote.

My sister read part of the Viva, because I was reading it and she looked over my shoulder. She thought it was very funny, even though she didn't know any of the characters. She also liked Stephen and his bag when I explained it to her.

A lot of things seem to be happening this chapter, perhaps the proper word would be character development. Skylar is still way too suspicious for him to be trustworthy. It looks like they'll be getting the summon spirit on Snowcap anyway, despite Skylar's earlier protests.

You're such a good writer, I can't wait to read what happens next.

[Drake]

New chapter fits a bunch into one =D
We need Cymbeline art =D
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[Roadie]

Thank you for the comments on the chapter, everyone.

@KlugFire: I thought you already insulted yourself before this?!

@KK: Your sister thought it was funny even though she didn't know about the characters? 8D Interesting... And thanks, I'm glad you think I'm a good writer.

Yoru redid Felix's art <3 ohgod she drew him so damn cute <3

More questions, I'm sorry I'm not funny anymore. :,)

Tales of Cadence Questionnaire 5

Raven: Haa...are we running out of questions yet?

Ilia: Nope! We’ve still got several batches left!

Raven: No more...

Ilia: Oh, come on, you know you’re having fun!

Raven: I know I’m not.

Ilia: Well, no one cares what you think, anyway. Lesse...looks like it’s my turn to present questions again! This bunch is from wolfeyes, and the first question is for you, Edward.

Raven: Me? I haven’t had a question in a while...

Felix: See? You do like the attention!

Raven: Grr...

Ilia: Wolfeyes asks, “If you were trapped on a deserted island with only one party member, who would they be?”

Raven: I have to choose someone?!

Skylar: You can’t just skip the question.

Raven: I’d pick Skylar so I could have a fair one-on-one fight and kill him.

Skylar: Ah, but of course I’d slaughter you first, Raven.

Raven: No way!

Felix: Me! Raven, pick me!

Raven: Definitely not Stephen, he’d blow the island to kingdom come...and Ilia, no way...

Felix: Me! Pick me!

Stephen: Raven, you skipped Elsynne!

Raven: I couldn’t be stuck on an island with her!

Skylar: Why? Because she’s a girl?

Raven: Well, er...

Cymbeline: Ohh, Bird’s afraid of being...alone with Elsynne...?

Raven: I never said that!

Stephen: Fufufu...then why is your face getting redder?

Raven: LEAVE ME ALONE!

Skylar: Touchy, touchy.

Ilia: Well, at least we know who he’d want to be stuck on an island with...hehe...

Felix: Me, Raven! Pick me!

Ilia: Eh, next question, also for Edward: “Out of all the aliases you could have picked, why would you pick something as cliche as 'Raven'?” Yeah, I kinda want to know that, too.

Raven: Peh. Why does it matter? It’s because I like the name.

Stephen: There has to be another reason behind it...

Raven: So I like the name. Is that such a crime?!

Skylar: Yes, because we’re the ones who have to deal with your poor choice of names.

Raven: Coming from the man who names his dragon ‘Glacier’...

Felix: I like your name, Raven!

Raven: Yeah, that makes me feel a lot better...

Felix: Yay!

Raven: ...I was being sarcastic.

Elsynne: I still think there’s a reason behind you naming yourself after a type of bird instead of just picking another alias...but why?

Raven: I already told you, it’s none of your business!

Ilia: But one of the readers asked!

Raven: I don’t care!

Skylar: (sigh) I suppose the world may never know...

Stephen: Never! I’ll make it my personal mission to find out!

Raven: ...Eh?!

Stephen: (points) Raven Sendemere! I will find out the secret behind your name! Even if it’s the last thing I do!

Raven: There aren’t any secrets!

Cymbeline: Ah! The dedication...so invigorating!

Skylar: You know what that word means?

Cymbeline: Not really...but it sorta popped in my mind and I felt like using it. It sounds kinda cool, y’know?

Skylar: ...Cymbeline. Do you ever think about what you’re saying, or does it just come out?

Cymbeline: Huh?

Skylar: That’s what I thought.

Ilia: Okay, next question for Edward: “Is it better to be poor but happy or rich but unhappy?”

Raven: Hmm... I kind of think I’ve experienced both.

Skylar: And he finally admits to having once been a selfish brat.

Raven: I never said that!

Elsynne: Were you happier when you were rich, or when you were poor?

Raven: Poor, I guess. But I hated being hungry all the time.

Skylar: That’s why you’re lucky you have me to cook for you!

Felix: Stephen and Cymbeline cook sometimes!

Raven: Yeah, but I think Stephen poisons the food...it always tastes funny...

Stephen: I just like adding different ingredients sometimes to see how the food would taste.

Everyone: ...

Ilia: Uhm, this is the last question for Edward. “Elsynne's pretty cute, don't you think?”

Raven: Whatkindofquestion’sthat!? Whydopeoplekeepaskingmeweirdstufflikethis-

Skylar: Ah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen his face get so red...

Elsynne: Er, Raven...

Ilia: Calm down!

Raven: I said...why do people...ask me weird stuff...like that...?

Skylar: I think his reaction pretty much sums up what he thinks.

Felix: The answer’s a solid yes!

Raven: I never-

Ilia: There’s no use denying it anymore.

Raven: Peh...

Ilia: Okay! Next question is for Skylar! “Doesn't it get a little tiresome constantly picking on Raven?”

Skylar: You’d think so, but Raven always provides us with material to use against him.

Ilia: Yeah, he does kind of ask for it...

Raven: I’m not doing anything!

Skylar: Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. You’re always doing something either stupid or amusing, so I can poke fun at you.

Raven: Why don’t you get bored easily...?

Skylar: Because with you around, there’s always someone to make fun of.

Ilia: Stephen! “If someone offered you the chance to make a nuclear bomb but there was a chance it would be used in a war, would you take it?”

Stephen: Who’d pass up something like that?! Of course I’d work on a nuclear bomb! It’s on my list of things to make!

Raven: I get the feeling I don’t want to see what else is on that list...

Stephen: Ahh, to be able to work on something that exciting...and then to see it in action! That’s my life dream!

Elsynne: What about the people you’d kill because you made a bomb like that?

Stephen: Huh...well, I’d still want to work on it and see it finally detonate! Ha ha!

Raven: Remind me not to enlist if we’re suddenly at war with Libra.

Ilia: Cymbeline, this question’s for you! “How do you feel about Ophelia and Arngon in comparison to the party members?”

Cymbeline: Hmm... Traveling with Ophelia and Arngon’s a lot of fun, because they let me talk to them and they don’t interrupt. But sometimes Ophelia gets angry and threatens to take things away if I don’t stop, so then I just stare at the sky...for a long time...until she gets mad at me for being too quiet...

Skylar: Ophelia sounds, ah, interesting.

Stephen: Ophelia, hmm...

Cymbeline: Arngon listens to me and he doesn’t interrupt or anything, hehe... But this group’s a lot of fun because they’re all...loud, I suppose...

Raven: ‘Loud’?

Skylar: At least you, Stephen, Felix, and Ilia are.

Ilia: I’m not loud!

Raven: Yeah, you are.

Felix: We’re not loud!

BANG!

Felix: AHHHHHH!

Stephen: Sorry, sorry! I shouldn’t have pressed that...

Raven: Stop doing that! You’re going to kill someone!

Stephen: I was just testing it...

Skylar: I shouldn’t have said anything, because that just got them started again...

Ilia: Okay, the next question’s for...Lukas! Yay!

Raven: Luuuuukas?!

Stephen: Fufufu...fresh meat...

Ilia: “What do you think of Edward's best trait is? And his worst?” Huh, since when did Edward have any good traits?

Skylar: Hm, I can only think of his worst...

Lukas: He has good traits! He just likes to hide them.

Raven: You!

Lukas: Me.

Ilia: Well, you are Edward’s brother. What are his good traits?

Lukas: Well, when he was younger, he was actually a good kid. He had that stuffed animal he was always carrying around-

Raven: Don’t tell them that!

Ilia: Haha, I remember hearing about it! Wasn’t it a-

Raven: Shut up!

Skylar: I am...intrigued.

Stephen: Raven had a stuffed animal he carried around? He doesn’t strike me as the type, to be honest.

Ilia: Oh, Edward just pretends to be tough. He’s a kid deep down.

Raven: I’m not a kid!

Elsynne: What kind of stuffed animal was it, Raven?

Felix: I sleep with a stuffed animal too, Raven!

Raven: Grrr...

Cymbeline: Ophelia told me I was never allowed stuffed animals...I was told I would destroy them...

Everyone: ...

Ilia: Er, and his worst traits?

Lukas: Heheh...that should be fairly obvious by now. His temper gets out of hand far too often, for instance.

Raven: Only because there are idiots like you who keep provoking me.

Lukas: I’m not trying to provoke you. You’re just too easily riled up.

Raven: If you’d all leave me the hell alone...!

Skylar: Here goes another argument.

Stephen: They’re typical siblings, aren’t they?

Elsynne: Lukas makes an effort to get along with his brother, but Raven...

Raven: You’re always pinning the blame on me, just because you’re higher up than I am!

Lukas: I’ve never done such a thing!

Skylar: Maybe another question will shut them up?

Ilia: Ah, yes. Edward, “What do you think Lukas' best trait is? And his worst?”

Raven: Oh, I could go on for days...

Lukas: (sigh)

Raven: First of all, he’s always being so stuck-up about everything. He likes to take control of every situation, but he’s a horrible leader because all he does is boss people around.

Skylar: Raven, do you ever talk about anything positive?

Raven: Shut up, I’m still listing his worst traits!

Ilia: Er, aren’t those enough?

Raven: Peh...fine...

Elsynne: ...What about his best traits?

Raven: He doesn’t have any.

Felix: But he’s your brother! You’re supposed to care about him!

Raven: Tough luck.

Felix: (sigh) You’re lucky you have a brother...I wish I had one.

Skylar: Didn’t you say Raven was like a brother?

Felix: Yep! That’s right!

Raven: I don’t need any more brothers! Lukas is more than enough!

Lukas: (sigh) Edward...

Raven: Don’t even start!

Cymbeline: Ah...all this family stuff kinda makes me miss my brother...

Elsynne: And my sister’s still back home...I wonder how she’s doing?

Ilia: Bleh, too much familial love in here for me to handle.

Skylar: So, are we going to wrap up with another offbeat quote from Cymbeline?

Everyone: ...

Cymbeline: ...What?

Ilia: Have you been paying attention to us?

Cymbeline: Eh, kind of off and on- Oh!

Raven: Wh-What?!

Cymbeline: I just remembered...never mind, I forgot.

Felix: You know, I kind of enjoyed Cymbeline’s comments...

Raven: They’ve always disturbed me.

Ilia: Meh, next time, I guess.

Cymbeline: Next time...?

Ilia: You know, the next set of questions? We have one more set, and one single question.

Cymbeline: Aww... Wait, we’ve done multiple skits?

Ilia: Uhm, yes...?

Cymbeline: Huh, I didn’t notice...

Raven: ...(facepalm)

To be continued...
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[KK Twain]

Aw, pick Felix, Raven! I do wonder why Felix is so fond of Raven...Maybe I should ask that as a question.

I still don't get why you always insult your chapters before you post them up. You're a great writer, what's not to like about your writing?

I still haven't voted yet for my favorite character...They're all too likeable, I can't choose.

[Zandra]

(: You mentioned the bunny I gave Raven. Awesome.

Well, I have new pictures. They are...no comment.
Cosplay
Don't click if you don't like cross-dressing
Felix looks so much like a girl, that I can barely call it cross-dressing...*cough*
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[Drake]

[Zandra]