11||0|3098|3| 0|0|0|||1||%28another teaser%29 S5M5 Taken by Storm|Gryphon||12:47:49|08/05/2013|%5Btt%5D%5Bpre%5D By noon%2C the campus of Tenjou Academy was back to something like%0D%0Anormal. Most of the visitors who had come for Corwin and Utena%27s%0D%0Awedding had gone back whence they came sometime in the morning%2C the crew%0D%0Aof students detailed for cleanup and restoration of the school%27s normal%0D%0Asettings had long since completed their work%2C and the only major%0D%0Aremaining trace of the festivities was the giant hot tub in the middle%0D%0Aof the Quad. This%2C its creator having left the world without being%0D%0Aasked to return the area to its original state%2C looked like being a%0D%0Apermanent feature after all.%0D%0A Nall Silverclaw roamed the deserted corridors of East Hall%2C%0D%0Achecking to see if there was anyone from the Midgard Duelist contingent%0D%0Astill at large. Most%2C he knew%2C had gone back with the Rune Knights as%0D%0Aguides%2C earlier in the morning%2C while he%27d still been in bed. There was%0D%0Aalways the possibility that a few others had opted to go back to sleep%0D%0Arather than heed the early wakeup call%2C knowing that he was still around%0D%0Ato take them back later on.%0D%0A And%2C indeed%2C there were. Nall found his two stragglers in the%0D%0Acommon room%2C watching the last of the Avalon 17 Saturday-morning%0D%0Acartoons on the giant holoset. They were a couple of the new generation%0D%0Afrom Jeraddo%2C the tall Scottish girl and her English boyfriend%2C who%0D%0Abetween them had kicked a lot of Earthforce ass and earned a lot of%0D%0ADuelist cred on Tau Ceti. Having seen the way they handled that%0D%0Acrazyfest without batting an eye%2C Nall figured they%27d be well up for his%0D%0Alittle errand%2C and anyone who would bother figuring out how to work%0D%0ACorwin%27s interdimensional pirate cable TV receiver just to watch My%0D%0ALittle Destroid had to be decent company.%0D%0A %22Hey%2C guys%2C%22 he said from the doorway.%0D%0A %22Oh%2C hey%2C Nall%2C%22 said Rory Williams from the depths of the%0D%0Acenter couch.%0D%0A %22Are you guys it%3F%22 Nall wondered.%0D%0A %22Yeah%2C everybody else headed back this morning%2C%22 Amy Pond%0D%0Aconfirmed from even deeper in the couch.%0D%0A Nall moseyed into the room and made himself at home in one of%0D%0Athe armchairs to watch the rest of the show. At noon%2C the cartoons gave%0D%0Away to the 12 o%27clock news. Amy surfed the channels for a while%2C found%0D%0Anothing of interest%2C and gave up in disgust%2C switching the set off.%0D%0A %22Well%2C whadya say%2C guy%3F%22 she asked%2C thumping Rory lightly on the%0D%0Aleg. %22S%27pose we ought to get a move on ourselves.%22%0D%0A %22You guys have any special plans for the week%3F%22 asked Nall.%0D%0A %22Not really%2C%22 said Rory. %22Why%3F%22%0D%0A %22Well%2C%22 Nall said%2C %22I%27ve got this errand to run for my boy%0D%0ACorwin. Got to deliver a mysterious package to a far-off foreign land.%22%0D%0AHe grinned. %22I thought maybe you guys might want a piece of that%0D%0Aaction.%22%0D%0A Amy and Rory looked at each other speculatively%2C then got to%0D%0Atheir feet.%0D%0A %22Sounds better than going back to Jeraddo and taking an eight-%0D%0Aday nap%2C%22 Amy quipped.%0D%0A %22Great%21%22 said Nall%2C rising. %22Be good to have the company.%0D%0AIt%27ll be a long train ride%2C but the view%27s nice.%22%0D%0A Rory put up a hand in the hang-on-a-second gesture. %22We%27re%0D%0Agoing someplace you have to go by -train%3F- From here%3F%22%0D%0A %22Well%2C no%2C not from -here%2C-%22 Nall admitted. %22We%27ll take the%0D%0ARose Gate from here to Saikyo on Zipang%2C and from -there- we take the%0D%0Atrain - %22%0D%0A Amy%27s green eyes went wide. %22To Diqiu%21%22 she blurted.%0D%0A Nall raised an eyebrow at her. %22... You guys know about Diqiu%3F%22%0D%0A %22Uh... yeah%2C%22 said Amy hesitantly. %22We went there. Once.%22%0D%0A %22Long time ago%2C%22 Rory put in.%0D%0A Amy nodded. %22Yeah. -Long- time.%22%0D%0A Nall thought that over for a second - Amy and Rory were%0D%0Asophomores in high school%2C what constituted a long time for them%3F - then%0D%0Asaid%2C %22Huh. Interesting. You speak Tongyu%3F%22%0D%0A %22He does%2C%22 said Amy%2C tilting her head at Rory.%0D%0A %22Sort of%2C%22 Rory qualified.%0D%0A %22I just speak Standard more slowly%2C%22 Amy added.%0D%0A %22And louder%2C%22 supplied Rory%2C earning himself an elbow in the%0D%0Aribs.%0D%0A %22Huh%2C%22 Nall repeated. %22Well%2C OK. Actually you should be good%0D%0Ato go with Standard there these days. Go grab your gear and meet me at%0D%0AUtena and Anthy%27s room. I%27ve got to collect the mysterious package.%22%0D%0AAs they were leaving the common room%2C he remarked%2C %22I hope I still have%0D%0Aadmin access to the elevator. I do -not- wanna lug that thing up all%0D%0Athose stairs.%22%5B%2Fpre%5D%5B%2Ftt%5D 1|1|0|||1||RE%3A %28another teaser%29 S5M5 Taken by Storm|twipper||14:53:42|08/05/2013|%3E %22Huh%2C%22 Nall repeated. %22Well%2C OK. Actually you should be good %0D%0A%3Eto go with Standard there these days. Go grab your gear and meet me %0D%0A%3Eat %0D%0A%3EUtena and Anthy%27s room. I%27ve got to collect the mysterious package.%22 %0D%0A%3EAs they were leaving the common room%2C he remarked%2C %22I hope I still %0D%0A%3Ehave %0D%0A%3Eadmin access to the elevator. I do -not- wanna lug that thing up all %0D%0A%3Ethose stairs.%22%5B%2Fpre%5D%5B%2Ftt%5D %0D%0A%0D%0AIt seems dragons are without exception in Western literature depicted as lazy%2C unambitious creatures%2C sleeping for centuries%2C avoiding physical exertion%2C and only rousing themselves to great and terrible purpose when some pesky adventurer comes along and sneaks off with the %2B5 Holy Mace %22Peace Thru Repeated Thwappings%22 from their treasure hoard.%0D%0A%0D%0AWe need a new type of dragon. One that without prodding rights wrongs%2C lifts great burdens over tall buildings%2C and rewires your house up to code without being asked.%0D%0A%0D%0ABrian%0D%0A 2|2|1|||1||RE%3A %28another teaser%29 S5M5 Taken by Storm|Terminus Est||15:32:19|08/05/2013|You gotta remember here%2C Nall%27s in his human form - which is probably only slightly stronger%2C physically speaking%2C than stock human. And the mysterious package is an iron-bound chest full of hot coals and a dragon egg%2C unless I miss my guess%2C so you can figure it%27s got some weight to it in addition to being rather difficult to handle. Would -you- wanna haul that up infinity-plus-one stairs%3F%0D%0A%0D%0ABesides%2C he%27d have to destroy the house to rewire it%2C and they -just- got the wallpaper right... 3|3|2|||1||RE%3A %28another teaser%29 S5M5 Taken by Storm|Verbena||18:38:36|08/05/2013|I was just rereading %5Bi%5DAsh Knight%5B%2Fi%5D and that chest is lugged in by two guys in the scene it%27s revealed. If Nall%27s going to carry it all that way I honestly hope he brought a hand truck.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A--------%0D%0A%0D%0Athis world created by the %0D%0Ahands of the gods%0D%0Aeverything is false%0D%0Aeverything is a LIE%0D%0Athe final days have come%0D%0Anow%0D%0Alet everything be destroyed%0D%0A%0D%0A--mu 5|4|3|||1||RE%3A %28another teaser%29 S5M5 Taken by Storm|Gryphon||20:03:04|08/05/2013|%3EI was just rereading %5Bi%5DAsh Knight%5B%2Fi%5D and that chest is lugged in by %0D%0A%3Etwo guys in the scene it%27s revealed. If Nall%27s going to carry it all %0D%0A%3Ethat way I honestly hope he brought a hand truck. %0D%0A%0D%0AOr a couple of sturdy teenagers. I%27m just sayin%27. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 4|2|1|||1||RE%3A %28another teaser%29 S5M5 Taken by Storm|Gryphon||20:02:38|08/05/2013|%3EIt seems dragons are without exception in Western literature depicted %0D%0A%3Eas lazy%2C unambitious creatures%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s not true at all%21 Maevis Copperwing %28one of King Bahamut%27s chamberlains%2C seen in %5Bi%5DAsh Knight%5B%2Fi%5D%29 is very chipper and industrious. And lest we forget%2C Nall has been seen preparing to help Umi%27s dad out with some home improvement. It%27s just that it%27s a very heavy box. And a lot of stairs.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 6|2|1|||1||RE%3A %28another teaser%29 S5M5 Taken by Storm|Mercutio||20:48:06|08/05/2013|%0D%0A%3EIt seems dragons are without exception in Western literature depicted %0D%0A%3Eas lazy%2C unambitious creatures%2C sleeping for centuries%2C avoiding %0D%0A%3Ephysical exertion%2C and only rousing themselves to great and terrible %0D%0A%3Epurpose when some pesky adventurer comes along and sneaks off with the %0D%0A%3E%2B5 Holy Mace %22Peace Thru Repeated Thwappings%22 from their treasure %0D%0A%3Ehoard. %0D%0A%0D%0AThat ain%27t true%2C at least in modern times.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe most famous dragon in Western literature is probably either Smaug or St. George%27s dragon. The St. George legends are... weird and atypical%2C so let%27s talk Smaug. %0D%0A%0D%0ASmaug was neither lazy nor unambitious%3B he singlehandedly took on a powerful dwarven kingdom that was allied with a powerful human kingdom%2C in a universe where both dwarves and humans often slew dragons%2C sometimes single-handedly. And he did it only to obtain glory and wealth for himself.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s true that after the deed was done%2C he took it easy for a century or so. But%2C you know%2C he%27d won.%0D%0A%0D%0ATolkien%27s other big famous dragons%2C Glaurung and Ancalagon%2C can%27t really be said to have been all that lazy and unambitious either. %0D%0A%0D%0ASo that%27s at least a few exceptions%2C and I%27d argue that all the people who wrote about dragons following Tolkien used the same model. Dragons don%27t obtain treasure hoards by being passive%2C indolent creatures%3B they gain them by murdering lots of people with fire%2Facid%2Fwhat-have-you and taking their shit.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 10|3|6|||||RE%3A %28another teaser%29 S5M5 Taken by Storm|Arashi||13:08:11|08/06/2013|It%27s easy to be called lazy when your lifespan can be meassured in centuries. 11|3|6|||||RE%3A %28another teaser%29 S5M5 Taken by Storm|Bushido||13:13:44|08/07/2013|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-07-13 AT 01:13 PM (EDT)]A relevant t-shirt I have. %0D%0A%5Bimg%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Ffc05.deviantart.net%2Ffs70%2Ff%2F2012%2F308%2Ff%2F5%2Fafter_the_party___tee_by_infinitywave-d5jx8lu.jpg%5B%2Fimg%5D 7|1|0|||1||RE%3A %28another teaser%29 S5M5 Taken by Storm|SpottedKitty||22:15:38|08/05/2013|%3E Rory put up a hand in the hang-on-a-second gesture.%0D%0A%0D%0ALet%27s not forget the traditional accompanying pre-dropping-of-the-other-shoe expression that Rory does so well.%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m still somewhat becroggled by the universal retcon that comes with Amy and Rory%27s UF adventures. I wonder if Nall %22remembers%22 meeting them before the beginning of February...%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A-- %0D%0AUnable to save the day%3A File is read-only. 8|2|7|||1||RE%3A %28another teaser%29 S5M5 Taken by Storm|Gryphon||22:36:43|08/05/2013|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-05-13 AT 10:37 PM (EDT)]%3E%3E Rory put up a hand in the hang-on-a-second gesture.%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3ELet%27s not forget the traditional accompanying %0D%0A%3Epre-dropping-of-the-other-shoe expression that Rory does so well. %0D%0A%0D%0A%22Why%27d ye make the sign of the %5Bi%5Dcross%5B%2Fi%5D%2C ye %5Bi%5Dnumpty%3F%5B%2Fi%5D%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Oh%2C %5Bi%5Doh%5B%2Fi%5D%2C I%27m being %5Bi%5Dreviewed%5B%2Fi%5D now am I%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0A - this was exactly where I decided to believe Rory %5Bi%5Dwasn%27t%5B%2Fi%5D going to be a reiteration of the Mickey Smith %22mundane boyfriend is mundane%22 riff after all. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI%27m still somewhat becroggled by the universal retcon that comes with %0D%0A%3EAmy and Rory%27s UF adventures. I wonder if Nall %22remembers%22 meeting %0D%0A%3Ethem before the beginning of February...%3F %0D%0A%0D%0ASure. Heck%2C he %5Bi%5Ddid%5B%2Fi%5D meet them before the beginning of February. Mind you%2C Nall doesn%27t know them really %5Bi%5Dwell%5B%2Fi%5D%2C for the same reason Anthy doesn%27t %28noted in S5M4%29. Heck%2C he didn%27t even attend DSM %5Bi%5Dbefore%5B%2Fi%5D they got there. Before Second Tau Ceti%2C he%27d only seen them a couple of times%2C at DSM Duelist Alumni Days he%27d plus-oned at. But those meetings did actually happen%21 ... for some values of did%2C actually%2C and happen. It%27s... it%27s all very Bohrian. Quantum-physicsy stuff. Niels Bohr %281885-1962%2C world%27s most quotable physicist%29 once said that anyone who wasn%27t offended by quantum mechanics upon first hearing about it had obviously not understood the explanation. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A%5Bsmall%5D%22Young man%2C we are all agreed that your idea is crazy. What divides us is whether it is crazy enough to be correct.%22%5B%2Fsmall%5D%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 9|2|7|||1||RE%3A %28another teaser%29 S5M5 Taken by Storm|Mercutio||07:26:22|08/06/2013|%0D%0A%3EI%27m still somewhat becroggled by the universal retcon that comes with %0D%0A%3EAmy and Rory%27s UF adventures. %0D%0A%0D%0AAmy and Rory%27s casual violations of causality and reality have me pretty excited%2C actually. The old Core stories proved that this universe is very... malleable... when it comes to such things%2C and that provides just all kinds of awesome potential for weird time shit and dividing and converging timelines and all that good stuff. %0D%0A%0D%0AOf course%2C I got all excited over the same thing involving Power Girl about ten years ago%2C and DC managed to fuck that up. But Ben%2C thank god%2C is not Geoff Johns.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat