Cynus

I'm actually not much of a gamer myself. There's very little I play, but the Souls series in question is one which speaks to me and the way I think. I enjoy the constant betterment of self, which is present in the games. I've learned a great deal about certain elements of storytelling as well, such as atmosphere and creating a strong background for characters to navigate through without giving away too much too quickly.

Hey, if my codependent housemate and I didn't share everything, I wouldn't play either. He's the one with the consoles. Maybe some day you'll get the chance.

It's difficult, but rewarding.

Right on!

Liam Neeson - Irish Actor.

That can inspire stories, right there.

A very merry existence day to you.

Beautifully heart-wrenching. I'm reminded of every betrayal I've ever suffered, and brought back to my most sacred personal edict, what I call the Rogue's Code, but which many know as The Golden Rule: "Do unto others as ye would have them do unto you". I abide by this code as well as I can, and it means that I go into friendships, relationships, everything I can expecting to get back what I put in. No more. No less. Sometimes, there are those who take advantage, willing to show you the other edge of the sword, and it's heartbreaking when they do. But we live and we learn. All we can do is persevere and hope the betrayal doesn't break us. As long as we retain our own humanity, and remember that there are those worthy of our love and loyalty, we have won in the end, for we have something that our betrayers do not. Integrity.

Only with my siblings. The problem was that we all liked the same things! Wish I would have had you to trade with. I would give away my kit-kats and almond joys for reese's any day.

Thank you, Alex, you totally made my day. I think people underestimate the power of these games. It's not just that you're getting pulverized, it's that you're learning to overcome obstacles. You grow as a player, and it makes you strive for excellence rather than simply getting some powerful item which allows you to beat the game (like most games). The game is about tenacity, and facing difficult challenges which can often feel impossible at first, but once you've trained to get past them, you look back at them and can say, "I did that, and I could do it again. I have become better, stronger, and I can face anything you throw at me. I will overcome." It's a beautiful parallel to success in life, I think. Thanks again, buddy. If I wasn't out of likes still, I'd give you one.

Can we forget Tom Daley?

I think I can squeeze a few action-packed lives into that time frame.

Are you saying that it doesn't matter because it's speculative?

You may be write. I suppose it does factor into the background of one of my characters... I'll think about it. I think I have another way of changing it which will up its credibility somewhat.

I'm currently writing story set twenty years from now, which assumes there has been a major international conflict. The conflict itself isn't particularly important to the story, only the setting it creates is. I've approached it from several different directions now, and my editors still aren't satisfied with the events I've put in place. So I guess my question is this: How do you go about researching future events, considering they haven't happened yet? What do you look for in the past in order to help you adequately predict the future for a story in order to create a convincing storyline? Or, perhaps a different way of thinking about it: If the actual event which led to the creation of your setting has very little bearing on the storyline itself, how important is it to make sure it's one hundred percent believable. Is a slim chance good enough, or does it have to be at least somewhat convincing?

Hah, I don't worry too much about what day it is. Soon would have sufficed.

I'm sure, haha! I have searched for some things like the layouts to certain buildings, and whether or not certain things were particularly flammable. Had to find out which melted first, stone or Iron. That was fascinating for a lot of reasons, but probably didn't draw any attention to me. I'm sure the most attention I've received would have been when I was researching what would happen if a nuclear bomb hit Seattle, because it was important to a post apocalyptic scenario I was working on. I'v researched a lot of Japanese culture, and I find it mesmerizing. Actually, I've been doing a great deal of it recently as well, because of the current story i'm working on.

“Impressive.” Hayden spun around at the voice, recognizing it but unable to place it, but there was no one there. The sudden movement was enough to send his head spinning, and he reached up to his eye expecting to see blood again. When he pulled his hand away there was no blood. It was as absent as the speaker. He began to doubt if he had in fact heard a voice at all when he heard it again, again from behind him. “Very impressive indeed.” This time when Hayden turned around there was

The darkness before the dawn, I'm afraid. There is a reason for everything, and sometimes that reason is simply because it was time. In matters of war, neither side generally comes out unscathed, and they've been tempting fate for a long time. I suppose that part of the meaning behind the story is whether those who continue after can build something from the ashes?

There's an awful lot going on here, and I hope the answers to your questions will be adequately addressed in Episode 12, which I'm going to post ahead of schedule for those of you waiting anxiously. Your analysis of what's going on, however... Thank you for the review.

Peter still has a lot to go through, but he's definitely on the right track, now. Thank you for the review.

Yes, Tristan did play his cards right, didn't he? He had to, in order to help everyone else. Have you noticed the way Micah keeps on receiving opportunities to grow, but they're all hidden? He ended up becoming the second main character, and I love him so much. It makes me glad Peter was there. As to who is going to guide Tris, well... Thank you for the review.

I'm glad you have questions. This episode was created to generate those questions, hoping to get you psyched up for the next episode. I'm glad you're sticking around, though you might have some issues with chapter 11... Thank you for the review.

I'm going to say this now, something I probably should have said at the beginning of the story, but Ashes of Fate is not for the faint of heart. There is violence, there is death, and there is heartbreak. There are good things, too, but this story does take place during a war, and sometimes the good guys lose.