Being an Account of the Time Spent by the Mage Erk in the Place Known As Econtra

Entry 54 (and last)

2009-04-02T12:12:18Z

It seems we've won, and we're finally going home. It's been such a long time...

[Private to Azula//Unhackable]
... I suppose I ought to say goodbye.

Entry 53

2009-03-12T02:03:57Z

Looks like we're out of time. I hope we're ready for this.

... You know, I have this sudden, ridiculous urge to cook something.

Entry 52

2009-03-02T03:58:30Z

Now I know why the spirits were so weak. If the entire world is like this...

Well, if the Warden says we have three days, we'd best be ready.

It feels like we're going again to fight Nergal and the dragon. Only this time we don't have Lord Eliwood's magic sword. Not as if we have much of a choice.

Entry 51

2009-02-21T18:40:01Z

Well, that was certainly impressive.

I wonder if the Warden could bring that sort of power to bear during an attack. He rebuilt the compound after the storm, didn't he? Perhaps he could raise some sort of barrier...

[Screened to Azula//Unhackable]
I suppose I should have done something for that Earth holiday last week... How does dinner sound? Trust me, I may be a teenage boy, but I can actually cook.
[/Screened]

Entry 50 [Screened to Azula//Unhackable]

2009-01-06T02:17:34Z

... I'd like to apologize for what I said earlier.

Entry 49 [Voice]

2009-01-03T12:40:39Z

[This is intended to be screened to Azula; unfortunately, he got nervous and fumbled the coding, so it's perfectly visible]
Princess Azula...

I'd, er, just like to let you know that non of what happened these past few days was anything I would have done normally... I don't know what was going on. I mean, it's not that you aren't... but... Oh, hell, there's no good way to say this, is there? I'm sorry.

Maybe it would be best if we never mentioned what happened again.

[Private//Hackable (he screwed up the coding again)]
Perhaps I'm just more of a romantic than I thought, but I always thought the first time would be, well, special. Instead I just end up rolling around on the floor with my roommate and I don't even know why.

Entry 48: Strange...

2008-12-30T16:53:48Z

Mercury? Azula? This drink doesn't belong to one of you, does it?

[Private//Unhackable; a few moments later]
... How did the bottle end up half empty? I don't even remember opening it... I suppose I just did it without thinking about it. Oh, well. It's actually quite tasty.
[/Private]

Entry 47

2008-12-28T12:41:39Z

At least I managed to avoid that blasted mistletoe this year. Dear Saint Elimine that was awkward last year especially since the next person to come along happened to be male.

Well, I suppose this means I've officially been here... far too long. I not only know that a holiday's just passed, I recognize what it is.

[Private//Hackable with serious effort]
Damn, and here I thought I'd be able to deal with this better by now. We don't even celebrate this holiday in Elibe - probably they don't in her world either. And yet I'm still upset that Ilyana wasn't here to not-celebrate it with.

... I wonder if there's a way to make that sentence sound normal and not end it with a preposition. I doubt it.

I need to take a walk or something; my mind's starting to wander.
[/Private]

((OOC: Mood reads as "calm" unless hacked.))

Entry 46

2008-11-29T16:33:27Z

Just out of idle curiosity, does anyone know how electricity's generated on worlds without magic?

Entry 45

2008-11-24T22:38:50Z

This "Thanksgiving" holiday... Does anyone know what sort of thanks specifically it's about? And why do we just celebrate one world's holidays here, anyway?

And what's all this business with the Indigeo? I seem to be out of the loop.

Entry 44

2008-10-29T21:30:14Z

Oh, dear, it's headed towards that holiday again, isn't it?

I'll never understand why anyone would associate the middle of fall with dressing up in costumes... But if anyone's planning on pulling something like last year, would you be so kind as to leave me out of it? I would just as soon not get turned into a woman again.

[Private//Hackable]
I promised her that if it did happen she'd get to see me as a woman for once. I think I could have tolerated it if she was here.

... So much for not moping about her being gone, I suppose.
[/Private]

((OOC: Mood reads as "apprehensive" unless hacked.))

Entry 43

2008-10-19T00:09:09Z

... I suppose I don't really have anything to say that hasn't already been said far too many times - we're not dead, the cuffs are gone, the Keepers are here, that poor fool was killed trying to escape, we need to strategize... But I feel like I have to post something.

[Screened to Princess Mercury//Unhackable]
... I'm sorry about what I said before, when... well, I suspect you know what I mean.
[/Screened]

Entry 42 [Voice]

2008-09-25T00:39:12Z

A man walks down the street
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger Bonedigger
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away my well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me
You know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore

If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al

A man walks down the street
He says why am I short of attention
Got a short little span of attention
And wo my nights are so long
Where's my wife and family
What if I die here
Who'll be my role-model
Now that my role-model is
Gone Gone
He ducked back down the alley
With some roly-poly little bat-faced girl
All along along
There were incidents and accidents
There were hints and allegations

If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al
Call me Al

A man walks down the street
It's a street in a strange world
Maybe it's the Third World
Maybe it's his first time around
He doesn't speak the language
He holds no currency
He is a foreign man
He is surrounded by the sound
The sound
Cattle in the marketplace
Scatterlings and orphanages
He looks around, around
He sees angels in the architecture
Spinning in infinity
He says Amen! and Hallelujah!

If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al
Call me Al

*chuckles* What a ridiculous song. I'm actually feeling a bit better now.

[Private; he hasn't bothered to make it unhackable, though]
Somehow I don't think she'd be too pleased if I spent the rest of my life moping. I'm not going to forget her, but at least I can try to actually function normally now...
[/Private]

Entry 41 [Voice]

2008-09-24T00:23:12Z

*silence for a second or two at the beginning of the recording before Erk starts singing*

She got out of town
On a railway New York bound
Took all except my name
Another alien on Broadway

There's some things in this world
You just can't change
Some things you can't see
Until it gets too late

Baby, baby, baby
When all your love is gone
Who will save me
From all I'm up against out in this world
and Maybe, maybe, maybe
You'll find something
That's enough to keep you
But if the bright lights don't receive you
You should turn yourself around
And come on home

I got a hole in me now
Yeah, I got a scar I can talk about
She keeps a picture of me
In her apartment in the city
Some things in this world
Man, they don't make sense
Some things you don't need
Until they leave you
then they're things that you miss, you say

Baby, baby, baby
When all your love is gone
Who will save me
From all I'm up against out in this world
and Maybe, maybe, maybe
You'll find something
That's enough to keep you
But if the bright lights don't receive you
You should turn yourself around
And come on home

Let that city take you in
Let that city spit you out
Let that city take you down
For God's sake turn around

Baby, baby, baby
When all your love is gone
Who will save me
From all I'm up against out in this world
and Maybe, maybe, maybe
You'll find something
That's enough to keep you
But if the bright lights don't receive you
You should turn yourself around
And come on home

Entry 40 [Voice]

2008-09-22T02:16:10Z

*quiet and strained; it sounds like he's trying not to cry*

Ilyana... She's gone...

It figures. Couldn't be happy, even just for a little while... I think I know how Matthew felt now.

...

I hate this place.

Entry 39

2008-09-20T03:14:18Z

Well, that's over with. I could have lived without being turned into a woman again, honestly.

I suppose I really ought to introduce myself to my roommate at some point. My name is Erk. And I see we've acquired a guest as well. At this rate the apartment will be filled up and I'll still be the only male here. ~~And it's just occurred to me that neither of them can possibly be much older than I am.~~

Ilyana, are you alright? No one attacked you while they were transformed or anything like that, did they?

[Private//Hackable due to excitement]
It's just hit me. She feels the same way. I can't believe... I didn't dare hope. If this is another hallucination I'm going to kill the one responsible. I very much hope it isn't one.

It's a rather strange thought, having a girlfriend.
[/Private]

((OOC: Mood appears as "calm" unless hacked.))

Entry 38: [Accidental Voice Post] This is just getting ridiculous...

2008-09-15T12:07:59Z

And here I thought this place was done turning me into a woman... Funny, I could swear I've seen these clothes before... I haven't been turned into someone I know, have I?

*footsteps; he's headed towards the bathroom to look in the mirror*

*a long pause*

... Dear Saint Elimine, I've been turned into Priscilla.

Entry 37: Excitement

2008-09-15T02:25:11Z

Well, that was... frankly quite a terrifying episode. Though I spent most of it in my room - better part of valor and all that.

... Me talking like Matthew is probably not the best sign.

At any rate, things seem to have more or less settled down now. Though I notice one of my roommates seems to have moved out. Not a clue why.

Then again, my roommates seem to be alternates of each other, so I suppose there's no telling what results from them arguing amongst themselves.

[Screened to Ilyana//Unhackable]
Ilyana? How are you? Nothing happened to you this last week, did it?

Entry 36 - [Screened to Ilyana//Hard to Hack]

2008-09-02T00:59:49Z

Um... Ilyana? I'd like to apologize for... what happened a few weeks ago, with whatever it was that made me say...

Um. Well, I'm sure you know what I mean...

Entry 35: [Voice Post]

2008-08-30T22:48:08Z

Oh! Master Pent! I didn't hear you come in.

Oh, this? Well, you remember Econtra, the place I told you about? It sort of inspired me to work on this in my spare time. It's a sort of parchment that transcribes spoken words. You see, it's been picking up our conversation.

It could be very useful, though perhaps we shouldn't tell Matthew about it. At least not until I've made another so he won't cause too much trouble by stealing this one. And I'm afraid I'm still working on a way to be able to erase it...

((OOC: Erk will respond only to written posts, which he'll assume were caused by the parchment picking up servants' conversations or by magical interference.))

Entry 34: [Private//Hard to Hack]

2008-08-29T21:51:41Z

It's been weeks now since that truth spell, since I told Ilyana that I...

I'm still not sure how I feel about it happening. On the one hand, it's nice to not have to hide it every time I get anywhere near her anymore... On the other, well, there is a reason I was trying to avoid telling her in the first place. Dear Saint Elimine, this is embarrassing...

She probably doesn't want to be anywhere near me now. What the hell am I supposed to do?

Entry 33: You Have Got to be Kidding...

2008-08-25T23:39:24Z

I've heard of plagues of rats before, but plagues of tomatoes? Especially ones that insist on trying to bite people?

Please tell me these creatures aren't actually native to some world or other. I think I may just lose all faith in the universe if it turns out that they're natural.

That said, it is rather interesting that a fruit could move on its own like this.

Entry 32: Emergency Measures

2008-07-30T21:29:05Z

Residents of Om-Tria, I'm going to have to stay in your apartment for a few days to take care of Ilyana. She was attacked by a vampire and she's very weak right now. ~~If I can get her to wake up in the morning so she doesn't die of thirst trying to sleep the sickness off it'll be a miracle.~~

Ah, Surreal, Ilyana mentioned that I should talk to you?

And as for the vampire that attacked her... If I find out who you are, you had better hope that I never run into you in person. I've still got half of a full charge left in my Fire tome, and I doubt even vampires can survive being incinerated.

Entry 31: Well, well...

2008-07-17T16:51:54Z

Life as an adult is certainly... interesting. It seems to be easier for me to keep calm about things like this. ~~Considering my life, that's probably a very good thing.~~

Had an interesting talk with someone who called himself the Shredder. He's very good at strategy - the discussion turned into something of a game. I'm afraid he won. Ah, well, there's always next time. Perhaps I ought to start playing chess again... It's been some time. Still, I could hardly manage to carry a chessboard with me while fighting the Black Fang.

Ilyana? How are you doing? Have you been affected by all of this?

Entry 30: Coming of Age?

2008-07-13T17:12:30Z

Well, this is... interesting.

I seem to have aged an awful lot very quickly. I'm about double my normal age, if I had to guess. Early thirties.

Oh, well. At least I'm still the right gender. And not telepathic.

And Arucard's gone now as well. Strange how my roommates keep disappearing lately...