All Comments on 'Life as a New Hire Ch. 25'

by FinalStand

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  • 48 Comments
ldv6ldv6over 9 years ago
Superb, as always...

Thanks for your effort on our behalf, FinalStand - I am so enchanted by your skill and imagination. I do not know for how many more chapters I, and everybody reading this series will be able to enjoy the story You give us, but I know for sure that I have not had that much fun reading for long, long time. Thank You again and keep on the excellent work - it surely is appreciated!

pariah001pariah001over 9 years ago
Keeps getting better!

I honestly cant wait for the next chapter with the Epona kids appearing again! Great job as usual FinalStand, thanks for your continued hard work. Looking forward to the next chapter!

AnonymousAnonymousover 9 years ago
like it

I like this chapter, but I loved chapter 1/23. I love your humor, but the story gets very complicated and I dont like the goddess angle of your story. But this is still one ofthe best stories I have read on lit.

JW

cittrancittranover 9 years ago
Lemme put this chapter in perspective:

I have read:

A Brief History of Time, The Universe in a Nutshell, Catch 22, Slaughterhouse 5, On the Origin of Species, A Wrinkle in Time, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, …

And the entirety of Literotica's Red Sister series, by Etaski.

And I understood them all.

(Admittedly, Etaski's give me headaches, but still.)

This is what I have to say about what I've just read:

OH FUCKING GOD MY HEAD HURTS.

...

When's the next chapter out?

AnonymousAnonymousover 9 years ago
Thank you for posting the list of names

This series is riveting. You make the unbelievable engaging. But it is also extremely hard to keep the names straight, so having the list of characters makes it much better. I think I referred to the list of characters at least six times during this chapter.

wfr69wfr69over 9 years ago
Shared drug

I love the story, maybe that I am on the same drugs because it makes sense to me!

AnonymousAnonymousover 9 years ago

It irritates me that some of your earlier works in this (and other) series will never be given the 5 star rating they deserve, however I am happy to tell you that you have inspired me to write a story of my own not required for grades, but because I can. That said I would be honored if you, and/or your editors will look it over before I publish it on here.... in like a year when I have it written down instead of just an awesome idea in my head XD. It still causes me endless mirth that you have not abandoned us for profits because you are clearly good enough, being that your writing is better than ANY "professional" Author I have read. The fact that your mind brings such an enormous world into being, with so many factors and moving pieces that the whole story becomes mind boggling, in a mostly good way is.... ok no idea where I was going with that. XD Anyhow hoping your inspiration sees us to the finale of Life as a New Hire, as well as What My Brother Left Me, and A Life Not My Own, and perhaps One in Ten as well

-RNewton

AKA guy to lazy to log in

gnome_mangnome_manover 9 years ago
Helpless

How can I face the day without my Cael? How many more days of listless banality will I have to endure before Chapter 26 comes out? Never mind ZZAAANNE!!!! I'll live without the Technician. Poor Israel will have to languish in the dark. Taylor Eden, Mrs. Hardison and so many others will have to wait.

Cael... Cael...

I've just met a guy named Cael...

Hmm. I think I'm getting a little... overenthusiastic. Maybe.

Iona...

AnonymousAnonymousover 9 years ago

Maybe this is nitpicky, but it bothered me a bit when I got to it.

No neurologist would ever suggest that Cael is "using 30% of his brain" as opposed to 5% (or, more commonly referenced, 10%). That's absolutely not how the brain works, and that myth is the most grating thing for any neurologist (or doctor/biologist in general, as it goes) to hear, because it just makes no sense.

Everyone uses 100% of their brain. Not sure how the myth started, but it's complete bullshit. From an evolutionary perspective it just doesn't even make sense to have such a large brain if we aren't going to utilize it.

In truth, we don't "use" 100% of our brain at all times (ie. not all neurons fire at the same time), but all of them do get used. Thinking that using more of them at once would not improve intelligence or mentally capacity, much in the same way that pressing multiple keys at once on a keyboard doesn't make you a better typist. In fact, we have a name for what happens when every neuron is firing at once- a seizure.

I get that this is a sci-fi/fantasy piece and the science doesn't necessarily have to be on point, but it just strikes me as highly incongruous to suddenly have a trained medical professional suggest something so bafflingly wrong.

Again, I know it's nitpicky, but it's a common trope in sci-fi and it makes me want to fire every neuron at once every time.

Otherwise the story is great, though I honestly think you're veering towards a lack of clarity in your writing. It gets more confusing with each chapter, and I think it's starting to become more due to a lack of clarity on your part than poor comprehension ability of your readers. It's certainly still readable and enjoyable, but perhaps something to keep in mind for future chapters, as it would be unfortunate for the story to go completely off the rails into "no idea what I just read" territory.

FinalStandFinalStandover 9 years agoAuthor
Brain Power

I agree with your brain facts, Anon. I always meant the 'story facts' to be more of what Cáel translates what he is being told than the actual words he is bombarded with. When the rather baffled specialists are rudely interrupted by their patient, they dumb-down their statements/prognoses to answer his questions so that he will be quiet. They might have said "a 30% increase in the level of activity", or "this section normally registers as an '8', but now...a '30'..." which would make medical sense to the doctors while confusing the Hell out of Cáel. A more accurate explanation to what the doctors are saying is that Cáel's brain is working faster and harder than a standard brain. While a normal brain may replicate his cerebral functions, none could sustain his continuing level of intensity. Again, taken as singular bits of data, not one thing Cáel does is impossible. His brain is still a human brain. It is the Big Picture that has them stumped. Hmmm...it is comparable to him making love, speed-reading War & Peace, while memorizing the combined works of the Rolling Stones, sampling a complete Korean menu, racing a Formula 1 car in the Andes with lava bombs keep raining down on him. A normal brain would prioritize things. Cáel's is fully absorbing all that input as if he was doing each task individually. Does that help?

FYI, I have always had Cáel make bad deductions, leap to mistaken conclusions and selectively hear what he wants to hear. The story is from a 'Cáel's Eye View', not unfiltered reality. Aka - Cáel is an idiot...just a sexually God-like, very intelligent, fearless, multilingual, physically appealing and overly competent Idiot. This is comedic erotica after all.

AmmononAmmononover 9 years ago
Confusing?

I would like to state that if people think this story is confusing maybe you are reading it too fast or maybe you should go back and read the chapters in order without several days inbetween reads. FS has tied all his strings together. As he says it is Cael's point of view. Realize there are people in the background doing things to make stuff happen that Cael does not have eyes on. Katrina, Pamela, even Buffy are doing things to further the story that Cael does not see and we find out about it when he does. Also This is an enjoyable fantasy we get to read to get enjoyment. If you are reading this to Grade FS get over yourself.

Thank you FinalStand for a great story.

NWlifterNWlifterover 9 years ago
One request...

I'm thoroughly enjoying this story and look forward to each new chapter with a mix of anxiousness and impatience. I enjoy Cáel's antics almost as much as Israel from 'One in ten'.

That being said, can you tell us if you were planning to finish that story or if you've moved on?

ShawnSwiftShawnSwiftover 9 years ago
An attempt to explain FinalStand's writing style. (Looooong)

First and foremost, I'd like to thank FinalStand for his writing. I have no idea what his total word-count is, but I know he's over 160k words. (To give you guys an idea, that's 2 paperback novels.) If you look at the timeline of the posts, it's fucking ridiculous. When you factor in that he's bipolar, it's - yeah, there are no words.

Alright, now that his pucker has been well and truly greased, it's time to explain some things about the nature of his mind. First of all, you guys need to understand how his mind works to fully appreciate his writing. To this day, I've only met a handful of people who are bipolar, and they've all been geniuses - myself included. Now, I'm not saying that everyone with bipolar is an automatic genius, and I'm not saying all geniuses are bipolar (roughly 30% of all geniuses suffer some sort of mental illness), that's just been my personal experience. (Read: I've met quite a few geniuses who were, for the most part, mentally healthy. They're all fucking weird though - every last one of them.)

Anyway, the reason why this is important Is like 5-fold. The first reason why this is important is that his mind is capable of keeping track of a lot more than the average person's. No, average people aren't somehow less than geniuses (there are some days when I can't remember where I put something 2 mins ago), that's just how it is. His mind is capable of making all sorts of leaps and connections that are difficult to follow, regardless of how intelligent you are, mainly because they're unique to him. Don't stress about getting lost in his world, because it happens to him too, and he's the one creating it.

The second reason why his mental state is important when you talk about his writing, is because of the definition of bipolar disorder. The primary characteristic of the illness is ridiculous mood swings. While the depression part certainly affects his motivations for writing (I'll touch on them in a sec), it's the mania that causes most of the problems.

The Definition of 'mania' from Merriam-Webster's dictionary: excitement of psychotic proportions manifested by mental and physical hyperactivity, disorganization of behavior, and elevation of mood; specifically : the manic phase of bipolar disorder

Alright, when FinalStand is having a manic episode (that's what they're called), there are a lot of different factors at play. First and foremost: he feels alive. Say what? When he's depressed, he has zero energy/motivation. Doing shit like combing his hair becomes a chore. (I shit you not, combing his fucking hair is a goddam chore.) In addition to that, higher thought process becomes exceedingly difficult. He doesn't care, so he won't try.

When he's manic, on the other hand, he has the energy of 3 people, and can easily stay up for 24-48 hours. He's excessively, and nauseatingly happy for no reason, and his brain is working overtime. His mind is literally moving so quickly that there isn't a single problem that he can't solve. His mind is also moving so quickly that his fingers can't possibly hope to keep up. Concepts and ideas that are clear as day in his mind don't get fully conveyed on the page, which leaves gaps in understanding for the rest of us.

He's at least partially of aware of this, because he takes great pains to try and convey his thought process in ridiculously long information dumps and monologues. It's probably a carry over from real life for him, as I imagine he spends a lot of time explaining himself/dumbing things down so people will understand him. No, I didn't just call his fans stupid, it's just that his mind works on a different level. I read a comment earlier that mentioned how he has a bunch of pieces moving around at the same time. Hopefully, some of you who didn't understand before know why.

Before moving on, I also want to touch on this quote from the definition of 'mania:' "disorganization of behavior." While some manic episodes can lead to great clarity, others can lead to being scatterbrained. If you pay attention to what's written, you can tell when his cognitive function starts to fall. The thing about that though, is there are several factors that can contribute to that. Stress, not getting enough sleep, missing his morning coffee, etc, so I'm reluctant to blame it all on bipolar. That's just some food for thought.

The last thing I want to touch on is the humor in this piece. Most people who suffer from moderate to severe chronic depression go to great pains to hide it. I personally have 5-6 people whom I spend the majority of my time with, and I wear a different face for all of them. The one thing all of those masks have in common, is a sense of humor. I make my loved ones laugh to chase away the darkness that is always present beneath the surface. I want everyone who reads this to know that he is giving more of himself than most of you can imagine, to get a few chuckles out of you every time he posts. I also want all of you to know just how much feedback helps him chase the demons away.

Thanks again FinalStand, and I look forward to your next submission. If there's anything you want to add or correct, you're not going to hurt my feelings.

Patton_McGroinPatton_McGroinover 9 years ago
loving the story

Just wanting to say again how much I enjoy this story. Thank you!

cliuincliuinover 9 years ago
Awesome

Cael with his antics made my day. I don't know why some people complain that they can't follow the story , for me is crystal clear and easy to understand and follow .

Thank you for the wonderful story !

AnonymousAnonymousover 9 years ago
Leadership.

Another great chapter. I love how our hero is becoming an Amazon and embracing all that it means, even when he has to rethink his own bias and assumptions. I laugh out loud while reading every chapter.

To those that become confused, I suggest re-reading every chapter once or twice. I'm always so excited that I read every new chapter twice back to back in order to get details I would miss. It helps a lot.

Finally. I love the interaction with Ishara, Ishara is leading and mentoring him to become the Amazon he needs to be. Thank you FS.

Mark

ManofMithgarManofMithgarover 9 years ago
hhmm zip zing wow

Your storytelling is immensely satisfying. I enjoy all the twist, turns and innuendoes. Keep whipping out the words and I will continue to devour them.

AnonymousAnonymousover 9 years ago
Thank you May I Have Another

And the hits just keep on comin! Thank you FS for another great chapter. I check every day, a couple times a day for new chapters, so I hope gou are up for another one soon. Im forced to read ogher subpar stories to ocupy myself until you post another one..no presure to complete another chapter soon though...NOT! Lets go im waiting :-)

HamanoHamanoover 9 years ago
Thanks

Another great chapter. Happy he has truely accepted his Amazon being and heritage, can't wait for another Aya interaction, grandfather battle, in fact the upcoming war, genghis, ajax, shammutamat with and against secret societies, Amazons on the bloody warpath!!! So psyched. Thanks again.

cittrancittranover 9 years ago
I'm gonna weigh-in again:

First, a clarification -- headache from reading, but I have a bit of a masochistic streak in what I enjoy reading. That is, if I need to THINK about the story to understand it, then IMO, it's a good one.

(Conversely, if it's such an utter piece of crap that I get a headache from attempting to read it, as opposed to trying to understand it, then I don't continue reading it.)

Second:

While I cannot speak from personal experience on the matter of combination manic-depressive & bipolar behavior, I have been depressed (never manic), and my family is a poster-case for the autism-spectrum: ADD/ADHD (several types, myself included), OCD (pretty sure I've got a touch 'o this too), Bipolar, high-functioning Autism (father's cousin), (I think Aspergers too, but not sure)…

Yeah, my family puts the Mental in fundamental.

Also, I have an evil tendency to make on-the spot puns, picking words from the current conversation whenever I feel a joke coming on.

HibernisHibernisover 9 years ago
Bathing in deliciousness

FS, this story is proving such a joy. Head and shoulders above your other pieces, even as they are head and shoulders above the efforts of most others on this site. I love the characters, enjoy the plot twists but appreciate particularly the delightful diversity in your writing. When I think back on the range of styles your employed over the last 25 chapters whilst keeping the comic lightness it has been a delight. This time you've even managed to make reading a script entertaining in its own right. Quite extraordinary. Thank you so much for the delight your efforts have offered to me and others.

Flymaster60Flymaster60over 9 years ago
wow

FS,

Man you have done it again....no matter how manys I go back and read the other chapters just to get my fix... you always never seem to stop amazing me with your story... another GREAT chapter.... thank you for continuing this story line 5STARS

pariah001pariah001over 9 years ago
Question

Is Cael past his internship already? And is he allowed to start blood feuds now? Thanks FS!

AmmononAmmononover 9 years ago
Internship

Cael has 50 days left on his inturnship this will come up next chapter.

AnonymousAnonymousover 9 years ago
Blood Feud

Don't think House Ishara can be involved in any blood feuds, other then that dispensation at the last Hayden meeting, until the Saturday after next. The rulings of an honorably deceased High Priestess stands, however don't know how the term ruling is defined.

AnonymousAnonymousover 9 years ago
Epic ending...

She can't read his mind anymore, so she can't call his bluff. Ishara knows he is a crazy sumbitch. Keep em coming. Here's to 30+. Thank you.

AnonymousAnonymousover 9 years ago

Cotytto is the Goddess of sex & war. Cotyttia is the name of the all-night orgy held in honor of Cotytto. Cael restoring old traditions and having an all-night party with House Cotyttia would certainly please the Goddess, provided there's enough sex.

AnonymousAnonymousover 9 years ago
What was the word/name Cael spoke so that Ajax could come to life?

Sorry, I didn't catch that. Is it what he spoke at the Burnham hotel restaraunt?

AnonymousAnonymousover 9 years ago
Yakko/Wakko

"Cáel Ishara is differentiated as Wakko Ishara, Ishara, first of House Ishara, is Yakko Ishara, and..." Rachel began. - Didn't it say earlier he was Yakko the smart alec?

Btw how tall is Cáel?

FinalStandFinalStandover 9 years agoAuthor
Damn it!

Yeah, I probably got the Wakko/Yakko mixed up. I'm going to use the excuse that all the people who know and live him thinks he's Wakko. Sorry about this.

PyroDragonPyroDragonover 7 years ago
A bit late but

Dude your conversations always reach such a high level of cringe. I seriously have no idea how this dude actually gets women. My bet is on mystical powers or expert use of body language because damn. I have to put my pillow in front of me and hold on because of the untold amount of cringe waves that come my way. Things settle down when the situation is serious, but god damn do you actually think most of the conversations you write are cool and/or funny?

FinalStandFinalStandover 7 years agoAuthor
"Dude your conversations always reach such a high level of cringe"

Okay, PyroDragon ...

{From this chapter}

"Do you feel better?" she said.

"Yes..." I sighed. "I wish I felt remotely back to where I was before I was jumped."

"I've never cheated on my husband before," Evian.

"This is cheating?" I rumbled. "Evian, I'm the one in desperate need of care and comfort and all I see is an adult woman, professional expert and compassionate soul sacrificing herself to bring comfort to a person in need."

"Is that what you see?" she murmured happily.

"Absolutely. You should tell your husband every detail of what you have done for me. It is only cheating if you plan to be dishonest. Choose the moment, set up the encounter in an emotionally safe place and bare any doubts you may have to him," I soothed her. "If he is the man you know him to be, he will understand," I added.

{END}

Let's see ... she asks for emotional input from our protagonist which women do A LOT. He delivers an answer which is both positive (yes) yet invokes sympathy (not back to where I was pre-injury). That's pretty standard stuff. The woman gets positive feedback and is led to believe she is still needed/can do even more positive stuff.

She brings up 'cheating'. The protagonist deflects her worries with BULLSHIT because the lady doesn't want to hear the truth ~ she is cheating with a patient she barely knows. She wants to be comforted over the worries she has brought forth which is why she asked the question in the first place. In my life experience, women do it all the time. They want to be comforted/forgiven for morally-difficult decisions they've made. In the same way men want to be forgiven/have excused their cowardice and greed instead of owning up to what they did. It is a human failing and very common.

I do not think men and women are stupid. I do believe from time to time they do not want to hear the truth. I believe both sexes can make terribly poor decisions when emotions are involved. I believe people can be both emotionally manipulated and emotionally manipulative. Being the former doesn't make you 'weak' and the later doesn't make you 'evil' - it makes you dangerous. There is a good deal of both going on in this story.

And this made you cringe?

As for Cael and women ...

A) he approaches women. Unlike way too many of his gender, Cael actively engages members of the opposite sex. It is as simple as women liking men who take the initiative.

B) he only goes after receptive women. If a woman isn't interested, he moves on. Sometimes a lady isn't initially aware of her subconscious impulses, but if she clearly isn't interested in our protagonist, he doesn't go after her. This makes it appear as if he is 'always' getting the girl when in fact he has greatly reduced the chance of failure before he opens his mouth.

C) he is very good-looking ~ handsome and in excellent physical condition plus practices good hygiene. He is what most women think they are looking for. Things like intelligence and a sense of humor come up later.

D) the lines and techniques used are ones I am familiar with ~ having used, or witnessed them being used. A few I've just read about, but most of my experience is personal in nature as in I've known guys who could apparently score on demand. Yeah, I hung out with some morally-questionable characters.

E) he is lucky. This is mentioned numerous times. Not only is he lucky in his ability to score with women virtually on a daily basis, but in the quality of women he encounters.

As for being cringe-worthy ... I hope my above explanations show you how I view things in this tale. If it doesn't ... I've had plenty of readers compliment me on my dialogue. You don't like it. Clearly what I write isn't to your tastes and that is bound to happen between readers and authors from time to time. You have previously posted how you are ignoring the 'non-Amazon' sex and all the background stuff. Now my dialogue is getting a failing grade from you as well. This would be a clear indication to me 'Life as a New Hire' might not be the story for you as the vast majority you will either ignore, or cringe over. Since the next 22 chapters are already published, there is no escaping the disappointment you will face if you continue. That is my suggestion to you anyway.

James aka FinalStand

PyroDragonPyroDragonover 7 years ago
FinalStand

As I said, the dialogue stands out in serious situations. I have no problems with it at those moments. But you also like to write a lot of light hearted situations. That's where dialogue becomes cringy as hell. Any time the cast is getting from point A to B and stops to have a mini skit? Every time there's a serious situation and they start joking around? I can't help but cringe at those moments. Maybe we just don't have the same taste in humor.

Yes, I certainly can understand why he can easily start a relationship with so many women. I was just blinded by how uncomfortable and annoyed I'd get at every comedy skit. Basically it was "If I don't consider this funny or engaging, then why the hell are the characters reacting positively to it?".

I didn't write what I did in some attempt to change your style of writing. I just felt like writing what I thought. No matter how much I decide to read, it won't change how I view the dialogue. It wasn't even the dialogue that made me decide to skip so much information, or the info dumps.Yes I find the general idea of the story interesting enough for me to keep reading, with all the Amazons, secret societies and a main that starts as a nobody but grows into somebody. The arguments between the "good guys" and "bad guys" are fun too. But you made the main so uncaring (Or at least made him uncaring in my eyes) that I can't seem to get truly invested. Even when he gets pushed around I don't feel anything, since I know he won't really lash out emotionally and use cold calculation to come out winning in the end. Ironic when I enjoy main characters gaining some kind of mystical powers and kicking ass. I had hopes when his father was killed since he showed some actual emotions. But that didn't last long. My hope now is actually Aya. Aya is the only character he has interacted with that has made me feel like he's actually giving a shit (with Pamela slowly becoming the second), so I can give a shit too. Maybe it has something to do with him not looking at her sexually? I'll have to keep reading.

Jackspeed2uJackspeed2uover 7 years ago
I hope this series will be finished

I love this book. Really, its got it all. Humour, fights, chicks, sex, a great story line and interesting characters.

So your not a pro paid writer and you have editors who do it out of fun and all round helpfulness. Mistakes get through to the submitted copy. So what, I can read and interpret your meaning and it doesn't take away the first paragraph in this comment.

Thank you for your efforts and I would like to see the last chapters completed before I get there. Please, please, please.

toesocks451toesocks451almost 7 years ago

" Whoa. In our best prospect's educated opinion I was not-not me. Legions of English teachers weren't going to like that.

"I have the answer for that," Katrina spoke up. "I owe Cáel and I would pay that debt now. He expressed a desire to see my niece, Aya. Do you still wish that Cáel Ishara?" "

If he was inhabited by the soul of Cael O'Shea at this point wouldnt grandpa easily be able to deduce the correct answer from the context?

Ohh and the Harry Potter, Snape dialogue... made my laugh out loud.

FinalStandFinalStandalmost 7 years agoAuthor
toesocks451 [SPOILER ALERT]

Cáel was born with the soul fragment of Cáel within the Alal/Baraqu/Cáel whole. The needle to the brain was the implantation of Alal's memories, not his soul. Alal's soul is still adrift, as is the Baraqu shard.

Until Alal can regain his soul, he can't have a 'real' body ~ thus his problems with him being unable to help his 'daughters' with their 'serum' which is revealed in later chapters. Alal's curse means he can't find either fragment himself so someone (not under his control) must locate it and return it to him ~ or kill him with it.

James aka FinalStand

toesocks451toesocks451almost 7 years ago
Not what I meant

I meant; how can Katrina use such a simple question to deduce if Cael is himself?

If the brain-needle-thingy had overwritten who he was, who-/whatever was now controlling his body would have no problems deducing the 'correct' answer to such a simple question. e.g. "Do you want to see Aya?", "Yes". From the context the answer was as simple as "Do you want one million dollars?", "Yes"

FinalStandFinalStandalmost 7 years agoAuthor
toesocks451 ~ Whoops! [SPOILER ALERT]

Defining the purity of Cáel's soul wasn't what Katrina was doing. She was removing Cáel from the focus of so much anxiety by sending him to Summer Camp. She was also removing him from the ranks of the Isharans so if it was discovered Cáel was actually Alal, there wouldn't be a minor bloodbath settling the matter.

No, Katrina sent him to Summer Camp ... with Pamela (who could be relied to kill/subdue Alal if Cáel was truly Alal) and Rachel's team. Cáel would be voluntarily incognito, so the Runner population wouldn't become upset ~ the Runners via Buffy understand Cáel loves Aya and him going to the secretive Summer Camp to seek solace with her was 'understandable'. The wouldn't start to suspect the Full-Bloods were holding the ONLY pro-Runner House Head under 'house arrest'.

Katrina couldn't divine Cáel's soul, but she has always been a good judge of character ... scratch that - Katrina has always been a SUPERB judge of character. She understood Cáel and she understood Pamela. Cáel wanted to save the Amazon Host and Pamela didn't want to lose Cáel to Alal. Rachel and her team could be relied upon to keep those two safe to work things out.

Katrina didn't know Pamela was going to stack the deck by adding Miyako, but would have approved. Miyako would fight to help Cáel help overcome Alal in a spiritual struggle. If Alal came out on top, she wouldn't hesitate to kill (or attempt to kill) such a threat to the 7 Families. Duty comes first.

Sending Virginia got her out of Havenstone and kept Javiera's task force focused on Cáel and not on the Amazons in New York. Despite the Chicago fiasco, it isn't until the massacre at Summer Camp the US government starts taking Javiera's concerns seriously as something more than a localized aberration. If you recall, the attack included light attack helicopters, up-armored vehicles, heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, SAM's and copious amounts of 'assault' weapons.

The Amazons responded with their own heavy weaponry.

And the US authorities had ZERO forewarning of something like this happening and they become really, really unhappy about it.

As for Katrina; she got Cáel to remove himself (somewhat like Trent did) which reduced Havenstone tensions and placed him in a place where she could monitor him and detain, or dispatch, him as the situation warranted. Buffy wanted to protect Cáel, but Katrina provided her with an excellent reason to remain behind ~ she had to steer House Ishara in Cáel's absence. If Cáel had to 'stay away for a while' until he could be fixed ~ remove the Alal from him if necessary ~ the Council would be none the wiser.

As events unfolded, Cáel proved himself to still be Cáel in all the ways which truly mattered. The whirlwind in his skull had its downsides, but his emotions and reactions remained pure Cáel.

I hope this better explains things.

James aka FinalStand

toesocks451toesocks451over 6 years ago
It is a myth that we only use 5% or 10% of our brains

"Final remaining hypothesis – I was utilizing 30 % of my brain capacity with three independent patterns emerging, not the usual 5 %."

It is a myth that we only use 5% or 10% of our brains. The way iunderstand it is, we use different parts of our brains for different things, thus, we might only use 5% of our brains for playing tetris but we might be using 100% of the parts of our brains involving pattern recognition, spatial analysis and so on.

But since it is a common sci fi trope it could easily be incluuded under the header of "Suspension of Disbelief".

FinalStandFinalStandover 6 years agoAuthor
Okay ...

... this one I'm going to blame on Cáel being overly dramatic and a lousy patient (when sex with a member of the medical profession isn't an immediate look-forward-to reward ... and did we ever figure out where Pamela got off to?). Please remember, he is our narrator through most of this tale and occasionally prone to exaggerations, misconceptions and outright blind guesses prettied up to look like facts when the whim takes him.

James aka FinalStand

AnonymousAnonymousover 6 years ago

Where is Gahanna located? Google pointed me to a county in Ohio, but that didn't fit with Evians' background.

FinalStandFinalStandover 6 years agoAuthor
GAK!

That is supposed to be 'Ghanaian' ~ as in a person from the West African country of Ghana. I really screwed the pooch on that one.

Evian's parents were both born in Ghana, immigrated to the US then had her so she is Ghanaian-American, or, if you prefer, an American of Ghanaian descent.

Sorry about that and thanks for catching my mistake.

James aka FinalStand

ZZchromosomeZZchromosomeover 5 years ago
Heh, I Caught That Too

Stupid spell-checker, lol.

Bammerman76Bammerman76almost 4 years ago
Thank you @FinalStand

I'm re-reading this epic for a second time after a couple of years. I had forgotten how seemingly effortlessly you wove humor throughout this tale. The incredible banter between characters makes the dialogue a joy to read. I had forgotten about the inclusion of the Animaniacs names and reading it again brought about a smile and chuckle.

Thanks Again

AnonymousAnonymousover 1 year ago

Bla bla bla . Coraz więcej alkoholu we krwi. Opowiadanie traci sens.

WargamerWargamerabout 1 year ago

Mystical chapter, though l looked askance at the adultery. Cael had no need to sleep with another man’s wife, or play with their lives. That was just wrong.

Scores 5/5 Cael takes charge of the Host.

Ravey19Ravey1912 months ago

Not bothered by small number of errors or typos so doesn't detract from this great saga.

skippersdadskippersdad9 months ago

That was Crazy, This moves so fast like you said in the opener. Love it.

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userFinalStand@FinalStand
First off, I thrive on feedback; so please fire away when you get the urge. I read it all and it often brings different perspectives. The main thing making me a little unusual is that I'm bi-polar … with some serious medication on board to stay semi-normal. My other character...

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