I preferred the old books better. [This thing is being folded every which way, because they just had to make this thing harder to use.] At least you knew where you stood with them. The old books never changed; they might never have been easy to use, but they you knew what you were supposed to do with them.

[Is he talking about the book, still? Maybe, maybe not.] With all this talk of the Initiative and the United Earth issues, there's been something that's come up several times. Something I would be worried about, and so should others.

Traitors. Those who turned away from the goal right when their colleagues needed them most. Or the ones who never came to help in the first place, though they said they would. Traitors also includes liars. Yes. Liars. The ones who never tell the truth, especially when the truth could be the information you needed the most.

[He's getting exasperated with this new book.] I wonder, how did everyone else treat liars back home? In Ferelden, we had several ways of punishing those that had committed crimes against the crown, or those who'd lied and were caught. Some of them seemed rather harsh, but if someone who steals loses a finger, why not have the liar lose something as well? Something they value, something close to them, so that they can be hurt as much as they have hurt those around them.

So, how should we treat those liars, here? If we find traitors, what do we do with them? A mock execution, whipping, leaving them bound and gagged in a small room? Killing them would just be too merciful for what they've done, wouldn't it? [He pauses.]

Andraste's foul breath, this new book is more difficult then the other! [Okay, he's done with this book thing. With a yell, he throws it across the room.]

[Gond's Gonads, she spent a hour trying to learn this new thing. DAMN KIDS WITH YOUR NEW EYE PADS! She looks haggard and frazzled, her hair up in a ponytail and usual hideous robes replaced with jeans and a tank top that shows off how ]

Those airships they used, could anyone find weaknesses to them? I noticed that their maneuvering, while fast, is rather predictable, and their invisibility is far from flawless. They seem built to endure cold, fire, lightning, acid and sonics, and to stand up to heavy impacts and having a rhinoceros dropped on them, but a high enough concentration of power can crash them down. Granted, I was only able to disable a fraction of them, but it seems my results were consistent.

We should collect what we've learned for future reference.

[Yeah, this girl managed to take down fair number of the big super jets. Perks of being epic level.]

I don't want this. Where is she? WHERE IS THAT WOMAN?

This fight, their war... It means nothing to me!

[The voice, deep and distorted as it sounds, can just barely pass as female. Whoever this is, the grunts and heavy breathing should be enough to let others know how angry she is.]

They all think they can control me, tell me what to do.

THEY'RE WRONG.

[additional grunting, and pained noises go here.]

Let me go, now! I don't have time for this. I have to find Valentine.

Find her, and KILL HER!

[Someone looks totally wrecked] Has anyone seen Al - has anyone seen Shepard? Or - or Tali. [Rubbing a hand over his face] They've been missing too long now. I know - I know there are a lot of newcomers here, so if anyone's see a tall female soldier, brown hair, probably in armour, could you let me know? Uh, please? I'm also looking for a female Quarian - alien, that is. She wears a full body suit with a helmet, purple accents, never takes it off.

If anyone has information and could let me know, that would be fantastic. Thank you.

[ He had managed to repair his appearance now that they were able to get out of the catacombs. But it was easy to tell that he was still not at his full strength - skin pale, healing bruises and scrapes visible on exposed skin, and hands tightly bandaged almost mummy-like.

He had found an unbroken bottle of whiskey and had poured himself a drink before turning the new netbook on. ]

And so they give us a new toy and a better lock on the new toy. How generous.

[ His deadpan words are accompanied by a slight twist to his lips, and a narrowing of his eyes. He is not in a good mood. ]

I would have rather have received a new piano than this.

–ler...

[the image is rattling right away, with the new device dropping a short distance to the ground. Blue, with palms on the ground on opposite sides of it, is just above, hunched on the ground and not looking too fab. he is, in intervals, speaking distractedly, seeming to veer off-course before finding his way back to the matter at-hand.

he is working on keeping a lid on this whole being distraught business, but this latest fall is fraying his efforts considerably.]

I remember. In that other world. Some other Earth... [his head shakes a little while he takes a breath.] Something...Someone had done something to me. It wasn't...It was some form of power. Something. I could move freely, tire less...

[one more distracted moment goes on longer the others, him staring despairingly off-screen at the ground. when he looks back, his expression clouds, and he sits up, vanishing out of the frame. it's just plain old gray, gloomy Exsilium sky to accompany his voice.]

I'm...still a stranger here. I'm sorry. But I have to ask. [beg, maybe.] If I can have a means to have that strength again... [maybe he can keep more beloved friends from dying while he withers away.

a beat. softer, seeming to sober up out of his bit of nearly erupting frustration.] I only don't know how to repay.

I've been curious about something lately. How does magic work in other worlds?

[ A somewhat ironic question, coming from him. In his 'universe,' he supposed, it was fairly universal. But from what he's seen lately... it's slightly more complicated than that. And he's curious if he can learn other spells besides the ones he already knows. ]