I hop from one world to another constantly, but I have always found Earth to be the most beautiful of the three (no bias, seriously). Oren has its charms with its soaring mountain ranges that far outsize anything that you could see on Earth, their cities usually twice or thrice as large as any City State anywhere else. For some reason, dwarven architecture focused on space--creating as much of it as possible, and filling it up with anything you can possibly imagine. Very much like a beehive or an anthill. I've been to Mister Louie's place in New York a few times, and let me tell you that if you ever find yourself invited to a dwarf residence, it's best to stay put unless you have someone who knows the place guide you around. His wife (who is human, BTW) says that the confusion grows on you, and I'll have to take her word for it because she says she only got lost during the first few weeks of their marriage.Ellenis is more surreal, with pockets of dense forests, sur

There was something in the way she told him that she had seen terrible things, too, that made Jester believe she was telling the truth. And it made him wonder, not for the first time, what other secrets Alisa Vega had. And strangely, a small part of him wanted to know more than just her secrets as well. This small part of him was telling him that there would be more to benefit him if he befriended her. Her looks aside, her power and the resources available to her could prove useful in accomplishing his goals. He didn't know what she had in mind, but before the night is through he was confident he'd find out. If what she wanted from him was his power, he could definitely find a way to use the situation to his advantage.And if she asked for something he couldn't or wouldn't give, well, then he could deal with that as well. "What are you planning to do next?" Jester asked directly. He could tell from the light in her eyes

I would like to state, for the record, that my being in Jester's apartment with his mother that day was purely coincidence. I did not plan for her to invite me into her home and help her cook chicken pesto and meat stew for dinner. I did not plan for her to walk back with me to the apartment when I ran into her at the convenience store while she was buying laundry detergent and I was there for some iced coffee. And I most certainly did not plan for Jester Lee to walk in just as I was carrying the said pasta dish, all decked out in his mother's apron with my hair up and my face all shiny with excitement since this was the first time I have ever helped cook anything in my entire life. I swear on the honourable name of my house, all of this was fate. Bea pointed out that I helped fate quite a lot by buying the entire building where Jester and his family lived and moving into the apartment exactly opposite theirs, thus making such 'fated' en

The answer to Jester's question came in the form of Alisa's PA. They had all just settled down, Alisa sitting beside Jester (to his utter dismay) and Ms. Lee and Rigel opposite them, when the bell rang. Visitor Bea is at the door, the cool tones of the housekeeper system announced. Visitor Bea is looking for Guest Alisa. Will the visitor be allowed entry?"Oh, damn, I'm sorry," Alisa said, getting up from her seat. "Bea is my PA. It's her day off, so I didn't expect her to come by…""It's alright, dear," said Ms. Lee. "If it's not too urgent, why don't you invite her to join us?""I don't think so," Jester cut in, sensing an opportunity. "I'm sure Alisa is really busy, and her PA won't come looking for her if it wasn't important. I'm sure you need to go--""Not really. Bea is probably just--" "Why don't we go and make sure?" Jester said, making him

None of us were surprised that Dad had chosen Conrad as his successor. We were surprised though, by the fact that Dad chose to tell us NOW. I was especially worried, because I could tell that although this succession announcement was important for him, there was something else he really wanted to talk about. Anxiety and guilt flew like sparks around him and because Dad is one of those naturally confident types, seeing him like this was... disturbing. The others, though, thought that his retirement was the biggest news they were going to hear tonight. After a few seconds of stunned silence, everyone began talking at once--congratulating Conrad and making jokes. It was only Conrad who was protesting. Beneath his surprise was a thick current of worry and uncertainty. No one in the family would ever contest his claim as the most qualified to step into Dad's shoes, so the uncertainty was more about his own assessment of himself. My eldest bro