Well, I managed to squeeze in reading [i]and[/i] reviews. Miracles really do happen. Disclaimer: my reviews may not be helpful at all, but I hope you find comfort in the fact that I liked all the entries and had something to say for each.

[hider=Twilight Ultimatum]
Ah, yes. There's nothing more relieving than opening the first entry and not having a novel staring back at you. You know, I was big into Greek mythology, but I always regret never getting into Norse mythology. With that in mind, I'll have to judge your entry from that standpoint of relative ignorance. Let's see... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Hhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmm. Interesting. Poetry is such an iffy topic to judge, you know. I like it, I mean, I like what I read. I like the overarching feeling of mightiness and inevitability... Unfortunately, I'm not quite sure what the deeper meaning to this is. Perhaps for my lack of knowledge of Norse mythology? Sigh, I hope not. Anyway, my absence of understanding *may* not be your fault, as I'm notoriously known for not understanding poetry, like at all. Seriously. Ask Dark Wind, he knows poetry escapes me. I’m bad at it, and I can’t analyze it well. Erm, anyways. Good. I want to appreciate it more, as short poems tend to be the most powerful, but I definitely feel like I'm missing something important.
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[hider=The Golden Cage]
Paging doctor [@DepressedSoviet]
I [i]really[/i] liked this for some reason, perhaps because as I was brainstorming myself, an idea riding along a similar theme came to my mind. Your story must be told from the point of view of perhaps some kind of god-king, or, of course, is supposed to symbolize something. Faith? Justice? Perhaps. I feel like a few ideas could be applied. The idea of how we (humans) tend to deviate from the original intended plan of something is often painfully evident in our every day lives. You know, like the irony of how people extremely devout to peaceful religions (and not just the ones we first think of) can also be the most violent. But, I digress. Excellent entry, your writing style is quite mesmerizing and your entry was an enjoyable, quick, easy read (EASY IN A GOOD WAY!!!).
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[hider=34 Seconds]
Ooooooooooh. Interesting. Very interesting indeed. A rather boldly written story, might I say. Somehow, you managed to wrap up some of the most powerful themes that come along with war into a nice little package. I'm actually quite impressed. When reading it at first, I kind of didn't think much of it, but the more I read it, the more powerful it becomes to me. It *kinda* reminds me of Vietnam War stories, how the people fighting really don't know why they are fighting, how they have big dreams for what they will do when they were done, and ultimately facing their untimely demise... Think Bubba from Forrest Gump. Anyway, very gracefully and subtly done!
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[hider=Ashes of Illium]
I love a piece of… would you call this historical fiction? Well, the label isn’t as important. It’s always a joy to take a historical event that most people are familiar with from the outside, and create a story of someone experiencing it themselves, with extra bonus points for research and trying to adhere to accuracy. Some people would argue this lacks creativity, but I would say it’s quite the contrary. You gave life, you created personalities, you told a story—not just of the fall of Troy, something we could all do, but of Agenor, and we see it all through his eyes: a fresh, new perspective. Your writing/spelling/grammar and all that was flawless, and there were no lapses in immersion. Lovely. I really enjoyed your entry.
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[hider=A Reason To Go On]
Is it obvious whether I wrote this or not? Ah, whatever. 'Twas me. Rereading what I had, I realize I didn't do half as bad as I originally thought I did. The narrative was [i]definitely[/i] rushed, and I also discovered I had the due date marked one day too early. So, whoops. My only regret is not developing Cal's story just a little bit more and giving more insight into the origins of Jashae and maybe adding a bit more of a dimension to the lore of the world, but oh well. I'm just happy to have finished a contest for the first time in a while. Like a year maybe? Wow.
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[hider=Phantom Legacy]
This one gave me a bit of a chill. At first, I had thought Dubhloach was using her body as some kind of vessel; where he worked his powers through her body, his will still intact, and she had no idea. But the ending was unsettling—the powers were hers? And on top of that, she decided not to say anything to anyone about it… And the story still begs the question, did Estella really want Gordana to die? Hrm. Quite an interesting little tale you’ve spun. I liked how you executed it, and your writing ability continues to impress me, along with your always-original ideas. All in all, an original story, a chilling end, and a great entry. Good job!
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[hider=Of Oaths and War]
And now, dear Windy, I tackle your entry.

Your sword metaphor, though… Ugh, I’ve written with you so much and yet your sexually-insulting humorous undertones always make me giggle and facepalm. Fuck you.

Well, I just finished reading. Windy, I applaud you. Also, I hate you. You managed your time so much better than I did, and I envy your mind for being able to weave such tales so quickly. My biggest excuse for most of my story’s flaws stemmed from my time constraint, but in the shadow of your own story, my excuse doesn’t have much weight. All in all a solid story; you warned of possible errors for having rushed, but I only spotted like two and they were hardly noticeable. A definite storyline, though I wish Gael had gone out some other way than just to some disgruntled, unnamed stranger (and not even the scarred fella!), but I surely suspect you had a reason for that too, as you tend to do. At any rate, you wrote a really good one here, the ending was certainly somewhat unexpected and your development of both Marik and Aurin were thoughtful as well as thought-provoking. Ugh, I hate you.
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EDIT: Oh what the hell! I somehow missed "Unlucky Number"... I'LL BE ADDING THAT POSTHASTE.

[hider=Unlucky Number]
Sorry for forgetting your entry. I definitely read it; can't believe I forgot to write a review on it. Hm. Whatever. I enjoyed your entry for its lightheartedness and unique and simple idea (there seemed to be a lot of people focusing on war... so yours definitely stood out!). Overall flawlessly written with enjoyable and realistic dialogue, attention to small narrative details, and honestly just an overall refreshing read. I give you the most points for coming up with this story because, like... were you the only one who actually made their "Resolutions" entry about a New Year's Resolution? I'm sure all of us considered that and were like "nah, let's be unique," but here you go. Your entry stands out unique against most of these violence/war related entries. Interesting. And ballsy. Kudos, friend.
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Also, my vote should be soon. I need to reflect a little bit. I'm feeling a tad conflicted.