Zephyr

OOC: Hmm, sorry about confusing you, Kitty. I guess my last post was a little vague. The upside is, vague posts are easy to adjust to. :p IC: Kael though about the conditions before giving Nikki an answer to her question. "The way I see it, we are going to have trouble facing them head on. For each one killed another appears. I doubt we would have the energy to get through them all." "So are you suggesting we run." Nikki asked, with a hint of malice in her voice at the suggestion of running. "I do not like it any more then you seem to, but to get killed trying to prove we are not afraid just makes us look stupid." Kael tried to ignore the look of hatred that Nikki gave him for that comment. "Anyway, we are both drained from previous fights. Your breathing is heavier then normal, and the energy I stored has nearly run out." Kael looked at his hand where a light spark was the only responce to his attempt at drawing power. [i]Damn, it is lower then I thought.[/i] Nikki, never taking her eyes from the demon responded, "Any suggestions then? The only way I see out of here is fighting straight through them." Kael reached into a pocket an grabbed a pair of sunglasses. He handed them to Nikki. "Here, take these." Nikki started to argue, but Kael inturrupted her. "Just trust me. It is about to get real bright inside this hall." At the same time he said that Kael began warping the energy fields in the ceiling above. This in turn caused the lights to triple in brightness, and blind the demons. Taking the opportunity, both Nikki and Kael charged past the demons and into a nearby room.

Very nice. It is much better then my first (and second) banner attempt(s). I really like the sunburst in the corner, since it adds to the angelic look of the picture. Also, the border is definately a good thing on this style of banner, because the wings blend with the white background (I cannot believe [i]I[/i] am supporting the use of a border). The one thing I suggest, make the words on the left a bit bigger (maybe just one or two font sizes). They look crunched together because of the italic-like style.

A loud cracking sound followed Kael's twist/pull move against one of the demon's arms, followed by a toss that sent the demon flying into nearby lockers. [i]This creatures look real, dent lockers when they hit them, and even react as though they had been injured, yet they dissappear when killed. What the hell are they[/i], Kael thought as the the creature near the lockers faded from view. He did not have time to ponder more, however, as the second one came charging at him, and was promptly dispatched by a flash of electricity. Kael looked around for more demons planning to attack him, but none came. Instead of just waiting, Kael moved down the hallway and nearly ran into a horde of them around a corner. It was obvious now why none had come after him They were all busy ganging up on a single girl, the same one Kael noticed earlier. Without so much as a second's break he began to beat his way through the horde. The two-pronged attack divided the demons in half, as each group chose a target. Kael kept puching, kicking, jabbing, and just outright pounding his way through till he found himself next to the young girl, and completely sorrounded. "You all right?" Kael asked. "Just fine," the girl replied, "but now we are both trapped by these [i]things[/i]." "If you really believed that I would hear quite a bit of fear in your voice. You know as well as I do that it is not over yet." The girl smirked slightly, then let the smirk grow into an almost feral grin. "True enough. So, feel like showing them that we know it?" "Gladly," Kael replied.

OOC: Sorry 'bout the delay, classes have taken up a lot of time. IC: Kael sank back into the shadows of the computer room. It seemed that his wish for an interesting year was going to be true, at least if the sight of a winged girl in the hall was any proof. If that was not strange enough, the unusual landscape outside the window definately was. Looking back out the door Kael noticed the girl was now grabbing the attention of some kind of "creature." Behind Kael the computer screens lit up one by one. In the same fashion each one exploded outward as electricity arced from them and into the markings on his arms. Kael slowly walked out the room and was immediately assaulted by another one of the creatures. A blast of electricity knocked it back into a wall. [i]Definately gonna be an interesting year.[/i] As it figured, that demon was not alone. Two more of them were facing off against Kael right now. Kael lifted his right hand into the air and let energy spark from it. "All right, let's dance."

As Kael walked slowly through the hallway people around him began to move out of the way. Many did so out of common courtesy, but more then a few faces showed a hint of fear, and most of those faces belong to the bullies that stalked the halls of Razzaria High. Other then the well-exercised muscles of his arms and the confidence he carried himself with, there was little about Kael that physically imposing. That, however, did not mean he was to be toyed with. After the years in his childhood spent defending himself from bullies intent on harrassing him about the marks on his arms and head, Kael had become strong, agile, and just plain sick of being messed with. More then one of Razzaria High's bullies had found themselves on the recieving end of Kael's anger, though only a few persisted long enough to see the worst of it, and his "special" abilities. The air in the hall seemed to lighten as Kael dissappered into a classroom. Inside he dropped his bag onto the floor and leaned back to stretch his legs. Few people looked in his direction, and only one had the guts to approach him. Seeing as how that person was his friend it went unnoticed by anyone. While talking to April, the young gilr had approached him, all Kael could think of was that he wished something interesting would actually happen this year.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by LordBalmung [/i] [B]AHEM...did you even read the movie reveiw? They said that it had *cough* sex in it[/B][/QUOTE] You do realize that means very little, right? The game are listed "Teen" (I think) for "sexual content" (or something like that), but it only refers to the clothing that Blackrose wears, and possibly extends to the relationship that seems to follow Kite & Blackrose. Most likly it is the same for .Hack//DUSK (OVA), except that the Blackrose character model used by Rena is probably pointed out as being skimpy by people (including Shugo). Somehow I doubt the idea of incest is viewed much better in Japan then it is here in America.

name: Kael Pershaw age: 18 grade: 12 element: Machina (machines) description: 6' 1" tall, about 180 lbs, with short brown hair and crimson colored eyes. The skin on his forehead, temples, and lower arms is covered with black markings that resemble the markings in an electronic circuit board, they glow a faint green when he uses his abilities. He always wears a pair of black jeans, a crimson T-shirt, and black gloves. Kael rarely speaks with others, and as a result has only a few friends. skills: Kael can take control of most electronic machines, and is able to hack into any computer (and does so regularly). weapon: Any electronic device within range, tazer formed by "markings" on hands (can project electricity up to ten feet). bio: Kael has spent his life facinated by electronics, possibly as a result of his abilities. Because of this, he has surrounded himself by computers and any other technology he can obtain. Since he was abandoned, Kael lives alone in a house away from most people, and has used his hacking skills to supply anything he needs including food, money, and more machines. It is still unclear why he continues going to school when he can get anything he needs from his computers.

Hmm, definately too feminine. It is either the hair/eyes combo, or just the lack of other features that make it seem that way. It could also be that my first impression was that he/she/it resembled Chii for the show Chobits. :p

OOC: Sorry 'bout not posting more. Too many things have been stopping me. Aidan looked up at the sound of people running past. It was Suzu and Callisto. Figuring that they knew something about the girl, Aidan charged after them. His long legs made it easy to catch up to them. "You two find the girl yet?" Aidan asked. Suzu looked back and replied, "We were told that she went this way, and was being helped by a boy." "Great, that is all we need." Aidan's tone was laced was sarcasm. "If someone else finds that crystal first because of this it will not be good." "Thanks for that amazing revelation," Suzu mocked. "Just shut up and help us find her."

You do not need those movies to be an Anime God. To be one you must be able to understand and follow the story in [i]Boogiepop Phantom[/i]. If you can do that, [i]then[/i] you are a true Anime God. :D Either that, or you are in severe need of a return to reality (like myslef). Hmm. I have seen [i]Armitage III[/i], and [i]Ghost in The Shell[/i], but would not say that either was required for Anime Godness (if that is even a word). I will admit that having [i]GiTS[/i] is a good thing (wish I had a copy right now), and it is a very well done series. As for [i]Armitage III[/i], it was not as great IMO.

Stones crunched under Aidan's boots as he dropped to the ground in the small alley. The girl carrying the crystal he sought had fled into this town, and now the Lunar Witchhunters had to play hide-and-seek just to find her. Aidan had chosen to search from the roofs, where his long legs gave him a jumping advantage. As he exited the alley Aidan ran across Kat. "Any sign of girl, Aidan?" "None. This town is not very large, but there are still too many areas she could hide in. Let's find the others. Maybe some else had better luck." As it turned out, no one had any luck finding the girl. It seemed that even the people in the village had not seen her since she entered. Either they were lying, or the girl had hidden immediately, and by now was likely gone. Aidan leaned against a nearby wall and wondered what the next move would be, and, for that matter, who would make it.

#*%&@, drop shadow. I knew something was missing. Oh well, just a minor error that I will have to fix up later. I know that the close button seems large, but I left it that way because of two things: 1) I was worried it would lose some quality if too small, and 2) "Resize, copy, paste, move, repeat" gets irritating after a while. :flaming: Oh, and there is a border on there, it is just the same color to mimic the look of an actual windows design (for the bar at the top). :D

*More to come later (when I think of them)* [b][u]General Awards[/b][/u] [b]Overall Member of the Year:[/b] K.K.C. [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Male Otaku of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Female Otaku of the Year:[/b] Ohkami [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Staff Member of the Year:[/b] James (of course) [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Shy [b]Funniest Member:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Most Opinionated Otaku:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Member most likely to be here in two years:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Best Newbie:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Best Oldie:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Most likely to become a Staff Member:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Favorite Banned Member:[/b] Tical [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Most improved Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Thread of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Silliest Thread of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b][u]Random Awards[/u][/b] [b]Avatar Award: (Best Avatars Overall)[/b] Charles [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Signature Award: (Best Signatures Overall)[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Best Location: (Best Specific Location)[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Best Otaku Couple:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Best looking Otaku:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Otaku clique of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Best MyOtaku:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b][u]Otaku Writers[/u][/b] [b]Poet Laureate:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Writer of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Orginal Story of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Role-Player of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Brawler of the Year (sparring):[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Role-Playing Game of the Year[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b][u]Social Otakus[/u][/b] [b]Otaku Social member of the year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Entertainment Otaku of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b][u]Anime Otakus[/u][/b] [b]Otaku of the Year: (Best Anime member overall)[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b].hack//SIGN Member of the Year:[/b] AzureWolf [size=1]Honorable Mention: K.K.C.[/size] [b]DragonBall Guru:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Digipeep of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Gundam Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Yu-Gi-Oh Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Least Disappointing Yu Yu Hakusho Member:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b][u]Otaku Gamers[/u][/b] [b]Gamer of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Nintendo "Mario" Award:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]The Sony Award:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Xbox Gamer of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]PC Gamer of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b][u]Otaku Artists[/u][/b] [b]Best Graphic Designer (Banners, wallpapers, etc.):[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Best "Traditional" Artist (Drawings, paintings, etc.):[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Best Spriter:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b][u]Series Otakus[/u][/b] [b]Series Otaku Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Square/Enix Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]PokéPlaque (Pokemon):[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]The Triforce Award (Zelda):[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size]

I decided to just mess around with only Photoshop options as practice, instead of trying to chop up pictures from the internet. This time I chose Microsoft as my subject, just because it is fun to poke fun at. Also, it was the first thing I saw when starting up my computer. :p Comments? Critiques? Cash Donations? (Don't make me beg. ;) )

[b]Zoid Training Grounds, outside of Kendrik City-- 3:18 pm[/b] Galen was slammed into his seat as he banked the Storm Sworder down and to the right. The missile fired at his zoid passed through the area it he had previously occupied, and exploded into a white cloud. Even if the round had a dummy warhead it would have rattled the Triple S. Galen had decided to practice his piloting under harsh conditions, which was why he had three zoids facing his single zoid. To add to the difficulty he had never loaded any missiles, and was thus limited to short range attacks. Continuing the bank Galen swooped down to a risky NOE (Nape Of the Earth) manuever and extended his wing blades. Sparks flew past the right wing as it slided through a nearby Iron Kong's shoulder, sending the heavy zoid to the ground. Galen payed for it as a second missile slammed into his engines, followed by the voice of the team leader over the commlink. "Looks like you lose. You never should have chosen this style of fight." "Yeah, but it is the only way to work out the problems with my close range combat." Galen replied.

Name: Aidan Pryde Age: 19 Gender: Male Weapons: Daikyu (long bow), Katana, and dagger in a boot sheath Group: Lunar Witchhunter Appearence: 6'3" with shot-cut, brown hair and dark blue eyes. He wears a black, sleeveless jumpsuit with black boots. Around his neck he wears a hood/cape combo made from the fur of a white wolf, the hood is formed by the upper part of the wolf's head and snout. History: Aidan was raised since birth by a group of Lunar Witchhunters in the hopes of succeeding the tests and joining their ranks. His training focused upon the art of stealth, and getting the jump on an enemy before they knew he saw them. As a result he was rarely trained on guns, as the noise they created conflicted with the teachings. Instead he became an expert with the daikyu and many forms of bladed weapons. His strong eyesight and ability to hit targets at extreme ranges earned him the nickname "Hawkeye." His final test was to spend three days, alone, in the wild, hunting the massive Tundra Wolves that lived in the area. The cape on his back proves that he passed the test.

[QUOTE]1.Maha turns into Mia in the .hack games, then Mia turns into a Phase.[/QUOTE] Warning: Game spoilers ahead---- [spoiler]Yes, Mia is in fact Maha. She will become Maha again in Quarentine and fight you as one of the Phases.[/spoiler] [QUOTE]1. Mimiru, from the show, is Blackrose, in the games.[/QUOTE] No, she is not. Mimiru does not have any siblings (IIRC), whereas Blackrose has a brother. And Blackrose joined shortly after Kite did. [QUOTE]2. Orca, from the games, is Bear, from the show.[/QUOTE] Wrong again. Orca (Yasuhiko) is really a teenager, and Bear is in his 40's (I think it was 47).

Personally, I have no problem with G Gundam. As far as the AU (Alternate Universe) gundam series go it is okay, if not a bit too unrealistic. My biggest problem is the fact that it is too much of a DBZ meets Gundam storyline. On the other end of the coin, it is a change from the norm, which is always good. I really prefer the UC (Universal Centruy) titles which link to each other, and GW: Endless Waltz. As for SD Gundam, you are right. It is too childish. Besides, that character Shute is just plain irritating to listen too. And what did they do to the Wing Gundam design? I like the original Wing Gundam, until they ruined it. The one thing that bug me the most is the fact that they tried to rename it "Superior Defender" desite the fact the every otaku knows that SD stands for "Super Deformed" (just like the artstyle used).

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Inuluvr1 [/i] [B][size=1][color=chocolate]Here are my thoughts. All right, I see how the middle picture is blurry, and Sango's pic is a little fuzzy too. The fonts work too, but I think the background for the banner is too dark for some reason. If it was a more lighter color, I think people would see more of the humor in the banner. But it is good, it's funny too. Good work.[/size][/color] [/B][/QUOTE] Hmm, you are right. The Sango pic is blurry. I must have hit blur when I was adjusting it and not noticed. I know why the background is so dark, I forgot to compensate for the fact that this site darkens pictures when they are attached. [quote][b] Ok, first question: What program are you using? If you're using one of the better programs like Photoshop and Paintshop Pro, sorry but that banner looks like it was created in MS Paint. Miroku looks like the top of his head wasn't smoothly cut when you cropped him and so does the middle picture if you look towards the bottom. Also, the font doesn't really go with the banner and your font color sort of blends with the backround in some places. But good banner, very funny! 8/10 ~Kieko[/b][/quote] I am using Photoshop 5, the poor look comes from the fact that I am still not very good with the program. The Miroku picture may look that way because I tried to erase the images around it, and may not have done a good job (then again, the pic may have been strange to begin with). Fonts are not my specialty, so I chose the best look I could.

I finally found the time to complete me fourth banner. This time it has absolutely nothing to do with .Hack//SIGN. I chose Miroku as the subject simply because of his amusing behavior, and the jokes which follow it. This banner turned out better then the last ones (IMO), but the center picture is not as good as I wanted it. It was too grainy to begin with, and blurring it a little did not help. So, any comments, complaints, or suggestions from the peanut gallery?

Name: Galen Cox Age: 23 Gender: Male Appearance: 5' 10". Short, dark blonde hair and green eyes. Has a short beard on his chin, which he keeps well trimmed. There is a small scar running down the right side of his face. When outside of a zoid he wears a crimson T-shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of tan "hiking" shoes. While piloting his zoid he puts on a black jumpsuit over his T-shirt and jeans, and also wears a pair of black boots and gloves. Team: Soul Flyers Team Rank: Member Zoid: Stealth Storm Sworder (Triple S) Zoid Appearance: [COLOR=blue][URL=http://www.metalmachinemusic.com/zoids.php?section=triples]http://www.metalmachinemusic.com/zoids.php?section=triples[/URL][/COLOR] Zoid Weapons: --[i]40mm cannons[/i]: two in each wing --[i]Wing Blades and Forehead Blade[/i] --[i]NARC Missile Beacon Launcher[/i]: Missile pod with a magnetic beacon inside. Attaches to target and provides a better lock for any missiles lauched at the target zoid. Two missile pods on each side of lower engine. --[i]Long Range Missiles[/i]: Three mounted on each wing. --[i]Radar Absorbant Paint and Low Heat Thrusters[/i]: Not really weapons, but they make the zoid harder to locate and lock onto at longer ranges. Personality: A very upbeat person. Galen preferes the company of his teammates, but has no problem making friends with others (generally). Often he will sit back in a crowd and listen to others instead of talking himself. This skill is part of what allows him to patiently hide in battle, only to strike when no one expects it. His personality changes greatly when piloting a zoid. He suddenly becomes very quiet and calm when behind the controls of his "Triple S." He is very protective of his zoid, and preferes to perform all of the repairs. Biography: Growing up around zoids has given Galen a love of everything about them. He has not only learned to pilot and repair them, but to show respect for the power they hold. He also was taught to respect other pilots, and shows this by painting red symbols next to his cockpit for each zoid he takes down (a bird symbolizes air-based zoids, and a wolf symbolizes ground-based), he also collects small pieces of zoid armor from pilots that provide him with the best battles. Because of his patience in battle he works as his team's scout/strike expert. He is usually the first one to strike, using the NARC beacons, and then hammers away with the long range missiles while the rest of his team keeps the opponents busy

[COLOR=green]Phelan thought for a moment about Zoid Eve and chimed into the conversation after remembering something. "I think I have heard of Zoid Eve before. I have only heard rumors in the past, but they all seem to have some common factors." Naomi looked up. What type of 'common factors?'" "Well, for starters they claim that in the past, nearly a century ago, someone actually found it hidden in a mountain. Also, they claim that Zoid Eve somehow relates to the existance of zoids and even organids. I have no idea if the rumors have any truth to them, but they are similar enough to suggest possible truths, much like urban legends." The group continued to discuss the issue, and slowly left one by one as they finished eating. Phelan wandered back into the repair bay to check on his Gunsniper. By now the automatic healing/repair systems had fixed the foot and were slowly closing the hole in the torso. From the cockpit Phelan checked the progress and got an idea of how long the rest of the reapirs would take. As he shut down the systems his elbow hit the consol and jarred lose a photo, which fluttered to the floor of the zoid's head. Phelan picked the photo up and stared at it, and the look of amusement he had before was covered by a mask of sadness. The face in the photo belonged to a young woman, who appered to be in her late teens. By any standards she was beutiful, though her dark blue eyes displayed a dangerous side that her face hid. Contrasting her eyes was the shoulder lenght midnight black hair that had been dyed blue just above he eyes. [i]Don't worry, I haven't given up yet. I will fi--[/i] Phelan's thought was cut off by the sound of a tech shouting somewhere in the repair bay. Returning to reality, Phelan taped the picture back on the consol and exited the zoid. [/COLOR]

I never noticed that until you mentioned it. Most likely Rei Izumi just put them in there for the fun of it. Most of the characters are close to the same as in SIGN and the games, so the others are probably in there to appease their fans. Even Helba got a cameo in there. :D

[COLOR=green]"Sonova....," the half cuss echoed through the repair bay, losing more of the anger with each echo. Phelan was the source of the uproar, and the damage to his Zoid was the catalyst that set it in motion. Every noise in the bay was suddenly silinced as the techs looked up. Wires hung from the side of the scout zoid's right side, what was left of it, and the servomotor in the left ankle was completely shot. This was part of the reason that the trip back to the base had taken longer then normal. Since that time Phelan had found the time to start working on repairs between shifts and meetings. Despite having been at it for nearly an hour he was still angry about being ambushed. Phelan sat on the edge of the Gunsniper's right hip and poked his head back into the hole on the side of the torso. At the same time a voice called up to him. "Is it really that bad in there," Naomi shouted over the noice of the bay. "Yeah, unfortunately," Phelan pounded his fist against the armor around the hole, "I never should have let myself be destracted by revenge on that Storm Sworder. I left myself open to the Liger. I just hope I can fix this."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=green]"You're not getting away that easily," Phelan growled as he targeted the escaping Storm Sworder, and completely ignoring the Blade Liger for the moment. The missile racks' covers opened and unleashed a total of eight small missiles. With the damaged done to it by Cay's zoid, the Storm Sworder was too unbalanced to avoid the missiles. Three warheads smashed into the right engine on the flying zoid's back, in responsed the flame flickered and went out. Two more damaged the tail, while the last three missed completely. Phelan paid for his revenge as the Liger's impact cannons slammed into the side of his Gunsniper. To buy himself some time Phelan activated the zoid's boosters and landed next to Cay's Slash Liger. "You alright over there, Phelan?" Cay's voice barely registered in Phelan's ears as he set about scanning the ground around him for the Blade Liger's footfalls. "Phelan, can you hear me?" It was Cay again, trying to get Phelan to answer. "Yeah," Phelan replied, "just trying to find that stealth zoid." As he spoke a series of blips appeared on his cockpit screen. "Found it. Aim for this area." Phelan relayed the info to Cay and at the same time activated his large gatling guns. The missile pods on the Gunsniper's back hinged down to each side and the gatling guns between them opened fire. A few sparks were seen in the area as the shells hit their target. [/COLOR]