terra

[color=green]Aissa felt as if she was curling up into herself somehow, though physically she was only hugging her knees to her chest. The simple movement made her feel warmer, protected, though her mind was still racing with the new knowledge they had of the terror that had been placed over their world. Next to her, Leile seemed to be similarly in shock from the story they'd heard. Even Anubis, Aissa spied out of the corner of her eye, did not look entirely unaffected. It would have been hard to stay impassive after hearing the story -- somehow the beings' words, if indeed they had only been word, had caused images to flicker through Aissa's mind, that even without narration made her shudder. A movement behind Aissa made her jump, but it was only Anubis placing another log on the fire. "I think we might be staying here for a little while," he said, watching the flames catch the new wood, slowly at first, then spreading along its length with eagerness. "Don't you think we need to find that island he spoke of?" Aissa's voice sounded high-pitched to her ears, almost squeaky, and she paused to take a breath in an effort to regain normalcy. "D'Ianii Ilaen, he said, in the Pwrynn Sea ... That is where the prince somehow kept his life, over so many years. That is where the curse began." "We may be able to bring about the end of the curse on that island, yes," Anubis acknowledged. "But for now, I think we must stay here." "Why?" Aissa said. "The curse must be vanquished as soon as possible!" "Obviously," Anubis said, a touch of his old haughtiness returning. "But there are others who may accompany us, and they are on their way to Ma'Uriith now." Aissa raised her eyebrows, but Anubis did not seem to care to elaborate on how he knew this. Turning away from him to stare at the fire, she muttered, "[i]This[/i] is why I thought those shadow-creatures came because of you ..."[/color] [size=1]OOC: I thought it might be a good time for the whole gang to meet up since several other characters seemed to be heading for Ma'Uriith. Come quick! :p[/size]

Spreading her wings, Crystal leapt into the air, taking flight after the group gracefully. Then she realized it had just been far too long since she'd really flown, and she should've stretched out her wings beforehand, as one of them was now cramping up. She attempted to flap and work out the kinks, but it wasn't to be ... Crystal had to settle for dropping to the ground and jogging like any common clone. She reached the other three and grinned -- somehow it almost felt like they'd been waiting for her, like the four of them were a team. "Took you long enough," was all Ben said before lifting himself from the ground once more to speed through the air with the power of his mind. [i]Wishful thinking[/i], Crystal harrumphed to herself as she followed with Rena and Alaris. They reached the center of the Capital before long, and Ben was the first to stride confidently into the room of the Elders.

[color=green]Er ... I'm really quite unsure of what you meant by this thread. If it was posts to get out of Newbie status (which I think might be what you were trying to say in your first post ...?) that is highly discouraged here. Double posting is also not allowed, and post quality (i.e. grammar, punctuation, etc.) is key. This thread is pointless, so it is being closed. I'd advise you to please read the rules as well as the sticky at the top of the forum. --terra[/color]

I just ordered this game for my boyfriend (ground shipping, though, so I don't know when it'll get here :() and I'm really excited for its arrival, as I will be playing it with him, whether he likes it or not. It's been getting good scores from the reviews I've seen, so ... *drools* Heh ... just had to let out some of my impatience. I'll be back after I've actually played the game :p.

Hm, Robert Downey Jr.'s out of rehab, that's nice. I loved him on Ally McBeal. Anyway, I just went to watch the trailer for this movie at [url]http://www.apple.com/trailers/[/url] . The trailer actually makes it look pretty good, I think. I'm wondering why they named it Gothika (yes it has that K) -- it came up in a class I'm taking, the Gothic Tradition in Fiction (basically, Gothic Lit.). The context was, "That new movie with Halle Berry called Gothika sure looks like it's going to suck ..." From what I saw of the trailer, I can't predict whether or not the plot will be interesting because it depends on where they end up taking it. I thought the twist about how Halle Berry usually is the analyst and then ends up insane was a good start, so it looks promising to me. Of course I won't go see it because I don't watch horror films, but if I were that type, I might consider watching it. As for the Halloween/Thanksgiving thing, you might be right there, but I could still see this being a family thing ... like if you're a family who all enjoys ... horror flicks ... or something.

Yeah ... basically, I think it's dumb. It reminds me a lot of the Abercrombie & Fitch scandal. (They're a clothing brand that made these T-shirts that capitalized on the stereotype of Chinese laundry shops. Or something along those lines.) I'm Chinese and the A&F thing kind of upset me for ... about half a second. Then I was just like, whatever, it's a stereotype, and people are going to say things like that no matter what. Part of me still thinks it's wrong for actual companies to promote those stereotypes and make money off of them. So I'd never buy it (in addition to the fact that I don't find either product particularly funny).

I'm eager to start this as well, but I think I'm going to wait a while longer for signups. You never know :p. Also, here's my signup and Arcadia should be posting hers shortly after. My signup contains a lot of the history of the Caballeros (and Arcadia's will probably have the Desperados'), and unfortunately it might not correspond with some of the things you guys have in your bios (for example, DW, I don't think your character could be first mate as he's really young; read the bio and you'll see). [b]If you see something conflicting, please edit your bios[/b]; sorry about that. [b]Name:[/b] Captain Flint [b]Goes by:[/b] Captain, Flint, Captain Flint ... [b]Age:[/b] late 20's-early 30's [b]Appearance:[/b] Of average height. Wears baggy clothes that conceal a slim but muscular stature. Face is always clean-shaven, and hair is always carefully cropped, worn short and black and just barely peeking out from under the captain hat he nearly always wears. [b]Personality:[/b] Not quite what you?d expect for an average pirate captain. Actually Flint?s rather soft-spoken, but holds unquestionable power over his men. If he ever needs to raise his voice, his eyes become terrible and angry and something about him can cause even those bigger than him to be afraid. His actions are very deliberate and he prefers to think extensively before making a move, though he can also be fast on his feet in dangerous situations. He is ruthlessly cruel to his enemies. [b]Biography:[/b] The Flints have been at the head of the Caballeros for generations, and the band and the family are originally from Spain. Flint?s great-grandfather founded the band of pirates nearly spontaneously upon hearing of an incoming shipload of gold into the port city where he lived. The pirates were successful in that raid, and in several others throughout his great-grandfather?s life. The pirating tradition was continued in Spain until Flint?s father moved to America with the majority of the men, who were willing to shift across the ocean in their loyalty to the Flint name. Though it didn?t matter too much; they knew they?d be back, since the life of a pirate is a wandering one. After traveling down the coast for some time looking for a good city for a ?home base,? Flint Sr. happened upon Galveston, a small port city in desperate need of income. It was the perfect place, all the more so because the Desperados were currently out of town. By the time they returned two months later, the Caballeros were already established as accepted outlaws and Flint Sr. was already in love, with a young waitress at the local inn. The Desperados were none too happy to find the Caballeros so well-settled in upon their return a couple of months later, but the two groups tacitly agreed to keep their fighting out of the streets. They were both technically outlaws, after all, and in their own way, they worked together, though rivalry occasionally rose up outside the city limits. Flint Sr.?s wife unfortunately died in childbirth, but not before giving Flint to the world of pirating. Unsurprisingly, Flint Sr. raised his child to be the leader of the Caballeros like the generations of sons before him, and Flint positively loved his upbringing. He grew up on ships with stashes of gold and could wield a sword at the age of six. All of the other pirates loved having a child on board and he was affectionately called ?Baby Flint? until he was twelve, when he calmly informed the company he would personally slit the throat of the next person to call him that. The nickname died rather quickly. Flint could captain the ship by the time he was sixteen, and at eighteen helped his father steer through one of the most difficult storms the Caballeros had encountered since they moved to America. He was excellent with a sword and fairly good with a pistol. At twenty-four, his dad let him take the lead in the hijacking of a ship for the first time and he accomplished himself amazingly. At twenty-six, unfortunately, his father died from a stray bullet, passing the duties of the Caballeros leadership on to Flint.

[color=green]Right. FirePheonix basically summed it up. Please read the rules for OB overall, as well as the stickies at the top of the forum. Here are a few other rules I will point out ... 1. You should be writing with [b]correct spelling, punctuation, grammar[/b], the whole works. This keeps things readable. 2. You should not post questions in this forum, as that is considered spam. There is a separate Suggestions/Feedback forum in which you can ask questions. I'm going to leave this here to avoid confusion. If all you want to do is battle, you can try the Battle Arena, where there does not need to be a distinct and well thought-out storyline. (Yes, here, you need a distinct and well thought-out storyline whenever possible.) There you can join in on someone's battle if it's still open, or start your own by posting a signup sheet. I'd suggest you check out other posts and get a feel for things before posting. I am closing this thread, but feel free to PM me or Arcadia (the moderators of this forum) if you have any more question.[/color]

[center][img]http://pantheon.yale.edu/~elc23/fun/r_zubeida.gif[/img][/center] In the time of doubloons, damsels fair, and duels at noon, two of the most powerful bands of outlaws in all of Texas are joining forces. Why? you might ask, trembling in fear -- to overtake the state? to terrorize innocent maidens? No, the answer is rather simpler than that: to gain riches beyond man?s imagination. The Caballeros, a band of arrogant pirates, and the Desperados, cowboy outlaws extraordinaire, have been battling for control over the port city of Galveston for the past twenty years. On one hand, the Caballeros swagger through town inspiring respect for their ruthlessness and cutlasses. Their willingness to spend and lend gold helps the economy of the town and fills the pockets of many merchants. On the other hand, the Desperados serve the duty of sheriffs, helping citizens pursue criminals -- provided they weren't the perpetrators themselves. Sure, they might steal gold from the occasional bank, but they also provide the city with the necessary protection. So the question begs to be asked: why in the world would these historically conflicting groups ever band together? Well, each captain?s only got half the treasure map ... [center][img]http://pantheon.yale.edu/~elc23/fun/r_pirates.jpg[/img][/center] [u]The Caballeros.[/u] Merely speaking their name drives fear into the hearts of seafaring men. They?re called pirates?the most feared band of pirates that currently sails the open sea. Led by Captain Flint, they own a majestic vessel named the Damned Mistress, and they often dock in Galveston and patronize the city. Much of their ?business? is conducted aboard the Damned Mistress, including the waylaying of other ships and the exporting of certain illegal goods to the great profit of the Caballeros. Captain Flint runs a tight ship, and his pirates, though rowdy at times, tend not to pillage unnecessarily and they are never allowed to rape women. Their name stems from the Spanish for "gentlemen," after all. [center][img]http://pantheon.yale.edu/~elc23/fun/r_cowboys.jpg[/img][/center] [u]The Desperados.[/u] Notorious on the frontier for their wild, unpredictable nature and impossibly excellent aim, these outlaws are second to none. More than just mere bandits, the men and women of the Desperados often hire out as body guards, assassins, and watchmen, and have never failed in defending those who need it - for a price, of course. Led by the dangerous [i]vaquero[/i] Finn, only those who are incredibly brave (or more likely incredibly stupid) challenge these rough cowboys. But they aren't all bad; these outlaws have a set of rules to follow, and honor to uphold, and those who stray away from Finn's "good" example will only find themselves a target of Finn himself. [center]------------------------[/center] If it wasn't clear from the above, the story is basically that there are two fearsome bands of outlaws who have historically been in conflict, and they have to combine forces in order to find a hidden treasure. I'll be playing the leader of the Caballeros (pirates), and Arcadia will be the leader of the Desperados (cowboys). You guys can sign up as a member of either group. This RPG is intended to be somewhat on the lighter side, more fun than goriness, but hopefully it'll also stay interesting. In order to keep the overall story more than "we walked here and then found some gold," the group will run into plot twists on the way that the cowboys and pirates will have to deal with. If you'd like to have one of the post that introduces a plot twist (and that'd be great!), PM me and I'll let you know when one comes up, and what it will be. If you have any plot twists to suggest (attempted uprising against the leaders, or whatever else you might come up with) PM me. Optionally, you could create some dark secret for your character that could then be uncovered along the journey (other characters might have one or two!). If that's the case, PM me (or Arcadia if it's a cowboy thing and you don't want the pirates to know) with the secret and we will figure out a way to work it into the plot so it?s still relatively logical. Please make your signup quite detailed and interesting. Also keep in mind that this is the cowboy/pirate era (the 1800's) so there are no lasers or machine guns. It's the wild west, baby. Will you join us on the quest for Zubeida's gold? [b]Name:[/b] (Your real name. Keep unknown mysteries to a minimum please!) [b]Goes by:[/b] (Do you have a nickname? Optional.) [b]Affiliation:[/b] (Desperados or Caballeros -- edit, forgot earlier :p) [b]Age:[/b] (Can be approximate. Also, please don't be ridiculously young.) [b]Appearance:[/b] [b]Personality:[/b] [b]Biography:[/b] (Here is where you should get very detailed. And you can come up with something amusing if you'd like, as long as it makes sense. Both the Caballeros and the Desperados have been established groups for about sixty years and are originally from Spain. The Desperados have been in America for forty years, and the Caballeros for twenty-five.) [b]EDIT:[/b] Captain Flint and Finn are both guys. Just in case that wasn't clear.

Hahaha, that's hysterical. I only got to skim it because I'm off to class very soon but I really like the way it's started. I loved the bits of humor you put in like the bit about Syk's Evangelion suit and Mei ... Very nice working in of people :). More, more!

People do claim that evolutionally, guys have that "spread their seed" impulse whereas girls are more domestic and willing to settle down. I don't think I buy into that, but ... it has been said. Anyway, guys are obviously not the only ones who want to cheat. My boyfriend claims that he never has any desire to cheat on me. I know, he could be lying -- but I have the feeling he's actually being pretty honest. You'll have to trust me on this one, though I suppose I probably wouldn't believe most girls who said that and think they were deluding themselves. That aside, I think I have the desire to cheat on my boyfriend more often than he has the desire to cheat on me. Why? I don't know. It's really a very amazing relationship and I couldn't imagine having anyone else as my boyfriend ... Regardless I sometimes feel like I'm young and I should be having more fun, and as a lot of people interpret that as "interacting" with more people, I guess I'm influenced by that. [quote][i]Originally posted by satan665[/i] It sucks, every guy out there is attracted to other girls but can't ever admit it because girlfriends can't take tat kind of insecurity.[/quote] Do you think your girlfriend is never attracted to other guys? If she was and told you, would you feel any kind of insecurity? Just like the urge to cheat isn't restricted to guys, I highly doubt this feeling of insecurity is restricted to girls.

[color=green]A small part of Aissa thought that Anubis might actually explain his cryptic sentence. Right after the question left her mouth, Aissa realized she shouldn't even have wasted her breath in asking. They sat together for several minutes, the soft crunching of their biscuits between their teeth the only sound breaking the silence. The flickering light of the campfire was gentle, but Aissa found herself wishing it was stronger. She was just out of its circle of light, and didn't wish to look cowardly by moving into it ... but the growing darkness was having an inevitable effect as well. Aissa's head began to nod, but something prompted her to at least attempt to stay awake and she struggled to keep her eyes open. Her mind felt as if it were slipping into half-consciousness, those moments between sleep and waking where dreams become reality and reality becomes dreams. She felt as if Arland were beside her again, whispering some childish secret into her ear that she couldn't quite remember or she had never heard. "They've arrived." Anubis's words pulled Aissa back into the realm of the present with a shock and this time she did move into the circle of light cast about by the fire, pulling herself to her feet. Leile was beside her in an instant, thankfully, and Aissa instinctively reached for her hand, grasping it in search of some friendly contact. She received a comforting pressure in return. Anubis was standing beside them, his eyes piercing the depths of the room to see something that Aissa and Leile could not perceive. "You are here," he said, and as he spoke shapes materialized out of the darkness, indiscriminate figures that still seemed to shift even when they became concrete. Aissa could see nothing of their faces, and she couldn't tell if it was because they were hidden by cloaks or by the darkness that surrounded them. "You called us here." [i]Haunted[/i] was the only thought that sprung to Aissa's mind. Their voice was like a hissing snake and an explosion at the same time. Then she realized that the figure that had spoken was pointing at her. "I called you here?" Aissa said, her voice feeling surprisingly normal, as if she were speaking to some normal ... living ... being. "Are you sure you don't mean [i]he[/i] called you here?" and she indicated Anubis, who tended to be the source of most of the strange things they encountered. Anubis seemed to have to hold back a sort of chuckle. "You," the figure repeated. "With the power of the [i]q'olia[/i] you summoned us to tell you our history ... It is an ancient power that cannot be refused, even by those such as us." Aissa nodded, bemused. "Good to know," she said under her breath. Somehow she felt completely at a loss. Having unknowingly summoned these creatures here, she suddenly felt as if she had no idea what to do with them, or what they might to do her for that matter, and she turned to Anubis for help with a pleading look. Help came, but from a different corner than Aissa had expected. Leile's voice was clear and unwavering in the darkness: "So what is that history you're going to relate to us?"[/color] [size=1]OOC: Er, Arcadia, I hope this is all okay with you. I wanted the story to move :p. But incidentally I forgot just what the history of the curse is so ... if you want to reveal it, please take it away. If you don't yet, I don't know, some sort of catastrophe could happen ...[/size]

Lissa slowly grew aware of her surroundings, crisp white sheets that felt cool against her heated skin and the comforting softness of a pillow beneath her head. As Lissa opened her eyes, a shadow that stood near a lit window moved, revealing itself to be Lady Salome. "You're awake," the lady said. "It would appear that way," Lissa murmured, her voice feeling strangely hoarse though she had exerted no vocal effort in performing the spell. A certain soreness had spread itself over her entire body. "Are you all right?" Lissa asked, aware of the strangeness of the situation; she, lying in a sickbed, asking after the health of the lady who was watching over her. "I'm fine," Lady Salome replied nonetheless. Lissa sat up slowly, feeling her joints ease back into wakefulness. "I should go home and tend to the sheep," she said, staring at her palms. They were red, raw, as if she had just been climbing a jagged cliff without gloves. "It must be late in the day." "It is not yet noon," Lady Salome informed her. "You should rest for at least a little while longer. I am glad to see you are all right -- I will get a priestess to look after you for a short time." "You were speaking to the priest about an imbalance in this world." Lissa's words interrupted Lady Salome as she was in the midst of sweeping out the doorway. Almost reluctantly, the lady turned back to the girl sitting in the bed. Lissa looked frail, she reflected, a small figure of pale skin and listless golden hair that all nearly blended into the white sheets around her. She seemed almost translucent in her moment of weakness, though she hadn't struck the lady that way when she first walked into the temple. "I was," the lady said softly. "I felt it too," Lissa said. "There is some change being brought to this world ... and I think it has already begun."

Holy crap, SPX, you sure picked strange things to spoiler and not spoiler. I think [spoiler]Trinity's death[/spoiler] deserved a spoiler ... What did you all think of the fights? I thought they were good, although in the [spoiler]basement of the French guy's club it seemed a little obvious they were desperately trying to find a way to make the "Matrix" patent style new again with the bad guys on the ceiling. Even so, it still kept its appeal.[/spoiler]

Okay, I just saw it. I liked it a lot, though I still think they should've stopped after the first one. Regardless, I thought it was much, much better than the second one. I don't have much to say about it because it was so recent in my mind but ... I'm sure others do. Well ... okay, I'll say a little. (Serious spoilers.) [spoiler]I really liked the way it ended. One of the friends I saw it with said she thought it would've been much cooler if they all still ended up in the matrix instead of being freed, but I disagree. I would much rather end optimistically. I also wonder just what the peace between the machines and the humans will entail. The machines needed the humans for power, so are they going to cut back on their numbers? Or are they hoping enough humans are willing to stay in the matrix so they'll be supplied a decent amount of power? And ... do you think Neo's still alive? The Oracle said they'd probably see him again someday, but I don't think I'd even mind if he were dead. After Trinity died I think it'd be fine if he just passed on too ... Alternately, I thought he might be able to come back as some sort of program.[/spoiler] But whatever, the movies are over now :p. I think they swore not to make a fourth one like Alien: Resurrection, and they better stick to that ... *shudders*

You buy fansubs? Don't buy fansubs. They're never meant to be bought. Anyway, I do watch fansubs on occasion. (I like hearing the Japanese infinitely more than English, so I usually watch subtitled ones on the DVDs I have too.) Have you seen Scrapped Princess? I am in love with that show.

Your feedback might be a little more helpful if you were clearer on what you were referring to. Could you offer specific examples, or clarify what you mean?

Oh. Yeah, she might be his sister. My bad. .... Yeah, now that I think about it I'm pretty sure she is his sister :p. Really, you find Kisaragi cute? I don't see it. He looks too ... creepy to me. Something about anime guys who have glasses that have glare ... it always seems to symbolize how eeeevil they are :p. I think Ayato is very likeable too. But while I'm on the topic of their cuteness, I don't think Ayato's that cute either. Actually, I don't think [i]any[/i] of the guys in the anime are cute ... and I'm not usually particularly hard to please in that department. ... Weird ... All the characters seem pretty normal-looking (except Quon I think), which I agree is a good thing. I've never seen Evangelion, but hope to watch it after RahXephon.

[color=green]In general it's a wise idea to create an actual signup sheet to avoid people signing up with only the character's names and such (see the sticky at the top of the forum for more information). The edit at the end is hard to see and I almost missed it myself. --terra[/color]

How do you plan on "getting" Inuyasha? It has like 110 episodes or something ... and more keep coming out (from what I understand, at least). I'm just interested, as I do want to watch this series from the beginning myself, but can't figure out any non-wallet-breaking practical way to do it :p.

The Ayato-Quon relationship is definitely the biggest question on my mind, even bigger than that of Reika. Reika has got to just have some sort of [spoiler]more-than-human significance ... I mean, she died, and she can appear whenever the heck she wants, and she can help Ayato out of the ... thing he was falling into one time when he was piloting RahXephon. Hyper space, or something. Certain death, basically, she can help him out of certain death :p.[/spoiler] Oh, back to Quon. She is so odd. You find out in episode 10 (I think?) that she [spoiler]also is an Orin, like Ayato, another term I'd like to know the meaning of. If she's an Orin, how come she doesn't have a mech of her own?[/spoiler] Keep in mind she's also the creepy doctor's daughter, so that probably has some significance at some opint. [spoiler]I don't think she and Ayato are siblings myself ... but definitely connected in some way.[/spoiler] Haha, I'm just waiting for someone who's seen the complete series to come along and blast our poor theories apart. ;)

I'd have to disagree with your theory, pbIcan'tspellyourname. First of all, Reika is the same age as Ayato. Obviously this could be some weird ... time ... thing, but I don't think it is. Secondly, [spoiler]Reika probably isn't of this world. In one of the episodes before Ayato leaves Tokyo Jupiter, he talks about Reika to his two classmates, the ones he was with when he was in the subway when it crashed. They're both like, "Who are you talking about?" and then seconds later she appears and they both act as if they know her. She apparently modified their memory. Later in the same episode her reflection also doesn't appear when she's talking to Ayato by the pool.[/spoiler] ... Come to think of it, neither of those things really rule out the option of what you suggested, since Ayato seems [spoiler]a little unearthly himself, what with the RahXephon piloting and all[/spoiler]. So, I take it back. Interesting theory! :)

[color=green]Botosai, please type in complete sentences with correct capitalization and punctuation, even if what you want to say is short and sweet. You should also keep in mind that three-word posts are generally considered spam. Thanks, --terra[/color]

Oh yeah. I had another question as well ... Why does everybody like Go Go Yubari so much? I found her ... somewhat annoying. Amusing, but annoying. I'm not sure why ... just something about her. Anyway, I was able to see the first black and white scene I'd missed earlier, and I'm glad I did, as it did contain some very important information. :p

I've watched the first ten episodes of the series over the past couple weekends. And was contemplating making a thread on the series after I'd finished them ... searching through I saw about five old threads that had all died out rather quickly. Maybe we can keep this one alive :D. Anyway ... I do like it a lot. For one thing, it's one of the few animes my boyfriend and I can watch together, since I don't generally give mecha anime much of a chance :p I'm bad, I admit it. But I'd heard so much about RahXephon that I gave it a chance anyway ... and it's quite interesting. I'm really wondering what the significance of Mishima Reika will end up being. My boyfriend's hypothesis is that she's somehow the [spoiler]human incarnation of RahXephon ... In episode 10 (I think) you find out that she's ... damn, I forget the name. Osiris or Isis or something? Some ancient name that is reminiscent of an Egyptian queen. Or something ... I could be getting this entirely wrong.[/spoiler] :p I also wonder of the relationship of Quon to [spoiler]Orins, and stuff like that. And what an Orin really is.[/spoiler] Quon and Reika are the biggest points of interest for me right now.