Arcadia

[size=1]I imagine that if this ever was a part of a movie or something, one of my favorite parts of it would be the visual aspect. The colors, the gestures, the shapes, the textures. You've captured all of that very well within the short story, and it only makes it more vivid in my mind. It's dark and elegant and very well done. I'm very impressed. ^_^[/size]

[size=1]"That sounds.. fantastic," Anya murmured, a sly smile slipping onto her face. The pilot of Wing seemed to reply by thrusting forward into the search lights of the base, and that was good enough for her. She followed after him, knocking one mobile suit into the ground with the gundam's Beam Glaive while using the Dragon Fang to render another one equally useless. Naomi flew in behind her, and soon all three of them were in the fray, destroying mobile suits left and right. Wufei had trained her extensively in the martial arts that he'd always known, and it showed in battle. Shenlong was built for it, and Anya reveled in the fact that the gundam's movements were so fluid and strong, and completely in sync with her. That, combined with the beam glaive, she was becoming quite the destructive force. Anya also noted in between slicing and dicing the other suits that her fellow pilots weren't doing so bad themselves. She could hear Alex over the communication line, and though his joy seemed to border on insanity at times, he was felling quite a few of enemy suits. Naomi was also proving to be a worthy pilot - she was surrounded by broken, smoking suits, Sandrock's scythes gleaming wickedly. "Alex," the pilot of Shenlong remarked after a moment while toasting a few suits with the flame throwing in the dragon claw, "The number of suits here is dwindling. In a few minutes we'll be done." She spun quickly to meet those creeping up behind her, cutting through the air with the beam glaive. Three more suits fell. Alex seemed to come out of his state of euphoria and struck down a suit in front of him before answering, "Yes. We'll be moving again in a moment, but we've got to keep in contact with Deathscythe and Heavy Arms. We can't move before we know they're set." A couple yards away, Sandrock cleanly cut the arms off an enemy suit before kicking it into a wall. Plaster and smoke surrounded the gundam but the scythes were still visible, gleaming through the dust. "Maybe we better ask them, then," Naomi chirped. She seemed to be enjoying herself. "Right." Alex ran a hand through his hair, pressing a few buttons before continuing, "Deathscythe, Heavy Arms, report." OOC: Eh, I hope this doesn't bother me.. just wanted to move it along a bit. ^_^[/size]

[u]General Awards[/u] [b]Overall Member of the Year:[/b] James [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Sara[/size] [b]Male Otaku of the Year:[/b] Semjaza Azazel [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Shy[/size] [b]Female Otaku of the Year:[/b] BabyGirl [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Queen Asuka[/size] [b]Staff Member of the Year:[/b] Sara [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Shy[/size] [b]Funniest Member:[/b] DeathKnight [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Shinmaru[/size] [b]Most Opinionated Otaku:[/b] PoisonTongue [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Cloricus[/size] [b]Member most likely to be here in two years:[/b] Queen Asuka [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Dagger IX1[/size] [b]Best Newbie:[/b] terra [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Mimmi[/size] [b]Best Oldie:[/b] BabyGirl [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Ben[/size] [b]Most likely to become a Staff Member:[/b] Dagger IX1 [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] PoisonTongue[/size] [b][strike]Favorite Banned Member: [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size][/strike][/b] [b]Most improved Member of the Year:[/b] Vicky [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Annie[/size] [b][strike]Thread of the Year: [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Silliest Thread of the Year: [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size][/strike][/b] [u]Random Awards[/u] [b]Avatar Award:[/b] James [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Semjaza Azazel[/size] [b]Signature Award:[/b] Liamc2 [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Semjaza Azazel[/size] [b]Best Location:[/b] doukeshi03 ("Somewhere Witty...") [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] PiroMunkie[/size] [b]Best Otaku Couple:[/b] Syk and Mei [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] PiroMunkie and Queen Asuka[/size] [b]Best looking Otaku:[/b] BabyGirl [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Queen Asuka[/size] [b]Otaku clique of the Year:[/b] G3: GeeksGotGame [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Nintendorks[/size] [b]Best MyOtaku:[/b] Semjaza Azazel [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Dagger IX1[/size] [u]Otaku Writers[/u] [b]Poet Laureate:[/b] Mitch [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Dagger IX1[/size] [b]Writer of the Year:[/b] Solo Tremaine [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Dagger IX1[/size] [b]Orginal Story of the Year:[/b] OtakuBoards: Enter the Net [size=1][b][strike]Honorable Mention:[/strike][/b][/size] [b]Role-Player of the Year:[/b] terra [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] The Harlequin[/size] [b]Brawler of the Year (sparring):[/b] Dagger IX1 [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Metatron[/size] [b]Role-Playing Game of the Year[/b] Kill Adam: Volume 1 [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] SYF: Aquila Del Desierto[/size] [u]Social Otakus[/u] [b]Otaku Social member of the year:[/b] Queen Asuka [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Sara[/size] [b]Entertainment Otaku of the Year:[/b] DeathKnight [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Shinmaru[/size] [u]Anime Otakus[/u] [b]Otaku of the Year:[/b] Dagger IX1 [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] maladjusted[/size] [strike][b].hack//SIGN Member of the Year: [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] DragonBall Guru: [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Digipeep of the Year: [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Gundam Member of the Year: [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Yu-Gi-Oh Member of the Year: [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Least Disappointing Yu Yu Hakusho Member: [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size][/b][/strike] [u]Otaku Gamers[/u] [b]Gamer of the Year:[/b] Semjaza Azazel [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Shinmaru[/size] [b]Nintendo "Mario" Award:[/b] Shinmaru [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] James[/size] [strike][b]The Sony Award: [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Xbox Gamer of the Year: [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] PC Gamer of the Year: [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size][/b][/strike] [u]Otaku Artists[/u] [b]Best Graphic Designer (Banners, wallpapers, etc.):[/b] Syk3 [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] terra[/size] [b]Best "Traditional" Artist (Drawings, paintings, etc.):[/b] Babygirl [size=1][b]Honorable Mention:[/b] Sara[/size] [strike][b]Best Spriter: [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size][/b][/strike]

[size=1]Anya enjoyed her meal. She ate in peace and quiet, though surrounded by her fellow gundam pilots and other such technicians and a steady current of gossip and laughter. Her mind was elsewhere, though not even she knew exactly, and that was perfect for now. It was time to relax and mentally prepare herself for their next mission. Their first mission, really. The base in Germany. Like the others, the only things she knew about Earth were from books or magazines, or even the coded files she'd recieved before picking up Shenlong. She'd never actually been there, and until Wufei had really started talking to her about the gundams and his life as a pilot of one of them, she'd never really taken a huge interest in the planet. But it interested Chang. Especially his clan's old ties to China. And since it fascinated him, Anya would learn all she could about it. She poked at her food then, moving around the last few bites thoughtfully. She wore a frown out of habit, but her thoughts were more amused than anything else, and she enjoyed reminiscing for the next few minutes before deciding that it was very much time for her to turn in. Besides, Tanya and Gen were throwing nasty glares at each other and it was only a matter of time before they erupted into argument. Again. Standing, she picked up her tray and discarded it back at the counter where the others had been piled up, giving the cook a wink before sauntering back out into the hallway. Both Alex and Naomi had already retired to bed - that's what she assumed, at least, and for the most part the halls were relatively empty. In a matter of minutes she was back in her own room, tossing her clothes into a small bin haphazardly as she pulled on a paint-stained tank top for bed. She went through all the necessities of washing her face (for probably the fourth time that day, in all actuality), brushing her teeth, and detangling her hair before climbing under the covers of her bed. It was surprisingly comfortable, and she drifted off sooner than expected. Every once and awhile the sound of her muttering in her sleep pierced the quiet of the room, and then she'd just roll over and give a loud sigh before submitting to silence once again. All things considered, it was probably a good thing that she didn't have to share living space with anyone.[/size]

[size=1]Ha, yeah, I agree with Lady Katana. It *does* remind me of Mewtwo a bit. Despite the fact that they're pretty different. >.> This was fun to read, and I definitely enjoyed learning poor Aidan's dark history. Wonderful explanations, and now I'm exicted to hear about Tempestmon, and what happened with the rest of the digidestined. You tell a story very, very well. Everything seems to be well thought out and organized, and your descriptions of the ruined city and all the lush trees and whatnot are perfect for the story. So yes, looking forward to the next chapter to find out what the heck is jumping at them. Maybe it'll be a bunny. o.O;; Just being optimistic.[/size]

[size=1][color=navyblue]Kagome, please don't double-post, especially when it's only with spam. :p Any questions like these can be kept to PMs. You might want to check out our rules and even Harlequin's sticky, just to familiarize yourself a bit more with the boards. Thanks, Arcadia[/color][/size]

[size=1][i]Eventually, the warmth of the sun through the window caused Melon to stirr. While the spot had been ideal during the night, when she needed the coolness that drifted in, it was now a target for the sun's rays. And after a moment of sleepy musings, she was beginning to suspect that she might be cooked alive if she stayed put. Blinking her eyes open, wiping away the sleep, she glanced about the room. It seemed to her that everyone else was still sleeping, and like she did, many had moved sometime during the night to cooler spots. Stifling a yawn, she stretched her arms out wide before pushing herself off the ground slowly. Melon wavered a bit on her feet, and she waited for herself to adapt to awakeness before moving again. As she had the night before, she stepped carefully over tangled sheets and legs, her eyes on the ground rather than in front of her. So she definitely missed the fact that somebody's legs were stretched out in front of her. Before she knew it, she tripped over the unseen obstacle and landed with resounding thud on her front side.[/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] Oof! ....oh, blast it. [i]Behind her, Kamikasai jumped up, almost losing his balance - her ankles were still dangling rather conspicously over his. However, his agility was immaculate compared to hers, and the next thing she knew he was knealing next to her, speaking frantically.[/i] [color=crimson][b]Kamikasai:[/b][/color] Melon, I'm so sorry, are you all right? You didn't hurt yourself, did you? Can you get up? Melon, do you-- [i]She pushed herself to her knees then, and he abruptly stopped as she peered at him curiously, and then to her hand.[/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] Look! I found my watch! [[i]There was a pause, before she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.[/i]] ....When did I [i]lose[/i] it? [i]It dangled from her hand, glinting merrily in the sunlight. They both blinked at it a little longer than was necessary, before Melon sat back, tucking the watch away. Kamikasai coughed a bit, and then stood, offering her his hand.[/i] [color=crimson][b]Kamikasai:[/b][/color] Uh, so... you're okay, then? [i]Melon took his hand graciously, giving him a bright smile as she hopped up.[/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] Of course. I'm used to falling. Sadly.[/size]

[size=1]Anya had managed to wash up a bit and was standing in front of her mirror in her underwear, making faces at herself as she picked at her hair. It was shorter, but she liked it - easy to take care of, and it kept out of her way. Couldn't ask for anything more. Although at the moment.. she kind of wanted it to [i]dry[/i] faster. Rolling her eyes at her reflection, she turned away and began pulling on a fresh set of clothes - simple jeans and a tank top - before looking around for her shoes. After scanning the room briefly, she growled at nothing in particular, crossing her arms. "I just took the damn things o-- oh, there we go." Minutes later, she was on the move again, heading towards the dining area. If she was hungry before the little swimming incident, then her stomach was about to cave in on itself now. And she could definitely smell the food, the scent of it wafting down the hallways enticely. As she got to the hall, she noted Gen lingering in the doorway in front of her. Clearing her throat a little impatiently, she put a hand on her hip and arched an eyebrow at him. "I did not come all this way to just sit here and [i]watch[/i] everybody eat," she informed him, only a small quirk of her lips giving away the fact that she wasn't entirely serious. He just stared at her impassively for a moment, before moving into the mess hall, taking a few languid steps. Obviously, he wasn't concerned about her dire need for food. Sliding past him, she made a bee-line for the counter where everything was set out, grabbed a tray, and pushed it towards the cook behind the counter. "Feed me, dahlink!"[/size]

[size=1][color=navyblue]Okay, jro13, I've asked you a few times to improve on your posts. Dragongirl pretty much covered that, obviously, but I think you might also want to review the rules. The above is spam - it has nothing to do with the current story line and can easily be restricted to a simple PM. Also, check Harlequin's sticky, in case you haven't already. I think that'll give you all the help you need. If I don't see an improvement soon, I might need to take some drastic measures. So please, pick up the quality a little bit. Thanks, Arcadia[/color][/size]

[size=1]Anya was about to send Alex (and subsequently all those listening on the line) some random curses and further threats on his life if he didn't show up soon, but then a beeping sound made her pause. Coughing lightly to hide a snigger, she noticed the little blinking dot on her sonar with some satisfaction. He chose to speak up right about then. "Hey guys, you miss me?" He almost sounded as though he'd just been a small kid, stealing away from his parents to take a walk in the park. Anya got a funny visual involving the Wing gundam after that, but she shook her head quickly and muttered something about men and testosterone before pulling Shenlong up out of the waters at an easy, relaxed pace. Tanya just sighed, slightly relieved, though still annoyed, and soon followed suit. "We found him - everyone back to the ship." Anya broke the surface, enjoying the waves she made, before continuing up. Naomi drifted towards her, though hesitated to follow right away - she wanted to see Alex and Wing with her own eyes. Eventually both Deathscythe and Wing did appear, and the four pilots flew back to the ship, careful to enter the atmosphere again at just the right angle. Raul was waiting for them in the hanger, not looking entirely pleased, but as Tanya was, he was relieved that Alex - as well as everyone else, though they didn't actually do much - made it back unharmed. As they shut down the gundams and climbed out, some before others, he called out to them teasingly, "It's about friggin' time." Raising her eyebrow, Anya glanced towards the others before shaking her hair out. All that piloting made her hot again, and some of her hair was sticking to her forehead and the back of her neck. She unzipped her suit half way so that she might cool down faster, then jumped down her gundam rather like some crazy feline and onto the catwalk. There, she gathered the clothes she'd shed so quickly earlier and gave them all a half-hearted wave before starting back towards the locker room. Again.[/size]

[size=1]I hope the bio is all right. I don't know much past the series, so I might need some help. ^_~ [b]Name:[/b] Iolanthe Vedette DeVaries [b]Age:[/b] 19 [b]Special Ability:[/b] Telekinesis [b]Weapon:[/b] Besides the fact that she can hurt you without ever having to touch you, she carries around a small dagger and, oddly enough, pepper spray. [b]Ethniticity:[/b] French-American Hybrid [b]Description:[/b] A very lithe, supple figure, elegant and graceful, but not without a woman's subtle curves. Her hair is long and dark, the ends curling slightly, and she often ties it back in a loose plait. More often then that, a hat is worn. Her eyes are a deep, smokey gray, clever but shadowed. Fair skin, full lips, and slender, nimble fingers. Besides some internal scares, she's got a couple external scars on her back and stomach from various "lessons." [b]Bio:[/b] Vedette (she really hasn't been called Iolanthe for years) was born in southern France, the daughter of an American business man working overseas and a French Photographer. Despite her mother's apparent fame, she lived a rather reclusive life for quite some time. Every now and then a speck of power would show itself, but her mother did her best to suppress it. Then, one fateful day on the playground, Vedette didn't appreciate the way some snarky boy was treating her so she hit him. Naturally, the boy didn't really enjoy that either, and so he pushed the little girl to the ground and called her dirty names. Vedette, furious, pulled her hand back to hit him again. When she lashed out, however, she never made contact with the boy, but the boy definitely made contact with a tree a couple yards back. Word eventually got to the people at Rosenkreuz and so it was arranged that she should attend the private school so that they might examine, understand, and further develope her mysterious powers. However, the school wasn't as great as it was made out to be, and Vedette grew bitter with the harsh treatment and her parent's apparent lack of concern over her situation. (Truth be told, her parents were ignorant of the ways of the school and their daugher's hardships.) So one day, her spunky attitude got the better of her and she spoke out against one of the instructors. She was soundly beaten. After that Vedette kept much better control of her anger, and though she hated it, learned to live with the constant abuse and even the rapings. She kept silent for the next couple years, watching and waiting for the right moment, growing increasingly bitter over the ways students were used and abused. Within the school, she made friends with two others, and only them - she learned that the fewer friends you had, the less they had to use against you. So she guarded not only her own emotions but her friends closely, and eventually the three decided that enough was enough. They'd heard things about Weiss and Schwarz and found in them a means of escape, a means to freedom. The only problem facing the girls now is how to keep that freedom from the ever hungry, scratching claws of Rosenkreuz...[/size]

[size=1]Anya had just been peeling a rather large orange when a sudden jolt rocked the ship and sent her stumbling onto the kitchen table, the orange bouncing acrossed the hard tiled floor. Naturally, she cursed loudly before heading straight for the door, skidding out into the hallway. Nothing. No smoke, no men in masks, no putred smells.. "What the hell?" She remembered then that there were small intercoms throughout the ship, just for these situations. Another rumble sent her reeling into the wall with a hard thud, and she pushed herself off it just as quickly before hurrying back into the kitchen, and to the communication piece on the wall. "Raul, what the fuck was that?" She hissed into it, taking the brief moment of freedom to rub her shoulder. The wall hadn't been kind to it, but she was pretty sure she'd live. He came back, sounding a number of things - angry, frustrated, anxious, nervous.. but mostly she sensed a bit of confusion. "The ship's being attacked... Alex is already heading out in Wing.." Anya chewed on her lip, sprinting back out into the hall and towards the hanger, intent on [i]not[/i] missing the party, this time. She got there quickly enough, and noted that Wing was already gone. Tanya was already in Deathscythe, preparing to leave. The pilot of Shenlong took no time in joining her, effortlessly stripping down to her underwear in order to pull the space suit on before scurrying into the cockpit of her gundam. Not a minute later, Shenlong shot out of the hanger after Deathscythe, both gundams ready and willing for a good fight (and not listening at all to Raul's protests). However, Wing was already on the lone Scorpio, and the two mobile suits were quickly heading towards Earth. Anya watched in a sort of morbid fascination as the Earth's atmosphere began burning up the metal of the suits. Raul was shouting at Alex over the communication line, but she was getting the distinct feeling that the Wing Pilot couldn't hear a word. Scorpio was burning up violently in the Earth's atmosphere, and the suit was no match to the gundam's durability. As Wing fell to the ocean, damaged but not destroyed, the Scorpio ceased to exist, completely burned up. Well, that was one way to take it down. Tanya tried to contact Alex and Wing but only got static in return - not a good sign, but what happened exactly to the pilot was unknown. Anya listened to it carefully, scanning the ocean below her for any signs of heat, before suggesting quietly, "Perhaps you'd like to go for a swim?" OOC: This feels a bit sloppy, but I wanted to get it up for Domon before I went to bed. ^_^ [/size]

[size=1]Obviously, I'm going to suggest any sort of Disney soundtrack, and then any sort of Broadway soundtrack. But after that, I like the one for Run Lola Run (I thought the movie was wonderful, and music was perfect for it) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (which is absolutely gorgeous). And The Rocky Horror Picture Show because it spells good times, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, because it's genius. Yah, that's good and short.[/size]

[size=1][i]Like many others, after the sudden thudding that started up outside, Melon had a difficult time trying to fall asleep. She was very much aware of the stuffiness, and the tension that seemed to continually build as the minutes slowly ticked by. [b]Slowly[/b], she was going insane. And she was certain that if that didn't kill her, than Pooka would, because she just couldn't lay still. Sighing, trying her best to be quiet about it, she pushed herself off her stomach and glanced blearily out the window, now that it was open once again. The moonlit night was pretty, but the rumbling sounds and the knowledge that the Thirstquencher guards were already onto them kind of ruined the moment. She turned her eyes away from the outside world and onto her companions, glancing to see who was still up and frustrated as she was, and who had somehow managed to doze off (the lucky jerks). From what she could see, though, not many had been lucky enough to do so. For those on the other side of the room, it was just too dark and shadowy to tell, despite the moonlight from the window. Deciding that it was just too warm there on the bed, she carefully crawled off the end of it and made her way to the window, being ridiculously careful about where she stepped. Clumsy as she was, one wrong move could be disasterous, and she certainly didn't want to disturb those who actually could get sleep. Thankfully she made it there unscathed, smoothed down her robe, and then leaned forward on her elbows as she watched the scene below. She couldn't really see anymore guards, and the streets were relatively empty. But she still felt a bit nervous because of them, which meant for her that sleep was a long way off. Chewing on the ends of her hair, a bit flustered, she shuffled some on her feet before directing her gaze over the buildings of the town towards the hills in the distance. Her mind wandered then and her eyes glazed over as she thought about the days ahead. Melon only snapped out of it when she heard somebody groan in frustration, turning over in their bedding. It made her smile a bit at her own silly habits, despite the other person's unfortunate situation. At least she never ceased in amusing herself. Blinking, trying to clear her head, she glanced over her shoulder back towards the room, before turning her rest of her body to follow. It seemed a bit cooler by the window, and after a few more minutes of just.. standing there, she decided she might sit instead. It was a change of pace. So she did, and folded her legs up against her chest, hugging them as she set her chin on her knees. Eventually she started humming softly. It was nearly inaudible at first, but gradually it turned into a whisper. She didn't dare make it any louder, and at every note she expected somebody to throw something at her. But she found that she was soothed by it, at least, and hoped that maybe the others might be helped by it, as well. At least a few of them might sleep, if they all couldn't.[/i][/size]

[size=1]Anya didn't even bother moving from her seat, watching with mild interest as the pilots left the room, one by one. Eventually only she and Alex were left, and he just gave her a blank look before shrugging. "Go figure." Smiling secretively, she swung her legs off the arm of the chair and leaned forward a bit, clasping her hands together. "Germany is lovely this time of year," she said conversationally, before standing. He just raised an eyebrow. "Really?" "I haven't the slightest." Anya gave him a small wink as she passed him, leaving the briefing room as the others did. She glanced down the hall both ways, deciding which areas to explore first, when she was joined by Alex once again. "You know," he stated matter-of-factly, putting his hands on his hips as he stared ahead at nothing, "I have the feeling that us gundam pilots aren't exactly going to be unified." She arched an eyebrow at him, before stepping towards the left. "Damn." [i]That's a real shame,[/i] she though to herself in amusement. [i]And I so wanted these kids to be my friends, too.[/i] Alex just watched her go, before wandering off to do his own thing. As they all were doing. Sarcasm aside, Anya knew that the first couple weeks were going to be rocky indeed. She had expected it, and was frankly glad for it - she had a tendency to be a little anti-social. But as it was, the apparent hostility between the pilots - especially between Deathscythe and Heavy Arms - wasn't exactly going to help matters. As long as they didn't get in her way or screw things up for all of them, however, Anya didn't care about their little squabble. Competition was a healthy thing. Up ahead she noted Gen, and gave him a little mock salute before turning down into a different corridor. She vaguely remembered this being something of a mess hall - the kitchen must be around here somewhere, and suddenly food sounded like a great idea.[/size]

[size=1]Yes Tony, it feels very good. I think my mom took a picture of me hugging it, so that says enough right there. I also got a ton of batteries.. but I don't really have anything to use them in. That, and a sewing kit. Yeah, me with a sharp point needle. Great idea.[/size]

[size=1]Hmm. I don't usually have specific resolutions, but this year there's a few definite things I want to change, so here they be (in no specific order): 1. Be more vocal. About everything. Even if it means disagreeing with somebody. ^_~ And be more honest with people. Yes. 2. Actually use the Leach Center on campus. That's the gym, and it's free since I'm a student. And I don't use it at all, which is stupid. I always complain about being out of shape anyway, so maybe now I'll actually do something about it. What a novel idea! 3. Do better in school. Well, I did great last semester, but I think it could have been better - at least, I should definitely read more, and not procrastinate as much. (ha ha, yeah right) 4. Make more friends, join something, get involved. That all kind of goes together. After that.. well, there's not much else. Besides eventually catching up with my list of anime and videogames. Which might take a while. ^_~[/size]

[size=1]I asked for a bunch of books and movies, so that's basically what I got. That, and some spiffy toes socks with bells on them. And Muse's [i]Showbiz[/i]. Huzzah. My mom is the queen of "little things" however, so I got a lot of random stuff, too. Like an orange. She was especially excited about this key chain light thing that has a couple different settings; one of the blinking settings is actually S.O.S. in morse code. She turned it on to show me and then went off about how if I'm ever in trouble on campus then I can shine the light in his eye and blind him. >.> Thanks mom! All in all, though, a very satisfying Christmas. ^_^[/size]

[size=1]Anya didn't head off towards the showers right away. Instead, she stuck around her beautiful gundam, jumping around and poking at controls, getting a better feel for it. Frankly, she didn't need to - there was something about Shenlong that warmed her blood and made her feel giddy. Which was something, as it didn't happen often. Whatever it was, Anya took to the suit like a duck takes to water. Maybe it was the way she was trained. Maybe it was a natural born grace. Or maybe she was just the only person crazy enough to pilot it. Eventually she did jump back down to the catwalk, landing with a thud as the metal gratings rattled with the impact. She grinned a little, jumping a few times to test the catwalk, before continuing down it towards the showers. Like the others, she'd been given a special coded file that explained the ship, and she took no time in memorizing it. There were two others in the shower by the time she got to it. Judging by the clothes and other odd items on the floor, it was the two other girls. Anya just shrugged half-heartedly before stripping down and stepping in the last tiled shower. She kept the water luke-warm, and then turned it cold slowly, a maniac grin creeping across her face. It was a thrill - definitely helped wake her up a bit, after such a disappointing episode with the gundams. [i]Heh, of course, when you show up late to a party, that's what you get.[/i] Anya had a feeling that she might get bitched out about that. In her defense, though, she'd been there the entire time - she'd just taken her sweet time getting to her gundam, that's all. From her spot on that radio tower, she was able to analyze her new comrades more efficiently, as well as the man Une. More freedom when no one knew you were there. And Anya was fiercely protective of her freedom. Fifteen minutes later she was out, bouncing up and down lightly to keep her blood warm. The cold water had obvious effects on her body, but unfortunately no one was there to see it. She grabbed a clean towel and hurriedly dried herself down, glancing at the clock on the wall. [i]Ten minutes till the briefing. Shit.[/i] Picking up the pace a bit after that, she pulled on her undergarments rather hastily, following with her pants. Then, with her shirt and jacket in hand, she started out the door. She wasn't really one to be modest, so when she noticed another guy down the hall - hell, she had no idea who he was, maybe he was a pilot, maybe a mechanic, maybe even a rapist - she only arched an eyebrow before starting in the direction of the briefing room. Eventually she did pull on her shirt, and left her jacket to hang over her shoulder, taking her hands to her hair. As she shook it out, she stepped into the room, glancing at the two already there before taking a seat on the other end of the table. Minutes later, the same man she saw in the hallway appeared at the door, cool and collected. [i]Great way to make a first impression,[/i] she thought dryly to herself, hanging her legs over the arm of the chair as she picked at her nails. A small smirk had found its way onto her face. [/size]

[size=1][color=navyblue]If you want this to last, please adhere to the rules a little better. Explain what the OC Torment is.. what's the purpose of it, what's the basic plot line, what is expected of the players who join? More people will join if they understand what it's about. Check back to the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30059]rules[/url] and also to Harlequin's [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29599]sticky[/url] for more information. Also, I want to stress to both of you that we try to keep up the quality on the boards, so please make sure you use proper punctuation and detail. If you've got any further comments or questions, don't be afraid to ask. ^_~ Thanks, Arcadia.[/color][/size]

[size=1]It seemed as thought she'd brought the dragon back to life just in time to.. do absolutely nothing. Anya wasn't happy that her enemy had disappeared - as well as the Wing gundam, she noted - but there was nothing for it. She highly doubted that this was the end. Plenty more where that came from, and so on and so forth. Leaning her head back, closing her eyes, she just listened to the humming around her, every creak and groan and computer whirl that Shenlong emitted. She felt familiar with it already - as though they were reunited, or something. Anya wondered if that was normal... then again, when was anything she did ever considered normal? A small screen in front of her lit up and she found herself looking at another girl - probably one of the other gundams. "Shenlong, thanks for joining us," The woman said, and Anya thought it could very well have been laced with sarcasm. Arching an eyebrow in response, Anya glanced towards some of the other controls, checking to make sure everything was in working order. "Yes, well, some party." Unphased, the girl continued, "This is Deathscythe, specifically, Tanya. You would be..?" "...Anya," she replied after a brief moment, "With Shenlong." There was another moment of silence in which Anya tinkered around with the communication line, checking the other two gundams present. Both had been quiet so far, and it looked as though one of them wasn't even on the channel. She raised her eyebrows, going over the stats in her head, before shrugging to herself. "What's next?"[/size]

[size=1]Let's see. I asked for... 1. The Cowboy Bebop movie. Can you believe I haven't actually seen the whole thing, all the way through? I'm a bit disappointed, myself. Although, I'm almost positive I'll get it - it's an easy buy. 2. The RahXephon series. I've heard so many good things about this series, and I've definitely liked what I've seen of it. I know the one Game Stop/Planet X store near me has the box set. Hopefully Santa will come through for me, heh. 3. I also asked for Scrapped Princess, but I [i]don't[/i] think I'll be getting that one. Of course, with terra's help, that can easily be remedied... *rubs hands together evilly* After that, there's still a ton of stuff that I want to see, but don't necessarily want to buy. I can't wait to see what my friends get, heh. We'll have silly parties or something. It'll be great.[/size]

[size=1]The battle between the gundams raged on and Anya watched it in silence from her spot on one of the colonies older, abandoned radio towers. Her eyes narrowed until they were little slits, not only giving her better side but they also served as deterrants against the gusts of wind the suits created with each movement. It was a sort of ballet, she thought. The pilots all had a grace of their own with the suits, flowing and elegant and strong. She remembered Wufei having said as much about them. A small smirk pulled at her lips then and she turned to climb down when something happened in the battle that she hadn't expected. The Wing gundam changed form, into a streaming, sleek bird. The rifle was still operational, as far as she could tell. It had changed form, and thus the course of the battle. "Fascinating," she murmured, raising her hand to shield her eyes. She stayed a moment longer before climbing down the tower with an almost cat-like agility, and then scampered across the cracked pavement towards the spot where Wufei's associates had directed her. Towards her very own gundam. Shenlong had been sleeping, dormant for years, in not a warehouse, but an old, abandoned opera house. Anya thought it oddly fitting, although she didn't exactly have a reason for it. Just seemed like the appropriate thing to do. She crept in easily enough, having been given the access codes, and then hurried through the dark building towards the large, bulking shadow that sat dreamlike on the stage. It was a beautiful sight, but the view was even better when she caught hold of the edge of the tarp and pulled. Anya stepped back for a moment, gazing up at the gundam with an appreciative glint in her eyes before grinning at it. "Hell yeah."[/size]

[size=1]Of course the banner rocks, Shin made it. Well.. added on to it. Er. Yeah. Anyway, it's very funny, and like Syk3 said, the one at the end of it is fantastic. Genius! You have terrible handwriting, by the way. ^_~[/size]

[size=1][i]As Melon pushed her things under the bed, she shrugged off the outer robe she was wearing and dropped it over her stuff before giving it the final shove under. That would keep it all nice and orderly until morning, at least, and she wouldn't have to worry about mixing it up with Pooka's things. Satisfied with the job she did there, she turned to see if Pooka needed any help with her stuff. The smaller girl seemed to be struggling with her sword, trying to pull it up onto the bed with her. Melon blinked once, watching with obvious interest before grinning a bit.[/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] Need any help there? [i]Pooka grunted, falling backwards as the hilt slipped from her hands and the sword fell over with a dull thud. She glared at it as she crossed her arms stubbornly, before shaking her head furiously at the green-haired wizard.[/i] [color=orangered][b]Pooka:[/b][/color] No! I can do it! [i]Smiling, Melon just nodded.[/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] Okay okay, don't worry. While you're doing that, I'll push the rest of your stuff under and fix the blankets. Sound good to you? [i]But Pooka was already at it again, her entire being completely focused on picking up that sword. Melon was beginning to hope she didn't end up hurting herself or something - hero or not, swords were still dangerous and it would be a wise idea to keep an eye on the girl. Laughing to herself, Melon did as she said she would and finished putting the rest of their things under the bed before setting to work on fluffing the pillows, pulling back the blankets, and whatnot. She quickly finished, and then began unbraiding her hair for bed as she watched the continuing battle between Pooka the Hero and her not-so-trusty sword. Her mind also wandered to the events of the day. She'd made new friends, set out on an adventure, and hopefully, had in doing so given the city some hope. That, and Ruben had agreed to teach her about knives sometime, and that was just cool. She would always be a wizard first and foremost, but at least the knowledge about the blades could come in handy. Possibly. If she didn't kill herself first, anyway. Fifteen minutes later, Melon realized she'd been detangling the same strand of hair over and over again as she stared mindlessly out the window. Her gaze quickly shifted around, to see if anybody had noticed her brief absence, before finishing up with her hair. She got up and began to step carefully around the guys' various bedrolls and such, checking to make sure that everybody had settled in comfortably. Well, at least as much as they could on the floor. She helped Zephir straighten out his blankets some so they didn't rub against the bite on his leg so much before deciding that she'd call it a night. But not before a quick thanks. With a few more careful steps, Melon made her way over to Kamikasai and began to fiddle with the ends of her hair, waiting for him to finish his conversation with Raso. Raso gave her a nod as they did, before starting towards his own spot on the floor. She returned it with an added smile, before turning it towards the hero before her.[/i] [color=green][b]Melon:[/b][/color] Just wanted to say thanks for giving me and Pooka the bed before I settle in for the night. It was very nice of you.[/size]