Raiyuu

[b][color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]"He was boring," [/font][/color][/b][color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]Xiaoyu said of Mitsurugi, slumping down on the couch near Dante, [b]"but having less people is MORE boring. Let's win next time, 'kay?" "Hey, weird attitude," [/b]commented Dante, still standing on the coffee table, [b]"but the end result's the same, right? We all wanna win." "Yeah!"[/b] agreed Xiaoyu, who, regaining a little of her energy, bounced onto her feet to give Dante a high-five. She saw his nose wrinkle up in disgust, and looked back over her shoulder to see a slimy green stain on the couch where she'd been sitting. [b]"Eeewwww!" [/b]she squealed. [b]"Is there Lemming goo on my clothes?" [/b]Samus' helmet bleeped, and a short chuckle left her mouth. [b]"I'm afraid your back is covered in the stuff." "EEEWWWW!" [/b]repeated Xiaoyu, running off to her room to find some washing facilities. [/font][/color]

[color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS][quote name='persocomblues][/font][/color]Does anyone else here use Maya by Alias for high-end graphics, animations, movies, etc and if so any tips for learning the program's ins and outs where it won't cost me much?[color=DarkSlateBlue'][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] That's probably a question better addressed to the [b]PC/Mac [/b]forum - if anyone in this thread can answer it, go ahead, but if you don't get any useful replies, try asking again there. (Welcome to the Boards, by the way. Nice to see you're settling in so well already.) Does anyone know why TV adverts for insurance companies are, without exception, a lethal sandwich of ham (acting) and cheese (scripting)? [/font][/color]

[color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS][quote name='renayiiq][/font][/color] Why is it that all the guys like to date chicks who are fugly as hell, but they never date the girls who are REALLY pretty?[color=DarkSlateBlue'][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] We'll tell you when you tell us why girls like to date idiots. :p [/font][/color]

[color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]Righty-oh. Having not played an OB Survivor or ever watched the show before, I was worried our characters would be put on the spot and asked to justify themselves [i]a la [/i]Weakest Link ("So, Ling Xiaoyu, why did you vote for xxx ...").[/font][/color]

[color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]Dag nabbit! I was quite pleased with my last post, and it turned out Sandy was closing the challenge while I was writing it ... ah well, deleted it to preserve continuity ... Do we just vote for the person, or do we have to give reasons? And do we vote off who [b]we [/b]think should go, or who our [b]character[/b] would vote for? (Because in my case they're different.) [/font][/color]

[color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS]Naruto & co: "Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has been delayed [b]again?!" [/b]Kakashi: "No but seriously, that shouldn't surprise [b]anyone." [/b]And another reference to further back in the thread: Kakashi: You three are [b]still [/b]like that? Man-Faye left, like, three hours ago." (Raiyuu Does Not Do His Own Jokes) [/font][/color]

[b][color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]"Waa~aii! This isn't fun!" [/font][/color][/b][color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]wailed Xiaoyu as she ran back and forth like a headless chicken, covered in capering green creatures. She tore some off and threw them towards the least dangerous-looking spot in the dungeon - - where they were promptly crushed under the caterpillar treads of CJ's Bulldozer cheat. [b] [color=Red][/color][/b] [b]"You can't drive that thing around in here, moron," [/b]scolded Ada, [b]"it's got far too much ... [i]squish potential." [/i]"Ain't gonna drive it, fool," [/b]retorted Carl caustically, demostrating his intent by scooping two handfuls of Lemmings into the scoop, vaulting into the driver's seat and raising them up, several metres off the ground. [b]"CJ rules, CJ rules ..." [/b]Xiaoyu didn't listen to the rest of CJ's song - she could guess how it went anyway - because her eye was caught by several little green-haired heads appearing over the side of the scoop, eyes glittering with glee. [size=1][b]"Yippee~ee!" [/b][size=2]yelled the creatures as they plummeted head first towards the cold stone ground. Xiaoyu leapt into action, performing a slide-tackle across the dungeon and giving the Lemmings a soft landing. Five of the things hit her and bounced; she couldn't stop her momentum and continued sliding towards a spiked wall. [b]"Float!" [/b]she yelled as she dug her heels into the ground, [b]"parachute! Umbrella!" [/b] Her tactic of yelling as many things as possible seemed to pay off; five red umbrellas blossomed in the air and the airborne Lemmings floated gently down to the ground. Xiaoyu managed to halt her deathslide centimetres from the spikes, and the cheerful little creatures dashed over to her, eager for more trampolining action. They clambered up and started bouncing on her tummy, and she figured if it kept them out of trouble she might as well just - [i]Fthunk [/i]Xiaoyu looked up to see several spikes missing from the wall. Craning her head back to see the opposite wall, she could see five spikes buried point-first into the crumbly mortar, an unpleasant green squish-mark around each. [b]"No fair!" [color=Red][/color][/b][/size][/size][/font][/color]

[color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]Predictably, Xiaoyu quickly got bored of jumping on the bed and raced out into the common area. Seeing Dante lounging on the sofa watching TV, she put her hands on her hips and frowned at him. [b]"How can you relax like that? Aren't you excited?" "I'm saving my energy for the real deal," [/b]the demonslayer replied languidly, waving a hand dismissively and turning back to the TV. [b]"Well, you're no fun," [/b]decided Xiaoyu. She explored the kitchen for a bit, finding the fridge well stocked with both food and beer - it seemed the people behind the game catered for the tastes of all participants. [b]"You know we're not allowed out except by teleporter?" [/b]she enquired, re-entering the common room. [b]"Does that mean out of the apartment? Or out of the building?" [/b]Several blank faces met her question. Mog hadn't really been specific. [b]"Only ... I could do with letting off some steam." [/b]That met with some whispered comments like, [b]"no kidding.[/b]" She continued over them, [b]"so I was going to try the elevator to look for a gym or something ... otherwise I might start having to use one of you as a punchbag!"[/b] [/font][/color]

[color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS][quote name='Mog's Clue][/font][/color][font=Century Gothic][color=Red]Bravers: BEEILLORRTTWY and one space[/color][/font][color=Purple'][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] [b]"Umm ... what's Scrabble?" [/b]asked Xiaoyu, raising a hand coyly. [b]"Dull-ass word game, yo." "Each letter is worth points ... maybe that has something to do with it?" [/b]offered Ada. [b]"This isn't fair!" [/b]Xiaoyu wailed. [b]"The adventure team's going to win, they do these puzzles all the time!" "Maybe if I hit it with my sword, it'll open up a gateway or something...?" [/b]suggested Dante, staring dubiously at the slip of card with the letters on it. [b]"That may be less stupid than it sounds," [/b]mused Ada. [b]"If it's an anagram, cutting out the letters so we can move them around could help." "Maybe if we take out all the double letters...?" [/b]Xiaoyu offered. [b]"I did a puzzle in a magazine where you had to do that."[/b] [/font][/color]

[color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]Xiaoyu's short attention span was beginning to take its toll; she was getting bored of the Red Sword group, and especially CJ with his wandering eye. She was vaguely aware that Mitsurugi was introducing himself to her, in full formal samurai style, but her eye was caught by the only other occupant of the CPU that seemed as enthused as she was. When Mitsurugi looked up from his bow, Xiaoyu was already halfway across the vertiginous blue space, heading for the short, moustachio'd figure of Mario Mario. [b]"Hey!" [/b]she greeted the plumber, waving excitedly as she approached. [b]"I'm Ling Xiaoyu! You're Mario, right? I heard you introduce yourself to everyone! Are you excited?" "Of-a-course!" [/b]cried Mario. [b]"Who woudn-a be?" [/b]Xiaoyu gestured over her shoulder to CJ and the rest of the Red Sword group. [b]"All those guys want to do is stand around! They're boring. I'm gonna talk to you instead!"[/b] [/font][/color]

[color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]I can't speak for everyone else, but I just knocked up my Xiaoyu avatar myself after seeing Mario appear in Lrb's set.[/font][/color]

[b][color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]"Aaaiii - YA!" [/font][/color][/b][color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]Xiaoyu landed an elegant but vicious back-kick on her punchbag, which had a crude and very weathered caricature of Heihachi Mishima sellotaped near the top. She executed a textbook-perfect side tumble to avoid its heavy swing back towards her, landing and grabbing a towel from the rail in one fluid motion. When she arrived home a long envelope was laying on the mat. As soon as it was open a large, gaudy red sword fell out, along with a message and a weird-looking device. [b]"I have to take this with me?" [/b]Xiaoyu lamented, scanning the note and hefting the sword. [b]"It clashes with ALL my outfits!" [/b]She decided quickly that she probably wouldn't be holding onto the sword for long and threw on the pink silk garments she'd worn for the last King of Iron Fist tournament. Thrusting the sword into the back of her belt, she activated the device and found herself instantly in a surreal blue space. [b]"Great, bimbo eye candy," [/b]commented a short black creature. Xiaoyu strode right up to it - him? - and ruffled the fur on top of his head, carefully avoiding the sharp spines. [b]"Aren't you cute?" [/b]she giggled, continuing on straight past. He fell into a shocked silence. [b]"Hey, you have a red sword too!"[/b] cried Xiaoyu, seeing the item wielded by the hoodie guy. [b]"Does that mean we have to team up? Cool! I'm Ling Xiaoyu!" "Hey yo, ain't you a good-lookin' piece o' womanhood," [/b]nodded the hoodie guy with an eyebrow raised. Xiaoyu frowned at him cheerfully and wagged a finger. [b]"Naughty attitude, mister!"[/b] [/font][/color]

[color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS][quote name='Lord Dante][/font][/color]if i bite off the dead skin on the end of my finger, does that make me a cannibal?[color=DarkSlateBlue'][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] I wouldn't start worrying unless you get the urge to bite the dead skin on the end of [b]someone else's [/b]finger. [quote name='Outlaw][/font][/color]Whats more important, great tasting or less filling?[color=DarkSlateBlue'][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] That's a no brainer! Great tasting every time. I'd rather eat a chocolate fudge cake that took me to heaven with every mouthful but felt like a brick in my stomach than, say, some celery. And besides, you can always just eat [b]less[/b] of the great-tasting-but-filling stuff. [/font][/color]

[font=century gothic][color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS][color=Black]{OOC: had a change of heart on my character. I've deleted my original sign-up.}[/color] [/font][/color][b][color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS] Mog: [/font][/color][/b][color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]Next interviewee, kupo! [color=Black][A diminutive girl with bunches cartwheels in through the door, nearly knocking over Ayane as she exits the room.] [color=Purple][b]Mog: [/b]Well, there's a space on my 'talents' list filled already, kupo! But let's not get ahead of ourselves, can I ask - [b]Girl: [/b]My name is Ling Xiaoyu! I'm eighteen years old, I was born in China and my favourite food is - [b]Mog: [/b]Kupokupokupo, slow down, kupo! Ling Xiaoyu. All right, kupo. Do you have a picture of yourself for publicity? [b]Xiaoyu: [/b]Oh no! I think I must have left them at home - oh, and I had such nice ones as well - [b]Mog: [/b]I'm sure we can arrange - [b]Xiaoyu: [/b]No, wait, [u][url="http://mitchie-info.hp.infoseek.co.jp/ga_img/xiaoyu.jpg"]here[/url][/u] [u][url="http://sorakirei.com/anime/cosplay/xiao.jpg"]they[/url][/u] [u][url="http://www.ncsx.com/www/ncs0126/lingxiao.jpg"]are![/url][/u] In my pocket. Sorry, I'm just so excited about this. [b]Mog: [/b]That's quite all right, kupo, enthusiasm is a must in this game! Speaking of which - [b]Xiaoyu: [/b]You want to know what games I've been in, right? I've been a regular in the Tekken series - I just love the King of Iron Fist tournament, I enter it every time! Oh, I was in Tekken Tag too - they're all fighting games - I've been competing since I was in school - [b]Mog: [/b]I already have 'talkative,' 'excitable' and 'enthusiastic' on my Personality section, kupo. Anything you'd like to add? [color=Black][Xiaoyu blushes and fiddles with her bunches.] [b][color=Purple]Xiaoyu: [/color][/b][color=Purple]Umm ... I'm friendly and I get on well with people ... but sometimes people say I'm annoying ... oh, and I'm really competitive, too. [b]Mog: [/b]Nearly done, kupo! Do you have any talents, besides the impressive cartwheel? [b]Xiaoyu: [/b]If I didn't like you, I could go straight from that cartwheel to kicking you through the ceiling! [color=Black][giggles] [color=Purple]I'm flexible, I'm good at gymnastics, and I'm really great at martial arts - I do enter King of Iron Fist every year, after all, you can't enter that if you're a softy! [b]Mog: [/b]It's a little scary at your age, kupo ... well, finally, what made you want to enter the Survivor competition? [b]Xiaoyu: [/b]I'm bored! King of Iron Fist isn't on this year because that old wrinkly Heihachi's off fighting killer robots or devils or something. Plus I figured I could sneak in some sneaky self-promotion for my theme park! That's not against the rules, is it? [b]Mog: [/b]I don't ... think so, kupo. That's the interview over, kupo - I suggest you go and talk to the other contestants in the waiting room while we deliberate. [b]Xiaoyu: [/b]'kay! See you later, Moggy! [font=century gothic][/font][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/color][/font][/color][/font]

[color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS][quote name='Stuart][/font][/color][font=Trebuchet MS]Do you believe in dinosaurs?[/font][color=DarkSlateBlue'][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] Oh dear me, let's not start [b]that [/b]again... [quote name='Stuart][/font][/color][font=Trebuchet MS]How many different colors are there? Total.[/font][color=DarkSlateBlue'][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] There are only about 216 [b]websafe [/b]colours. But total? Pretty much infinite. Every single possible variation in between the traditional colours of the rainbow. And even once you're outside the visible spectrum into infra-red, ultra-violet or even ridiculous wavelngths like radio waves, technically all those waves have a colour too. It just doesn't show up on our optic nerves. [quote name='ThoraxtheImpaler][/font][/color]If one train leaves Ohio state travelling at 725 miles per hour and One train were to leave Guam at 795 miles per hour using a bridge built to Pensicola Florida, Which would get to San Fransisco first?[color=DarkSlateBlue'][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] Well I don't know where any of those places are (beyond the broad umbrella of "yeah, they're, um, in the USA") but I guess the answer would depend on whether the trains are taking the shortest possible route (i.e. a straight line) or not, how many stops they make along the way, and most importantly, whether either of them are actually [b]going [/b]to San Fransisco, heh. [b]My question:[/b] How did ninjas and pirates get to be mortal enemies? Everyone knows they hate each other's guts, but what terrible event in the past caused the eternal ninja/pirate blood feud? (I can't think of a situation in which a ninja and a pirate would meet, really...) [/font][/color]

[color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS][quote name='Lafleur][/font][/color][color=DarkRed] The time of Isreal's reincarnation was hardly one day.[/color][color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] [quote=Shinji][/font][/color][font=century gothic][color=crimson] And it was bought back, and [b]ratified by the U.N in one day.[/b][/color][/font][color=DarkSlateBlue'][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] True, Israel wasn't reforged in a day, but it [b]was [/b]ratified by the UN in one day, which is an incredibly short amount of time for them to ratify somewhere as a legal country. The Bible prophecies may be fairly specific, but I think people twist current events to fit them in order to make people believe we're on the slippery slope to The End. [/font][/color]

[color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS][quote name='Box Hoy][/font][/color] I work at Domino's Pizza.[color=DarkSlateBlue'][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] Domino's Pizza poisoned my flatmate. I blame you, I guess. :p I work as a lighting tech in my university's student union. That means once a week I set up and run the lights for whatever club night the union's putting on. Work usually starts at 3 or 4 in the afternoon (hanging lights, focusing, setting up chases on the lighting board) and then we have to strike everything once the night's over, so I typically leave at about 3 in the morning. Long shifts and late nights, but it's only once a week, and the pay's pretty awesome. I can make about £60 in a night, and if you disregard my accomodation fees, I can comfortably [b]live [/b]on that. [/font][/color]

[size=1][color=DarkSlateBlue][size=2][font=Trebuchet MS]Part of my university Creative Writing course involves writing and 'workshopping' a 2000-word short story. I've seen people post their assignments on OB and get really constructive criticism before, so I thought I'd give it a try. What I need to know is: does any of it read weirdly? Have I made stupid spelling/grammar mistakes? Most importantly, is it clear enough by the end what's actually going on?[/font][/size][/color] [i] Many opposed the decision to relocate again, but the fact was the people had exhausted all the available resources. The motion to move on was passed by majority vote. Just.[/i] Dom woke up knowing the day would be the same as every other day, because every day for the last twelve years had been the same and things just don?t change once you hit fifty. Okay, so maybe he?d do a job out in the sticks today, instead of the burbs. Maybe he?d get tipped today, instead of short-changed. Maybe the radiator on the Van would break, instead of the air-con. But however many of the little things changed, he knew he wasn?t going to enjoy it, and at his age, that was the only change that would register. Rolling out of bed, he pulled on his cleanest overalls and got himself a glass of milk and an egg salad sandwich. Before he?d finished eating it, there was a call. [i]Transport was arranged. The destination was set. All that remained was for the passengers to board, and the people would have themselves a convoy.[/i] [b] ?Dominic Schultz here, whut can ah do for yuh??[/b] Dom?s fingers rooted through his moustache hair, cleaning out small pieces of egg salad. [b] ?I have a, erm ? pest problem,?[/b] replied the tinny, distorted voice on the other end. [b] ?Well, ah guessed that from yuh?s callin? here.?[/b] Dom wasn?t annoyed. Everyone started the conversation by saying they had a pest problem. It was the easiest way to make sure they hadn?t called the pizza place by mistake. [b] ?I ? erm ? "[/b] Dom sighed. [b]?Whut kinda pest problem? Rats? Bats? Roaches??[/b] [b] ?Um ? well ? some sort of insect, certainly ? "[/b] Inner-City guys. They never knew jack about anything that wasn?t polished, shiny and clean. [b] ?Gimme the address and I?ll be over after lunch.?[/b] [i]The people began boarding, shielding themselves with ragged shawls, pieces of corrugated iron, anything that came to hand, from the hot desert wind. They were hardy people. They knew how to survive in the harshest of environments. But that didn?t mean they didn?t know what they preferred, and being sandblasted was low down on the list.[/i] Dom honked the driver in front. He saw the woman look in her rear-view ? her eyes screwed up and lip curled with distaste. She looked like his ex wife looked when he begged her to take him back. Her passenger flicked a couple of switches on the dash, and the LED grid on the corvette?s rear lit up in a pretty good outline of a two finger salute. Feh. You win this round, with your fancy Inner-City swankmobile. He?d loaded up the Van with pretty much everything, just to be safe. The guy was Inner-City, so he wasn?t going to be impressed any by Dom?s being a hick. Wouldn?t do to look like an incompetent hick on top of that, by having to drive the hour and a half back to the office because he?d forgotten his rat poison, or something. The lights changed, the traffic moved. Dom eased the Van forward for the few hundred metres that had opened up. Hardly worth the fuel, but he didn?t want anyone sliding into the gap. He took another bite of his egg salad sandwich, nothing like mama used to make, but edible. Dom scratched his ass, finished his sandwich, wiped his moustache and beamed another couple of offensive honks at the driver in front to pass the time until the lights let him through. Then it was a left turn and he was home free, gliding down the freeway to the sparkling lights of Big City. [i]Huddled together in cramped bucket-seats, shivering in the sudden transition from desert scorch to air-con chill, the first of the people to board pulled their shawls and blankets around themselves. Children, peering out through the portholes, commented excitedly on how very many people were lined up outside. Thie parents were merely reminded of how long they would have to wait before departure.[/i] The address led Dom to a medium-sized place on the outskirts of Inner-City; well inside Big City, all the way through the sticks and the burbs and the industrial quarter and just on the cusp of where all the swanky rich types made their pads. This was one of the cheapest places you could get in Inner-City, cost more than Dom?s annual paycheck per month. It was the lowest of the high, the mould de la crème, and it still sparkled. West Eighty-Ninth. The doors hissed open and Dom curtly welcomed his client into the Van. Soon as he clapped eyes on the guy he knew he wasn?t planning on staying in the pad himself; he was a property shark, no doubts. Jackson likely wasn?t his real name. Sometimes men in Dom?s place burned property sharks; no one wanted to buy from guys like Jackson that needed guys like Dom. He hadn?t been wrong about the guy?s reaction, either; he kept sniffing and pushing his glasses up his nose and blinking, like something was getting in his eyes. He had little eyes like a rat?s. They kept flicking around the place, and there was the same distaste in them as the woman in corvette had had. [b]?Sorry to make yuh stoop,?[/b] said Dom, not meaning it, as he led the way. [b]?Ah don?t normally meet guys of yuh height.? ?I?ve been forced to endure lower ceilings than this,?[/b] the guy replied wearily, bumping his shoulder on a loose cable bracket. Dom wanted to get straight to business, do his job and get out. He hated being around guys he made uncomfortable. [b]?Insects, yeuh??[/b] he asked gruffly. [b]?Arthr?pods. You catch one ah can take a look at??[/b] There was a dull clunk as Jackson?s head hit the ceiling. [b]?Well, no,?[/b] he replied, regaining his composure, [b]?that?s your job, surely. I didn?t want to go near the things.?[/b] Dom hated when guys told his what his job was. It made him correct them in his head, then that reminded him what his job actually was, and how much he hated it. He sighed. [b]?Photo??[/b] [i]Figures of authority arrived with loudspeaking equipment. They told the people not to panic, but to board the transport vehicles as quickly as they could. No explanation was given, which meant something was wrong. Whispers began to move amongst the people.[/i] [b]?Mistuh Jackson, yuh property?s infested w?th roaches.?[/b] And so are nine out of ten out in the sticks, but everyone just lives with it. Pansy. [b]?Oh, er ? well.?[/b] The shark looked almost relieved. He leaned forward in his seat to take back the photo from Dom, then reclined, mopping his eyebrows. [b]?I did suspect ? I assumed that?s probably what they were. But, you know. Never having seen them before. I suppose that?s what being brought up in Inner-City will do to you.?[/b] There was a look in his eyes that was half rueful, half fierce. He probably had some story other to tell; maybe he?d turned his back on Daddy?s vast fortune because Daddy wouldn?t let him be what he wanted to be. Maybe he was trying to make his own living on what meagre multimillions he could make property-sharking here on the outskirts of Inner-City, the mould de la crème, so he could work his way up, be a self-made man, impress Daddy and win the hand of the local blue-eyed beauty. But so what? Dom didn?t care about that any more than Jackson cared about Dom?s ex wife, lousy job or fiftieth birthday. [b]?Sure thing, Mistuh Jacks?n. Sure thing. A hundred fifty to fum?gate.?[/b] Jackson looked up sharply. His head nearly hit the ceiling again even though he was sitting down. His glasses slid to the end of his nose. [b]?A hundred and fifty??[/b] [b]?Two fifty if yuh want th? job done proper.?[/b] [b]?Well, now, I think that?s absolutely ??[/b] Dom leaned forward. He flicked the privacy switch on the dash. Jackson saw him do it and looked puzzled, but apprehensive too, like he knew what was coming. He leaned forward too, obeying Dom?s beckoning finger. Dom shuffled his seat forward, so some of the wilder strands of his moustache nearly touched Jackson?s face. The skinny guy nearly went cross-eyed. [b]?Seems t? me, Mistuh Jacks?n,?[/b] said Dom softly, [b]?seems t? me, this problem o? yuh?s bin caused by negl?gence.?[/b] Jackson?s hackles went right up, really ruffled. [b]?Well I ?"[/b] Dom flicked the privacy switch off. It made a much louder noise turning off than on. That was deliberate. Jackson heard it, saw it, shut up. He looked coldly at Dom, who beckoned him in once more, toggling the privacy on. The silver toggle glittered in the light from Inner-City. [b]?Now, Mistuh Jacks?n??[/b] [i]Widespread panic had gripped the people. One transport overturned from the weight of bodies as people tried to climb up the undercarriage, gripping the streamlining fins, to reach the portholes. The authorities had filled the upper deck first to speed up proceedings, and it was top heavy. People were crushed by it. People were crushed underfoot. The authorities said their prayers. They saw no way the people would escape in time now.[/i] [b]?So I suppose you?re going to ? what, burn me, now, then,?[/b] sighed Jackson resignedly, slumping backwards in his seat. [b]?Naw,?[/b] said Dom, relaxed, enjoying being one up on an Inner-City slicker. Enjoying? Hell. Maybe things do change after fifty. [b] ?En?t worth the effort. May just ?s well overcharge yuh now ?n cut out th? go-b?tweens.?[/b] [b] ?You aren?t worried I?ll consider it getting off lightly, and go and make the same mistakes again?? ?Nuth?n t? me if yuh do. Extra cashflow, even. ?s long as ah?m the man on speedcomm ?f ?t does happ?n agin, hm??[/b] Dom winked, belched egg salad and pushed himself out of his seat. [b]?So. Fum?gate? Or th? full works??[/b] [b]?Better the full works. It isn?t as if I can?t afford it, even when you?re extorting me. I just want the whole sorry affair behind me.?[/b] [i]The authorities? instruments told them the end was coming. The transports abandoned, all hope of escape lost, the people fled underground. [/i] [b]?It was bad choice of clients that did for me, really.?[/b] God damn, the two hundred fifty almost isn?t worth this. Just had to get landed with a goddamn milksop compulsive confessor. [b]?I mean, what did I expect here in the skirts? There were always going to be some unsavoury types around. I suppose I was naïve. I never expected them to come to me.?[/b] You were a down-on-his-luck rookie property shark, who else would they come to? [b]?And then one thing led to another, and some of them got out of hand, and then ??[/b] Jackson shook his head, removing his glasses and wiping them on a polymer-silk handkerchief. [b]?I couldn?t do anything about it. They were out of control. And then, when the smoke cleared, it was all just ash ? ash deserts and sodding cockroaches.?[/b] [b]?They?re s?pposed t? be th? toughest creature ?n Big City,?[/b] Dom butted in, sick of the sound of Jackson?s voice. [b]?Only thing?ll survive a whassa, confl?gration.?[/b] He finalised the settings at the console; it bleeped, and the Van shuddered as the autopilot manoeuvred it into position. [b]??Kay, yuh jus? sit tight, Mistuh Jacks?n. We?re in orbit now. Th? Van?ll drop fum?gat?r-neutron pack?ges ev?ry four hours. Should give ?nough coverage t? take care ?f yuh pest probl?m.?[/b] [i]The Injector telescoped out of the main belly hatch of Dom?s Van. It recoiled once, and sent a packet of roach-specific nerve agents and neutron explosives hurtling straight down at a thousand metres per second, towards West Eighty-Ninth. In accordance with the wire-up Dom had installed between the Injector and the Van?s horn a month after his wife left him, the LED grid on the Van?s nose lit up into the words ?YOU ARE SCREWED?. The people burned.[/i] [font=Lucida Console][b]Galaxy:[/b] Big City [b]System:[/b] Inner-City [b]World:[/b] West Eighty-Ninth [b]Details:[/b] Roach infestation exterminated at 15:05, August 14th, by Mr Dominic Schultz, at the behest of Mr Ashley Jackson, for the pre-agreed sum of two hundred and fifty credits. [b]Materials:[/b] Canister type 4 roach nerve agent / 4 megaton neutron (x 50) [b]World Status:[/b] barren / ready for terraforming [/font] [/size]

[color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS]Before I began learning Japanese in earnest, I thought the fairly common anime/manga/video game name [b]"Ryu" [/b]was pronounced [b]"Rye-ooh". [/b]When I started writing [u][url="http://www.thesubverse.com"]webcomics[/url][/u] I decided to call one of my characters that, but spelt it differently so I 'stood out from the crowd' a little more. And with the different spelling it can only be pronounced the way I always did, which is sort of the 'wrong' way ... see? ([b]Ryu[/b] is pronounced [b]Ree-ooh, [/b]if you were wondering.) So when I set up a forum for the webcomic, I did what a lot of webcomic authors do and used one of my characters' names as my sign-in name. And then I started using it everywhere else as well. Google 'Raiyuu' and most of the stuff you get is me (bar the yaoi elf fanfic, I swear I had nothing to do with it). It's much more of a 'keeper' than [b]Blackjack, [/b]which was my name way back when. [/font][/color]

[color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS][b]meka2003,[/b] I'm closing this thread. Here's why. 1. It's in the wrong forum. Carefully read the descriptions of each different forum on the homepage. I know there's a lot of them, they confused me at first. But discussions relating to anime go in the Anime Lounge. Normally I'd just move this thread, but... 2. It's of low quality. Remember that as the thread starter, you have the responsibility to give the thread good discussion value so it won't descend into one-word answers and other spam. A good principle to keep in mind is to answer your own question. So, in this case, it would have been a good idea to tell us which two anime characters [b]you [/b]would fuse, and why. Feel free to re-create this thread in the Anime Lounge, bearing in mind the points I've mentioned. And if you have any questions regarding the forums, or OtakuBoards' policy on post quality, or anything, don't hesitate to PM me or one of the Moderators. Hope you enjoy your stay at OB. [/font][/color]

[color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS]Lots of musicians in, aren't there? Here's another orchestra joke. [b]Q: [/b]How can you tell when there's a drummer at the door? [b]A: [/b]Because the knocking speeds up and they don't know when to come in. (Chabi, I loved the one about the mugger and the MP.) [/font][/color]

[b][color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS]welshswordsman [/font][/color][/b][color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS]and [b]TigerFantasy17, [/b]I have merged together your consecutive posts. Please be aware that double-posting constitues spam. In future, just hit the EDIT button in the bottom right corner of your post if you want to add something. Also, [b]TigerFantasy17, [/b]your post quality falls far short of what we expect here. Please try to write in coherent sentences, spell correctly and remember that there exist punctuation marks other than this one --> ... If either of you have any questions regarding OB's policy on spam or any other issues, don't hesitate to PM me or one of the other Moderators. In the meantime, I'd suggest you read the [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?"][b][u]Rules[/u][/b][/url] and [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/faq.php?"][u][b]FAQ.[/b][/u][/url] [/font][/color]

[color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS][quote name='Unborn Lord Shee-on][/font][/color][color=SlateGray][size=1]Youkai means, essentially, demon.[/size][/color][color=DarkSlateBlue'][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] Although the Japanese word has none of the negative connotations of the English. Youkai are not inherently evil, they vary by nature as do humans. (Look who's been reading [b]Saiyuki [/b]again...) Raiyuu [i](Ra - ee - yuuh) [/i]Japanese-style 'R/L' sound as explained by Unborn Lord Shee-on, and then the double 'U' is halfway between an 'uh' sound and an 'ooh' sound. If you watch [b]Love Hina[/b] in Japanese, listen to how Kitsune pronounces the 'U' sound at the end of 'Naru'. That's about right. It stemmed from my mispronounciation of the Japanese name 'Ryu', and I changed the spelling to make it look cooler ... it's also the name of one of the characters in [url="http://rapture.thesubverse.com"]one of my webcomics[/url]. [/font][/color]

[color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS]I reckon it would be cool to make this a seasonal tradition; temporary new graphics for important holidays, like what [b][url="http://www.google.com"]Google[/url][/b] does. So OB could get snow-covered at Christmas, and go green on St Patrick's Day! (I did a double-take when I left Tokyo-3 and discovered it had morphed into The Dungeon; is this another of James's subtle tweaks, I asked myself?) [/font][/color]

[color=DarkSlateBlue][font=Trebuchet MS][quote name='Lore][/font][/color]iPods are just so darn [i]stylish[/i].[color=DarkSlateBlue'][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote] You think so? Where I come from they're seen as the ultimate yuppie accessory. That's not a label anyone wants slapped on them anymore. Yuppies stopped being cool in the seventies. [/font][/color]