Raiyuu

[color=DarkGreen][font=Trebuchet MS]You're getting some decent responses here in the [b]Lounge,[/b] so I don't want to [b]move[/b] this thread; I have, however, [b]copied [/b]it to [b]PC/Mac,[/b] the denizens of which may have the expertise to help out some more.[/font][/color]

[quote name='SadBlue'] Hydrogen-cell cars aren't a viable option yet, because upon the slightest crash the cells are at risk of exploading.[/quote] [color=DarkGreen][font=Trebuchet MS]True, but Toyota now sell a 'hybrid' car. It's partially electric and switches between that and a regular petrol engine. So part of the power of the petrol engine goes into recharging the electric battery, and whenever you're driving at a rate that it can handle, the electric motor takes over, switching back if you need more power, to go up a hill or whatnot. It's good to see some multinational companies trying to help the environment.[/font][/color]

[color=DarkGreen][font=Trebuchet MS]I'm a Brit, so I didn't have any say, but I actually wanted Kerry to get into power (as much of a slimeball as he appears to be) purely because he said he'd sign the Kyoto Agreement. The USA is the biggest air polluter in the world, and yet is the only country holding back from signing the Agreement. Bush's reason? Apparently it would be an unacceptable loss of quality of life for US citizens, or some such bumph. Maybe this 'Hazy Days' report will bring him to his senses, but if he's still set on his Clear Skies proposal instead of the far more effective Clean Air Act, maybe that's too much to wish for.[/font][/color]

[i][b][color=Teal][font=Trebuchet MS]This isn't going to plan at all! [/font][/color][/b][/i][color=Teal][font=Trebuchet MS]Another heavy iron bolt zipped towards the Cardsharp at high speed; he grabbed one of the stanchions running the length of the carriage ceiling and swung himself upwards, avoiding the unusual projectile and kicking through the service hatch to somersault up and onto the roof of the train. [i][b]Kurogo said nothing about TWO rival services![/b][/i] Raiyuu put his rage at his employer aside for a second and considered the situation. He was fairly sure the recovery girls were a duo - most recovery services worked in pairs. The others? He hazarded a guess at disposal; the guy that had knocked himself cold had been tech'd up to the gills, and that stank of disposal MO. There had to be at least one more, a telekinetic: but were there others? And the girl that had felled him in the carriage ... his face still stung from the psychic blow she'd dealt him, and she'd been able to disappear. Properly, not like Kurosawa. And the way she looked, there was an element of ... sorcery ... witchcraft ... [i][b]Oh no ... it can't be. [/b][/i]Raiyuu whispered the name out loud, with terrified reverence. [b]"Kaishi-dono...!" [/b]Raiyuu's curiosity about the package's contents doubled. If Lady Kaishi, rumoured to be a witch or a devil-child, able to call on the power of the Evil Eye, had deigned to carry out its recovery, it had to be valuable... [i][b]Deal with Kaishi-dono when the problem arises. Concentrate on the disposals for now. [/b][/i]Raiyuu reached into his jacket and pulled out the radio headset he'd pinched from the unconscious disposer, fitting it over his head and thumbing the mic-on switch. [i][b]If there are only two of them, this won't work, the remaining one'll know it's a trap. But if I know disposal services, there'll be a whole private army of the bastards. [/b][/i][b]"I've found the transporter, he's on top of the train! Get up here quick, before he -" [/b]Raiyuu cut off his words with a strangled gasp, and lay in wait. [/font][/color]

[color=DarkGreen][font=Trebuchet MS]I tend to keep an eye on Slashdot, as it gives me a lot of news of the geeky variety... recently I've noticed quite a lot of robot articles, including a working three-metre mecha of the MechWarrior variety (closed cockpit, operated with joystick or control column-type system) that's been built in Japan; automated mecha-type machines being developed by South Korea to guard the border between themselves and the North; and, bizarrely, robots designed to replace humans as [i]camel jockeys.[/i] There was also that article on theO a while ago about the Alaskan steelworker that built his own mecha, a proper one that moves its limbs as its pilot moves his/hers. More detailed commentary on each of these articles [url="http://blog.min-data.co.uk/?Raiyuu"]here[/url], or search for them on [url="http://slashdot.org"]Slashdot[/url]. [/font][/color]

[color=DarkGreen][font=Trebuchet MS]What exactly is the JROTC? I've never come across this before, so could you explain it a bit more fully? Also, what exactly do you hate so much about it? Why does it suck? [/font][/color]

[color=DarkGreen][font=Trebuchet MS]Welcome to OtakuBoards, [b]FBI_chick[/b]. As it currently stands, your post is classified as [b]spam.[/b] Here at OB we like to maintain a high quality of discussion, and so we ask that thread starters contain a bit more meat than yours does; at the very least you could tell us what [b]your[/b] opinion on the subject is. Before you post any more, I'd suggest you read our [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?"][b]Rules [/b](click)[/url]. Stick by them and you shouldn't end up getting too much more attention from the likes of me :animeswea I hope you enjoy your stay. [b]Thread closed.[/b] [/font][/color]

[color=DarkGreen][font=Trebuchet MS]We weren't talking about how to make things negative, unless I've read the question really wrong (which is entirely possible, it's me after all). The particle [i]"no" [/i]doesn't make the utterance negative, it indicates ownership (so [i]Watashi no neko[/i] means 'my cat'), and in this case ([i]"chou no kawaii"[/i]) it indicates that [i]chou[/i] (super) refers to [i]kawaii [/i](cute)[i]. [/i]The [i]janai desu [/i]construction does indeed make sentences negative, but I'm not sure how it's relevant to this original question :animeshy: [/font][/color]

[color=DarkGreen][font=Trebuchet MS]With Japanese, it's usually safe to assume that particles like [i]"no"[/i] are optional in informal situations. So much of Japanese is context-related, they tend to just leave out parts of the sentence if they think it's possible to work out the meaning from the situation. So while [i]"chou no kawaii"[/i] is correct Japanese, the [i]"no"[/i] is optional in an informal, spoken context. I don't think I actually added anything new there, but I just wanted to show off what limited knowledge of Japanese I have... :animeswea [/font][/color]

[u][b][color=DarkGreen][font=Trebuchet MS]Umbra II [/font][/color][/b][/u][color=DarkGreen][font=Trebuchet MS]Your avatar demonstrates that you are an admirer of the masterful Legato Bluesummers, and quite rightly so, for he is undoubtedly the sovereign king of anime villains. Your name and custom title both concern shadow, and suggest to me that you like to lurk unseen, observing but not taking an active role; although that opinion could have been influenced by seeing a post of yours which said that you'd been a member for a while, but tended to just read things without posting. The "[b]II[/b]"? I've no idea. Is this your second incarnation at OB? And your signature, well. Either you sometimes feel tired and frustrated with life and its trials, or you happen to be an Edgar Allen Poe fan. I never liked him, myself, but each to his own. [/font][/color]

[color=DarkGreen][font=Trebuchet MS]Discussions about music and favourite bands belong in the [b]Music, Movies and TV[/b] forum. Thread moved. [/font][/color]

[color=Teal][size=2][font=Trebuchet MS]The girls across the aisle - one blonde and innocent-looking, the other straight-backed, emotionless - were definitely watching them. Kurogo had warned them there would probably be a recovery service after the package; that leant weight to Raiyuu's suspicions that it wasn't strictly his, but he made a point of not interrogating paying employers about their morals. [b]"Jimmy," [/b]he murmured to Kurosawa, [b]"I think the girls are after our package. What do you reckon?" "I reckon usual tactics," [/b]Kurosawa replied, grinning. [b]"Well, they haven't let us down yet. See you later," [/b]said Raiyuu, rising. He began to stroll down the aisle, away from the recoverers and the package, slowly unzipping his worn leather bomber as if he was getting too hot. Pivoting on one heel, he pulled open the black jacket, revealing crossed bandoleers of throwing-knives, little more than sharpened slivers of metal. His hands blurred with speed as he flicked one, two, three of the steel darts at the innocent-looking blonde girl, pinning her skirt, sleeve and hair to the seat. She yelped in surprise and there were gasps from the other passengers. Her partner's eyes narrowed. Raiyuu turned once again on his heel and sprinted off down the aisle. He could almost [i]feel [/i]the second recoverer spring up from her seat and give chase. [i][b]If this works - and it hasn't failed us yet - they'll assume the package at my table was a decoy. I've left it behind, after all, and they haven't noticed anyone else guarding it. Jimmy can just slip off with it at the right station while I lead these lovely ladies a merry dance through Tokyo. And even if they do suspect, and try to check the box, Jimmy's got enough tricks up his sleeve to keep them occupied... [/b][/i]Raiyuu sneaked a look over his shoulder; sure enough, the sinister-looking girl was in hot pursuit. [b]"Catch me if you can, beautiful!"[/b] [/font][/size][/color]

[color=DarkGreen][size=1]You're right, this one isn't as great as the first. A lot of the sentences seem like simple exposition and there's not a lot of emotional material for us to lap up. But you've acknowledged that it's a filler chapter; I appreciate you keeping the chapters short, and if it makes for a more enjoyable chapter three then I say all the better. Bring it on.[/size][/color]

[color=DarkGreen][size=1]I'm intrigued. You've done a great job of setting up enough questions to bring me back for more, lol. Is the so-far glossed-over Murray Cook case going to be significant? Is what Jamie's feeling more than paranoia? And what just happened, at the end there? I'm not sure whether to be worried about your ability to describe Simmons' atrocities with such clinical impassion. You've certainly achieved the shock value, and what's more, once you've started, you're relentless, more and more gory details coming at me. It gave me that feeling of morbid interest, where what you're seeing is unpleasant, but you [i]just - can't - tear - your - eyes - away... [/i]The tiniest little error: [quote name='Delacroix][/size][/color][color=#000000][size=1]All ten children had had their heart calved out of their chests[/size][/color][color=DarkGreen][size=1][color=Black']...[/color][/quote] It should read, "All ten children had had their [b]hearts carved [/b]out of their chests". I can't believe I just typed that sentence. Keep 'em coming! [/size][/color]

[color=DarkGreen][size=1]One of my (at the moment, very) long-term plans is to write and animate an original anime series. (Isn't that everyone's dream here? heh.) I've no problems with the writing side, but I don't really know where to start on the actual animation side of things. While I'm fairly sure I'll be able to get hold of artists when the time comes, I'd like to be fairly well-versed in whichever animation software I end up using by the time I need to be. The upshot of this is: I don't know what's on the market in terms of off-the-shelf animation software. Google searches only seem to yield stuff like Anim8or, which is specifically and restictively geared towards 3-D animation; the only suitable-looking product I've blundered across is [url="http://www.toonboom.com"]Toon Boom[/url], apparently Japan's leading animation software provider and subsequently pretty pricey. Can anyone tell me: a) whether Toon Boom is any good? Or: b) what other products are worth checking out? [/size][/color]

[size=1][color=Red][b]?Dragon Warrior, this is Detective Inspector Leofski of the OCPD. You are completely surrounded. There is nowhere to go. Give yourself up and we won?t be forced to use harsh measures.? [/b] DI Leofski clicked his megaphone off and sighed. The Dragon Warrior was going to slip away, just like every supervillain did every time they were nearly apprehended. He knew this for a fact. But it made him feel good to go through the motions anyway. As he watched, the Warrior finally managed to rip off whatever it was that had made his avatar malfunction ? DI Leofski was willing to bet the images were all over the press already ? and, after a blur of static, his green armour flickered back into existence. Only, the villain was still standing on one leg after Madam Dagger?s perfectly executed stomping, and the sudden extra weight of the armour must have overbalanced him, because he stumbled, his arms windmilled crazily, and he toppled head-over-heels off the roof of Otaku City Central Precinct. [b]?Unit AS1 to ground crew, we have a plummeter, repeat ground crew, be prepared to intercept falling supervillain at your end!?[/b] DI Leofski roared into his helmet mike as the helicopter pilot began diving to keep track of the rapidly-receding figure with the searchlight. [i][b]Wait for it ? wait for it ? NOW![/b][/i] DI Leofski impressed even himself sometimes. The lads back at the station were often awestruck at his ability to accurately predict the actions of the supervillains he studied, and he?d been asked more than once whether it was a super power. He?d string them along, sometimes, but he knew it wasn?t. His job was to know how these people thought. It just happened he was incredibly good at his job. A pair of shining, emerald-green wings sprung grandly out of the Dragon Warrior?s back, and he swooped up a thermal, past the helicopter, cackling maniacally as he passed through DI Leofski?s field of vision. He?d swung the hang-glider around the other side of the Precinct and out of sight before the Inspector could even predict he?d do it. [i][b]And he woulda got away with it too, if it wasn?t for that pesky kid and his pesky gadgets?[/b][/i] [/color][/size] [center][size=1][color=Red]~~~~~~~~~~~~[/color][/size] [/center] [size=1][color=Red] The Dragon Warrior was one of those [i]really [/i]annoying villains. The ones with endless ranks of henchmen. Dagger stood in the middle of the roof, casually checking her next day?s appointments in her Filofax, while Blackjack relied on the distraction she provided and the innate stupidity of henchmen to pick off the Dragon Force one by one. He turned from watching one green-Lycra-clad idiot plummet over the balustrade to see another two drawing dangerously close to the Mayor, and sprinted across the flat roof, invisible, to knock them both out cold with single blows to the head. [i][b]At least I know I?m a match for these ones?[/b][/i] [b]?Is that all of them yet??[/b] Dagger enquired. [b]?Only I?d rather not stay too late at the office tonight.?[/b] [b]?Well, I don?t see any ??[/b] Blackjack?s mouth froze in the middle of the word ?more?, as he looked back the way the pair had come. They?d made the easy jump from the Precinct roof to the neighbouring warehouse, and from there to the flat concrete paving and chunky steel radio masts of a disused office block, but shuffling into view around one of these masts were six more Dragon Force. They were shuffling because, between them, they were carrying the weirdest-looking piece of equipment Blackjack had ever seen. And [i]he?d [/i]been in the workshop of Ozymandius Jones. The thing looked like the lovechild of a photocopier and an industrial sewer-pipe that had conducted their illicit relations in a washing machine full of broken coathangers. A tube of huge diameter protruded from a blocky metallic base, and metal conducting-spikes peppered the whole affair like hedgehog spines. [b]?Erm ? do you know what that is??[/b] Blackjack looked around. A minute crease of worry had appeared on the Mayor?s forehead. [b]?No idea,?[/b] he replied, [b]?but it?s safe to bet it?ll hurt. Come on, this way!?[/b] He grabbed Dagger?s hand and started running in the opposite direction to the thing. He was starting to get fatigued ? this wasn?t going as smoothly as he?d hoped ? and he was running as fast as the Mayor could keep up with in her high heels, but he still just about managed to muster the strength to make them both vanish again. Beads of sweat broke out invisibly on his forehead. He risked a glance backward as they neared the balustrade. The Dragons had put the thing down and were bustling around it, pulling out leads and clamping massive crocodile clips to a radio mast. [i][b]?Jump!?[/b][/i] he yelled, and they both leapt over the balustrade towards the roof of the next building ? - which gave way underneath them ? - sending them both plummeting down, through a dusty darkness that smelled of woodchip and fresh paint and masonry, to land on something soft in a heap of rubble and bits of ceiling. Blackjack coughed. Dagger sat up. The lights switched on. They both shielded their eyes. [b]?Perfect,?[/b] said a honeyed female voice, [b]?Mayor and scapegoat, all in one pretty little package.?[/b] As his pupils shrank, Blackjack started to make out the room they?d landed in. It took up the office block?s entire penthouse floor, and it had fallen into disrepair; swathes of chipboard had replaced the windows, the bare boards of the floor were littered with the debris of their crash through the ceiling, and the entire space was lit by bare sixty-watt bulbs hanging from lengths of splintered electrical flex. But amongst the squalor, somebody had placed a massive mahogany conference table. The crashmat he and Dagger had landed on was up against one wall of the room, and the woman that had spoken, seated at the head of the table, was directly under the banner that hung on the opposite wall. A huge expanse of silk, it depicted [/color][/size][size=1][color=Red]?Delacroix?[/color][/size][size=1][color=Red]a stylised black scorpion on a blood-red background. Every chair around the table was filled. And to his horror, Blackjack realised he recognised most of their faces. [b]"Delacroix??[/b] he exclaimed, eyes boggling at the red-haired woman. [b] ?Neuvox? ULX? [i]Trib?[/i] What?s this all about? What are you all - ?[/b] [b]?I might have known you parasites were behind all this,?[/b] Dagger cut in coolly. [b] ?Tired of applying for funding, were you? Thought you?d take it by force??[/b] She smiled wryly. [b]?The Otaku City government don?t negotiate with hostage-takers, you know.?[/b] [b]?You underestimate us, Madam Mayor,?[/b] the hooded figure of the woman at the head of the table replied evenly. [b]?We, the executive board of the Scorpion Corporation, have goals far more complex than simple financial gain.?[/b] A small huff that might have been a laugh escaped the cowl. [b]?And you, Goddess,?[/b] Dagger continued, regardless. [b]?You had to be right up there, at the top of the pile, didn?t you??[/b] [b]?This is boring,?[/b] said the honeyed voice. [b]?Jay, Riddler, prepare them.?[/b] [b]?What ? prepare? Prepare how??[/b] Blackjack babbled as two business-suited figures rose from their high-backed chairs and advanced. [b]?Delacroix! What?s happening? Why?d she call you Jay??[/b] The woman he knew as Delacroix halted at the foot of the mat. [b]?Jay is my name,? [/b]she replied. [b]?My [i]real [/i]name. But perhaps you would prefer ??[/b] As she spoke, Blackjack recoiled in horror. Her skin was beginning to ripple, crack, peeling back and reconfiguring, until her appearance had changed entirely. Though her hair was still red, it was cut in short-cropped spikes, and her face was sharper, meaner, her figure leaner. A small pair of glasses rested on the bridge of her nose. She and Blackjack spoke together. [b]??Saishi.?[/b] She morphed again and again. [b]?Or maybe Gabriel? Methuselah? Crucifix? Imi??[/b] Blackjack hardly felt the dart entering his chest from the pistol she was wielding. He hardly noticed Dagger falling unconscious at his side after similar treatment at the hands of ^.^, or ? Riddler, Goddess has called him. His head was spinning too much anyway, and it only spun more as he spiralled into blackness. [/color][/size] [center][size=1][color=Red][color=DarkGreen]Hee ... that was fun. I got to write some proper supervillain trash-talk. Unfortunately the Scorp Corp forum's been quiet for so long that a lot of people won't get the references now. Luckily I managed to find out enough people's Scorp Corp usernames before I forgot the URL. I wonder how you pronounce ^.^ ...? I haven't worked out superpowers for a few Scorp Corp people yet. If I can get a few more then I'll be able to just gloss over the rest, but so far the only people whose powers I know are Delacroix, Trib and Rei_Man. People that have asked for cameos, you'll get them - this was an exposition-heavy installment so I couldn't think of anywhere to fit you in. Next time... [/color][/color][/size][/center]

[center][color=Teal][font=Trebuchet MS][i][b][color=DarkRed][size=3]Get Backers: [size=4]Bad For Business[/size] [/size][/color][/b][/i][/font][/color][b][color=Teal][font=Trebuchet MS][i] [color=DarkRed]Prologue: Strangers on a Train[/color][/i][/font][/color][/b] [/center] [b][color=Teal][font=Trebuchet MS] "I still don't see why it was so essential we take the thing on public transport," [/font][/color][/b][color=Teal][font=Trebuchet MS]Kurosawa grumbled, eyeing the package, which sat innocuously under the booth's table, at his partner's feet. [b]"Stop complaining. For the amount he's paying us, I'd have transported it on foot," [/b]replied Raiyuu, leaning back and stretching up towards the ceiling. A couple sitting further down the train gave him a funny look, like they'd noticed him talking to himself. [i][b]Well, that must be how it looks to them,[/b][/i] he thought. While his partner, in his sharp black suit, wasn't invisible in the literal sense of the word, he was supernaturally inoffensive and normal-looking, to the point where, unless he was actually right up in someone's face shouting at them, he was unnoticeable. Raiyuu had known the guy years, and it still took higher than normal levels of concentration not to simply forget he was still there. Years of working with a man he had to concentrate to see had given Raiyuu a heightened awareness of people around him, and especially the ones that were actively [i]trying [/i]not to be noticed. [b]"You ever get the feeling you're being watched?" [/b][/font][/color] [center][color=Teal][font=Trebuchet MS][size=1] Welcome to Get Backers: Bad For Business. To start with, I'd like one post from each participant just to introduce your character; so don't actually move from your seat, just introduce. Once each player has posted once, I'll throw it wide open (any posting order) and the action (i.e. fighting :animesmil) can begin. [/size][/font][/color][/center]

[color=DarkGreen]I'm closing this thread for the following reasons: - It doesn't invite intelligent discussion, and I can see it becoming a seething spam-fest. Thread closed. [/color]

[color=DarkGreen]Welcome to OtakuBoards, domo-kun. Here we pride ourselves on the quality of posting in our forums. You could do with improving a little on your spelling, grammar and punctuation: it took me a few tries to work out what your post was trying to say, lol. I hope you enjoy your stay. My most embarrassing moment? I was in a play in primary school and I fell backwards off the stage - my chair wasn't placed properly and the two back legs were half hanging off the back of the stage. Worse, I'd made the exact same mistake in rehearsals; fall off once, okay, it could just be bad luck, fall off twice, you're the clumsiest klutz in school. Ack. I didn't hear the end of it until I moved schools. [/color]

[color=Teal][font=Trebuchet MS]This is the Underground Thread for Get Backers: Bad For Business, which will begin in the Adventure Square tomorrow. I hope to keep the RPG thread itself as 'OOC'-free as possible, so if you have any queries, requests or discussion you feel needs airing, post it here. I'd advise all the participants to subscribe to this thread in case someone posts something relevant to your character. If, for any reason, you need to drop out of the RPG, post a kill-off request here. Have fun! [/font][/color]

[quote=dark king]here in holland at least 80% of the catholic followers in a position in the church, is gay, and on top of that another 30% is pedofile. i don`t know of the statistics in other countries but here it is true to these figures.[/quote] [color=DarkGreen][size=1]Thirty per cent of the clergy in Holland are paedophiles? Is that what you just said? How do you know this? Have you investigated them? You say it like it's an official statistic, but surely if the authorities knew this they'd be down on these people like a ton of bricks. A lot of my friends took one look at the new Pope and drew what I dubbed [i]The Nazi Conclusion[/i] (which could be the title of a Robert Ludlum book, lol). It's a lazy opinion to have and I say let him [b]do [/b]some things, then I'll form an opinion based on those things. I'm not happy with his no-contraception-not-even-for-people-who-know-they-have-HIV policy but that was Catholic doctrine before he arrived, so I'm not judging him on that one. [/size][/color]

[color=DarkGreen][size=1]I wasn't around when the Battle Arena still existed, but it was a forum specifically for sparring, right? (If that's wrong, ignore everything following) You can still spar in the Adventure Inn. I've noticed spars making a reappearance recently: notably the Blade Masters threads, a series of one-on-one spars that I think constituted some kind of tournament...? My point is that there still is a Battle Arena, it just doesn't have a separate area to itself. You can still spar, whether it's called the Battle Arena or not. [/size][/color]

[quote name='AzureWolf][color=blue][quote=James][color=Silver][color=Gray]My argument is that you have no right to tell two [b]consenting[/b'] adults that they can't have sex. That is none of your business, nor should it be the business of the state.[/color][/quote][/color] I'm going to assume you mean consentual sex in this case, as (again, whether you like it or not) rape is indeed a form of (forced) sex.[/quote] [color=DarkGreen][size=1]Read the text you quoted again, Azure. Especially the emboldened word. Then read what you said in response. :rolleyes: Those last couple of posts from you and James didn't really expand on the discussion, did they, if we're honest? You're both just taking it in turns to pick apart the tiny holes in each other's arguments, and they [b]are [/b]pretty tiny. I'm not sure if I've got much new material to add to the discussion, but here's my two pence: I personally find the idea of incest fairly distasteful, but actually making it illegal is overreacting. Valid points have been made about it not being fair on the offspring, but if you start legislating on those grounds you're straying dangerously close to eugenics. Also, what punishment would be feasible if it were made illegal? There's somewhere new for the discussion to go, unless Azure feels that's too off-topic. And [b]please [/b]can we start spelling [b]consensual [/b]right? [/size][/color][/color]

[color=DarkGreen][size=1]I'm not having a 'graduation ceremony' as such, but this Wednesday, May 18th, is my last day of school ever. I'm ready for it and I'm not sad - there are a lot of people I like but a lot of people I won't miss in the least. [quote name='Box Hoy][size=2][color=Black]...[/color][/size][/size][/color]I know I'll never see any of the people I grew up with again.[color=DarkGreen'][size=1][/quote] Whyever not? If you're upset about leaving them behind, stay in touch. My parents keep telling me they're jealous of our generation, because what with the Internet, email, mobile phones and instant messaging (MSN, AIM) it's easier than ever not to lose touch with all your old friends from school. I know I'm going to make every effort to see certain people over and over, because I don't want to lose friends I've had for this long. [/size][/color]

[quote name='Fallen][size=1]...he can be a lot grouchy sometimes [usually when he has just gotten up from a late night, or when he has been woken up by someone rather than waking up himself']...[/quote] [color=DarkGreen]Hoi. Speak for yourself. I'm mainly grouchy if you're just hanging around in my room and I'm trying to get things done, and you won't pick up on the fact that I'm studiously ignoring you :animesigh But hey, we have a far better relationship than a lot of the people that have been posting, so I'm grateful. It takes seeing other people's situations to realise just how good yours is in comparison a lot of the time. It definitely is to do with not seeing each other all the time. I can see from scanning back through the thread that most of the people that see their siblings all the time (especially RyotheTactician - that really burns) are the ones that fight and argue all the time. It's an inevitable consequence of spending too much time with someone - it would happen with a friend as well, if you were stuck on a desert island with them, it just happens that much more with siblings because you've known them that much longer. [/color][/size]