Claire

[QUOTE=Allamorph][FONT=Arial] Unfortunately, most of the "creative writing" courses available teach only development of ideas, and not actual syntax; even the yearly requisite English courses skim over how to write well, focusing only on minute, individual aspects of it, like spelling or grammar, without tying everything back together afterwards. Both are necessary, but they must be used together, and are ineffective alone. And still other vital knowledge, such as proper use and flow of mid-sentence punctuatuon, is put to the side.[/FONT][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial] My English classes hasn't even touched on any grammar or writing skills yet. At least, I don't remember ever doing so. The only times we've come close was when my teacher said something about "subject-verb agreement," but that was about it. I don't remember doing ANY writing and grammar stuff since the sixth grade. (And even then, I didn't really didn't need to be taught because we were just rehashing elementary school stuff and things I already knew from my mother). As for Creative Writing, I took that last year just for fun. Creative writing can't be taught. Creativity and imagination is part natural, but anyone can grow a decent imagination if they just think out of the box. Right now I can't decide if reading books has a positive on negative influence on one's creativity. On one hand, doing so can inspire new ideas. On the other, it's absorbing a prewritten storyline and is not interactive at all. Like I said, I never read and I'm pretty sure I'm doing just fine in the writing department.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I hardly ever read for lack of an interesting book, and I don't think it shows in my writing. I think that, for me, it's easier to write without having read anything because I know I'm creating my own story with no prewritten influences. As for grammar and stuff like that, I learned that in English class over the years and books never really helped me with that. My mother is also an english major, so I guess it's just in the blood. On the other hand, reading can be very useful in structuring a vocabulary, which is a very nice thing to have when trying to write a good story or anything else. Books can sometimes spark inspiration, which is partly how my vampire series began (I had already created several characters and came up with a main storyline, I just lacked the will to start writing anything).[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Jake, there's already a thread for posting about musical endeavors [U][URL=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=56307]here[/URL][/U], as listed in the Thread Directory. Please post about your band in that thread, and give a little more detail about it.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I've never been in a real, physical fight before. The only times I can think of where I was involved in some kind of fighting was the short time I took karate, and with my friends or cousins (back when I was a lot younger and liked that sort of thing :P). I will never get into a fight, either; I just don't have the constitution for it. I can't stand up for myself and I don't have a very strong sense of pride, so it's not like the conditions will ever be right. As for seeing fights...one would think that since I go to a school where fights happen as often as someone changes underwear, I would've seen at least ONE. Nope. I've never seen a fight in my entire life. I always seem to miss them, and it's really annoying, because apparently the fights at my school almost always end up with peoples' shirts being ripped off (which isn't that exciting) and a tazer being used. Once I was walking down a hallway to get to the bus, and as soon as I got outside a mob of people appeared out of nowhere and ran into the hallway I just came from - a sure sign of a fight. I guess I just have really bad luck when it comes to seeing that kind of spectacle.[/FONT]

[center][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/ShikyoKasu/HardcoreVeruca174.jpg?t=1170621329[/IMG][/center] [B] [FONT=Arial]Do you have a job? If so, where and what do you do? If not, where would you want to work?[/B] Unfortunately, I'm officially unemployed. However, I consider myself a musician, which is technically a career. It's what I really want to do in life, as well. [B]If you were an assistant of Donald Trump, what would your job be?[/B] I'd probably just be in charge of getting him coffee. In all honesty, I can't see myself ever getting any sort of job like that; especially not for someone like Donald Trump. [B]How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?[/B] So much wood that he could start his own lumber company and be the Donald Trump of woodchucks (but I wouldn't work for him, either).[/FONT]

[quote name='Shinmaru]If you enjoy [b]Scarling[/b], then I assume you're already familiar with [b]Jack Off Jill[/b]. If not, then definitely check them out, especially [i]Clear Hearts, Grey Flowers[/i], which is so much better than [i]Sexless Demons and Scars[/i'] it isn't even funny. Most of what JoJ and Scarling have in common stops with Jessicka, but they're good regardless.[/quote] [FONT=Arial]I was going to say that to, but I've really only heard one song by Jack Off Jill and I've never listened to Scarling. In any case, my favorite song by JOJ is "Strawberry Gashes," so if you happen to find that one you might want to check it out. :] [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I'm not the authority on genres, but I'm gonna use what little knowledge I have to the best of my ability. Some punk groups I really like are the[B] Descendents, the Unseen, the Adicts, and the Misfits[/B]. [B]AFI[/B] from 1991-1997 has been classified as punk as well, and it's also very good. Of course, the following era of AFI (1998-2002) was amazing as well; still rooted in punk but moving towards a darker sound. Then you have the current AFI (2003-present), who are much more alternative, and make plenty of use of some electronica and sometimes even piano. My favorite hardcore/screamo group is [B]Norma Jean[/B]. I haven't heard any other group of that kind, though, so there's not much room for competition. There's a lot of different things that can be classified as gothic, too. One of my favorite gothic groups is [B]London After Midnight[/B]. They have a very dark, cold sound that fuses guitar and the like with electronic sounds and synthesizers. Their lyrics and music are absolutely perfect for writing vampire stories, just as a plus. Now, a completely different "gothic" band (though they're absolutely NOTHING like London After Midnight, and I'm not even sure why they're considered gothic in any circles at all) is [B]Siouxsie and the Banshees[/B]. This band is from the 80's, I believe, and they're my favorite group from that decade. They're not electric or heavy at all, but often upbeat and on the softer side. I think my absolute most favorite "gothic" band is [B]Rasputina[/B], though. They're very unique, both in sound and appearance. The only instruments used are multiple cellos and a drumset. They experiment with distortion, too, which makes an amazing effect. Their lyrics are constantly witty and I've laughed very hard at many of their songs (such as "The Donner Party" and "Diamond Mind"). EDIT - Well, given your list of bands, I'm not sure if you'd really like any of this. I don't know, though, because I used to consider Nightwish my favorite band (a couple of years ago, at least) and I still love everything I mentioned. However, I think if you like Kill Hannah you should definitely check out [B]Mindless Self Indulgence[/B] and [B]Placebo[/B]. I'm not sure if they're all too similar musically, but I have a friend who adores those three bands. Maybe they have something in common. (I don't listen to Kill Hannah, but I LOVE MSI and Placebo).[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]This is very good! The rhyming worked out just fine and the rhythm is mostly consistent - there were just a few places where it didn't flow so well, most notably in the line "Without a care marrying death." Unfortunately, I'm going through a dry spell right now, so I don't really have any suggestions on how to improve it any. It seems to be okay as far as English stuff goes, but I'm not really an expert on the subject. I could see these becoming lyrics...then again, I see everything called a "poem" as lyrics...[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]That was easier than I thought it would be. I just had to find out what a Coracobrachialis is. [B]Aqua Teen Hunger Force[/B] > Middle finger > Fingers > Hand > Upper limb anatomy > Muscles of the upper limbs > [B]Coracobrachialis muscle[/B] This is assuming the original article and the final article don't count in the six, of course. Connect [B]D'addario[/B] to [B]Derek and the Dominos.[/B] [SIZE=1](Haha, I just discovered a much easier way of getting there than the one I originally used. It's really nifty how you really CAN connect anything to anything in several different ways).[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I am just pleased as punch. :] Thanks for the comments so far. I really appreciate hearing such nice things about my writing. I especially love that Edward is a popular character already! For the time being, the only other stories with him are [U][URL=http://otakuboards.com/showpost.php?p=757491&postcount=273]these[/URL][/U], but they're only from the 55 Fiction thread. And yes, Vincent is a guy. [SIZE=1]A very flamboyant one at that.[/SIZE] I have an idea for a new Valentine's Day story, so hopefully I'll be able to begin it (and maybe even finish it) tomorrow.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Here is another substory from my expansive vampire novel-type-thing. With luck, I'll be able to write one or two more about Valentine's Day and I'll turn it into a little holiday miniseries. If you enjoyed [thread=56294][U]Zero[/U][/thread], then you'd probably like this one as well. [SIZE=3][B][CENTER]VALENTINES FOR VAMPIRES: VITALE[/CENTER][/B][/SIZE] ?What a radiant journey that was, [I]cara mia[/I].? I glided down the stone steps of the Galleria D?Arte, basking in the glow from the moon and the stars. Edward stepped softly behind me, modest and nonchalant as usual. I hesitated at the foot of the stairs as he quickly caught up, then locked my arm around his and bustled forward. ?It was a lovely show; thank you for taking me,? Edward said, his velour voice nearly a whisper. He had an odd habit of speaking quietly to me when the two of us were out among human beings, but the lowness of his voice was simply irresistible. His gratitude brought a smile to my face and caused my stomach to flutter slightly. ?You?re quite welcome, Edward. I thoroughly enjoyed it as well.? The Galleria D?Arte was not exquisitely Byzantine, but the lack of glitz gave it an endearing, intimate atmosphere. It frequently showcased aspiring young talents, who were often the creators of exhilarating masterpieces, always far too perfect to have been truly crafted by a human. Tonight, in honor of Valentine?s Day, the Galleria featured the world?s most beautiful paintings of my most cherished feelings: love and lust. The show had ended relatively early, and I was so high from the sheer beauty of the artwork that I refused any thought of returning home for the night. ?[I]Cara mia[/I], let?s do something else now,? I sang, my feet bouncing against the pavement. Edward hummed thoughtfully, pushing his thick, rectangular glasses further up his adorable Greek nose. Of course, he didn?t need the glasses, as a vampire?s vision is completely flawless, but they gave him a boyish allure. I smiled even wider as I watched his haggard expression and tightened my grip on his arm. The excitement was too much for me to bear, however, and I let him go as my enthusiasm exploded. I began to whirl about, grinning madly as I frolicked between the few humans who were still out (though it was early for us, the vampires, it was past one in the morning). I leapt on to a stone bench, then flitted back down to the sidewalk in one fluid motion. ?For heaven?s sake, Vincent,? I heard Edward scold from behind, ?calm yourself down.? ?I feel so alive, [I]amore[/I],? I shouted back to him, giggling with delight at my energy. I saw Edward?s lips curl into a smile as he tried to suppress his laughter at my words. It was ironic, after all. Regardless, he maintained his obligatory serious manner. ?You don?t have to vomit your vivacity out where people are going to step in it, you know.? I chuckled at his metaphor and was readying my own witty retort when I noticed a single white flower, lodged in between the blocks of sidewalk. I nearly shrieked with joy at my discovery, as such treasures are impossible to find in the city. I bent over to gently touch the velveteen petals - not rip the poor plant from its home in the ground. If I had not been so interested in the flower, the next moment would have been lost to me. It was then that I saw what I could only recognize as an angel on earth. He was very slender and of slightly short stature, with shimmering black hair that reached his petite shoulders, and skin so vibrant, smooth, and pale that it appeared to be sculpted out of marble. His clothes were less than fashionable, but he carried himself in such an unknowingly extravagant way that, if he were to compete in a beauty contest against Adonis or Narcissus, he would automatically win the prize. There was only one thing that bothered me about this heavenly figure, though, and that was how painfully human he was. Even still, I found myself unable to keep from staring at the boy as he trudged along the sidewalk. ?Vincent, who are you ogling now?? Edward materialized beside me with what I could only assume to be a reproving expression, but his voice was completely empty of any jealousy or distaste. I formed words behind my lips, but I had momentarily lost the will to speak. I only wanted to absorb the incandescent beauty that surrounded the angelic boy. He continued to traipse along his own way without taking notice of me, though my ever-watching eyes might as well have burned a hole through him. When he moved completely out of my sight, I managed to stand up straight and sigh with unbelievable disappointment. ?Vincent?? Edward repeated, glancing at my crestfallen face and letting curiosity into his own countenance. I turned my head, gazing wistfully into his frosty blue eyes. ?You were staring at someone. A human boy, I think.? ?Oh, [i]cara mia[/i],? I said, coming off a great swoon, ?he was so...? I stumbled, searching for an adequate word to describe the boy. ?Edible?? Edward offered, arching an eyebrow. My spirits were too low to recognize the humor, and I merely sighed once more as I shuffled my feet forward. I knew just how absurd I was, having gone from being more than content with Edward to lusting after a plain old human--though the boy was anything but ordinary. He was absolutely ambrosial. Edward groaned under his breath and followed me, then walked briskly ahead. I was afraid that I had irritated him with my sudden moodiness, and I felt only worse. The desire to chase after the boy was burning deep within me, but it was subdued by the irrevocable love I already felt towards Edward. My heart seemed to be ripped in two. We walked home in silence. I couldn?t sense what Edward was feeling, but I had a strong notion that he was fuming. As soon as we stepped inside our mansion, he picked his laptop computer up from the coffee table in our expansive living room, disappeared into one of the lavish guestrooms, and locked the door behind him. I nearly fell to the floor in despair. Instead, I draped myself over the black leather armchair and buried my face in the cushions. I laid there for a ridiculous amount of time, battling against an inner storm of thought and desire. I finally looked up when the grandfather clock in the foyer chimed ominously. It was seven o? clock, and the sun would be rising soon. I had never stayed up so late before, and I began to panic at how dangerously close it was to morning. My feet hardly touched the ground as I flew up the stairs, then dove into the windowless bedroom I shared with Edward. I closed the door behind me, flooding the room with solid darkness, and switched from my swanky art gallery attire to a polar opposite outfit: blue plaid flannel bottoms and a black, form-fitting t-shirt that displayed an old band I had grown fond of over the years. I almost put on a different shirt, as that one had been a small gift from Edward, and the subtle reminder of my plight sent a pang of agony through my heart. I decided to be tough about it, however, and collapsed into bed. Sleep refused to grace me with its presence, unfortunately. My mind was still reeling from the image of the boy on the street, combined with memories of Edward and a debilitating worry that I was being too tragic about the ordeal. I waited in the dark for at least an hour before it struck me that Edward wasn't coming to bed. Part of my attraction to him was the effect of him being my very own creator, of course. I remembered the night I died so well that it seemed like it only happened a short while ago, instead of almost six hundred years. Edward had confronted me in the streets of Spain, where I had been born and lived for twenty-six years prior. I was constantly sickly and hallucinatory; naturally, when I saw that glimmering, godlike man approach me, I thought I was delirious with a fever. I realized that my first feelings towards Edward were the exact same as the ones I felt for the boy in the city. Edward Black wasn?t like any other vampire, however, in ways that extended far beyond my unconditional attraction to him. His powers and abilities were far greater than my own, such that I felt like a completely different species than him. The least of his extraordinary talents was that he could change his eye color without any outside interference, something that a narcissistic vampire such as myself would be extremely envious of. More significantly, Edward could pass through fire without sustaining any kind of damage, and consume any substance he would want to without having to regurgitate it shortly after getting it down. On top of that, he dreamt each time he slept--a phenomenon most other vampires don?t even remember from their human years. The greatest difference between Edward and myself is that, true to form, I couldn?t be exposed to the sunlight without indeterminable repercussions. He could watch the sunrise over our lake every morning, and even spend the entire day outdoors without the fear of combustion or sudden death. What I loved most about Edward was that he willfully ignored his ascended preternatural powers so that I wasn?t ever left alone. As I continued to think about him, the lust I felt towards the boy in the city slowly faded away, and I felt more and more at ease. I slowly fell into a deathlike sleep (no dream, of course), and awoke as the grandfather clock downstairs rang out six times. The bedroom door was open; Edward?s sign that the night had fallen and it was safe for me to crawl out of my cave. I couldn?t describe the great relief I felt as I made my way down the marble stairs, having been completely refreshed by my slumber. The fact that it was Valentine?s Day, my favorite holiday of the year, greatly improved my mood as well. I even beamed at myself as reflected in the mirrors hung over the banister, pleased by my pallid skin, dark black hair, and jack-o-lantern colored eyes. There were feelings of slight regret, but I convinced myself that they were only directed at how puerile I had acted the previous night. ?Edward, [I]cara mia[/I],? I called as I floated off the staircase and danced into the living room. There was an excitable, airy sensation in my body, which was how I usually felt after awakening from a full day?s sleep. I spread my arms out and fluidly pranced about the room, as if I were some sort of undead ballerino. I was so distracted by my artificial ballet that it took me a while to realize that Edward was not in the house. Distress leaked into me as I flew from room to room, searching desperately for him. Each time he wasn?t there, and each time my heart sank further and further into abject misery. Just as I was ready to fling myself to the floor again, a loud, unfamiliar sound echoed through the hallways. I glanced around in confusion, unsure as to what the noise was or what demonic creature could be making it. Then I slapped my hand to my forehead, mentally reaming myself for my idiocy. I stepped into the nearest room and yanked the telephone receiver off the hook. ?Edward?? I asked expectantly. ?Of course,? he responded in an amused tone of voice, ?who else has ever called you?? No one had. The telephones were only in the house to disguise the fact that two cadaverous creatures occupied it. ?[I]Cara mia[/I], it was pure lunacy when I called for you and you didn?t respond. Where are you?? As happy I was to be speaking with Edward, I wasn?t in much of a mood to make small-talk. ?I?m sorry, Vincent, I had to go to the other mansion. There?s a conflict with some lawyers that needs to be settled, but I?ll be home as soon as I possibly can.? So, my beloved was in Transylvania. I felt absolutely abysmal. ?But [I]cara mia[/I],? I protested, ?it?s Valentine?s Day. I don?t want to be alone.? ?Don?t worry. I?ll be back before tomorrow, I promise.? Then there was a slight shifting sound on the other side of the receiver. Even though I couldn?t see him, I could tell Edward was smiling. ?In the meantime, why don?t you go see what I left you in the guestroom at the end of the hall?? I grew ebullient at the idea of a present, and wasted no time in rocketing to the room he mentioned. The door was slightly ajar, but it was no obstacle as I barreled over the threshold with my eyes closed. There wasn?t much I loved more than a surprise. ?Well?? Edward asked. ?I?m too nervous to look!? I exclaimed, bouncing on my toes in excitement. There was a dull thud, as if Edward had smacked his head against something. ?Open your goddamned eyes, Vincent.? All I needed was the invitation. My mouth fell agape with stupefaction. Tucked into the queen-sized bed was the boy from the city, just as stunning as I remembered him to be. I completely forgot how to speak, and if I needed to breathe I would have temporarily lost that ability as well. The boy was fast asleep, but he looked just as alive as he had on the street. I was captivated by the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he drew in tiny breaths, such that I forgot that I had Edward at my ear. ?I assume your silence is a good thing?? He said, retaining his audible grin. I racked my brain trying to figure out how to respond. ?How in the world did you find him?? ?That?s not important, is it? Don?t worry about that. Just have your way with him.? I felt my heart pulse once or twice before falling dormant again. My body was riddled with supernatural adrenalin and overexcitement. ?Thank you, Edward, [I]amore[/I], I couldn?t be happier. This is the second greatest gift you have ever given me.? He knew that the first was eternity. ?I love it, and I love you.? We said our sweet goodbyes, and in a moment of uncontainable bliss I let the phone drop to the floor. The clatter caused the boy to stir, and it seemed that heaven itself was awakening. His eyelids fluttered, revealing eyes of such a deep, dark blue that they seemed almost inhuman. He glanced around the room as he slowly regained consciousness, tucking a lock of his silken black hair behind a colorless ear. Despite having woken up in a foreign bedroom with a creature such as myself staring at him, the boy made no impression that he was frightened or confused. ?Good morning,? I said, my voice lilting and quiet. He turned his head to get a better look at me and let out a faint gasp. He remained unconcerned, however, and his gorgeous eyes locked with mine. ?Good morning,? he replied, sounding uncertain. I smiled at the sound of his voice; he couldn?t have been more than sixteen or seventeen. ?I?m surprised at your lack of fear,? I said mellifluously, inching closer to him. ?I know what you are,? he explained, not budging an inch. I stopped and narrowed my eyes. ?Then surely you know what will become of you.? He was silent, but there was determination in his expression. He knew, but he was unafraid. I mentally frowned at the foreboding that fell over the room, then put on a cheerful face. ?Well, there?s certainly no need to be all dramatic about it!? I exclaimed. ?Besides, we haven?t even properly met yet. My name is Vincent, what?s yours?? ?Vitale,? he said, ?Vitale Valentino.? I squealed in delight at how appropriate his name was--the latter half, at least, as ?full of life? would be a contradictory description of him within a few minutes. ?How perfect,? I boasted, as if the name were my own. ?Vitale Valentino. It fits together wonderfully.? Vitale?s lip quivered, and I took on a look of apprehension. ?What is it, [I]miele[/I]?? Already, I had found a term of endearment for him. He was betrothed to me forever. ?I?m ready,? he pleaded, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. He pulled his collar so that I could see the beating artery beneath the pale skin of his neck, and my eyes fixed upon it. I climbed on to the bed beside him and lightly grasped his shoulder. He flinched at the iciness of my touch and shivered at the coolness emanating from my body. ?[I]Miele[/I],? I whispered. He shut his eyes and relaxed his tensed muscles, a gesture that I took as a green light. My first impression had been spot on. He was delicious.[/FONT]

[quote name='White][COLOR=DimGray][FONT=Tahoma]Sorry, but how are we going off topic? We're talking about Dane Cook and his joke about Atheism.[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]It seemed like there was a tangent spawning about what Atheism means, that's all.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Let's try to stay on topic, please. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I'd just like to thank everyone who commented on the story. You made me smile so much that my cheeks hurt. :] I really appreciate the English help, too. My friend asked me to submit this to my school's lit mag, so I did. I sort of envision people talking about it around me (of course, not knowing I wrote it; I asked my friend to leave it anonymous), and just thinking about what people MIGHT say after hearing others' thoughts makes me extremely excited. This is just a short sub-story I had in mind one night; there is a gynormous story with a lot more characters and depth than what's present in this. I'm trying to write more substories, and possibly even the full story, so I'll definitely post what I finish here. :][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Since there are bound to have been some changes to the bands we talked about in the old "Your Bands" thread, I decided to make a new thread. So, how many of you are musically inclined? Is anyone in a band? Or maybe we have some solo artists here? Share your musical endeavors! I've had plenty of projects in the past, but none of them ever really got very far off the ground. I have a good feeling about my most recent one, however, so I'm hoping I'll be able to give it my all. My current band is called [B]Nectar of the Gods[/B] (or NOG for short). At the moment, the lineup is myself on guitar and my friend, Caitlin, on vocals. She wants this band to work just as badly as I do. We're looking for a bassist and a drummer, though there aren't too many available people who both have the talent AND want to be in our group. The only recordings on our [U][URL=http://myspace.com/nogband]myspace[/URL][/U] were done by me, but there's a chance that the two of us will be able to collaborate sometime soon. NOG is heading towards a strange mix of genres: primarily punk, but also a combination of electronica, goth, progressive, and maybe even a little emo. Most of our influences are listed on the myspace, but they include AFI, Misfits, Placebo, MSI, the Descendents, the Unseen, and many other ecletic bands. I just borrowed a microphone from a friend, and I was working on recording some music before my computer crashed. I might create a purevolume page for us, too, once we get a write and record a few more songs.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]For Valentine's Day, I'll probably get my parents to give me some money so I can participate in whatever my school is doing for the holiday (if it could even be called such a thing). All my schools in the past have offered some kind of candy that students could buy for a dollar and have delivered to their friends. Getting the candy is a big deal because it shows everyone in your class how loved you are. :P Last year, Valentine's Day was the absolute worst for me. Not only was my school selling/delivering, gross old Orange Crush soda, I was also all alone. I didn't get anything from anyone, not that I was expecting it. Even my mother, a teacher at that school, got some soda from someone. However, I go to a different school now and all of my friends will be there to flood me with love. Hopefully they will. :][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][CENTER][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/ShikyoKasu/jungledance.png[/img] [SIZE=1]JUNGLE DANCE.[/CENTER][/SIZE] [B]If you could combine two animals, what would they be, and why?[/B] A lion and a blowfish. Those two creatures couldn't be anymore different, which is exactly why they would be a wonderful hybrid. There's nothing else to it. [B]If you had to film an action movie, what location in the world would you think would suit the most exciting action scene ever? (In other words, where would you film it?)[/B] In the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. Hopefully we'd catch a glimpse of the elusive Jersey Devil, and in turn the action movie would rake in big bucks and plenty of recognition. [B]Let's say you ruled a country. Whether your economy prospers or not is up to you. In otherwords, you can be a harsh ruler to your people or a kind one. But what of food? Do you vary in vegetation and agriculture? Do you have a large marketing system? Perhaps some world wide food industries were founded in your nation. The question is, how do you run your country's food situation following those guidelines? This takes more though, folks. You can choose to make your food of plenty or not. What's it going to be?[/B] God help the country I take control of. We'd probably import eggrolls, bourbon chicken, and lo mein in bulk from China, and trade our extra rare lion-blowfish hybrids for lots of salmon sushi and soy sauce from Japan. I'd have to grow fields upon fields of spanish rice AND wild rice, because certain people I know refuse to eat any other kind. Then, of course, we'd have the Fresh Market, and it would have all of the aforementioned delicacies. Then I'd lock myself in my castle and wait to be usurped.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=1]After some subtle coaxing, I decided to post my little vampire short story here. There are undoubtedly gajillions of errors, and if you happen upon one, try to ignore it and continue. :][/SIZE] [B][CENTER]ZERO[/CENTER][/B] There I was; trapped in between two girls with fake fangs and excessive makeup on a gaudy leather couch. Music that reminded me of sex was blaring from the stereo. All around the room I heard snippets of dull conversation, uninspiring pickup lines, and generic stupidity from what could possibly be the darkest crowd of human beings in the whole state. Somehow I had been dragged to a ?Vampire Club.? Nils had been playing on the computer all day and was still on it when I awoke that night. I was curious as to what a seventeen-hundred year old vampire would be doing on the Internet, and when I peeked over his naked shoulder I found a web page dedicated to our very own kind. ?What?s this?? I asked. ?It?s hilarious. I found a website made by humans who believe that they?re vampires.? He giggled as he spoke. I lifted an eyebrow out of intrigue. ?How do you know they aren?t real?? ?I can just tell. They?ve got it all wrong.? He clicked the mouse a couple of times and let me read a ridiculous story, full of grammatical and spelling errors and misconceptions about vampires. ?Yeah, it?s obviously the work of a human.? Nils shifted in the computer chair, stretching his long, leather-clad legs. ?I?m more interested in this club they?re advertising.? He scrolled up the page and pointed at a picture of two humans, both grinning and showing off their obviously handcrafted fangs. The text on the picture read ?THE VAMPIRE CLUB: Meets every Friday as soon as the sun goes down.? ?That sounds really stupid.? I laughed at the absurdity of the idea. The printer growled to life and spit out the ad. Nils picked it up out of the basket and read the address listed beneath the fake vampires in the picture. ?I want to go.? He said. It sounded like a demand. ?What? Why would you want to?? I asked as he shut off the computer and got to his feet. I knew he would leave no matter what I said. I just hoped that he wouldn?t drag me along -- though I should?ve known it was a fate I couldn?t escape. ?Come with me, please.? His icy white eyes begged me; I felt them shattering my resolve. ?I really don?t want to...? I was breaking. ?No, come on. Let?s go now.? His mind was made up. He disappeared into his bedroom and returned shortly afterwards, remarkably fully dressed and wearing a tiny bit of eyeliner. I sighed and got myself ready, then followed him out of the house. Now I didn?t know where Nils had gotten to. I sat down on the couch as soon as we arrived at the club and was soon flanked by the two girls in costume. ?Hello,? one said, ?I?ve never seen you here.? ?I?ve never been here,? I replied, trying to mask my discomfort. The girl, whose hair had been dyed pitch black, suddenly began to stare at my mouth. ?Woah,? she exclaimed, ?where did you get those?? I gave her a confused look. ?Those fangs! They look real.? ?They are real,? I replied with only the truth. The girl looked a bit disappointed. I nearly rolled my eyes. She introduced herself as some name I hated, and her friend had a rather despicable name as well. I sat in between them and ignored them as best I could for I don?t even know how long. Eventually, I became so utterly bored with the humans that I felt like screaming, so I stood up and excused myself ?to the bathroom.? I wandered around the club, which was really just a poorly stocked seedy bar. Nils was nowhere to be found. Teenaged boys dressed as vampires constantly approached me with an empty pick-up line; one even said something about my blood being the ?nectar of the gods,? and it took every ounce of will power I had to not rip his pulsing throat out. Finally, I leapt over the bar so fast that no eye could catch me and ducked into the kitchen. [I]God damn it, Nils[/I], I thought, [i]if you left me at this gathering of idiots[/i]...I rubbed my eyelids in frustration and attempted to calm myself down by taking a few breaths. [i]If you left me here I?m going to tear your dead heart out of your chest and beat you with it.[/i] After a few minutes passed, I returned to the crowd as quickly as I escaped it. I decided I had probably ?been in the bathroom? long enough, and I made my way back to the sitting area. My mood picked up slightly as I saw Nils sitting in my place between the two girls, his arms stretched out over their shoulders. ?Ah, Amelia, I finally found you.? The girls looked at me, suddenly very defensive and tense. I figured they had fallen in love with him already and were willing to take anyone out to get to him. ?I was looking for you. I?m ready to go,? I demanded. Nils looked heartbroken, and I suddenly felt sorry for him, and the two girls as well -- if I was affected by his sappy expression, the humans must be trapped in his spell like two flies in a spider web. ?But we just got here!? he protested, his eyes beginning to show traces of blue. I shot him a warning glance: [i]not in front of the kids.[/i] However, his beseeching stare was more than enough to make me sit down in a soft black chair near the couch. I sighed at my irrevocable obedience to him. ?So, Nils, where did you get your contacts? They?re amazing,? one of the girls wanted to know. ?I ordered them from some website. I forgot what it was called,? he responded. Nils was a very good liar, although it would?ve been more like him to say that his eyes were naturally that wintry white color. The girls looked disappointed again; apparently, they were very impressed at how good our ?vampire costumes? were. They were also very quick to change the subject. ?I believe that I was a goat farmer in a past life,? the black haired girl babbled. Nils rolled his eyes supernaturally fast, so that only I could see the gesture. ?In my past life, I was the only son of a penniless candlestick maker. Everyday I would go out and kill some animal with my bare hands and drag it home for our dinner. I died horribly young, though, when bandits raided my village,? he said, almost as if it were the truth. I lifted an eyebrow and wondered if just subtly told me about his real past. ?I took this quiz online that showed me where I died in my past life, and it was in some ocean,? the other girl, a blonde with tacky red contacts, pitched in. ?That means you were a fish,? Nils said with a smile. The girls fell into uncontrollable fits of giddy giggles. ?I don?t believe in past lives,? I sighed. The laughter stopped, and the girls began to glare at me. Nils took on a half-smile that said [i]quit raining on my parade.[/i] I opened my mouth and ran my tongue underneath one of my fangs. [i]Bite me.[/i] Nils frowned completely then. ?Ladies, it?s a bit loud in here. Shall we go someplace a little more...isolated?? he asked, his voice dreadfully seductive. I almost wanted to leap to my feet and follow him to wherever he?d be going. Of course, the girls nearly rocketed through the roof at his request. By now they would?ve dove off a cliff into a pile of jagged rocks if he had suggested it. He took their hands - they gasped in unison at how cold his skin was - and led them out of the sitting area and through the crowd. He turned his head and glanced at me as they walked away, his eyes suddenly glowing a very bright, menacing orange. His teeth were gleaming through a maniacal grin, and I knew exactly what his plan had been the whole time. For whatever reason, the club had a few locked bedrooms, barely furnished and hardly heated at all. I slunk behind the three as they approached one of the doors, and when Nils jiggled the handle they all sighed at the impossible entry. ?It?s not a problem,? Nils muttered. He turned the doorknob again, and the door swung open, allowing them to enter the soon to be damned bedroom. I sped to the door as fast as I could run without transcending the average human speed, determined to keep Nils from fulfilling his bloodlust. I was too late; by the time I got there, he slammed the door in my face, still grinning like a madman. I heard the lock click. [i]Oh, shit.[/i] They were quiet at first; a few giggles, soft whispering, and eventually gentle moaning. I had my back to the door, my hand clasped over my eyes in embarrassment. Streams of cuss words were running through my mind like they would flow out of a sailor?s mouth. [i] Dammit dammit dammit dammit dammit.[/i] "I bet your blood is the nectar of the gods," Nils uttered, his voice irresistably cunning. [I]Did he honestly just say that?[/I] Then came the muffled screams -- both of them simultaneously. I wondered how Nils managed to subdue both girls, bite them, and suck out their life force at the exact same time. I heard two separate heartbeats speed up and slow down, as if they had been two wheels rolling down one hill and hesitantly progressing up another. I was starting to panic. [i]Surely he won?t kill them. Surely.[/i] ?Amelia, let?s go.? I dropped my hand, startled at Nils? sudden appearance beside me. ?What? How did you get out here so fast?? I listened for signs that the girls were still alive. There were two thin clouds of faltered breathing and a painfully slow rhythm of two hearts trying to maintain a steady beat. Apparently Nils only drank enough to knock them out. At least they would survive. He nonchalantly headed for the door, singing some song under his breath. I all but ran ahead of him in a hurry to get out of the stupid club. Snow had been falling for a while, and there was about an inch of powder on the ground. He playfully shuffled through it as I barreled ahead, grumbling. ?Come on, dammit.? [I]?She?s the one for me, she?s all I really need, oh yeah...?[/I][/FONT]

[QUOTE=Adahn] [size=2]We have 3 cats in our house, and they like to lay around, so many times I've seen a shirt or something on my bed. My brain doesn't say shirt first, though, it says cat.[/size][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial] I have two cats; one is a goldish furred boy who lounges around in the chairs and whatnot. Sometimes I happen across a grocery bag and I automatically think it's the cat. So, I go to pet it, and it turns out to be just a grocery bag. I guess that sort of thing happens all the time.[/FONT]

[QUOTE=Drix D'Zanth] As a facination, I've been delighted by Regina Spektor recently, she's got a very easy, natural sound. I also like her vocal "tricks" she includes in some of her songs (Apres moi).[/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]I love Regina Spektor quite a lot. There aren't many female artists that I've been able to get into, but Regina's just amazing. The only other dominantly female band that I love is Rasputina, whose lyrics are very reminiscent of Regina Spektor's. Both Regina and Melora Creager, the vocalist for Rasputina, have a similar airy tone that's very soothing and pleasant (and often times slightly insane). EDIT - I forgot about Siouxsie and the Banshees again. I love how Siouxsie Sioux has such an amazing voice. I can't really describe how well she uses it...in their song "Cities in Dust," she sings something like "Oh-ooh woah, oh, your city lies in duu-ooost, my friend." I love it so much. [/FONT]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']my Cello[/quote] [FONT=Arial]You're automatically amazing. That's my absolute most favorite orchestral instrument EVER. (Not that there's too many choices in the first place, buut...) I'm going to follow Rachmaninoff's example and reverse it. I'd rather end a post on a positive note. :] I think I'm very unfriendly. I avoid talking to people whenever I can, and I absolutely hate it if someone I don't know too well tries to start a conversation with me (because half the time I don't even know what to say to keep it going, and I get bored with it). I used to be extremely insecure, so that I'd actually be afraid to have any kind of social interaction with anyone other than my friends. I still can't stand up for myself, though, and in a classroom full of acquaintances I'm very quiet. I'm not really school smart, either...I'm sure I could get very good grades if I just paid a little more attention and actually took the time to do my homework outside of school, but algebra is my absolute worst subject, and chemistry's no piece of cake. I'm pretty sure I'm kind of (if not very) annoying, and I sometimes have a problem controlling my volume level. I could really use a good exercise routine as well. :[ Now, the bragging part! >:] I'm very musically inclined. I've been in chorus long enough to know a lot about music theory, and I've been teaching myself guitar for nearly six years. I think I'm pretty good at it. I know a little bit about piano and drums, too, and if I owned a bass guitar I could probably get the hang of it with a little practice. I've written a few complete songs ("Of Sound Mind," "Invierno," and "Unseen") and cowritten some really nice pieces ("Dance of the Fiends," "Red Moon Blue Moon"), and I'd really like to follow the musician career path. I'm also really good at English; my mother's an English teacher, and I guess it's just in the blood. I have so many story ideas that I'm trying to get on paper or in the computer. I'd like to think I'm pretty good at writing lyrics, too. While I'm not "school smart," I think I'm pretty intellectual for a fifteen year old. In Spanish class, I don't pay attention and I hardly ever do the work, and I didn't study for the exam. I got the highest score out of my whole class on it (I even beat the Spanish kids!). I'm also doing really well in my college AP world history class; we had a closed book test today that I didn't study for, but I'm pretty sure I got a good grade on it because it was easy. Yay, that was a good idea.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Welcome to Otakuboards, Hottchik. We have plenty of threads listed in the [U][B][URL=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=56261]Thread Directory[/URL][/B][/U] that allow discussion about favorite genres. Feel free to post in them if you want to discuss your musical interests. Also, when posting, please try to add a little more detail. Try to include why you like a specific genre or what your favorite artist from that genre is and why. If you have any questions, please look at the [B][U][URL=http://otakuboards.com/rules.php?]Site Rules[/URL][/U][/B] or the [U][B][URL=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=56262]Music, Movies, and TV Forum Guidelines[/URL][/B][/U], or feel free to PM me or any other moderator. Thread closed.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I'd just like to remind everyone to PLEASE use spoiler tags when posting. Remember, not everyone has seen this movie. Please read the [U][URL=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=56262]Music, Movies & TV guidelines[/URL][/U], and feel free to PM me or any other moderator if you have any questions.[/FONT]

[center][size=4]White Noise Guidelines[/size][/center] Welcome to the White Noise forum. Here, we talk about the mediums of music, movies and television shows, as well as musicals and plays and other forms of entertainment that branch off of the first three. But please take note of the following guidelines when posting here. 1. Do not post threads asking for free mp3s, video downloads, sheet music, etc. 2. Since White Noise covers several different mediums there are a wide variety of threads that are acceptable. You can post about bands, albums, TV shows, movies, etc. and anything having to do with those topics. However, please do not create threads for specific songs as they don't allow for much worthwhile discussion and will be closed. 3. Please check the [thread=56261][u]Thread Directory[/u][/thread] to see if a thread on a specific band, show, etc. has already been created before you make a new one. 4. To avoid revealing major plot elements of something under discussion, please use spoiler tags. They black out the text between them, requiring others to highlight the text to read the spoiler. Example: [indent][sp[size=2]o[/size]iler]This is a spoiler.[/spoiler][/indent]Becomes: [INDENT][spoiler]This is a spoiler.[/spoiler][/INDENT] If you have any questions, feel free to PM one of the White Noise Moderators and we'll be glad to help.

[FONT=Arial]I've heard some of his shows. I think he IS funny, but I don't remember ever actually laughing out loud at any of his jokes. In fact, I can hardly remember any of them at all. I seem to recall him using a kind of humor that I would like, though.[/FONT]