Kwai

Trigun Maximum Manga #9 is out. Its very, very good with awesome plot twists. Its basically where Wolfwood goes all out against his past 'friend' as well as his past teacher. Good stuff. Lotta action.

Ravenstorture, Nihongo wa mah mah dato omou kedo, chotto arai kana? Mah ganbatte ne. Korede wakaru to omou kedo, boku wa nihonjin desu... saikin amari shaberanai kara chotto heta dake do... ^_^ If that didn't explain it, I speak Japanese fluently (being Japanese...). And Spanish too.

[i]Gen was bored. Really, really bored. He was trying to feign unconsciousness, but nothing seemed to be happening. Lightning boy over there seemed to be knocked out pretty bad. At any rate, one thing was bugging him... Looking over at the still present female who probably was a mutant, he asked her simply. "You there. Where the hell is my blade?" The mutant didn't answer his question. Instead, it looked over him for a moment, then clicked a nearby button, saying clearly, "He's up. No, not Lightning. The other one." Gen's eyes flicked toward the other unconscious mutant. 'Lightning', was it? Electricity then... no wonder... but before that... "No, you did not answer my question..." said Gen sarcastically. "I asked where my blade was." he concluded with quivering fury. Before she could answer, the door slid open and a few other mutants came in, some of whom Gen recognized vaguely. [/i]

I joined a choir during my sophomore year since my friend dragged me into it... I'm currently junior, so I've been doing it for a year and a few months. I've been singing bass mostly, but currently I'm exploring some other voice ranges, and I seem to do fine as a baritome or also as tenor. I could even do a soprano as well, but then my throat becomes parched and dry for the rest of the day so I rarely do that. Not to mention its quite freaky to see a guy singing high soprano. Our school choir is quite well funded. It should be. The freaking school charge us $24,000 per year, plus various expenses. Besides, quite a few of my fellow choir members have rich, powerful lawyer parents. They'll probably start up some trumped up case against the school if they find out their kids aren't having fun. But all in all, choir is enjoyable, not to mention its the easiest possible art you can take... no homework, not much time is needed, and it gives you excuses to get out of class.

[i]Gen groaned slightly, waking up with a sudden rush, finding himself in what appeared to be a med-room. Looking around uneasily, he saw another mutant lying on a nearby bed who he vaguely remembered coming across in his confrontation with the X-men. So. He got caught. Whoop-de-doo. Now what? His nerves were wracked too much and he really wasn't that stupid enough to start trouble in the thick of the X-men stronghold... He let his mind wander for a moment, trying to grasp the exact situation. Finding his situation rather hopeless, Gen decided to cease resistance for the moment and relax his mind. For a moment, Gen recalled some past memories, of being in med-rooms for a moment, then being kicked out the next for being a mutant. Well. Fond memories. Memories which he hated with a passion, which he really hated to have resurfacing to his mind. Growling slightly from this sudden intrusion of memories into his mind, Gen tried to sit up, but noticed the restraints on him.... probably security measures... His ill humor not improved by this, Gen looked around viciously to vent his anger on. He found it. A girl, who he guessed was another member of the X-men, was sitting on a stool nearby, humming lightly and reading what appeared to be a woman's magazine. For a second, Gen tried concentrating his thoughts to manipulate her somehow, but to no avail. Looks like the X-men took security measures against that too. Well damn it all... Might as well carry on as if he was still unconscious.... [/i]

[i]Gen smiled maliciously. Petty mutants. They knew nothing of his true self. Grinning lightly, Gen let his eyes wander about the team of mutants before him, his smile set on his face with incessant mockery. Looking over each of them in turn, Gen rested his gaze on the one with electricity. Him first. He seemed to be the one with the greatest danger to him now. Gen was, of course, oblivious to what Craig was actually doing, but he usually knew full well which of his opponents would pose the most threat to him, in this case the electric one. Focusing his stare towards the figure, he concentrated mildly, his hypnosis slowly and steadily manipulating the senses of the mutant. Craig suddenly felt a buzz in his head, his concentration wavering. It was nothing... just a mild headache... But wait... he suddenly felt his consciousness slip dangerously. Suddenly coming to, Craig grimaced. For an instant, he fell asleep there. "Lightning!" yelled Scott. "Why didn't you fry him!" Focusing his eyes to where the intruder stood, Craig quickly realized that disappearing wasn't the intruder's only trick. There were four of him now, all with their blades drawn, each of them in a different stance. "Have you got him...?" asked Scott again. Craig strained his mind for a moment, then to his surprise found all of them to consist of mildly weaker, but equal electric charges. "What the hell!?" he muttered. "They're all the same... they all have electricity coursing through them..." Scott looked at Craig uncomprehendingly for a moment, then back at the intruder, all of whom were slowly advancing, their blades drawn ready. "Come on X-men... show me what you got..." said the figures in unison. A fight was inevitable, and better to strike first when the true capability of the mutant was yet unknown... "X-men attack!" shouted Scott. [/i]

[i]Akato raised his eyebrows, a bit annoyed. He never liked anything half-assed. Especially in fights. It never was fun unless they bet their lives and cast their lives on their blades... Ah well... I guess that meant he won. Glancing down the street to whence his opponent fled, Akato flicked his blade up into the moonlight, then twirled it lightly. Well... if that lad was a hired mercenary... he will be back sometime later... Shrugging lightly and indifferently at the thought, Akato sauntered towards his home, a wretched, decrepit hut at the edge of the town. He needed to work on some new potions, not to mention get his green vial ready in case he encountered another attack... *10 minutes later* Akato pushed open the low cloth hanging down over the door, and entered his sanctuary. The hut was filled from top to bottom with shelves, each filled with sickly, bizarre organs and pickled remains of random creatures. Taking out the sample he collected in the woods that day, Akato opened one bottle filled with pinkish liquid, and dropped the sample in. A sickening glop was heard, and the fungi sunk down, suspended within the fluid. Akato considered it critically for a moment, then sighed in a satisfied fashion, screwing the lid onto the bottle and placing it on a nearby shelf. Humming a strange tune lightly, Akato reached over to a nearby test tube filled with a greenish, sickly fluid. Grinning at the fluid with ecstasy, Akato poured out the fluid into a smaller vial, and placed a stopper on it tightly. He was ready. Placing the vial into his pocket, Akato sauntered out of his hut, perhaps to grab a bite, or to just wander around and waste the night away. [/i]

[i]Grinning slightly at the offer, Gen shook his head. "No thank you... I'm just here to ... have fun..." With that, Gen suddenly faded from their view, though in reality he was just forcing their minds to ignore him. Smiling at the sudden confusion which swept through the X-Men, Gen closed one of his eyes, and in a moment, he made an exact replica of himself, though unreal. "Well..." he said through his image "Come on..." His image brought the blade horizontally in front of it, then again faded from their view. But wait.... Gen collapsed on the ground, clutching his head. His hypnosis faded, and his image disappeared as well. Groaning and gasping from the familiar pain, Gen claws his heads in desperation. Not now. Not now of all the possible times... He didn't want to kill them for god sakes... [/i]

[i]Gareth struck down full force, fully expecting to hit Akato there and then, preferably killing him. But to his surprise, Akato's entire being suddenly faded away when he struck down, and instead found himself hitting the ground hard. Growling with anger, Gareth looked around. There stood Akato, indifferent to the point of annoyance, but wait... Gareth closed his eyes and opened them again, rubbing them vigorously. Akato seemed to be swaying, and he could see two or three of them fading back and forth. "What in the name of bloody hell..." muttered Gareth. The swaying image smiled. At the same moment, Gareth noticed the stinging smell in his nose. Realising the cause of his hallucinations suddenly, Gareth tore off his shirt sleeve, tying it around his nose like a mask. Akato's smirk widened. "Too late there lad... looks like the effect on you is hallucination..." chuckled Akato. Drawing his blade, pointing it at Gareth's throat, the swaying figure suddenly disappeared from Gareth's view, and a moment later Gareth saw a faint blur charge towards him... [/i]

[i]After some quick self-debate, Gen decided to stay and hold his ground. He was curious, but he really wanted to meet other mutants and see how they were. Maybe even pick a fight if possible. He always wanted to see how he would stand up to mutants. Here was his chance. He saw the front door of the institution bang open, and out came several figures. In unison, their stares fixed onto him, and one of them with strange looking glasses pointed at him, motioning the others to follow. Smirking softly, Gen held his arms up, his blade in one hand. "Who are you?" called out the one in glasses. Gen stood silently, gazing at each of them in turn. Two of them were probably gifted with animal abilities... the glasses... something to do with the eyes... another of electricity... and the last one... well... no idea... "Does it really matter...?" he replied in mock indifference. Truth was, he was excited. Mutants. Real mutants. 5 of them too. "Well?" continued Gen. "What are you guys going to do...?" [/i]

[i]Gen smiled, watching the car drive away. He decided, after all, to visit the X-men first. It sounded so much cooler than the 'Brotherhood' anyway. If he guessed right, that female in the car was a mutant. He couldn't be sure, of course, but he could usually feel something welling up within him when he met another mutant. He just wanted to watch them, not meet them. Going up to the large front gate of the institute, Gen leapt up nimble as can be, and landed on top of the iron gate. Jumping off lightly on the other side, he took a minute to survey the area. No mutants. Phooey. Gen walked along the driveway carelessly, but suddenly froze with a sharp click. Spinning around abruptly, he suddenly found himself the target of roughly 10 auto-mechanism defense systems. Cursing his stupidity, Gen jumped left and right, dodging the stream of red laser beams firing upon him. Ah well... a fight was good enough... concentrating slightly, Gen brought his hands down to his waist. A little distortion, then his good old katana appeared. He never liked to look down and find a sword, so he usually kept a mild hypnosis on himself to prevent himself seeing it. Drawing his blade in an indifferent fashion, Gen smiled at the weapons aiming at him yet again. *2 minutes later* Gen spit on the smouldering remains of the defense mechanisms, raising his blades into the sunlight to check for any damages. Luckily, there were none. Gen looked around warily, not entirely comfortable. No doubt the X-men knew of his presence by now. Perhaps he should retreat for another chance... [/i]

[i]Gareth leapt to the side quickly, and rightly at that. Akato stood there, framed grimly in the dim alleyway, his blade sinking into the ground where Gareth was moments before. Though Gareth had no way of recognizing, Nimue would have realized that Akato was dressed differently. He had a long-brown trench coat on, apparently soaked in something from the way it sagged. Gareth took no note of this, however. His mission was to kill him, gut him, and leave him hanging on the sign of Damon's bar. Akato smiled in a mocking fashion, looking at Gareth pointedly. "Honestly lad... a bit too late for you to be walking out in the streets isn't it...?" he laughed. Gareth cringed. Yep. This was Akato all right. Fully psycho and ready to go. Twirling his sickle lightly, Gareth looked at the shadowy figure of Akato, whose eyes glared back venomously. "I have no quarrel with you as of now. Leave me be." continued Akato. To Akato's surprise, Gareth shook his head. "No can do mate... This is a job I've got to pull, and my jobs hanging by a very thin thread..." replied Gareth. Before finishing, Gareth charged Akato, his sickle still twirling in his hand. A quick blow was struck, but blocked deftly by the hilt of Akato's blade. Gareth got a good glimpse of Akato's blade. A rusty looking piece of crap which probably cannot cut anything... Smirking lightly, Gareth struck again, which Akato blocked this time with his blade. Smirking at the contact, Akato leapt back, landing neatly a few feet back. Gareth glared at Akato hungrily, his face lit up with adrenaline. "Look at your weapon..." murmured Akato. Gareth looked down, and found his blade corroding away, fizzing slightly at the edges. Gareth growled. This was his favorite and probably one of the most well-made weapon. And the ****** just ruined it.... [/i]

[i]Smirking slightly at the stares which passed through him blankly, Gen continued to munch on his breakfast, taking a few moments every now and then to eye the students entering the school gate with interest. He picked up bits and pieces of dialogue here and there while wandering the alleyways for the past few weeks and learned of the two major mutant forces, namely the X-men and the Brotherhood. He really wasn't interested in meeting them, but perhaps to see what kind of powers they had. Gen hummed carelessly, and those who passed by where he sat stopped for a second, looking around in a confused fashion. Hypnosis was definitely a useful skill to have. Not to mention... flicking his eyes towards a hot-shot skateboarder blazing down the side-walk, Gen concentrated for a moment. In a second, the skateboarder hit the 'STOP' sign with tremendous force, getting knocked backwards. Luckily he had a helmet on. Grinning at the suppressed laughter from the students, Gen bowed to the audience, to whom he was invisible. Flicking away the wrappers into the trash can with mock carelessness, Gen stood up. He might as well go visit one of the mutant strongholds. He was bored, he just ate, and he was looking for some fun. [/i]

OOC: Ahh... power abuse... [i] Gen yawned slightly, blinded by the sudden shaft of light projected on him. Blinking slightly, he saw that the card-board box he had above him had been knocked away by a stray-dog which was sniffing a nearby garbage can with hungry interest. Grimacing due to his unpleasant awakening, Gen looked around with distaste at the surrounding alleyway, filled with trash cans, scrap paper, and other objects to constitute a beggar's residence. Standing up lightly, Gen dusted himself off, meanwhile throwing glances around. He was hungry. He hadn't ate for almost two days now, and as much as he hated doing this, he needed to steal. Kicking down the garbage can which blocked the view to the street, Gen stumbled out, a sudden reminder of filth in the clean streets of Bayville. Looking around, Gen saw many pointed stares from the students making their daily commute to Bayville High. He didn't care. In a moment they wouldn't either. Focusing his mind for a moment, Gen hummed slightly, focusing on the stares flickering towards him. In a moment they ceased, and he suddenly disappeared from their views. Smirking slightly, Gen made his way to the street corner stand, and grinning lightly at the blank look on the store-tender's face, swiped a few nutrition bars off the racks, and walked off, tossing them up in the air. [/i]

[i][size=1][color=olive] [b]Real Name:[/b] Avenel Givoshi, but no one knows this. Referred to as the 'Pierrot' [b]Call Sign:[/b] Pierrot [b]Age:[/b] (estimated) 21 [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Alliance:[/b] Southern Vipers [b]Biography (Public):[/b] Precise origins of the mysterious figure known as the 'Pierrot' has never been known, not in the sunny sugar-coated topping of the world we live in, nor in the dreary underworld which serves as the foundation and the corroding plague of our society. Rumors erupt constantly on such bizarre figures, more so in the case of this 'Pierrot' due to his strangely eerie appearance as well as his undoubted skill in the realm of terminations. The rumors range from 'Pierrot' starting out as a circus sideshow to being a result of some freak-of-nature experiment. The rumors, however, are too fickle and multitudes lurk in every corner of the shadowy world... instead, let us delve into solid facts... The exact history known of him stands thus. 'Pierrot' as he has been dubbed due to his strange make-up, is simply a mercenary with no visible loyalties to any known faction or organization. Appearing for hire suddenly a few years back in the Japanese underworld, 'Pierrot' demonstrated his undisputed skill when sent on a suicidal assassination mission and returning alive, killing not only the target but the entire security force as well. To make matters even more bizarre, all of the bodies were gutted in the throat with a wound almost invisible to the unaided eye, though not one of the guns had been fired nor was there any sign of struggle, save the hallway littered with corpses. Ever since his fearfully mysterious entrance, he has been steadily moving up the rank of the underworld mercenaries, proving his skill with every mission entrusted to him. 'Pierrot' moves on a whim, and money rarely seems to take any factor in his decision. He shocked the inhabitants of the underworld once by refusing a $3 million offer and taking up a $500,000 offer to dispose of the same target as the former offer. Macabre as they come, 'Pierrot' has been known to show up in the thick of security, terminate the target effortlessly (and mysteriously to most), and simply vanish before any organized pursuits could be assembled. Few know of the exact tactic and weaponry he employs, few ever live to tell about it. Despite the mysterious logic under which he operates, he follows one creed. If he accepts a job, he will see it through. He has killed many of his former employers, not by manipulation or back-stabbing, but rather through another assassination job he took only after he finished the job entrusted to him by the deceased. One thing about 'Pierrot' is that he will stay loyal and stick to the mission until he finishes it. Once he's done, however, watch your back... The most famous job he pulled up to date is his assassination of the most powerful weapons dealer in the Japanese black markets, Shinichiro Yoshitohi, who also seemed to dabble in slave/prostitution business. The security squad didn't even realize of the death of their employer until they saw 'Pierrot' leap out of the window from the suite which Yoshitoshi occupied, disappearing like a faint wisp of smoke while falling through the air. The immediate check on Yoshitoshi's private chambers resulted in the discovery of both Yoshitoshi and his mistress, their throats gutted in a thin slash, the blood still warm and flowing. Pierrot, secretly to most, has a type of an 'alliance' with the Southern Vipers. The relation is complicated indeed due to the fact that it was Avenel's side which secured the pact and not of Pierrot. Avenel, in agreement with the Desert Taipan in terms of bringing down justice upon the figure known as Adam, agreed to be a rogue member of the Southern Vipers. However, Pierrot's side cares little for petty human justice, and is willing to help only if guaranteed a satiable blood bath. The pact is unstable due to the conflicting natures of the two within, but has thus far survived, mostly because of the 'errands' which has been passed on to Pierrot to keep him satisfied. [b]Biography (Personal):[/b] Pierrot's true biography is known to none, save himself. But even to himself, his past and memories are a mystery, broken and fragmented in parts, mostly blank. Bits and pieces of his past are distributed throughout the memories of multitudes of people, though none would match the image in their memory to the current appearance of the once innocent child. 'Pierrot' is originally from France. His name at birth was Avenel Givoshi, the only child of an accomplished circus performer who toured around the world. During his early childhood, both of his parents died from an unfortunate accident during the performance, involving a duet on the high wires. The owner of the circus took some pity on the boy, and let him stay as the member of the circus. Avenel, however, turned out to be a prodigy in acrobatic skills, and by age 11, Avenel was already touring along with the rest of the circus, holding his own against many older and more experienced acrobats than him. His trademark attire was a thin, dark clown costume, with half his face showing and the other half covered with a mask similar to what Pierrot wears today. Despite his talent however, Avenel secretly hated his life of wandering here and there, entertaining people, the whole show biz crap. His daily training was extremely strict, and he never really had time to bond with those of his age. Another factor in the eventual snap of Avenel. Further more, many members of the circus were, to some extent, perverted and many bisexual. Avenel, being a young attractive boy, found himself the constant focus of their fetish, and was under their abuse many times during the day. The owner knew of this, but took no notice upon the abuse, probably because many of the abusers were his best performers. That poor boy is not me... That poor boy is not me... That poor boy is not me.... That poor boy is NOT me.....!!! During his abuse, another individual that called itself Pierrot slowly nurtured and grew within Avenel. This was Avenel?s only form of escape available where he could act as a spectator, watching with pity while he was raped and used for other?s pleasures. The dormant individial of Pierrot watched silently, but with ever-growing vengeance, patiently waiting for the day when the control Avenel had over Pierrot will collapse, leaving Pierrot free to act out his revenge. Worried by the turbulent storm of hate and rage that he felt growing in his alter ego, Avenel desperately began searching for a way to vent off his stress. He hoped that by creating a different way to release his anger, he might be able to control his chaotic side more easily. To this end, Avenel began torturing the circus animals to vent off his stress. His tool for torture was a thin, sharp whip made from sharpened wire, which allowed him to strike at the animals from a safe distance. Eventually, of course, he was caught red-handed, and was promptly turned over to the owner who beat him with rage, and to make it worse, turned the boy over to his abusers, who enjoyed a very, very productive night. When morning came, Avenel's body and his mind was wrecked. His body defiled to an irredeemable extent, his already waning mind shocked by what he saw as a betrayal from the owner, he no longer possessed the calm sanity which kept his rage and anger in check. What followed was the result of Avenel tapping into insanity, his anger, and his vengeance, or put simply, the freeing of Pierrot. With merciless and surgically accurate skill, Pierrot entered the quarters of each of his tormentors in turn that day, leaving the walls of the room spattered with blood, the bodies amputated and arranged in bizarre positions, and his wire whip crying out for more blood. When he tore apart the owner into four different pieces after hanging him painfully from the ceiling, Pierrot laughed out insanely with pleasure as the blood and organs splattered down around him. His vengeance complete, Pierrot disappeared, leaving behind 9 corpses, barely recognizable and covered in a pool of blood. Years later, in the shadowy corners of Japan, Avenel reappeared with the name of 'Pierrot' and a mask similar to his past clown visage, perhaps as a grim reminder of his childhood. His memory riddled with holes and blanks after his disappearance, his true face lies hidden under the mask and make-up, literally and figuratively. Little qualms and doubts does he have for killing, his human compassion and love for another long gone in his past (or suppressed). [b]Personality (Avenel):[/b] The personality of Avenel, which for the most part happens to be the dominant state of mind (thank god), is the more calm and composed version of the two possibilities. Within this state, Avenel is usually calm and collected, indifferent to most occurrences around him. When he kills, he kills in a swift manner, usually terminating his target with minimum pain possible. Though he kills mercilessly, he sees his acts as the hands of justice, and he only kills those he deems ?guilty'. Humans deeply disgust Avenel, especially those who participate in abusing and selling other human beings. His rigid sense of justice is inflexible, but so long as one does not cross the line he has drawn, he shall not kill them. [b]Personality (Pierrot):[/b] The alter-ego, the deadlier, the more horrible, the true plane of being in Avenel where insanity takes permanent residence. Because of the constant abuse Avenel took in his youth, he developed a different ?persona' within himself, a completely different individual inhabiting the same body. This personality is what he refers to as the ?Pierrot', the merry wanderer of the night who kills for the sheer pleasure of it. To make it worse, Pierrot possesses more disgust against humans compared to his other side due to the fact that it was the long dormant individual within Avenel that witnessed the abuse throughout his youth, powerless to intervene. Humans to him are nothing more than a nuisance and a plague. In this state, his chief concern when accepting jobs is how many people he is asked to kill. Justice means nothing during the reign of Pierrot. [b]Weapon:[/b] A thin strand of silvery wire almost invisible to the naked eye, but mercilessly sharp, yet flexible. The end of the wire is slightly weighted, and thus a thin flick of the hand makes the wire lash out savagely, slicing apart most things with ease. It sounds rather simple, but the strange weapon requires a precise motion of the hand to achieve the desired results. Any amateur attempt to wield it will probably end in self-termination, since the back-lash must be carefully coordinated. 'Pierrot' has two of these wires, each on his middle fingers. The wires are estimated to be roughly 30 meters long, usually stored curled up under Pierrot's cloak. However, Pierrot has no other armaments, therefore making him vulnerable to a close-range assault (hint hint...). [b]Picture:[/b] [img]http://www.jenorama.org/cels/celthumbs2/larvasmall.jpg[/img] [/i] [i]Thin, lithe body bound by black fabric under the cloak. Think of the Matrix and you'll get the idea. [/i][/size][/color]

Put bluntly, a nice Japanese sword with good history attached to it... which would cost a hefty fortune... I always wanted to practice forms and mock battles with real swords, but parents are just too paranoid and stingy...

Let's keep it going... its 10/26/03, been three days, so I guess its safe. Sorry Susan. Q: In the Trigun Manga, which GHGs are not present at the first meeting? (2)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Otogi-san [/i] [B]Metatron, do they "issue" you your own shinai's? I have one that I got from my Japanese friend that takes kendo. [/B][/QUOTE] Well... you have to buy them... you also have to buy your own 'bokuto' (wooden swords), which are used for doing forms and stuff. They're $20 in my dojo, but I know the good ones cost much more. However, my allowance is low so I need to keep repairing dead swords and use them gingerly and delicately to avoid having it broken.... (which is hard as hell when you're fighting a master...)

OOC: I could've sworn Gareth was in Somadina... but anyway, no complaints if I get to fight. [i] Akato felt his stay had been too long. One fight was enough for a night. Besides, he had a wily suspicion that the bartender, Damon, will do anything to get revenge on him after that utter humiliation. Glancing around for a moment, Akato noticed the absence of Damon and guessed his hunch correct. To Nimue's disappointment, Akato stood up suddenly, placing a wrinkled bill for his drink. Nimue clicked her tongue disapprovingly. She was sure Damon's disappearance meant further violence, and she wasn't one to let such an opportunity pass. However, Akato strode out of the bar quickly, ignoring Nimue outright. Nimue looked on as Akato left the bar, and smiled slightly. Perhaps she should follow... Akato exit the bar, and looked left, right, and up. He was not used to fighting and violence, but knew well enough how characters like Damon retaliated. He better return, and quickly... If he was to fight, he'd rather be armed and ready. Gripping his blade loosely and lightly, Akato slipped into the shadows, and promptly disappeared, slithering away silently and effortlessly under the cover of the night. Shortly later, Nimue appeared from the bar, looked around for a moment, and also disappeared down the dark alleyways.... [/i]

[i] Akato continued to sip his drink, blantantly ignoring Damon. Suddenly, he found his glass and more importantly, his drink go flying away, crashing on the floor. Growling slightly, Akato looked up at the bartender, dangerous light playing around his eyes. "What did you do that for....?" hissed Akato lightly. "I asked you a question, you freak. Answer me!" roared Damon. All the while, Nimue was twirling her hair, mildly surprised at the outburst, but clearing enjoying herself. It was oh so entertaining when this happened... Akato, on the other hand, looked at Damon blankly for a moment, then asked simply. "I don't have to pay for the drink then?" he said in a mocking tone. Damon's fists suddenly clenched, and Akato suddenly felt a sharp pain in his left cheek, and the next second, hit the floor with a dull thud. Nimue grinned, laughing slightly. Now she can see if the rumors were true.... Akato stood up slowly, and felt his cheek with his hand. Drawing his hands away, he saw that he had some blood on his hands. Sucking on it lightly, Akato looked ahead and saw another punch coming his way. Smirking lightly, Akato did not move, and received the punch full in the face. Another crash, a table toppled, more cries, and a few jeers. Damon grinned slightly. The freak deserved it. "Throw him out!... Throw him out!..." jeered some of the mercenaries. Damon went over, and grabbed Akato roughly by the neck. Nimue sighed slightly. Perhaps those rumors were untrue after all. Her glance slowly turned from the scruffle, but snapped back, hearing the sudden gasp. Akato had suddenly grabbed Damon's face, the grip tightening with dangerous intensity. The jeering suddenly stopped, horrified at the sudden turn of events. With his other hand, Akato brushed off the hand on his throat, which was now frantically clawing the grasping hand. Smirking slightly, he took out his blade with a twirl of his hand, placing it an inch away from Damon's throat. "Now sir." said Akato with the usual coolness. "I was drinking and talking, which I suppose is perfectly legal, and you suddenly assaulted me, why I'm not sure, probably out of jealousy. I really do not like killing people, but I have no qualms to do so. I shall slit your throat here and now, but I'm not in the mood. Don't bother me again." With that, Akato threw Damon back towards the mess of broken tables, and sat back down in his original seat. He reached out, but suddenly remembered that his drinks were on the floor. He eyed around at the now empty tables, and at the quick glances towards him from the idiots who were jeering earlier. Getting up and walking over to a table with drinks still on it, Akato returned, and saw Nimue smiling slightly. "Where were we...?" asked Akato calmly. [/i]

[i] [b]Race:[/b] Prophetic Knight [b]Type:[/b] Formerly Human, Currently Demon Mage [b]Name:[/b] Reiki Ado'shi (Rei - Cold/Spirit, Ki - demon/ogre, A - Evil, Do - path, Shi - death/disciple) [size=1][b] Translation:[/b] Ice Demon Demonic Path of Death, Ice Demon Demonic Path's Disciple, Spirit Demon Demonic Path of Death, Spirit Demon Demonic Path's Disciple [/size] [b]Age:[/b] 113 [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Description:[/b] A spectral apparition covered in a long, dark-red flowing robe. Ice shards dance around the figure, swirling and mystical. The face is covered with a silver war helmet, with one horizontal slit for the eyes. The figure always seems to float, and hovers effortlessly through any terrain. [b]Location:[/b] Kuragari [b]Weapon(s):[/b] [size=1][b] Night Chill Crypt Lance:[/b] A midnight blue lance, ethereal in nature. Because of its ethreal attribute, the lance cannot be blocked by any conventional weapons, only by a powerful defense magic. The lance is imbued with a single, icy-blue rune, which allows the lance to launch bolts of ice towards the enemy. [b]Spirit Cry Channel Staff:[/b] A mystical staff, ethereal much like the lance. However, it cannot be harmed or blocked by any magic, due to the anti-magic enchantment placed upon it. The staff can be described simply as a glass stick, and is mostly used for casting spells. [/size] [b]Magic/Skills/Spells:[/b] [size=1][b]Spirit Freeze Aura (Passive):[/b] A chilling aura is radiated from Reiki, dulling the mind, slowing the movements of the body. No heat can neutralize this aura since the aura targets the mental stability of the opponent. This aura can best be described as a permanent hypnotic spell, attacking the mind relentlessly with its chilling pressure. [b]Spirit Walk:[/b] Allows Reiki to seep himself into the mind of his opponent, exploring the strengths and weaknesses. During Spirit Walk, the target slowly becomes drained of mental and physical strength, leaving him/her vulnerable to attack. This can only be performed close by the target, and leaves Reiki vulnerable for attack as well. However, while channeling this spell, Reiki becomes ethereal and can only be harmed by magic alone. [b] Winter Frost Orb:[/b] Launches a compressed orb of ice towards the enemy. The orb explodes upon impact, releasing multitudes of chilling bolts which freezes the opponent on contact.[/size] [b]Personality:[/b] Macabre, Sadistic, Sharply analytical, Annoyingly accurate, Wily, Intelligent [b]Bio:[/b] A frail boy since birth, Reiki was almost always confined to the dull interior of his bedroom, plagued constantly by sickness. He had no friends, and lived with his mother; his father had left a long time ago for another woman. Reiki's life was dull, tiring, and to make it infinitely worse, he had to sit through the ranting and whining of his mother about the divorce for hours daily. Reiki seemed to have a natural talent and though confined to his state, developed a sense of manipulative powers, especially through words. By slowly but steadily conversing with his mother, his manipulation gradually eviscerated the boundary of sanity and insanity of his poor (but annoying) mother, and ultimately succeeded in leading her to suicide. Desperate to attain something during his so far pitiful life, Reiki left the house, only to find himself helpless in the ravenous fang of the world. He quickly learned that the world was not so easy to control as his mother... Reiki knew full well that his greatest weakness was his physical weakness to nearly everything, and worked to improve his resistance. To this end, Reiki dabbled in magic (which was, of course, the easiest way), but ultimately found himself corroding away under its heavy duress upon the body. Sick and dying one day in a dark street corner, a shadowy, burning figure appeared before him, bearing with it the offer of eternal youth and life in exchange for unyielding servitude. Too willing for such an offer, Reiki swore his allegiance then and there to whoever would grant him such gifts. The result of this vow, the Prophetic Knight known as the 'Revenant', Reiki Ado'shi. [/i]

[i] [b]Name:[/b] Sadame Gen (Sadame - Fate/Destiny Gen - Illusion) [b]Age:[/b] 16 [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b] Race: [/b] Human Mystic [b]Skills:[/b] [size=1] [b]Sadame Yomi {Passive} (Destiny Read/Prediction):[/b] By detecting the course of the close-future (usually a few seconds), Gen can predict and avoid attacks with minimum effort, mostly only side-stepping lightly, or leaning back to avoid the attack by a margin of an inch. [b] Fouihn no Tachi {Fighting Style} (Sealed Blade):[/b] A mystical fighting style using only two wakizashis (small kodachi). Combined with his 'Sadami Yomi', his twin wakizashis put up a considerable defense, deflecting even bullets effortlessly. Not a particularly offensive style, but is impossible to break through. [b] Sadame Giri {Attack} (Fate Sever):[/b] By placing himself in a trance-like state, Gen reads everything, from the past life to the present thoughts to the future movements of his opponents. With graceful, flowing movements, Gen tears apart the opponent with a slight twitch of his blade, usually cutting open the opponent's throat or stomach in a single, delicate slash. [/size] [/i] (edit more later)

I do Kendo (Japanese sword martial arts)... currently a rank away from Dan (black belt). Its pretty hard since you have to control the sword as a part of your own body, which takes some time to get used to. And even before you get to touch the sword, theres the whole respect to master, peer, correct way to bow to the masters and the dojo, etc. etc. Putting on the actual armor is usually a year or two after you begin -_- sigh... 7 years and still not blackbelt...

Honestly.. you go far as to mention my name, and you expect me to stay shut? LOL. But I won't resort to mockery. Bit of a spoiler. Next book, you get the full entry of the GHG, Legato, Knives, etc. Honestly speaking, the Trigun Manga are nothing compared to the Maximum. So wait patiently guys.... (no mockery intended)

[i] Akato remained silent for a moment, scrutinizing the girl closely. For some reason, he thought he smelled a whiff of burnt flesh... it was too faint to tell, of course, but nonetheless, it was rather unnerving. Women laced with blood are not something to meddle with... Dropping his gaze, Akato muttered quietly. "Endoku Akato..." Nimue raised her eyebrows a bit, still wearing her charming smile. She took a sip from her drink, looking on at Akato. So he was a bit shy. Well, rumors suggested of him being a kind of an outcast... She eyes the blade attached to his waist with girlish curiosity, feigned, of course. Damon came over, done handing out drinks, but stopped for a moment when he saw Akato. Coughing slightly to express his disapproval, the bartender looked at Akato, who glanced up. "What do you want?" Damon asked a bit harshly. "Something to warm me up... the night is chilly..." replied Akato with contemptuous indifference. Damon reddened slightly. His talk with Nimue had been interrupted by the freak, and now the freak was talking like he owned the place. Huffing slightly, Damon slammed down a bottle of hot ale in front of Akato, who poured himself a drink, and took a light sip. The man was unnerving in his indifference, reinforced by the cycle of rumors which circulated around the town. Sitting down opposite of Nimue, Damon glanced over at the stranger and back at Nimue, eyeing her to move to a different location. Nimue was twirling her hairs gracefully, and pretended not to notice. [/i]