Shinmaru

[quote name='Undefeated']So my question is, why, in the Rock and Roll industry, are the lead singer/major band star positions almost exclusively guys?[/quote] I just think it's because that's the image most people are used to...they're used to seeing males as the dominant figure in a band. That's my view on it, anyway. Of course, there are increasingly more bands with all-female lineups or females in prominent roles within the band. For a while now, my favorite female in music has been Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth. Her voice, while good, isn't exactly technically amazing, but it's quirky and fresh enough to really capture my attention. I think her voice really stands out (with a couple of exceptions) on a Sonic Youth album I recently got, [i]A Thousand Leaves[/i]. A lot of the songs are more "spoken-word" than actual singing, but I love the way that she delivers lyrics. It's hard for me to describe my love for her voice lol. Some people I know who've heard Sonic Youth just don't get it, heh.

[quote name='Semjaza Azazel]It was just the vague idea that all white people were "The Man" and they were subconciously always trying to keep him down. Never mind the fact that the guy was a moron and had no work ethic. It [i]had[/i'] to be his skin color.[/quote] Seriously. With things like that, it's to the point where people have just taken advantage of this racist attitude that seems to be prevalent [i]everywhere[/i] as an excuse to justify the fact that they can't do anything whatsoever with their lives. Instead of looking at themselves and seeing how much they've screwed themselves over, they'd rather make excuses and blame "The Man" for their troubles. That's just lame. To answer the original question, I think that it's important to point out the man's race because, yes, this event took place before the Civil Rights Movement and it's a groundbreaking event in history. If a history textbook decided to highlight, say, Jackie Robinson, they'd make sure to mention his race. Why? Because he helped break down the color barrier in major league baseball. I look at this event in the same manner: Ralph Bunch holding the position of an emissary before the Civil Rights Movement is akin to breaking down the color barrier in that field. And, honestly, I'm getting tired of America bashing, too; while it's true that, yes, I have problems with America, I don't sit around and whine about how America is the source of everyone's troubles or crap like that. As if every other country in the world is run by saints. I have problems wtih America and I'll criticize the way the country is run, decisions that are made, etc. but blaming and scrutinizing America for every little thing that happens is just idiotic, honestly.

[b]Cowboy Bebop: Session Five (Ballad of Fallen Angels)[/b] - Yes, I hate to pull out what is probably most people's favorite Cowboy Bebop episode, but I just love it so much lol. Of course, this is the episode where the series' actual story really begins to come into play and the [spoiler]cathedral sequence is among the coolest scenes I've seen in [i]anything[/i], not just anime.[/spoiler] [b]Neon Genesis Evangelion: Episodes Twenty-Five and Twenty-Six[/b] - Most people seem to either hate them or consider these two episodes disappointing...I thought they were both poignant looks into the psyches of some of the more prominent characters of Evangelion. Sure, the episodes got a bit heavy-handed and melodramatic at times, but, overall, I thought they were very well conceived.

Your wish is, still, my command. So far, this chapter has been my favorite chapter to write, heh. I had a ball with this one. I hope you guys enjoy it, as well. [b][u][center]Chapter Nine: General Rogers[/b][/u][/center] General Rogers was a complete incompetent. He hadn?t had anything to do in about fifty years. He could feel his life slipping away from him as he got older and older. He hadn?t had any sort of military engagement in such a long time and that?s what he missed most. In fact, the military life was really the only reason for his existence, since that was the only thing that he did with any sort of skill. General Rogers was not particularly bright nor was he really capable of leading a country of people except when it came to leading the people into a bloodbath. And, yet, General Rogers was the president of the country. He liked the title very much and the prestige that came along with it, but there were still many things that were missing. The violence, the bloodshed, the moral victories?those were the absolute best times of General Rogers? life. While it was true that General Rogers never saw any actual action himself, as it would have been suicide for him to fight any battles, he was still very good at sending men to their deaths. There was none of that with the presidency, though; it was all treaties, bureaucracy and touchy-feely bullshit. If there was anything that General Rogers hated, it was touchy-feely bullshit. However, his advisors all claimed that touchy-feely bullshit was essential to being a good leader. General Rogers didn?t think so, as he had sent several thousand people to their deaths without any complaint, but he did not dare speak against his advisors. After all, they were his advisors and without them, General Rogers would not have a single clue as to how to lead the country. It was then that Dr. Milo stepped into the room. He closed the door, pulled up a chair and seated himself in front of General Rogers? desk. ?Mind if I have a cigar?? Dr. Milo asked, reaching for the cup of cigars on General Rogers? desk. ?Uh?sure,? General Rogers said. ?Go right ahead.? ?Thanks,? Dr. Milo said, already lighting the cigar. He placed his feet on the top of General Rogers? desk and leaned back contentedly. General Rogers peered at Dr. Milo quizzically and tapped the tips of Dr. Milo?s shoes lightly with his index finger. ?Was there anything in particular that you wanted to talk with me about?? General Rogers asked. ?What?? Dr. Milo said. ?Oh yes?I remember now.? Dr. Milo took the cigar out of his mouth and waggled it through the air with a flourish. ?Bureaucracy did some research and we?ve ascertained the position of the young boy that we?ve been trying to recover.? ??what does that mean?? General Rogers asked. ?It means that we know where the boy is,? Dr. Milo said, snickering to himself. ?Oh,? General Rogers said. ?That?s good, right?? ?Yes, that?s very good,? Dr. Milo assured General Rogers. ?We?ve pinpointed the boy?s location to a small bakery near the hospital.? ?The one with the crazy kid?? General Rogers asked. ?Yeah,? Dr. Milo replied. ?Good!? General Rogers roared. ?I?ve been wanting to get that kid for a while now! He gave me some éclairs and my stomach was upset for a week!? ?We?re not going to get [i]him[/i],? Dr. Milo sniggered. ?We just want the boy.? ?Well, that?s no fun,? General Rogers sulked. ?We can burn down the bakery if that?ll make you happy,? Dr. Milo said, rolling his eyes. ?Yes!? General Rogers yelled jubilantly. ?That?s an excellent plan, Milo!? The thought of burning down a building, of hearing the screams of the people as a beloved building crumbled to the ground filled General Rogers with pure joy. ?That?s [i]Dr.[/i] Milo,? Dr. Milo reminded General Rogers. ?Right,? General Rogers said. ?Dr. Milo. I?ll try to remember that.? ?That would be nice,? Dr. Milo said. ?You know,? General Rogers said. ?You say you?re a doctor, but I?ve never really seen you [i]do[/i] anything around here.? ?Yeah,? Dr. Milo said. ?What?s your point?? ?What do you do around here, Milo?? General Rogers questioned. ?[i]Dr.[/i] Milo,? Dr. Milo said. ?Fine,? General Rogers muttered impatiently. ?What do you do around here, [i]Dr. Milo[/i]?? ?Everything,? Dr. Milo replied. ?Everything?? General Rogers asked. ?Everything,? Dr. Milo said, with a sagacious nod of his head. ?Well, I?ll be damned,? General Rogers said. ?Not even [i]I[/i] can do everything!? ?I?m a very important man, you know,? Dr. Milo said, laughing. ?Now, if you?ll excuse me, I have some business to attend to.? ?Sure thing, Dr. Milo,? General Rogers said. Dr. Milo got up and left the room. He again went through the steps needed to gain entry into General Rogers? room in reverse order and emerged from the elevator smiling from ear to ear. He knew for sure that he had General Rogers in his pocket now. Dr. Milo continued walking until he made it back to his room, where he found a huge stack of paperwork and both Captain Jack and Colonel Jameson standing impatiently in front of his desk. ?Is there something that I can do for you?? Dr. Milo asked. ?I was fired!? both Colonel Jameson and Captain Jack yelled at the same time. Dr. Milo flinched and walked over to his desk. He brought over his wastebasket and swept all of the paperwork that was on his desk into the wastebasket. ?I?m a very busy man,? Dr. Milo noted. ?But I guess I can talk to the both of you. I can only address one of you at a time, though. Which one of you will go first?? Since neither Captain Jack nor Colonel Jameson would relent, they had to resort to a vigorous game of ?rock, paper, scissors? in order to decide whom was worthy of taking up Dr. Milo?s precious time first. It was a hard fought battle but, eventually, Captain Jack won out over Colonel Jameson, who had no battle experience. Colonel Jameson left the room grumbling and waited outside. ?Now, what?s the problem?? Dr. Milo asked. ?I was fired!? Captain Jack yelled. ?I see,? Dr. Milo said. ?That [i]is[/i] a problem.? ?Yes, it is,? Captain Jack said. ?Can you help me out?? ?Well,? Dr. Milo said. ?What happened, exactly?? ?I was getting ready to go out for a mission for bureaucracy,? Captain Jack said. ?And when I signed up, they told me that I was fired! I told them that it couldn?t be true, since I knew that you would make sure that I wasn?t fired, but they told me that it [i]was[/i] true?so, either they?re lying or you are, Dr. Milo.? ?I?m not lying,? Dr. Milo lied. ?That?s what I figured,? Captain Jack said, nodding his head. ?Those dirty, lying bureaucratic bastards are gonna pay for screwing with me!? ?There?s no need to get violent,? Dr. Milo said. ?You?ll take care of it?? Captain Jack asked. ?Yes,? Dr. Milo said. ?I?ll take care of it.? ?Great!? Captain Jack said. ?And what about Colonel Jameson?? ?I?ll take care of him, too,? Dr. Milo replied. ?Fantastic!? Captain Jack said, walking out of the room with a spring in his step. Colonel Jameson stormed into the room after Captain Jack left. ?What seems to be the problem?? Dr. Milo asked. ?I was fired!? Colonel Jameson roared. ?I see,? Dr. Milo said. ?That [i]is[/i] a problem.? ?You?re damn right it?s a problem!? Colonel Jameson said. ?And I want you to fix it!? ?Hold on, hold on,? Dr. Milo said. ?Not so fast. First, I need to know exactly what happened?maybe, then, I?ll be able to help you out.? ?Fine,? Colonel Jameson grumbled. ?I was heading down to bureaucracy in order to cancel Captain Jack?s request for a mission, but when I got there, those bureaucratic bastards told me that I didn?t have the authority to do that. I asked how the hell I didn?t have the authority and they said that I was fired!? ?Yep,? Dr. Milo said. ?That?s a sticky situation.? ?Can you help me out?? Colonel Jameson asked. ?Of course I can,? Dr. Milo said. ?You know that I can take care of it.? ?Great!? Colonel Jameson said. ?What about Captain Jack?? ?I?ll take care of him, too,? Dr. Milo said. ?Excellent,? Colonel Jameson purred, rubbing his hands together. He left the room and Dr. Milo sighed, leaning back in his chair. He was sure that he wouldn?t have to deal with those idiots any longer but, obviously, they were so stupid that they actually hadn?t known that they were fired until someone waggled the evidence in front of their faces. This time, Dr. Milo would make sure that both those annoyances would never show their faces around his quarter again. Dr. Milo stood up and walked out of his office. He once again made the trip up to General Rogers? office, completing every step in precise order and walking confidently up to General Rogers? office. There was a new secretary at the front door that Dr. Milo didn?t really recognize, but he didn?t pay much attention to her. What struck him about the secretary, though, was how familiar she looked. Dr. Milo waved this off as déjà vu, however, and stepped into General Rogers? area. General Rogers was standing behind his desk playing with a yo-yo. He had a yo-yo when he was a child, a glow-in-the-dark yo-yo as a matter of fact, and the love of playing with yo-yos and never left him. He liked yo-yos almost as much as he loved sending young men to their deaths, but there was a certain satisfaction in knowing that people were killing themselves for you that playing with yo-yos just couldn?t hope to replicate. ?General Rogers?? Dr. Milo said, tilting his head to the side. General Rogers reacted with a start and quickly threw the yo-yo out the window. General Rogers? face turned a deep shade of red and he refused to look Dr. Milo in the eye. Dr. Milo smirked and sat down in front of General Rogers? desk. Eventually, General Rogers? face turned back to its normal, pale complexion and he sat down in front of the cachinnating Dr. Milo. ?What do you want, [i]Dr.[/i] Milo?? General Rogers sneered, obviously displeased. ?I have a problem with Captain Jack and Colonel Jameson,? Dr. Milo said. ?Didn?t I fire those two idiots?? General Rogers asked. ?Yes,? Dr. Milo said. ?Well, what?s the problem?? General Rogers demanded. ?It?s the fact that they?re both idiots,? Dr. Milo said. ?They didn?t notice that they were both fired until a few minutes ago.? ?What do you want me to do about it?? General Rogers asked. ?I want you to make it so that they have to [i]stay[/i] fired,? Dr. Milo replied. ?How in the hell do I do that?? General Rogers asked. ?I?m not good at this bureaucratic crap, that?s your area of expertise, Milo.? ?[i]Dr.[/i] ?? Dr. Milo started. ?Damn it, I know your name is Dr. Milo!? General Rogers yelled, losing his temper for a moment. He was now extremely flustered and Dr. Milo knew that he had him in the palm of his hand. ?I want you to change their files,? Dr. Milo said. ?Make it look like they committed some reprehensible crime that will shame them into leaving this place forever.? ?Can I really do that?? General Rogers asked. ?Of course you can,? Dr. Milo said. ?It?s easy.? ?What should I charge them with?? General Rogers asked. ?Charge them with heresy,? Dr. Milo suggested. ?That?s good!? General Rogers said. ?Yes, yes, that sounds perfect to me?they?ll be so ashamed of being branded as heretics that they?ll accept the fact that they?ve been fired and leave here forever. It?s brilliant!? ?Glad that I could be of service, sir,? Dr. Milo said. ?And how about that raise you were suggesting for me?? ?Oh, it?s yours!? General Rogers replied. Dr. Milo grinned deviously to himself and left the room, eyeing up the secretary suspiciously. He went through all the steps needed to get to General Rogers? office in reverse order, this time with a spring in his step. No more Colonel Jameson, no more Captain Jack and another big, fat raise! Things were definitely looking up for Dr. Milo. Dr. Milo stepped back into his office and found an officer from the bureaucracy waiting by his desk, drinking a mug of his coffee. Dr. Milo frowned to himself; he had not had a chance to drink out of the mug yet and the coffee was now soiled because it had come into contact with a member of the bureaucracy. Dr. Milo kept his comments to himself, however, and addressed the officer. ?Can I help you?? Dr. Milo asked. ?Yes, you can,? the officer said. ?We just received another assignment from the board and we?d like you to approve of it, since you?re in such high standing with General Rogers.? ?What?s the assignment about?? Dr. Milo asked. ?We just received word that there?s another war veteran on the loose,? the officer replied. ?Apparently, he?s writing a manuscript that he intends to publish so that he may expose all of the so-called atrocities that we?ve committed over the years. You know as well as I do that we can not afford these things to become privy to the everyday person, so it?s imperative that we capture this man as soon as possible.? Dr. Milo nodded to the officer. He knew full well the repercussions that would come if these secrets were exposed. Fifty years of work would all go down the drain. Plus, all of the advancement within the government that Dr. Milo had made would be all for naught and Dr. Milo would not stand for it. ?Fine,? Dr. Milo said. ?Where do I sign?? ?Right on the dotted line,? the officer replied, pointing at a dotted line on the paper. Dr. Milo took the paper, removed a pen from his pocket and signed the paper. The officer bowed his head slightly, turned and left the room. ?Doesn?t get any better than this,? Dr. Milo said happily. The next chapter is the longest I've written thus far (ten pages on MS Word), so there's something to look forward to...if you like reading long stuff >.>

[quote name='GeoStigma']Even though the theme of that game is really old..I kinda like them all. :tasty:[/quote] But [i]why[/i] do you like them all? By simply saying you 'like them all', you're not really adding very much to this conversation. You don't have to write a graduate thesis on the subject, but at least elaborating a little would be nice...

I recently watched all six FLCL episodes for the first time (yes, I waited for a long time to see it, so sue me) and I was impressed with it. It's been established a million times that, yes, you have to watch all of the episodes in the series to really get a grasp of what the show is really about, but that's not really different from anything "deep," anyway. I mean, how many people were really expecting to understand it completely after the first episode? lol Aesthetically, the show is fantastic. The animation is crisp and clean and I really enjoy the look of the show. Plus, the music is fantastic and fits the situations of the show (though, certain songs are repeated too often for my tastes throughout the series). As for the humor, I enjoy it and get a good laugh from just about everything that FLCL throws at you. Sure, it can be random nonsense from time to time, but random humor appeals to me a lot of the time, so I didn't find any fault in that, heh. I enjoyed most of the episodes, especially episode five, which I found to be absolutely hilarious. Cool stuff.

Heh, this chapter was a bit tough to write...certain parts in it went over so many revisions lol. This one was a tough one to pin down, heh. But I think that the current version of the chapter that I have is good, so I'm ready to post it. [b][u][center]Chapter Eight: Mr. Smith[/b][/u][/center] A construction worker stood at the window of the diner, looking in at the sleeping figures of Jacob and Julia, his eyes transfixed on Jacob. He looked at Jacob, huddled in his blankets, his chest heaving up and down slowly, rhythmically. The construction worker smiled to himself, a smirk of triumph. This was where all the dreams, all the endless years of searching, had led him; to this one person. Jacob. ?Jacob,? the construction worker whispered roughly. ?I?ve found you at last.? ?Hey, what the hell do you think you?re doing?!? a voice yelled from behind him. The construction worker turned around and the foreman was standing a few feet away. ?Get back down here and get to work!? ?Yes, sir,? the construction worker said. ?I?ll get to work right now.? In a flash of movement, the construction worker grabbed the foreman?s head and twisted his neck sharply, snapping it in two. The foreman?s lifeless body drooped to the ground, twitching miserably. The construction work grinned again. ?A change of clothes would do me well,? the construction worker said to himself. He threw off his hardhat and took off the bodysuit and the boots that he was wearing. Underneath these clothes, he had on a gray shirt, gray slacks and the sunglasses that he never took off, even in the dead of night. There was a piece of paper on a lamppost that caught his attention. He walked over to it and read the declaration to himself. ?A wanted poster?? he questioned. ?How?quaint. I wouldn?t expect anything less from Rogers and his gang of bumbling idiots, though.? The man looked at the wanted poster and studied it a bit longer; there was no mistaken its target. Mr. Smith, outlaw, fifteen million dollar reward. Mr. Smith ripped off the wanted poster, crumbled it in his hands and stole a look over at the diner. ?Time to wake up, my dear.? Jacob woke up with a start. He stood up slowly, trembling, walked over to the far end of the diner and looked out the window, but there was nobody outside. He figured that what he had just been thinking was simply another dream?but this one had seemed even more real than the others. ?That?s because this isn?t a dream,? a smooth voice said from behind Jacob. Jacob turned around and his heart skipped a beat. This was him?the figure from his last dream. He could recognize that voice from anywhere. ?I?m glad you remember me.? ?What do you want?? Jacob asked, his voice quavering slightly. ?I don?t want much,? Mr. Smith said. ?I just want to give you an opportunity.? ?An opportunity?? Jacob asked, immediately suspicious. ?What kind of opportunity?? ?Now, that would spoil the surprise,? Mr. Smith said. ?And you don?t want that, do you?? Jacob stayed silent. ?There?s a big gathering happening soon at the dance hall at the other end of town. I am thinking about attending?I would like you to come there, as well. I think that it will be?[i]fun[/i], don?t you?? Jacob was not sure exactly how much fun that a dance could be, but did not object to Mr. Smith?s proposal, because he did not know how he would react to it. ?Do we have a deal?? Mr. Smith asked. ?Yes,? Jacob said, gulping slightly. ?I?ll go to your dance.? ?Excellent,? Mr. Smith grinned. ?I have conditions, though,? Jacob said, the weight of his Adam?s Apple thick in his throat. ?What are they?? Mr. Smith asked. ?Answer me some questions,? Jacob demanded. ?I?ll answer what I want to answer,? Mr. Smith replied. ?Who are you?? Jacob asked. ?Me?? Mr. Smith asked. ?I?m just an admirer of yours, that?s all.? ?Do you have a name?? Jacob asked. ?You may call me whatever you wish,? Mr. Smith said. ?Though, most see fit to call me Mr. Smith.? ?Mr. Smith?? Jacob asked. ?Don?t you have a first name?? ?Most unfortunately, I was not given a first name,? Mr. Smith replied. ?Why not?? Jacob inquired. ?People work in strange ways,? Mr. Smith said, shrugging. ?Names are irrelevant in any event. Just be satisfied that you are you.? Mr. Smith began to walk away. ?Wait!? Jacob yelled. Mr. Smith stopped and turned his head over in Jacob?s direction. ?What is it?? he asked. ?Is this real?? Jacob asked. Mr. Smith chuckled to himself. ?It?s only as real as you make it,? Mr. Smith said. ?I?m sure that other people would question the believability of what has happened to you, but as long as you believe in it, it is real.? ?But what if I?m not sure if it really happened?? Jacob asked. ?That?s something you?ll have to figure out on your own,? Mr. Smith replied. ?It?s really none of my concern.? There was a thick silence as neither Mr. Smith nor Jacob moved even an inch. There was something vaguely familiar about Mr. Smith, but Jacob could not place his finger on it at all?it was as if Jacob had known Mr. Smith all his life, but did not realize it until that exact moment. ?If you?ll excuse me,? Mr. Smith said. ?I need to be going now. I?m a busy man, you know. I have lots of things to do.? Mr. Smith disappeared and Jacob awoke again. Jacob clutched his chest and looked around the room frantically. He was still in the diner, still in the same bed. Julia was still on the other side of the room. Nothing in the diner looked like it had been touched at all. The front door was still locked and there were no broken windows. ?So, this was a dream, too?? Jacob asked himself. ?I?ve had enough of these dreams?why won?t they just go away?! I don?t want them anymore!? Jacob threw himself back onto his pillow and tried to drift off to sleep, but he could not do so. The memories of his latest dream were fresh in his mind and prevented him from sleeping. And, from outside, Mr. Smith smiled to himself once again and walked away. The next morning, Julia awoke and stretched, yawning. Her eyes were still a bit bleary and red, but she felt rested. She peered over at Jacob, who was still wide awake. His eyes were considerably bloodshot and he looked as if he had not gotten one wink of rest. ?Jacob?? she asked. ?What?s wrong?? ?I had a bad dream,? Jacob muttered. ?I didn?t get any sleep at all.? ?I see,? Julia said, frowning slightly. ?Maybe you shouldn?t work today.? ?Yeah,? Jacob said. ?I don?t think that I would do the diner any good today.? ?Do you want me to take you home?? Julia asked. ?No,? Jacob replied. ?I think I can make the walk by myself.? Jacob forced himself to his feet and slogged his way over to the front door. Julia unlocked it for him, opened it for him and stood out of the way. Jacob muttered his thanks while he dragged himself through the door. ?Well, goodbye, Jacob,? Julia said. ?Bye,? Jacob said, walking the rest of the way through the door. Jacob walked all the way to the dilapidated apartment building and shuffled his way through the door. The old man who owned the building walked up to him, apparently a bit worried. ?Are you okay?? the old man asked. ?I didn?t see you come in last night.? ?There was an accident by the diner,? Jacob replied. ?It blocked the road, so I couldn?t get home last night.? ?You look like you had a rough night,? the old man said. ?Like you wouldn?t believe,? Jacob said. ?Well, I won?t charge you rent for yesterday, since you didn?t come in,? the old man said. ?Thanks,? Jacob said, walking slowly upstairs. It seemed like it took an eternity, but he made his way up to the top where his room was. The third old man peeked out from his door and looked at Jacob. ?It?s already starting, isn?t it?? he asked. Jacob nodded slowly and wearily in reply. ?I told you that this would happen?the nightmares are only going to get worse from now on. If you want answers, you?re going to have to suffer like the rest of us.? ?I understand,? Jacob replied. He walked over to his bed, flopped himself upon it, and slept for the rest of the day. Back at the restaurant, Julia was waiting the tables. Not many people would be coming in that day, as Julia knew, so she did not have much work to do. She had more breaks than usual that day, which gave her some much needed thinking time. During one of her breaks, Julia went to the back room, sat on one of the crates and mused. ?What kind of dreams is Jacob having?? Julia asked herself. ?He looked like he was sleeping perfectly well when I went to sleep?but, when he woke up, he looked absolutely terrible. These dreams are obviously taking a heavy toll on him. Is what he?s searching for really that [i]important[/i] to him? Is it really so important that he?s willing to bear the mental burden of these dreams in order to validate his own existence?? Julia looked around the room. Though it had been cleaned thoroughly the day before, it was messier than ever. Even in total darkness, which the room was in at that moment, it was easy to tell how messy the room actually was. There was dust in each and every crevice, mice and rats scurried from one wall to the other and the room was extremely stuffy and humid. Julia shifted uncomfortably on the crate that she was sitting on?this room was useful when it came to having a place to gather your thoughts, but it was still a nauseating hangout. ?I wonder how much he actually knows?? Julia asked herself. ?He?s going to find out everything eventually?what will happen then? What will he do when he finds out the truth, whatever the truth may be? Will he be able to take the truth at face value, or will his mind snap with the infinite possibilities of what the truth holds?? Julia took out a cigarette, but before she could light it, she tossed it onto the ground in disgust. Her mother had been a smoker, which had led to her early demise when Julia was eighteen. That had been seven years ago and it was still fresh in Julia?s mind, as if she had just gotten out of the hospital that morning with the news that her mother was dead. Julia never liked thinking about her mother?s death, but under the current circumstances, her mother was constantly on her mind. Julia had loved her mother very much, even if her mother had not always been around for her. She was constantly busy and neglected Julia from time to time, but always seemed to come to Julia when she needed her most. Julia always appreciated her mother for knowing when she had needed her the most. Julia was still saddened by her mother?s death, she could still feel the horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that her death had left upon her, but she could no longer shed any tears for her mother, as she had cried them all out. Jacob?s fears and troubles were still fresh in her mind and she felt them deeply. She was frustrated that she felt every inkling of pain that Jacob felt?not because of the actual pain itself, but moreso with the fact that she still refused to get close to Jacob. It was obvious, to her, at least, that Jacob had a blooming interest in her, but Julia didn?t want Jacob to get close to her, because she did not want to add to his pain. A relationship with Jacob, she reasoned, would only add to more pain for Jacob and for herself and that was the last thing that Julia wanted. ?Julia!? the manager yelled. ?Your break is up! Get back out here and serve the customers!? ?Yes, sir!? Julia yelled in reply. She got up, dusted off her apron, put it back on and walked back to the front area of the diner. Back in Jacob?s room, he was sleeping soundly, with no nightmares for the first time in a while. All he could think about was Mr. Smith and his proposal. A dance? Why a dance? What was so special about a dance? Mr. Smith seemed like an intelligent person, so there had to be some sort of reasoning behind his choice. Even in his sleep, without the nightmares, Jacob was still troubled by his thoughts. He tossed and turned lightly, his thoughts now on Julia. Julia?s beauty astounded him, but that was not the reason he liked her?there was something that he could feel about her, something inside. But he also knew that she was hiding something from him. She was guarding her feelings and her thoughts very closely, careful not to let Jacob get too close to her. That much was obvious to Jacob. However, there had to be a reason for Julia?s actions, as she was an intelligent person, as well. What was so important that she had to keep an emotional wall erected in order to block herself off from Jacob? What sort of things was she keeping privy to herself? Was it as simple as Julia just keeping secrets from him, or was it something deeper? Some emotional troubles, perhaps? Some fear of getting too close to others? It was obvious to Jacob that he would not get any answers from her at the moment, so he would absolutely have to meet with Mr. Smith and take his cues from there. As far as Jacob was concerned, he would find his life, even if it meant he would die trying. Let it be known that the next chapter of the story is my favorite of the ones I've written so far - I had a ton of fun writing it, heh. So, yeah, something to look forward to.

I think the drawings look pretty good. The addition of color to your latest drawings, in particular, adds a lot to them (though, your drawing of Kenshin is my favorite of the lot). Actually, I'm fond of the the drawing you made from the Quizilla result page; that one looks pretty nice, as well. I like the aloof expression on the girl's face and the figure is well drawn and proportioned (even moreso than your other drawings, I think). I cannot offer much in the way of advice or anything (as I am a sub-par artist, myself...and that's putting it lightly lol), but I will say that I like your drawings ^_^

[quote name='James][color=#707875][i]Nobody[/i'] has perfect English, really. Even those of us who might be better with English in general (or more comfortable with it) will still make mistakes.[/color][/quote] Definitely. I've had more than a few people point out the various English-related mistakes I've made in some of the stories I've written lol. Sometimes, my little sister likes to join in on the fun of pointing out my errors, as well ¬_¬ In regards to the question...I don't know, really. All I know is that, apparently, I posted enough in the old Nintendo forum to warrant James asking me to become the Nintendo moderator :whoops: It came as a surprise to me, mostly because I never, ever, see those things coming. Like Piro, I more or less reacted like "omg he wants me to be a mod!!!!111" Well, that's how I felt at the time, anyway. Heh. I didn't actually type that. So, after the initial shock that someone besides OtakuSennen, Syk3 and Kazuko knew who I was (:p), I just settled into the Nintendo forum and did my job...no fuss, no muss. As for moderator-related activity on other boards, well, I don't really have any experience with that. I've never been a moderator on any other boards. Also, most boards just bore me to death after about a week or so lol. OtakuBoards is probably the only message board (besides Group Sounds, of course ^_~) that I even visit any more. I'm awaiting the arrival of my iron-cast fist, though, so I can finally start ruling Play It the way it was meant to be ruled.

Personally, Edgar from FFVI is my favorite character, mostly because I think he's hilarious. Also, though, it's cool to see that he's not just a horny king 24/7; when push comes to shove, he'll set aside what he wants and fight to protect his friends and the world. He's a cool character. FFVI, overall, has most of my favorite characters in the entire series (though, I've not been fortunate enough to play FFIV yet).

OOC: One short PM to Zidargh later, I come back to post. Jacob emerged from the back room of the guard's quarters still in argument with another one of his fellow guards. "But we simply cannot take that chance!" the guard shouted. "We have no other choice!" Jacob retorted. "If we don't take advantage of this situation [i]right now[/i], who knows when we'll get another opportunity to escape the village?!" "I know that," the guard replied. "But you can't deny that you're putting the villagers at risk if we go ahead with this." "The villagers are in a continual risk if they stay in here," Jacob reasoned. "The ReDead and the Undead [i]will[/i] break through our forces eventually and they [i]will[/i] keep us under siege unless we [i]act[/i]!" "Fine," the guard said. "But how do you propose that we go about acting?" "We'll attack them on both fronts," Jacob said. "It's highly risky, but it's the only choice that we have. We can't concentrate the full brunt of our forces on either side, because that will leave the villagers open for attack on the other side. We'll have to go for the full lot of them all at once." "Agreed," the guard replied. "Which side will you be taking?" "I'll be taking the front end," Jacob said. "Then, I'll lead the back end," the guard replied. "Let's hope that we're able to emerge from this ordeal with our lives intact." "Yes," Jacob said. "In the end, we can only fight our hardest against the enemy and hope for the best." [i][center]Later...[/i][/center] Jacob stood at the front door, with about ten soldiers in tow. Soon, they would come crashing through the door, hopefully catching the ReDead and Undead by surprise, and fight them. Jacob was fully prepared to give his life so that the villagers would be able to escape the village, but, secretly, he hoped that it would not come to that. Jacob tightened the string on a small bag that held about five Deku Nuts and strapped it to the right side of his belt. Jacob took out his dagger, examined it for a few seconds and, satisfied with the sharpness of the blade, stuck it back into the hilt on the left side of his belt and drew his sword. He was extremely nervous, but his face did not give away any of the anxieties that he was feeling inside. "Men," Jacob said. "Be prepared to die for Hyrule. Most likely, none of us will live to see the light of day, but it's our job to make sure that the same is true for the ReDead and the Undead...we will fight to the last!" The soldiers threw the door open and ran out into the wet streets of Hyrule Castle Village. The ReDead and Undead were in full force, gathered around every area of the village and the soldiers attacked them as swiftly as they could. "Don't look into their eyes!" Jacob shouted. "They will freeze you if you catch their gaze!" A soldier had fallen prey to the ReDead's steely gaze as Jacob was shouting his warning, but was freed when another soldier sliced the head off of the ReDead. Jacob stabbed his sword into the ribs of one ReDead, threw his dagger at the head of another and kicked away the ReDead caught in his sword. A swarm of Undead ran towards Jacob and he was caught on all sides. He swung away with his sword, decapitating one of the Undead, but he was surrounded still by four others. Just then, a dagger plunged through the chest cavity of one of the Undead, while the other three were taken out by swift strikes of the sword from other soldiers. One of Jacob's comrades plucked his dagger from the chest of the fallen Undead and handed it back to Jacob. "Sir," he said. "I believe that this is yours." "Thank you," Jacob grinned, then set his gaze towards the ReDead and Undead and gritted his teeth. He and the other soldiers ran towards this group of evil, bellowing a Hyrulian war cry. Swords clanged against decrepit skin and fragile bones, but no matter how many creatures the guards felled, it seemed that there were far too many for the soldiers to handle. "There must be some way to incapacitate these creatures!" Jacob shouted hopelessly. Soon, the soldiers were surrounded on all sides. Their end seemed imminent.

You're not really offering up anything for discussion. Simply making a thread to say that Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire are good games isn't going to cut it. Why not offer up some reasoning as to why you love Ruby and Sapphire so much? What is it about the game(s) that you enjoy so much? You can't just expect everyone else to jump in and start some conversation when you won't start something good off yourself, heh. Thread Closed

I agree with just about every game you listed, but I wanted to highlight these two, in particular, because they're both games that have gone overlooked and I (along with you) think that they both deserve to sell amazingly well. [quote name='Semjaza Azazel']Skies of Arcadia: Legends is hands down the best traditional RPG on the system. Of course, it has basically no decent competition yet either. This is set to change in the future with games like Tales of Symphonia coming out, but it won't change how good this game is. The GC version is decently improved over the DC one: less enemy encounters, more gold and XP per battle, faster fights and load times, improved main character models, added story points and so forth. You can find this cheap in random places because it didn't do all that well (I think in the 100,000 range). Worth the money. The game only gets better as you go along.[/quote] Skies of Arcadia: Legends is quite possibly my favorite RPG. I never had the chance to play the game on the Dreamcast (never owned one, unfortunately), so I jumped at the chance to buy this when I could. I was definitely not disappointed. The storyline is extremely fun and light-hearted, a great breath of fresh air compared to a lot of the melodramatic stuff you see in a lot of RPGs lately. The characters have a goofy air about them, but with the way the game presents them, you can still take them seriously when something emotionally powerful happens to them. It's pretty remarkable how well the game juggles comedy and drama, heh. And, as Tony mentioned, the game only gets better as you progress through it - it captures the feel of exploring a new land so much better than any other game I've played, it's phenomenal. You just can't help but feel really excited once you've uncovered a new area of the game or when you come across a new Discovery or beat a bounty. It's so much fun lol. [quote]Eternal Darkness is not for everyone. A lot of people seemingly just don't like it. I bought it the day it came out and have played through it four times just to get the bonus ending. I feel it was worth the time. Unlike other survival horror games, you're pretty much meant to massacre all the monsters in the game. The story is well told and has some nice Cthulu elements to it. I've seen this as low as $7 on clearance.[/quote] I really can't understand why people wouldn't like Eternal Darkness - I think the game is pretty damn amazing ($7 for ED is quite possibly one of the greatest bargains you could ever see in gaming). The story is very well conceived and the cutscenes are well worth the effort it takes to beat the game. Plus, being encouraged to plow through the monsters is a welcome change of pace from games like Resident Evil where it's usually for your benefit to run like a wussy :p I find myself more and more impressed with the game every time I play it. The ambience of the game is just superb, even if the character models are slightly on the cartoonish side. The music and the creepy levels make up for that, however. If you like survival-horror games in the least, you should buy this game (hell, if you love a good story, you should buy this game, especially if it's $7 lol). Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is also well worth buying, [i]especially[/i] if you have friends that you can play multiplayer with. The single player is pretty exhilirating (even if the computers hit a little too often with their items) and multiplayer is even better. I really like the variety of levels that you get in Double Dash!! and the two-player mechanic is fun to experiment with, as well. Co-op, in particular, can be really cool if you're able to find a person who can excel at Double Dash!!

I usually apply for RPGs if I feel that they are fresh, original, quirky or something along those lines. Also, beyond that, the person actually creating the RPG has to impress me with their writing ability; I have to feel that their writing is at least on par with my own (as horribly egotistical as that sounds lol). There's no particular genre of RPGs that I actually look for - I'll join just about anything if it looks interesting to me. I've been in both comedic and serious RPGs and I find that I enjoy both varities about the same.

A lot of innuendo, indeed :p I preferred the second panel, mostly because the image of the old man in the cave disintegrating is a pretty funny image lol. I like the interaction between the characters, as well. Leads to some pretty funny exchanges, heh. Now, we need to see more.

I don't really snap at people and I don't really see other mods snapping at people...we might be stern from time to time, but that's only with members whom we have already warned and whom have broken rules more than once. And even when we're being a bit stern, it's never "Hey asshole, get the ******* rules right!" On a side note, I was a less than impressive member my first couple weeks, so it shows how much people can improve if they want to :p

[QUOTE=Mimmi][font=Verdana][size=1][color=#8b0000]Regarding the last chapter, I am absolutely enthralled by how weird you make these situations and yet they appear perfectly normal. Because in one minute I'm thinking "uhm, what was that ?", but then the characters react as if it was nothing or they say/do something equally weird, and it all makes sense somehow. Also, in a way, Jacob helps the reader to get to grips with everything, because he's not familiar with this place either. Though he still has some knowledge to it, he just can't remember it, and instinctively knows how to respond to situations.[/size][/font][/QUOTE][/color] Exactly ^_^ Jacob is much like the reader; thrown into a world that they're not familiar with and struggling to get some sort of understanding of where they are. To everyone else, this world is perfectly normal, for better or for worse, but in the back of his mind, Jacob just cannot accept any of this world, because he can't understand it. Anyway, this chapter is yet another short one...they get longer after this one. I swear. [b][u][center]Chapter Seven: The Conversation[/b][/u][/center] The manager left the diner at closing time. He lived in the opposite direction of the diner, so he had no problems getting home. However, the accident area was still cut off, so Jacob and Julia had no choice but to stay in the diner for the remainder of the evening. Jacob and Julia spent their first hour cleaning the diner after they ate their dinner, which consisted of breakfast items stored in the back of the diner, since the manager had not gotten an opportunity to retrieve dinner food. After they were finished cleaning, Jacob and Julia hung out at opposite sides of the diner. Jacob wanted desperately to speak with Julia, but she would have none of it. What confused Jacob most was that he could tell that she wanted to talk with him as much as he wanted to talk with her, but she was refusing it, for some inexplicable reason. She looked over at Jacob often and, when he would catch a glimpse of her looking at him, she would turn away quickly, pretending that she was looking at something else. ?Why do you keep doing that?? Jacob asked. ?Doing what?? Julia asked in reply. ?You keep looking at me,? Jacob answered. ?And then you keep turning away.? ?No, I don?t,? Julia answered. Jacob was going to argue further, but he decided that it was not worth it. Jacob continued to sit at the front table and began to play around with a toothpick. Soon, Julia got bored of staring out the window and began to walk around the diner. ?Julia?? Jacob said. ??what is it?? Julia asked. ?How long have you been working here?? Jacob questioned. ?About seven years now,? Julia replied. ?But the manager said he put that help wanted sign out when he hired you,? Jacob said. ?It hasn?t been out there that long, has it?? ?How should I know?? Julia replied. ?I never really noticed it before.? Jacob looked over at the cash register. ?Do you mind if I ask you something personal?? Jacob asked. ?As long as it?s not too personal,? Julia replied. ?What kinds of things do you dream about?? Jacob asked. ?What kind of question is that?? Julia asked. ?An important one,? Jacob retorted. ?I?don?t have many dreams at all,? Julia said. ?Are you sure?? Jacob asked. ?Yes,? Julia said. ?I?m completely sure.? Jacob sighed and buried his head in his arms. ?What?s wrong?? Julia asked him. ?Everything,? Jacob said. ?Well, that narrows it down quite a bit,? Julia quipped. ?I?m just a bit frustrated,? Jacob said. ?Why?? Julia asked. ?You wouldn?t believe me if I told you,? Jacob groused. ?Try me,? Julia replied. ?Well,? Jacob said. ?Apparently, I?ve been in a hospital for fifty years. Fifty years! But I didn?t remember a thing?all I have are scattered memories and dreams. I don?t remember who I am, what I am, nothing.? Julia put her arms on the table and turned her head away from Jacob a bit. ?You don?t believe me, do you?? Jacob asked. ?It [i]is[/i] an unbelievable story,? Julia admitted. ?But, somehow, I get the feeling that you?re telling the truth?? ?That?s good, at least,? Jacob said. He stole a look at Julia?s hand, which was laying upon the table, fingers tapping gracefully against it. Jacob?s hand moved towards hers, slowly at first. He touched her hand with one of his fingers, but she did not seem to notice. Jacob took her hand in his and she turned around. Once she saw what Jacob had done, she turned slightly red. ?What are you doing?!? she yelled, pulling her hand free and flailing her other arm out towards Jacob. Jacob raised his own arms up in defense, emitted a sharp, high-pitched noise and fell out of his stool. Julia calmed down and went over to Jacob. ?Are you okay?? she asked. ?Yeah,? Jacob said, his heart beating a mile a minute. ?I guess I?m okay.? ?What happened?? Julia asked. ?I fell out of the chair,? Jacob answered. ?Well, that much was obvious,? Julia said. ?But why did you fall out of the chair?? ?I didn?t want to get hit, I guess,? Jacob muttered. ?I wasn?t going to hit you, though,? Julia replied. ?Well, I didn?t know that,? Jacob said. Julia held her arm out to Jacob and, after a slight hesitation, he accepted her help and she helped him back to his feet. He dusted himself off and sat back down on the stool. Julia turned around to face the window again. It was dark outside. There were still some people walking around at the dead of night, but overall, there was not much activity taking place outside. The soft glow of the moonlight was creeping slowly over the buildings across the street and faint traces of light could be seen in the street. Julia walked over to Jacob and tapped him on the shoulder. Jacob looked over his shoulder at her. ?We might as well set up our beds,? Julia said. ?Are we both going to sleep in here?? Jacob asked. ?Of course,? Julia answered. ?But not together, if that?s what you?re implying! You?re going to sleep on one side of the diner and I?m going to sleep on the other side.? ?Why?? Jacob asked. ?Because it?s not decent for two people who barely know each other to sleep together, that?s why!? Julia said. ?It?s just sleep?? Jacob muttered to himself. Julia went into the back room for a couple minutes. When she emerged from the room, she was carrying a couple of blankets and pillows in her arms. She bundled up a blanket and threw it at Jacob. After he caught it, she threw a pillow at him. He caught that, too, and placed them both onto the floor. ?You know how to make a bed, right?? Julia asked. ?Yeah,? Jacob said. ?I think I remember how to do this.? Jacob rolled out his blanket flat onto the ground and placed the pillow at the head of the blanket. He laid himself upon the floor and got comfortable. Julia did the same with her blanket and pillow, except she bundled herself up in her blanket. ?Aren?t you going to use your blanket?? Julia asked Jacob. ?What do you mean?? Jacob asked. ?It?s freezing in here,? Julia said, shivering a bit, goose bumps spreading across her arms and legs. ?I don?t think it?s so cold in here,? Jacob said. ?It feels kind of nice, actually. Anyway, the floor is hard. I?d rather use the blanket to protect myself from the floor than the cold air.? Julia shrugged, turned around and bundled herself up even more. After about half an hour, Julia and Jacob were still wide awake and both were looking up at the ceiling. ?Jacob??? Julia asked. ?Are you still awake?? ?Yeah,? Jacob said. ?I?m still awake.? ??what are you doing?? Julia asked. ?I?m trying to get to sleep,? Jacob answered nonchalantly. ?No,? Julia said. ?What are you [i]really[/i] doing?? ?What do you mean?? Jacob asked. ?I mean,? Julia answered. ?What are you doing here? With all that stuff you mentioned before, you have to be doing something other than working in a diner for a living, right?? ?Yeah,? Jacob answered. ?So, what are you doing?? Julia asked. ?I?m trying to find myself, I guess,? Jacob answered. ?Because you can?t remember?? Julia asked. ?That?s part of it,? Jacob replied. ?But I also need something?something to validate my existence, I guess?I don?t know. The past couple days have just been really, really strange, it?s like I?m living in some sort of dream world, a fantasy land. These dreams I have, I know they?re dreams, but they seem as real as this place does. How do I know that I?m not dreaming right now? I don?t?because I don?t know who I am. But, if I really do exist, then there has to be [i]someone[/i] that knows who I am?so, I guess that?s what I?m really searching for. Proof that I exist.? ?I see?? Julia said. Jacob covered himself up in his blankets and drifted off to sleep. Julia turned on her side and looked out the window. A soft stream of moonlight was shining through the window that stopped halfway between herself and Jacob. She didn?t want to think about Jacob?s problems, because such things depressed her, but she couldn?t help herself. ?I wish I could help him,? Julia said to herself. ?I wish I could tell him?but I can?t.? Tears streamed out of Julia?s eyes, down the smooth, reddened cheeks of her face and fell softly onto the ground. She cried herself to sleep that night.

*nods in agreement* Yes, I see what you mean...I'm still prone to awkward sentences from time to time, heh. I'm not much of a revisionist (is that a word? I have no idea), but I will make strides to improve. That first example you pointed out is something that I won't change, mostly because, as you pointed out, it's structured much like the hospital itself; in circles and confusing. That's just how I intended it, heh. But the other examples you pointed out, yes, those definitely could use some revision, heh. I'm glad that you took the time to really read through this stuff and point these things out to me because I am by no means a perfect writer (nor do I really consider myself a perfect writer lol), so I'm more than willing to listen to advice on where I stumbled a bit during my stories ^_^ So, yeah, I'm off to do some revision right now; hopefully, that will permanently etch into my brain that I need to place more of an emphasis on revision when I write, haha. I'll edit the next chapter into this post if the thread receives no further replies.

Guns 'N Roses is okay and Nirvana is good, though overrated a bit. I don't really care for any of the other bands that Atticus mentioned (except Pink Floyd, who are amazingly good). The Cure and Smashing Pumpkins are good stuff, as well. Anyway, even though the lower tiers of what I love changes constantly, my top five is pretty constant (though, it was shaken up a bit when Tony introduced me to Pixies, heh). It goes a bit like this: Nine Inch Nails: Amorphous hit the nail on the head with his description of Nine Inch Nails. NIN has been my favorite band for quite a while now...it's just amazing to listen to the records that NIN has put out and know that Trent Reznor is pretty much responsible for [i]everything[/i] that's on them. I just recently got a hold of The Fragile and it just reaffirmed my knowledge that NIN is an amazing band, heh. Pretty Hate Machine is my favorite of their albums. Sonic Youth: Just a fantastic, grossly underrated band. They've been around for a long, long time, probably [i]far[/i] longer than a lot of people realize. They've neen making consistently fantastic records for what seems to be forever lol. I can see why some people might not like them, since they're notoriously tough to get into, but once you open yourself up to them, it's just great. The guitars, in particular, take a bit of getting used to, but they're really beautiful sounding, if really avant-grade, heh. But it's cool to know that there are still bands that stick to their vision and don't take compromise too easily. Of their albums, my favorite is Washing Machine, though Daydream Nation and A Thousand Leaves (though a bit mellow) are both great albums in their own right. Pixies: Right after I listened to Doolittle and Trompe Le Monde, I fell in love with them...they're just such a great, quirky band, I think it's impossible not to love them after listening to them. The Pixies write some of my favorite songs in terms of subject matter, too. Where other bands were writing about the cliched stuff like love, teen angst and stuff like that, you had Black Francis writing about stuff like crazy foreign films, Old Testament stories and UFOs. He's such a strange songwriter, but that makes him that much cooler, in my eyes. Doesn't hurt that they knew how to write some damn catchy tunes. Doolittle is good, but I prefer Trompe Le Monde, mostly because it's a bit heavier, overall, than Dolittle. Plus, Trompe Le Monde has what has become one of my alltime favorite songs, "Motorway to Roswell" - such an amazing song, heh. The Jesus and Mary Chain: Downloaded "Just Like Honey" off of Tony's site, got really intrigued and hunted down a few other songs...another band that I've really fallen in love with in recent times, heh. They can be kind of mellow at times, but strangely enough that's not really a turnoff with this band. The mellowness is never really depressing, it's more melodic and it really gets you in tune with the music. It's just beautiful stuff. Hopefully, I'll be able to buy 21 Singles and get more of a feel for this band, heh. But, yeah, from what I've heard so far, they're already one of my favorites. The Beatles - Come on, they're The Beatles lol. What could I possibly say about them that hasn't already been said by someone else already? I basically grew up with The Beatles and I've loved them since I was a little kid. My favorite album of theirs (though I don't really own it) is Revolver, which has another one of my all-time favorite songs on it, "Eleanor Rigby". Beautiful song. There are tons of other bands that I could sit here and list, but I feel like I've written enough already lol.

[quote name='Mimmi][font=Verdana][size=1][color=darkred]You've done a great job on Milo's character and the way he interracts with people around him. [/color][/size'][/font][/quote] Ahem...that's [i]Dr.[/i] Milo :p Sorry, I couldn't resist. lol Anyway, I like your little mini-reviews, Mimmi, though I am very much looking forward to your overal assessment of my little mini-novel once I am finished with it ^_^ I finished Chapter Ten this morning, so I have decided to post Chapter Six right now. Enjoy! [b][u][center]Chapter Six: Captain Jack?s Breakfast[/b][/u][/center] Jacob walked down the street with his head bowed down slightly. There were not very many people on the sidewalks in the early hours of the morning, so Jacob had free reign to walk as he pleased on the sidewalk. Jacob's thoughts were currently focused upon the dreams of the old men. ?I have to know what they were about,? Jacob muttered to himself. ?So far, I?ve had two separate nightmares?did either of those events [i]really happen[/i]? Or were they just tricks that my mind is playing on me?? Jacob kicked a rock into the street. ?But those old men were having nightmares, too. I?m certain that their dreams are similar to my own?and this Seven Year War?what is it? Why does everyone refuse to discuss it? Do they even remember? I?m so confused!? Jacob looked up and saw that he was standing in front of the entrance to the diner. Today was Jacob?s first day on the job. He decided to put his thoughts at rest for now and just concentrate on his work. He opened the door and stepped inside. He closed the door and listened to the jingle-jangle of the bells that were attached to the handle of the door. The manager of the diner came out from the back and greeted Jacob jovially. ?Ah, good to see you here, boy!? the manager said. ?Ready for a hard day?s work?? ?Yes, sir,? Jacob said. ?Good, good,? the manager said. ?Julia is in the back, cleaning up a bit. After she?s finished with that, she?ll show you the ropes. You really won?t be doing that much today, since you?re a bit inexperienced. You might wait a couple tables and work the cash register a bit. Also, I?ll put you on clean-up duty afterwards. Does that sound good?? ?Yes, sir,? Jacob replied. ?Fantastic,? the manager said. ?Now, I have to go out and get some supplies. Be sure to fix up the place before we have to open, okay?? The manager opened the door and left the diner. Jacob seated himself at one of the tables and placed his hand onto his chin. He stared outside. The sun was rising slowly, bathing the streets in a soft, orange glow. There was about an hour or so until the diner would be opening. Jacob stood up and walked over to the back room. He opened the door and stepped inside. Julia was finishing up her cleaning in the middle of the room. Jacob closed the door and Julia looked over at him. She immediately switched her gaze back to the floor, evading Jacob?s steady gaze. Jacob walked over to her. ?Would you mind if I helped you?? Jacob asked. ?No,? Julia said. ?It?s fine. I-I can handle this just fine, thank you. Just?just wait in the front, okay?? Jacob frowned slightly, but did as he was told. He went back to the front of the building and sat down on a stool near the front table, beside the cash register. He grabbed a toothpick and started to twirl it around in his fingers. After a couple of minutes, Julia emerged from the back room, carrying a mop. She set it into the bucket that she was also carrying and put it against the wall. She walked tentatively up to Jacob. ?First, I?m going to show you how to work the cash register,? she said. Jacob nodded in reply. Julia opened up a side door and went around the front table to the cash register. She patiently showed Jacob how to work it. She showed him the buttons for opening and closing it, along with the buttons to calculate a person?s tab and their change. The system was ridiculously easy to understand, but Julia still went through the steps slowly, because not many people who had worked alongside of her had been able to grasp the concept as quickly as Jacob did. After that, Julia walked him through the procedure for waiting tables. She taught him the number system associated with the foods that they served so that Jacob would not have to refer to the menu constantly to understand what the people were ordering. Again, Jacob caught onto this very quickly and had the number system memorized within a matter of seconds. Julia was impressed slightly, but managed to conceal this by avoiding looking at Jacob. ?Now, all that is left is to clean the room,? Julia said. ?Since you understood everything else so easily, this should be a snap.? She handed the mop to him and set him off to work. Jacob began mopping around clumsily. He was cleaning a few spots in the room, but mostly he was spreading the dirt and grime around the same circular area. Julia blinked twice before she began to become a bit frustrated. She took a hold of Jacob?s arms, at which he winced slightly, and began to help him mop. ?See, this is how you do it,? Julia said. ?It?s not too difficult.? ?Oh?thank you very much,? Jacob said, smiling at Julia. She noticed that her hands were still clutching Jacob?s hands and immediately took them off, turning slightly red and grumbling to herself a bit. ?What?s wrong?? Jacob asked. ?What?? Julia asked. ?Nothing?s wrong! My hands are just dirty, that?s all. I need to go wash them right away. Just keep cleaning up.? Julia went to the bathroom to wash her hands. Her behavior confused Jacob a bit, but he shrugged and started mopping up again. By the time Julia came out from the bathroom, the floor was spotless. ?How did you get this done so fast?? Julia asked, astonished. ?I just did what you told me to,? Jacob said timidly. ?It worked pretty well.? Just then, the manager walked into the room carrying a box of supplies and set it down upon one of the tables. ?You two have done a great job with the place,? he said. He turned over to Julia. ?Did you show him everything that I told you to?? ?Yes, sir,? Julia replied. ?Fantastic,? the manager said. ?You two will get a little extra in your paychecks at the end of the week for that. Go carry that box to the back, okay?? Julia and Jacob lifted up the box, carried it to the back room and dropped it near the door. They went back to the front room, where the manager was tidying up the windows a bit. Julia went to put away the mop and Jacob sat down on a stool. He looked over at Julia and studied her a bit, as this was the first time that he had really gotten a good look at her. She was tall, a couple inches shorter than Jacob, with straight brown hair that went down to her shoulders. She had compassionate, intelligent brown eyes and delicate facial features. She had the figure of a dancer, slender and athletic, which made it all the more strange that she would be working in a diner as a waitress. Jacob looked up at the convex mirror near the roof, which distorted his own facial features beyond all recognition. He frowned at this and stole a look at the window near where he was sitting, which showed his faded reflection. He studied his own features for a few seconds: His short brown air, his soft brown eyes and his sharp facial features that commanded attention; it was a sort of paradox that someone who had as meek a personality as Jacob could have features that commanded so much attention. Jacob looked down at his hands. He flexed his fingers and twisted his arm around a bit. He had smooth muscles that were just as strong as any bodybuilder?s; their strength, however, did not lie in brute force, but speed and instinctual reactions. Jacob looked back at his faded reflection. Several thoughts were buzzing through his mind all at once, but the one that was picking at him most was not focused upon the nightmares nor the Seven Year War. He stole a look back over at Julia, whom was now looking at something out the side window. What Jacob was wondering about was why Julia kept acting so awkwardly around him. Many of Jacob?s memories had faded away, except for those scattered memories that his subconscious kept a stranglehold on in his nightmares, but Jacob could hear a biting voice in his mind telling him that her behavior was very peculiar. He decided to ignore this, however, because he felt that pressing the issue too much could make the situation even worse. ?What are you doing?? the manager yelled over to Jacob. ?Stop screwing around! It?s just about time for the diner to open up! Get behind the cash register!? Jacob complied with this order and got behind the cash register. The manager switched the front sign from ?Closed? to ?Open? and unlocked the door. About five minutes later, a steady stream of customers started to file into the diner. The manager went behind the counter and started cooking the meals, while Julia took orders and Jacob stood behind the register relaying the orders to the manager. After an hour or so, the first shift change took place. The manager took Jacob?s place behind the register, Julia went to the back to cook and Jacob began to wait the tables. Jacob waited about four or five people before a man walked into the room. He was tall and skinny, with a pencil-thin black mustache and a black army cap. He was dressed in a buttoned-up black trenchcoat with black army boots. He took a seat at the table near the door and Jacob went over to take his order. ?May I take your order, sir?? Jacob asked. ?Just call me Jack,? the man said. ?Okay, Jack,? Jacob said. ?May I take your order?? ?That?s better,? Jack said. ?I?d like some bacon, pancakes, scrambled eggs and a banana on the side.? ?Anything to drink, sir?? Jacob asked. ?Get me a glass of orange juice,? Jack said, after a bit of hesitation. ?Oh, and I?d like a biscuit to go along with that, okay?? ?Yes, sir,? Jacob said, writing everything down. He took the list over to the manager, who yelled instructions over to Julia. ?Hey, kid!? Jack yelled. ?How about taking a seat over here?? Jacob looked over at the manager, who shrugged at him. Jacob walked over to Jack and sat down on the seat across from him. ?Uh?is there something you wanted, sir?? Jacob asked. ?Call me Jack,? Jack said. ?I just wanted someone to talk to.? ?Oh,? Jacob said. ?Okay.? ?How long have you been working here, kid?? Jack asked. ?This is my first day,? Jacob answered. ?Oh, is that so?? Jack said. ?So, have you been in the neighborhood very long?? ?No, not really,? Jacob replied. ?That?s too bad,? Jack said. ?Say, have you ever been to the bakery down the street?? Jacob peered at Jack suspiciously. ?No, I haven?t,? Jacob said. ?Even if I had, why would it matter?? ?Well,? Jack said, leaning in close to Jacob and whispering. ?Keep this under your hat, kid. The government is on the hunt for some kid.? ?The government?? Jacob asked. ?Yeah,? Jack said. ?The kid escaped from a government regulated hospital. I don?t really know too much about it because I?m one of their lower-level guys, but it sounds like serious business to me.? ?Why do they want this person so badly?? Jacob asked. ?I?m not sure,? Jack answered. ?There are a lot of crazy rumors and junk floating around. You really don?t know what you can believe these days.? Before Jacob could ask another question, the manager called out to him. ?You?ve fooled around enough, Jacob!? he yelled. ?Get back to work!? Jacob sprang to his feet quickly. ?Yes, sir!? Jacob ran to the back to retrieve the prepared food and began to hand it out to the people whom had ordered it. He finally got to Jack?s table and handed him his food. A while later, Jack put the money on the table and got up to leave. ?I left you a little extra, kid,? Jack said. ?Remember to keep everything under your hat.? ?Uh, sure,? Jacob said. ?I?ll remember that.? Jack strode out of the diner, still eating the last remnants of his banana and carrying a biscuit in a doggy bag. He got into his car, ate the final chunk of his banana and began to drive off. When he got into traffic, he threw the peel of the banana out of the window. The banana peel landed on the front window of a car. This threw the driver into a panic and they began to twist and turn their car in a frantic attempt to regain control. Of course, this did not work, and the car got into a major accident. ?Oh crap,? Captain Jack muttered. ?I have to get the hell out of here. If I get caught in this, then I?m screwed.? Captain Jack roared away in his car, while police sirens blared in the background. Everyone in the diner got up and ran outside, except for Jacob, Julia and the manager. ?Great, this is just what I needed!? the manager yelled. ?All of my customers are leaving!? Julia peered outside at the accident. ?It looks extremely serious,? she noted. ?It?ll take a while for the road to clear up.? ?God damn it,? the manager said. ?Well, that pretty much kills business for the entire day. You might as well go home.? ?My home is blocked off by the accident area,? Jacob said. ?So is mine,? Julia added. ?Well, damn it all!? the manager shouted. ?Then just stay here for the rest of the day!? The manager stormed off to the back room to sulk. Jacob sat down and took a drink from a coffee mug, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened. EDIT: More revisions and stuff...I've been busy o_O

Yay! I was going to edit it into my last post, but since Mimmi replied, then I can make an all new post for the fifth chapter. Hurrah! By the way, I finished chapter nine, but I've not started on chapter ten yet, because I'm working on another story at the moment (one that won't get posted until I'm done with all six parts). After I'm done with the first part of that story, I'll work on chapter ten of this story. So, yes, something else to look forward to, as well ^_^; [center][b][u]Chapter Five: Dr. Milo[/center][/b][/u] There was a large stack of paperwork on Dr. Milo?s desk. Dr. Milo leaned back on his chair and tried to rest his feet on his desk. However, there was far too much paper everywhere for him to find a comfortable spot to put his feet. He sighed with frustration and reverted back to his normal sitting position. He pushed a button and his intercom system turned on. He picked up the microphone and began to speak into it. ?Get someone in here to clean up all this paperwork off of my desk,? Dr. Milo ordered. ?Yes, sir,? came the reply from the other end. A few seconds later, an attendant entered the room, gathered up all of the paper and exited the room. Dr. Milo sighed happily, leaned back in his chair and placed his feet onto his desk. At that moment, his door opened. Colonel Jameson strode into the room angrily. Colonel Jameson was a short man with an even shorter fuse. He stroked the thick beard on his face with annoyance as he glared at Dr. Milo, nostrils flaring. ?Just what the hell are you doing, Milo?!? Colonel Jameson shouted. ?That?s [I]Dr.[/I] Milo,? Dr. Milo corrected. ?I?m a scientist, you know.? ?I don?t give a damn [I]what[/I] you are!? Colonel Jameson yelled. Suddenly, Colonel Jameson became confused. ?Where did all of that paper on your desk go?? ?I came in early and finished all of the work off,? Dr. Milo replied. ?You?re damn lucky that you?re so invaluable to us, Milo,? Colonel Jameson said. ?Not like that lazy bastard, Captain Jack. Where the hell is he, anyway?? ?I don?t know,? Dr. Milo said. ?He never seemed like a hard worker to me, anyway. Honestly, he always seemed like he wanted to undermine your authority.? Colonel Jameson nodded. ?Yes, it always seemed like that to me, too,? Colonel Jameson said. ?I?ll have to take care of it right away.? ?Yes, I think that would be very smart of you,? Dr. Milo said. Colonel Jameson strode out of the room and Dr. Milo snickered to himself. Jameson was such a fool. He?d believe anything if it fed his ego. Dr. Milo got out a sheet of paper and started writing out his itinerary for the day. His door opened and Captain Jack walked into the room, eating the last remnants of a biscuit. ?Did you have a nice breakfast?? Dr. Milo asked sarcastically. ?Yes, as a matter of fact, I did,? Captain Jack replied. ?I went down to that one diner down the street from the apartment building with those psychos we let loose. They serve some damn good food there.? Captain Jack finished off his biscuit and took a couple gulps from the coffee cup that was on Dr. Milo?s desk. Dr. Milo frowned and looked up at Captain Jack. ?I?ll have to keep that in mind,? Dr. Milo said. ?By the way, are you aware that Colonel Jameson is off on another one of his witch hunts?? ?Again?? Captain Jack asked incredulously. ?Doesn?t he ever get tired of that?? ?Apparently not,? Dr. Milo replied flatly. ?I?m just warning you that you?re his current target.? Captain Jack swore under his breath. Dr. Milo got up and patted Captain Jack?s shoulder very assuringly. ?It?s okay, you know that Colonel Jameson won?t be able to prove whatever he wants to prove. The man is a blowhard and nothing more.? ?Yeah, but suppose he gets some dirt on me!? Captain Jack said. ?This is the only place I?ve got, Milo! I can?t go anywhere other than here!? ?That?s [I]Dr.[/I] Milo,? Dr. Milo said. ?Right,? Captain Jack said. ?Dr. Milo.? ?I?ll take care of everything for you,? Dr. Milo said. ?In the meantime, just give him the cold shoulder.? ?Sure thing, pal!? Captain Jack said. And, with that, Captain Jack turned and left the room. Dr. Milo grumbled to himself and tossed his coffee mug in the garbage. It was useless now that Captain Jack had gotten his grubby hands on it. Dr. Milo walked out of his room and over to the elevator. He pressed a button and a robotic voice spoke up. ?Access card required,? the voice said. Dr. Milo swiped his access card through the slot next to the elevator buttons. ?Access granted.? The elevator doors opened and Dr. Milo stepped inside of the elevator. Dr. Milo punched a couple of buttons and waited for the elevator to start up. It lurched upwards slightly and speeded up to a steady ascension. Dr. Milo stood against the wall and waited patiently to arrive at his destination. The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened. Dr. Milo walked out of the elevator and walked smoothly over to General Rogers? office. Dr. Milo opened the door and walked inside. He was about to go into General Rogers? area, when he was halted by a secretary. ?Excuse me,? the secretary said. ?Where do you think you are going?? ?I?m going to see General Rogers,? Dr. Milo said. ?I have business to discuss.? ?Who the hell do you think you are?? the secretary asked. Dr. Milo paid no heed to this and walked over to General Rogers? area. General Rogers was talking to a couple of attendants. As soon as they saw Dr. Milo stride into the room, they left. Dr. Milo stood in front of General Rogers?s desk. ?Is there something you want to talk to me about?? General Rogers asked. ?Yes, there is,? Dr. Milo said. ?It?s about these two people around my area?? ?Which two people?? General Rogers asked. ?Colonel Jameson and Captain Jack,? Dr. Milo replied. ?They?ve been going at it for a while now. It?s putting a damper on some of the projects we have going on, General.? ?That?s not a good thing,? General Rogers said. ?And don?t call me general. I?m the president of this land, for God?s sakes.? ?I?m sorry, Mr. President,? Dr. Milo smirked. ?Well, what do you suggest I do?? General Rogers asked. ?I would suggest firing the both of them,? Dr. Milo said. ?I don?t know,? General Rogers replied. ?It seems that every time I fire people, I get a load of complaints the next day.? ?You won?t have a thing to worry about, sir,? Dr. Milo said. ?I?ll take care of that.? ?Good, good,? General Rogers said. ?How is that report coming along?? ?It?s going great,? said Dr. Milo, who really didn?t have a clue how it was going. ?The boy in question recently resurfaced and we?re getting close to tracking him down.? ?He resurfaced?? General Rogers asked. ?Why, yes, sir,? Dr. Milo said, careful to conceal the fact that he was just making this up as he went along. ?Didn?t you know?? ?No, I didn?t!? General Rogers yelled. ?I?ll have someone?s job for this!? ?Might I suggest Colonel Jameson and Captain Black, sir?? Dr. Milo suggested. ?That?s a great idea!? General Rogers shouted. ?I?ll take care of that myself!? ?Glad to hear it,? Dr. Milo said. ?Now, about that raise I requested?? ?What?? General Rogers asked. ?Oh, sure, whatever?it?s all yours?? Dr. Milo smiled smugly to himself and turned to leave the room. He repeated all of the procedures necessary to gain entry to General Rogers? office in reverse order, except for one addition; he made sure to inform the secretary that she was fired. Dr. Milo stepped out of the elevator and back into his office. There was a fresh pile of paper on his desk, but instead of delegating this work to another person, Dr. Milo decided to read it himself. That slip of the tongue in General Rogers? office was far too close for comfort?from now on, Dr. Milo had to make sure that he had his facts straight if he wanted to stay in good company with General Rogers. Dr. Milo dug through each paper, but could find no trace of the boy from the war. An attendant ran into Dr. Milo?s office with a small paper in his hand. He handed it to Dr. Milo who stared down at it with confusion. ?What the hell is this?? Dr. Milo asked. ?It?s a receipt,? the attendant said. ?A receipt?? Dr. Milo asked. ?What am I going to do with this?? ?We believe that the boy from the war is working at that bakery,? the attendant said. ?On account of the fact that someone saw the boy walking out of that bakery a couple nights ago.? Dr. Milo thought that this evidence was truly ridiculous, but he had nothing else to go on. Besides, he reasoned to himself, he could always shift the blame to someone else if it came to that. His superiors would be more than willing to blame other people for Dr. Milo?s mistakes, because Dr. Milo was of infinite value. ?Set up some plans and clear it through the bureaucracy,? Dr. Milo said. ?And then we?ll go after that bakery.? The attendant nodded and left the room. Relatively short, but still important since the character of Dr. Milo needs to be introduced and fleshed out a bit. Anyway, I look forward to hearing more comments and critique ^_^ EDIT: Some revision here and there.

Heh. Any game that has me in it is guaranteed to be bizarre. Okay, since a lot of people (at other places, too, not just here) seem to be intrigued with the mystique and (ahem) power that comes with being a moderator at a message board, I figured it would be nice to give the kiddies a little taste of the "mod lifestyle". The working title for the game would be "I Want to Be a Moderator" and it would be the job of marketing to think up a title that doesn't sound overly goofy. You start the game off as a newly hired moderator. At the beginning, you get a grace period where post quality in your area is sky-high, your myOtaku, if you choose to have one, gets an immediate spike in popularity (since we all know mods' myOtakus are popular due to their position, not the content of the myOtakus) and members worship the keyboard that you type on. However, once your grace period ends, the crises start. A few bad members will begin to show up and spam your area, you'll receive multiple PMs from members all complaining about the same post right after they've just played mod in the same thread that they're complaining about and, the area of the game that will really test your will, is the mass spamming. Depending on which version of the game you buy, there are three different mass spammings: pornographic pictures, messages that say nothing but "omg u suk lolol!!!1111" and a combination of the previous two spammings. These differences are mostly made to capitalize on the idiots who buy multiple versions of a game in order to become privy to the minute differences that are in them. Since you are a 'n00b m0d' the other moderators will not want to help you that much at first (though, that's not really reflective of how it is here lol), so you'll have to build up allegiances with other moderators and members by downloading AIM and contacting the members you would like to build relationships with. However, you'll have to suffer through AIM screwing up a million times a day and asking you to download the latest version of AIM only to find that the upgrade simply includes a new border color for the message boxes. Depending on how well you're able to get through the game, and who you build allegiances with, there will be several different endings. Most of them will involve either you leaving the message board in shame after being fired, being betrayed by your fellow moderators and becoming a stepping stone to their success or in assassination. If you play the game perfectly, though, you'll earn a spot in the 'moderator hall of fame' (if such a thing exists) and one day earn the hallowed position of Administrator. Isn't that everyone's dream? Exactly. The game would also include light gun support for the simple reason that light guns are awesome.

I really like this piece. It's nice to read something that's not so annoyingly overt with its humor (as is usually the norm around here, heh). I enjoy the use of metaphors, similies and wordplay employed to get the humor across - it's fun stuff. Certainly got more than a few laughs out of me (I laughed out loud, in case you were wondering). So, yes, not just amusing, but genuinely [i]funny[/i].

OOC: I've put off replying to this for long enough...I'm sorry for procrastinating for such a long time, but I've been a tad busy lately. People shuffled out of the mess hall and spread out all over the guard's quarters. Each person had just received a small portion of the food that was left. Due to the attacks on Hyrule Castle Town, and the uncertain nature of the people's escape, it was decided that food would need to be rationed and that each person would only get the bare minimum needed to survive the day. It was reasoned that the food and drink needed to last as long as possible, since nobody was certain how long they would be stuck in this area. Jacob, whom had elected to skip the meal, sat in a chair, waiting for the report of a scout that he had sent to the outside to ascertain what was happening in the outside the world. After a few moments of waiting, the scout stumbled back into the room, soaking wet, coughing and shaking uncontrollably. Jacob slid his sword, newly shined and sharpened, back into the holster that he carried on his back and he approached the scout cautiously. "Did you get attacked?" Jacob asked. "No," the scout gasped in between breaths. "But I might have been seen." A loud gasp of disapproval emanated from the small crowd that now surrounded Jacob and the scout. "I ran as fast as I could, because I didn't want to give them a chance to follow me and discover a way in here." "So, they're still out there?" Jacob asked. "Yes," the scout nodded. "And their numbers are growing as time passes. I saw many more reinforcements making their way into the city through the front entrance of the town. Given more time, I think that Ganondorf could soon amass an army big enough to crush our little shelter." Jacob emitted a sharp hiss of breath between his teeth. This was not good news in the least. There were not that many soldiers left and, though the ReDead and the Undead were lacking in speed, if their numbers were large enough they could easily claim victory over the Hyrulian Knights. "We'll have to act as soon as possible," Jacob decided. "But how?" the scout asked. "We don't have a plan!" "Not yet," Jacob admitted. "But we have to come up with one as soon as possible. We can't stand privy while Ganondorf's army grows in strength with each passing day!" Jacob stood and walked to the back room of the shelter. He needed to be alone with his thoughts.

Hehe, funny stuff, Solo. Reminded me strongly of some of the Abbot and Costello sketches that I've seen, heh. Really, who can't enjoy a good play on words sketch? They're really funny and underused. Good writing, Mr. Solo ^_^