Katana

[size=1][color=royalblue][b]Katana:[/b] *randomly bursts out* "You're that fanfic person!" = =;; Gross got, Nomura. I hope you don't mind that I whipped up a set for you. I was in one of those ruts where...I needed to make something but I didn't know what. Thank you. XD [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24778&stc=1[/img] And it turned out a little bit Christmas-y. Oap. - -;; Also a time for experiments...wonder how it'll look. [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24779&stc=1[/img] ...and the avi, which I pretty much just took a banner I made almost a year ago and sliced up the Sasuke part. XD It looks cool, right? ...Right? Well, if you would like anything changed, just say so. ^_^[/color][/size]

[QUOTE=Aaryanna][COLOR=DarkOrange] [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=2]What I don?t agree with is the idea of a counter-vote. What?s the point of having a contest like this if I vote and someone who doesn?t agree with me casts a counter-vote? It?s like letting them vote twice as they are saying your vote shouldn?t count and that their vote should. Personally I think it?s a bit rude to say other people?s vote shouldn?t count because you don?t agree. So in essence they are voting twice which isn?t fair in a contest like this. If a counter-vote is allowed then everyone should be allowed to do it as right now a counter-vote would basically be saying [B]Who?[/B] And [B]SunfallE[/B]?s vote don?t count anymore. And if it were allowed, [U]everyone[/U] would have to cast a counter-vote for it to be fair and valid in my opinion[/SIZE].[/FONT] [/COLOR][/QUOTE] [size=1][color=royalblue]I think I need to clear this up before we all get killed. The reason Delta, I, and r2vq are hoping for a counter vote is because Who? and SunfallE's main reason for not liking Kitty's was because of her choice of photo. That's it. To us, it sounds like they didn't like the graphic merely because they have seen that image around so much, and because of that, Kitty does not deserve to advance. [u]We mean no disrespect to those two[/u], and I apologize if that's what you think. However, when you don't like an image because you've seen the base photo before, that's just not right. When you say "I've seen that picture everywhere, so I don't like the graphic", I really don't think that's right. Hell, I've seen that image from the end of FLCL with Naota standing atop the rubble with the guitar a thousand times, but do I hate a graphic because of that? No. Do you hate a website's banner because an image used is a fairly generic one of the series? You shouldn't. Do you avoid eBay auctions that use generic images of the product? Probably not. I apoligize for clogging up the thread like this, but I felt the need to say the above before more misunderstandings take place. To Who? and SunfallE, we really don't mean to degrade you, and if you had other reasons for not liking the graphic, then that's perfectly fine and legal, we can all go on our merry way. = =;;[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]*drools* Gorgeous picture... This one was hard to work with, because there wasn't anything you could get rid of without the picture looking funny. So I applied a couple of filters, brushes, and made up some random quote. = =;; [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24733&stc=1[/img] [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24734&stc=1[/img] This is a time where I actually REMEMBERED to do the avatar. XD And I realllly like it. ^_^ And that's it. If you want anything changed, just ask. Oh, and Anxiety: Don't mean to be playing mod, but I'm fairly confident you can only have one picture in your signature. And the DB Archives roxor. :3[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]And I'm back. Alrighty, changed the font. Even though it's not a total simple font, it's basically Verdana or something with...gashes. ^^;; [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24732&stc=1[/img] 3D Noise. Love it. XD So yeah. I think I need to do something. o_O;;[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Thass right folks - Katana, the person that's been very scarily attached to her Photoshop recently, has decided to hand over the magical magic wand tool to somebody else. You see, she wants a banner and an avatar featuring Haruko from the dudeicle OAV, FLCL. But not just any plain old banner that's cropped up and compressed to pixel hell. For some reason, Katana has requested for the background to have this sorta punk-rebel effect to it. I get it - Haruko's one weird person, and whips out a guitar from nowhere to bash people upside the head. Cool. And the picture? [url=http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/2509/flcl1023dn.jpg]Click eins[/url] Yes. Katana wishes for you to use the upper torso of regular Haruko on the banner, and then the sadistic and yet, awesome, shadow Haruko for the avatar. Here's a summary: [b]Banner:[/b] Upper torso of regular Haruko from the provided image (or, if you have something better in mind, use that - but it has to be really really good), a punkish-kinda background, and the words "nobody comes to help you forever". [b]Avatar:[/b] The image of shadow Haruko. And, and ONLY if you can do this, the [u]hiragana[/u] for "Katana". That's it. [b]Color Scheme:[/b] The Kat-person's open to anything, but if you're stuck, she suggests reds, blacks, and blues. Anyone that uses pink will be shot. :3 Thank you very much![/color][/size]

[QUOTE][SIZE=1]?And please, God, no Super Saiyan Vegeta. (Also, please, no GT versions of him. A piece of me died when I saw him with a goatee and flat hair.)[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [size=1][color=royalblue]A little of me died too. Wow, I haven't made a DBZ banner in ages. o_O;; You have artist's block? It sucks, eh? Or sometimes, you just want the fun of somebody else creating a banner for you. Hey, that sounds like a good idea... Anyways, I had no plan - like usual. So I just kinda pieced this thing together. :3 [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24723&stc=1[/img] Like usual, if you want anything changed, just say so, mi'lady. (= =;; ) Hey, wait, did you want an avatar for this too...?[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Wow, these are all neat. I think I'm gonna steal the sad saxamaphonists and show it to my friend. :3 And that is the cutest sneezing smile one has ever seen. Teh cutness shall SUCK OUT YOUR SOUL! ... *gets shot* ... And because I have NEVER made anything animated before, these are a little weird and not too great. But it's my first crack at smiles. But I love the ^_^ one. XD [img]http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/3640/obsmile4wt.gif[/img] [img]http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/3633/obsmile24xa.gif[/img] Crap, I forgot about that white background...[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Because I am REALLY lazy, I have no words to form on the graphic thingies. Grrrishness... [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24709&stc=1[/img] Yes, it says "bang bang". I have no clue why. That quote has been going thorugh my head, and I haven't seen Trigun in forever. :3 [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24710&stc=1[/img] And now, my brain is mashed in after making two banners and two avis within the space of an hour. Uggh... I haven't felt this dizzy since this morning, when I attempted to read some more Oliver Twist for English class. = =;;[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Hu-ZAA! I finished it! Yaaay! [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24706&stc=1[/img] I'm quite proud of the banner. It looks pretty cool, if I do say so myself. :3 [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24707&stc=1[/img] ...And the avi, which is kinda like "uh...I need to make an avi" kinda deal. = =;; Hey, it happens to the best of us, and it happens to all of us. The main deal is the banner, ya know? You need to enlighten me, Pumpkin, on just what "Memoirs of a Geisha" is about. I would like to see it, but I also need to nag my friends to come see it with me. XD[/color][/size]

[QUOTE=Delta][COLOR=#003300][SIZE=1]^ Guess it's time for us to take Vitamin A supplements, yeah? ;P [COLOR=#88AA88](Dagger-san, may I cast a counter-vote? [b]Kitty-san[/b] may have used a familiar raw I've always felt that good raws make lovely pieces, yeah? [/COLOR][/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [size=1][color=royalblue]Double yes - vitamin A is good for you. And the counter-vote...I'm for that. [b]Kitty[/b], you did an excellent job with your graphic, so don't take the against-posts to heart. :P *cough* Anyways... It's actually a hard vote for me because of how all of these look to be merely stock photos with words slapped on. Don't rip out my pancreas if that's not the case, I'm just saying what they look like. = =;; But overall, I'd have to say that [b]Gemini's[/b] piece doesn't quite strike my fancy. I applaude you on the fact that you went outside of the box, but if this is a good example of your work, I really wonder how you got this far. Obviously, it must not be, but...you've gotta put your all into every piece you make in a tournament like this. The compression is pretty bad, because the image turned out scratchy, pixely, and washed out - a curse of the .jpg/.jpeg format when it's compressed too much. But what really disappoints me - and irritates myself - is how the water theme doesn't seem displayed. The swirl in the corner could be, but I would probably suggest the cosmos or something if it 'tweren't for the text. Which leads me to the font. Ugh. That's hard to read. The font matches the quote, but you really need one that's easy to read. And now I'm done. Good luck people![/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Hu-ZAA! I knew it! I knew that image was probably the one, and I almost used it...but I liked the one I found. :3 Yeah. And because I'm lazy, I sorta hid the first image. On the left. Seeeee? Yes. (Sugar is the correct answer. - -;; ) [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24699&stc=1[/img] You wanted dark red, Delta, you got it. XD So yeah. You've got red, black, and a splotch of grey/white. Oh, and "easy come, easy go". Hope you like the banner this time around. ^^;;[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Heeey Delta, it's Katana again. Why is I'm always granting your banner requests? I dunno. = =;; Like all of my stuff, I had no plan. All I had was the scheme of dark red, Faye Valentine, and a link that goes to "www.otakuboards.com/newthread.php". Gotta love it. [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24694&stc=1[/img] Delta Red. That'd make a good crayon color. I still had no idea, and I have no idea what I'm saying right now. If you hate it, or want text, or whatever, just tell me. Like usual. ...[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Mmm...yeah. I've created a banner and avi set. I hope you like them. :P [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24687&stc=1[/img] It's official, I've used the Haruko image more than enough times. But it's cool. = =;; [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24688&stc=1[/img] ...and the avi, made in two minutes, when I realized you wanted a banner AND an avi. ^^;; Any changes can be quickly made, mmm'kay?[/color][/size]

[color=royalblue][size=1]This is poetry, but I don't write poetry. I hate poetry. Poets, to me, scribble down lines that make no sense. That's me, and I have no sense in poetry, just story writing. I'm done. While recently doing math homework, I suddenly sat up and walked to my computer, opened up Word, and began to type. I had the first four lines of a poem in my head, dedicated to my posse. I even began to cry when typing it out. "Posse" is the term me and my friends use to identify our group of friends. There's the freshman posse (us), the sophomore posse, and then [u]the[/u] posse, which is a huge combination of the two grades. 'nuff said. There're ten of us in the freshman posse - six girls, four boys. We're obviously close friends, but we still hate each other sometimes. It might be hard for one to critique my poem, because they don't know the people mentioned. Yes, all real names are used, but no last names. Haha. XD [right][b]Posse[/b] You guys will never really know How much I love you You guys will never really know How much you?ve changed my life It?s strange to say That my care for you all goes beyond words It?s strange to say I would never repair if you went away Lorenza, my best friend Always makes me smile Diane, my age-old bud Always makes me rant Liz, my personal comedian Always will charm the stars out of the sky Meghan, my phone-a-friend lifeline Always gets me out of tight spots LeLe, my favorite almost-cousin Always has me talking Aaron, my nearly twin-brother Always has me yelling (o_O;; ) Mark, my quiet one Always has me thinking Ben, my mysterious one Always has me wondering It was in fifth grade that the posse actually began With me and Die-Die becoming best friends Alaska?my land?my home? Then it was sixth grade that tore me apart Making me realize how much I valued friends And getting a glimpse at future pals Sticking Cheetos down Aaron?s ear at lunch Laughing hysterically while Liz performed a Broadway musical during ?Mulan? Giggling with LeLe as we ranted about school Then came that fatefulmath class ?Aha!? ?Professor from Spyro!? ?Yeah!? And that?s when the Otaku Agency began We moved on to seventh grade Where our posse took real shape Meghan, my friend during English There came the day When friendship and personalities collided Leaving a drained Liz and a supporting us The posse stood As myself, Diane, Lorenza, Meghan, Liz, Aaron, and Mark We ended seventh grade on hyper notes and three new OA agents Eighth grade was the year LeLe returned and Ben appeared The Year of the Posse Freshman band camp Came the ?foreigner? ? Brogan, my one-smart-guy-friend Always has me grinning We?ve become different Through love and interests But we?re still the same The footsteps echo beside me Telling me I?m not alone Telling me I?m not alone on this journey Because my friends are there as well Smiling, laughing, twirling, bouncing Whispering, crying, yelling, frozen Suffering through school Suffering through life I get to thinking What would happen If I died tomorrow Would my friends be sad? Would I be missed? What would I miss? Then I slap myself For degrading my friends For making myself think That to them, I am nothing more than dust in the wind And now, as teardrops fall onto the keyboard I get to thinking How lucky I am To have you all How lucky am I To have caring friends - Loving friends - Warm smiles? Lucky Lucky beyond words Comprehension Or meaning To me, you guys are the world To me, you guys are my life To me, you guys are the soul ? and bane ? of my existence I would die to protect you But that would mean sorrow So we might as well all die together (- -;; ) Ten years from now, where will we be? Far apart or close together? Sitting in a bar, sharing laughs? Or sitting at opposite corners of the earth? I hope for the former The former The first To lose you guys would mean to lose who I am And to me I couldn?t go on Like that ? Without you. [i](Authors Note: This is not a suicide note. Jeezuz.)[/i][/right] And yes, all accounts are real. The Cheetos one was a game, where we would see how far we could get the snack in without Aaron noticing. XD It was pretty fun. Comments and stuff are welcome. If you don't get it, don't say that. = =;;[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=royalblue]I recently discovered the wonders of an anime called "Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo". Haven't seen it, mind you, but I read an article in Anime Insider that had an interview with the...producer? Director? Creator? Don't remember. I'm lazy, bite me. Anyways, this anime utizlizes a crazy, bold, and just plain freakin' awesome coloring/pattern system. To me, it's like basically taking bolts of fabric with different designs and plastering them onto an article of clothing. Examples of the anime can be seen [url=http://www.gankutsuou.com/production/gallery/images/img06.jpg][here][/url], [url=http://www.aii.co.jp/contents/b-ch/gankutsuou/img/screen.jpg][here][/url], and [url=http://blog.rodtv.com/images/anime/gankutsuou/episode_12/gankutsuou_(epi_12)003.jpg][here][/url]. You get the basic idea of the design, don't you? Well, I've decided to be inspiried by this style, so I've been praticing. Some are cool, some are kinda like "uh..." and others, you just kinda remain silent to be nice. = =;; It's the evolution, and it's not done here. The whole point of this is so that, whenever me and my friend (Aiyanna) decide to get off our lazy butts and make a manga for Tokyopop's "Rising Stars of Manga" competition, we won't have to shell out money for screentones and inks. We're poor and only freshman in high school. You gotta love Photoshop. [b]The Beginning: Phase 0[/b] To get a feel for the style, I just put it as a background. Just to get used to it. [img]http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/9563/musictakesmehigher8pd.jpg[/img] [b]The Beginning: Phase 1[/b] The above led to [url=http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/7347/gankutsuoustyle8jw.jpg]this[/url] sucker. The base image was drawn in MS Paint, and created after a MegaTokyo splurge (notice Largo reference in the hair). It was simply dubbed "j00" and I got on with my life. [b]The Beginning: Phase 1.5[/b] Now we have the style established. Now we have some feel. So now, we move on to a drawing Katana here actually drew. By hand. (Mechanical pencil, 0.7mm lead/graphite.) [url=http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/2443/senka3pg.jpg]this is Senka Hjorrids[/url] *coughDivineKinshipcough*, my land pirate. A land pirate - a term I made up. It's a pirate with no boat. - -;; She's got horribly cool fashion taste, different colored eyes (I don't even know if that's possible in humans, I've been meaning to ask my biology teacher that), and a weird sense of humor. She's slick, cool, and a moron. I look back and kinda go "eh". The pictures have become much better since the beginning, I think. More to come, my fellow bonkuras, more to come.[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Well, this was fun to explore a little bit. For underrated anime, I would seriously have to go with [b]Azumanga Daioh[/b] and [b]Kikaider[/b]. Azumanga Daioh is so funny, so great, just so connecting to me, it's a shame that more people don't know about it. It breaks the stereotypical high school anime, and has [i]absolutely no plot what-so-ever[/i]. It was a revolution for high school comedy anime, mainly breaking the barrier that there is a love interest involved. And c'mon, who couldn't love Osaka? XD People mentioned earlier how Kikaider was overrated, and that forums everywhere were going "check it out!". I never, ever saw that, even on anime sites. I actually loved Kikaider; it reminded me a lot of .hack, what with the complex storyline. It's been years since I've seen it, though. Kikaider was made in that Osamu Tezuka style - you know, the one used for Astro Boy, Cyborg 009, Tetsujin28, etc...So it kinda has that classic air around it. Kinda. Overrated anime? [b]Gundam SEED[/b]. Why is it I can never get into an anime that is hugely awaited by the masses? Maybe it's because I was actually apart of the population that liked G Gundam. More so, maybe it's because I was actually apart of the .1% of people that liked SD Gundam Force. Zero was cute. = =;; I just could never get into SEED. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I never watched any of the Mobile Suit Gundams. I just didn't like the whole "WAR! WAR! FIGHT! *sobs* Nooo! FIGHT! LASER! *Sob sob* I hate you!" thing. That, and the whole thing that Kira, as mentioned by that recent article, always bounces back and is seemingly immortal. C'mon. ...'course, that's also like any other action anime... And I know I'm gonna get my ear ripped off because I insulted SEED. B1t3 m3. - -;;[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Namiko scoffed at the sake comment. "C'mon, enjoy the fun of things. I like tea too man, but sake is a delicacy. And you know - at least, I hope you know - I was faking drunk." She rolled her eyes. "It takes a lot to get me tanked. Way too much. And I never have the money, nor the means, nor the taste to drink that much." "Nobody ever has the money," the man replied, taking another sip from his tea. Namiko paused for a moment before snatching back her sake cup and pouring herself a cup of the tea. "Hey wait -!" [i]Glug glug.[/i] "I think I like liquids too much. But you know, they fill you up..but then you're hungry...and..." "You never answered my question," tea-man said once again, this time with agitation twinging his voice. "How good are you with that sword?" Namiko took a long swig from the glass, and suddenly chucked it into the air. The world entered a somewhat slow-motion mode as the swordswoman snatched her blade. She performed a quick one-two maneouver to remove the sheaths, then swiped the blade into the air. A crash or something should've come, but it never did. Instead of hitting the sake cup, Namiko had jutted one side of the blade to be perfectly still in front of her. The cup had landed, perfectly flat, on the flat of the sword. The other blade was tucked firmly under her arm, following the straight of the bones. The blade tip stuck out at the same angle as her shoulder blade. "Nice," Shin said. Tea-man nodded. "That answers my question." And then, in her true nature: "Catch!" Namiko whipped the blade up and swiftly tucked it along her side. The sake cup, however, didn't quite go in the direction she was aiming for (Shin's forehead, to be percise). It, instead, landed some ten feet away at another table. The occupants - a man and a pretty young woman - seemed startled, but slowly turned their gazes towards the three-bodied group. "Ah crap..."[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]So far, Namiko was somewhat enjoying the strange attention she was getting, and happily glugged down more sake. The men often poked their interest at her sword, but she would slam her cup down and start rambling on about totally random things. "It's errr a bitterfi kacktaana," she said finally through her druken slurs. In truth, it took a lot to get her drunk, and she was putting on something of an act. In order to appear that she was trying to get rid of the buzz, she poured herself a (sloppy) glass of the second man's tea and choked it down. [i]Holy shitake mushrooms is that freakin' hot![/i] "AHH!!" Namiko proclaimed, pushing the sake cup away from her. "That's great, thank's for the treat mah'man. Sake is an amazing drink, revitalizes the spirit and the mind..." "The mind..." the sake-giving man murmured, a slight smile on his face. There was a moment's silence before Namiko jutted her hand out as if to shake. "Crappit, I left my manners behind! The name's Namiko Tasogare! Glad to gank some sake off of ya - err, I mean, nice ta meet'cha!" Sake-man leaned back slightly in strange curiousity. "Shin Kamekuro," he finally responded, shaking the hand that had been out-stretched for at least a minute. "It's a, err, pleasure to meet you too...I...think..." Tea-man had remained silent, quietly sipping away at his beverage like an old monk intent on the 'event' at hand. Namiko raised an eyebrow slyly as her eyes laid upon on the swords at Shin's waist, their hilts titled at a strange angle due to the tips resting on the floor. Then she went to studying the man himself. With the exception of the scar, he was of a pretty good standard for her preferences. Kinda cute. But there was an air of youth scattered about him, and it just didn't factor together in Namikos' mind. "Nice swords," she finally commented, her hand indicating the katans around his waist. Shin nodded, his fingertips grazing the surfaces of the hilts. "Yes, they are," he said, his voice softer than before. There was another awkward silence. The tea-man broke it. "Hey, waitress!" he called out to the frazzled-looking woman. Her eyes were twinged in red-pink. "Another pot of tea please!" = = = = = = = Nice job guys! I'm really liking the effort 'n stuff. I would suggest trying to space out lines with line breaks and new paragraphs. Excellent job shadow, I'm quite please. ^^ [/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Well, now that my lazy procrastinating *** has gotten into gear, I would like to announce that Samurai Kyouran is finally in the Adventure Square! Those who are participating have been PMed. The reason for my having to choose the participants can be read at the end of the first post of SK in the Square. Wooh, that's a mouthful.[/color][/size]

[center][img]http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/7623/samuraikyouran29nv.jpg[/img] [size=1]They were destined to fail - and in the end, they did, paying with their lives. But that's only a small fraction of the journey... = = = = = = =[/center] [color=royalblue][i]Sitting here in this run-down shack of a restaurnat got me thinking. What is the purpose of life? Why are we here? Why do I give a damn? Why [b]do[/b] I give a damn? I don't know why I care, nor do I want to know. I would like to know why the hell IT'S TAKING SO LONG FOR MY EEL BOWL TO GET OUT HERE![/i] The scraggily-looking swordswoman pounded a fist onto her table, resulting in the wooden surface around her fist to crack slightly at the impact. Several of the people within the restaurant stared at her, one being a little boy with rice dripping from his open mouth. Her question was soon answered when a waitress came from the kitchen and placed a bowl with rice and cooked eel before the would-be samurai. The waitress placed down a pair of chopsticks and scurried back to the kitchen. [i]I am Namiko Tasogare...the child of twilight's waves.[/i] Munch munch. [i]I am here, they are not. They are not here while I am here, eating, and finally resting my stomach that has been empty since yesterday morning.[/i] Munch slurp munch munch. [i]Mmm, this eel is delicious.[/i] Namiko's eyes finally averted from the rice in her bowl to the long sword, sheathed, laying on the table to her side. Her mind, half focusing on food, half focusing on remembering, brought up fond memories of that sword. How many bandits and pandelers had died by that blade? She had lost count two years ago, when she was barely nineteen. An easy target, the perverts thought. But they were proved wrong, horribly horribly wrong, when they saw their own blood splatter to the ground before they realized they had even been hit. Blood. The drink from the body. A drink. That was a good idea. When the waitress passed by, Namiko raised her arm slightly and said briskly, "Oi, some sake, please." The waitress nodded before taking down an order of a newcomer. She scrambled right back to the kitchen once again, quickly returning with a bottle filled with sake. "Nector of the gods!" Namiko prasied, taking the bottle from the waitress and gulping down a huge swig. She quietly slipped away, hardly noticed by the swordswoman, who was currently enjoying her spirits. [i]There is life, there is death. What is in-between? The creation of life and the ending of life, that's what.[/i] Namiko took a breather before reaching for her rice and eel again. [i]I can create life, but I end it better.[/i] She looked up. [i]Tthe gathering of the samurais, those who are vagrants and no longer serve the emporer...What should they be called? Ah, what the hell. I've got sake to drink.[/i] She garbled down the last of her food and took a final swig from the nearly-empty sake bottle. There came a tap at her shoulder. "Hey."[/color] [center] = = = = = = =[/center] That is the starter post. Because there is little info to go by, it's relatively short. The person tapping Namiko on the shoulder is one of you guys. The person described as a "newcomer" can be anybody, or the person tapping. I really don't care. [b]Those of you participating have been PMed before the creation of this post.[/b] The decision was hard, and I wanted to keep the number around six or seven, because that is the size I feel most comfortable with. Characters have better interaction and people are easier to memorize. If you are not participating in this, don't PM me whining. Any PMs from those not participating will be automatically deleted until this settles down. There, I'm done. XD[/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue] [img]http://img275.imageshack.us/img275/3747/tears9tu.jpg[/img] Mmm yay fun. I'm starving. = =;; [b]Words:[/b] l33t sp34k (and stuff of that general area) [b]Colors:[/b] Reds and generally bold colors Now I await to have n00bs attack me with sporks and rotten pineapples...XD[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Gotta make this quick, I'm off to band practice! [b]Sun:[/b] Lovely color scheme. I love how the colors are soft and certainly mix in that whole ocean, beach, tropical feeling. The bubbles in the corner are pretty neat too. Vector's are usually awesome - actually, they're awesome when done right. - -;; What I don't like is the text and the placement of it. I'm not an English geek, but it sounds like a choppy sentence to me...(Don't hate me for that = =;; ). And either I have no artistic sense whatsoever, or I'm just an idiot, but I [i]really don't see[/i] how the whole surfing theme is materialism. I do get that it kinda means to let it go but...um, yeah. [b]Ozymandius:[/b] Oh wow, that's just awesome. What is amazingly unique yet simple to this picture is that those objects come from you, that you scanned them all, etc. I particuarlly like the receipt in the background, along with all the foreign coins 'n stuff. My only complaint is the font chosen. It kinda mashes in with the images. I guess some sort of outline or glow would've fixed it. Then again, the whole image seems to be simple, so...Yeah. Oh, and don't bother with that two-dollar bill. If it were flat, I tihnk the image would've lost something. :3 I think it's perfectly fine the way it is. My vote is shipped off to [b]Ozymandius[/b]. I really think you captured the theme quite well, man. Happy trails 'n all that.[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Holy moo, I forgot to put in gender. God am I scatterbrained recently. I blame school. = =;; Sorry for the delays. I didn't expect this to be so, err, popular. But since I don't want a large group, I will have to be a little selective in those to be actually participating in the actual role-play. Whatever you posted, I will be judging you on that. Try not to hate my guts if you don't get chosen. There are some people that I see would really like to do this, and others that just seemed to be "blah". ------- [b]Name:[/b] Tasogare Namiko (Namiko Tasogare) [b]Age:[/b] 21 [b]Height:[/b] 5?5? [b]Appearance:[/b] A complexion of light tan, like a taiyaki pastry. Her face is sharp at the chin but soft on the edges, adorned with two clear eyes ? one navy, the other, hazel. It?s unknown as to just why her eyes are different colors, but they?re pretty cool. Stringy black hair, shining blue in the light sits on top of her head, extending to just below her chin but with long side bangs reaching her shoulder blades. Namiko has a lithe but strong figure, blending in flexibility and strength equally. For traveling, she wears a dusty cerulean kimono, patterned with diagonal stripes (going from left shoulder to right hip). However, she doesn?t wear the traditional female kimono, but instead, the male/fighter kind. The skirt is a mere off-white. A blue phoenix ascends up the side of the right leg. [b]Weapon:[/b] Butterfly Katana ? a sword with the hilt in the middle and a blade on each side. It?s designed to be used with one hand, but also to be strong, so the user must have arm strength. This slows Namiko down when she isn?t quite putting her heart into a battle. [b]Personality:[/b] The body of an adult, the heart of a teenager, and the mind of a philosopher. She?s a tomboy, hating to wear overly cute/nice/pretty clothes, swears, and likes her sake. She likes to joke and have fun, but is one of those ?the glass is half empty? people for the mere fact that half of her drink is already gone. Despite being a fool sometimes, Namiko?s quite intelligent, but doesn?t really like to show it off ? she only uses it when necessary. Whatever one thinks of her, she?s probably the opposite. One strange thing is that she isn?t shy of hitting on men. Her mind is set on getting married one day, but to a guy that will be her partner, not her ?master?. The ideal man for Namiko is someone cute but at least above average in smarts, with a cheerful personality, but not one to be afraid of taking charge. Of course, that?s a little too much to hope for, but she isn?t giving up yet. [b]Other Info:[/b] This girl has so many sides to her, she might as well be several different people. Namiko can come off as a little vicious sometimes, but she likes to help out those desperately in need. She doesn?t like to speak much of her past, viewing it as ?Why live in the past when you have the future?? ------ I will leave this open a little while longer to see if more people are interested. That, and it gives me time to whip up a first post. - -;; Thank you all for your interest! [/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]I just found out I'm officially insane, that there are no Golden Sun/Shippo/Saladin avis, and that I created sixteen of these freakin' things. God, I need some coffee. - -;; I had an FLCL one, but realzied there wasn't a category. Dammit. [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/azumanga1.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Azumanga Daioh [b]Title:[/b] What? [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/azumanga2.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Azumanga Daioh [b]Title:[/b] Kagura [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/azumanga3.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Azumanga Daioh [b]Title:[/b] Yomi [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/azumanga4.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Azumanga Daioh [b]Title:[/b] Osaka [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/azumanga5.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Azumanga Daioh [b]Title:[/b] Yukari and Nyamo [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/azumanga6.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Azumanga Daioh [b]Title:[/b] Party! [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/azumanga7.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Azumanga Daioh [b]Title:[/b] Hey! [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/azumanga8.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Azumanga Daioh [b]Title:[/b] Tomo ------ [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/ed1.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Cowboy Bebop [b]Title:[/b] Cowgirl Funk ------ [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/shippo1.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Inuyasha [b]Title:[/b] Petal Heart [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/shippo2.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Inuyasha [b]Title:[/b] Shippo ------ [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/gs1.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Video Games [b]Title:[/b] Golden Sun - Jenna [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/gs2.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Video Games [b]Title:[/b] Golden Sun - Piers ------ [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/fuu1.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Samurai Champloo [b]Title:[/b] Distant Wind ------ [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/saladin1.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] War of Genesis/Magna Carta [b]Title:[/b] Saladin [img]http://www.geocities.com/otaku06@sbcglobal.net/calintz1.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] War of Genesis/Magna Carta [b]Title:[/b] Face-Off Holy moo, that's done. A lot of them turned out to be me just dicing up old layouts/wallpapers/banners. ^^;; (The third and eighth Azumanga Daioh ones, the Golden Sun ones, the Fuu one, and considerably, the "Face-Off" one.) I'll be back, to the chargin of others. XD[/color][/size]

[center][img]http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/2210/samuraikyouran5sk.jpg[/img] [size=1][i]"It has so little backbone, how could it not succeed?"[/i] - Katana, five minutes ago [/center] [color=navy]It was in the countryside of eighteenth century Japan that it happened. Various people that had taken up the ways of the sword were set to lead a rebellion against the world. They stood for the blade and the cold justice it brought. They weren't there as killers. They weren't there as politicians. They weren't there to start a war, although they wouldn't mind it. They were destined to fail, and they knew they would. But the fact that they could push forwards and never look back, the fact that they could slaughter without care or feeling, the fact that they were determined to change things kept them going on. However, before they are set to meet their deaths, mishaps and adventures take place. Murderers from the past, second thoughts about the future, and hopes for the present appear, form, and occur. The gathering of these warriors spreads either like fire or like mud through the Japanese countryside. Communications cease when it comes near to Edo or any large city - afterall, these warriors can provide quite the entertainment. Why want them locked up? This event quickly became known as the frenzy of the samurai, or samurai kyouran. Wherever these people went, [i]something[/i] or another was left in the wake. Bodies, lovers, prosperity, fights - it all happened sometime or another. They weren't the high-and-mighty, politically backed samurai. These were nothing more than vagrants. Now is your chance, samurai. Will you pick up the blade and join this band of warriors, or hide off into the shadows? The choice is yours. Just remember...you're almost set to make a difference in the country. [center]***[/center] [/color] [color=royalblue]What is the kyouran? Why now? Samurai Kyouran basically translates as Samurai Frenzy, or anything along those lines. This idea came to me a long while ago, around the end of May or so. - -;; The simple background image had been marinating on my harddrive for that long as I tried to come up with a plot. Anyways... In the course of Samurai Kyouran, you will portray one of the warriors that has joined the band of fighters. Any and everything is up in the air. Yes, all of the characters [i]will[/i] die in the end, which is probably a first for an RPG...at least, what I know of. The only thing I'm designating that you cannot kill off your character whenever you feel like it. If you lose in interest in this, at least PM me first before having your warrior meet the Reaper. I do have a final plan (if this even gets [i]that[/i] far) as to how kill the characters; don't worry. Heh heh. Sign-ups will go like this: [b]Name:[/b] Asian preferred, because you really wouldn't find a group of Europeans joining a rebellious samurai group. [b]Age:[/b] If you don't give an age, at least give us a range. Minimum age is 15. [b]Height:[/b] Self-explanatory [b]Appearnace:[/b] Description or image. At least give a nice mental image. [b]Weapon:[/b] Nothing outside of Asia, that's the only rule. Obviously, no guns. [b]Personality:[/b] Try and vary from one another. We don't need five moody people against one easy-going guy. [b]Other Info:[/b] Anything you feel the rest of us need to know. This can range from a past to a random factoid. You get the general gist of it all. I'll post my info after some others to see if this is worth continuing. I have high self-esteem! = =;; [b]Last Words of Advice:[/b] Think...Samurai Champloo. [/size][/color]