Katana

[size=1][color=royalblue]Um, ah, sorry to pop the bubbles, but... [url=http://www.adultswim.com/fridaynightfix/]Read this carefully...[/url] Unfortunately for us, AdultSwim will NOT be on Friday nights. What will happen (at least, what I could gather) is that AS will be putting up episodes to be streamed so that they can be watched before they premire. This will last from 10pm to 5am, Central time ('cause that's me XD). I really don't think anything will replace the late-night Friday lineup. At 11pm (for me), it pretty much becomes re-runned anime, but it would be nice to have something replace the "Friday" re-runs. ...Acutally, "Friday" in general would be a great thing to replace...[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]I'm in serious agreement with Rising Sun. I personally didn't/do not think it's fair if Cheezy wins by default, especially considering they were late. I just don't see why someone else gets a break when they were late in the first place. That, and their piece isn't good. I've noticed during the OBGT that some people have put their hearts out for the graphics, and others have merely slapped things together. That makes many one-sided contests for sure. It bothers me that some people (*coughmeretrirevuecough*) put a lot of time into something while others didn't. It's not really a contest if you don't try. Well, rant aside, I would like to mention that, if possible, I could end up being a task monkey for future rounds, seeing as how I've lost all hope for winning. - -;; Oap, off to school...[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue][quote name='Dagger']Katana, I was thinking of leaving voting open until Thursday. If anyone has strong objections to that, raise them here.[/quote] Actually, I was thinking that maybe they should be open until Saturday or something...the weekend. I know lots of people have restricted access to the internet during school days. 'course, that's just me... Oh, and what about the match between Sean and Young Cheezy? They just gonna be dropped off the bracket? You know, I've posted way too many times in this thread...[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]You know what, I just thought of something... Okay, two somethings. 1. How long is the voting open? 2. Submisions were due by today. So...what about the two groups that didn't post? - -;; I'm off...[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Alright! I get to vote first! [b]Retribution:[/b] Text art. Cool. In my tastes, it's a little too plain. Some sort of graphic would've been nice, even if its opacity was set to 14%. XD But it has that shadow of elegance, and is very clean. You know, that quote sounds familiar, but I'm not sure where... [b]Domon:[/b] Interesting. No offense, but it seems kinda like the newbie approach. In some ways, that's cool. But I'm not sure if it really fits with the OBGT. And yet, it's still neat, because...it's funny. ^^;; Unfortunately, the image is grainy, and the text over the picture gets blocked out because of the dark colors. A clean-up is in order. So in the end, and even though he was mean to me (= =;; ), my vote is off to Retri. ... *klap klap*[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue][center][i]In the picture, he departs from this earth like an arrow. Although he has not chosen his fate, he appears to have, in his last instants of life, embraced it. If he were not falling, he might very well be flying. He appears relaxed, hurtling through the air. He appears comfortable in the grip of unimaginable motion. He does not appear intimidated by gravity's divine suction or by what awaits him. His arms are by his side, only slightly outriggered. His left leg is bent at the knee, almost casually. His white shirt, or jacket, or frock, is billowing free of his black pants. His black high-tops are still on his feet. He will soon be traveling at upwards of 150 miles per hour, and he is upside down. In the picture, he is frozen; in his life outside the frame, he drops and keeps dropping until he disappears.[/i] [url=http://www.esquire.com/features/articles/2003/030903_mfe_falling_1.html]Falling against the towers...[/url] The first page of it is the best part of the read.[/center] My humble tribute and remberance of nine eleven zero one. [center][img]http://otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24438&stc=1[/img][/center] - "Falling" and "Flying" written in 3D Noise, which in turn was made by Alf Nielson. You can get it [url=http://dafont.com/en/font.php?file=3d_noise]here[/url]. -Quote comes from the Falling Man article. -Brush used for the splotches of red and for erasing come from [url=http://magicbox.ti-fi.com/]The Magic Box[/url]. -Everything else (black and white background, blue background, etc. etc.) made by me. XD So you have your options. Me or Revue. Our styles are obviously very different. You pick the one that flows with you best. ^^ [/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]*raises hand* Oi. This was actually kinda like, fun, to make. Even though I hate pink. Not sure if the tone is neon-y enough, but it's what I could stand. :3 [img]http://otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24431&stc=1[/img] It's time to be lazy: Slap an image on, resize it, color it, text, border. I need to get kicked. But I sneezed and a quarter of my brain shifted. Maybe that's why. At first it was gonna say Brain Scratch, since you were in a banner rut, but decided to go with freedom. Not for patrioctic reasons, mind you, but because they kept questioning freedom in Azumanga Daioh episode 19. -__-;; Sakaki: Freedom...What is it? Osaka: It's freedom, ya know...? I'm done. = =;;[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]In a sense, yes. If you go to each thread, the theme (or parameters) is posted. Each theme is different for each match. Me and Revue have "Falling" with a parameter of 150x500; Boo and Butterfly's theme is Snow with a parameter of 500x200, etc. The themes and areas are different for each match, probably to avoid copying or something. XD Wait...that'd be too obvious..whatever. You guys get to vote in the end on which one you like the best between the two competitors. ...Mmm, sorry if this counts as modding... Oh, and Dagger: Flying Spaghetti Monster. Love it.[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]I've been slightly offended by things in this thread...I'm Catholic, and I've never ever heard anyone in my church say that there's anything wrong with anime. Yes, the crazier religions are all like "OMG(osh), FANTASY IS EVILLL! WE MUST BURRRRN IT!", but otherwise, things are pretty quiet. Remember, churches have become more relaxed in the past century. They realize times are changing. Though maybe not totally "up-to-date", they get the whole thing about new ideas. One of my friends goes to a Catholic school, and all he whines about is how boring and strict it is. ^^;; One of my new friends used to go to one, and hasn't really said anything bad about it. We've talked about starting an anime club at school, and he has never given a hint that his former school wouldn't allow it. Still, I wouldn't be suprised if some weird cult made the world's third-biggest bonfire by burning all the manga from bookstores in a thirty-mile radius...Just proves how dumb humanity can get when they're bored.[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Hrm. This seems like fun. Let's give it a shot. [b]Name:[/b] Virginia Thommes [b]Nickname:[/b] Ginger or Ging - call her Ginny and die [b]Gender:[/b] Female, but darn, she's the best gol'-dang genderbender out there [b]Age:[/b] 17 [b]Appearance:[/b] Something along the lines of [url=http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/5750/cowboy2hd.gif]this kid,[/url] though not as cheesy, ya hear? Dusty brown-gold hair, stormy grey eyes, and a definite farmer's tan. Somewhere around the height of 5'6". [b]Personality:[/b] Laid back and easy-going, adopting the male technique she learned from her two older brothers back home. Hardly anyone knowns her feminine side. Very (I shall emphasize: [u][b][i]very[/i][/b][/u]) rarely will something happen that provokes her - but when it does, she becomes one of the most vicious, blood-thirsty fighters out there. Has been known to bite on these occassions and cause very bad bleeding. But those folks are long gone by now. [b]Occupation:[/b] Ging does nothing. Absolutely nothing. Maybe she'll go and work at a farm for a day or two, but she doesn't hold a job. The room she stays in at the local inn is bummed off through working in the kitchens or getting supplies. Her main occupation is deceiving people. You could say her job is deception, if deception can be called a career. Afterall, she goes for a drink every now and then, and plays cards at the bar all the time. Nobody's stopped her yet - or has tried. [b]Hobbies:[/b] When materials are avaliable, Ging draws and writes. Another pasttime of her's is cooking, coming up with new and really weird concoctions that are known to either send you straight to heaven or put you through El Diablo and the outhouse for five hours. [b]Weapons/Possessions:[/b] The pistol she carries is mainly for show, seeing as how she hasn't really gotten mad. And besides, if she were to pull it out on somebody, she'd miss horribly, even if they were standing five feet away. But besides that, Ging carries around a short knife to randomly scrape away callused skin. It would be better not to ask. [b]Other Information:[/b] Ginger came from the northeast - somewhere in the area of Ohio or Pennsylvania. She talks "normally" and is fairly educated, compared to the fact that she dropped out at age fourteen and hitched a bandwagon to the west. What brought about the gender-bending hobby is pretty much unknown, although it might having something to do with that fact that, at her old home, new girls tried to hit on her. Oh, but she's proudly heterosexual. ^_~ Besides, messing up random pedestrians and villagers is fun. [b]OOC:[/b] It's late, which is probably why this kinda sucks. - -;; Can't wait to see this movin'! [b]Edit:[/b] Added and edited stuff to give her a little more depth. :3 Pudding. [/color][/size]

[quote name='Revue][COLOR=DarkGoldenRod][SIZE=1]Yeah, whatever happened to OBGT?[/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote] [size=1][color=royalblue]*shrugs* We're each other's opponents. XD [img]http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/899/sniper0oh.jpg[/img] Images ganked from Paradox-Lost. ^^;; Mm...I smell chicken in yonder's kitchen! Anyways... [b]Parameters: Words:[/b] I like pudding ('cause I feel like it = =;; ) [b]Colors:[/b] Chocolates, reds, and yellows Pudding...caffeine...sugar...[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Alas, Retribution, thout hasn't failed ye. At least, the thread hasn't. Yet. = =;; The equation in Katana's mind: "I will not fail you" + dark reds = Wooh, vampire! [img]http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/514/iwillnotfailyou9yr.jpg[/img] Hrm. The border was fun to do. This thread will keep me occupied until the OBGT starts. If it starts. - -;; [b]Parameters:[/b] [b]Words:[/b] no reply [b]Colors:[/b] Cool colors[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue][i]The guy?s in pain and I?m definitely not one for comforting people. I suck at that.[/i] Senka cast a quick glance at Rafael. He stared right back at her, not missing a beat. She quickly turned back to face the wall. ?Well we?took the castle,? she said, shifting her legs around. ?Yes we did. You too slow to realize that?? A red-hot burn singed her face. ?I?m not slow at all.? She spun around on her heel and marched straight forward, coming mere inches away from Rafael. ?I see you have arrows in your back. I know you?re hurting like hell, even though you haven?t said anything. Maybe I am a bitch in your eyes, but I can tell you I?m not.? ?I?never said that.? ?Yeah, but you?re probably thinking something along those lines.? [i]More than likely I?m wrong. What am I saying? I hate words sometimes; they just come to you in these horrible influxes?[/i] The burning grew stronger as she slurred out the following words: ?I?m sorry ? didn?t mean it - it?s just ? I know I?m an obnoxious jerk ? don?t hate me, I?ve got enough enemies ? Sorry! Jezzus, I?ve got enough things on my mind then having to worry about relations with my fellow ?Kinship?pers. ?Kinshippers. I like that.? Rafael quirked an eyebrow. ?You?re certainly?different.? ?Yes. Yes I am. Thanks for noticing. And now, these frickin? arrows of yours.? Senka stuck her head outside the room, surveying the bleak hallway of stone. ?Something tells me the doctor?s been killed. Probably by you.? [i]Agh, I blamed him for this shit again. Dammit Senka, get your act together.[/i] Following the thought, she slapped herself. ?Ah, much better now.? ??Probably by me,? Rafael muttered in response. It was getting difficult to stay awake, not to mention pay attention or speak. ? ? and that?s why I?m gonna have to get those arrows from your back.? That was enough of a jolt to get anyone back to reality. ?WHAT?!? Rafael shouted, his eyes shooting open. Immediately following, he cringed, gritting his teeth. ?Alright, fine, do whatever you have to?Just please?Don?t?kill me.? ?Nice. I?ll try,? Senka replied quickly. She checked in the hallway again, yelled something along the lines of ?DIE YOU STAGLER!?, and returned to the room once more, wiping the blood off her right-hand kodachi. ?The only technique I can think of for this is to pull. I don?t wanna chop off the shafts and have to amputate the heads. We don?t have the tools, the expertise, or the time.? Senka walked around to be behind Rafael. ?This is gonna hurt more than you can imagine. Kinda like being killed, sent through hell, killed once more, being burned over an open pit, and suddenly come back covered in blood.? ?And?how do you know this?? ?I had to have arrows dislodged from my ribs before.? And without a second word, Senka gripped two arrow shafts and pulled. Rafael clenched his teeth tightly, grunting. She pulled harder, managing to get one of them out. ?C?mon, just a little more?? ? ? yes, it looks like we?ve got the majority of this castle cleared. Probably a few soldiers here and there, but nothing we can?t ? deal?with?? Sasurai stopped dead in his tracks. ?Just [i]what[/i] the hell are you two doing?? Senka let go, Rafael dropped to the floor. Seconds later he stooped up. ?Whatever the hell you?re thinking, it?s [i]not[/i] that!? Rafael managed to say strongly enough. ?He?s 24, I?m 17 ? he?s seven years older than me! Not only that but we?re members of the Divine Kinship!? After a pause, she added, ?You are one seriously messed-up guy.? Sasurai rolled his eyes. ?Yeah, I?m sure. C?mon Rafael, let?s get those arrows out before you die.? ?Don?t say that?? Rafael muttered, leaning back against the pillow.[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Mmmm...interesting feedback. Err, I mean, I wasn't expecting the professional-ism that came with the thread. ^^;; ('cause usually, these things attract noobs). Pumpkin: *Awe* I'm a high skilled graphic artist...wow...XD I love making chibi banners; they're the most fun to make. And for the record, I came up with the Fallen Shadow quote myself. Heh heh. And I suck at poetry. Revue: Lovely color scheme...hehe. *giggles randomly* Retribution: Yes, I was expecting the exact comments you gave. Freakky. I do know of DaFont, but I'm usually too lazy to get them and stuff. Gyn~ya. >

[size=1][color=royalblue]You know, that has absoutely no relation to anything in this thread. =_=;; Well, Katana's back (for like, the seventh time) with sommore banners and stuff. I just got Photoshop for my eighth-grade promotion, so I've been having...lots of fun. ^^ Brushes are entertaining to play with. :3 I got three new sets of brushes recently. Problem is, I've only been using black, red, teal, and cerulean. T_T It's hard to branch out of those colors with the brush sets. Especially the red. So we begin! *Poooooof* For Curse: [img]http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/3184/curse9kh.jpg[/img] Don't Listen At All: [img]http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/4585/dontlistenatall5nw.jpg[/img] Doubt: [img]http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/7488/doubt3lf.jpg[/img] (Currently my banner...that'll change soon. XD) ...And the matching avatar: [img]http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/1015/glasssoul2ts.jpg[/img] Pipsqueek: [img]http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/941/pipsqueek9pg.jpg[/img] Not too happy with it, but it's still funny. For ninjaman: [img]http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/4791/wheredowegofromhere4zd.jpg[/img] My friend Meg-chan was over and I showed her these. She started singing those lyrics "Where do we go, where do we go, where do we go from hereeeee?" God it was annoying. =_=;; Fallen Shadow: [img]http://img393.imageshack.us/img393/4172/fallenshadow4qq.jpg[/img] Quote possibly one of my favorites. Image ganked from ShadowSecurity. XD He wanted it for an avi. Critiques and comments are welcomed, just don't flame me to hell and back. T.T;; If you want any of these, PM me. If you want a request, PM me. (^^;; ) [b]Next Time: [/b] Whatever crap I whip up before school starts** and the Cut-and-Paster Theater Card 1, made for my best friend, Aiyanna! **Even when school starts, I'll still be whipping up random junk. XD[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]On the first post it said the deadline was August 12th *coughlastweekcough*, but since nothing has happened, I'll go for the entry. People always thought my stuff was different from what everybody else made. ^_~ Prepare to be ph33ring. [i]Katana wishes to enter the Official OtakuBoards Graphics Tournament[/i]. Noticed I used italics. I am the original. ^_^[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Ouch...doujinshi FMA...that was hard to find. Actually, it was hard to find the right images, because most of them have pretty covers. :3 To put a banner in your sig...I think there's a sticky on that. I know there's something about that [i]somewhere[/i] around here. Oh, the banner, right. [img]http://otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24264&stc=1p[/img] You know, I should put the following saying in my signature: If you want anything changed, just ask.[/color][/size]

[color=royalblue][size=1]'allo matey. I took a crack at this banner...I've never done something with greyscale before. XD The banner turned out pretty dark...I mean like, dark, not cryptic. =_=;; I added a color overlay layer, just to give a little something to the image. I think it turned out pretty okay. ^^ [img]http://otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24262&stc=1p[/img] ...Oh my God it looks like Samurai Champloo... Want anything changed, just ask me.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=royalblue]You go with wha'cha got, pal. ^_~ Anyways... So yeah, I didn't follow anything. XD I just used the images provided. None of the text is where you wanted it, but I figured it wouldn't make that much of a difference...And I just had to do it this way. I hope these look alright...I might have to go back and edit them a little. [img]http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/4522/atomskavi4rt.jpg[/img] [img]http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/3186/spacepirateking6hd.jpg[/img] [url]http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/3186/spacepirateking6hd.jpg[/url] Want anything changed, just ask me.[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]I usually preach about how one shouldn't worry about appearnces. But this topic is [i]all about[/i] appearnaces, you know? Being a fan of anime is just like being a fan of [insert something here] or whatever. If anything, anime fans aren't as public about their hobby as some are (at my school, things such as the OC and Degrassi come to mind =_=;; ). But when you say you like anime, people have a bad reaction to it because they have [i]no frickin' clue what you're talking about[/i]. It's the unknown that most people fear or dislike. And so, the same goes for anime. Although the culture is growing, it's still not in the mainstream. Whenever a report comes along saying anime is growing, it's more along the lines of the corperate world, or that somebody famous is doing something related. Popularity wise, it's still a hobby for people viewed as weirdos, nerds, outcasts, perverts, and ones that don't grow up. Yes, Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh left some pretty bad dents on anime. Why? People know of those shows because of the sell-outs. They know their bad because of all the crap you see in Target. Seriously, I'm all for keychains and watches and stuff, but when you're selling cheap vinyl backpacks and Yugi wigs (that's just horrifying), you know something's wrong. Unfortunately, the good (and kinda sophisticated) shows that are a hit with fans, like Full Metal Alchemist, Naruto, Ghost in the Shell - those kinds - are the ones that are hardly known of. Ah. *sigh* We're just like anybody else, except we like something foreign.[/size][/color]

[color=royalblue][size=1]*sweatdrop* Well, the banner didn't turn out as well as I had hoped...but, uh, yeah. =_=;; If you want anything changed, just ask me. [img]http://otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24222&stc=1[/img] [img]http://otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24223&stc=1[/img] That being said...it was fun. XD[/size][/color]

[color=royalblue][size=1]"Man, arrows are so annoying," Senka gritted out while ducked and weaving. She winced as one of the steel tips sliced a thin line on her cheek. The short kodachi were proving...not that helpful. "Don't lose spirit! Don't lose drive! Keep going!" She could only assume Sasurai had spoken. What a leader. Even in the rough of battle he was still randomly yelling out lines. "Aye mon cap'i'tan!" Senka couldn't help but yell out in response, finally deflecting an arrow. The group was slowly making its way towards the castle, but at an annoyingly slow pace. "I feel like charging..." the one whom had introduced himself as Rafael said absently. "I do too," the tomboy replied, swinging the kodachi quickly to block an arrow from becoming lodged into her knee. It would bite to have that happen. One wouldn't be able to move very well and blood would be gushing out from your knee. There seemed to be a quick moment of silence. That was soon over as Sasurai shouted, "Push harder! Go for it!" "...That just sounds bad," Dorothy said quietly while still battling on. It was actually kinda funny to see her fight...she looked very out of place. [i]But the ones you least expect are the ones that kick ass...[/i]. "Just go! Goooooooo!!!" And to the 1,000+ soldiers they ran. Arrows still poured down on them like sheets of rain. All the ducking and weaving in the world still wouldn't have helped them. The four suffered...well, lots of cuts. Nothing quite too serious. "Where - are - those - other - guys?!" Rafael grunted as four men circled around him and began thrusting their blades towards him. He ducked and threw out his sword in a sweep, taking two men in the gut. "Slacking - off!" Senka shouted, pissed. "It's a girl!" one of the soldiers who had taken her on said. "Of course! I have [i]these[/i] -" And she leaned backwards, showing off what she had meant to show. Even after the first wave finished, there were still the next...and the next...and the next. And the next. And well, it just didn't seem to end. "They need to get her...now," Dorothy said, much to the agreement of the rest. *** Oi, that was too short. I can't think and I'm sore. But I guess it was something to keep group one going.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=royalblue]XD Oh wow, that's great. I was laughing a lot when I learned DW had responed. :3 So yeah. So like, this is still open folks...of course. Otherwise, Dragon Warrior's is gonna be plastered in my sig for a week. ^^;;[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Hey folks, it's that time of the year again. No, not when you put up trees...or eat candy...or scare people...It's the time where Katana actaully gains a year. ^^;; Thass right, I turn 14 this Tuesday, aka, August 2nd. Anyways. So I want a birthday banner, just for a little while ('cause Epsilon's is so aw3some3 XD). Attached is the image I would like on the banner and...yeah. As for the text, I would like it to say something like "Oi, she's 14 now. Ph33r." (Yes, I have been reading too much MegaTokyo lately.) So! *claps hands together* Let's review! [b][+][/b] Image is attached! Use the section highlighted in red. :3 [b][+][/b] Text says "Oi, she's 14 now. Ph33r." (No quotation marks, dude.) [b][+][/b] Color be not a problem. I really don't care in the end. Just no pink. T.T The smaller image (first one) is the example. The bigger one is the normal image, free of Kat-markings, for your assistance. Oi, I need this by tomorrow night, pwease. ^_^ *Yes, she has been saying "Oi" too much lately. - [i]Katana's conscience[/i][/color][/size]

[size=1][color=royalblue][b]OOC:[/b] *has been gone for a week and is slightly relieved to see the RPG isn?t at four pages yet* :3 [b]-----------------------------------[/b] Senka dozed off during the man?s speech?what was his name? Sa?Sasu?Sasurai. That was it. He was scraggily, but that wasn?t much better than her, the one often dubbed as dressing in drag. [i]I?m mastering the technique of gender-bending,[/i] she thought, cracking her neck in order to relieve the cramps that had formed. ?I don?t know much more than the rest of you.? [i]Wow, nice leadership, dude. But?[/i] She opened her eyes and observed the man once more. [i]He doesn?t know any more than the rest of us, and yet he leads us?I hate being led.[/i] ??Will you sit back and see what happens, or pick up a sword change what happens? It's up to you." [i]Nice,[/i] Senka?s thoughts burst out again. ?Pick up the sword of change, I like,? she muttered, glancing at her kodachis, now in ?tube? form, on the table. [i]Oh hey, he?s stopped talking, good. Now snatch up the swords and uh?well, get that far and we?ll see what happ?ens.[/i] Everything was fading?all objects were fizzling away in blue light. Senka gripped the tube tightly before freefalling. ?Pretty colors,? she shouted to whoever was listening. She half-expected the voice of God to respond back, barking ?Fool, you know not your own peril!?. Or something like that. But it never came, she just kept falling and falling. And falling, until she hit the ground with enough force to snap one?s skull open. Somehow, the boy-looking girl managed to survive. All she had to do was snap her neck a few times, rotate her wrists, and stretch her legs a little bit. ?Ahh, kodachis, you still be with me.? Senka twirled the tube in her hand. Her eyes quickly scanned what little of the area there was to look at ? nothing but lush green, in the form of leaves, trees, grass, and vines. It was un-Godly humid, so damp she thought she could drink the air. A roar rang out, shaking the ground. Senka looked around wildly. ?An?animal? I don?t, uh, see anything?Of course, I can?t see anything ten feet in front of me?? And then: [b]?You wish to harness my powers, do you not??[/b] ?Oh dear God, I?m going crazy again?? [b]?FOOL! You ??[/b] ? ? know not my own peril?? Senka cut in, looking around her. ?Yes, I realized that earlier when that roar came ?n stuff.? [b]?Foolish girl! Do not look around you, look at your weapon!?[/b] The ?foolish girl? did as commanded. ?Oi, you?re talking, right?? She released the blades slightly, tossed the broken tube into the air, and flung her arms out. Both hands caught their appropriate blade. ??cause if you are?? The kodachi in her left hand began to vibrate, and the voice sprout up again. [b]?You, Senka Hjorrdis, have carried on the ancient sword art of Jigen-ryu. If you wish to harness my powers, you must defeat yourself.?[/b] Senka didn?t miss a beat. ?So like, I have to stab myself and ?? [b]?Ugh. The hands of fate and the hand of God crossed me with an idiotic mortal.[/b] ?Hey, I can probably say the same thing about you. Random insanity has me talking to my sword.? Senka drew the blades back together. Before snapping them shut, a long wisp of silver shot out from the opening. [b]?Do you wish to harness the true abilities of your swords??[/b] Senka flipped the tube back into its loop holding on her waist. ?Of course. Why wouldn?t I? Every person somehow associated with the art of killing wants to become stronger.? [b]?The art of killing?an interesting way to put it.?[/b] ?The true way to put it. Swords are tools for death. Even if you?re protecting someone, you kill the enemy. There?s no way to avoid that cycle.? [b]?Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps you actually aren?t a fool.?[/b] ??course I?m not. I?m not as stupid as I look.? [b]?Right. Now??[/b] The voice faded as the wisp of smoke suddenly morphed, enlarging in stature. Color began to fade in, but not quite, as the figure remained semi-transparent. [b] ?Fight.? [/b] And before she could say a word, a ghostly tiger was lunging at her, mouth open wide and fangs dripping with saliva. ((OOC: It?s the nice way to put it. >.>;; )) [b]?To master me you must defeat me! I know who you are, I know what you do!?[/b] Senka rolled out of the way before drawing the blades. The tiger pivoted on its right legs before leaping into the air. ?What the ?? A long, hard tail lashed the teenager like a whip, creating a long gash on her left side. Blood immediately splashed to the ground. ?Agh...you damn piece of ?? [b]?You are not trying!?[/b] The tail lashed out again, swiping her chest. But this time, it got caught on the multiple strands of chains looping her collarbone. [b]?What ??[/b] The tiger attempted to leap off. But two hands ? one covered in dirt, the other soaked in black blood, was gripping it tightly. Senka lifted her head up. ?I?m?not?a fool,? she said weakly, but an arrogant grin plastered to her face. ?You are. A warrior?never dresses in something?weak. Especially?my chains. They?re nice?and strong. And?weigh too much.? She pulled on the tail. The tiger spirit was thrown back. Senka suddenly collapsed. The blood was slowing down, but no sign of the wound healing over could be detected. [b]?You are dieing. I figured as much.?[/b] Her face was planted halfway in the dirt. Her eyes were clouding over. Blood seeped into the earth. ?The darkness?it?s beautiful?? [b]?I knew you would not last long. I am surprised you were able to survive up until this point. But I suppose Jigen-ryu will die with you?Senka Hjorrdis.? [/b] The tiger swiped its tail around before walking off. In barely a whisper, Senka uttered, ?Wait?don?t?go. I?m?not dead?not dead?? The blood ceased. Breaths slowed to a stop. And yet? ?I cannot die?? With much effort, the girl hefted herself up. ?If the darkness is beautiful?then I want no part of it.? She stood erect, unsheathed her kodachis, and ran towards the beast. It turned around, surprised filling its yellow eyes. But not for long. [b]?FOOLISH MORTAL!?[/b] it bellowed, swiping one of its gigantic paws down. Senka ducked and weaved through the maze of swipes before flipping the kodachi blades down and leaping into the air. ?Don?t ask me how I got away from death but ?? Ahh, words shouldn?t be wasted. The somewhat drag-king* launched her arms down, the blades surprisingly ripping through the transparent tiger. Her arms and torso were immediately covered in silver mist. Senka fell to the ground, landing on her tailbone. ?Gyn-yaa, that hurts,? she muttered, rubbing her lower back while stooping up. The tiger was swirling back into its mist form. [b]?You were able to defeat me and not die. Good. Now you must defeat yourself.?[/b] ?Hey! Wait! You said something earlier about?uh?you know?you being me and crap.? [b]?Yes, so your point is??[/b] ?Then why don?t I have your power?? [b]?You are indeed a fool. You have to defeat [i]yourself[/i], not me.?[/b] ?You ? you ? LIAR!? [b]?Like wielder, like sword.?[/b] ?You ? you piece of shit, it doesn?t work that way! So what am I supposed to do now, [i]stab myself[/i]? Which, by the way, I said earlier.? [b]?You do whatever you like.?[/b] Senka looked at the right kodachi. ?Fine then.? She raised the blade, closed her eyes tightly, and thrusted the blade to her chest. And she couldn?t do it. ?I..I can?t?? [b]?Of course you can?t. You live and cannot be death.?[/b] A surge of wind lifted the leaves. The grass waved, petals were separated from flowers. The teenaged girl gasped suddenly. ?Brother,? she muttered, ?You?re here?? A quick thrust. The blade penetrated the layers of clothes, her flesh, and weaved through her ribcage. More blood splashed to the ground. [b]?I am impressed. You have accomplished the task of defeating yourself. You as yourself could not do it. So you had to become?someone else.?[/b] ?Kaittu?? Senka said quietly. ?You helped me?? She fell to the ground in exhaustion. ?Now give me some time to sleep.? [b]?No problem by me.?[/b] ?Oh?and go into my?kodachi. Or like?face my wrath?again?and?? Her words were cut off by soft snores. [b]-------------------------------------------[/b] I made it really long because of the fact that I?ve been gone. I?ve also tried to cram two posts into one to help move it along. Don?t be pissed, I beg of thee. Oi, and she?s not dead. :3 *Okay, you know how they call male cross-dressers ?drag queens?? So, like, what do they call a female cross-dresser? Or can that even exist? >.> Anyways, I?ve done the Kat improvisation. [/color][/size]