Shy

[size=1]Thanks for the support, kids. I don't really know where this whole thing is going yet, but I'm having an awful lot of fun writing it.[/size] [quote][font=trebuchet ms][center][size=4][b]Part 2[/b][/size][/center] The Diamond Pass Highway had once been the lifeline of Southern Oregon. Decades earlier, before the construction of the 73 Freeway, it was the only way for motorists to get from Dalry, Midland and Bonanza on the East to Medford, Slsklyou and Portland on the West. Oregonians of the 1940?sand 50?s took pride in the Diamond Pass, buying into ideal of freedom and adventure that were promised by the Governor upon its completion. Dozens of shops and restaurants were built along the pass by business-minded individuals, hoping to duplicate the success of Route 66. Many were able to make a living for themselves on their ability to construct macaroni sculptures and cheap pottery, but such was not always the case. The closer one found themselves to the center of the highway the less prosperous that city was destined to be. Without a strong, central attraction very few people found it worth the effort to travel the entire route. This, coupled with the fact that this 300 mile strip of asphalt did not contain a single gas station, forced the Diamond Pass Highway into neglect in a few short year?s time. Nearly a half-century later, the few who still lived along the road were an eclectic sort. Some were forced into a life of selling cheap souvenirs to impulsive buyers at an early age, others saw this small pocket of Oregon as a chance to escape urban decay. No matter what their story was, the important thing was that they were there, and due to a lack of fuel in her ?94 Cavalier, Betty Burgess was now one of them. A lone, dirty police cruiser appeared on the road, pulling up next to Betty?s car. Its tinted windows rolled down slowly, revealing an older gentleman wearing a pair metallic sunglasses, each lens covered in smudge marks. He was balding, with the remains of his hair being white and gray. Betty rolled down her window. ?You okay, Missy?? the officer chewed some unseen gum, or perhaps, tobacco. ?It?s my car. It ran out of gas.? ?And why?s that?? ?My boyfriend forgot to refill the tank.? He adjusted his long, untrimmed mustache with his index finger, and smiled at Betty. ?That?s just like you girls,? he nodded his head, ?Always blaming your troubles on your man.? Betty feigned a smile. ?To be fair, Mister, I haven?t driven this car in weeks. I couldn?t help not knowing how much has was in the tank.? He tilted his sunglasses for a moment, a pair of tired brown eyes beneath them. ?Well this is your car, isn?t it? It?s your job to take of the old girl.? He stared at his radio for a moment, and then looked back at the young woman. ?Hold on just one second, Miss.? The old man leaned in towards the passenger seat, rolling up the window manually. He turned back to the radio, picked up his microphone and began to speak into it. Betty waited quietly, trying not to stare at the police officer who had come to her aid. She wondered if Tim had saved humanity yet, or if he had even eaten breakfast yet that day. Breakfast is the wrong word though, she figured, when you wake up at noon ?breakfast? is a misnomer. The officer leaned back into the passenger seat once more, rolling down the window he had sealed shut only moments ago. He motioned towards some unseen repair shop behind them. ?I talked to Lou and he?s gonna call up a tow truck for you. But it looks like the driver is mighty busy this afternoon. You picked a fine day to run out of gas, sweetheart. It?s gonna be a few hours, at the least. Is there somewhere I can take you while you wait?? ?Next town over,? Betty replied, ?One after that, maybe. I?m in no hurry to come back to this car, Officer, I?m just trying to get away.? ?In that case, just bring what you need,? He unlocked his door, and smiled, ?Let?s go for a ride.? Betty grabbed her purse and photo album, locked up her car, and hopped into the police cruiser. They drove off quickly towards the horizons, opposite from where Betty had left from. Finally getting on her way, she let out a sigh of relief. ?My name?s Betty, by the way.? she reached out to shake the stranger?s hand. The man shook back, keeping the other hand loosely on the steering wheel. ?Why it?s nice meeting you, Betty. I patrol these parts Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons, the same way I?ve been doing it for near 20 years. The nice folks in this area know me pretty well, call me ?Pops,?? Betty could see a heavily smudged reflection of herself in his mirrored glasses, ?And you know what everyone else calls me?? ?No? I guess I don?t?? ??They call me ?Sheriff,? seeing as that?s what I am around these parts,? he motioned towards his badge. ?I?ve never met a real Sheriff before.? ?Well now you have. So you have a choice, Betty. You gonna call me ?Pops,?? he turned his attention back onto the road, ?Or are you gonna call me ?Sheriff??? ??Pops? is fine.? Pops spit out his tobacco onto the road. It splattered into a rorschach shape behind them as they drove. ?Good. Then I ?spect we?ll be getting along real well.?[/font][/quote] [size=1]-Shy[/size]

[size=1]I don't know a tremendous amount about the Beatles, but tell me if something about my sign-up needs to be changed. I'm intrigued by the weirdness of this concept. [b]Name:[/b] Abigail ?Abby? Rhodes [b]Age:[/b] 25 (D.O.B: 2081) [b]Appearance:[/b] Average height with a slender frame, Abby is not one to draw attention to herself, and is easily lost in the crowd. While she has a certain beauty about her, her quiet demeanor and appearance make her easily forgettable. Living outside of time, tanning is not really an option, and as such she has pale white skin. [b]Bio:[/b] Abigail Rhodes was born into a family of government agents. Her parents, whose real names have been classified for global security, were very rarely around Abby in her formative years. The closest thing she had to a parental figure was her tutor, ?Mr. Holiday,? who educated her and 450 other ?gifted? youth via satellite from an undisclosed location. Given the advances in technology, after the age of four Abby was able to live independently. Every so often her parents would stop by to visit their daughter in New London, but over time their visits became less frequent, and at the age of 12 they stopped visiting entirely. Abigail hasn?t seen, or heard from her parents since, and assumes they were killed in action. Taking advantage of the college programs offered to her by the government, Abby earned herself a degree in TechnoSociology from Waterford University. From there she took up work with the International Security Agency as a criminal detective, helping track down such dangerous slicers as Baron Zima and The Lance Twins. Based on her abilities, she was offered a position to work with T.C.D., using her knowledge of advanced computing and theoretical patterns against those who would attempt continual disturbance. For most missions Abby is not even required to enter the timeline, but upon orders from her commanding officer she has been sent to the 1960?s. This is Agent Rhodes? first assignment in the field. [b]Personality:[/b] Rarely communicating with other people in her formative years, Abby is awkward and inexperienced in social situations. She often feels like she is the outsider, and chooses to treat herself like one no matter where she is. On a positive note, this perspective has given her a fresh view into the minds of criminals. In reality, she had spent more time interacting with criminals as a student than her peers, due to the intense nature of her studies. This more than anything else led to her suspicious nature. Abigail is quiet, polite and intelligent, but terribly unsure of herself. This is her biggest fault, and one she is completely oblivious to. [b]Position:[/b] Agent Rhodes is an experienced criminal profiler, specializing in high-technology crimes. From the T.C.D. headqarters, her advanced empathic equipment (which is dangerous to those who are inexperienced in using it) can detect metaphysical disturbances in the timeline, or things that are out of place. Something as large as an assassination, or as small as an untied shoelace would appear to the devices? sensors. However, Dr. Rathbone has found a way around this device, and now the tools are largely useless. It is hoped that by traveling to the scene of the initial disturbance, Abby can discover whatever it is Dr. Rathbone did to her equipment, and reverse the effect.[/size]

[size=1]This story more or less came out of nowhere. This story is about finding yourself, and not neccessarily liking what you find. This will be posted as I write it; no idea how long this may be, since I only thought of it last night. As always, comment and critique, please[/size] [quote][font=trebuchet ms][center][size=4][b]Part 1[/b][/size][/center] Tim clutched onto his plasma rifle, waiting for his opponent to move around the corner. It was an obvious move, but given the inexperience of the enemy it could still be highly effective. Tim Rutherford was the last of his platoon. He knew that with even the slightest bit of miscalculation he could endanger himself, dooming mankind?s last hope for salvation. His palms began to sweat as the soldier waited inside the abandoned concrete bunker. Tim leaned against a pile of empty crates, taking a moment to rest and collect his thoughts. One way in, one way out. He was trapped, but still believed he would be the one to see the surface again. [i]Patience would be the key to survival[/i], he thought, refocusing his attention on the approaching forces, [i]If I fail this mission, the last 72 hours will have been in vain. [/i] Footsteps echoed through the building, rolling down the young man?s spine. The Harvesters had been nothing more than an annoyance compared to what was ahead of him, the latest in a string of powerful and merciless beings who had declared war on the Planet Earth. The footsteps drew closer, one after another in endless succession. In his last moment, he checked the equipment one final time: two ion grenades and a thermal shield; utterly useless against an organic being. A pair of familiar tentacles presented themselves from behind the wall, drawing Tim?s fire. It had begun. ?Tim, I have important something to tell you.? Betty Burgess, Tim?s live-in girlfriend, tapped her lover repeatedly on the shoulder as he continued to play his video game. ?Not now, B, I?m about to become a General?? Tim tapped onto his game controller passionately, managing to hold back the creature for a few more moments. Betty sighed, holding a large photo album in her arms. ?Don?t forget to change the load of laundry when you?re done. Your work shirt will wrinkle if you leave it in the wash for very long. Also, I?m leaving you.? ?Okay. Thanks.? The creature pounced onto the Federation soldier, trapping it under its immense weight. Slowly it drew closer, revealing the powerful mandibles that had crushed the skulls of Rutherford?s entire platoon. Venomous saliva from them, and onto Tim?s reinforced Hyrdon armor. It would be enough to protect him from the poison for now, but contact with the skin could mean instant paralysis. ?You brought this onto yourself, you realize,? Betty continued, ?I didn?t mind taking care of you, but there?s a limit, you know?? ?Yeah, yeah.? Tim dropped his plasma rifle, and began to attack the creature with his fists. ?I?ve changed, I?m a different person now. I spent my whole life trying to latch onto people so that they could give me some sort of direction?? ?Oh, shit! You?re kidding me?? ?What?? ?This Hydron armor is starting to deteriorate from his venom. That's not even possible!? ?? Uh-huh. But working with the coma patients, I was able to truly find myself. They don?t have any expectations of me. They let me be free. I?m becoming my own person now, Tim, and with you I can?t grow. I don?t want that for me. You?re strangling me, I?m sorry.? ?Yeah, yeah, whatever?? Betty walked out of the apartment, clutching onto the photo even more tightly than before. Tim continued his battle for Earth?s survival, oblivious to what was going on around him. The sound of the front door opening and then slamming shut could be faintly heard over the surround sound speakers strategically placed throughout the living room. Not that it mattered. Unless it was made of polygons, Tim wasn?t going to give it much attention that morning. Betty unlocked her white ?94 Chevrolet Cavalier, noticing the assorted food wrappers that covered up the interior. [i]Dammit, Tim[/i], she thought, tossing empty apple pie and chicken sandwich containers onto the driveway. She got in the driver?s seat, and adjusted her mirrors. It had been a while since Betty drove the thing, but even though she never used it anymore it was still hers. This was her ticket out of the hellhole apartment complex that she had been living in for the past two years. As Betty started the ignition and drive out onto the road, loud rap music began to come out from the speakers. Annoyed, she quickly removed the CD and tossed it out of the window. She merged onto the main road, and out to the highway. The car began to sputter and cough uncontrollably. A bright yellow ?REFUEL? light appeared on in the dashboard, accompanied by a beeping. Seeing no gas station in sight, Betty kept driving, hoping not to get stranded on the side of the highway. Suddenly the engine died, and her speed continued to plummet from 75 miles per hours down to 15 on the road. She pulled over the car, and reached for her purse. The young woman groped through the bag to find her phone, only then realizing that Tim had broken it the morning before. Betty put on her parking break, and stared out onto the abandoned highway. Elsewhere, Tim?s shirt began to wrinkle in the washing machine.[/font][/quote] [size=1]-Shy[/size]

[left][color=darkgreen][font=trebuchet MS][center][size=4]Up The Beanstalk[/size][/center] ??But don?t they leaves bones all over their lawn?? ?You?d rather goats ran around the neighborhood? Really Doloris, the Trolls ain?t bad. They keep to themselves? wanna danish?? Henrietta grabbed the plate, noticing that little Jack escaped from her husband?s cage. [center][i][size=3][b]SMACK![/b][/size][/i][/center] ?One thing I will say, though, this place has a terrible rodent problem.?[/font][/color][/left]

[left][color=darkgreen][font=trebuchet MS][center][size=4]The Book Signing[/size][/center] ?How would you describe the novel?? She asked. ?It?s about slavery,? the author replied, ?We?re all slaves to the system somehow.? ?Never mind,? she returned the book to its shelf, ?I hate books about slavery.? ?You wanted my autograph and you haven?t even read the novel?? Silence rang throughout the book signing. ??has anyone??[/font][/color][/left]

[size=1]First of all let me say how much AzureWolf rocks. I'm just happy to be posting in the thread with the guy again, since it's been a while...[/size] [quote name='Drix D'Zanth']Siren got the majority of my nifty votes? because his contributions had a greater effect on me than other aspects of the OB. Does that mean my nifty fifty nomination is invalid if Siren didn?t have an effect on another member, or you? No cigar, Azure[/quote] [size=1]To be fair, Siren got the majority of Nifty Fifty votes because you nominated him ten times. But I see your point, and I'm going to expand upon that... From what I understand, Azure, your objection is not to the fact that the thread itself was nominated. Rather, you feel that as a community we should all have equal access to the boards themselves. You'd like to discount staff threads for consideration in such events (which is fine) because they are largely inaccessible to the community, and therefore cannot be representative of the community as a whole? Am I following you here? Or is it just thta you don't like us linking to a thread you can't access..? I'd like to think that referencing a thread that most members cannot visit is no different than referencing an anime that very few people have seen. These boards are completely elective, and so is every discussion within it. I'm not offended by the PC/Mac forum, even though I don't own a Mac. You as a member should not feel insulted by the staff forum, especially since they can't even see the thing. If nothing else, a passing reference here or there is to be expected in a thread about [i]moderation.[/i] We moderators were asked to discuss moderator-type things in this thread, so it's basically a given that the staff forum will be mentioned in some capacity. If I were to complain about how cumbersome the moderator control panel was, would that also be upsetting? -Shy[/size]

[QUOTE=AzureWolf][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Out of curiosity, which part of the team decided it'd be fun to constantly leave a link for members to click on, only to be informed that they don't have the privilege to see the link. I'm talking about the constant reference to the [B][U]Deal with this member[/B][/U] thread, which hasn't stopped popping up in one form another, in one person's blog or at the awards thingies. It's like, "Dude, you gotta see this thread," and then you click, and it's like, "Oh, wait, that's right! You can't! Ahahahaha!" It's annoying, and I don't think it shows maturity on the side of the moderators. While I'm not targetting any mod (or any set of mods), I thought since this thread is moderator-related, I'd just bring that up. I'm just curious why a clearly private thread is being brought up in public areas. Isn't that like, a violation of privacy or something? Even if it's that darned good, it should be mentioned in private rather than public. It shouldn't be dangled in front of those who can't see it.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE] [size=1]Really AzureWolf, my dear, if you ever get to see the thread in question you'll discover how underwhelming it really is. All we do is talk about what members we sent warning PMs to and banned and such, it's not really very exciting at all. As for a violation of privacy, we can [url=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=30012]link to the thread all we want.[/url] I do see how it could be [url=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=30012]frustrating to do to people, though[/url], it really must get [url=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=30012]quite annoying.[/url] The staff forum is just as much a part of these boards as Anthology or Manga Workshop or Play It!, which I why I see no problem with having it appear in annual awards or OB-centric discussions such as these. Of course, there is a certain limit to what we can and cannot reveal about the forum itself. We never really go into specifics about the place, but it's not like we go out of our way to talk about (this post being the sole exception.) We know how to keep the important stuff secret. [spoiler]Quite a few people would be surprised by the Yaoi sub-forum that inhabits it, for example.[/spoiler] It seems pretty harmless to nominate "Deal With This Member" for thread of the year, or Nifty Fifty or whatnot. It was hillarious how it almost won at the last Otaku Awards. That made me proud, and really showed how biased towards staff the awards were in the first place. Xander: Are you serious about the moderators getting paid question? Aside from the benefit of getting IM'd by people I don't know all of the time, this job is it's own reward. Yes, I would love to join your anime forums, -Shy[/size]

[size=1]OtakuBoards Rule #1: [quote]If you ask to become a mod, it will never happen.[/quote]-Shy[/size]

[size=1]Not to have the entire thread degenerate into an argument about the merits of the 'Event Master' position, but still... [b]Utter Nonsense[/b] Short of being in an administrator role, I've moderated more forums than any other members in OB history. I was asked to run Anime Lounge back in v4, I believe, but had to resign a few months later due to my lack of free time. That Summer I was able to get my dream job of digi-mod, and anyone who was around at that time remembers the controversey surrounding my time there (Devidramon calling me 'overzealous' still haunts me to this day.) Apparently I was doing something right because I was promoted to Super Mod of the anime forums, of which we had seven at the time. That's Anime Lounge, Dragonball, Digimon, Gundam, the Tenchi/Outlaw Star/Tenchi/whatever sub-forum, and then later Yu-Gi-Oh, .hack//SIGN and the dreaded Yu Yu Hakusho forum. Following the launch of v7 there was some confusion about what I was going to do next, but because of my time on Kill Adam (I guess) James made me in charge of Team Hanzo. That's Adventure Square, Inn, Underground and Anthology. I helped institute most of the big changes there, so when things had settled down I left the position in an attempt to reorganize my personal life a bit. And so recently, James asked me to be his Event Master. He had offered me the role when v7 launched, but I didn't really think anything of it. It was a little too easy, I thought, given how I was used to moderating forums with much more activity. But that really gives me a lot of freedom to take on other interests and devote time to various threads and forums. Where I kind of felt trapped in Team Hanzo, spending so much time over there, when there isn't an event on the boards I'm free to do as much or as little as I'd like. This comes in handy, since I never know how much work my classes are going to end up being each semester. For those of you playing at home, that's about 13 forums in total. I've been around the block a few times in my day, I guess, so it usually takes something special for me to chime in and take part in a discussion. You won't see me in the Lounge very much as a result, even though I'm quite fond of the members and staff who frequent it. [b]The Real Post[/b] I feel like I'm a veteran of the boards, having moderated a ridiculous amount of sections in the past. I really do enjoy my Event Master post right now, though. It gives me a chance to do a few creative things with the community without feeling obligated to check in on the boards every day (assuming there isn't an event going on or something.) The place is in great hands; I wouldn't have given up being a moderator if I didn't feel like there was somebody qualified waiting to take over the role. If absolutely neccessary I have the ability to ban members or whatnot, but it doesn't come up very much. It also feels like there is a lot less to moderate these days, just in terms of post quality being so darned high. Obviously I have an ego and feel like I'm the best moderator ever, but that's just how I am. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the mods we have now. It's reassuring that they don't go to the staff forum and complain about members every other day like I used to. They see a problem and fix it, end of story. I can't honestly say there is a specific forum that holds my interest in the same way that Digimon or General Anime did way back then. It would take something special to get me back to moderating only one real forum again, minus all of the fun Team Leader stuff. If we ever got a Comic Book or a Bosko forum or something I'd drop my Event Master status in a heartbeat to moderate it. Until that day, though, I expect to be on the boards in some vague position of authority. Also, I'm not allowed to leave for good until Sara does. She really enjoys the place too much right now for that to happen anytime soon. -Shy[/size]

[left][color=darkgreen][font=trebuchet MS][center][size=4]With Benefits[/size][/center] ??and when I fall for you, then what?? ?We have a long talk, and stay the best of friends.? ?Friends,? I sighed, wrapping my arm around his waist, ?You know, I like you a lot more than I should?? He kissed me softly on the lips, and smiled. ?You're not so bad yourself.?[/font][/color][/left]

[font=verdana]Hey everyone! It?s been an exciting few weeks here in the events forum, as OB?s best and brightest have been honored in the Nifty Fifty Nominations Thread. Thanks to the members who participated we were given a large listing of members, threads and forums to choose from and compile our final listing. Some of you may be curious about how the final listing is created, so let me explain that now: [list] [*]Members nominate nifty things in the nomination thread. [*]From those nominations contained within the thread, members of the [b]Nifty Fifty Committee[/b] choose and select individual listings of 50 and send them to myself. [*]From the various lists I receive, the 50 items which receive the most nominations from committee members are put onto the final list.[/list] So who was a part of this committee? Well, I?d like to personally thank [b]Maladjusted, The Nameless, JJRiddler and Annalisse[/b] for the extra time and effort they put into the thread. Annalisse in particular stepped up to the challenge, and assisted me in the very annoying process of formatting this large post? so she rocks. Be sure to thank the members of this year?s Nifty Fifty Committee, without them this thread wouldn?t be completed for another few weeks (seeing as OtakuAwards are notoriously late and all.) Anyway, just looking at this thread you?ll see how much the site and it?s membership have grown and evolved in the past year. If nothing else this is a snapshot at a specific moment of time on the boards, showing you the people and things that made it such an awesome 365 days. And now, in no particular order...[/font] [quote][center][size=6]The OtakuBoards Nifty Fifty[/center][/size] [center][size=4][b]James[/b][/size][/center] [i]"I'd not be here if it wasn't for James, which is really the most important thing I could say. All around cool guy who is enjoyable to work with on a variety of mediums. It's a shame none of our design/site collaborations ever panned out lol. I don't think I need to even really mention James' posts throughout this site and others."[/i] -[u]Semjaza Azazel[/u] [size=4][center][b]Siren[/b][/center][/size] [i]"Not only does he always have something to say, but he knows how to put it across in a witty and concise manner. It?s also nice to hear a different spin on things, see things from a different point of view. If there?s a deeper meaning to something, Siren has it covered. Besides, you can never have too much intelligent thought."[/i] -[u]Boba Fett[/u] [center][size=4][b]Desbreko[/b][/size][/center] [i] "Despite his penchant for kicking me below the belt, Desbreko is a cool guy. His posts are always informative, and he always amazes me with just how deeply he's able to look into the gameplay of certain games. He really does add a lot to Play It, whether he's my fellow Moderator, or giving out the orders as my Team Leader. Also, he's way better at closing threads than I am."[/i] -[u]Shinmaru[/u] [center][size=4][b]Semjaza Azazel[/b][/size][/center] [i]"I think that Tony's impact here has been pretty large in general, but in 2004 he consistently provided amazing posts in Play It and he really drove discussion there. In general, I think he's been of massive benefit to this community and I would really like to recognize him for that. His contributions to RPGs (Torment, Kill Adam) are also strong examples of his time spent here. I'm very glad that I introduced Tony to this place (and that in turn, he's made friends/acquaintances from here too). Very rewarding."[/i] -[u]James[/u] [center][size=4][b]Manic[/b][/size][/center] [i]" Just because he's Manic. I remember one or two people mentioning before that Manic was one of the members here who sort of flies under the radar, for whatever reason. But, yeah, Manic is cool. His myOtaku is a fun read, he takes great care of the Music, Movies and TV forum, and he seems like a great guy in general. There should be a Manic Appreciation Day."[/i] -[u]Shinmaru[/u] [size=4][center][b]Arcadia[/b][/size][/center] [i]"She's just wonderful all around and all her contributions to the Anthology and the RPG forum are more than memorable. She's a genius."[/i] -[u]anatema[/u] [center][size=4][b]Dragon Warrior[/b][/center][/size] [i]"I think he was hitting on me when he thought I was a girl, and then stopped IMing me after he found out I wasn't... But whether he's intentionally trying to be funny or not, DW always manages to give me a grin."[/i] -[u]AzureWolf[/u] [center][size=4][b]Charles[/b][/size][/center] [i]"Funny, interesting and smart. A lethal combination."[/i] -[u]Semjaza Azazel[/u] [size=4][center][b]Mimmi[/b][/size][/center] [i]"She calls herself Badness, but she's Sweetness through and through. Mimmi rocks my world, and many other members', as well. She posts with sincerity, kindness, and refuses to raise her (digital) voice--she lets me do that for her, I suppose. She made 2004 cheery wherever she went."[/i] -[u]Siren[/u] [size=4][center][b]Panda[/b][/size][/center] [i]"Panda is my hero. She is my Otaku Lounge buddy, and I am constantly amazed by her patience with the more difficult threads and members there. She is kind, funny, sweet, and almost terminally friendly. I have never seen her post anything that even suggest she is annoyed or reaching the end of her temper. She always gives a reason when performing any moderating duty (which can be easy to gloss over when it is self-evident why a thread should be closed). She is absolutely amazing, and we all love her. I cannot say enough how awesome she is."[/i] -[u]Lore[/u][center][size=4][b]Alan[/b][/size][/center] [i]"He's only slightly insulting, his dirty mind is somewhat disgusting, and his 'l337 skillz' are moderately brilliant. But aside from his life in moderation, he's also a fantastic guy to chat to -- probably the only person I talk to on a regular basis, and he's always willing to help out with anything, and he's a great writer."[/i] -[u]Lady Asphyxia[/u][center][size=4][b]Wrist Cutter[/b][/size][/center] [i]"I admit that this member often annoyed me a great deal up until half a year ago, with his pointless remarks and pithy comments. I now, however, recognise that wristcutter just has the guts and the blasé to say what everyone is thinking, but noone will say. In the most sarcastic and linguistic way possible too."[/i] -[u]doukeshi03[/u][center][size=4][b]Lore[/b][/size][/center] [i]"She mods with style and her threads are spectacular. 'Nuff said."[/i] -[u]anatema[/u][center][size=4][b]Dagger IX[/b][/size][/center] [i]"I like how Dagger tries to save certain threads from turning into spam fests. If someone makes a thread that won't lead to too much discussion, I noticed that Dagger sets a good example by making quality posts in reply to it, rather than simply closing the thread."[/i] -[u]Chabichou[/u] [size=4][center][b]Adam[/b][/center][/size] [i]"Well, apart from the obvious fact that none of us would be here without Adam, there are a few specifics I'd like to mention. Firstly, 2004 has been a very bold year for our entire network, with so many changes and new additions. I love the fact that Adam is willing to take risks and do bold things with something so established. Also, working with Adam is always a joy; he makes everyone feel at ease and he's incredibly receptive to new ideas (even if they're totally insane). Adam is also incredibly generous (by offering me autonomous control/ownership of OB, by providing me with hosting support and by sending me a wonderful Christmas gift). He definitely deserves a mention."[/i] -[u]James[/u][size=4][center][b]Justin Blessing[/b][/size][/center] [i]"He is under-appreciated by the vast majority of the OB community, and deserves a round of applause for his behind-the-scenes role."[/i] -[u]Baron Samedi[/u][size=4][center][b]Heaven?s Cloud[/b][/size][/center] [i]"Because I rule. I am so awesome that everyday you should you take some time and reflect on how grateful you are that I continue gracing you with my presence. "[/i] -[u]Heaven's Cloud[/u][size=4][center][b]Anatema[/b][/center][/size] [i]"An all around amazing person. I had all these things in my head to type here about her, but as I sit at the keyboard, none of them really do her justice. I think everyone should strive to be as good as she is in every possible facet, really."[/i] -[u]Semjaza Azazel[/u][size=4][center][b]ChibiHorseWoman[/b][/center][/size] [i]"I hate nearly all of her posts, especially the ones where she erroneously gushes over the fact that she's married when it has no bearing on the conversation. BUT what I like about her is that she's willing to create new threads, contribute to discussions, and has a generally friendly/enthusiastic attitude. Also, when I asked her to improve her paragraph spacing, she didn't complain nor did she bite my head off as some would have done but rather she remedied the problem. Her posts have since become much easier to read at least in terms of how they're constructed. It's that positive attitude that I'd like to see from everyone. Especially the people who complain about the quality of Otaku Lounge or whatever area and never make an effort to contribute. At least she's made that effort."[/i] -[u]Charles[/u][center][size=4][b]Solo Tremaine[/b][/size][/center] [i]"Whether it be Anime Stereotype High School, Enter the Net, or even his work as Team Leader of Team Miyazaki he goes above and beyond members? expectations, pleasantly surprising them in whatever he does. Just talking to him for a short amount of time you realize what a genuine and sincere person he is, which is hard to say for so many people on the net. Not enough nominations in the world could do him justice, but hopefully this one will do for now."[/i] -[u]Shy[/u][size=4][center][b]Shinmaru[/b][/size][/center] [i]"Shinmaru is the very popular myotaku site that I go to, so I can be jealous about the number of people that comment there. He actually posts on his site every day and puts some effort into making the post entertaining, which I don't really do. He's a big videogame nerd too, which always scores points in my book. He also seems like a pretty cool guy though apparently he is very shy."[/i] -[u]satan665[/u][size=4][center][b]The Ladies of Team Hanzo[/b][/size][/center] [i]"Arcadia, terra and Lady Asphyxia created a triple-threat for spam in the newly-refined Team Hanzo. With their combination of intelligence, patience and genuine love for the boards they helped ease the forum?s awkward transition period into what it is today. In the second half of ?04 Arcadia took over my role as Team Leader, pushing the quality of the forums into an ever higher level, and breathing new life into OB Anthology."[/i] -[u]Shy[/u][size=4][center][b]55 Fiction[/b][/size][/center] [i]"55 Fiction is probably the best thread I've ever seen in the Anthology. I just didn't feel right blending it into my original mention, so I'm taking it to its own little nomination. 55 Fiction has made the biggest impact in my writing development by challenging me to us grammar, adjectives, and verbs in a way that limits space. The thread makes you think into your writing. You only have a frame of 55 words or less to paint a masterpiece. Very tricky, but very amazing. Some of the skits that come out of that thread are breath-taking and shocking. A great balance of testing boundaries, and mastering perfection."[/i] -[u]Annalisse[/u][center][size=4][b]The Reanimatrix[/b][/size][/center] [i]"Absolutely amazing thread. It just shows how much talent is out there in the OB. And people there don't have to worry about showing it."[/i] -[u]Reise[/u][center][size=4][b]Enter the Net[/b][/size][/center] [i]"The most well written and comic piece of writing that I have ever come across on OB. It is something that everyone on the board can relate to whether new or old and pretty much brightens up my day whenever a new chapter comes out. Plus, I was mentioned in one of the first chapters ^_~"[/i] -[u]doukeshi03[/u][center][size=4][b]Most Overrated Game[/b][/size][/center] [i]"To me, this thread really represents what Play It is about. We all have our opinions on what games stink, and we aren't afraid to bring up some that might be a bit controversial, but the discussion is always civil, and isn't littered with mindless fanboyism. I love this thread."[/i] -[u]Shinmaru[/u][center][size=4][b]Otaku Hollow[/b][/size][/center] [i]"Because it split my sides on school nights when I needed the uplift after doing mounds of homework. But it's a great piece with amazing writing talent that had quite the fan following."[/i] -[u]Katana[/u][size=4][center][b]Anime Stereotype High School[/b][/center][/size] [i]"With a little creativity and wit, Solo dusted off an old concept of mine and breathed new life into it. The sign-ups alone were worth it, but it was the post themselves that really caught the attention of everyone on the boards. Just because an RPG isn?t meant to be serious doesn?t mean that the quality has to suffer, and that?s really what this incarnation of ASHS was all about."[/i] -[u]Shy[/u][size=4][center][b]N00b Hunter[/b][/center][/size] [i]"It's Alan's OB "Alien" to Solo's OB "Star Wars."[/i] -[u]Siren[/u][size=4][center][b]Star Wars 411[/b][/size][/center] [i]"More often than not in the past, the thread was a mess of spam, but the past 10 pages are full of very intelligent discussion. Really, those pages can be used for a Star Wars newbie's crash-course in the Saga. In 10 pages, someone can be brought up to speed very quickly, and that's pretty commendable."[/i] -[u]Siren[/u][size=4][center][b]The OB Family Tree[/b][/size][/center] [i]"We all got to see who we're related to. Plus there was a mad rush for families then. It was all good.[/i]" -[u]ChibiHorsewoman[/u][size=4][center][b]My gf Loves Bakure More Than Me!?!?![/b][/size][/center] [i]"Humor and muted horror mix in this thread to create a pinnacle of message board entertainment. As MistressRoxie said, "I've bookmarked this thread forever." A work of genius three years too late for its era, I firmly believe that My gf loves Bakura more than me!?!?! deserves an eternal place of honor in OtakuBoards history."[/i] -[u]Lore[/u][size=4][center][b]The ?Deal With This Member? Thread[/b][/size][/center] [i]"Because things get done when someone posts in it."[/i] -[u]Desbreko[/u][size=4][center][b]What is Your Religion?[/b][/size][/center] [i]"Most people tend to stay away from this thread, and they tell me so whenever I mention it to them. Religion is a hard topic to discuss because it's very controversial and full of contradicting facts/theories. I found this thread to be very nifty in the fact that it has spawned the best discussion from the people (well, except for Cole-fu) who've wrote and discussed in this thread. Most of everyone's posts were full of interesting information. I love[d] this thread because it's opened my eyes and has made me feel comfortable knowing where I stand in religion. Plus, ask anyone who knows me, I'm not good at holding debates; but this thread has been a breakthrough, and I'm surprised I've been able to hold my ground on this one."[/i] -[u]Annalisse[/u][size=4][center][b]Play It[/b][/center][/size] [i]"To put it simply, I wouldn't be here at OtakuBoards or on myOtaku if it weren't for the Play It forum, and the various video game forums that preceded it. I'd say 95% or more of my posts are in it and the Video Game Archives, to give you an idea about how much time I spend in there compared to other forums. If it weren't for the gaming forums, I'd have left OB long ago; if I had left OB, I wouldn't have met all the awesome people that I have through the boards."[/i] -[u]Desbreko[/u][size=4][center][b]Art by Request[/b][/size][/center] [i]"It brings people who want custom banners and avatars but can't make them together with people who enjoy making custom banners and avatars. It's a win/win situation for everyone involved!"[/i] -[u]Panda[/u][size=4][center][b]Manga Workshop[/b][/size][/center] [i]"The market for manga is rapidly expanding, and I'm quite happy that manga now has its own forum. The Manga Workshop struggled a bit at first, but as the year progressed, it began to find its legs. It's played host to some really interesting topics that would have gotten buried or overlooked if they were left to languish in the Anime Lounge. And again, separating manga-centric threads from anime-centric threads helps all of Tokyo 3 stay nice and tidy."[/i] -[u]Dagger IX1[/u][size=4][center][b]Otaku Lounge[/b][/size][/center] [i]"The Lounge has had it?s ups and downs as far as thread quality goes, but the sheer number of them means there?s always something going on. Whether it?s a debate that calls for some research, screenshot captions that make you laugh or just a bunny with a pancake on it?s head, the Lounge has something for everyone."[/i] -[u]Boba Fett[/u][size=4][center][b]The Arena[/b][/size][/center] [i]"The Arena has changed a lot over the past year and its latest additions have only made it even cooler. The Arena Underground has been revolutionary - it's helped RPGs stay on their feet and it's allowed members to discuss different ideas and what works and what doesn't. Bio has done an excellent job in keeping it clean and organized. RPGs have come so incredibly far. I'm continually impressed with the work people have been putting into their threads. Creativity has been huge and people seem more and more willing to take chances with their RPGs and boldly go where no other RPG has gone before. The addition of the chapter system has organized the stories like nothing else, but when you get right down to it, the RPGs are nothing without the writers. And in the Square, that's what you get - a bunch of awesome writers. I'm so proud... *tear*"[/i] -[u]Arcadia[/u][size=4][center][b]Post Styles Option[/b][/center][/size] [i]"Best. Option. Ever."[/i] -[u]Heaven's Cloud[/u][size=4][center][b]Team Hanzo Thread Ratings[/b][/size][/center] [i]"I will admit, I was not particularly accepting to a certan aspect of this new rule. But it was ironed out. I love the idea though. Seeing that a thread is rated "mature for sexual content/extreme violence/gore/drugs..etc" is a comforting factor; allowing a member to steer clear of something that may cause them a sense of insecurity, or/and may be offensive. It has really helped the Adventure forums to run smoothly and more efficiently."[/i] -[u]Annalisse[/u][center][size=4][b]The Geisha Skin[/b][/size][/center] [i]"It's an ultra wicked skin and (like the Liquid Skin) divided people about what they thought of it. And James's Geisha obsession is just fun, lol."[/i] -[u]Mimmi[/u][center][size=4][b]The Chapter System[/b][/size][/center] [i]"Made known by the Kill Adam saga, the new chapter system has revolutionised the way that man RPs are now operated. It gives Rpers a guide to follow and a set structure to operate in. It piques greater interest and enthusiasm within the members and causes more and more to return to the RP without simply dropping out."[/i] -[u]doukeshi03[/u][size=4][center][b]Newbies[/b][/center][/size] [i]"For making useless threads to report."[/i] -[u]Morpheus[/u][size=4][center][b]The OB RPG [/b][/center][/size] [i]"I wanted to create a blanket mention here, for a few reasons. One reason is that there have been just too many wonderful RPGs in 2004 to mention individually, for me anyway. What I'd rather say is that 2004 has been a year of continued innovation and continued quality. General quality has improved greatly and the concepts for RPGs are always improving and becoming more interesting. I am aware of RPGs at other places on the Internet, but I have to say...I think that we have developed ours to a fine art. I can't think of another place with such a unique and engaging approach to this type of forum interaction. I'm very proud of OB's RPG history -- I think it's as important as any of our other areas.[/i]" -[u]James[/u][size=4][center][b]MyOtaku.com[/b][/size][/center] [i]"I was originally skeptical of the MyOtaku launch, thinking it would become little more than shallow blogs so people could write out their angst in a manner of color, fonts, and sizes. Thankfully, it boosted in popularity and became ablaze with intelligent postings [gasp, horror], and I even made my own...even though I neglect it for months on end. Either way, with the intergration of MyOtaku.com and OtakuBoards.com, it picked up even more, and it has lead to some very interesting conversations. *remembers the debate over the complexity of the Terminator series on Alex's blog*"[/i] -[u]Chaos[/u][size=4][center][b]Art Studio[/b][/center][/size] [i]"This is one important area of the OB. It helps the members of the Boards in searching for their artistic ideas. Here you can request/or make avatars and banners. It helps dilute requests through PMs, which can be a hassle. Also, the Art Studio gives the members a chance to throw out their artwork. Allowing the artist to gather critiques, suggestions, ideas."[/i] -[u]Annalisse[/u][size=4][center][b]Satan665[/b][/center][/size] [i]"Doesn't post much, but I enjoy what he bothers to write. I do get the impression that many people here don't read things the way he means them sometimes, though lol."[/i] -[u]Semjaza Azazel[/u][size=4][center][b]What Smells Blue?"[/b][/size][/center] [i]"This thread, much like the Communication thread I mentioned earlier, is something I truly enjoyed. I feel weird talking about it, since it's something I started because I love what it's about, and I'm pretty biased about how terrific it was, but oh well."[/i] -[u]Lore[/u][size=4][center][b]Azure Wolf[/b][/size][/center] [i]"He's cynical, oft mistaken as being female and has a grudge against OBv7, but Azure still remains one of the most charming members of the board. I enjoy reading his posts, especially as he's one of the few people I know who'll make full use of the 'Reason for Editing Post' feature."[/i] -[u]Solo Tremaine[/u][/quote] [size=1]It's been swell, kids. See you next year. :) -Shy[/size]

[size=1]I'm pretty muxh going to play Devil's advocate on both sides here... (and I think this should be in the Anthology forum, btw. Oh well.) The death of Bruce's parents is the primary catalyst for the creation of Batman, that much is a given. If you look at his life you see that single event changed it forever in a variety of ways. What is one the first thing he does after the passing of his parents? He flees, and doesn't bother to look back. The important years of his adolescent and teenage years were spent abroad, studying, training and conditioning himself to be a better man. Bruce Wayne, millionaire orphan, no longer felt safe in the city he grew up in; it wasn't until nearly a decade of training had passed that he felt comfortable and strong enough to return to Gotham. I can't blame the guy, either, but when he returns he is not the same person he was when he left. Where before he was weak and frightened of the world around him, the much older Bruce Wayne is now a cold, calculating and driven man. That's the signigicant change here, that all of his emotions and anger have focused themselves into a dangerous force. He's not comfortable admitting his weaknesses or showing his emotions -- perhaps he thinks it was weakness that killed his parents, but it was really just fate. Let's get one thing straight here: Batman doesn't fight [i]crime[/i], he fights [i]criminals.[/i] No matter how fast he can throw those batarangs the fact of the matter is that his work is reactionary, and [i]feeds[/i] off crime. For the cycle to continue there must always be innocents to protect, and there must always be criminals to fight. Although I imagine that Bruce Wayne pours a good amount of money into charity work and other projects, it's the Batmobiles that take up a good portion of his disposable income, I'd imagine. There is certainly nothing healthy about that, as we've established, and anyone attempting to follow in his example in the "real world" would be deemed unstable and insane. Also, one could argue that Batman's presence has sparked imitators. There are many, many dangerously driven people who put on costumes and fight for their individual causes since Batman first appeared. I'm not talking about Robin here, either, I'm referring more to the freaks of Arkham Asylum. What makes Batman a hero and Poison Ivy a villain? Like almost everyone in Gotham City, these two have suffered tragic events in their past and rather than deal with real problems they take on an alter-ego. The key exception here is the Joker, who is the perfect antagonist for Batman. The Joker is unique even among the rogue's gallery in that his actions seem to be motivated by nothing more than madness. His only goal is to cause chaos and disorder. The Joker is eternally the wild card, and will shake the status quo that Batman tries so hard to uphold. So what exactly is Batman fighting for? Some say 'justice,' but that's really just a bunch of nonsense. In every battle, whether it be against a bank robber or a super-villain, Batman is still trying to save Bruce Wayne's parents from that fateful night. Time passes and although many criminals are put away and good deeds are done for him, he will always be too late. That's a big flaw in the Bat-family. They understand grief, they understand loss and they understand vengance, but these things alone aren't going to satisfy their hearts. It's the sheltering of their emotions, the unwilingness to forgive that makes them such negative figures. As much as I love Bats... sociopath, definitely, definitely sociopath. PS: [spoiler]The Joker only killed Bruce Wayne's parents in the 1989 Batman feature film, and that is not a part of his established comic book lore. It annoys me that the death of his parents is tied into his arch-nemesis like that because it ruins what I feel is an important part of Batman's motivations and mission statement. You shouldn't know who killed his parents, and they should never, ever be brought to justice. Because no matter how hard Bruce Wayne fights to protect his city, the only people he ever cared about in this world are dead.[/spoiler] -Shy[/size]

[quote name='Semjaza Azazel']I also heard that Black Panther #1 was quite good, so I'm interested in picking that one up. It's always nice when a character comes back. Well, not always, but in this case.[/quote] [size=1]John Romita Jr. is a fantastic artist, and the only reason I would consider picking up Black Panther. The last BP series was cancelled less than two years ago, so I don't find it neccessary to relaunch the title right now. More importantly, I don't find the character terribly interesting, and can't even think of single time where I've felt anything more than indifference for the guy. His personality comes across as very generic in the comics I have read; although most of what I know about him comes from old Avengers comics. In those days everyone on the team was pretty generic, so maybe I should give him a chance. Either way, I saw it in the store and didn't bother with it. In fact, this was the first time in a while that I had left my local comic book shop without purchasing anything. They have undergone new management, and simply don't seem to be ordering as many issues as they used to. I went in a while ago for the latest issue of ''Manhunter,' and I was told that the shop isn't going to bother carrying the title anymore. Bah, next thing you know they'll stop carrying 'Gotham Central." Nothing very special about this week's comics as far as I'm concerned. I feel guilty for not purchasing the latest issue of 'The Question' mini-series. The artwork on that one is a beautiful thing, although the plot and dialogue don't make much sense. I'll probably get it next week, when the latest 'Gotham Central' comes out. There's only a handful of titles I'm bothering with these days, although 'Batman: Gotham Knights' turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. Go check out that one if you get a chance; this is the best Poison Ivy story I have ever seen in the comics. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]Okay, great job everyone! Thank you for participating, and I hope to have the final list compiled in the next few days (the earlier the better, I'd like to get the next exciting Otaku Event posted ASAP.) [b]Members of the Nifty Fifty Committee[/b] I've already spoken to quite a few of you over AIM, but some of you I have missed. Please PM me for more information about your responsibilities as a member of the committee if I haven't spoken to you already. See you in a few, -Shy[/size]

[size=1][b][center][size=2]Chibihorsewoman [Member][/b][/size][/center] Love her or not, Chibihorsewoman was the most talked about member of the year. Her countless threads in the Otaku Lounge have injected new life into the forum. A lot of members complain about the lack of interesting threads in Otaku Lounge, but few very actually step in and create topics of their own. Well that?s exactly what Chibihorsewoman did, and that?s why she?s nifty. [b][size=2][center]The Ladies of Team Hanzo [Members][/center][/b][/size] Arcadia, terra and Lady Asphyxia created a triple-threat for spam in the newly-refined Team Hanzo. With their combination of intelligence, patience and genuine love for the boards they helped ease the forum?s awkward transition period into what it is today. In the second half of ?04 Arcadia took over my role as Team Leader, pushing the quality of the forums into an ever higher level, and breathing new life into OB Anthology. [b][size=2][center]OtakuBoards Fan-Fiction[/center][/size][/b] Although Solo Tremaine did not invent the OtakuBoards Fan-Fiction, he [I]perfected[/I] it. His more recent posts in ?Enter the Net? have spawned a slew of imitators, each ranging wildly in terms of quality. This is one trend that is sure to continue well into the next year. [size=2][b][center]Literati [Computer Game][/b][/center][/size] Literati is quite possibly the most addicting computer game in history. Need proof? Just look at how many OB-ers welcomed the crossword puzzle masterpiece into their hearts. Nowhere is this more evident on myOtaku, where a massive Literati tournament was even organized. Very rarely does something come along that attracts people from so many different corners of the Otaku-verse, but this was one of those. [size=2][center][b]Cliché [RPG][/b][/size][/center] Of all the great RPGs created in 2004, I think DDG?s ?Cliché? got lost somewhere amid all of the excitement. This was one of the most refreshing RPGs I had seen in quite a while, and wasn?t afraid to have a little fun at its own expense. [center][b][size=2]Anime Stereotype High School [RPG][/b][/size][/center] With a little creativity and wit, Solo dusted off an old concept of mine and breathed new life into it. The sign-ups alone were worth it, but it was the post themselves that really caught the attention of everyone on the boards. Just because an RPG isn?t meant to be serious doesn?t mean that the quality has to suffer, and that?s really what this incarnation of ASHS was all about. [b][center][size=2]Vicky [Member][/b][/center][/size] Vicky is quite possibly the most overlooked member in The Arena, and her excellent contributions to RPGs and threads aren?t very difficult to notice. It?s her willingness to step up to any type of writing challenge -- being a superhero in one project while taking on the persona of a Roman soldier in another that makes her so awesome. -Shy[/size]

[quote name='Heaven's Cloud][spoiler']Speaking of Tim Drake, his character now has so much potential it is amazing. The successive deaths of Spoiler and his father really leave a grey cloud over what path Tim Drake will take, especially with the inevitable re-emergence of Jason Todd.[/spoiler][/quote] [size=1][spoiler]I also agree that Tim Drake's journey from Robin into whatever the heck he'll become is going to be a fascinating one. In a recent Teen Titans storyline the group is transported ten years into the future and meets older and much darker versions of themselves. Tim Drake took over the role of Batman, and it was really unsettling to see someone other than Bruce Wayne being Batman, and doing it well. I can only imagine what they have planned for this kid in the future, but no matter what it is you know he's going to be a major player.[/spoiler] [spoiler]As for the return of Jason Todd. With Spoiler dead the Bat-Family has another token "they died for the mission" character, making Jason's sacrifice seem much less significant. This way it will be easier to bring him back from the dead, whether it be from the Lazarus Pit, or some other supernatural means. I'm very interested to see how it effects the Bat-family as a whole, seeing as things have been terribly shaken up over the past year and a half.[/spoiler] We're all in the same boat when we expect Jason to come back as a villain of some sort, right? -Shy[/size]

[quote name='doukeshi03][COLOR=DimGray][SIZE=1]Speaking of the [i]War Games[/i] story arc, what did you guys think of it? I thought there were some really powerful moments, though what with it being spread over so many different titles I kind of missed bits, which is annoying, so I'm trying to back track.[/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote] [size=1]I must admit that I only followed small bits and pieces of the War Games crossover, but from what I understand it had some major repurcussions for the Batman status quo. [spoiler]The death of Spoiler was very tragic if you ask me, since I always felt like she was an interesting character who never got the recognition she deserved. It's a shame that people will remember her more for her short stint as Robin than for the decades (in real years) that she served as the Spoiler. Removing Spoiler, Oracle (mostly) and the other Gotham heroes is a smart move in the long run, though. Gotham City has become too overrun with heroes if you ask me. Although I enjoy the legacy of the Bat-Family, I feel like it draws away from Batman's personal mission when too many other characters are involved. It just doesn't feel right to me. I firmly believe that Huntress is going to be out of Gotham soon as well; whether she moves to another city (Keystone could use a decent vigilante presence) or leaves in a body bad remains to be seen.[/spoiler] Also, does anyone know if the JSA still has their headquarters in Gotham? Moving on, I only plan on buying two comics this week. The first is a surprising choice (if you know me at all) and that's [b]Wolverine[/b]. Mark Millar has taken over writing duties with John Romita Jr. providing the artwork and it's [strike]one of[/strike] the best comic book featuring Wolverine than I have ever read. Part of me wants to boycott the book because the character is terribly overexposed and not very interesting in the first place, but I can't. This storyline just kicks all sorts of butt. [spoiler]Wolverine, controlled by The Hand, is sent on missions to kill some of the major figures in the Marvel Universe. The Hand plans on resurrecting these heroes and exacting control over them. Nick Fury learns this plan and along with Elektra the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. unite to stop Wolverine before he kills the likes of Daredevil, and the Fantastic Four.[/spoiler] This is a quality package overall, and I can't even begin to stress how good it is. Somehow the writing manages to keep things fun, clever and edgy without it falling into a bunch of cliches. Wolverine is so insanely popular that they tend to overpower him. It's nice to see him in fights against Marvel Legends that aren't one-sided. He's been kicking kicked around for the better part of four issues now. Definitely pick up the "Enemy of the State" story-arc when it is eventually published as a trade paperback. My second choice is a first-time selection, and I've never read this comic before. [b]Gotham Knights[/b] is a monthly Bat-Book which deals with his rogue's gallery in some detail, and has darker themes and storylines than the main title usually does. They are starting a new storyline with this week's issue, dealing with Poison Ivy, and I'm looking forward to giving it a try. That's all I [i]plan[/i] on getting, but something always catches my eye when I physically walk down there. We'll see what happens... What is everyone's thoughts on Identity Crisis? -Shy[/size]

[quote][font=trebuchet ms][center][size=5][b]Day Four[/b][/size][/center] ?Would you like to try some of our frosty flakes? They?re kind of like graham crackers that you can put on your ice cream, only bite sized.? ?No thanks,? I replied, ?You know why I?m here? Jolene.? It was the following night, and I had solved the murder of Thomas Webster. Using Sophia?s phone to contact Thomas, Jolene Martin had lured him to Ice Cream World the night of the murder. Thomas went to the mall thinking Sophia just wanted to get back together, but sometime that evening end up with several dozen knife wounds to the back instead. There?s some sort of irony to that, I guess. Irony is for the living. I was more concerned about knowing the specifics from the murder, and who would know better than the murderer herself? ?Tell me what happened.? ?I?ll tell you, Felix, but I want to know that you?ll believe me.? ?I don?t make any promises I can?t keep. We?ll see. Just talk.? ?Okay. Thomas and I had gotten into a big fight the day before, about whether or not he was qualified for his job at all. We were here, serving customers when he started to talk down a little kid because he didn?t have enough money to pay for what he ordered. ?How can I be the one with ?poor interpersonal skills?? I thought what he did was uncalled for, and I let him know it. But Sophia was there and he needed to set some sort of example for questioning his authority, so he had a ?conference? with me.? ?A conference?? I asked. ?It?s just another fancy word for getting your ass handed to you by the boss. He did it in the middle of the mall, in front of everyone. I was furious, and I didn?t speak to him for the rest of my shift.? ?So you killed him?? ?No, then I tried to apologize to him, but he wasn?t at work the next day. I called him on my phone but he wouldn?t reply, and then I got the idea to borrow Sophia?s. She always leaves her stuff all over the shop, anyway, so it?s not like she would have noticed.? ?And you text him to come meet you at Ice Cream World after hours, to apologize?? ?I told you that you wouldn?t believe me. You don?t understand how things are here. We both care too much, I think. I spend my time daydreaming about a perfect boyfriend, or how cool it would be to become supervisor and prove that I?ve done something with my time here, or even how it would be nice to not hate everyone I work with. I build up these huge fantasies in my head, and then I have to show up to work. ?All day long everyone insults each other and it?s been like that long before I started at the shop, probably since Heather was new, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Derek thinks he is better than everyone else, and the rumor is that he has syphilis now?? ?I haven?t heard that one yet. It would make sense, yeah.? ?Ryan is just a jerk. It?s hard to hear me saying this, but Sophia can do better than that. ?And Sophia? she?s not a terrible person. I can see where?s she coming from half of the time. She cared about Thomas so much that it verged on insanity. He started to act like a jerk, and when he didn?t live up to her idea of a perfect boyfriend she had created in her head she freaked out. ?So I still don?t understand how this has to do with the murder.? ?Because Thomas Webster was an ass, that?s how it has to do with the murder. He would march into work 15 minutes later every day because he was always too busy with school to do his job. You know what classes he was taking? 4 unit?s a semester, and it was almost always a PE class. We attended the same college and I?d see him lounging around campus all of the time, flirting with girls while I ended up rushing from one class to the next. ?And to top it off, he wouldn?t acknowledge me outside of work. I would take time out of my day to say ?hi? and the only time he ever responded was when he wanted to talk about some stupid practical joke he had played on me months ago. ?So Thomas comes to Ice Cream World and he gives me a speech about being at the shop after hours, not even realizing that I had sent the text message and invited him. Somehow it would have been okay if Sophia had really invited him, I bet. He just kept talking down to me like he was so much better than I was; I couldn?t even get a word in edgewise and explain. So that?s when I pulled out the knife.? ?Oh. So that?s how it happened.? ?I don?t mess around.? There was a pause in the conversation. The mall was closing down for the night, and many of the other shops and kiosks had shuttered their doors until the morning. The only sound that could be heard was of an old woman, pushing her squeaky walker through the Thomas Webster Memorial Food Court. ?You?re right about everything you said, Jolene,? I looked her in the eyes, ?He really would have made a terribly supervisor.? ?Why did you leave so suddenly yesterday, Felix? I could have dyed my hair blond and fled to Mexico by now.? ?Because I knew you weren?t going to leave, Jolene. You?re going to be the next supervisor at Ice Cream World.? ?Not if I?m serving life in prison, or, you know, worse.? ?After I left I went back to my precinct, and I ran into my boss. Talking to him again, dealing with him again made it completely clear why someone would do what you did. I probably would have done it myself, Jolene. But I had a job to do, I had to pick up some paperwork.? ?Are you going to read me my Miranda rights now?? ?No,? I said, ?I?m going to tell you that I quit my job and told Daniel to fuck off. ?That was terribly unprofessional of you,? Jolene smiled at me, ?You?ll never make Police Commissioner now.? ?It?s okay. I don?t really mind.? ?Right before leaving I filed the whole investigation as a cold case. With the crime rate rising like it is, there?s no time to time for the city to resolve the mystery of who killed Thomas Webster.? ?Now what are you going to do, Felix?? ?I?m not really sure, my dear. I was thinking about trying the Rocky Road.?[/font][/quote] [size=1]And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed it. More correctly, I hope you actually read it... me wanting you to enjoy it is secondary. -Shy[/size]

[quote][font=trebuchet ms][size=5][center][b]Day Three[/b][/center][/size] Most mornings the food court would open at 10, but that day was special. On this surprisingly warm Wednesday all of the food court was forced by mall management to remain closed until 11. The purpose of this unscheduled mall closure was not to wax the floor, or spray the mall for potato bugs, but to mourn the loss of one of it?s own. Thomas Webster?s life had been tragically cut short earlier that week, and it was decided upon that the best way to honor his memory was to dedicate a food court in his memory. In celebration of such a momentous occasion, his co-workers were encouraged to give speeches on Thomas?s behalf. Of those who had survived him, none were interested, and in hindsight, it was probably for the best. Included in the handful of mourners were the mall?s owners, fresh from a shady business dealing in Seoul, Ice Cream World?s staff, and myself. Sophia, Derek, Ryan and I were admiring a copper plaque that had just been installed on one of the building?s support beams: ?Aim for the Moon, and you?ll always reach a star. Thomas Webster 1983-2004.? ?This plaque is hideous,? Sophia cut into the moment of silence effortlessly, ?I don?t think this is the type of thing he would want to be remembered for.? ?It?s not bad,? Ryan tried to offer a bit of enthusiasm, ?All he did with his life was work at Ice Cream World. It?s a fitting tribute.? Derek chimed in, ?If he had worked at one of the clothing outlets, maybe the Koreans would have given him a silver plaque instead? You know, they named an ice skating rink after Charles Schultz when he passed away.? ?Who?s Charles Schultz?? Sophia asked. ?He?s the man who created ?Peanuts,?? Derek replied. ?Really?? she pondered this for a moment, ?I always thought they grew out of the ground.? Not skipping a beat, I continued my investigation, ?This must be hard for you, Sophia, since you and Thomas had dated for so long.? ?It?s kinda surprising. When they stop talking to you, and stop buying you nice things, and stop bringing you flowers all of the time you really stop caring about them. It?s like that book I read.? ?You read?? Derek and Ryan asked in unison. ?Wait, maybe it wasn?t a book. It might have been on back of one of my magazines. It?s the 10 Commandments of Love, like the kind Jesus used. The first commandment was ?Don?t let the job get between your love.?? Sophia carefully said each word, trying extra hard to remember, ?So when we broke things off the last time, I knew it was over.? ?Sounds informative,? I said absently. ?Oh, it is, detective! I live by the seventh commandment: ?Know when to be a missionary.?? ?That?s uh? that?s great, Sophia.? ?You don?t know the half of it,? she winked at Ryan, forcing a smile out of him. It appeared that in the past few days some sort of friendship had been formed between Sophia and Ryan. Hoping not to get too involved in whatever was happening, I ignored it at the time. ?It?s all so unreal,? she continued, ?I mean, everyone wishes their ex-boyfriend was dead? but very it doesn?t happen to very many of them. I must be special.? ?Very special,? I said. ?I?m sure they are preparing the movie of the week about you right now, Sophia,? Derek added. Citing a severe lack of substance in the conversation, I moved over towards Heather, dressed in a revealing black sequined gown seen daylight since New Year?s Eve of 1994. She was painfully overdressed, as the others only wore blue jeans with black strips draped across their Ice Cream World name badges. An hour before the ceremony began, Heather had decided to provide some refreshments. Several flavors of Vitashakes sat on the large table; every available inch of space was either covered by a pitcher or a business card with her name and business phone number on it. Heather stood closely to the table, prominently displaying much more than the free samples -- she was trying to sell herself to everyone in attendance. ?It was very nice of you to provide the refreshments, Heather,? I said, staring into the mouth of an especially thick mixture of Vitashake, ?Most people don?t offer weight loss shakes in this type of gathering. ?I know, I just felt like I needed to do something, you know? Like, what could I give to these people to help them through their pain?? ?What would you recommend?? ?Funberry is my favorite, I?d try that.? I grabbed a pitcher of thick orange liquid and hoped for the best. Even though I had tilted it at a sharp angle none of the stuff was coming out; by tapping on the container I could finally free some large droplets of the gooey solution into my cup. In unison Ryan and Derek approached us. They were looking for something to drink, and talking among themselves. ?I really think it?s Sophia,? Derek said, ?Just look at her. You don?t expect someone like her to do that, and she?s got a lot of motivation.? ?It?s not Sophia, it?s Heather. She?s a cold and calculating monster, and now she?s putting on an act for everyone by trying to pretend she is sympathetic,? Ryan locked eyes with Heather, ?You?re putting on an act.? ?I am not putting on an act!? she shouted, ?I sincerely cared about Tommy.? ??Tommy?? You?ve never called him Tommy before in your life,? Derek said. ?No, but I always thought about calling him that. Like, why can?t you give someone a nickname after they die?? ?Well for one they?re not around to here it,? I said, ?I don?t really think it?s polite for us to be accusing one another of murder here, anyway.? ?Murder?? Ryan looked shocked, ?We were just trying to figure out who was going to be the new supervisor. We?re not going to do your job for you, lazy ass.? Offended by my legion of suspects, I walked away. Amid the customers who were impatiently waiting for the Thomas Webster Memorial Food Court to open up was Jolene, sitting alone quietly on a fold-out chair. I approached her cautiously, unsure of whether or not she was going to have the same type of attitude towards me that the others did. Jolene was wearing her short hair in curls, making her seem a few years younger than she actually was. Also, I noticed, she was wearing makeup for the first time that I could recall. It wasn?t in the clownish sort of way that Heather wore her stuff, and it was comforting to know that someone at the ceremony had a bit of class left. ?You?re not interested in arguing with the rest of them?? I asked her. ?Not this time,? she groaned, ?I figure we can at least wait until our real shifts start. Getting holiday rate to attend Thomas? funeral is kind of morbid when you think about it.? ?I guess. He was your guys? supervisor, after all. Like it or not he probably played an important part in your work here. It?s nice of them to compensate you for the grieving process like this.? ?I didn?t really want to apply for supervisor in the first place,? she said, ?It was Heather who really motivated me to do it.? ?She doesn?t seem like the motivating type to me.? ?She isn?t. I saw that she was applying and thought, ?She?s terrible at her job. If she can apply and has a shot at it, so do I. And that?s really why I did it in the first place, it?s not as if I wanted the position so badly, but it really, really hurt when I didn?t get it.? ?Heh. That?s what happened to me with the Police Commissioner thing. I didn?t really want it, but I knew that Daniel wasn?t ready for it either. We both applied, he got the job, and I found out that I need to work on my ?organizational skills.?? ?What does that mean?? ?Not sure. I think it means, ?You do a good job, but we don?t like you enough to give it to you.? That?s pretty much what I took out of it.? ?Ouch.? ?It?s okay. The responsibility wouldn?t have been worth it anyway, I just wanted it so that someone else wouldn?t have the job. At least the guy who got it actually wanted the position.? Jolene giggled to herself softly. ?What?s so funny?? ?Nothing, nothing,? she grinned, ?It?s just, I think that?s why I have any sort of interest in Ryan. He?s really quite rude when you get down to it, and his music is pretty terrible, too.? ?But you want him because Sophia wants him.? ?I?m kind of lacking in direction, yeah. I switched majors three times before deciding on Small Business Management, so that I could run stores in the mall, and stuff. I don?t really like this, either, but at least I would have some idea of what I?m doing. I really admire the people who can pick a major, or a job, and stick with it You know what you?re going to be doing for the rest of your life. You are going to solve murders and crimes and stuff, right? That?s who you are.? A small chill of fear ran up and down my spine. ?I like the makeup, Jolene,? I smiled at her, ?Now don?t push your luck by saying things like that.? ?Well it?s the truth. What do you want me to tell you?? ?A decent clue wouldn?t exactly hurt at this point.? As everyone expected it to be, the actual dedication was brief. None of the Korean investors knew Thomas well enough to make a lengthy speech, nor had they conquered the English language so they could actually give one. Five minutes following the dedication the entire area was alive and filled with the sound of commerce once more. By scheduling them all in the morning, Ice Cream World had a record five employees to open the shop. However, This would create a problem since nobody was actually scheduled to close the shop. Heather gladly volunteered to work a double, and receive the union-dictated overtime that came with it. She decided that she looked so good in her formal attire that she didn?t need to change clothes after the dedication. As a result, many customers from that fateful day would fondly look back at the time the skeletal woman in a flowing black evening gown served them their Rainbow Sherbet. A rotational system had been set up by the employees; two would be working while the other three sat around and wasted time together. It was very effective in the way it prevented the whole group from starting some sort of riot amongst themselves. Also, Derek had only gotten more ill as the days drew on. The token minority was in no condition to scoop ice cream (with the wrist, of course) in more than 15 minute increments. A couple of hours into the shift I returned to Ice Cream World. I had returned to the station once again, and received a verbal lashing from Daniel. I had to solve the case that day, he said, or I shouldn?t even bother to show up for work the following one. Sophia and Jolene were standing side by side at the kiosk, serving customers and trying their best to friendly. Jolene had admitted that she didn?t really have any feelings for Ryan, and this pleasant news put Sophia into an especially chipper mood. Any feelings of resentment she had felt towards the girl had washed away, and the seeds of a friendship had formed. Well, not a friendship, maybe just an acquaintanceship. Ryan was watching the girls from afar, pretending that he had a pair drum sticks. He was using the table as a giant, imaginary drum set. ?Air drums,? I guess is the term. ?How?s it going, Ryan?? I asked, tucking in my shirt in an attempt to look somewhat professional. ?It?s going okay, man. Long night.? Ryan grinned. ?Oh?? ?Just girls, man. They?re tiring sometimes.? Nearby Derek exploded into a sneezing fit. ?I haven?t had a lot of experience with them, not as much as I?d like.? ?Yeah, I had this one girl over at my place all night.? ?Oh, well, as long as you?re safe,? I said, completely oblivious to what I had gotten myself into. ?Dude! I can?t believe you just said that!? ?Said what?? ?You said I had sex with Sophia.? ?But? but I didn?t say that. I didn?t say that at all. Nobody said anything about Sophia.? At this point we had gathered the attention of the other employees on break. Derek had his jaw dropped in disbelief, while Heather decided to ignore it and continued to stroke her hair lovingly. ?And besides,? I switched gears a bit, ?You can sleep with someone without sleeping with them.? ?That doesn?t make any sense.? ?Yes it does. You can share a bed and not go through with it.? ??Go through with it??? Ryan laughed, ?You make it sound like a chore, and it?s not, man. Its definitely, definitely not a chore.? I think now would be a good to point out my qualifications and experience as a police detective. I graduated top of my class from Michigan State University with a double major Criminal Science and Law Enforcement. Immediately following that I enlisted in the National Guard, taking an extended stay in Hong Kong with the Central Intelligence Agency. Between college and the National Guard, I was away from Southern California for almost eight years. I had traveled the world, seen and done so many things that others never have the chance to. Returning home I was a new man, a better man. It was soon after that I had been accepted into the LAPD?s Apprentice Detective Program, learning how to put my education to work in real-world situations. By the end of that experience I had received recommendations and top honors from various groups and organizations, including the Governor himself. He applauded the outstanding example I had set for police detectives in this, and every other law enforcement agency in the country. At the time, I was the best there was. In fact, I think I still am. ?You did sleep with her, didn?t you?? ?I don?t even know you, why am I telling you this? You?re just some perverted detective.? Derek, sensing a confrontation, stepped in, ?Hey, did you know that the Sputnik satellite had less processing power than my wristwatch does? That?s pretty cool. If I could build a time machine and travel back to the 1950?s, I could take over the world.? ?You?re such an idiot!? Heather stood up and glared at Derek, ?Like, if you could build a time machine then you would be taking over the world with something more than a wristwatch, wouldn?t you?? Skelebitch walked away from Ice Cream World, pissed off as usual. ?Children,? she groaned, ?I feel like such a babysitter sometimes?? A large, balding man walked past Heather and towards the store. ?Hey,? He was cradling a two-year old girl with his right arm, ?You got fudge here?? ?Fudge?? Sophia asked, ?I don?t think we sell fudge?.? She turned around and looked at Ice Cream World?s enormous menu. They did sell fudge, a lot of it. In fact ?Ice Cream World? was probably a misnomer, had the man just read the sign like she did, he would have known all about the chocolate chunk, banana swirl, and the several peanut butter varieties. Also, he could probably have read the sign much faster than Sophia did, she was kind of slow like that. ?Yeah. We do have fudge. It says so on the sign.? Insulted, the man gave her a dirty look. ?You don?t have to be so rude, I was just asking a simple question.? ?And the answer is even more simple!? she countered, ?Read the sign. It?s not my job to tell you.? ?It is your job,? Jolene said, ?You have the apron on.? ?Oh,? she made an angry face at the man, ?I?m sorry? sir. Are you looking for something special?? ?I?m looking for fudge.? ?Oh? okay?.? Awkward silence. ?Would you like some of our classic fudgers ?n? nuts? It?s the cheapest fudge we have.? ?Are you calling me poor?? ?Well,? Sophia looked disappointed with the man?s fashion crime, a wife-beater top and pajama pants, ?I just figured since you didn?t know what you wanted, you would want to spend less.? ?Don?t insult me!? he bellowed so loudly that the Mongolian Chef at Ghengis P. Wokington could hear him, ?I?ll take a large cup of mint molasses.? ?So? no fudge?? ?No fudge.? ?Whatever.? She handed the man his mint molasses, which he politely paid for in small change spread out across the countertop. Sophia groaned, and shooed him and his little girl away as the child began to cry. Noticing that they were running short on spoons, Sophia opened up one of the cabinets to grab a few more. The entire contents of the cabinet poured out on the ground, including the mysterious pink cellular phone from the night before. Noticing the mess that she had made, and hoping to avoid further conversation with Ryan, I wandered over to the kiosk to see what was going on. ?OMFG!? she giggled, ?I found my phone!? ?That?s your phone?? I asked, ?It?s been there for a few days.? ?I was wondering what happened to it, too. I haven?t had it since Saturday night.? My eyes lit up as Sophia turned on her phone for the first time in days. A poorly rendered pop tune came from the device, signaling that she received a new text message. ?That?s weird,? Sophia looked more confused than usual as she read the message, ?What is this all about?? [b][i][center][font=courier new][size=3]Hey Sophia! I M comin to meet you tonight like U wanted. U R not answerin UR fone Wut is up? -Tom[/size][/font][/center][/i][/b] ?I don?t get this. I wonder what Thomas wanted,? she said, placing the phone back into the pocket of her designer jeans. ?I think I might know, Sophia,? I said softly, ?I think Jolene knows, too.?[/font][/quote] [size=1]Any formatting issues in this post were not present in the original post. Converting long word files such as this to an OB post takes a bit of reformatting, so yeah. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]I'm posting the rest, in spite of lack of comments...[/size] [quote][center][font=trebuchet ms][size=5][b]Day Two[/b][/size][/center] Oldies music blared over Ice Cream World?s boom box. It was covered and dust and sitting in the same spot it had been since the shop first opened, right between the cold storage refrigerator and the frozen storage one. After a day of interrogation, and narrowing the list of suspects down to a few employees, Ice Cream World reopened with little fanfare. The dessert jockeys quietly showed up to their scheduled shifts and continued their duty without a bit of hesitation. Nothing had really changed for them, aside from how one of their co-workers had been murdered. I was sitting quietly near the stand at a table, interrogating the Ice Cream World employees one by one. Although the previous day?s efforts had been a flop, I hoped for a little more success this time around. It was early in the afternoon; Heather, Jolene and Ryan, would all be at the kiosk for a few hours before the first went home. With such a small crew there were plenty of hours to go around, not that anyone necessarily wanted them, of course. ?Why can?t I go home?? Heather repeated the question for a third time, ?I didn?t realize it, but my Jazzersize class is going to start in like an hour. I totally need to go.? ?Your shift doesn?t end for three hours, Heather,? I tried to reason with her, ?How would you like it if someone else left halfway through their shift and you had to pick up the slack?? ?Slack? For your information, I was one of the first employees hired at this mall. In fact, the Korean investors who own this whole thing send me a card for the Harvest Moon festival every year, whatever that is. They always write me a personal note, too, thanking me for sticking with the place. I don?t see them sending Thomas any cards,? she thought for a moment, ?I guess they might send his mom a floral arrangement, or something. The Asians are like super respectful.? ?I worked in Hong Kong for a while, yeah. It?s true. When we would investigate crimes the people would just completely open up to us. They would welcome us in their homes, offer us dinner, all sorts of things. They really have a strong respect for authority in foreign countries, nothing like--? ?Are you two done yet?? Ryan shouted from the kiosk, only a few feet away, ?I?m sick or dealing with these morons, and I?m due for a break!? With her comments, Jolene had managed to lose any prospective customers in the area, only frustrating Heather further. ?I?m convinced he?s trying to run this place out of business sometimes,? Heather shifted her long ponytail to rest on the other shoulder, ?You?re a detective, you should do an investigation about that.? ?I?m kind of in the middle of something right now, Heather. Can we continue this?? ?Oh, whatever.? ?So, I don?t really understand why you?re still here after all of these years. Is the pay so good to keep you scooping ice cream for the rest of your life?? ?I won?t be doing this for the rest of my life,? she snarled, ?I?m just waiting to move up in my other job so I can leave this one.? ?And what is your other job?? ?I sell Vitashakes.? ?What the Hell is a Vitashake?? ?They?re for weight loss and good health. I?ve been using it for years, and now I sell them at parties. I figured I have the type of body that everybody wants, you know? With these Vitashakes anyone can look as good as I do.? ?How do you like selling them?? ?It?s so much fun! I get dressed up and drive around all sorts of interesting places. Like last week I was in Downey at this huge apartment place, trying to sell Vitashakes to some old women.? ?Wait, Vitashakes, weren?t those banned by the government a while ago?? ?Banned? No, no. They?ve changed the formula in the past year so that they?re totally safe again. They aren?t responsible for the same kinds of liver and heart problems they were in the past.? ?Hmm, I guess that?s a good thing.? ?Yeah, I?m really big on nutrition. I was trying to sell Sophia some Vitashakes a while ago, and she got totally upset. She thought I was trying to call her fat, which I was. Ever since she broke up with Thomas she has been putting on a lot of weight.? ?Thomas and Sophia used to date?? ?It was an on again / off again sort of thing. Last time they broke up it was because Thomas thought she was too immature, but he thought everyone here is too immature. Like, I?m the most mature person here. ?Anyhow, Sophia was really upset. Every day she came to work she would see something that reminded her of him, and every day she would just curl up into a little ball and start crying. It was really pathetic. Girls are so weak sometimes, you know? So then Sophia decided to try to hook up with Derek right after that, but he wasn?t interested. Besides, the rumor is that he?s gay. Now Sophia?s always talking with Ryan, so I guess they?re dating now. That?s the problem with working here, everyone is always dating everyone.? ?Uh-huh.? ?It?s so dramatic. I just wish people would just do their job and stop spreading gossip around. That?s why I went to the union about it.? ?You did what?? ?When the two of them were dating, I went to the union to complain about it. They were all over each other, in front of everyone! I don?t want to deal with them kissing or making out while I?m trying to do my job. The union had me file a formal sexual harassment complaint against them, and it solved everything.? ?Oh, I see. Uhh? good for you, Heather.? ?Thanks. It?s so childish. I keep to myself, like an adult, and I?m a lot happier than they are. I don?t feed into their little drama. Someone has to be the grown up around here.? Once more Ryan called over to us, ?Get over here, Heather! Stop trying to kill time and get back to work.? ?I?m not killing time, I?m giving important information to the detective.? ?No you aren?t,? Ryan turned to me, ?No she isn?t, man. She just thinks she can use you to avoid working.? ?You should probably just come back,? Jolene smiled, ?It isn?t very fair to everyone.? ?You aren?t the boss of me, Jolene, so stop acting like it.? ?I?m sorry. Don?t be bitter because you can?t leave early.? ?And don?t act like the supervisor, because you didn?t get it.? ?Bitch.? An unknown voice called out. ?Excuse me?? ?I think we?re done, anyway,? I shooed Heather back to her duties, ?Thanks for the conversation, Heather.? ?Aw, but we were having such a nice conversation. I really thought we were going to solve the case?? I wasn?t sure exactly whether she was being sarcastic or not. Not that I was very friendly to the woman, but in comparison to the people she was dealing with at work I must have seemed like a saint. ?Actually,? I approached the counter. Ryan was staring absently into the cold storage fridge, waiting for his shift to end, ?How many people do you need to run this place? Why can?t Heather go home?? ?I don?t really want it to be just Jolene and I, I?m not off for hours,? Ryan sighed, ?That?s why.? Ignoring the previous statement completely, Jolene patted him on the head, ?It isn?t very busy at all. I guess Heather can go. We could cover for her.? Ryan?s expression turned sour at the sheer thought of spending an additional few hours alone with Jolene. Through careful planning and coordination on his part he and Derek had managed to avoid working with the girls whenever possible. There were always a few hours of awkwardness between changeover, but more often than not their efforts could be considered a success. Heather?s unexpected departure would throw a wrench in the rocker?s plan. ?Ryan, I need to ask you some more questions,? I said, ?Come with me over to my table.? ?On second thought, Heather. I want you to go. Derek and I can take care of the shop.? ?That?s what I?ve been saying for hours, Jolene,? Heather smiled for the first time that day, ?Thank you so much, dear.? Heather opened one of Ice Cream World?s storage cabinets to grab her purse, and watched as a pile of waffle cones and assorted items fell out and onto the ground. ?This is exactly why I hate the night crew,? Heather growled, ?Nobody knows how to clean up after themselves.? Heather picked up a pink cellular phone lying on the ground and held it upward. ?Ryan, is this your phone?? ?No. I don?t have a pink cell phone, Heather. I think Sophia left it here.? ?Oh, I just figured it would be yours. You know, because of how you are.? ?That?s not me, that?s Derek,? hr blurted out, ?I mean, no! Don?t make fun of my roommate, it?s not cool.? ?You? you? shouldn?t say things like that about him,? Jolene started to help Heather clean up the mess, ?You know the things people say about you aren?t true.? ?Oh? What exactly do they say about me?? ?I think you know, Heather. They say all sorts of things about you, like how mean you are to everyone and how lazy you are.? ?And when you say ?they? do you mean ?you??? ?Okay, maybe some of those things they say about you are true.? Silently, Heather placed the pink cellular phone and assorted ice cream supplies back into the cupboard, and placed her purse over her shoulder. ?I?m going to be soooo late for my Jazzercise, I hope you?re happy.? Jolene was cleaning out some of the blenders as Heather left the area. ?Thank God I can talk to you today,? the tall man let out a sigh of relief., ?That girl gets on my nerves.? ?Heather? It doesn?t seem like many people like her.? ?No, Jolene.? ?Is everything okay?? ?Yeah, it?s just the drama here. Jolene is just as bad, if not worse than everyone else.? ?How so?? ?For example, did you know that Derek was gay? I sure didn?t until Sophia realized that he didn?t want to date her. Also, I?m in some sort of cult, since I wear this metal bracelet around. That, or I?m in a gang?. I keep forgetting which rumor they are spreading around about me now. ?Like I said, young padawan, I?m the normal one. I mean, it isn?t so bad a place to work. It sure beats working at a day-care center. All of the people I work with are a lot of fun to watch and observe, just, you know, I don?t like them on a personal level. I?m just like Jane Goodall and the apes, really. Every so often Heather discovers a gray hair and has to leave work early for a dye job, or Derek starts a fight with one of the customers. It?s moments like those that make the job worth doing.? ?And what about Jolene?? ?Joe? She?s nice, a little insane, but nice. Between you and me, I just want a break from her. I don?t have any sort of clues for your little manhunt.? ?We?d need to have a suspect first to have a manhunt.? ?You?ve been doing this for a while, haven?t you? Don?t you have any real suspects?? ?Pretty much everyone who is working here is a suspect, including you.? ?That?s reassuring.? ?It?s a difficult job sometimes. I?m sorry if that offends you.? ?It?s just that I?ve never been a suspect in a murder before. It?s the kind of thing you don?t really aspire towards.? ?Heather said something about Thomas and Sophia dating,? I tried to regain some credibility, ?Can you tell me about that?? ?Ugh, that was a nightmare, wasn?t it? Every day Sophia would explode into some sort of hissy fit because of him.? ?Was he? abusive towards her?? ?No. She just expects everyone to kowtow before her. Thomas had a lot of school and stuff going on, she couldn?t handle that he actually had a life.? ?Oh, I see.? ?She?s really, really into the superficial stuff. More than once, I?ve seen her sculpt Louis Vuitton purses out of frozen yogurt without even realizing. A generic love medley from the 1950?s popped up onto the radio, catching Jolene?s immediate attention. As a not-so-subtle hint to Ryan she turned the volume up, and went back to cleaning up Ice Cream World. He held a sad expression on his face, and rolled his eyes. ?Sophia always did this, too,? Ryan said softly, ?Speaking of oldies music--? ?We weren?t talking about oldies music.? ??what exactly classifies an oldie, anyway? Is it a specific time period, or does everyone have their own description of what is an oldie?? ?I think,? I paused, trying to collect my thoughts, ?That it covers everything from the 70?s to late 70?s. It?s an era thing.? ?So in 20 years will Spice Girls be considered oldies, or will the genre not expand with time? Of course, that?s assuming the cyborgs don?t take over,? he paused, ?Or the zombies? or the apes?? ?When is the last time you saw Thomas?? ?Not the night before he died, but the night before that, I guess. He was training for his supervisor position with the Boss.? ?Anything interesting happen?? ?Not really. Jolene and I were working together before her shift had ended, and she got into an argument with me about company procedure.? ?Company procedure?? ?How to scoop ice cream.? ?You?re joking.? ?No, I?m not. She spent a half an hour explaining to me how to scoop with the wrist, but I couldn?t because it was practically broken. I was playing computer games the night before for hours, and it put a lot of stress on my wrists. Scooping like that really hurt. Basically I told Jolene what she could do with the ice cream scoop, and she flipped out.? ?Oh?? ?Yeah, it was a big mess. She went to Thomas about it, and I explained my story to him. He sided with me, and damn, the two of them were practically screaming at one another.? ?They got into a heated argument? This is the type of thing you?re supposed to tell the police detective.? ?Uh? Felix was it? The girls here do nothing but rip each other apart. Alone, Heather has made more formal complaints with the union than every other employee in the mall, combined. The unusual thing would be if they actually got along for once, that?s the time when you really need to call the authorities.? ?This isn?t a very healthy work environment, is it? ?You have no idea. Just come here tomorrow and see the sparks fly.? ?Why? What?s tomorrow?? ?The ceremony, for Tom, didn?t you get the memo? They?re dedicating the Food Court in his honor, we?re all going to be there.? ?With the way you make it sound, nobody liked him enough to show up to something like that.? ?They don?t, but they?re paying us holiday rate, double time, as some sort of compensation.? ?So much for unity.? ?Unity nothing. There?s no way I?m missing out on $14.68 an hour.? Hours later, long after the mall had closed I called for Police Commissioner Daniel Lewis to join me at Ice Cream World. With a little help, I thought, I?d be able to break down the clues and try to make sense of the murder. I was looking through notes I had taken of the employees, desperately searching for something lead me in the right direction. After many hours, the plastic chair had begun to dig into my back. Officer Lewis wasn?t very tall, or very intelligent, or very handsome, and he didn?t really have best grooming habits, but one for one reason or another he was widely considered to be invaluable to the force. Unfortunately, his ?brilliant? campaigns to take a bite out of crime had failed to accomplish their goals. No matter how much pizza he bought, or how many gold stars he gave his employees, the violent crime rate only continued to soar. Regardless of how I felt about him though, he was still a friend of mine at one point, and more importantly, he was my boss. Besides, any feedback was welcome at that point. Daniel was wearing his uniform, his freshly pressed and navy blue exterior was a far cry from my own faded khakis and white collared shirt. There was a lot to be said for looking the part of a professional, but I?d much rather focus on a case than my wardrobe. ?How are things at the station?? I asked, ?What?s going on these days?? ?Just the usual. The new kids are morons and think they own the place. Mike got divorced to Cynthia? we?ll see if it sticks this time. Oh yeah, and legal?s tearing us apart over a wrongful arrest suit. It?s only going to mean more cutbacks for everything.? ?Those just happen sometimes, it shouldn?t be the huge issue that it is.? Daniel stared at he curiously, ?If nobody else is going to uphold the law, who will? I?m working on starting a new program within the division, rewarding them for every month we can go without a legal claim against us making it?s way to court.? ?Positive reinforcement?? ?Maybe like tickets to a baseball game, or something. You have any ideas?? ?How about they just do their job?? ?Speaking of which, how?s the case coming along, Felix?? Daniel asked, taking a long sip from his coffee mug. ?It?s a pain in the ass, and moving nowhere fast.? ?There?s no way it can be that difficult. I figured that this case would be well within your means? ?The suspects are making things tough. They are either complete morons, or the best liars I?ve ever met in my entire life. In two days of talking with them I?ve yet to see even the slightest hint of grief.? ?That happened to me once, I started asking around a tuna cannery for information about a murder and nobody seemed to care. Turned out I went to the wrong factory?? ?No, this is nothing like that. I?m at the right place at the right time with the right people. They just don?t care. They?re more concerned about? scooping ice cream and dating and union dues.? ?These people haven?t been exposed to the real world. We?re a different breed: we?ve been around the globe, gotten an education? you know how it is dealing with these more common murders.? ?I guess, yeah.? ?In Hong Kong you were always obsessing with the ladies, too. Remember Ming, how did things ever turn out with her?? ?You know exactly how things went,? I glared, ?She stood outside of our building every day at lunch time. You had convinced me after a month that she was waiting for me, but I was too nervous to talk to her?? ?And after months of second guessing it, you finally spoke to your prostitute.? ?She was never waiting for me at all, Daniel. You knew the whole time the was just soliciting herself on that street corner. That was a cruel joke.? ?You have to admit it was funny, though. You?re such a wuss. Whatever happened to your sense of humor?? ?I kind of lost it when I started to investigate murders every day. Sorry I can?t spend my afternoon putting smiley stickers onto our bulletin board like you.? ?Get over it, Lafferty,? Daniel set his coffee onto the table forcefully, causing some of it to spill out, ?We?ve been through the exact same training, the same experiences. You?re just a failure who can?t get his act together. ?How is it that I?m Commissioner now, and you?re barely making it from case to case?? ?I wish I knew.? ?Act like you already know the answer to the question before you ask it, and they?ll end up spilling out what you need to know. These people live to scoop yogurt. ? ?Ice cream, Daniel,? I rose from my seat, offended, ?The yogurt is only soft-serve here.?[/font][/quote]

[QUOTE=Lore][color=4b4b7]Like what? I'm really interested now, heh. I think...if I knew anything about comics, I would be much more entitled to talk about this subject. As it is, I've just read a few old issues of a few difference things that my dad and slash or uncles left lying around my grandparents' house when they moved out. Oh, and some of the SANDMAN anthologies. Which I happily devour in Barnes and Noble and lust over because I woudl feel guilty actually spending the money to buy them. my beautiful, Sara[/color][/QUOTE] [size=1]"The Road to Perdition" is a good example of a comic book movie where very few people knew that it was based on a comic book series. I honestly had no idea until I read an article about comic book films, and they mentioned it in passing. Yay for research. "Ghost World" is another example of an excellent comic book movie; although you've probably never heard of the film [i]or[/i] the comic book. "Men in Black," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"... there are an awful lot of movies that draw comic books as their inspiration, and nobody even has a clue. I tend to agree with Semjazazazazazazaza here that the best comic book films are usually based off of lesser-known properties where (presumably) the audience doesn't have any real expectations coming into it. A lot of the "B' characters from comics would probably be better suited for the big screen than the more popular one, because they are generally less powerful and more "realistic." People seem to be pushing for realism a lot in these films, which is fairly understandable, but you'll never be able to do something like "Green Lantern" without it seeming ridiculous. My big argument against a GL movie is that there is too much backstory to the character, and his power is incredibly vague. I think there's potential for a decent origin film, learning how to handle the power and whatno. But I don't think we'll ever see the entire Green Lantern Corps duking it out with Parallax on the big screen, or whatever. It's the quirky, unusual stuff that often works the best. There's a fantastic tv drama waiting to be made in the pages "Gotham Central," it's just a shame that they ruined "Birds of Prey" and we'll never see a primtime series in the Batman universe. "Manhunter" would also make for a decent tv series, assuming it kept it's adult nature and didn't end up on saturday mornings. PS: "Elektra" didn't suck. It was just... blah. Way better than "Daredevil," though, which isn't saying much. -Shy[/size]

Jamie stabbed into his plate of fish, struggling to slice the rubbery meat into smaller slices. It was lunchtime at Fuchu Prison, and like every day the prisoners would soon be shuffled into the courtyard for exercise. For many of the inmates, these were the only free moments they had outside of their cells, and for Jamie and Joshua it contained extra meaning. In a few short moments Jamie Kidd would confront Doppo Horigome, defending the honor of a young man he only met hours earlier. It was a dumb move on Kidd?s part, but it was a dumb move that got him into Fuchu in the first place. ?You nervous?? Jamie took a bite. ?Nervous?? Joshua asked, ?You?re the one who is about to face Doppo.? Jamie let out a small grin, which quickly dissipated by the taste of fish in his mouth. ?I know how how to take care of myself, Joshua. We didn?t have a lot of time to talk last night, but you?ll have to trust me when I say that.? ?Hmm... you're crazy, you know that? Do you even care that you're in a foreign prison?? ?No, actually,? Jamie scooped a handful of rice from his plate, ??I chose to do it, for a boy.? ?You should consider yourself lucky then,? the Cowboy sighed, ?Most of us didn?t have the luxury of choice when we first came here? ?It?s not like that. He was just a child, an innocent child, and the things they made him do were terrible, awful. I didn?t want to see him suffer anymore, so I chose to take action.? ?How very noble. And now you?re doing it again, for me?? ?That?s how life is. You see something that?s wrong, and you either do something about it, or it comes to bite you in the ass later.? ?He?s going to kill you, you know,? Joshua said, ?Doppo Horigome has killed before, that?s why I don?t fight back, that?s why nobody does.? ?It doesn?t matter who he is. How do you let him do this to you? How can you not even bother to fight back? Is your life worth living when he comes at you like that every night -- or maybe, maybe you actually [I]like[/I] it.? Joshua glared, ?This isn?t about me at all, Jamie, is it? You must have a death wish, Kidd, because that?s exactly what you?re going to get if you go out there. And me? I?m going to be left behind, and get it twice as worse because of you and your morals.? ?You looked like you needed help, Joshua,? the two stood up from the floor, ?Can you tell me that I was so wrong in making that assumption?? ?Maybe you were right about one thing, then, Jamie,? Joshua sighed, ?Like I said last night, if you succeed you?ll command huge respect inside of the prison, and if you fail?? ?I won?t fail.? The Desert Taipan turned his back, and began to walk out towards the courtyard. ?Either way, Jamie,? Joshua let out a small smile, ?I?ll be waiting for you.? The courtyard was a cold and windy place. Although it had originally been furnished with exercise equipment, it was decided that the weights, balls, and baseball bats being used by prisoners during their free time were far too dangerous. All of the items were confiscated by guards, and either sold away, or stolen by one of the more corrupt officers. All that remained was a cracked concrete floor, littered with patches of weeds that had somehow managed to grow through. Word of Jamie?s challenge had quickly spread that day, and several had begun to form a crowd around him. Only a newcomer would be so reckless as to fight Doppo Horigome, and everyone present knew it would be the type of entertaining that they would talking about for months, maybe even years to come. Jamie heard the faint sound of whispers behind his back. Although it was too quiet to understand their muffled Japanese, he already knew what they were saying. While everyone knew about the murders and rapes that gave Horigome his reputation, they knew next to nothing about the Australian. Jamie saw this as an advantage; if he was lucky, Jamie thought, Horigome would underestimate him, giving him enough time to make a strong first move. ?[u]Let?s end this now[/u],? a voice called from a pair of especially large onlookers. Large hands pushed the two men aside with ease, and Doppo presented himself to his opponent. ?[u]I?m not going to let you to hurt Joshua anymore[/u],? Jamie said. ?[u]You mean [I]Mickey?[/I][/u]? Doppo swung his fist, ?[u]The little fucker deserves it.[/u]? Jamie quickly ducked, just missing the impact of Horigome?s punch. He was faster than Jamie had expected, and he struggled to regain his stance before he was assaulted with a second, much more powerful strike. Doppo?s hand slammed into his chest, knocking him back and into a few of the spectators. Not wishing to be part of the fight, they thrust him forward, directly into the enormous man?s third punch. Dazed, Jamie struggled as Doppo wrapped one of his arms completely around Jamie?s chest, using his free hand to hold tightly onto his victim?s neck. The crowd cheered louder and louder, each one completely aware of where this fight was headed. The Desert Taipan was trapped, Doppo?s arm pulled Jamie closer and closer against his body, crushing the man slowly. Jamie kicked Doppo?s leg with his own, allowing him enough freedom to release himself from the grip, and get to the floor. Furious by this, Horigome knocked Jamie onto his stomach with a forceful kick in the side of his neck. He began coughing uncontrollably, gasping for air as Doppo rested the full weight of his bulky frame onto Jamie?s body. Jamie?s arm was pulled behind his back, twisted harder and harder it had been completely broken. Jamie remained silent, gritting his teeth and cursing to himself helplessly as Doppo grabbed the other arm. ?[u]I?m not going to kill you, bitch. No, you?re going to learn who to respect around here, one way?[/u]? he slammed Jamie?s face against the floor, ?[u]?Or anoth--[/u]? Doppo?s speech was cut off prematurely. A thick tree branch was slammed against his bald head, knocking him off of Jamie. [center][size=3][I]THUD! THUD! THUD![/I][/size][/center] Crowds began shouting obscenities as the ?thuds? began to overwhelm the sounds of Doppo screaming in pain. For what seemed like ages it went on; the unseen tree branch thrashing into Horigome?s large body even after he had been knocked unconscious. Wiping blood from his brow the Austrlian turned around painfully to discover Joshua standing over him. The tree branch, broken in half during it?s use, had been covered in Doppo?s blood. Red washed across the cement, spreading outward from the rapist?s limp body. Tears rolled down Joshua?s cheeks as he stared down.

[font=verdana][center][size=5]The OtakuBoards Nifty Fifty[/size][/center][/font] Hello again, and welcome to the 2004 Otaku Awards! That is, these are the 2005 Otaku Awards in [I]spirit[/I]. You see, just at the boards themselves have changed considerably in the past year, so has our vision for the awards. This event will not only be a celebration of the past year, but also signal a new beginning of sorts for OB in general. So prepare to be amazed as I introduce the OtakuBoards Nifty Fifty! [size=3][b]What is The OtakuBoards Nifty Fifty?[/b][/size] To put it simply, it?s a list of the fifty members, threads, or things that have made the OtakuBoards community great (?nifty?) in the past year. You, the members, are going to nominate your favorites here in this thread, and the fifty best nominees will be chosen for the list. [size=3][b]Whoever gets the most nominations wins?[/b][/size] No, it doesn?t actually work like that this time around. This particular event isn?t going to boil down to a popularity contest (wait for Otaku Yearbook and regular monthly events for that,) this one is about choosing the best, and sometimes the best don?t receive the recognition they deserve. While one thing may receive seventeen nominations, another might only get one. It?s about quality here, not votes. Make sure that your arguments are strong in your nominations, because that will be the deciding factor. [size=3][b]Sounds incredibly subjective, don?t it?[/b][/size] Yeah, it kind of is. But we?re an equal opportunity offender here at OtakuBoards. To make sure that members from every clique and segment of the site is fairly represented, [b]The Nifty Fifty Committee[/b] will be assembled to compile the final list, the OtakuBoards Nifty Fifty of 2004. [size=3][b]Who are in this Nifty Fifty Committee?[/b][/size] I?m sorry, that?s classified information. You can?t know that yet. They know who they are, and that?s all that matters for now. You?ll know when the final list is compiled. Fair enough? [size=3][b]What kinds of things should be nominated?[/b][/size] Anything, really. Members who really stood out this year, threads that had a big impact, great memories, current events that affected the boards in some way. Use your imagination, as I?d like a very broad spectrum of things to be present on the list. [size=3][b]How do I nominate?[/b][/size] I?m glad you asked. Here?s the simple form required for a nomination. [quote][b]What is it? Why was it nifty?[/b][/quote] That?s it! Some of you may still be unsure of this, though, so here's a few examples. Please keep in mind [b]EACH MEMBER MAY ONLY NOMINATE UP TO TEN THINGS![/b] [quote][b]What is it?[/b] [i]Team Hanzo Thread Ratings[/i] [b]Why was it nifty?[/b] [i]Since 'Kill Adam' came out, many members have been trying to outdo one another in terms of graphic violence and sexual content in their RPGs. The thread ratings made it safe for minors to go back into The Arena. Also, the guy who made them is incredibly handsome.[/i][/quote] [quote][b]What is it?[/b] [i]Bio[/i] [b]Why was it nifty?[/b] [i]With less than 100 posts Bio became a moderator for the Arena Underground, and a darn good one at that. He managed to really give the forum some order, and the whole area has improved greatly because of him.[/i][/quote] [quote][b]What is it?[/b] [i]"Having a Jessica Simpson Moment"[/i] [b]Why was it nifty?[/b] [i]"The point of this thread is to ask if you've ever had one of those moments where your brain simply ceases to function for brief periods of time and it caused some slight emberassment..."[/i][/quote] Your nominations can be as long as you want, or as short. Any links or images you'd like to include in your nominations are more than welcome. Just try to make your case fairly compelling, because there's going to be a whole lot of competition! Best of luck to you, and I expect this list to be a great tribute to the past year at OtakuBoards. [u]All nominations are due by January 31st. The final list will be posting a few days after.[/u] [size=1]-Shy[/size]

[size=1]...and that, my friends, is how we end this thread today. The arguments have been made (several times over, might I add) and I think it's best if we walk away from the discussion before it degenerates any further. These boards actively promote discussions like these, but not if people are going to act childish. Hopefully the next time this topic comes around (and [i]it will[/i], trust me) I'd like to see a little more maturity from everyone involved. Thread closed. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]I have completed all of the post backgrounds, here they are. If you have any problems with how they look (I use a laptop computer, CMYK-style computer monitors will view these diffferently than I do) please bring them up in this thread. Also, if you don't like the color-scheme or whatever, just tell me. Assuming that nobody has any major issues with these, I'll send out the PMs about the post backgrounds and html tomorrow morning. Tonight, I sleep. As you can tell from Alan's post, "Vignette" is officially launched. Heaven's Cloud is next to post, although I'd like to get the post backgrounds finalized before he starts. Heh.[/size] [center][b]Shy's Background[/b][/center] It may be a week or so before the actual RPG is created and before then I?d like to set up how posting will work, and address the questions anyone might have. This will be done in the [b]Vignette Underground[/b], thread to be created soon. [center][b]HC's Background[/b][/center] It may be a week or so before the actual RPG is created and before then I?d like to set up how posting will work, and address the questions anyone might have. This will be done in the [b]Vignette Underground[/b], thread to be created soon. [center][b]Vicky's Background[/b][/center] It may be a week or so before the actual RPG is created and before then I?d like to set up how posting will work, and address the questions anyone might have. This will be done in the [b]Vignette Underground[/b], thread to be created soon. [center][b]Siren's Background[/b][/center] It may be a week or so before the actual RPG is created and before then I?d like to set up how posting will work, and address the questions anyone might have. This will be done in the [b]Vignette Underground[/b], thread to be created soon. [center][b]Alan's Background[/b][/center] It may be a week or so before the actual RPG is created and before then I?d like to set up how posting will work, and address the questions anyone might have. This will be done in the [b]Vignette Underground[/b], thread to be created soon. [center][b]Lore's Background[/b][/center] It may be a week or so before the actual RPG is created and before then I?d like to set up how posting will work, and address the questions anyone might have. This will be done in the [b]Vignette Underground[/b], thread to be created soon. [center][b]DW's Background[/b][/center] It may be a week or so before the actual RPG is created and before then I?d like to set up how posting will work, and address the questions anyone might have. This will be done in the [b]Vignette Underground[/b], thread to be created soon. [size=1]-Shy[/size]