Shy

[size=1]Sorry if this feels a little rushed? because it is. ^_^? [b]Name:[/b] [i]Anima[/i] (Latin meaning "breath of life"), Known as "Kara Richards" in her daily life. [b]Gender:[/b] Female [b]Elements:[/b] Air, Thunder [b]Power:[/b] [i]Air[/i] - Anima has the ability to control the air, usually to create powerful winds that will blow weaker opponents away. Her control over this isn't very precise, and she is unable to attack just one person with her power without affecting the surrounding area. With much concentration, Anima can focus her power to suffocate an opponent, removing oxygen from the area they are standing in. [i]Thunder[/i] ? By manipulating the air in a certain manner, Anima can generate powerful bursts of sound and minor electrical fields. This sound is more than enough to distract a foe, and anyone caught in the general area is deafened unless they have some sort of protection (ie: ear plugs.) The electrical fields generated by this burst of thunder are capable of disrupting any electronic device, similar to the effect of an EMP. Physically coming into contact with the field causes very little harm, although it can sting a little. [b]Weapons:[/b] During her time as a "mortal" Anima became amazingly proficient with most forms of martial weaponry. Her weapon of choice is a simple longsword, but will make due with anything that she can get a hold of. When fighting, Anima will often rely on debris that can be flung at opponents using her air abilities. [b]Description:[/b] [img]http://otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=552114[/img] [b]Elemental Description:[/b] Anima begins combat by surrounding herself witha powerful gust of wind. Her physical appearance doesn't change, although her clothing, hair and jewelry move about very quickly while inside of the whirlwind. [b]Birth Place:[/b] Anima knows very little about the specifics of her, or her brother's birth. She often resides in what she calls her ?home,? the island of Villa Anima, located along the Mediterranean coast. This island is known for it?s meteorological disasters, and is perpetually barraged by thunderstorms and powerful winds. It is believed that the storm above Villa Anima hasn?t ceased since the birth of her and her sibling. [b]Bio:[/b] She loved her power, but she didn't want the responsibility that came with it. Anima's first love was herself, and neevr saw a reason to protect humanity from the dangers it faced. Of all the Titans, she was most reluctant to join the first battle, and more importantly, the most reluctant to go into battle against the Apocalypse. With her power and immortality, she considered herself to be above the problems facing humanity. Had she not cared for her sibling as much as she did, Anima most likely would have avoided the conflict completely. She fought alongside the other Titans, but blames the others for the failure of their mission. Her inability to bond with the other team members was a severe weakness, and many saw her lack of humanity as being the sole cause of it. Anima was arrogant, so when her former allies had fallen into sleep she saw this as an opportunity to take control of the world she saw as her property. Remarkably, all of her elemental powers had begun to fade once the other Titans had returned to their homes. She was unable to fall into the peaceful sleep that the others had, and with her abilities depleted she was forced to live life as a normal human being for the next 1,000 years. During this time she led a hundred different lives, and learned a hundred different trades. Through all of these new experiences Anima had learned to accept the flaws of humanity, and enjoy the trials and tribulations that come with a normal life. Fortunately her immortality remained, and Anima knew that one day she would be called upon as a Titan again. Millennia passed, and that day has come. Anima (now known as Kara Richards, a talented archer and published author on the subject of mythology) has woken up one morning with a strange feeling that she has not felt since the days when her brother was around. Her gifts and abilities were back, but would her humanity be a weakness or strength against the Apocalypse? -Shy[/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Manic [/i] [B][spoiler]Jasmine was one of The Powers made flesh. She brought about world peace, but at the cost of humanity's free will and thousands of people she'd have to eat. Plus there had to be a near-apocalypse for her to be born on Earth. Were her deeds on behalf of the other Powers, or to defy them? Was she doing exactly what they wanted to do, or was she simply misguided? Good or evil? That's a question they never answered with her[/spoiler][/b][/quote] [size=1]I'm gonna dwell on this for a moment, since it's one of the more important things that has always kept me guessing about the series. The way is blurs the line between good and evil is a truly amazing thing. This season is really beginning to deal with the issue, and it's a theme that hasn't been tackled before in Buffyverse. There are good demons, and there are bad humans. In the small scope one side isn't essentially superior to the other, Angel is trying to fight for the larger picture. Saving a werewolf with ethics or a friendly Mexican wrestler isn't going to help very much, but that one act of kindness can be multiplied and shared. [spoiler]"Anne" who Buffy saved from demonic enslavement, became a recurring character on Angel during the second season and after Buffy's help she rededicated herself to helping people. Angel's kidness towards Wesley in the beginning of the series ended up being repayed countless times, with Mr. Windham-Price being one of Angel's most valued allies.[/spoiler] But it's such a larger battle than that. Angel isn't fighting for [i]his[/i] humanity, he's fighting for the humanity of [i]everyone.[/i][spoiler] Jasmine was a threat to humanity's chance to be human, and that's why Angel needed to stop her. It's a moral dilemma of choosing freedom over paradise, but he made his choice (while Conner strongly disagreed with it.)[/spoiler] Spike doesn't see the big picture, though, and he'll never be able to choose a side in the same way that Angel or Buffy has. He lives for the moment, and there may come a time when this "being the good guy" stuff will quickly fall out of his favor. Angel however, will always do his best to make the right decision, regardless of how it affects him personally. The problem with this is that Angel's morals have become skewed while inside of the offices of W&H; when you are fully immersed in that office it becomes difficult to see everything as clearly as you did from the outside. So yeah, 100 episodes of the best drama on television today. [spoiler]I can't wait for Cordy to return, and guide Angel back on his original path. If there was ever a time to inject some humanity into ol' Angelus, it's now. Things look like they are going to get bad in the coming episodes -- hopefully Cordy will bring in some relief. I just worry about the guy sometimes, you know...[/spoiler] -Shy[/size]

[size=1]As I have said before, these generic "Have you seen this anime?" threads need to stop, especially when the main post is as short and pointless as yours. Please check our rules regarding post quality, fool Cool This, any more infractions in the rules and I'm going to take. This thread is closed. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]Um, yes. gard3nomedotcom, read the rules [b]immediately[/b] and make every effort to improve the quality of your posts. They are difficult to understand, and I find myself becoming dumber as a direct result of reading them. If anyone knows the answer to your questions, they should feel free to PM. But as of now this thread is closed. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]Yeah, I'm going to be a lot more aggressive in moderating these generic "Have you seen this anime?" threads, and I ask that both of you put some more thought into your post quality. fool Cool This, please read the rules before posting again. *cough* ..you may continue the discussion... -Shy[/size]

[size=1]"And on the Second day God created snowballs... and it was good." -Shy[/size]

[size=1]I guess this should go in the sticky thread about anime programming on television that we have at the top of this page, since I don't see it generating a lot of interesting discussion on its' own. Thread closed. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]I'm still working at [i]my[/i] first job, actually. For the past 7-8 months I have been at Disneyland (California) working as an attractions host/ride operator at the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. My job consists of pressing a lot of buttons, unloading and loading guests onto the ride, and dealing with thousands of people on a daily basis. Before working there I wasn't really a "people person" but just in the past few months I find myself being much more outgoing than I have ever been in the past. Having to deal with 10,000 people going on your ride every day really teaches you how to handle people and different situations, so in that respect I have learned a lot from my position. The pay isn't very good ($7.60 an hour) but I get a lot of benefits from working with the company. For example I can get a certain number of people into Disneyland/California Adventure pretty much whenever I want, and I receive full medical and dental coverage. Even though the paycheck is comparatively low to other jobs I was interested in, I really love what I do, and see no reason to go out and find a better job somewhere else. There is a lot of room for advancement , so I don't really see the point of leaving Disney anytime soon. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]Yeah, if anyone can help this member with their um... concern, please feel free to PM them. This thread is a piece of junk, and needs to be closed, though. fool Cool This, please read the rules before ever posting again, and put more thought into your posts. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]Yeah, if anyone can help you they should feel free to PM you. But I can't really support a thread that generates no discussion. Topic closed. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]My list seems pretty generic, but these are the five movies from the year that stick out in my mind. Seeing some of these other lists' makes me lose faith in humanity to a certain degree, but I guess [i]everyone's[/i] a critic these days... [list=1] [*][b]Kill Biill: Volume 1 -[/b] If you haven't seen "Kill Adam" in the Adventure Arena you probably don't realize what a huge effect this movie had on me. This was my first QT film, so everything from the directing style to the dialogue seemed fresh and exciting to me. Like the original Matrix, I really think this is one of those movies that will influence the genre for years to come; overly-stylish action movies are nothing new, but this is one of the very rare examples of a movie can do it well. Kill Bill is more than just mindless action, this movie has a brain behind it. But beyond all that, Kill Bill has an awesome knife fight in the beginning, so for that reason alone you should see it. [*][b]X2 -[/b] It really hurts not being able to put any of the other comic book movies from 2003 on this list. Daredevil somehow managed to be "too dark" and "not dark enough" at the same time, which resulted in giving the film a campy quality. Hulk was an expensive mess, and I think that movie successfully managed to bring one of Marvel's most popular creations back to the status of a "second rate hero." Things like this really make you appreciate when a comic book film is done right, because translating something with as much backstory as the X-Men is obviously a difficult feat. Yes, X2 has it's flaws -- but from the past decade, I think it's the best example of a comic book film being faithful to the source material. It includes pretty much everything you would [i]want[/i] to see in an X-Men movie, and manages to give you more. The action ceterpieces -- Nightcrawler's opening scene, [spoiler]the Mansion's invasion by Striker's forces[/spoiler] and the fight between [spoiler]Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike[/spoiler] are amazingly well-done. Even though characters like Wolverine get a lot more screen time than they need, every major characters gets a fair amount of attention and a few cool instances of them using their powers. [spoiler]The lack of Cyclops in the movie is a major problem I had with this, though. Being the central figure that he is to the group, I was disappointed by his absence for the greater chunk of the film.[/spoiler] So yes: a good story that honors the source material, wonderful special effects, and a great ensemble cast of A-list actors. It's very rare that you get so many talented people in the same film together, especially when it's something based off of a Marvel comc. [*][b]Lord of the Rings: Return of the King -[/b] I admit that I was mostly unaware of the LotR before the movies were released. I had read the Fellowship of the Ring, but never thought very highly of it, and made a very concious decision not to finish this "boring fantasy trilogy." By the time the second film rolls around I find myself becoming hooked to the series, though, and I think this third installment was the best in the saga. Aside from from the 45 minutes of epilogue, the other 3 hours manages to flow perfectly. I didn't even realize how much time had passed until I got out of the theater, and being able to say that about such a long film is quite an achievement. There's little to say about this movie that hasn't been said already, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. [*][b]Finding Nemo / Looney Tunes: Back in Action -[/b] In my opinion Finding Nemo is an infinitely superior film to LT:BiA, but I felt the need to put both a 2D and computer generated film on my list. There was once a time when the Looney Tunes were widely regarded as the greatest figures in American animation. Sadly we are at a turning point in film animation: aside from Lilo and Stitch, no traditionally animated film has managed to compete with 3D offerings like Shrek, Finding Nemo or even Ice Age. A lot of people argue that it's the story that will sell a movie, and not the quality of the animation. This is true to some extent, but nobody can argue that the style of animation was not a major factor in selling crap like Ice Age to audiences. The sad part is that LT:BiA had to rely [i]heavily[/i] on computer animation throughout most of the movie, and it still earned a disappointing amount of money. I think people are just ready for something new, and they see this new animation-genre as an exciting new way to tell stories. Nobody is arguing that Toy Story or Finding Nemo are not equal, if not greater films than their traditionally animated peers, it's just the issue that nobody is going to see hand-drawn movies anymore. This really is the death of an entire genre, and I see very few studios doing anything to try and prevent it. In either case, Finding Nemo is one of the best movies I have ever seen, and really pushes the boundaries of what an animated movie should be. Everything about it, even those terrible seagulls come across as being absolutely perfect. Even epics love-action films like Return of the King don't have the same attention to every detail that this movie does. LT:BiA is my choice for best comedy of the year, mainly because it can appeal to all audiences. The writing for the animated characters is dead-on, and Bug's Bunny has some of the best one-liners that I have ever heard. My big complaint is with the "real actors," since they aren't nearly as interesting as the Looney Tunes are. [spoiler]And Batman makes an appearance in this movie, so it's instantly cool.[/spoiler] [*][b]The Matrix Revolutions -[/b] I disliked the Matrix, I hated Reloaded, but this came across as being an acellent movie. Somehow this chapter managed to change my perception of the whole series. Even though I enjoyed the Animatrix more, I think this is a great conclusion to the series.... yeah, I'm tired of writing now. [/list=1] -Shy[/size]

[b][u]General Awards[/b][/u] [b]Overall Member of the Year:[/b][size=1] James[/size] [b]Male Otaku of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Semjaza Azazel[/size] [b]Female Otaku of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Sara[/size] [b]Staff Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]James[/size] [b]Funniest Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Charles[/size] [b]Most Opinionated Otaku of the Year:[/b] [size=1]wrist_cutter[/size] [b]Most Likely to Be Here in Two Years:[/b] [size=1]Adam[/size] [b]Best Newbie:[/b] [size=1]Dagger IX1[/size] [b]Best Oldie:[/b] [size=1]Sephiroth[/size] [b]Most Likely to Become a Staff Member:[/b] [size=1]Dagger IX1[/size] [b]Favorite Banned Member:[/b] [size=1]Taylor Hewitt[/size] [b]Thread of the Year:[/b] [size=1]The ?Deal With This Member? Thread (I love my baby...)[/size] [b][u]Random Awards[/b][/u] [b]Avatar Award (Best Avatars Overall):[/b] [size=1]Semjaza Azazel[/size] [b]Signature Award (Best Signatures Overall):[/b] [size=1]Sara[/size] [b]Best Otaku Couple:[/b] [size=1]Queen Asuka/Piromunkie[/size] [b]Best Looking Otaku:[/b] [size=1]Babygirl[/size] [b]Otaku Clique of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Adam?s Angels[/size] [b][u]Otaku Writers[/b][/u] [b]Poet Laureate:[/b] [size=1]Mitch[/size] [b]RPG of the Year:[/b] [size=1]SYF: Aguela[/size] [b][u]Social Otakus[/b][/u] [b]Otaku Social Member:[/b] [size=1]Japan_86[/size] [b]Entertainment Otaku:[/b] [size=1]Semjaza Azazel[/size] [b][u]Otaku Anime[/b][/u] [b]Otaku of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Maladusted (Even though she hates me)[/size] [b].hack//SIGN Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Black Phoenix.[/size] [b]Dragonball Guru of the Year:[/b] [size=1]PiroMunkie[/size] [b]Digipeep of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Digital_Monster[/size] [b]Gundam Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]ZeroG214[/size] [b]Yu-Gi-Oh Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Solo Tremaine[/size] [b]Least Disappointing Yu Yu Hakusho Member:[/b] [size=1]Dagger IX1[/size] [b][u]Otaku Gamers[/b][/u] [b]Otaku Gamer of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Semjaza Azazel[/size] [b]Nintendo ?Mario? Award:[/b] [size=1]James[/size] [b][u]Otaku Artists[/b][/u] [b]Best Graphic Designer (Banners, wallpapers, etc.):[/b] [size=1]Syk3[/size] [b]Best "Traditional" Artist (Drawings, paintings, etc.):[/b] [size=1]Sara[/size] [b][u]Series Otaku[/b][/u] [b]Series Otaku Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Desbreko[/size] [b]Square/Enix Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Zidargh[/size] [b]PokéPlaque (Pokemon):[/b] [size=1]Lady Katana[/size] [b]The Triforce Award:[/b] [size=1]Desbreko[/size] [size=1]-Shy[/size]

[size=1]I'm sorry, but we have had enough bad threads about Inu Yasha in the past, and I would rather not see a repeat of those. Please read our rules about post quality; you should have noticed them the [i]first[/i] time you joined these forums. Topic closed. Hey Dagger. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]You can discuss Manga in the Poetry, Fan-fiction & Literature forum. This is not the place to write about your favorite manga series. Also, I highly suggest that you read the rules before posting again. Closing/deleting simiilar threads of yours in the Anime Lounge has made me realize that you are not a quality member, hm. Topic closed. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]I really don't like this thread, because you obviously didn't put any real thought into it. We have a sticky thread to dicuss when certain anime series air on television, and this forum is filled with hundreds of threads about quality anime series. Topic closed. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]I'm sorry, but we generally don't allow favorites topics because they often lead to short and pointless posts (aka SPAM.) Please read the rules, and try to think of more original threads in the future. Topic closed. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]Did anyone else have a crazy weekend like I did? Okay, maybe not, but the nominations have finally been counted and it?s time to move on to the main voting! Each category is down to three final candidates, and it?s your time to help decide who shall become the winners. Please choose one member from each listed category, but there is no pressure to vote in every category. If you don?t know anything about who is a good member in the anime forums, don?t vote![/size] [b][u]General Awards[/b][/u] [b]Overall Member of the Year:[/b][size=1] James, Charles, Semjaza Azazel[/size] [b]Male Otaku of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Charles, Syk3, Semjaza Azazel[/size] [b]Female Otaku of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Sara, Babygirl, Queen Asuka[/size] [b]Staff Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]James, Charles, Semjaza Azazel[/size] [b]Funniest Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Dragon Warrior, wrist-cutter, Charles[/size] [b]Most Opinionated Otaku of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Poison Tongue, Cloricus, wrist_cutter[/size] [b]Most Likely to Be Here in Two Years:[/b] [size=1]Adam, James, Charles[/size] [b]Best Newbie:[/b] [size=1]Arcadia, Dagger IX1, Terra[/size] [b]Best Oldie:[/b] [size=1]Shy, James, Sephiroth[/size] [b]Most Likely to Become a Staff Member:[/b] [size=1]Dagger IX1, AzureWolf, Poison Tongue[/size] [b]Most Improved Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Vicky, Kitty, Baron Samedi[/size] [b]Favorite Banned Member:[/b] [size=1]Rick Hunter, Taylor Hewitt, Dayday[/size] [b]Thread of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Star Wars 411, Kill Adam, The ?Deal With This Member? Thread[/size] [b]Silliest Thread of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Charles can I be a mod for?? , I?am?lone, How the James Stole Christmas[/size] [b][u]Random Awards[/b][/u] [b]Avatar Award (Best Avatars Overall):[/b] [size=1]Charles, Semjaza Azazel, James[/size] [b]Signature Award (Best Signatures Overall):[/b] [size=1]Sara, Charles, James[/size] [b]Best Location (Best Specific Location):[/b] [size=1]Charles, Drix D?Zanith, PoisonTongue[/size] [b]Best Otaku Couple:[/b] [size=1]Queen Asuka/Piromunkie, Charles/Japan_86, The Harlequin/Ravenstorture[/size] [b]Best Looking Otaku:[/b] [size=1]Babygirl, Juuthena, James[/size] [b]Otaku Clique of the Year:[/b] [size=1]OtakuBoards Yaoi/Shounen-Ai Club, Adam?s Angels, OtakuBoards? League of Not-So-Extraordinary Gentlemen[/size] [b]Best MyOtaku:[/b] [size=1]James, LazeChibi, Charles[/size] [b][u]Otaku Writers[/b][/u] [b]Poet Laureate:[/b] [size=1]Mitch, Charles, KarmaofChaos[/size] [b]Writer of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Charles, Mitch, Solo Tremaine[/size] [b]Orginal Story of the Year:[/b] [size=1]OB: Enter the Net (This was beating the other competitors by the largest margin I have ever seen. Let?s just say it wins now, and not leave poor Solo in suspense. Okay?)[/size] [b]Role-Player of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Arcadia, Raiha, Annie[/size] [b]Brawler of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Chaos, Raiha, Harlequin[/size] [b]RPG of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Kill Adam, SYF: Aguela, Black Horizon[/size] [b][u]Social Otakus[/b][/u] [b]Otaku Social Member:[/b] [size=1]Japan_86, James, ChibiHorsewoman[/size] [b]Entertainment Otaku:[/b] [size=1]Dragon Warrior, Semjaza Azazel, Manic[/size] [b][u]Otaku Anime[/b][/u] [b]Otaku of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Dagger IX1, Maladusted, Shy[/size] [b].hack//SIGN Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]AzureWolf, Black Phoenix, K.K.C.[/size] [b]Dragonball Guru of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Burori, PiroMunkie, J17[/size] [b]Digipeep of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Digital_Monster, Leh, Ben, Takuya (Three-way tie for second)[/size] [b]Gundam Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Domon, Hitokori Zero, ZeroG214, Final Flash (Two-way tie for third place)[/size] [b]Yu-Gi-Oh Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Solo Tremaine, Deathbug, Domon[/size] [b]Least Disappointing Yu Yu Hakusho Member:[/b] [size=1]Dagger IX1, Yu Yu Hakusho, Luminare[/size] [b][u]Otaku Gamers[/b][/u] [b]Otaku Gamer of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Semjaza Azazel, Shimaru, Charles[/size] [b]Nintendo ?Mario? Award:[/b] [size=1]James, Shinmaru, Desbreko[/size] [b]Sony Award:[/b] [size=1]Dan, Charles, Tommy Vercetti[/size] [b]X-Box Award:[/b] [size=1]PoisonTongue, James, Cloricus[/size] [b]PC Gamer of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Cloricus, Harry, DeathKnight[/size] [b][u]Otaku Artists[/b][/u] [b]Best Graphic Designer (Banners, wallpapers, etc.):[/b] [size=1]Syk3, James, Kinetic[/size] [b]Best "Traditional" Artist (Drawings, paintings, etc.):[/b] [size=1]Sara, maladjusted, Queen Asuka[/size] [b]Best Spriter:[/b] [size=1]Dragonballzman, Kazuko, Alexander[/size] [b][u]Series Otaku[/b][/u] [b]Series Otaku Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Desbreko, Semjaza Azazel, Shinmaru[/size] [b]Square/Enix Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Semjaza Azazel, Desbreko, Zidargh[/size] [b]PokéPlaque (Pokemon):[/b] [size=1]Lady Katana, Crimson Spider (There was a five-way tie for third place, each with only one vote. This category is only down to two finalists because of that.)[/size] [b]The Triforce Award:[/b] [size=1]Desbreko, Semjaza Azazel, OlgatheDwarf[/size] [size=1]The last day to vote will be on February 6th, the results will be posted on February 9th. Thanks for participating in these years awards, and I?ll see you guys around this time next year? -Shy[/size]

[size=1]Yeah, I'm going to close this thread because any hint of an intelligent discussion is lost. Also, please watch your post quality Lord Balmung. Be sure to write longer and more thought out posts, or just don't bother writing them at all. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]Yeah, it's the 15th and nominations are now closed. Assuming that I can get all of these things counted in time, finalists voting will begin on January 19th. Have a good weekend everyone, and thanks for participating in this round of the awards. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]Um, yes. Question asked, question answered. Thread closed. Shy[/size]

[center] [b]There Goes My Baby[/b][/center] Jamie and I entered the coliseum slowly,. I was humming quietly, while Jamie remained silently focused on his opponent. From what I could remember, Jamie and Jeannette had never worked together, or even met. The Angels were never very close to us, and maybe that was my fault for trying to distance myself from Adam and his operations so late in the game. A family of assassins was not where I wanted to spend the rest of my life, but it?s difficult to escape a life like that. Ever since my parents death I had been trying to escape from my life; every time I tried to move away from my past it became increasingly obvious that I was going to repeat their mistakes in life. I had no control over it. I guess that?s the way the Angels felt about Jamie and myself. With Adam pushing us out of the business side of things, and relegating us to the role of bodyguards he risked starting a conflict. And no matter who was right or who was wrong, the others were there to defend him. Lelia made that clear on our last mission together, the night I lost my child. It was after four hours of sitting and waiting that I finally saw her exit the building. She was wearing a simple blue dress, made more glamorous by the jewelry that she had covered herself with. She looked beautiful; she always did; seeing her like that made me understand why Adam had taken such an interest in her. Slowly she moved out of the hotel, and crossed the street towards me. "It's nice to see you again, Josh," Lelia said with a smile. She had a beautiful smile, but it was a forced one. A few drops of blood were rolling down her face at the moment - the fallen angel's recent mission had ended successfully, but just barely. I was her back up in case anything had gone wrong, so for the past several hours I had been waiting for a signal of any kind. I waited patiently outside of the target's hotel while Lelia made her move on the man and his personal entourage of assassins, murderers and rapists. "It's nice to see you, too, Miss Angelo," I folded up the newspaper that I had been reading and stood up, "I was beginning to worry about you." She moved her hands through her hair quickly, wiping off some of the blood that was dripping from her forehead. "The target wasn't the problem, his family was." "A family who knows how to protect themselves... it must be nice." "I wouldn't really know..." She turned away from me and sighed, "My uncle never put up much of a fight." The two of us walked down the alleyway and into our transportation, one of Adam's elaborate limousines. Lying in the leather interior were a pair of glasses, and a single bottle of red wine. A small note was attached, probably signed by Adam himself, but she tossed it aside and began to serve us our drinks. "I love the taste of fine wine, Cowboy. Given the right amount of time, and the proper storage wine only becomes more amazing and valuable as time goes by.' "A lot of things do." I gave our driver the order to leave, "I didn't realize how much true love had meant to me until I had finally found it with Jamie. He's done so much for me; more than I could ever do for myself." "You haven't done much of anything for yourself." "It's not about me. It's about Jamie, and it's about Soju." "..and Adam?" "He has his angels to take care of him now. I want out, before my child gets washed up in all of this." "I think it's too late for that." "What do you mean?" ?I was raised into a family of killers, it seems like both of us were. But we all distanced ourselves from those lives, and we ended up following the same path, anyway.? ?But I have to try again. If I don?t then I might as well die now.? ?You should have made these decisions much earlier in your life. An organization such as this does not fall apart easily.? ?I?m prepared for any bloodshed, Lelia. If it becomes necessary, I?m fully prepared to kill that man, and every one of you who stand in my way.? "...." ??I?m sorry.? "Well,? Lelia raised her glass to toast, ?Send Ms. Diaz my love when you bleed her to death." ?Don?t worry,? I sighed, ?I?ll make it quick for each of you.? ?Cheers.? - - - - - - I drew my weapon, and prepared to make a first strike against Jeanette. She stood there with a cool expression on her face; although she was unarmed Saint Death appeared to be more ready for this battle than I was. Quickly I changed my stance, and lunged at her with my knife. Being the combatant that she was, Jeanette easily dodged the blows, letting out a small smile as she drew a dagger from her belt and stabbed my right arm. ?This bitch isn?t going down as easily as the others,? She announced as she withdrew the dagger from my body and thrust through my shoulder. I collapsed to the ground from the pain, closing my eyes and dropping my weapon instantly. [size=1]-Shy[/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by WW2 [/i] [B]Well I'm at Chapter 5 right now and only have 67% complete.[/B][/QUOTE] [size=1]I just started chapter 5 and I only have thirty-something percent completed, it's kind of sad, really. But the less I complete now, the more I'll be able to do when I replay it with New Game+. I love the dress sphere's and ATB battle system, and in many ways I think they are superior to the original sphere grid of FFX. There is a lot more room for customization, so it can be fun to see what happens to "useless" classes like Songstress and Gun Mage when you build them up a bit. My only real complaint with the new battle system is that it can be [i]too[/i] fast at times, and the difference between winning and losing a battle may only be a second or two. I'm a world class nerd, so my reflxes are pretty quick -- but there are a lot of people who don't have the capacity to work out detailed combat strategies in a three-second period. I doubt anyone under the age of 13 could handle the combat system as it is. Still, if you can figure out how to use chain attacks to your advantage then you shouldn't have a problem with battles. The storyline isn't nearly as epic as the one presented in the first game, but this game is really [i]Yuna's[/i] story, and not Spira. Since I haven't completed the game yet, I can't say how everything wraps together at the end, but everything seems to fit together pretty well so far. Just remembering the history of Spira, it is interesting how [spoiler]the Machina War 1,000 years ago was the result of a rift between the people of Spira, and following the defeat of Sin people risk repeating the same mistake. Lenne's backstory is very interesting, but I've yet to see how it will directory effect Yuna's journey.[/spoiler] Aside from Yuna, who comes across as being too much Rikku at times, every character is portrayed perfectly. There are a few new characters that keep things interesting, but my favorite parts of the game involved checking up on Yuna's former guardians. [spoiler]I haven't gotten to see Auron yet, but maybe he'll make a little cameo in the Farplane.[/spoiler] Graphically this is almost the exact same as FFX, but at times it does seem like a much less polished product. The facial movements don't seem to match the dialogue as well as they did in the first game, and so far there has been a significantly smaller number of Square's trademarked cut-scenes. The voice acting is excellent, as it was in FFX, but it does seem like they stuck with a smaller, and presumably cheaper group of voice actors this time around. Being the nerd that I am, I recognized a few of the voices from cartoons that I had grown up watching, including Rob Paulsen, who does the voice of Yakko on [i]Animaniacs[/i]. The mission-based gameplay is nice, but it ends up becoming extremely linear near the end of the game. There a few interesting mini-games, but the real meat and bones of this game is the battle system. All in all, I highly recommend this game to anyone who was a fan of the original. I'm afraid that anyone new to the FFX-universe may be very confused by this installment, since a lot of the story is based on major events that happened in the first game. Simple things like a Chappu reference really pay off for those of us who went through Yuna's first journey, but a newbie isn't going to find it nearly as enjoyable. So yes, FFX is 20 bucks... go get that, and when you're done you can play FFX-2. Real Emotion is a darn good song, too. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]Yeah, this is a terrible thread and needs to be destroyed using whatever means are neccessary. Tsukasamaster, please put more thought into your posts and read the rules. Gracias. -Shy[/size]

[size=1][b][u]General Awards[/b][/u] [b]Overall Member of the Year:[/b] James (Obviously) [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Semjaza Azazel [b]Male Otaku of the Year:[/b] Syk3 [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] PiroMunkie [b]Female Otaku of the Year:[/b] Sara [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Babygirl [b]Staff Member of the Year:[/b] Solo Tremaine (Have you ever seen the Yu-Gi-Oh forum?) [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] jblessing [b]Funniest Member:[/b] DeathKnight [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Charles [b]Most Opinionated Otaku:[/b] Mnemolth [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] PoisonTongue [b]Member most likely to be here in two years:[/b] Syk3 [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] DeathKnight [b]Best Newbie:[/b] AzureWolf [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Dagger IX1 [b]Best Oldie:[/b] Nerdsy! [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Ginnylyn [b]Most likely to become a Staff Member:[/b] Dagger IX1 (If I have anything to do with it, that is.) [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] AzureWolf [b]Favorite Banned Member:[/b] ForbiddenOne [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] kuja [b]Most improved Member of the Year:[/b] Raiha [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Baron Samedi [b]Thread of the Year:[/b] Ultimates (Pseudo-Official Comics in General Thread!) [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Shy and Syk3 Meet in Real Life! [b]Silliest Thread of the Year:[/b] Pro-life Pro-choice. Let's be mature, 'kay? [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Role Playing Writing [b][u]Random Awards[/u][/b] [b]Avatar Award: (Best Avatars Overall)[/b] James [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Syk3 [b]Signature Award: (Best Signatures Overall)[/b] Semjaza Azazel [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Sara [b]Best Location: (Best Specific Location)[/b] California - Shy [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] You need to be more spontaneous - Harry [b]Best Otaku Couple:[/b] Syk3 and Mei [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Charles and Japan86 [b]Best looking Otaku:[/b] Babygirl [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] James [b]Otaku clique of the Year:[/b] Otaku Triads [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Syk3 Biatches [b]Best MyOtaku:[/b] wrist cutter [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Sara [b][u]Otaku Writers[/u][/b] [b]Poet Laureate:[/b] Mitch [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Writer of the Year:[/b] Sara [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Original Story of the Year:[/b] OtakuBoards: Enter The Net [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Role-Player of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Brawler of the Year (sparring):[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Role-Playing Game of the Year[/b] Kill Adam [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Role Playing Writing [b][u]Social Otakus[/u][/b] [b]Otaku Social member of the year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Entertainment Otaku of the Year:[/b] Manic [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] JCBaggee [b][u]Anime Otakus[/u][/b] [b]Otaku of the Year: (Best Anime member overall)[/b] Dagger 1XI [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] maladjusted [b].hack//SIGN Member of the Year:[/b] AzureWolf [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Black Pheonix [b]DragonBall Guru:[/b] PiroMunkie [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] J17 [b]Digipeep of the Year:[/b] Digital Monster [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Devidramon [b]Gundam Member of the Year:[/b] ZeroG214 [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Yu-Gi-Oh Member of the Year:[/b] Solo Tremaine [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] DeathBug [b]Least Disappointing Yu Yu Hakusho Member:[/b] Dagger IX1 [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b][u]Otaku Gamers[/u][/b] [b]Gamer of the Year:[/b] Semjaza Azazel [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Shinmaru [b]Nintendo "Mario" Award:[/b] Desbreko [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Shinmaru [b]The Sony Award:[/b] Charles [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Xbox Gamer of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]PC Gamer of the Year:[/b] DeathKnight [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b][u]Otaku Artists[/u][/b] [b]Best Graphic Designer (Banners, wallpapers, etc.):[/b] Syk3 [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] James [b]Best "Traditional" Artist (Drawings, paintings, etc.):[/b] Sara, Sara, Sara! [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Best Spriter:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b][u]Series Otakus[/u][/b] [b]Series Otaku Member of the Year:[/b] Desbreko [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]Square/Enix Member of the Year:[/b] [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] [b]PokéPlaque (Pokemon):[/b] Lady Katana [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] Nerdsy [b]The Triforce Award (Zelda):[/b] Desbreko [size=1]Honorable Mention:[/size] -Shy Most of this will be edited later. I'm tired.[/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Ashley_the_blr [/i] [B][color=royalblue]I thought there should be a thread about retarded jokes.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [size=1]This is reason enough to close the thread, so that is exactly what I'm going to do. There is no need to promote such derogatory jokes or comments on these forums, and keeping this thread open would be an insult to the intelligence and sanity of every member on these boards. Topic closed. -Shy[/size]