Dagger

Hmm. I like Sora's new outfit. Aside from that, there's not a tremendous amount to be excited about (all though the trailer looked pretty neat, as most people seem to agree). I hope they do more in the way of character development, and that the plot is more Final Fantasy-like. Maybe we'll get to see a few more FF cameos. Chain of Memories should be a nice way to pass the time until Deep Dive actually comes out. ~Dagger~

Well..... Sephiroth does seem fairly young and strong in the pictures, doesn't he? The only official image I've seen (besides those released in the magazines) shows Cloud on one side, and a pretty healthy-looking Sephiroth on the other, with the "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children" logo between them. It had better be released in America and other western countries.... I'm sure there would be decent demand. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Meteora [/i] [B][color=666666][size=1][i]Thats pretty good and all but you could clear the pic up a bit. Also add some sort of text to it. It would be more appealing. Well as for putting the banner together you did a good job. I rate it a 8/10.[/color][/size][/i] [/B][/QUOTE] Hmm.... I can't decide what phrase to put there. Probably one of Cloud's famous lines.... or else Sephiroth's "puppet" line. Anyhoo, I've noticed that text in Photoshop, no matter what the font (I have Photoshop Limited Edition, whatever that means..... it seems to be missing a few features) tends to come out a little pixellated/grainy/utterly unattrative. Other than making it really faded and blurry, how might I fix this? Thanks!! ~Dagger~

This is a banner I made using images of Cloud from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Heh... there are about two pictures of him total, and this one has both of 'em. I originally wanted to put the FFVII logo somewhere in the middle, but it didn't look quite right. Tell me what you think! ~Dagger~

?You look nice,? Maia told Shrai?i. The girl frowned, glimpsing Shrai?i?s knowing smirk. ?Hey, it?s a compliment. I definitely couldn?t pull that off.? ?Well? Will you watch?? Maia tossed her head. The movement had been intended to flick the long, heavy braid over her shoulder, and though it succeeded, she?d looked rather comical in the process. Shrai?i hid a smile behind her hands. Oddly enough, Maia?s charm seemed to lie in her lack of refinement. ?Yeah. We can pay that Lord a visit when you?re done. I?ve already got all my tools and such?but I suppose you?ll have to change clothes first.? The assassin?s smile turned sly. She stroked her scarf, smoothing it into place. ?We?ll see.? Maia followed Shrai?i backstage, and watched idly as she conversed with the other dancers. Her new picklocks were still in mint condition? she could hardly wait to try them out. She?d brought some paper, too. Large coats had their advantages; Maia?s was capable of carrying nearly all of her worldly possessions. Humming tunelessly to herself, the redhead sat cross-legged in the wings, trying not to get in anyone?s way. She fumbled through her pockets for a few minutes before finally extracting a stubby charcoal pencil, and flipped to a fresh page in her sketchpad. Perhaps she should draw Shrai?i. Maia had a knack for capturing movement?not merely the semblance thereof. Besides, her paintings were filled with all manner of dark, wild figures. Depicting this springtime dance might make for a pleasing contrast.

Maia nodded. ?Sure. I?ll see you there,? she said quietly, setting her half-empty glass on the counter before rising to leave. For once in her life, she made sure to keep her expression carefully blank. She?d seen the way that pretty-boy bartender looked at Shirai?i. She?d also seen the way he?d looked at [i]her[/i]. It had been a brief, almost dismissive glance?. and less than a second later, he?d turned to let his eyes linger on the older, lovelier Frae-Ren woman. [i]If you had a mother, she would?ve warned you against going moony over good-looking men[/i], Maia told herself. She shoved her hands in her pockets and pushed her way outside. It was good to get some fresh air after sitting in the smoke-filled bar. She felt painfully young; both Shirai?i and the bartender had at least a couple years on her. Whenever she grew particularly irked, her fingers started itching like crazy, and right now was no exception. But why did this irritate her so? [i]Goddamit?. I need to steal something. Not yet, though. Maybe I?ll nick something from [/i]him, [i]after all?[/i] Maia shrugged off her coat, pulled her cap down over her eyes, and leaned back against the building?s outer wall. It was fashioned of cool, rough stone?not entirely comfortable, but she had the ability to fall asleep just about anywhere. And a very useful ability it was, too. She closed her eyes, suddenly exhausted. [i]Just a quick nap, then. I?ll wake up in plenty of time for her concert. I bet pretty-boy?s going to be there?. along with that god-awful fan club of his. Not having a very good day, am I?[/i] ******** OOC: Arcadia and Terra, are your characters going to meet in Tal?Ebot? I wasn?t sure if I should wait for Leile and Aissa to get acquainted before Anubis shows up. Which way would you prefer it?

Though her clothing was?at the moment?fairly conservative, Shrai?i possessed a certain sensuous beauty which made most of the other women in the bar look rather cheap by comparison. Maia raised the wineglass to her lips, savoring the liquid?s clear, sweet taste. She hadn?t even sensed the assassin?s approach. ?Thanks for the drink,? Maia finally muttered. Her voice remained terse, but its tones now betrayed a sort of grudging respect. Shrai?i was a professional in every sense of the word, and if she had to work with [i]someone[/i], well, this woman seemed more than competent. Shrai?i inclined her head. ?My pleasure,? she said smoothly, sliding into the seat next to Maia?s. The younger girl blinked and took another gulp of wine. ?I?ve never seen silver eyes before,? she said, obviously curious, but then caught herself. The best way to cover up her rudeness was probably by changing the subject. ?Look at them,? Maia grumbled, jerking her thumb towards the bartender?s harem. ?How on [i]earth[/i] does he put with that?? Shrai?i raised her eyebrows. That sole action was the only sign of her amusement?it didn?t seem as though laughter came often to her lips. ?Very easily, I might expect,? she replied dryly. [i]I like her[/i], Maia decided. [i]Sensible[/i] and [i]dangerous. I doubt she?s the type to switch loyalties[/i]. She turned away from the crowd of women, determined to ignore their high-pitched tittering, and leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. ?So where are we going? My contact told me next to nothing.?

This story could be good.... but please, put more care into formatting your work. It's difficult to read such a long, blocky paragraph. Also, your writing would be more enjoyable if you worked on your grammar, spelling and punctuation. Don't let anything stop you from writing--just keep in mind that you should try to make your fanfics adhere to a certain standard of quality. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by maladjusted [/i] [B][size=1] Yami no Matsuei is also known as Descendants of Darkness. They changed the title while making it ready for US sales. It's definately shounen-ai, but there are some parts that could make your parents uncomfortable about pre-teens or teens watching it.[/size] [/B][/QUOTE] I want to see this show SO badly... *stares greedily at boxed set* It looks really awesome. I did hear that they cut some parts out of the official American release.... does anyone know if that's true? ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Valen [/i] [B]Like I said before, it's not Wicca as a whole, but the ones who do bad things that gets recognized the most, thus making it seem that Wiccans are these Satanists out to kill everything, sacrafice pigs, birds, lizards, and other creatures. Definately not what most Wiccans do, rather, we try to strive for harmony on all levels... but when we get nagged at to "convert to Christianity and be saved or you're going to hell!" That's when we get angry... and you really don't want to get a heavy practitioner of the Dark Arts angry. Trust me. [/B][/QUOTE] Look, your argument would have been fairly solid were it not for that last statement ("you really don't want to get a heavy practitioner of the Dark Arts angry"). But you can't simultaneously say that the majority of Wiccans are peace-loving folk, and then [i]threaten[/i] those who try to alter your views. I'm not even a practicing Christian, and I found your attitudes towards Christians insulting. Your views towards Christianity are just as rife with stereotypes as the views of many Christians towards Wicca. And don't pretend that Wiccans are the only people who get "nagged at" to convert to Christianity. That's far from the truth. Do you think that Christians totally pass over Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and members of any other religion in order to pester and annoy those poor, oppressed Wiccans? I mean.... it just sounds like you guys feel really sorry for yourselves. Self-pity isn't the most attractive quality. The Jews of Europe had to endure the [i]Holocaust[/i]. The Salem Witch Trials didn't even target real Wiccans--the victims of those burnings were usually just eccentric old women whom the community forced to serve as scapegoats, not genuine practioners of the "Dark Arts," as you so glibly term them. Now, bring on the hexes. ^_~ ~Dagger~

There's a difference between downloading anime for free and actually buying a fansub. The only legitimate reason to buy a fansub is if the anime in question hasn't been released wherever you live (and won't be in the near future). Even this isn't really legal, but companies generally choose to overlook it. ~Dagger~

It was a long and rather boring journey, to say the least. A city girl to the core, Maia didn?t mix well with horses, and she absolutely loathed boats. Those several days spent roughing it across the Alwyrr Range had been the least miserable part of her trek. She might have enjoyed traversing the Sea of Xaern, were it not for the fact that she?d run out of money, and been forced to stow away on a large, smelly trading ship. Its cargo consisted entirely of half-rotten fish, which did little to cure Maia?s penchant for becoming violently seasick. By the time they docked, and she crawled, gasping, onto steady land, Maia was in a vile mood. She picked a few pockets to buy herself dinner, and set off towards the address written on that piece of parchment which Breca had shown her. As she?d suspected, it was a bar, and a rather nice one to boot. She tilted her head back to scan the building, noting that it had several stories. ?What's above the bar? A hotel, a brothel, or both,? the girl muttered to herself, adjusting her cap. K?Urii was too damn hot for this heavy coat. She?d have to nick something more practical. ?If that woman makes me wait....? Maia didn?t bother to finish her thought. Instead, she simply tossed her braid over her shoulder and stalked inside. She looked a little too young to be frequenting this establishment, but if her clothes didn?t scare the men off, her glare certainly would. She ambled across the room and plunked herself down on a nearby stool. All the other patrons were gathered into tight-knit little circles, chatting and flirting. The bartender in particular seemed to be attracting a lot of attention. He stood a short distance away from her, surrounded by a swarm of undeniably gorgeous women. Maia reserved her most vicious look for that group. She wanted a goddamn drink, and those wannabe hookers were getting on her nerves. ?For the love of heaven, put on some clothes,? the redhead growled. She?d better not be forced to serve herself, or come tomorrow, pretty-boy might be missing a few of his most prized possessions. Just a few. When it came to thievery, Maia prided herself on restraint. She glanced around the room, amber eyes dark with frustration. ?Where are you, Shrai?i??

In all her life, the girl called Maia Runeska had never once left the city of Kaer. So it was understandable, perhaps, that she had begun to grow restless. When the syndicate ordered her to travel to K'Urii, she'd spent the remainder of her money on a new set of picklocks?and a new set of paints. Maia had expected to make the journey alone. ?Forget it,? Breca told her. He was a stocky, businesslike man of forty or so, and had been her liaison with the syndicate for almost eight years. They rarely got along, but she trusted him wholeheartedly. Maia?s scowl deepened. ?I don?t need a partner,? she said stiffly, folding her arms across her chest. ?You of all people should know that I don?t work well with others.? ?Too bad,? Breca replied. He shrugged, obviously amused by the girl?s annoyance, and handed her a sheet of parchment. ?The fact is, Runeska, you?re a thief?one of the best, to be sure?but if we want someone, er, disposed of?.? ?An assassin will have to come with me,? Maia finished. She scanned the sheet of paper. ?So who is she?? Breca smiled, knowing that Maia was done arguing. This was something of a pleasant surprise; he hadn?t expected the obstinate redhead to be so uncharacteristically agreeable. ?A Frae-Ren dancer?Shrai?i Kell Chi-Rha. She moonlights as a mercenary. Chi-Rha?s done several jobs for us in the past, although she?s technically a free agent. Anyway, she doesn?t live here in Kaer. You?re to contact her when you reach K?Urii. Just go to the address I gave you.? Maia cracked a grin and thrust the parchment back into his hands. ?A bar, huh? Already memorized it,? she said cheerfully. ?So, can I get going, or what??

?One more day....? It was what he always said. One more day. He would stay in Ma?Uriith for one more day, watching the city slowly crumble. He?d known that [i]it[/i] was coming. He?d sensed it long before anyone else?years ago, when the King had been a younger man. Sixteen years, to be specific. But there was little point in counting, was there? The problem still remained: Anubis Nox, college drop-out and sometime black mage, had to choose a day to leave the city he loved. He sighed lightly, letting his gaze sweep over the empty streets. Ma?Uriith was dying, and though he found the process rather interesting to observe, he could not remain here much longer. ?Feurith?? Anubis asked himself. It was amusing how he seemed to be the only person for miles who had the nerve to venture outside at night. ?No. Feurith will be full of cowards. Tal?Ebot or Uthmae, then. We?ll see where the wind takes me.? He turned towards the city gates, tossing a coin over his shoulder for good luck. Anubis had never been superstitious, but he knew that he was not alone. [i]Something[/i] was out there, watching him, stalking him, and though he didn?t fear it, he knew that it would not leave his side until he was gone from this haunted city. A few steps later, he stopped, lips curling in the slightest of smiles. Apparently he wasn?t the only wanderer out tonight. A much shorter figure was walking down the same street, though it was headed in the opposite direction. Anubis paused to watch, murmuring softly to himself all the while. ?Black clothes, white runes? rather young for an exorcist, aren?t you?? He rummaged through his pockets, finally producing a second bronze coin, and chucked it deftly at the boy?s head. ?You?ll need the luck more than I do, stranger,? he said amiably. The mage turned, not bothering to watch the exorcist?s reaction, and strode away, his staff glowing faintly to light the path. A few more minutes, and Anubis would say farewell to Ma?Uriith?to the cursed place that it had become. _____________ OOC: Nah, don't worry about it being late. Is my post alright?

My favorite mech would definitely be RahXephon (from, well, RahXephon.....). Its design is absolutely gorgeous, and its weapons are rather impressive. I just find the idea of mechas battling with the power of sound to be absolutely fascinating. It doesn't hurt that RahXephon is a beautifully animated series, so you really get to see the mechas strut their stuff. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by zaufier [/i] [B]i like the character of sagara i've watched the 1st five episodes aaargh! i really hate chidori! [/B][/QUOTE] Why on earth do you hate Chidori? She's one of the best female characters out there--strong, beautiful, realistic, and unafraid of her emotions. Anyway, I've seen the first 8 episodes of FMP, and I do like it very much. I wasn't as hugely impressed with it as I was with RahXephon, but it's still a gorgeously animated show, with decent characterization and some pretty hilarious moments. So far, I prefer the sub to the dub. The dub actors and actresses are all very talented . . . yet it feels like something's missing. I look forward to finishing this series, although I'm a little worried about the ending. It probably won't be very satisfying, as there's already a second season in the works. Oh well. I suppose I can wait. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Double_B_Daigo [/i] [B]They can change there personality, but to the point were they make a complete U-turn in the way they think or the way they love. Whaat i mean is that, in the Miroku/InuYasha case, is that Miroku is a caniving womanizer and spends his time trying to get with Sango while InuYasha is in deep hearted love with Kagome and Kikyo. Then a fanfic writer comes and says that InuYasha totally drops the two women he HAS KILLED FOR and Miroku has stopped his womanizing ways, which he has followed for his entire adolescent to adult life, to go for each other. I'm not trying to say that the people who write aren't true fans, but there just using the characters to act out there fantasies instead of creating an epic sequel to their much loved series and furthinering the already set character's love life between the people they had fallen in love before hand. And again, I don't care if they use characters that are or possibly gay. I don't care. Do what you want with Kurama and Hiei or whatever. Go ahead. [/B][/QUOTE] Thanks for your permission. Kurama/Hiei is, after all, among the best shonen-ai pairings ever. ^__^ Er, anyway..... about Inuyasha/Miroku. I'm not personally a fan of this couple. However, the best fanfic authors--and they do exist--can work miracles. This type of author wouldn't make Inuyasha "totally drop" the two women whom he's killed for. He would instead be forced to grapple with his changing emotions, and the whole thing would turn into a crazy love pentagon (what with all the relationships involved), or something to that effect. The point is that some fanfic writers strive to make their writing as realistic and heartfelt as possible, no matter how unlikely the couple. It's a bit insulting to suggest that all fanfiction is written by a bunch of drooling, irrational fangirls with fluff for brains. I'm a big fan of shoujo-ai, het, and shonen-ai, so I guess that I get the best of every world. The main reason I like homosexual couples, however, is for the "forbidden love" factor (as a number of other people said). There's a certain courage and poignancy (and yes, angst) which comes into play in male/male and female/female pairings. ~Dagger~

Yes, I've experienced those kinds of feelings. They're not very enjoyable. Still, you can try to make the best of your situation, and you can definitely learn something from this. Other people are great and all, but ultimately the only person you can depend on is yourself. It's incredibly cliched, but it's true. It sounds to me as though you know how to be happy by yourself, and that you don't rely on others to bring you happiness. What are you trying to get away from? The people you spend most of your time with, or the ways in which you normally spend your time? In any event, I wish you luck in sorting things through. ^__^ ~Dagger~

Hmm.... I'm simultaneously elated, shocked, and deeply worried. This movie would be SO easy to screw up, no matter how great the visuals are. Final Fantasy 7 is my favorite game of all time.... if Advent Children didn't live up to its standard of quality, I'd be incredibly disappointed. I heard that Advent Children will only be an hour long, which is rather a rather short length of time for FFVII's long and twisty plot. I really, really hope that it doesn't turn out like X (the movie)..... ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Heaven's Cloud [/i] [B][color=indigo]I don?t understand what money has to do with honor. Who is to say that a man that makes millions of dollars a year isn?t an honorable person? Sure he may have a BMW and swanky clothes, but he also may employ hundreds of people, be incredibly generous with bonuses and benefits, and organize several charity events. I find that the wealthy people I know are the most honorable, I don?t think that living comfortably has anything to do with giving back to the community. I do think that honor, or at least the concept we view as honor, has changed quite a bit since the dark ages. Although we don?t slay dragons to protect fair maidens and longer, honor can still be found in the details. You can find it in the mother who watches other families? young children while their parents go to work. It is evident in people that work at soup kitchens during their lunch hour. Honor is even in the man that held the door open for you at the grocery store when your arms were filled with bags. In the end all of the definitions for honor boil down to having respect for your fellow man.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] I agree with what you're saying. People can pursue the careers that they love, and end up acquiring a lot of money in the process. Others simply want to make a decent living, and though their occupations may not be ideal, they're happy simply knowing that they're doing their best. However, I think it's unfortunate that some people are so driven to be number one that they pay no heed to the welfare of others. Like Daigo, I've met a lot of people who would cheat, lie, and bend over backwards in order to win--not necessarily in a fight, but rather in whatever area of life strikes them as being most important At the same time, I've also met people who've astounded me with their honesty and reliability. Our culture doesn't really do much to encourage truthfulness or integrity. Nevertheless, these qualities are there to be found, and I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by DuoMax [/i] [B]I haven't really noticed a Liberal bias in the news media, in fact, I've really only seen a Conservative bias. This of course leads me to one conclusion. Since both Liberals and Conservatives see the Media as biased, it's obviously moderate! :P [/B][/QUOTE] I absolutely agree with you. Liberals say that there's a conservative bias, while conservatives say that there's a liberal bias. What gives? ~Dagger~

Honor (n.): 1. Principled uprightness of character; personal integrity. 2. A code of integrity, dignity, and pride, chiefly among men, that was maintained in some societies, as in feudal Europe, by force of arms. 3. High respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem. 4. Glory or recognition; distinction. It seems as though American culture is founded not on basic integrity or authenticity, but instead on winning the rat race. People want to do well in school--without working hard, if possible--so that they can get into a good college, which will then help them get a good job, make lots of money, buy a BMW, and be . . . [i]happy[/i]. The idea that material possessions or fiscal assets can lead to personal happiness strikes me as rather juvenile, at best. At worst, it implies that our society is inherently greedy and selfish. In my mind, the ideal honorable person would do the right thing whether or not it was not conducive to getting ahead. I realize that what exactly constitutes "the right thing" is open to interpretation, and I'll try to address that in a later post. But right now, I want to say that I believe that an honorable person is one who acts selflessly and sticks to his values, even when he doesn't have to. A person who refrains from cheating on tests is not automatically honorable--he's just doing what he's supposed to. Is it honorable or even praiseworthy to simply perform one's duty? Honor should be its own reward, shouldn't it? I've been reading Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf for my English class, and we talked about the understanding of honor in the Middle Ages versus what we think of as honor today. In the feudal era and earlier times, it was honorable to die for one's lord or country. It was honorable to die for the sake of revenge. That certainly holds true today. Yet isn't it better to try to [i]live[/i] for your cause or your nation? Is that less honorable than dying a so-called glorious death? And what place does honor have in the life of the average person? I look forward to your answers. ~Dagger~

Wow, I'm in awe. I would definitely have fallen for that. Nice work...... ~Dagger~

Actually, I thought that this discussion has, so far, been very effective and interesting. My original post may have been a bit on the inaccurate side, due to a fit of extreme idiocy, but the other posters definitely made up for that. I consider myself to be pretty strongly pro-evolution. However, reading other people's responses made me think about how little we actually know. I guess one could say that the problem with discussing evolution vs. creation is that very little about this topic is clearly defined. Most of it depends on your personal beliefs and interpretations of a few meager facts--and even those are rarely certain. People may ultimately believe whatever they want to believe, but I like to think that OBers are, for the most part, open-minded enough to participate in this kind of debate and simultaneously take into consideration the fact that others' ideas might be valid as well. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Drix D'Zanth [/i] [B]Ok, let?s get some actual substantial evidence for or against evolution please? Stuff like this? this is not good. The FIRST cell came around 3 million years ago, and dinosaurs died off about 65 million years ago. So what does that make dinosaurs? I think you should actually research this topic before stating your opinion, please. I don?t suggest you continue to post on the thread without knowing what you are talking about. [/B][/QUOTE] Oy. I need to get more sleep. Sorry about that.... I definitely meant to type 3 billion years. I was going to dig out my old biology book, but I took the lazy route and looked it up on a website with ridiculously small print. So you have my deepest apologies. That was a stupid error. ~Dagger~