Dagger

Scientists believe that the most primitive cells began to develop around 3 million years ago. More advanced [i]cells[/i] didn't even appear until 1.5 million years later. Isn't that enough time for sophisticated organelles to evolve? Animals, for the most part, cease evolving when they find an evolutionary "niche"-- that is, when they're developed to the degree that they can survive competition and predation without dying out. That's why some species seem to have stopped evolving. ~Dagger~

Ah, good question. No, she doesn't know it at first, although it's obvious to both her and others that there's something slightly strange or wrong about her. Although she's an android, her physical strength isn't that much greater than that of the average human. If she were going to be useful against the invaders, it would be because of the information (if there is any) locked within her mind (motherboard, whatever), not because of her fighting prowess or any kind of superhuman ability. ~Dagger~

Congratulations on becoming a moderator!! ^___^ Anyway, this is my second character?. and yes, he?s very much male. [b]Name[/b]: Anubis Nox [b]Age[/b]: 35 [b]Gender[/b]: Male [b]Race[/b]: Ethai?En, with some Frae-Ren ancestry [b]Location[/b]: Ma?Uriith, Maurii [b]Occupation[/b]: Street magician, illusionist, black mage [b]Appearance[/b]: See attachment for further detail. Anubis is just under six feet tall. Physically, he is both agile and powerful, due to his lithe, muscular build. He wears an ankle-length, gray-green cloak, and always carries a mage?s rod (his main weapon), which is a simple staff carved of aged ivory. Beneath his cloak, Anubis sports a sleeveless white tunic, light brown breeches, and a similarly colored belt. His clothing is mostly Spartan in nature, but is made from very high quality fabric, and, like the rest of him, has a certain unique elegance. His hands and arms are covered in black tattoos of magical symbols. They are concentrated most heavily around his wrists, and gradually become fewer and fewer as they spiral up his arms. These tattoos seem to change their form arbitrarily. Depending on the day, they can look like Japanese kanji, Tolkien?s Elvish script, ancient Greek, or something else entirely. Only Anubis is aware of their true significance. [b]Personality[/b]: Anubis has something of a dual personality. Most of the time, he is diplomatic, tolerant, calm, polite, and very perceptive. He can be very difficult to dislike. However, this is largely a façade. As one of the most powerful black mages in all of Laeth E?Thae, Anubis is very calculating and Machiavellian, and has a rather nasty sadistic streak. He rarely reveals his true emotions. Of course, this is supposing that he actually has any. Ultimately, his motives are entirely unknown. He may help others at times, but it?s clearly not out of the goodness of his heart. Anubis is not tempted by the ambitions which plague other men. He is indifferent to both money and political influence, and despite the fact that he could easily gain both, seems content earning his money by performing magic in the streets. Because of this, Anubis has become rather renowned in the city of Ma?Uriith. The government knows him as a dangerous, mysterious black mage, while the children know him as the nice magician who never forgets a person?s name. [b]History[/b]: Anubis tells no one where he was born, or much of anything about his past. When he was 15, he became a student at the University of Magic in Ma?Uriith, a famous and highly selective school. Anubis was at the top of his class, and looked to become one of the greatest mages of all time, until he dropped out shortly after turning 19. Since then, he has wandered the streets of the city, and is now familiar with its every nook and cranny. [b]Tidbits[/b]: Anubis owes his unusual dark powers to his Frae-Ren ancestors, though physically he is purely Ethai?En. He is a master illusionist, and can kill someone simply by giving them the illusion that they are dying. Only a very strong-willed, magically gifted fighter could have any hope of defeating Anubis. Edit: On weekdays, 7:00 to 10:30 [pm] EST is good for me. On weekends, I can be online pretty much anytime. ~Dagger~

[b]Name[/b]: Maia Runeska [b]Age[/b]: Almost 18 [b]Gender[/b]: Female [b]Race[/b]: Shii?Saiit [b]Location[/b]: Kaer, Ii'Kaer [b]Occupation[/b]: Painter, thief [b]Appearance[/b]: Maia is 5' 7" and has brilliant red hair. Its color is true crimson, without a hint of orange or brown. She wears it in a thick, waist-length braid. Her eyes are a pale, clear amber. Maia's skin is naturally very fair. She might be pretty, somewhere beneath her habitual scowl, but she cares very little about how she looks. Maia always wears a brown tweed cap at a rather rakish angle, as well as a matching jacket, which is missing several buttons and is way too large for her. She also wears loose khaki pants and an off-white tee shirt. Her shoes are badly scuffed. Maia's ugly, baggy clothes conceal her lean, slim body, which could be very attractive, if she put her mind to it. [b]Personality[/b]: Maia can be pleasant if she wishes, and has a very dark, ironic sense of humor. But she rarely laughs, and is for the most part very ornery, antagonistic, and stubborn to a fault. She dislikes most people. However, she is loyal to those who gain her trust, and she eventually opens up around them, becoming much more friendly and forgiving than she was at first. Though she is streetwise, intelligent, and somewhat jaded, Maia is ultimately still a very young adult, and has a lot more to learn about the world than she thinks. [b]History[/b]: Maia has no memory of her family. She was raised in one of Kaer's seedier orphanages, and recruited by a local crime syndicate at the age of 10. They promised her that they would get her out of the orphanage if she became a pickpocket for them. Maia soon became one of the syndicate's best pickpockets, due to her manual dexterity and eye for detail. Although she rose in its ranks and is, at 17, a skilled thief, her dream has always been to become an artist. Maia spends all her money on paint, brushes, and paper, but rarely sells her paintings. They're too important to her. The syndicate just assigned her to travel to K?Urii and form an alliance with one of the syndicates in that city. It's not one of her usual missions, and she's interested to observe the fighting techniques of the people of K?Urii. [b]Tidbits[/b]: Maia is a very versatile and skilled fighter, and is also, as a professional thief, excellent at stealth work and disguise. She fights with either her fists and feet, two knives, or throwing stars. It has been thought that her skill at thievery might stem from some kind of latent psychic talent--nothing more than the ability to vaguely sense the thoughts and feelings of others, or sometimes the shape of things to come. She is plagued by bizarre, often frightening dreams and visions, and paints these images as a way of exorcising them from her mind. This RPG is going to be great. I look forward to it! ~Dagger~

Am I too late? Name: Morgan December Age: Unknown (appears to be anywhere between 19 and 24) Appearance: A slim, delicate-looking android about 5' 3" tall, Morgan is pale, with long, wavy hair of a rich mahogany color, and large, dark eyes. She appears strangely ageless, and wears a slightly ragged, medieval-style scarlet dress, made of satin and gold-embroidered brocade. Biography: Little is known about Morgan's past. Her memory seems fragmented. It is thought that she might have escaped from a government laboratory in one of the early alien attacks. Others believe that she is a prototype of a new robotic weapon that a rebel group is developing to combat the invaders. Opinion: Morgan often speaks in very mysterious terms, and so it is difficult to know her opinions. However, she seems to feel that the invaders must be destroyed at all costs. Although she is an android, she appears to be capable of complex independent thought. Much is unknown about her, from the origins of her name to the reason she wears that old-fashioned red dress. ~Dagger~

The interesting thing is that a lot of girls seem to like the more feminine anime guys. Just look at all the rabid Kurama fangirls-- and believe me, they number quite a few. ^__^ Yeah, I'll admit, I'm a fan of the androgynous look. But I've never thought that Inuyasha looked like a girl. Sesshomaru, [i]maybe[/i], but not Inuyasha. The only thing that might make him appear female is the long hair, and anyway, hair length doesn't say much when it comes to anime. There are just as many short-haired girls as there are long-haired guys. ~Dagger~

[center]Hallelujah Rufus Wainwright I've heard there was a secret chord That David played, and it pleased the Lord But you don't really care for music, do you? It goes like this The fourth, the fifth The minor fall, the major lift The baffled king composing Hallelujah. Your faith was strong but you needed proof You saw her bathing on the roof Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you She tied you to a kitchen chair She broke your throne, and she cut your hair And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah. Maybe I have been here before I know this room, I've walked this floor I used to live alone before I knew you. I've seen your flag on the marble arch Love is not a victory march It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah. There was a time you'd let me know What's real and going on below But now you never show it to me, do you? And remember when I moved in you The holy dark was moving too And every breath we drew was Hallelujah. Maybe there's a God above And all I ever learned from love Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you. And it's not a cry you can hear at night It's not somebody who's seen the light It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah.[/center] There are also many, many Blues Traveler lyrics that I'd like to post, but I don't want to take up too much space. ~Dagger~

Name: Diarmuid Age: 25 Gender: Male Race: Human Weapons: Throwing knives, and two short, slightly curved swords. Shield: He usually doesn't use a shield. When he does, it's a small one. Armor: Leather (and occasionally chain mail). Bio: Diarmuid was born in Rohan. It was there that he learned to be proficient with horses, but he didn't wish to live the life of a peasant, and left for Gondor when he turned fifteen. For the past ten years, Diarmuid has wandered throughout Gondor, making his living through theft and sometimes hired killings. He is a wanted man in many of Gondor's larger towns, but has managed to keep a fairly low profile. Diarmuid is highly skilled with the weapons of his choice, and can be a very dangerous opponent. For the most part, though, he pretends to be carefree and somewhat clueless. Appearance: About 5'10". He has a lean, strong build, hazel eyes, and dark brown, waist-length hair worn in a long, thick braid. He wears a rumpled white shirt with an open collar and long sleeves that are gathered at the wrist. His boots are black, with several hidden knives. His black pants are bedecked with dangling straps and homemade pockets, all of which serve to conceal other knives. Finally, he also wears a thick black and silver belt, which rides low on his waist and carries the sheathes for his two swords. Occupation: Thief and mercenary Location: Gondor I'd like to take part in this story because I love Lord of the Rings. I've been waiting for someone to start an LotR RPG, and this one sounds great. I also love to write, so this should be a lot of fun. Please PM me when the RPG is started (if I get in, that is). Thanks! ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by CB Shin [/i] [B]And do you really think that you've had more hardships than the Iraq citizens?......But the hardships In their country are beyond comparison. Even Muslim Americans have faced a lot of hardships.[/B][/QUOTE] I don't think that's what Drix meant, Shin. And I don't really understand the point you're trying to make. At first, it sounded as though you were against the war. Now, I'm just confused. When people ask me if I am in favor of the war, I usually say no, for the sake of simplicity. Real life, however, is not as simple as abstract arguments. If our original rationale for waging war had been to liberate the Iraqi people, then I would have supported it with all my heart. No human being should have to suffer so much, for so long. I'm glad that Saddam Hussein is out of power. In the beginning, the primary reason we went to war was because of the threat that Iraq might have weapons of mass destruction. I was, and still am, against this. If the United States is going to set a precedent of preemptive strikes, then the least our leaders could do is attack countries which definitely possess WMD. North Korea comes to mind. [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Drix D'Zanth[/i] [B]And American troops aren't wandering around killing policemen, they are trying to establish a system of law, and order. After random shootings and carbombings, I'd be a bit paranoid if I saw 8 armed Iraqui's.... Careful how you word things, dagger, it almost appeared as if you demonized the US soldier there.[/b][/quote] My apologies. I didn't mean to suggest that our soldiers were being careless or trigger-happy. Many of them have died in the random shootings and carbombings that you mentioned, and it's understandable that they would be wary of most Iraqis. Anyway, I was trying to say that if UN forces came in to help, the general situation might calm down a bit. With more troops (and therefore, hopefully, more control and confidence), that kind of tragic accident could probably be prevented. ~Dagger~

Name: Rin Race: Human Power/weapon: Kodachi (a short katana, easier to manuver than a longer sword, and more effective defensively.) Age: 12 Gender: Female Personality: Rin is kind, perceptive, energetic and unusually intelligent for her age. She is outspoken at times, but can also be quite reserved. Sesshomaru has taught her that silence is often beneficial. Bio: Rin first met Sesshomaru after Inuyasha had injured him with the Tetsusaiga's wind scar. She offered him food, but seemed to be mute. Later, when she was killed by Kouga's wolves, he used the Tenseiga to revive her. Rin has followed him ever since. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Harry [/i] [B] Don't you remember studying the Crusades? The christians got slaughtered. [/B][/QUOTE] It's true that they didn't end up taking over the Holy Land or anything. But if I recall correctly, many civilian Muslims died (whereas the Christians were mostly soldiers). *shrugs*.... I'm not a big history buff, so perhaps that wasn't the best example to bring up. Anyway, I was trying to reinforce the idea that religious violence isn't something unique to Islam. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Drix D'Zanth [/i] [B]Many religions can be streched to the point where fanatics kill people in "the name of god." Personally, the risk of seeing a major US city go up in smoke one day is worth the destruction of a tyrannical power. Now that we've basically done that, I think we should turn the country over to the UN. I think we made the US safer today and for years to come through this action. It usually takes years after an event, for people to realize how important it was. Do I think there WERE nuclear weapons in Iraq? Yes, there was intelligence to prove that. [/B][/QUOTE] Alright. I agree with your first point. Almost any religion can be twisted in order to justify murder. For anyone who doesn't believe me, remember studying the Crusades? That was almost the reverse of our situation today: bloodthirsty Christians slaughtering countless Muslims "in the name of God." I also agree with your second point, but for slightly different reasons. The leaders of our country were extremely rude to the other members of the UN in the period leading up to this war. Some even commented that the UN was becoming obsolete. Many believed that we could win the war (which we did) and stabilize Iraq (which we haven't) without its assistence. Isn't it ironic that we're now crawling back to the UN, practically begging for help? And do we ever need it. When eight Iraqi policemen are accidentally killed by US troops, something's seriously wrong. Our army is simply spread too thin, and we can't afford to risk more American lives. I never supported the war on Iraq, but now that we're in there, we need to get the job done, and get out as soon as possible--with the help of other countries. We may be the world's only "superpower," but we're far from infallible. Your third point is debatable. I'm not a high-ranking government official, and I haven't seen the intelligence either. I thought I should point out, though, that intelligence is never completely certain. It's a composite of semi-reliable informats, rumors, and educated guesses, as well as hard evidence. So simply because intelligence may have seemed to indicate that nuclear weapons were made in Iraq, doesn't automatically mean that they were or are definitely there. Finally, I'd like to thank you for giving a meaningful contribution to this debate/conversation. I may not agree with everything you've said, but it was definitely interesting to consider your point of view. ~Dagger~

Has anyone else heard of this band? I'm a little ambivalent about them. They write their own songs, which is sadly getting rarer and rarer. I like how they turn the typical pop-punk hook into stronger, piano-driven music. But at the same time, as they've grown more popular, their sound has begun to change, and I can't say that I like it. Like so many other once-unknown bands, SC has begun to sound a lot more processed than they once did. I can barely hear the singer's vocals in some songs, which is a shame, since he has a pretty decent voice. If you haven't heard songs by Something Corporate, find some way to listen to "Konstantine" and "Hurricane." These are, in my opinion, the group's most original songs. Konstantine is a slower, piano-heavy piece with some really beautiful lyrics and vocals. ~Dagger~

I was extremely disappointed, to say the least. The movie had a pretty interesting premise, and I had high expectations for it, especially since it featured the venerable Sean Connery. Well.... The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was terrible. The characters had zero chemistry. The plot was boring and hackneyed. The script-writer should, in my opinion, be given a merciful death. Not even the greatest actor could have made that dialogue compelling. There were points at which I seriously wondered if the studio had hired monkeys to come up with a storyline. All this might have been somewhat tolerable, if the special effects had been cool enough. I don't mean to say that special effects can make a movie good, but at least there would have been something to concentrate on other than the cliche characters and bad acting. But, like almost everything else, the special effects were horrendous. Mr. Hyde looked like a poor man's Hulk, except for the fact that he was completely anatomically incorrect, and a sort of moldy/mossy color, rather than full-out green. When the [SPOILER]enemy soldier guy drank Dr. Jekyll's potion and transformed into a sort of super-Hulk/Hyde[/SPOILER], I actually burst out laughing. It looked utterly ridiculous. And don't even get me started on the ending, which seemed to be setting it up for a sequel. God forbid. If you're going to over-dramatize [SPOILER]the death of a someone I couldn't have cared less about (Alan Quartermain, played by Sean Connery)[/SPOILER], at least make it really [I]mean[/I] something. Ugh. To sum up, "LXG" is a shameful waste of money, especially since it's based on such a good idea. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Shinji Ikari [/i] [B][size=1] Beuing a girl would change alot of things, I don't think that I would have got into anime for example. The first anime I watched was DragonballZ, but I don't know, perhaps it would have been Cardcaptors or Sailor moon. [/size] [/B][/QUOTE] That's actually a very interesting point. Sailor Moon was the series that first got me into anime, several years back (although I wouldn't exactly call myself an SM fan now). It wasn't until recently that I began to understand the appeal of Dragonball Z--which is marketed entirely toward boys. If I were a boy, I think that I would have the same basic personality, although I might not understand the nuances of nonverbal communication quite as well. In my experience, girls tend to be a lot better at picking up on body language and other subtleties. I don't mean to say that boys are completely dense or anything. That's just the way things are, for the most part. Girls usually have to deal with more complex social situations growing up. I doubt that cliques are such a big deal for guys. ~Dagger~

Hmm.... I thought it was [SPOILER]Jenova[/SPOILER] that [SPOILER]killed Aeris,[/SPOILER] since you had to fight her right afterwards. Or it could be just me. But that was definitely the impression I got from playing the game (and thinking about it afterwards). I humbly apologize if I'm completely wrong-headed. ~Dagger~

A Final Fantasy anime would indeed be very cool. My vote goes to VII, because out of all the FFs, it has the most complex, challenging, and touching storyline. Plus, a TV series or OAV could help clear up a few of those plot points that everyone always argues over. ^_^ ~Dagger~

Very eloquently written. I wholeheartedly agree with you, although I can't claim to be a Southener--my state is right on the Mason-Dixon line. I tend to become very uncomfortable about people who display the Confederate flag. It reminds me of slavery, racism, and a myriad of other unpleasant things which we should try to remedy and put behind us, rather than get all nostalgic over. Ugh. ~Dagger~

I actually think that Inuyasha would make a great MMORPG, because you could choose from a number of different races and classes (demon, hanyou, human, monk, demon-slayer, priestess, etc). Too bad that it'll probably never happen. I'd love to see Rurouni Kenshin as an RPG with a real-time battle system, in which you'd fight alone. It'd be awesome to replicate Kenshin's moves..... however, this game would naturally need to require a certain degree of skill. I'd hate to play a Kenshin button-smasher. There are already one or more Yu Yu Hakusho games, but if they're anything like the Inuyasha PSX game, they probably aren't so hot. A YYH RPG would be incredibly cool. I'd have the four main characters (Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara) fight in a party, like in Kingdom Hearts, but allow the player to decide which character to control during battle. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by XeEmO [/i] [B]You say there's no reason for anyone to get drunk. Then you said there's no reason for a teenager to drink. Are you implying there [b]are[/b] reason's for people of age to drink, but not get drunk? [/B][/QUOTE] It's my belief that if you're of age, and you want to drink because you like the taste, or for whatever other reason, go right ahead. Hopefully, by then you'll have the ability to judge how much alcohol is too much. ~Dagger~ Edit: Yes, there are reasons.... but I don't mean to say that they're stunningly good.

I do think that the Black Capes must have had some purpose. However, keep in mind that a lot of things in Final Fantasy VII seemingly have no purpose (i.e. the Tissues and the 1/35 Soldiers). Anyway, if Sephiroth didn't kill the President, and none of the Black Capes did either, who did? ~Dagger~

Honestly, I think it's impossible to judge your own emotional maturity with complete honesty. To say the least, it's difficult to avoid being either too kind or too critical of yourself. Anyway, in my experience, everyone matures eventually. Some people are forced to learn emotional maturity at a young age because they've had to deal with hardship or abuse. Some people don't grow up until they're in their thirties. But ultimately it depends on the individual. I'm fifteen, and although I think I'm a fairly intelligent person, I know that I have a lot to learn about life. I tend to romanticize situations in which I should try to be objective, and I'm so eager to be in love that at times I subconsciously try to convince myself that I am. *shrugs* I suppose I'll grow out of it, neh? ~Dagger~

Oh this is fun. It's hard to resist the urge to say, "Just give me everything!" But *slightly* more seriously, there are several supernatural abilities that I'd want. 1. Enhanced speed (like the Flash, or Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho). Who needs laser eyes or fists of steel when you can just run away really, really fast? ^__~ 2. The ability to fly (without wings, by controlling the wind). Flying would just be awesome. And unlike apparating, it would consume physical energy, so I wouldn't get fat and lazy. 3. Telekinesis, because it would make multitasking a whole lot easier. Plus, I'm sure that being able to throw things with one's mind would be very handy during battle.

Personally, I find underage drinking--as well as drunkeness at any age--pretty disgusting. To me, it shows a lack of willpower. It seems that most teens drink because they're bored, because they don't want to feel awkward and out of place, or because they're trying to be rebellious. There's absolutely no reason for a teenager to drink. It's dangerous, stupid, and basically pointless. If anything, drinking makes one act less mature. Breaking the law for the sake of fun is a pretty immature thing to do anyway. ~Dagger~

I think Kurama [Yu Yu Hakusho] and Kenshin [Rurouni Kenshin] look rather similar, what with the longish red hair, spiky bangs, and vividly colored eyes. They're around the same height and have similar builds. Not to mention the fact that they both wear pink. ^_~ Sesshomaru [Inuyasha] and Kuja [Final Fantasy IX] both have long silver hair and red eyeshadow. I don't quite remember what color Kuja's eyes are, but if they're gold, that's another thing they have in common. ~Dagger~