Arcadia

[quote name='Dagger][spoiler']- Mikhail. Second time's the charm? Alternatives: Cindy, Tom.[/spoiler][/quote] [spoiler]I'll miss the crazy Russian. The world needs more KGB references.[/spoiler] [quote][spoiler]- Ben, though it pains me to type it. It seems like they've been setting Richard up as his replacement. I hope he keeps appearing in the past, a la Ethan.[/spoiler][/quote] [spoiler]I hadn't quite thought about it like that, but now that you've said it, I agree - Richard is certainly being set up for something, that's for sure. If Ben does bite it, then, I wonder what new direction Richard will take the Others in, and what will happen to Juliette if the fertility issue is dropped? Now that Sawyer has the tape, she definitely won't be fitting in with the survivors, but I don't think the Others necessarily see her as integral part of their club, either. I'm trying hard not to make any Survivor references here.... even though I just did.[/spoiler]

I love Ben. [spoiler]If he dies, I will be very upset. He's so manipulative and shady, it's fantastic. And his hair keeps getting better and better. For some reason I kept thinking he was going to start beating Locke with his little cane... The parallels between Locke and Juliette are interesting, considering that they are both in very similar situations. They're both from different camps, and they both seem to have some ulterior motives - Locke says that he's not infiltrating, but I don't think he's much of a team player, either. At this point I think Juliette is also just waiting for the right opportunity to screw Ben over. The difference is that she wants off the island and Locke wants everybody to stay. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.[/spoiler] I don't really do much outside reading for Lost, although I think I want to start listening to those podcasts. But those [spoiler]death toll numbers are a little scary to me... hard to pick, too. I don't know that they could kill off Sawyer just yet. I think he's a little too popular - it would affect ratings too much. If he's going to die at all, it would be towards the end of the show, with some big heroic action that makes up for the years of conning or whatever. I don't want Ben to die, but I could see it happen. Viva la revolution, and all that. Although I think that some of those deaths would also be in the other's camp - maybe Richard, since he seems so sympathetic to Locke. And as a side note, Hurley is quickly becoming one of my favorites this season - too freaking funny. Especially when he goes to find Sayid and asks, "Can you keep a secret?" And Sayid just stares at him. Glorious![/spoiler]

It took a lot of will-power for me to not completely fall apart by the end of the movie. Granted, I'll pretty much cry at anything slightly cinematic these days, but this was really.... wow. [i]Loved[/i] it. I think what I like best about it, though, is how incredibly dark it is - even the fairytale parts of it. It was very Brothers Grimm, I guess, in that it remained true to form - fairytales were meant to scare children into behaving more often or not, and so the darker they were the better. Even Pan was pretty freaking creepy to me (though also very awesome - I love that he sounded like trees). Fantastic women actors, I have to give them all props. Obviously the little girl was amazing, but the two older women were spectacular as well. I remember seeing the HBO thing, too, and knowing how many limitations they had to begin with really makes you appreciate the work put into the film even more. [spoiler]As for the fantasy aspect, part of me really wants it to be real, but I don't think it is. I agree that a lot of it seemed to actually be happening - it would be hard to imagine labyrinth walls moving on their own to accomodate you - but the end I thought was more of a personal fantasy than actual reality because her mother and the baby are there (her mother, now with that swanky white wig, is holding him). I think the point, like DeathKnight was getting at, is that when things suck that bad, you need something else to keep you going and make you happy. Damn fascists![/spoiler]

There's a lot of great theories in here. It makes me happy people enjoy discussing this as much as I do. ^_^ I definitely agree with the R. A. B. theory, as well as the "Snape is good guy (if not a good person entirely)" one. I don't think Draco is important enough to warrant that much of J. K. Rowling's attention and so I have to lean with Dagger on that one. At most he just seems a little too foolish to me to merit any kind of triumphant return to the light - he's more or less just a pawn. But hopefully he'll have been smacked around enough now to realize how bad Voldemort really is. Dumbledore's death should have something to do with if he does end up redeeming himself. I don't remember enough about the Horcruxes to make any comments there, but if we're going to talk about who's going to die in the next book, I'm almost positive that a Weasley is going to bite the dust. Let's face it, the odds are just against them. And out of the Weasleys, I see Arthur as the one to go simply because he has proved himself to be such a good, dependable guy from book one to book six. He's also constantly butting heads with Lucius and if Lucius could take out anybody from the ministry, especially somebody whose death would heavily affect Harry, it would be Arthur. If it does come down to a battle between the two, though, and Arthur has to die, I'd like to see him take Lucius down with him. Out of the other Weasleys, I feel like Percy would be next. He could either remain an idiot and total disgrace to the family and become a casualty, or he could redeem himself and align himself with the Order of the Pheonix and the rest of those loyal to Dumbledore and than die a reformed man. I would like to see him change but he may be too thick-headed to even be capable of that. As far as Harry living or dying in book seven, I whole-heartedly agree with Dagger on this one. It's clear enough that one of them has to die. But the books have also shown how connected they are beyond the line in the prophesy and I wonder if the victor wouldn't be able to do the job without seriously hurting himself in the process. And as Ms. Asphy has mentioned, I think Harry's family is going to play a big part of this as well. I can't wait to find out why Lily and James were hiding from Voldemort in the first place - why were they so important, besides having a baby at a specific time? Neville solidly remains one of my favorite characters, as well, and I can't wait to see what book seven holds in store for him. If he dies, I will be incredibly upset. I don't think he will though - I think he's going to finally prove himself his parent's son and totally kick ass. I don't think Lupin will die, although Tonks might, and I think that despite Sirius being 'past the point of no return' he's certainly not going to be completely absent from the play of things.

I would also like to see the story finished - it has a lot of potential to it and a finished story is better than an unfinished one. If you don't want to post it or feel uncomfortable doing so, you can always just e-mail it out to those that are interested. It's your story though, so it's pretty much up to you to do whatever you want with it. ;p

I kind of love [u]The Scarlet Letter[/u]. It's one of those books that I've read a couple different times for school, and each time I read it I like it more and more. Hawthorne drives me a little crazy sometimes with his going on and on about bushes and light and babbling brooks and all that, but he's still a great writer, and incredibly good with characterization. I appreciate that aspect of his stories a lot, but, much like [u]Wuthering Heights[/u], most of the time I have the overwhelming urge to strangle each and every one of the characters. Also, I don't like Puritans. Depending on what version you have, a lot of them come out with essays about the novel or the author, in addition to the text itself. I have the Norton Edition and I've got to say, they always do a really good job with that. There are critiques in there from Hawthorne's own time, as well as more modern ones that deal with theory. The one thing that really amazes me about the ones contemporary to Hawthorne is that a lot of the people writing thought that the book wasn't Puritan enough. Early America really scares me sometimes (not that I don't feel the same way about present day America, but hey).

Since all I have been doing this semester is reading [this is your warning, future English majors], I guess I will recommend a few books. Recently I finished [U]The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven[/U] and [u]Smoke Signals[/u], both of which are written by Sherman Alexie. It's Native American literature and it's actually my first foray into this genre and I have to say it's been pretty effing amazing. [u]The Lone Ranger[/u] is a collection of short stories he's written that are pretty much autobiographical and [u]Smoke Signals[/u] is actually a screenplay that was made into a movie. Both texts have a lot to do with Alexie's relationship with his father and what it's like to be an Indian on a reservation. They're incredibly emotional books, and Alexie writes so wonderfully - it's almost kind of surreal at times, which really seems to fit with the Indian tradition of visions. He's definitely a major American figure in literature, though, if anybody is interested in that. Another book I read recently [and way behind the curve, I know] is [u]Beloved[/u] by Toni Morrison. There is a reason why people think she's one of the greatest, if not [i]the[/i] greatest, writer of our times. The book is absolutely amazing, and the back and forth relationship between the past and the present is incredibly powerful. It's a kind of ghost story that takes place just after slavery is abolished, but the memory of it is by no means gone. Everything in this book revolves around memory and the way she dips in and out of it is so fluid and easy. She's just a superb writer. You don't get much better than this. Right now I'm about twenty pages into [u]Their Eyes Were Watching God[/u] by Zora Neale Hurston and it's pretty good. I'm not really far enough into it to start passing any judgement, but I'll probably like it. I can say, however, that I generally do not like books with dialect. It slows down the reading and you start concentrating on trying to figure out the words and what the hell somebody said instead of what's going on in the story. Realism is not my favorite literary movement, that's for damn sure.

[size=1]I just saw this movie today with my brother and I was sufficiently entertained, thank goodness. It started so [i]terribly[/i] with the [spoiler]stupid mob guy who can't act worth a damn but looks great without a shirt[/spoiler] and I really thought the first couple deaths were just ridiculous. It just seemed incredibly juvenile compared to the rest of the movie. Which I guess wouldn't have been so weird if they hadn't tried to up the seriousness of the whole thing later with the [spoiler]older woman saving the baby and then dying and the little kid getting bit. Although the latter was somewhat lessened by Keenen and the other guy watching her suck the poison out and making those silly comments.[/spoiler]. My favorite part was definitely [spoiler]the snake specialist, he was hysterical. And Samuel L. Jackson's line in response to the whole pheromones predicament was classic: "Great! Snakes on crack!"[/spoiler] Holy god, it was beautiful. And it has, of course, re-affirmed my earlier belief that if I was ever to be on a snake-infested plane, the only person I would ever turn to in my hour of need would be Samuel L. Jackson. I wish I had gone to the first showing, though, that would have been the best. One of my friends and his brother went and took rubber snakes with them. Apparently the crowd cheered everytime something remotely entertaining happened. Gotta love that.[/size]

[size=1]As much as I enjoy the interesting ways you're creating corpses here, I think it would be great to have a few parts that are focused more on character developement. Mostly because that's just my favorite part, but it would also help explain everything else a little more in that we actually know what's going on with everybody. Great job, as usual. ^_~[/size]

[size=1]Awesome as always, my dear. There seem to be more details involved this time around, and slowly I think we're beginning to see more of each individual character. Like somebody said before this latest chapter, I think that's the part you should flesh out the most. It's already good, but once you get personality quirks going and everybody really gets to know everybody, this story will be incredibly deliciouso. Ha ha, numbers and letters. That was the best. But I will admit, it scares me to think about what Mims could do with all those extra letters in Literati. It... it just wouldn't be [i]right[/i]! Also, does this mean we get to start kicking butt? Can I use the surfboard? ¬.¬[/size]

[size=1]Me and Mims have the same bracelet! :blush: Sounds like this is going to be lots and lots of fun. Last time around it was awesome anyway, but I think now that the humor is a little more subtle and the situations are less cut and paste, it'll give the story more of an edge. That, and we're totally a foxy, crime-fighting force... that's more than five, unfortunately, but I think you can never have too many women in bikinis. Also, I like Syk's elevator entrance. Very swank.[/size]

[size=1]I KNOW WHO IT IS!! ....obviously, it has to be Ben. He's been here forever, and yet he was never voted into every catagory for the Otaku Awards and now that opportunity is gone FOREVER. And I think we all know how vague that line between genius and insanity is... *coughs* ...right. Conspiracy theories aside, I still love this story. What really stands out to me is the attention to "reality," even in an internet-based world like the OB. It's very easy to get drawn into and there's equal attention to environmental details and to character. And everybody's so serious, heh. Seems so... unnatural.[/size]

[size=1][b]Dagger.[/b] Because she works hard all over the Otaku network and she is not only incredibly intelligent and extremely easy to talk to, but she's also just a cool person overall. And she knows more about anime and the like than I ever will in my entire life. Rock on. [b]Shy and Community Events.[/b] Because of Shy's dedication and hard work and amazing good looks the Community Events forum has been more active than I have ever seen it previously. It's really awesome to see how that area has grown over time (even the short time I've been around), and it's exciting to think of what could happen next. ^_^ [b]The Art Studio and Everybody Involved.[/b] Because creativity rocks and though it's just one of the many places it flourishes on the board, I always enjoy stopping in and seeing all the crazy things that people think up in there. Especially since graphic arts really just isn't my forté. [b]Desbresko.[/b] Because he kicks a lot of nad while wearing a snazzy tuxedo on his amazing foot. And also because he's [i]always[/i] been such a huge part of the boards and the history here, and he's still doing all kinds of cool things. [b]Random Holidays on the Calender.[/b] Everyone should seriously use the event reminder way more than they do. You know you want to dedicate a day to something random. It's always so much fun, too, to look down there and remember that it's National Pirate Day or something. Y'arr, mateys. Ummmmmm. That's all I got for now. I may edit at a later date, but one that is not later than Jan 31. Si.[/size]

[size=1][b]Code Name / Call Sign:[/b] The Banshee [b]Gender (If Applicable):[/b] Female [b]Location:[/b] Wherever the wind takes her (currently Gatorsville). [b]Age:[/b] 21 [b]Personal Appearance (Images are acceptable):[/b] Unfortunately she is neither blonde nor busty but she makes up for that by instead dying her hair a ridiculously bright red. She has numerous scars on her limbs which she claims are permanent reminders of her horrible past (but are more likely reminders of how horribly clumsy she can be) and will always begin her elaborate tales of how they came to be whenever she thinks somebody is looking at them. She dresses just as elaborately, in lots of gaudy beads and colors, and is permanently on the look out for just the right pair of polka-dotted boots that will complete her ensemble. [b]Personality/Behavior:[/b] The Banshee, also known as Bee within the Hero Patrol, has something of a flair for dramatics. No story or plan of action can be too wild or ridiculous and you can be sure that if there?s chaos somewhere, she?s in the middle of it (or will be very shortly). Bee is an attention whore and will throw a fit if she is not always in the spotlight. She often walks the streets in her super hero costume just so that people will follow and adore her. She loves to tell stories, most of which are just complex lies, and each time she opens her mouth her past life becomes a little more tragic. [b]Personal History:[/b] Alice Whitford was born on June 4 to Isaac and Jeanne Whitford. She is the second child of three and if middle-child syndrome were ever to take physical form, it would be in her. Though her family was relatively well-off and the home life was easy going and affectionate, Alice found that she could not deal with the lack of attention and she began to feel repressed. She was a screamer as a baby and the habit only evolved as she grew older ? so much that the Whitfords had a personal account with the local window repairman and no longer bought glass dishes and such. She began to consider running away from home (this is also known as puberty) and after one particularly traumatic and oppressing day (her sister?s birthday), Alice decided that enough was enough and she ran away. She wandered back a few hours later because she was hungry but also enraged that the entire town wasn?t already out looking for her. After attempting to leave and failing many, many times, Alice eventually was successful in her schemes and left home for good when she was 16. Over the years spent wandering from city to city, she has found that the more impressive and dramatic her lies are, the more attention she gets (as well as the more sympathy which almost always results in good food and a warm bed). Her relatively normal home life became a ?dark and tragic past? but the specificities of it can?t quite be pinned down. Alice will tell you that it was very painful, then sigh dramatically, and turn away so you can?t see the gentle flow of her anguished tears. Her various quests on the road (and her ADHD) eventually brought her to [strike]Gainesville[/strike] Gatorville, Florida, where she stumbled upon a robbery in the making. One of the legionnares swooped in and took care of the bad guys very heroically and from that moment on Alice knew that she was destined to fight crime in a similarly valiant fashion. Having cultivated the art of lying so well, by the time she found herself indoctrined into a lesser known but in her mind equally brave and glorious group of heroes known aptly as the Hero Patrol, Alice ? now The Banshee ? was starting to even believe herself. So much that her normal past life was merely a strange and unfortunate dream and that much of her life was, after all, steeped in tragedy. The exact tragedy of it varies, as she can never stick with one version for too long, but her sincere expressions of absolute suffering cannot be doubted. [b]Special Skills or Abilities (If any):[/b] Bee lies very well, and can often enrapture people in her stories. Especially considering how tacky she is likely to be dressed, this often gives her other teammates time to get something heroic done. She also screams louder and more shrilly than humanly possible, and many unfortunate souls have come too close to her during one of these tantrums and have suffered the consequences. Any glass within a fair radius of her during these screams will shatter, and some radio waves are interrupted and become static. Bee is as clumsy as she is ridiculous, and with any kind of weapon in her hand, this can become deadly to all those around her. Her weapon of choice is a fork. She keeps a number of them in a shiny holster around her hips, and throws them with zeal without much concern for whether or not they actually hit her target.[/size]

[size=1]*Insert girlish squealing here.* This was pretty much adorable in every way, shape, or form, especially with Alan and Raina. But I also would like to take this moment to reiterate how much I love Tori and her pinkness. The prom is going to be absolutely and disgustingly fabulous. ^_~[/size]

[size=1]The last lines are [spoiler]the Police Lieutenant saying, "Well, the airplanes got him," and with Denham responding, "Oh no, it wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast."[/spoiler] They are classic, and essential. They were part of the old Kong, and are pure cinematic history, at its best. If they hadn't of been in the movie I would have thrown a tantrum, first grade style. The entire movie is a huge tribute to that generation of movies in general - the film inside the film, the dark, gritty atmosphere, the stoic, tall-dark-and-handsome guy who falls for the endearing heroine. But it's also got that same classic critique of our supposedly "civilized culture" with all of its ambition and earnest desire for something that is beautiful, pure, and unspoiled, but even as sincere in our awe and appreciation as we might be, we are the ones who spoil it. I really, [i]really[/i] liked the movie, and I would sit through another three hours to see it again on the big screen. But maybe that's just me.[/size]

[size=1]Doing this reminds me that I really need to edit my itunes library a little bit. 1. [i]Born to Run[/i], Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band 2. [i]American Pie[/i], Don McLean 3. [i]Slowly, Through A Vector[/i], Say Anything 4. [i]Jumper[/i], Third Eye Blind 5. [i]Zee Deveel[/i], Incubus 6. [i]Desperado[/i], The Eagles 7. [i]Poor Jack[/i], The Nightmare Before Christmas 8. [i]I Can Go The Distance[/i], Hercules 9. [i]Volcano[/i], Damien Rice[/size]

[size=1]This ended up being much longer than I expected. Oops. ^_^; It was getting late, Deirdre knew, but she was feeling restless after dinner and she did not cherish the idea of walking back to her hotel room. She could not shake the idea that she was oddly out of place here, either. If she was going to be of any help at all, she was going to have to study up some, and pay closer attention to her gut instinct. At least she had the assurance of knowing that in that regard, she was never wrong. And then there were always her nightmares? She wandered around for a while. Part of her just wanted to get a feel for the city, and another part of her might have been out looking for something else. Trouble. A good time. Usually those were about the same thing. Deirdre pulled her jacket sleeves over her hands and shook her head, smiling inwardly. She really was incorrigible. But at least she could admit it, she thought. She knew what kind of woman she was. Sometimes a slight worry would find its way into the back of her head. Was she doing enough? Was she giving her full, one hundred percent? She had been given her talents for a reason, she knew full well. She, with her wild temper and dark nightmares, had a purpose, and by God, she would see to it that it was done. And she was confident in her beliefs, however much they strayed from the mainstream doctrines. Her God would not have given her different skills and talents if he didn?t want her to use them. And he certainly wouldn?t have made her as crazy as she was if he didn?t want her to shake things up a little. There was a sudden bit of malarky ahead of her and she raised her eyebrows. She wasn?t quite sure who was fighting who, but there were some definite raised voices and unhappy looks in that group. Her lips quirked up in a wry little smile and she ventured closer, moving one hand to her bag and the other in her pocket casually. It was a group of men and one girl. And now Deirdre, of course. Her quick eyes surveyed the scene and she began to think that maybe all of this was over the girl... she was being held quite possessively and there were a couple guys who didn?t seem to like that at all. As she approached, one man eyed her up and down from his spot against the wall. Dressed in jeans and leather, his dark hair pulled back in a small ponytail, he seemed to be living in a James Dean movie. He eventually spoke up, his German quick and guttural. Deirdre had no idea what he was saying, and she shrugged to show this. Her smile never wavered. His acknowledgement of her presence had caught most everybody?s attention and now a few men were muttering back and forth in low tones. The German James Dean said something else, which brought forth some snickers from the other men, before he addressed her in broken English. ?You are lost?? She glanced at the girl, who had remained impassive up until this point. Her hair was a dark blonde color, with streaks of blue, and her eyes were heavily shadowed. That didn?t hide the fact that she was now looking at the Irish woman as though she were a godsend, though. The man holding her, a greasy blonde, yanked on her arm and the look was quickly dropped. ?No,? Deirdre said easily, and leaned most of her weight on her right leg casually. ?What?s the skinny with the girl?? He narrowed his eyes a little, and she could see him trying to figure her out. Good luck, she thought, and smiled a little wider. ?None of your business,? he said. ?Get lost, [i]Gertrud[/i].? Deirdre decided then that she wasn?t going to leave until she hit someone. That was also when the other girl gave the guy next to her an elbow to his face, knocking him flat on his back. She spit on him and said something that sounded positively insulting before yelling at Deirdre, ?Go ahead and hit that fucker, I?ll do the rest.? The Irish woman arched an eyebrow in her direction but was still able to duck the charging swing from James Dean. From there she rammed her shoulder into his gut and pushed him back. That was a hard enough hit to give her plenty of time to knee him in the balls. He cursed something awful and fell to his knees, and then over. Deirdre glanced over at the other girl in time to see her do something she hadn?t expected at all ? perform a bit of black magic. The sisters had said that Germany would be an exciting place for her, but Deirdre hadn?t exactly expected all of this. The other men went down, as the girl had said, and Deirdre began to wonder if this meeting wasn?t just some coincidence. James Dean?s quick string of German ? no doubt incredibly profane ? caught her attention and she glanced back at him. ?I hit hard for a lass, huh?? She said, and then crouched next to him. ?Next time don?t call me a bitch, you stupid wanker.? She hit him then, and the spray of blood from his mouth and nose decorated the wall to the left of him. Deirdre stood, and shook her hand out. The girl had taken down a few of the others, and let the rest run. She stood with her hands on her hips now, using the moment to catch her breath. With a nod towards the Irish woman, she said, ?Thanks for the help.? ?No problem,? Deirdre shrugged, and adjusted her bag on her shoulder. ?So you know a bit of spells, do you?? The girl grinned, and pulled her hair over her shoulder. ?A few.? She reached into her jacket and produced a small, blue card, and handed it to her. ?There. I?m Adelaide, and I know why you?re here. Let me know if I can ever be of assistance to you all.? Deirdre glanced at her, and glanced at the card, accepting it. The card only had the name Adelaide Lutz written across it in small script, with a number on the back. ?Of course,? The Irish woman agreed, and shook her hand before smiling at the blonde. ?It?s been a pleasure, Adelaide.? Adelaide returned the gesture, and then started back down the street, kicking one of the downed men as she passed. ?I?ll see you around then, Ms. Kearney.? Deirdre raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms over her head. ?Huh,? she sounded, before turning the other way. Interesting way to make friends, she thought, and shook her head a little. Despite her little adventure, the Irish woman still felt no more ready to return to her hotel then she did before. She thought she might like to be around people right then, as strange as it sounded. Something had to be open this late, some kind of diner, maybe. She could get a slice of pie and something warm to drink. On her trek back the way she?d previously come, an old, wooden café sign caught her eye and she decided immediately that this was her stop. She entered the little corner establishment and took a quick look around. It was clean, and not too bright, like some diners are prone to, and the dominating colors were yellow and green. The waitress on hour gestured for her to sit anywhere. Deirdre headed for a corner booth and the waitress followed, sliding her a menu. She began speaking in German, and Deirdre couldn?t understand a word. ?She is asking for your drink order,? A man said, from the counter. She glanced over and recognized her sexy bartender instantly. He smiled, and picked up his mug of something and joined her at the booth. Deirdre grinned and leaned forward on her elbows. ?Something warm. Surprise me.? He said something to the waitress in his beautiful, deep voice and then she nodded, gave them a remarkably fake smile, and then went to get her drink. Deirdre watched her go for a second before looking back to the bartender. ?Fancy meeting you here,? she said, chin in her hand. ?Best pie in town,? he told her, and sprawled his legs out under the table, nudging hers. If that wasn?t enough, he reached over and took her hand, kissing her knuckles. ?Even better now.? ?You weren?t nearly as charming in the bar,? she said with a smirk. He glanced up at her, his own smile slightly mischievous. ?Not allowed to pick up costumers on the job, sweetheart.? And then as an after thought, he asked, ?What has happened to your hand?? She glanced at her knuckles, which were beginning to bruise a little. ?Oh,? she coughed, ?I hit someone.? He raised his eyebrows. ?The blonde guy at the bar, I hope.? Deirdre smiled as his lips continued to move over her hand. ?Unfortunately, no. Some other tosser. So you?re picking me up, are you?? He smiled.[/size]

[size=1][color=#cc6600]animemainframe, I think the best place for you to post something of this nature would be in the Anthology and not the Square. This forum is for active RPGs only. You'll get all the constructive criticism you need in the Arena Anthology. Also, please try to improve your spelling and grammar. You can run your posts through Word's spell check and then copy them onto the boards quite easily. This way you can catch your mistakes and also help keep threads looking clean and organized. Read through the stickies you find at the top of forums, as well. They contain very important information and will go a long way in helping you on the boards. - Arcadia[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=#cc6600]Please add a little more to your backstory. Three or four paragraphs is the minimum in the Inn, and I think you'll find that they're pretty easy to churn out if you take a moment to think over your RPG. Some extra info and details about this new group and the resistance group going up against it would go a long way to help organize the story, as well. You can edit it these changes, or wait for somebody else to post and then add it that way. But either way, please be sure to lengthen the story or the RPG will be closed. Check out the Inn's sticky for more information on that, and other things. If you've got any questions, PM Ozy or me and let us know. ^_^ - Arcadia[/color][/size]

[size=1]Don't worry, you're fine. ^_^ Junescentia spent a lot of her first few days on the Zeitsande getting to know her deck. It wasn?t her deck, specifically, but already she was beginning to view it as such. She was sure the Chief Science Officer would have something to say about that if he knew, but then again, as observant as the man usually was, he could make himself incredibly aloof at times. She had met him a number of times already, as they did in fact share the third deck. She?d met the Zeitsande?s chief pilot, as well as the Military Specialist and the Chief Weapons and Security Officer. The latter man had, in fact, been her first real patient. After his visit, a couple of the techs from his area showed up with similar wounds and begrudgingly told her what had really happened in the tech bay. Amused, June had given them a similar treatment and sent them back, more than likely to suffer the wrath of their superior. She?d seen the other officers, as well, in the bridge and around the ship, but so far she?d been too busy to personally introduce herself. That irked her and it was something she wanted to remedy as quickly as possible ? a good doctor was a familiar one, one that a patient could trust enough to be honest to. Obviously the treatment always went better when her patients felt comfortable around her. June had to admit that she was a little surprised she recognized next to no one on the ship. It just went to show how big the TSPA really was, she thought, and that gave her some optimism. She would need that in the coming battles. Though June might not be in any real fighting position, she always saw the results, and sometimes she earnestly believed that was worse. It was 13:27 and she had yet to break for lunch. In the end, her head nurse ended up kicking her out of the medical ward. ?Go eat something, already. Get fat, you?ll make me feel better.? Corine was human, and incredibly frank. Her forwardness was like a breath of fresh air, and kept June on her toes. After Pallo had left the ward earlier, she?d glanced at June keenly and quipped, ?I hear he has a long? wingspan.? She joked with the patients, too, to make them relax, and was easy-going despite her incredible work drive. Her standards were high, and the other nurses had their work cut out for them. June liked her, and she was relieved for it. The Zeitsande might have been a sizable ship, but even a vessel her size could get small fast when the working conditions became hellish. The trip to the fourth deck was quick and June made a beeline for the Canteen. She found that now she was out of the medical bay, she was starving. Hunger worked in funny ways. As she sat down to eat a quick meal, she found herself reflecting on the rest of the officers, and on the Zeitsande as a whole. She often did when she had a spare moment to herself. It was hard to forget that she and the rest of the crew were the TSPA?s best and brightest and right now, their greatest hope for the galaxy. That made her nervous. She inevitably would begin to think about all the doctors that should have had her spot, with their years and experience, and about how fragile her footing was already with her mixed blood. It was enough to make her heart beat a little faster in her chest and she had to remind herself that she was there for a reason. They all were. Before she left the Canteen, she stopped off in the bathroom and pulled her hair out of its confines. Her curls were wild today, and in the fluorescent lighting gleamed blue. She ran her fingers through them, gently brushing out any tangles, before pulling them back once again. After washing her hands and splashing some water on her face, she felt refreshed, ready to face her rounds. June thought she might stop in the bridge and see about scheduling regular check-ups for all of the officers for the first few months. If she had her way, the entire crew would be cycled in and out of the medical ward once a month for the first few months, just so she could be sure that they were all adjusting to space travel properly. But that would be utter chaos and she had the feeling she was going to have a hard enough time persuading the commander to stop in regularly, let alone the entire superior staff. She shook her head at that thought, and smiled a little. Nobody had said working on the Zeitsande wasn?t going to be a challenge, after all.[/size]

[size=1]I was thinking about the other positions that never got filled. Maybe we can create NPCs for those roles so that there will be a character there that we can all use to some extent. If we decide on a couple specific things for each one of those (like their names and their race and maybe a defining personality trait or silly quirk to give them some flair), we could post that information here so that we can all come back to it if need be. And at least then all the number positions on the map can be filled with a name, if not a major character. ^_^;; I know that I have the tendency to create NPCs anyway (eheh heh), and while I maybe have a certain perception of them and their purpose in my head, that may escape other people. I just think it would be helpful if we did keep information about them ready. Anyway, that's my two cents for the day. [/size]

[size=1][b]Name:[/b] Eilania Wynne (ee-lôn-ee-a wine) [b]Nickname:[/b] Wynnelle (to differentiate her from her father), or Tarkheena Wynne. Only those who have known her for a long time (or are very brave) call her by her first name. [b]Gender:[/b] Female [b]Age:[/b] 23 [b]Status:[/b] Tarkheena. Her father is a weaponsmith and a Tarkaan, and he has been training her since she was a young girl to follow in his footsteps. [b]Hometown:[/b] Born in Zalindreh, but has lived in Tashbaan for most of her life. [b]Appearance:[/b] Eilania has the dark, tanned skin and deep black hair typical of most Calormen. She wears it long, though usually it?s in some kind of elaborate braid or coif, and it is usually decorated with small metal, beads (detailed with her skilled fingers), that gleam in the sunlight. Her eyes are a caramel brown and according to her father, are just like her mother?s. Apart from the beads in her hair, the only other decoration Eilania wears is in the form of henna tattoos that she does herself, usually around one of her ankles and her wrists. She dresses lightly, seeing as she works with fire constantly, and has a habit of stripping down to the bare essentials that her father is earnestly trying to break her of. [b]Abilities:[/b] Eilania is comfortable with a number of different weapons because of her father?s profession, and is even better at mending and creating them. Her forte, however, is with details ? she is a remarkable craftsman with a steady hand and her designs on blades, armors, and other various metals have quickly gained recognition in Tashbaan. Because of her work with metal, she is also very good with horses. She has a quick wit and prefers to be known for her scheming and intelligence, but that doesn?t hide the fact that she is also a very attractive woman and she knows it. She can and will use that to her advantage, if need be. Thus, Eilania is quick-minded and a strong force to be reckoned with, whether she has any kind of weapon in her hand or not. [b]Weapons:[/b] When she is working as a smith, the only weapon she carries is a dagger strapped to her boot that has her family?s crest engraved into the blade. But she is also fond of a pair of butterfly swords and she?s extremely competent with them. Along with the family crest, a different sort of symbol is engraved in these, amid the crest so it is virtually indistinguishable unless you know what to look for ? the mark of the rebellion. [b]Biography:[/b] The only thing that Eilania remembers about her birthplace (Zalindreh) is that it is where her mother lived and died, and it was not a place that her father, a Tarkaan by the name of Zerish, wanted to remain. That?s also, interestingly enough, the only thing she knows about her mother. He brought his baby girl back with him to the gleaming capital Tashbaan, one of the wonders of the world. She grew up there under his tutelage and learned the ways of the smith so that she would be able to carry on his impeccable work. He never remarried, which though a little strange, was not something completely unheard of among the Tarkaans and so the two lived by themselves. A very respected weaponsmith under the Tisroc, known to have even made a blade or two for the Tisroc himself, no one would ever suspect Eilania?s father to be a pivotal member of the Calormen rebellion. Though she?d grown up with his teachings about virtue and Calormen (for instance, he believed very strongly in the abolition of slavery and therefore never owned any himself ? any servant who worked for him was always paid very handsomely), Eilania was not made part of the rebellion until she found out about it for herself. The idea had been one that she?d been carrying for quite some time before she gained the courage to mention it to her father. She had expected to be reproached, very strongly so, but instead Zerish?s appraising look eventually gave way to relief, and something akin to pride. She was eighteen then. For the next five years, she worked hard to perfect her craft and bring honor to the family name, but also poured in time and effort into furthering the rebellion and helped her father build a very strong foundation for it. It has come a long way and she is proud of all that they have been able to accomplish so far, but she knows that there is still so much more they can do if they want to live as freely as those in Narnia and Archenland. Like her father, it is a cause that she would willingly die for. Being the good father that he is, however, Zerish would not like to see his daughter perish if something should go wrong and he has been steadily planning for her to have a life outside of the rebellion, should things ? Azaroth forbid - fall apart. Without her knowing, he has been looking for a decent enough man that he could arrange for her to marry. Someone who, should the rebellion be crushed, could easily and willingly take her away from the deserts and into one of the surrounding countries to live. If there is one other thing that the Tarkaan disbelieves in, it is the tradition of an arranged marriage. He would not like to see her marry for anything else but love, but given the choice, he would rather see her live. [b]Personality:[/b] Eilania is a very intelligent, clever woman and is dedicated to the rebellion, heart and soul (perhaps a little too much, as her father sometimes thinks). She is very passionate in her beliefs and will go to many lengths in order to see them realized. Though most of her life is centered in the rebellion, she is still very proud of her work as a weaponsmith and finds great joy and accomplishment in her careful, detailed works. She is not particularly religious, but of all the gods of her people, the one she prays to is Azaroth, the god of union and difference. After all, Eilania believes that is her purpose ? to make a difference, and to bring the tyranny of the Tisroc (may he NOT live forever) to an end. [b]Password:[/b] [spoiler]No one knows any story but her own. [sorry, changed the 'their' to 'her' because I'm a silly grammar freak. >_>;][/spoiler][/size]

[size=1]I'd say he is definitely one of the greatests, along with another fabulous Jimmy and Eric Clapton. All them mofos know how to play the guitar. The thing I love about Hendrix, though, is what somebody else already said - he never played the same song twice. Listening to his stuff is one thing. I mean, the guitar riffs are incredible and even though some of them seem to go on forever, they don't get tiring at all. His version of the Star Spangled Banner is so insanely awesome and is a great example of that. But if you ever get the chance to see an old video of him playing, do it, because the man is absolutely amazing to watch. He's just standing there, wailing on the guitar with his eyes closed, totally focused and in the zone. Nobody will ever look cooler with a guitar, I gaurantee you that.[/size]

[size=1]Well, for a while I really wanted a Volkswagon of some kind, preferrably the Golf or a bug convertible because I like smallish cars. That also goes for Mini Coopers because those are just the cutest darned things I've ever seen. I've also always had this unexplainable desire to ride around on a Vespa wearing a bright red cape and goggles. I have come to a point in my short, sad life, however, where any car is my dream car right about now. If it's got four wheels and a working engine, I'll be happy. [/size]