Arcadia

[size=1][color=sienna]I have to second [b]Catcher in the Rye[/b] and third [b]Lord of the Flies[/b], for the same reasons. Holden Caulfield is just about my favorite literary character of all time. [b]The Great Gatsby[/b] because Nick is a close second to Holden, and because I love F. Scott Fitzgerald. If you've ever read any of his books you'll know he's got a really unique style of presenting the story, and his characters are always so well done. They learn and grow and screw up and by the end of the book, they've changed somehow (for better or for worse), and you kind of learn a little something yourself. [b]Catch-22[/b], absolutely. It's hysterical, but at the same time, horribly cynical and I love that. And it says so much. I don't understand people who don't like this book. I'm also an enthusiastic fan of Shakespeare's plays, especially Hamlet, Macbeth, and Much Ado About Nothing. Other authors would be Edward Albee, Oscar Wilde, and Aldous Huxley, just to name a few.[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=sienna][b]I'm not familiar with the first movie you mentioned, the Spanish one, but I've heard a lot of good things about Le Femme Nikita. I have yet to watch it myself, mostly because I'm lazy and I don't really like Blockbuster. But some of my favorites are "Run Lola Run", a German film. The music is awesome (techno, for those interested), but the story itself is just fantastic. I highly recommend it. The other one that I can think of is "8 Women". Heh, it's French. And it's deliciously bizarre. They start singing randomly through out the movie, but not really in a musical sense - it's really great. Oh, here's something a little different for you, but I think you'll have a really hard time finding a copy of this. It's called "Man With a Movie Camera" by Dziga Vertow and it flashes a lot of images at once. There's no talking, just music. If you watch the film, you'll see how ahead of it's time it was, as well. It was made in 1929, and it looks like it could have been made today. This minute. Well, you get the idea. The music for it was put in later though. It follows the score Vertow had originally written for it pretty well, but it's not by him. Anyway, I want to say it's Italian, but I'm not sure. Definitely go see any of these, if you can. They're super![/b][/color][/size]

[size=1][color=sienna]Here's what I've got so far: [u]Trainer Sign Up[/u] [b]Name:[/b] Camdyn Dashe [b]Age:[/b] 15 [b]Gender:[/b] Female [b]Height:[/b] 5'3 [b]Weight:[/b] 94 lbs [b]Hometown:[/b] Oldale Town [b]Appearance:[/b] Camdyn looks a little something like [url=http://www.epilogue.net/cgi/database/art/view.pl?id=42281&genre=3]this[/url]. If you would, however, imagine her to be wearing black capris and a red shirt like the top of the dress, minus the sailor collar thing, well, that would be just dandy. (This is basically the closest I could find to what she looked like in my head - damn the internet!) [b]History:[/b] Life in Oldale Town is exactly exciting, and so she grew up wishing for adventure and creating her own mini journeys through out the town. However, on the outskirts of the town, near Route 103, her little game suddenly became very real and a Poochyena lept out of the bushes at her. Being a fairly precocious 13 year old, she ran the other way screaming. When she told her father about it (her mother died giving birth), he said to stay away from the pokemon because [i]"Poochyenas are dark pokemon and you don't want to get yourself hurt."[/i] The next day, she came back to the same spot again, and just as she was about to become the Pokemon Master of the Entire World (tm), the same Poochyena appeared again. This happened for a week or so before Camdyn decided that the Poochyena didn't seem all that dark to her, and certainly had yet to harm her in anyway. The next time she saw the Poochyena, she pronounced that she wouldn't run away. So when the dark Pokemon jumped out at her again, she just crossed her arms and stared it down. The great contest began. The two sat staring for a good 15 minutes before Camdyn sneezed, and lost. At that, the Poochyena disappeared. This, however, started a new game, and so for the following week, Camdyn returned to the same spot everyday and challenged the Poochyena to a staring contest. Everyday she lost, and the Poochyena would leave. But finally, one fateful day, the [i]Poochyena[/i] sneezed, and lost. Excited, Camdyn hurried home to tell her father, only to find that the Poochyena had followed her. And [i]that[/i] was how Camdyn caught her first pokemon. Since then, she's been obsessed with Pokemon (even more so, anyway), and is determined to become a famous Pokemon Master. She figures that not only will she be famous, it'll give her dinky little town something to talk about. [b]Personality:[/b] Camdyn is a very clever, spirited girl and she enjoys training pokemon and playing with her Poochyena (Pooch or Poochy for short). She's a sucker for anything chocolate, and has a horrible sweet tooth on top of that. But she's actually a very strong-willed girl and once she puts her mind on something, she doesn't stop until she gets it done right. She loves a good adventure, as well as any adventure stories, and is an avid learner. A friendly girl, she doesn't make enemies very easily, but she is very competitive and sometimes her temper can get the best of her. Even then, she always means well, and she's really trying to work on that anger thing. Honest. ------------------------- [u]Your Starter Pokémon[/u] [b]Name:[/b] Trapinch [b]Species:[/b] Trapinch [b]Type:[/b] Ground [b]Moves:[/b] Hyper Cutter, Arena Trap EDITED #2: Trapinch's "name" is Trapinch, as it naturally should be. It just bothered me too much the other way. >.

[size=1][color=sienna][b]Personally, I don't think it's a question of immaturity. I'm freakin' 18 and I watch it whenever I'm flipping through the channels and it's on. It's a stupid sort of humor; you either like that sort of thing or you don't. I'd definitely wear a pair of boxers, though. If I found a shirt I liked, I'd wear that too. I wouldn't be so concerned with age when you watch Spongebob, or anything like it. They make it so people will laugh and enjoy themselves. You don't have to be 8 years old to laugh at silly things.[/b][/color][/size]

[size=1][color=sienna][b]Oh, the Beatles. Maxwell's Silver Hammer reminds me of this time me and a bunch of my friends all got together after a show night and sang Beatles karaoke. It was such a blast, and that was one of the songs we acted out. (coughs) Lean On Me reminds me of my old theatre days as well. I don't know how many will know this song, but California by Phantom Planet reminds me of of this car ride with two other guys. It was midnight or something, and freezing outside, and we had all the windows down and the music up and we were definitely speeding. I was colder then everybody in Alaska, and this crazy kid was petting my leg, but it was one of the best moments ever. That is definitely one of [i]the[/i] best songs to drive to. After that... yeah, I usually write while I listen to music, and I draw a lot of inspiration from my music, so all lot of the stuff I write reminds me of a particular song. That, and I like to assign songs to characters. [i]Life would be better with a soundtrack.[/i][/b][/color][/size]

[size=1][color=sienna][b]I recently saw this movie at the Student Life Center on my campus, and I like it so much I went and saw it the next night. It was beautiful. There are so many shots in that movie that are just perfect for the moment, and then there are more than a few scenes in the move that make you hold your breath without realizing it. Then the scene's over and you wonder why you've got this tightness in your chest and why your toes are going numb... yeah, that's how good it is. Specifically for me, I'm thinking: [spoiler]The scene during the Gong Show; he puts the gun to the joke man's head, and looks like total crap. The best part is when the hammer song starts and everything slows down, and you see him against this ribbon wall and everything's in blue. Also, the night seen when Sam Rockwell walks out on his pool deck to talk to George Clooney, and you see all the blood in the water, and you just think "Well, ****." The other part that comes to mind is when he's walking through the studio and he keeps remembering everything he's done, and he's see the set piece that looks like the snowy alley way, and then behind that the woman in the black veil. Yeah, that whole Happy Birthday thing would mentally scar me, too.[/spoiler] It was written by Charlie Kaufman, who also wrote Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, and both of [i]those[/i] movies were awesome. And if you've seen either one of those movies, you'll know that his approach to screen writing is a little... odd. Fantastic, but odd. And you know, that makes it even better. So yes, kids, go see this movie. You won't be disappointed.[/b][/color][/size]

[size=1][color=sienna][b]Oh, Matchbox Twenty, all the freaking way. And I have to agree with whoever said it before, but the Matchbox men don't sound like 3 Doors Down.. they're a little more rock and roll, and Matchbox Twenty is, as somebody else said, more folksy and in my personal opinion, they write better songs. Granted, I'm a 3 Doors Down fan too, so don't jump me or anything. On their new CD ([i]More Than You Think You Are[/i]), what are your favorite songs? Mine are gonna have to be You're So Real, So Sad So Lonely, All I Need, Cold, Downfall, Could I Be You... Okay, so that's about half the CD. :sweat: That's just the thing, though - you know it's a good band if you can't find a bad song on any of their disks. Here's their [url=http://matchboxtwenty.com/index.html]Official Site[/url] for anybody who's interested. - Arcadia[/b][/color][/size]

[size=1][color=sienna][b]Name(see notes):[/b] Aarde [b]Language of name(see notes):[/b] Dutch [b]Appearance:[/b] Dark brown hair, worn long and kept natural. A few small braids are mixed in here and there, and her tresses always smell of some sort of flower. Sometimes she keeps it back in a loose ponytail. Her eyes are a deep, earthy green, and skin is lightly tanned. Is often found wearing long sleeves and corduroys, always in browns and greens. [b]Personallity:[/b] Mother Earth incarnate, she's usually a warm, friendly person with enough love for millions over. She likes being vague and mysterious, and sometimes her sense of humor is a little on the odd side, but you don't ever have to doubt her sincerity. She doesn't like to fight, but don't mistake that for she won't. Because she most defintely will, and is a force to be reckoned with when her temper is tested. [b]Source(see notes):[/b] Earth [b]Abilities from source(see notes):[/b] Can control most things brown and green (the ground, leaves, vines, etc.), and has many woodland allies that will respond to her call. Like the changing seasons, she has the power to heal and revitalize, as well as the power to drain and decay, though both take quite a bit of energy. I hope this is alright, but I'm more than willing to make adjustments if need be. This should be fun! - Arcadia[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=sienna][b][i]"Help?"[/i] Leile repeated incredulously, glancing back to Muis-ka, suddenly feeling very sick to her stomach. He wanted to [i]help?[/i] By making Muis-ka live a lie? At that she turned from the mage abruptly and kneeled next to the Ethai'En, looking for all the world as if she hadn't a clue of what to say. "...Muis-ka... are you...?" He managed to give her a small smile, though it was nothing like the ones she was so used to seeing from him. She remembered all those little smiles back in Ma'Uriith. Back when the city was normal and she stilled traveled to the market every day with her father. [i]Her father.[/i] That terrible burning sensation in her throat was at full force now and it took an unreasonable amount of strength on her part to stay quiet as her old friend said, "I'll... be fine.." Standing, albeit shakingly, Leile nodded numbly before glancing back to the mage. He still had that horrible smile on his face, but his invitation to find Aissa was one that she would not pass up. The other girl's song still resounded in her head and she knew that she wouldn't be able to rest until she knew what was going on. That, and she needed to know a little more about the man with the tattoos. Shaking her head in dislike, though not breaking eye-contact with Anubis, she muttered, "I have to do a couple things first." "Of course," he agreed, and gestured towards her cart as though he were some sort of gentleman. It only irritated her more; she didn't even want to think about how he knew the cart was hers. Jogging back over to R'Enthe, her charms singing softly, she quickly set about putting things away. After each trunk was safely locked, including her own, she pulled the tarp back over it and locked that as well. A few days prior, she'd seen a mage in town about putting a little charm on the cart that would persuade would-be theives to stay away. She hoped now that she hadn't wasted her money. After a few hushed words to R'Enthe and his snorted reply, Leile smiled and pushed her braids behind her long ears. The man looked perfectly amused, and once again gestured in the direction that Aissa had run, bowing slightly. It seemed as though he enjoyed pissing people off. [i]Well,[/i] she thought, [i]He's doing a very good job of it.[/i] Pressing her lips in a firm line, she crossed her arms and asked testily, "Don't you have a name or something? Because if you like, I can think of a rather appropriate one for you, if nothing comes to mind."[/b][/color][/size]

[size=1][color=sienna][b]I just got finished calling the tattoo parlor to make an appointment. It's as good as done. I swear. Heh, thank you kindly! You're my hero. :blush: - Arcadia[/b][/color][/size]

[size=1][color=sienna][b]Yesh, I like it, too. The thin black border is nice - it really makes the rest of it sort of stand out. That, and the color fading towards the middle is fantastic. Kudos![/b][/color][/size]

[size=1][color=sienna][b]When she couldn't sleep the night before, Leile knew that this day was going to be something different. She just didn't realize [i]how[/i] different it was actually going to be; especially how rapidly it changed on her. At first, she was just selling her merchandise. Minutes later, all hell broke loose. Well... that was an exaggeration, to say the least, but it certainly didn't seem to be far from the truth. From the looks of Muis-ka, all hell [i]was[/i] breaking loose, in Ma'Uriith. And for that dark man with the tattoos to suddenly appear.. well, it wasn't helping things, that was for sure. There was definitely something odd about that one, and though Leile couldn't quite put her finger on it, she knew that she wasn't the only one who felt it. The healer Aissa seemed particulary perturbed with the man's presence, though no real reason was known. Perhaps she already knew him? Or maybe he just rubbed her the wrong way (the way he seemed to be rubbing everybody)? Whatever it was, Leile couldn't be sure. But as soon as those beautiful notes erupted from Aissa's mouth, Leile lost all focus and just stared. She'd never heard anything like that before, and from the looks of those who'd stopped around them, neither had they. Even the man with the tattoos seemed a bit impressed. Her song continued on for a few more minutes, though time seemed like nothing, and Leile blinked herself out of that trance-like state, feeling oddly refreshed. Maybe it was just being [i]there.[/i] Muis-ka certainly seemed rejuvenated, if not his normal, healthy self, and that was indeed worthy of praise. But Aissa didn't seem to share the same feelings; instead, she drew back, and with those last words said, she turned to flee. Leile was completely lost, but it didn't stop her from chasing after her. "Hey! Wait a second, that was [i]brilliant![/i] I can't believe... [i]Aissa[/i], wait!!" The two men left behind just blinked after them, one quick and silent and the other jingling constantly, before glancing at each other. Muis-ka paused, as though thinking heavily on something, before asking the tattooed man quietly, "You know of the shadow that hangs over Ma'Uriith, then?"[/b][/color][/size]

[size=1] A teen girl squad banner. Oh, that would be priceless. I get all choked-up just thinking about it. Sniffle. But yeah, I still lurve my banner. Do you think perhaps you could make me an avatar to go with it? I'll tattoo your name on my (insert body part here) if you do! It'll be the best! (coughs)... so yeah. - Arcadia[/size]

[color=sienna]Luth hadn't expected to make any friends on his walk back home. He was rather content to just wallow in self-pity, and enjoy a nice, quiet, lonely stroll home; kind of a 'change of pace' thing. Unfortunately, however, as a girl (he could really only tell it was a girl by her voice; the way she dressed, it could have gone either way) started screaming at him, something about... [i]gods,[/i] he didn't even know what she was talking about... well, he lost his melancholy focus and stared at her with a expression of bewilderment. Now [i]she[/i] could talk someone's ear off, but he found her gibbering wasn't that annoying at all. Kind of cute, actually. He did his best, however, not to encourage her temper for fear of that shiny little dagger. "I get the idea," he interrupted lightly, and she continued to glare at him (albeit a little half-heartedly, he thought) for a few more seconds before stepping back, putting the weapon away. He continued to watch her, still not entirely sure if she was still mad about the pebble thing, and also because he was amused, and something about the girl piqued his interest. [i]Yes,[/i] he decided, [i]this has been a very curious night, indeed.[/i] Her next question made him still instantly and he narrowed his eyes just a tad, wondering how she could possibly know who he was, or where he worked, for that matter, before it finally dawned on him: [i]she was one of the women at the bar.[/i] Her, and the other woman... and suddenly Luthian wondered how he ever managed to survive so long in the city by himself. "I know you," he finally replied, grinning like an excited little boy who had just discovered something. "You drank wine with that other lady, the dancer. You know," he stated quietly, as though it were some sort of secret, "I never forget a drink." She didn't exactly look impressed, and Luthian scratched his head, coughing in embarrassment. He [i]really[/i] needed to get some sleep before he hurt himself. "Right. I was walking back from a performance, until I did the pebble thing and, uh... I didn't, er, hurt you, did I?" It seemed like the proper thing to do, and so he stepped forward a bit, squinting his eyes as if looking for some sort of wound. Although he had to admit, the entire experience was rather comical - it seemed like something out of all those old stories the people back in Caedwyn used to tell him. He couldn't help but grin at that thought, his tail twitching in delight, and then broadened it when he asked her, "Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?"[/color]

[color=sienna]As it turned out, Luthian decided that he would try to catch the little performance. While he was tired, and nothing sounded finer than just dropping onto his bed and sleeping for the rest of the night, his friend Nalya had a very valid point - observing the dance could help the two of them better understand the grace involved. And from what he'd snatched from the bits and pieces of the customers' conversations as he finished up his shift, the performance was supposed to be a good one. One of the best in awhile, apparently. And why would he turn down an opportunity for growth? Eventually he did find Nalya and the two watched, with a few other comrades from training, as the two dancers on stage made the Lith'Rii Urii look easy. He had expected something good, but what they gave him was far more than that. Like him, the entire audience was still, almost trance-like, as they watched the graceful women on stage, and when it ended, they errupted in cheers, jumping from their seats. Luth just raised his eyebrows, glancing back to Nalya before whistling. "Wow." "I told you, didn't I? Why is it that no one ever listens to me?" She exclaimed, throwing her arms up in mock frustration. "I'm like the girl that no one can see!" Luth shook his head solemnly. "A perfectly good waste of organs and bodily tissues. Such a sad fate," he sighed, and no one was surprised when she yanked and twisted on his tail. Just barely suppressing a yell, he merely slapped her hand away, petting his tail gently afterwards. "Goddamn you women. Sadists, all of you!" She chuckled, getting up. "I'm sorry, Luth, really. Dearest," she stated, kissing the top of his head before ruffling [i]his[/i] hair, "Revenge is sweet. I will see you in the morning, bright and early." He glared as she left, still cradling his tail, before he realized that he should probably get going as well. Most people were staying for the next acts, but that was clearly the one that couldn't have been missed, and now that it was over, the idea of going to sleep sounded even greater. Sighing, he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder, checking it briefly to make sure his work things and other little odds and ends were still there, before heading out the door. The night was cool on his skin, and the sky was clear and full of stars. A perfect night to be out and about, he thought, and the fact that he was not disgruntled him a bit. It seemed like a horrible waste. Sighing again, he kicked a pebble on the sidewalk before heading back towards his humble abode, focusing on the chance for some shut eye and his tired, tired muscles, rather than anything else.[/color]

[size=1][color=dark-blue]Okay, guys, some of these posts are very poorly written, as far as grammar and punctuation goes. I have to ask you to fix that, and make sure you continue to write properly in the future. Some of these are a little too short, as well. If you could please just make sure that you have a good, healthy paragraph that maybe describes the situation your character finds him/herself in, and even what his/her thoughts are, that would be super. But right now, these last few posts (with the exception of Vicky) are not acceptable. Please do what you can to edit them. If you need help with ideas, don't be afraid to ask, all right? Thanks, Arcadia[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=sienna]Sai, you should probably go back and read OB rules regarding posting and creating new threads, in case you haven't already. Also check out Harlequin's sticky on the Adventure Arena in general. You need to create some sort of story line for people to follow, as well as any basic ideas you have regarding characters and the plot and what sort of rules you'll want potential players to follow. Please fix this immediately. If you don't, it will be taken down. Thank you, Arcadia[/color][/size]

[color=burlywood]Cherry turned and looked out the window again, watching as the rose off the planet and through the atmosphere. "Good bye and good riddance," she muttered, before glancing back to Xaru as he mentioned her peculiar clothes. She raised her eyebrows, picking at her shirt before shrugging, brushing her hair away from her face. "This is true. In fact, I don't even [i]like[/i] the people in Malnusk.." Her voice trailed off after that and the room was left in a short silence, before another loud noise destroyed the peace and quiet. Cherry blinked and watched as Xaru scrambled up and out the door, leaping over the body of the guard as if it wasn't even there - and that guard was pretty damn big, by her standards. With raised eyebrows, she followed him discreetly, at least enough to where she could see out into the hall and figure out what the hell was going on. She poked her head out just in time to see Xaru go flying back; ducking in quickly, her chest heaving up and down, she covered her mouth quickly so she didn't make any noise. What was going on out there?! The sounds of destruction went on for a few more minutes before once again silence took over, and Cherry braved another look. There were some large holes and smoking remains, but it looked clear. For the moment. She glanced back to see a charred camera and then Xaru himself, lying limply on the ground. It was just her luck, too - the one guy on the ship who didn't eye her with disgust or with lust, and didn't manhandle her around from place to place, and he winds up dead. Making her way to him, over rubble and debris, she soon noticed that he wasn't dead; quite the contrary. Then engines began roaring again and the ship vibrated briefly, before stilling again. She raised her eyebrows as she glanced up at the ceiling, as if that would some how give her the answer to all these riddles. But instead she just got a nice view of peeling paint. Sighing, she struggled to drag Xaru back into her little room, miraculously pulling him over this and that even as she swore that her little puny muscles would snap. Once in the safe confines of the room, she locked the door and started fanning the saiyjin, hoping he would return to consciousness before somebody else came and found them. "Come on, wake up. Xaru. [i]Xaru![/i] ...jesus." [i]Goddamn monkeys.[/i][/color]

Leile had been calling out to passerbys for merely a few minutes before one older woman glanced at her, hesitating, before approaching the cart. The raven-haired girl blinked at her, not actually expecting anyone to stop by until some time later. Quickly masking her surprise, she dropped off the cart and gave the woman a quick bow, gesturing towards her merchandise. "Good morning, ma'am," she said kindly, the beads in her hair jingling merrily as she stood straight again. "Is there anything you'd like?" The woman peered at her cart briefly, before focusing on her. A deep frown formed on her lips and suddenly the little lady had a lot more wrinkles than Leile previously thought. "I'd like you to shush. It's much too early to have greedy merchants like you yelling at poor old ladies like me." And with that she turned in a huff, walking stiffly away. Leile just stared at her retreating form, forcing herself to keep her mouth shut as the woman requested. Because she knew that if she opened it, some of the filthiest words ever uttered in Laeth E'Thae would come pouring out. Exhaling slowly, still glaring at the woman, she abruptly turned, desperately searching for something else to occupy herself with. [i]That WOMAN... arrgh![/i] But as she caught sight of a pair by the fountain, her blood ran cold and froze in her veins. She recognized that man... one of her father's friends from Ma'Uriith. [i]Ma'Uriith.[/i] "...oh gods.." Forgetting completely about the old woman now, she hurried over to him, her hair noisily betraying her approach. The woman with him noticed her first, her eyebrows raised as Leile joined them, her breath caught in her throat and her fear and concern blantant in her eyes. Touching the woman's arm briefly in apology as she blinked into the startling blue of her eyes, Leile turned back towards the man, looking as though she wanted to grab hold of him but was afraid to do so. "..M..Muis-ka, ..you... you look-" His eyes seemed to lighten in recognition, and some of the hard lines around his eyes softed as he bowed his head in slight greeting. "Ah, Miss Leile. It's been some time. Things have... changed." It was obvious to both women that his thoughts were back on Ma'Uriith as his eyes darkened once again and a shadow seemed to fall over him entirely. "Drastically." Leile glanced at the brunette woman, that familiar burning sensation back in her throat as her mind looked desperately for something to say. No words would come, however, and she could only stand there meekly as Muis-ka turned his attention back to the older woman. "I hope," he began hoarsely, "for Ma'Uriith's sake, that you can help me.."

[color=sienna]Luthian prepared their drinks easy enough, though the two ladies troubled him. It was a nice sort of trouble, and he was relieved to find that not all the good-looking women in town were whores, or were well on their way to being one. That thought made him roll his eyes, but he had to remind himself that it was always the little, stupid things that always make the biggest difference. Or something. But still, they seemed like an odd pair in the bar that night, and he realized that he didn't recognize them at all. Maybe not from around these parts? After handing the women their drinks, he was called over to another customer on the other side, whom asked for a drink that was little more intricate than a simple glass of wine. He gave the man his sure-fire grin and a nodded his head before setting to work; when he turned again to glance at the graceful woman and her friend, they were gone. Go figure. He finished the man's order and set it before him, smirking as he said, "You enjoy that one, sir," and recieved the money due. Taking it back to the register, he sighed, feeling like a drone as he went through the motions. He looked forward to just going home and going to bed - practise this morning had been a little more vigorous on his energy than it usually was, and it was really starting to show. But as he turned back to check for new faces to tend to, he heard some one call out his name. "Luthian! Hey, when do you get off?" The familiar sound of his friend and fellow Lith'Rii Urii student Nalya made him smile and he noticed her leaning over the bar, waving to catch his attention. He walked over, crossing his arms on the counter in front of her. "When do I get off?" He asked, raising his eyebrows, flicking his tail back and forth. She nodded, tucking her long bangs behind her even longer ears. "Yeah, cause there's some kind of dancing show later. I though it would be good for us. You know, we can go learn to be graceful or something. Gods know I need the help," she added, rolling her eyes. Luth just grinned, and messed up her hair. "Maybe, we'll see. I should get off half an hour from now.. you gonna stick around?" Swatting at his hand, she tried to smooth her dark tresses back to some semblance of normalcy. "Not with all these tramps," she said, and loudly, earning a few insolent looks. "No, I'll just see you there, if you decide to show." He just nodded, and said a quick goodbye before turning to another new customer, once again forcing that brilliant smile of his back onto his face. As always. As his tail hung limply behind him, he just wondered how no one seemed to be able to see through that smile, at times like these.[/color]

Thankfully, the sandstorm did not continue as long as the last one had, and Meg was sure she'd only been seated for a few minutes before the screaming winds outside her tent lowered to a dull roar, and then nothing at all. She blinked at the cieling, before standing and poking at it on her tip toes. The sounds of sand sliding down the tent flaps reached her ears and she smirked, before bouncing around the tent joyfully, continually poking the cieling. After all the fun that could be had was [i]had[/i], she unzipped the tent and peered around outside curiously to see if anybody else was up and moving - again. It was like a barren landscape once again, smooth, sleek sand in every which way and a clear blue sky above. Very strange, how the weather could change so rapidly in the desert, she mused lighty, before stepping out of her her tent completely. There didn't seem to be many others out, but the peculiar sound of grunting and shoveling caught her attention and she wandered in that direction to find Sam and Robert working hard at the spot where the all-important shed [i]should[/i] have been. Pursing her lips, she grabbed a shovel and joined in, working furiously to hurry and get the shed unburied. No need to tell her once, let alone twice - right now, that sonar meant life and death for them. And as weird as she found the desert to be, she definitely wasn't ready to leave it. "Oh, I hope it doesn't combust on us like the last one did.." [size=1](Sorry this is a tad late.. hopefully not [i]too[/i] late! *sings stupidly* [i]Here I come to save the day!![/i])[/size]

[color=maroon][i]Good lord, what is it with women today?[/i] Luthian mused, cleaning a few glasses as the ladies in question took up that corner of the bar, all of them leaning over and giggling and eyeing him voraciously. He smiled at them congenially, his tail swaying in the air comfortably behind him, and tried his best not to encourage them. They didn?t really seem to need his help, however, and he constantly found himself pressing his finger to his lips in hopes that maybe one of the times they?d catch the hint and stay quiet for good. Unfortunately, they didn?t seem to catch on to [i]anything[/i]. He turned away, setting the glasses back in the cabinet above the counter, before he caught sight of two other ladies at the bar. Glancing briefly to the other women, wiping his hands on a towel, he sighed internally, wishing for once that they?d go away. He had a horrible headache. Turning his full attention on the redhead and her apparent friend, he gave them a grin and raised his eyebrows, ?So what?ll it be, ladies?? [center][b]meanwhile[/b][/center] Covering her mouth as she yawned loudly, one eye sqinting shut and one peering ahead, Leile decided once and for all that she was most definitely [i]not[/i] a morning person. Her hair made enough noise by itself, however, to keep her awake. The towns people always recognized her right away because of the jingling noise coming from the little beads and charms in her hair. She liked to think she planned that sort of thing; that deep down, she really did have her father's talent when it came to charming people and selling various things to them. But then the dream would usually end when she'd trip and fall into a puddle of mud, and Leile remembered that the only thing that kept her going was luck. That, and today she had a very firm grip on R'Enthe's reins, so if she went down, so did the horse. "G'morning, 'Ils," called out an older man, located behind one of the street's many stands. "Starting a little early, eh?" Leile smiled slightly at the nick-name, nodding once. "Yeah, I thought I'd try my luck. Couldn't hurt any," she agreed, before giving him a little wave goodbye. Truth be told, she was probably pushing her luck, but that definitely wasn't anything new. As the man ducked out of sight, Leile turned her eyes back ahead, searching for her usual spot to make sure it was clear. Thankfully, it was - she didn't feel like arguing this morning. And, it gave her plenty of time to think about the troubling dreams she had the night before. She stopped R'Enthe with a gentle tug on the reins and a click of the tongue, before unhooking him from the cart as she set up camp for the day. In actuality, she didn't get much sleep at all the night before. Her father's letter, sent to her a few days before last, had worried her, and it had continued through the days as she'd heard more rumors about Ma'Uriith and the horrors within it. Occasionally, she caught sight of some haggard looking travelers, all of which headed immediately for the medical wards. A strange, burning feeling took her throat yesterday and she couldn't shake it, and it continued well into the night. Finally, she gave up trying to get some sleep and just got up and got ready in the early hours of the morning. Now, as she rolled back the canvas covering her goods, she thought that perhaps it was just fear. Soul-gripping, overwhelming fear for her family and for the capital, but fear nevertheless. R'Enthe seemed to sense her troubled thoughts and whinnied softly, nudging her arm. She smiled and gave his neck a good rub before seating herself on the edge of the cart, sighing. Frowning certainly wasn't going to help her sell any of this. With a cheerful smile, she began waving to passerbys as she called out, "Come buy my stuff! See what's in the cart today; you know you want to.." [size=1](Right, okay. For those of you in Ma'Uriith... you may want to relocate soon. As you know, and can obviously tell, it's kind of falling apart, and it's not going to stop until the entire city is gone. I don't think you'll want to be there when that happens. Cause then you'd be dead. This is part of the curse set forth by Prince Riian, all those years ago.. it just took it's sweet time getting started. And the destruction is not going to stop there, so you've been forewarned. Also, you might be interested to know that it is indeed spring, and the celebrations for spring have not yet begun. Hint hint. That is all.)[/size][/color]

[color=maroon]The sun was hot on his back as he walked back towards his little place in the boarding house, having just finished his training for the day. Luth walked barefoot through the streets, his sandals slung over his shoulder haphazardly as he watched the people around him. It was some time past noon, and K'Urii was bustling about him as people went to lunch, gathered groceries and other little odds and ends, before hurrying back to the cool comfort of their own homes. He enjoyed this life immensely. Granted, he had love his life back in Caedwyn as well - Luthian found that he could make home just about anywhere - but all of this sudden activity was a nice change from the quiet, leisurely pace of his original home. Occasionally, he missed being able to just lay back in the hay, and suck on a piece of straw as he watched the clouds roll by, but there were plenty of things in this city to keep his mind occupied. For instance, his training in the ways of the K'Urii, and specifically, the [i]Lith'Rii Urii[/i]. It was a warm, happy feeling, the way his muscles screamed at him every time he walked back from another session of training. Ah yes, he always did love a little bit of hard work. It suited him; he thrived in it, in the knowledge that he was under pressure, working against the clock, so to speak. He ruffled his reddish-brown locks, tail floating languidly in the air, grinning to himself as he began to whistle some silly, bouncy tune, before a sudden presence attached itself to him. He jumped slightly, blinking at the busty blonde that had just latched onto his arm, his tail twitching in the air behind him. "Uh.. hi?" "You rascal, you!" Every word she admitted was like a prolongued giggle, and although it was kind of cute for the moment, he was sure that he would go deaf soon if it continued very much longer. "I haven't seen you for weeks! Where have you been?" And here was one of the [i]other[/i]... things... that kept his life interesting. For the life of him, Luth coudn't place this woman at all. But he got the distinct impression that she remembered him quite well. "Oh, around.. working. You know. Stuff.." She giggled coquettishly again, pinching his butt as she winked at him, and then proceeded to kiss his cheek as she whispered inquiringly, "Don't you miss me, Luth?" [i]Gods... I can't remember her name... ****. Who the hell is she?[/i] "Oh, every night, I assure you," He managed to grin, before slowly pulling his arm away. "Sorry to run like this, but I've got to get back somewhere. Busy life, you know." The blonde just pouted, giving him a sad little wave. "I'll miss you," she sniffled pathetically, obviously trying to act like an innocent little school girl. However, a school girl she definitely was not - her dress screamed otherwise, and Luth just blinked at her, before slowly waving back. "..Okay..." He turned and began to walk a little faster, exhaling slowly as he ran his hand through his hair once again. "Damn," he muttered quietly, "I'm going to get myself into a lot of trouble these days." He glanced back then, at the blonde who nearly ravaged him, his tail dancing mirthfully behind him, before smirking. [i]Oh well.[/i][/color]

The streets of Ma'Uriith were quiet. In the past, they'd hardly ever been that way. Quiet nights were something that happened out in the country, where the people had no lives and went to bed as the sun set on the land. They didn't occur in big cities, especially one such as Ma'Uriith. But the last few months in Ma'Uriith have been different. The residents of the large city didn't notice the change at first; in such a city there are always changes, and life was always fast. If you stopped to smell the roses, it would leave you behind completely. Change was a part of every day life. And so when odd things began happening, the people shrugged them off at first. The clouds were the first things to arrive. They came rolling in one late afternoon, dark and ominous, and as the last bit of light disappeared behind the horizon, the rain began to fall. The first night, the rain was torrential, and it didn't let up until the early morning, the next day. It had been many years since such a rain had happened upon Ma'Uriith, and so for weeks afterwards the clouds were the topic of every conversation. Part of that was because they never left; the city remained shadowed under them, wilting and fading just as every spot of green did. Moods began to sour, and talk wasn't so cheerful. Around this time, a great number of people began to fall ill. They blamed it on the dark, bleak sky, and said that it would pass in time - it was like the first week of school; soon all the kids are sick and it spreads like wildfire, before dying out once their immune systems kicked in. But while a few got better, many did not. And the epidemic continued to spread, even to the outskirts of town. The phisicians were baffled, and even healers couldn't seem to beat it - they could only keep the person healthy for a few days before they were overcome with the same, strange cold. Gardners could not keep their fields alive, and soon even the livestock began to fall in numbers. Everything was dying, except for the people. They began to speak in hushed voices, and they stayed away from shadows. Hardly anyone ventured outside unless they absolutely had to, and even then they travelled in groups and made the errands as quick as possible. And then the King fell ill, and utter silence descended upon the city like one of Moses' plagues. That was like the last fatal sign - something was horribly wrong, and the one man they thought could pull them out of the slump became a victim of the strange flu that resided over the city. To make matters worse, the King was removed from Ma'Uriith and relocated to Feurith, where he would recieve the best medical help the land could offer. The young Prince left behind told the people not to worry, that soon they'd have the answers and the city would return to it's bustling self once again. But more and more people have been leaving the city, heading to Feurith like the King, or to the shores for the fresh air and warm sun. And they say that walls are beginning to crack in Ma'Uriith, and some of the buildings groan late at night, as though under pressure. The city isn't safe any more, and not even the royal family can fight the growing fear deep within their own hearts, let alone the people's. The King in Feurith, despite his weakened state, has spent countless hours reading in libraries, researching similiar events in history, talking to advisors and healers and even mages, hoping to somehow stop the rains, stop the disease, and bring the sun back. But hope is fading fast, and things are only getting worse in Ma'Uriith... ------- [size=1] Okay, sorry this is late. As I mentioned, I wasn't able to get on earlier because somebody asked a favor, and being the overly nice person that I am, I delivered. And I got back later than expected. And then my best friend back home called... and thus, this is stupidly late. *bows*[/size]

[size=1][color=maroon]A couple of these posts are a little on the short side. If you could beef them up a bit with a little more details, maybe descriptions of your surroundings or what the characters in question are thinking, that would be super keen. Thanks, Arcadia[/size][/color]