Orcus

[FONT="Book Antiqua"]What is this rubbish about "silly Baals" and "test subjects"? The Baal are not to be taken lightly. No nightmares, constructs or angels could hope to oppose us. To mirror Drizzt Do'urden's sentiments, no one can stand against the might of the Baal. We will knock you down. Unfortunately I doubt that's how it will play out, haha. Us Baal are too competitive and hotheaded. Yah sure we'll beat you guys, but we'll also be beating the snot out of each other.[/FONT]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Darren... *high five* As unprofessional as that may be, that's pretty much the only way I can sum up my feelings towards you right now. So... *high five* Darren's expectations are [B]exactly[/B] the criterion all judges should be scrutinizing the spars by, and the guidelines every writer should keep in mind while sparring. As for the actual spars I'm hoping to see some action soon, as well as a confirmation from Zen that he has time for his and Raiha's battle so I can go ahead and get that up as well.[/FONT]

[FONT="Book Antiqua"]I've been to Disneyland/world both only once... Is that bad? I just realized that I don't think I've actually ever contributed to one of these threads... Hmm... Well, there's a first for everything, right? [URL="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/Reizou/Goofysmileandthumbsup.jpg"][B][Try to ignore the goofy smile.][/B][/URL] I went to a Buddhist Meditation Center and was giddy... i really wanted to give the abbot a high five, but felt that might be inappropriate.[/FONT]

[FONT="Book Antiqua"]Alright, sign up is finally done. I hope it's to your liking-- I hope the man in the mountains bit wasn't too stupid. I had a couple of concerns myself; my first concern being the same one expressed by Afro and Drizzt Do'Urden. My second concern was with my ability, however. I wanted to play on the close connection of the Baal clan to animals and nature, so I thought super empathy would be appropriate (considering my original ability of sonic force was stolen by DeLarge :] ). I hope that's not too game-breaking.[/FONT]

[CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][B]“Get away!”[/B] The young man sprung up from his bed in a cold sweat, his breath escaping violently from his mouth. He immediately began surveying the room, examining every nook and cranny for any sign of life. There was nothing there of course, but he still felt uneasy, as if he was in danger of being overwhelmed at any minute. He pushed the feeling aside as quickly as he could, closed his eyes and sighed heavily. This had been happening more frequently. That damned dream was beginning to plague him, and he never understood it. He probably never would understand it, he assumed. It wasn’t the kind of thing that drove most to violently abrupt awakenings. The dreamscape, some place he could not define as anything but a metaphysical prison, was dark, horridly dark. The only sounds that came to his ears were the sound of gears grinding and wings flapping in unison. The combination of the two almost sounded like… like laughing. He wasn’t sure if he was himself or another, but he knew he was afraid. Terribly afraid. And it seemed as if every moment he spent in the dream he became more afraid, as if every second the darkness was becoming more crushing, the noises were becoming louder and louder until finally it was as if they were upon him and then he woke up, roaring in terror. He shook some of the sweat off his face, his shoulder length golden hair flopping roughly against his face. He attempted to wipe off the rest of the sweat on the back of his hand, but found that he couldn’t. Looking down at his hands, he realized his nails had been lodged through his mattress and into the actual bed frame. He growled angrily and forcefully pried his hands free. It was things like [I]this[/I] that had caused him to run away from home… and the fact that he had tossed his father down a flight of stairs in anger. He snarled again. The thought of his father always made him angry. He shook off the feeling, hopped out of bed and yawned, a ferocious roar tearing from his mouth and echoing through the cabin. He loved this place more than any other because he could be himself in entirety. He didn’t have to shove his hands in his pockets to hide his claws, or restrain his yawns so that he didn’t frighten away any citizens or get mocked relentlessly by Sin children… No, here he was at home. A beeping sound from his left caught his attention and caused him to wince. [B]“If only I could stay here permanently…”[/B] He walked over to the table in his living room and grabbed a place cell phone, clearly out of place in this wilderness retreat. The battery was dying. And he knew what that meant—it was time to travel into town to go see [I]her[/I]. He had considered numerous times just destroying the phone, grinding it down into dust, and watching his last tie with humanity crumble away. But then he could see her face, her caring eyes filled with sadness, and he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He growled and slammed the phone back down on the table, then spun on his heel and walked over to his dresser. He had kept the clothes for her also. Well… In all fairness, he hadn’t just kept them for her. He also kept them for the spontaneous urges his body had for manmade food. As rare as they were, on the off chance he did desire a pizza, the no shirt, no shoes, no service rule applied for everyone, all of the time. He grabbed a black t-shirt, a white zip-up hooded sweater, and dark blue jeans and threw them on lazily. He took a look at his sneakers and grimaced, grabbing instead his sandals. If anyone had a problem with the bestial condition of his feet they could deal with it. Lastly he grabbed his beanie, attempting to cover his unmanageably messy hair, and a pair of glasses. Granted, he didn’t need the glasses any longer; since the changes began his vision had become unbelievably powerful. But the glasses were one of the few things he still liked from his previous life. Finally prepared, at least physically, he threw open the door to the cabin and bounded down the mountainside at a lightning quick pace. The sandals didn’t impede his ability to run, nor did the fallen logs or animal carcasses littered around. He smiled slightly as he ran by them. His habit of hunting near his home had made it so that the locals thought the place was inhabited by some beast, which it was, so they avoided the building ‘like the plague’. And those few who did brave entering the cabin… well, he had the pleasure of scaring them half to death. He didn’t have to run long before having reached the city. He slowed his pace down substantially, moseying into the city so that nobody would notice him. He sent his body into autopilot as he traversed the familiar roads, past the familiar people, to the familiar burger place. He smirked and walked in; sure enough, she already had a seat in back. He shook his head in amusement as she excitedly waved him over. Before he had even made it half way to the table she had apparently lost her patience and decided to run over to meet him. He braced himself as she jumped into his arms. Despite dreading this whole situation, her voice soothed his soul. [B]“Caleb!”[/B] He couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm. He blew her long bluish-black hair out of his face and kissed her lightly on the cheek. [B]“Good to see you too, Flo.”[/B] Flo took a step back to inspect Caleb. He rolled his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets. She did this every time—looked him over to see if he had changed any, that was. He was sure he hadn’t; he was still about 6’2’’, his wiry frame was still roughly 165 lbs. of muscle; his skin was still roughly the same tanned white it had been last time they saw each other. Even the crimson eyes were the same, though those had taken her some time to become accustomed to. It wasn’t just his looks she was surveying, though. It was probably-- [I]Whack![/I] He groaned lightly as her hand met his arm. [I]Yep… That was what she was looking for,[/I] he thought to himself. Her voice came to him again, and this time it was angry. [B]“You’re hurt!”[/B] He grinned and shrugged lightly. [B]“I’m sorry? A guys gotta eat ya know… and bears aren’t exactly easy to wrestle down.”[/B] She glared intently at him, not amused by what she hoped was a joke. Now it was Cale’s turn to look Flo over. She was still as he remembered as well. Still 5’7’’. Still wearing glasses despite her brilliant blue eyes. Still as white as snow and easily flushed. And still dressing to impress him. She opened her mouth to yell at him some more but her quickly cut her off by putting his hand on her should and smiling. [B]“Why don’t we sit down, yah? People are staring.”[/B] She blinked once then quickly looked right and left. Indeed, everyone in the restaurant had turned their attention to the two. She blushed and grabbed his hand, pulling him over to their booth. The waiter come by and asked Cale what he’d like to order. He glanced over at Flo and responded quickly. [B]“A cheeseburger, please. Rare.”[/B] Flo stopped the waiter before he could leave. [B]“He was just kidding. He meant medium well.”[/B] The waiter nodded and walked off. Cale shook his head and smiled at her. [B]“Still trying hard to reincorporate me into society, huh? Plenty of people eat their food rare, ya know…”[/B] She ignored the comment and began talking about something else. [B]“I’m so glad you’re back down! I was starting to think I had timed it wrong… Or that you finally decided…”[/B] Cale quickly took her hand in his and smiled broader. [B]“You know that as much as I bitch and whine about these visits they mean the world to me. You mean the world to me.”[/B] She instantly perked up and squeezed his hand. [B]“Well… If I mean so much to you… Why don’t you spend the week down here? My roommates going to be gone for the week, and—Don’t give me that look!”[/B] Cale’s smile had been fading with every word, and now his grimace was like a beacon of light on his face. Granted, he had known she would ask him when their skin had touched earlier—he had been able to ‘pull’ that feeling from her. He scratched his head awkwardly and looked out the window. [B]“You know how I feel about spending time here… I only come to see you, but if I stay too long someone’s bound to notice me, tell someone else, and that’ll get back to my family…”[/B] He trailed off as his teeth clenched together and his eyes narrowed. The thought of his father [B]always[/B] made him angry. She squeezed his hand again, and he looked back to her. Though he could still ‘feel’ her emotions, the softness and compassion in her eyes took him back. He hung his head in defeat. [B]“Fine… I’ll stay the week.”[/B] *** [I]Caleb “Cale” Alexander Wilde. 19. Only a few years ago the [B]Baal[/B] inside of him began to boil up. He became more and more aggressive to all of the people in his life, especially his father, who did little to check his own aggression. Father and son clashed over and over again, until finally their bickering became a full-fledged brawl, during which Cale lifted his father over his head and tossed him down a flight of stairs. Immediately after that, he packed all of his belongings and ‘moved’ into the Riverside Mountains near his previous college, University of California Riverside, in the USA. Before heading up, however, he was given a phone by his close friend Flo Fairweather, who made him promise he would come down to visit her. His ability manifested itself on one of his first dates with Flo. As soon as he reached over to touch her hand, he was overwhelmed with her emotions, which almost formed a coherent thought in his mind. His senses, being heightened to past the peak of human condition, allowed him originally to get a general feel for other peoples’ emotions and to roughly predict what actions they were about to perform. Since developing, he has found that by touching Flo, through what he calls ‘intense empathy’, he can become highly tuned to her feelings, almost to the point of being able to read her mind. He is not sure, however, on whether or not this is true with other people. He believes that if this ability does affect other people, there's a good chance he can influence their emotions or make them feel what he's feeling. This is only speculation, of course. Aside from that, he has developed some animal like qualities—i.e. sharp teeth, elongated claws, slightly rougher skin, and untamable shoulder length hair[which is indeed longer than in the picture].[/I][/FONT][/CENTER]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/Reizou/GuyandEcho.jpg[/IMG] [FONT="parchment"][SIZE="10"]Guy vs. Echo *[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT="Palatino Linotype"][I]The fighting had gone on for what seemed like an eternity. Blade had met blade, axe had met lance, whip had met fists, and yet the warriors persisted in striking at one another, until finally, only 8 remained. Eyes bright with bloodlust and clothing stained in blood, they resembled demons in their relentless combat. One more combatant made no difference to them; not one, not two, not a hundred. They would fight and fight until their feet bled and their hands came apart. But that couldn?t be allowed quite yet. Before they could take to eliminating one another, a lone figure mounted the high wall at the far end of the battle arena and bellowed. [B]?Enough!?[/B] As his voice washed over the arena, time seemed to become suspended. The warriors halted exactly where they were, weapons in mid swing, bodies pivoted for the most powerful attacks. If it wasn?t for the flickering of their eyes over to the new figure, one would have thought them turned to stone. The figure glowed brightly for a moment where he stood, then appeared in front of the fighters. Though it was obvious that this silver haired man had been the one to bring them here, they kept their weapons leveled nonetheless, should it prove to be a trap. The figure remained emotionless as he spoke. [B]?Congratulations on outlasting your competition. Having bested your first task, and proved your merit, you all ?advance? to the second round. Do not be deceived; though you found Nye any trouble on this barren arena with its week and foolish warriors, you are now faced with dangerous battlefields and warriors whose lust for battle will rival your own. You will not be allowed to rest, to eat, to drink. You must fight and win, as quickly as you can. And should one of you prove capable, you will fight me. If you truly desire your memories back you will not lose.?[/B] The warriors all absorbed his words and nodded their heads in acknowledgment. The Silver haired man smirked and turned around. [B]?Then go.?[/B] A brilliant light enveloped every competitor, including the silver hair man, and soon, the vast wasteland was devoid of life. [/I] * The ocean. Oceans are known for their beauty, their serenity, their Tranquility. Many regard the ocean as place they can retreat to when life is too much, when times are hard. This ocean, however, is no paradise; it offers only danger to any that enter its domain. As far as they eye can see the foul, black water stretches out and thrashes violently. No sea-life can be seen from above, and many take that as a blessing. Only the foulest, most violent creatures live beneath this poisonous sea, and only a fool would attempt to brave these creatures. Life above the water is no less dangerous. Strewn across the water are thousands upon thousands of pirate ships, rumored to remain here from some great oceanic battle that occurred years ago. Planks still connect the decaying and ominous looking boats; however, It?s not only planks of wood that be remaining on this ship. After years of being showered with grotesque liquids, the bones of the fallen seamen have become reanimated, and continue their fruitless fight. Unfortunately for Guy and Echo, as they are dropped down onto ships miles and miles apart, they are dropped into this never ending battle. Though he is not apparent, the silver haired man?s voice can be heard over the sound of steel crashing against steel. [B]?Warriors! Your task is at hand. Find the other competitor and defeat him, through whatever means you find suitable. Begin!?[/B][/FONT] [SIZE="1"]*** [B]OOC:[/B] Have at it, DeLarge and Muuh Puar. The boats barely be keeping together, and swashbuckling skeletons abound. Ye have three posts each. May victory go to the master of the sea![/SIZE][/CENTER]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/Reizou/ThanatosandRedkin.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="parchment"][SIZE="10"][CENTER]Thanatos vs. Redkin *[/CENTER][/SIZE][/FONT] [CENTER][I][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]The fighting had gone on for what seemed like an eternity. Blade had met blade, axe had met lance, whip had met fists, and yet the warriors persisted in striking at one another, until finally, only 8 remained. Eyes bright with bloodlust and clothing stained in blood, they resembled demons in their relentless combat. One more combatant made no difference to them; not one, not two, not a hundred. They would fight and fight until their feet bled and their hands came apart. But that couldn?t be allowed quite yet. Before they could take to eliminating one another, a lone figure mounted the high wall at the far end of the battle arena and bellowed. [B]?Enough!?[/B] As his voice washed over the arena, time seemed to become suspended. The warriors halted exactly where they were, weapons in mid swing, bodies pivoted for the most powerful attacks. If it wasn?t for the flickering of their eyes over to the new figure, one would have thought them turned to stone. The figure glowed brightly for a moment where he stood, then appeared in front of the fighters. Though it was obvious that this silver haired man had been the one to bring them here, they kept their weapons leveled nonetheless, should it prove to be a trap. The figure remained emotionless as he spoke. [B]?Congratulations on outlasting your competition. Having bested your first task, and proved your merit, you all ?advance? to the second round. Do not be deceived; though you found Nye any trouble on this barren arena with its week and foolish warriors, you are now faced with dangerous battlefields and warriors whose lust for battle will rival your own. You will not be allowed to rest, to eat, to drink. You must fight and win, as quickly as you can. And should one of you prove capable, you will fight me. If you truly desire your memories back you will not lose.?[/B] The warriors all absorbed his words and nodded their heads in acknowledgment. The Silver haired man smirked and turned around. [B]?Then go.?[/B] A brilliant light enveloped every competitor, including the silver haired man, and soon, the vast wasteland was devoid of life.[/I] * This city had seen pandemonium; whatever society had ever existed here had long since departed and allowed the city to wither out of existence and memory. The sky was overcast and black, yet the area seemed to glow with a surreal aura. The ground was littered with tattered, rusty beams, shattered glass, and decaying animals. Every building was just one gust away from coming crumbling down to the earth. Around every corner roamed a dangerous beast, one that could only be compared to a wolf, but trumped said creature in size and ferocity twofold. And at the middle of the city, standing as what surely would have been a great and glorious addition to the city?s aesthetics, was a massively unfinished skyscraper. A light flashed on the two opposite ends of the city, and Thanatos and Redkin appeared, feeling rejuvenated from their previous battles. They surveyed their surroundings quickly and drew their weapons as one final light flashed in the city, at the very top of the skyscraper. The silver figure stepped forward and yelled down into the city. [B]?Warriors! Your task is at hand. Find the other competitor and defeat him, through whatever means you find suitable. Begin!?[/B][/FONT] [SIZE="1"]*** [B]OOC:[/B] Have at it, Afro and Vicky. The city is falling apart, and dangerous beasts await around everyone corner. You have three posts each. May the best competitor win![/SIZE][/CENTER]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Haha, well, saying he takes your taunting and shows up, you're still allowed to vote on either of the other two fights that will be progressing at the same time as yours-- of course, you just won't be allowed to judge your own fight... well, not exactly. But more on that later. Alrighty, as for Afro and Vicky, and DeLarge and Muuh Puar, your fights will be up tonight/tomorrow. If Zen isn't too frightened by Raiha ( ^.^; ) then their fight will be up as well. I'll alert everyone via pm and a post who will be judging which fight. You can decline or accept, and we'll work accordingly. [If [B]Darren[/B] is fine with it, he'll judge each round, so only two competitors need be chosen to judge as well]. And on that note, I'd like to discuss the specifics for Judgment. Matches should be judged on: Quality of writing, accurate portrayal of the opponent, no godmodding (though I'm sure I do not have to warn such a fine batch of writers, no, your post should not simply be "I winzorz becuz I am teh awesomest."), and ability to interest and engage the reader. Votes will be posted here, along with a short description of why you think whichever fighter should win, then I will look over them and post who has won. However, we are not the say-all-know-alls of writing, so if you as a competitor think you legitimately "outwrote" your opponent, feel free to post a description of why you believe that. The other competitor can rebuttal or agree, and either a rematch can be arranged or the verdict will stand. I'd like to note-- though I'm sure again, it's unnecessary-- that this an ability I give in good faith, and should not be abused. If you have any questions regarding this matter, feel free to send 'em my way. EDIT 1: My apologies for the length of time I'm taking to get the threads up. It's getting closer to finals here, so my workload has increased quite a bit. But worry not, I'll be getting them up as soon as possible.[/FONT]

[FONT="Garamond"]Though death by whip is always entertaining, offers work just as well Raiha. :] Well, I was hoping to run the three first rounds all at once, but I don't know if that will be happening unless more requests roll in soon. On that note, Vicky and Afro, prepare yourselves! In no more than three days you will have the arena set for your spectacular battle. En guarde![/FONT]

[quote name='chibi-master']I got a Furby for Christmas around 4th grade. Funny though, mine was never hungry. Also, I spent ridiculous amounts of time trying to master its language with that stupid pamphlet...[/QUOTE] [FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Furby's are just evil! Evil, evil, evil. My friend has one in his room that just randomly starts talking in the middle of the night, even if it's covered up or shoved in a closet. They're just filled with dark magic, I'm sure of it...[/FONT]

[FONT="Garamond"][B]“I can’t believe this! I’m so bloody bored!”[/B] Scarlet slammed his head against the bar. Everyone else had left immediately to complete their task, but he was left to wait for Jason to give him a heads up on where to go looking for weapons. That had been two hours ago, and though Scarlet was working hard at developing his patience, he was only human, and he was eager to see some action. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and yelled at it. [B]“Ring! Ring damn ya!”[/B] Much to his surprise, the phone did indeed begin ringing. He quickly flipped it open and answered. [B]”Fuck me! You sure took your sweet time didn’t ya?”[/B] Jason’s response barked through the phone. [B]“You ungrateful… I just put my ass on the line for you, you know, and I still got two more places to hit. You could pretend to show a little gratitude!”[/B] Scarlet grimaced and apologized quickly. [B]“I’m sorry Jason. I appreciate ya big man, I really do. So you find an’thing out?”[/B] Jason apparently took Scarlet’s apology, as his response was a bit more pleasant. [B]“You might want to be visiting the bakery on King James and 13th. You might find something you like there.”[/B] Scarlet grinned and hopped off his seat, running towards the door. He ran up to his motorcycle and hopped on, then addressed Jason again. [B]“Much obliged, Jay. G’luck with the next two bars—don’t go tiring yourself out, you got me?”[/B] Though the motorcycle had sprung to life, Scarlet could still hear Jason’s boisterous laugh echo into the phone. [B]“I’ll remember that kid. You don’t go doing anything stupid then, ey?”[/B] Scarlet grunted in response, then hung up. He revved the bike again and sped off down the road. They weren’t too far away from the ‘bakery’, and Scarlet could easily have run there, but he preferred to have a quick getaway… and to travel in style. He took another sharp turn, but didn’t reduce his speed any. If anyone saw him driving reckless out here, it wouldn’t really affect him. He had bought the most popular model, in the most popular colour, and had stripped the motorcycle of its plates. And in case they came looking for a motorcycle without plates, he had them stored at their base to put on whenever he needed them. [B]“Aaah… ‘bout time.”[/B] He stopped abruptly in front of the building and looked it over. It was relatively unassuming, and if one wasn’t looking for it, they would probably pass it over without a second thought. A poor way to do business indeed, but a great way to keep hidden. He kicked down the kickstand and hopped off the bike, and walked casually into the shop. [I]One behind the counter…[/I] The pretty, thin woman behind the counter looked up and smiled at Scarlet. He smiled back and walked up to her. He was almost sorry for what had to happen next. The woman was first to speak. [B]“What can I do ya fer, sir?”[/B] Scarlet put on an embarrassed face and scratched his head. [B]“Well… t’ be honest… I seen you around here a couple times and I was won’dring if maybe I could take ya t’ dinner… Yer not taken, are ya?”[/B] She smiled and chuckled lightly, raising her hand up to show that there was no ring there. She looked behind her for a second than leaned towards Scarlet. [B]“Lemme just tell the folks I’ll be stepping out, yeah?”[/B] Scarlet laughed and nodded. The woman ran off in back, and Scarlet quickly tailed her, leaning against the door to hear in on what she was saying. Her voice flittered over to him lowly. [B]“Hey, I got plans, so you can man the front, ey? Don’t tell the others I’m leavin’ though. I don’t need them reportin’ me to Sheriff for taking some leisure time.”[/B] Scarlet nodded and quickly ran back over to the counter, casually leaning against it as the woman came out. She smiled and grabbed her purse. [B]“Shall we?”[/B] Scarlet grinned and walked over to her, taking her arm. They walked to the front of the store and he grabbed her coat to put in on her. She lifted her arms up to put it on and spoke. [B]“So, my name’s Rebecca. You have a name, stranger?”[/B] Scarlet frowned at this, and finished putting her jacket on. Before she could turn around he put her in the sleeper hold and responded solemnly. [B]“I’ll make this up t’ ya another time, Becca.”[/B] She struggled for only a second before becoming limp in his arms. He quickly grabbed her keys and searched her body for any weapons. He found her firearm just as the door in the back opened and a large man peaked out. [B]“Bec--.”[/B] Before he could finish the sentence, Scarlet planted a bullet between his eyes. Scarlet grimaced at the sight and shoved Rebecca’s gun into his pants, then ran over to the big man and repeated the searching procedure. He received the same from him—a set of keys and a handgun. He also took the man’s wallet. Just in case, he thought to himself. He then cocked his guns and walked through the door. There was nothing out of the ordinary in this room, so he breezed through it to the door on the other side. He pressed against it lightly, listening for voices. Hearing none, he opened the door cautiously. A dimly lit stairway lay in front of him. Scarlet smiled and muttered under his breath. [B]“Guns a plenty down ‘ere, I reckon…”[/B] The stairway was relatively easy to travel down without making any sounds, though he crept along barely breathing nonetheless. The stairway led into another dimly lit area-- a hallway this time, with light peeking out from a curtain at the end of it. He trekked slowly down the hallway and listened in on the guards. Four of them, by the sounds of it… playing poker or something of the sort, Scarlet ascertained. Scarlet growled lowly. [B]“This is like a lousy action flick…”[/B] He could imagine how the situation would play out already. One would get up to use the can, and Scarlet would take him out easily. One of the others would hear a sound and follow after and would get shot just as he yelled out his warning. The last two would raise up their guns, cautiously approach the doorway, and receive Scarlet’s blades between their eyes. Scarlet sighed lightly, waiting for the relatively boring plan to come to fruition when a cold metal object was shoved into his back and a cocky voice reached his ears. [B]“Thought you could pull one over on us, huh? Drop your wea—”[/B] Scarlet spun around quickly, dropped his weapons, and grabbed the man’s gun. Startled, the man was helpless to keep Scarlet from jutting the back end of the weapon into his chin. The man staggered backwards, and Scarlet took that as an opportunity to pump the man full of lead. The sound apparently caught the attention of the other guards, as Scarlet could hear stirring from the other room. He drew one of his blades and pressed himself against a wall, standing a still as possible. A second later a guard came bursting out of the room gun aimed high. Scarlet quickly grabbed the man’s throat with his right hand, slammed him against the opposite wall, and drove his blade through the man’s wrist, forcing him to drop his gun. The man shouted out loudly, despite Scarlet’s firm grip on his larynx. In response, Scarlet dislodged his sword from the man’s wrist and flipped it so that the blade was adjacent to his arm, and, in one swift motion, let go of the man’s throat and decapitated him. The soldier’s body hang suspended in time for only a moment, then came crashing down to the ground. Scarlet sucked his teeth at the site. [B]“Pity, that.”[/B] Without looking away from the body Scarlet tossed his blade into his right hand. He caught the weapon just in time to impale the next rushing guard in his abdomen. He grabbed the guard’s machine gun as he fell to the ground and confidently stepped into the room, firing wildly. The last two guards fell easily to the onslaught of bullets. Scarlet shrugged and tossed the machine gun away. In retrospect, he realized, he probably should have left the guards alive for questioning… But alas, weapon collection was his job. Not acquisition of information. His eyes shot immediately to the ‘freezer’ in the back of the room and Scarlet sighed heavily. [B]“Really? In a freezer? Do these people ‘ave no originality?”[/B] He sauntered over to the door, opened it up and stepped in. Much to Scarlet’s amusement, the inside of the freezer was covered with alcohol bottles. He kicked his way through the ocean of alcohol until his foot hit something unusual. Clearing away the bottles, he found a large brass ring, and grabbed it with both hands. He ground his teeth together as the secret door noisily opened. It was well worth it for what was underneath, however. Scarlet couldn’t help but whistle and the mounds of weapons located below. He grabbed his phone and punched in Robert’s number. It barely rang twice before Robert picked up. His naturally jovial voice burst out of the phone. [B]“Everything in order Red?”[/B] Scarlet responded cheerily. [B]“Pre’ty easy job you set me up with, Hood… Thanks to the big guy I found a pretty large stash o’ supplies.”[/B] Robert congratulated him on a job well done and spoke away from the phone a moment. Scarlet smiled. He knew Robert must have been happy to be with Marian. Robert’s voice came back onto the line promptly. [B]“Alright Red. Bring your find back to base and find out if any of the others need your assistance. See you at Midnight.”[/B] Scarlet nodded and hung up his phone. He looked over the piles of weapons and frowned. [B]“Bugger…”[/B] [/FONT]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Much obliged for the input DeLarge; it's good to know I'm not alone in my logic. ;] Though I was hoping to receive another competitor, it seems that I'm out of luck in that department, so time to get the ball rolling on this little shindig. I'd like all competitors, save Kitty, to call out another player for a rumble. If the challenged combatant agrees, I'll get on creating the arena and posting it. After the initial three rounds are completed, Kitty can place her challenge against any one of the three victors. Sound good? Have at it comrades![/FONT]

[SIZE="1"]OOC:[strike] I'll have the writing snippet up later in the evening, as I am in desperate need of a nap at the present. I simply wanted to get in a place holder to show my interest.[/strike] Finished. :][/SIZE] [FONT="Garamond"][indent] [B]Name:[/B] William Blood; He goes by Scarlet, however. When undercover, he goes by Red Williams. [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Appearance:[/B] [URL="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/Reizou/Scarlet.jpg"][Scarlet][/URL] The only differences being that his jaw line is narrower and his eyes are more of an emerald green. Despite Scarlet’s lack of sufficient funds and current standing as an ‘inhabitant of the forest’ he has quite the penchant for dressing nicely. He wears the same outfit every day, and though most wouldn’t find said outfit battle savvy, one would do better than to attempt to convince Scarlet of that. His attire consists of: a black fedora that rests snugly on his head; a pair of sturdy, [URL="http://dennisvwu.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/oakley-gasket-eyeglasses-11-931.jpg"][thick framed glasses][/URL]; a white buttoned-up t-shirt with thin vertical black stripes; a black tie; a black buttoned up vest with a scarlet colored ‘S’ in parchment font on its back; a pair of black Dickies pants; and black Converse shoes. [B]Personality:[/B] Scarlet can come across as a bit much to those who first meet him. He’s always on the lookout for more of Sheriff’s lackeys, and thus is quick to assume that anyone who’s ‘overly interested’ in information about himself is undoubtedly in league with Sheriff. This, unfortunately, also makes him quick to combat and prone to mouthing off. Even once someone’s gotten past all of the initial paranoia, he or she can find it difficult to approach Scarlet. His impulsive and reckless behavior make him as much of a liability as an aid in plotting against Sheriff; his young, uninhibited hatred of everything surrounding Sheriff makes it hard to channel his rage in a constructive manner. However, Scarlet does have his redeeming qualities, difficult as that may be to imagine. His loyalty to the Merry Men is unwavering, and his dedication to his goals makes him an unstoppable force. He is defensive of his comrades, especially Hood, and refuses to allow innocent people to be inconvenienced by Sheriff. And though Scarlet is often difficult to instruct or control, he is progressively improving his ability to follow commands from the get-go; more importantly, however, is the fact that he does always complete any task he is ordered to do to the best of his abilities. [B]Affiliation:[/B] Hood and his Merry Men [B]Writing Snippet:[/B] Scarlet sat perched upon an abandoned house, waiting for the next car to roll by. It was about this time every week that bastard Sheriff sent another couple soldiers out to check the tidings of the forest, to collect his tax, to harass the people—standard operations for his new regime. Of course, the soldiers were a little more apprehensive each week they arrived. And why shouldn’t they be? All of the soldiers sent to this particular region turned up a couple weeks later dead or severely injured, to the point where they couldn’t relay what happened to them even if they wanted to. Now that was where Scarlet came in. It had taken him some time to become accustomed to the rule of Nottingham Corporation, and even longer to trust it, but once his initial prejudices had been cast aside, he immediately put his loyalty and faith in Richard King. He had not, however, managed to accept Joseph Sheriff as anything more than a waste of oxygen. The man was clearly untrustworthy; Scarlet could see it in every inch of his disgusting body. He knew that the gleam in Sheriff’s eye whenever he looked at King wasn’t one of devotion, it was one of betrayal. Thus, his hostile takeover of Nottingham Corporation in face of King’s leave came as no surprise to him. What did come as a surprise was the quickness with which he reduced Britain to the same abysmal conditions that had existed prior to King’s salvation. Scarlet could remember it all too well. In what couldn’t have been more than a month, the towns suddenly found themselves in dire need of supplies, and the general population quickly turned to deception and thievery. Instead of attempting to quell these conflicts, Sheriff encouraged the violence; he even gave some of the highest positions in his personal guard to those who had caused the most unrest amongst the people. More and more people fled to Sheriff, performing his foul deeds so they could fill the mouths and purses. Even Scarlet’s own father abandoned him and his mother to join Nottingham Corporation. His mother, unable to handle all that had become of her home and family, passed away a couple months ago. Scarlet clenched his eyes shut at this thought as white hot tears streamed down his face. He had been there for his mother every minute that she suffered, and he could still hear her heartbroken pleas and sobs. Once she died, Scarlet could find no way to console his pain; he found no comfort or solace in the words of his friends or remaining relatives. As his grief grew and saturated into anger, he took up arms against Sheriff, striking at him any way he could. He had not stopped since. The sound of an engine ripped him away from his thoughts. The sound was getting closer, albeit at a slow and cautious pace. He sneered and grabbed the dagger to his right, then readied himself for the car to emerge from behind the bend. His original plan had been to wait for the soldiers to enter the house, ambush them, and then slowly end their lives, but he was feeling impatient now. Though most would scoff at an attempt to hit a man in a moving vehicle with a dagger, months of practice and the speed the car was approaching made the task all to simple for Scarlet. He grinned deviously as the front of the car came into view. [B]“Well, ‘ave at it, then.”[/B] He flicked his wrist and sent the dagger piercing through the air and into the driver’s neck. The driver’s body jerked violently, causing the car to swerve to the left and rocket into a tree. Before the car had even collided with the obstacle, Scarlet had skillfully sprung from the rooftop and began sprinting over to the car. The other two soldiers barely had any time to assess and react to the situation when they were yanked from their seats and tossed onto the ground. In a flash, Scarlet collected their weapons, all save their blades, tossed them aside, and plopped down in front of them. [B] “Bloody hell, mate… Nasty spill you took there.”[/B] The first soldier sprang up instantly at the voice, attempting to simultaneously reach for his gun and reach for his ally to get his attention. Scarlet smiled. [B]“Looking for those?”[/B] He nodded his head over to the pile of weapons he had left near his house. The soldier growled angrily, helping his compatriot up and keeping his eyes leveled with Scarlet all the while. Scarlet jumped up as well, drawing his blades and twirling them around in circles. He stopped abruptly and pointed his right blade at the nearest soldier’s thigh. [B]“Draw your piece, gents. We’re gonna sort this issue out properly.”[/B] Both men quickly unsheathed their weapons and charged him. Scarlet smiled and rushed them as well. The fight didn’t take long at all. Though theoretically trained to use the swords they came equipped with, these two soldier drones had apparently never fought with them in actual combat. He quickly parried and disarmed the first soldier, and then quickly rammed his forehead into the soldier’s, knocking him to the ground so Scarlet could focus on the next one. The second soldier seemed a tad bit more adept with a blade, managing to swipe past Scarlet’s face and cut off a lock of hair. Scarlet clenched his teeth in irritation, but attempted to keep his cool. He didn’t want to beat this soldier so soon. He wanted to toy with him. Scarlet skillfully deflected each consecutive blow that came at him, until finally he could tell the soldier was fatigued. [B]“Done already, ey? That’s quite a shame. Only just sent by a devil, and so soon to return.”[/B] He stabbed through the man’s chest and brought his face close to the man’s ear. [B]“Send me your armies… and I will send them back piece by piece.”[/B] Scarlet drew his blade from the man’s chest and tossed him to the ground. He stared at the body for only a moment before he heard the cocking of a gun. The other soldier’s grizzly voice assaulted him. [B]“You’ll pay for that one, lad.”[/B] Before he could pull the trigger, however, and arrow pierced him between the eyes, and the man fell limply to the ground. Scarlet raised his right eyebrow and scoffed. [B]“How queer.”[/B] He walked over and picked up the gun from the guard. Another voice, this one far more jovial and young, flittered over to him. [B]“Quite the predicament you got yourself into, ey friend?”[/B] Scarlet shot a dirty look at the man and kicked the guard’s body away from his house. [B]“No, not really. He didn’t have any bullets.”[/B] Scarlet tossed the gun to the man, allowing him into inspect it. It was just as he had stated. The clip was empty. The man grinned and tossed the gun back. [B]“My mistake. That--““Yes, it was your mistake.”[/B] The stranger was taken aback by Scarlet’s rudeness and temper. He held up his hands defensively, an innocent smile spread across his face. [B]“My apologies, friend. I didn’t mean any offense.”[/B] He outstretched one hand to Scarlet. [B]“The name’s Robert Locksley. And yours?”[/B] Scarlet looked the man over intently, and Robert could see that Scarlet’s left hand was tightly gripping his blade, even as he took Robert’s hand. [B]“The name’s William Blood. You can call me Scarlet. None of that 'Will' crap, though.”[/B] Robert smiled and shook Scarlet’s hand. [B]“Understood, Scarlet. That was a pretty impressive display you put on against those soldiers.”[/B] Scarlet shrugged and walked over to his house, inviting Robert in. [B]“The bastards frequent the area. They all seem to fight the same—Sheriff’s apparently got them all programmed with the same move set.”[/B] Robert laughed a little, though his breath came short a moment when he saw what was in Scarlet’s house. Strewn along the walls and over the floor and table were a mass assortment of weapons. Scarlet followed Robert’s gaze and grinned. [B]“Nice, ain’t it Robbie? I keep a souvenir from every visit I have with the nice folk from the Corp.”[/B] Robert whistled in response. Scarlet offered him a seat, and the two sat in silence for a bit. Robert was the first to speak. [B]“What if I told you that you could do more than sitting and waiting for those guards to come to you?”[/B] Scarlet’s temper flared at this. [B]“You think I’m not doing enough out here, Mr. Locksley? You know how many soldiers have travelled through these parts?”[/B] Robert laughed and held up his arms again. [B]“Woah, woah! You’re doing a great job. But I can tell you’re getting frustrated with these infrequent challenges. I can see it in your eyes, and I could see it in the way you took on those soldiers earlier. You want to bring the fight to Sheriff. I want to give you that chance.”[/B] Scarlet looked at Robert inquisitively. He could tell from the man’s tone, from his eyes, from his body disposition that he was telling the truth. And truth be told, Scarlet was yearning for a fight. He smiled and leaned towards Robert. [B]“Alright Mr. Locksley. Whatever it is you’re doing, sign me up for it.”[/B] [B]Weapons: [/B] Scarlet is prone to carrying around two [URL="http://www.bladegallery.com/pics/1980_1_n.jpg"][short swords][/URL] or a [URL="http://creativeuncut.com/gallery-10/sb2-azai-nagamasa1.html"][chokutō][/URL], though he can and will use any other swords he may find lying around. He also carries around a [URL="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Beretta_87_Target.jpg"][Beretta 87 Target][/URL], and is quite a good shot with it—however, due to the somewhat difficult task of collecting ammo for his handgun, he will often only resort to using it if absolutely necessary. [B]Special Skills:[/B] Scarlet is extraordinarily proficient with blades of any sort; it’s even rumored that his skill with a blade matches Hood’s skill with a bow. His thin and wiry frame allows him great maneuverability and talent with acrobatics. He’s also a formidable hand to hand combatant, due to his unpredictability and youthful vitality and strength.[/indent][/FONT]

[CENTER][FONT="Palatino Linotype"][FONT="Parchment"][SIZE="100"]Memoria[/SIZE][/font] [SIZE="4"]-Judicial Committee-[/SIZE] [FONT="Stereofidelic"]* [SIZE="6"][B]Roster of Competitors:[/B][/SIZE][/font] [FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="2"]Raiha- Jia Li Zen- Daniel "Danny Boy" Black Muuh Puar- Marqwandrium "Guy" Worthwell Afro- Redkin Vicky- Thanatos DeLarge- Echo Kitty- Cale Eden[/SIZE][/FONT] [/center] [INDENT]Welcome to the Judicial Committee, where all things regarding the spars shall be covered, including suggestions for: [LIST] [*]Challenges [*]Arena Setup [*]Ultimate Judgment [/LIST] As for the actual implementation of the spars, the format will go as follows: [LIST=1] [*]I will post the thread, and the initial post will explain the arena and the objective of the two [or more] warriors. [*]Each competitor will post 3 [to be discussed] posts. [*]3 or 5 judges of my choosing will vote on the Spar, and I will post the final verdict. [*]The Victor posts the finishing blow. [/LIST] Now, I have some questions for all involved involved in the RPG, though outside opinion is more than welcome. Is 3 posts per rper an adequate amount, too much, or too little? Do you agree that a limited amount of Judges works well, or should everyone not involved in any given spar vote on it's outcome? Aaaaaaaalso, do you believe we should have a character limit for each post? Like, 500 words or something akin to that? If y'all have any more questions or suggestions, feel free to throw em out here.[/INDENT][/font]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][strike][B]OOC:[/B]Amazing sign ups, everyone! Very, very diverse and interesting characters; I'm most anxious to see them in action against one another. Needless to say, [B]all[/B] are accepted thus far. I'll be posting my sign up later tonight, as well as posting a backstage thread for Judgment, challenges, and any extra questions you may have. I'm going to give the sign ups a couple more days, but the spars will probably be beginning this Saturday. Be on guard. :][/strike] [B]OOC2:[/B] All right, [size="3"][B]SIGN UPS ARE NOW CLOSED[/B][/size]. I'll attempt to have a writing sample up sometime today-- damn my lack of sleep-- so everyone knows how Exodus operates. [CENTER][B]Name:[/B] Silver Lord Fenrir [B]Age:[/B] Appears to be in his late 20’s [B]Appearance:[/B] [URL="http://edgydog.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/blazblue-ragna.jpg"][Fenrir][/URL] [B]Personality:[/B] Fenrir is a cold and cruel figure, one who disregards any matter that does not satisfy his own whims. In battle, he is quick to strike at his opponent’s moral and mental state—in what can only be assumed is a byproduct of having stolen the competitor’s memories, he knows exactly what his opponent’s weaknesses and insecurities are, and is not afraid to prey upon them. [B]Weapons:[/B] [I]Craven Claw and Spectre Sword[/I] [See Exodus’ appearance] Fenrir’s strength and speed make both weapons devastating should they connect with an opponent. The Claw can easily shred any man to pieces, but is noticeably slow and predictable and the blade’s light frame allow Fenrir to strike multiple times before his opponent can react, but each strike is unlikely to deal severe damage to his enemy. Fenrir is more prone to using the Claw in battle, for the sheer brutality and savagery of it. [B]Powers:[/B] Fenrir does not have any special abilities to note; though his strength and speed are vastly superior to normal mortals, those are his only claim to fame. However, through alleged years of battling and training, he has learned to utilize these abilities in unison to make himself a virtual tank. The only downside is, though he is entirely capable of quickly decimating an opponent through godly displays of force, his endurance and defense are only on par with a highly trained mortal warrior, and thus, theoretically, he can be dispatched relatively easily. * [B]Name:[/B] Exodus [B]Age:[/B] Only appears to be in his late teens [B]Appearance:[/B] [URL="http://www.gamespot.com/psp/rpg/manakhemiaportableplus/images/0/114/?full_size=1"][Exodus][/URL] [URL="http://creativeuncut.com/gallery-04/mow-rock-howard2.html"][Exodus Outfit][/URL] The front of his hair has a shocking crystal blue tuft, and his golden and auburn eyes hide behind [URL="http://dennisvwu.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/oakley-gasket-eyeglasses-11-931.jpg"][these glasses][/URL]. Also, where the jacket and hat are red, his are blue. [B]Personality:[/B] Exodus is brash, violent, and arrogant to an extent; however, cruelty and indecency are not natural to his character. Though he harbors a desire for death and destruction, it is due to the nature of the cosmic energies that reside with him. He is straightforward and honest on and off the battlefield, and would never resort to deception to win; quite the opposite of the Silver Lord. Noticeably, he has a highly developed sense of honor and respect as well. [B]Weapons:[/B] [I]Elemental Rings[/I]- Using the rings as conduits, Exodus can alter his natural energy into an elemental strike. He has five rings on each hand. From thumb to pinky, respectively, it goes: Heat, Aether, Nature, Liquid, and Cosmos. [B]Powers:[/B] Enhanced Strength and Chi Manipulation- Exodus can utilize his inner energies in such a manner that he can release it as a tangible energy construct. He can release it in waves, or concentrate it into a energy beam or blast, or use them in juxtaposition with his rings so that he can strike at his opponent with the elements themselves. [B]Writing Snippet:[/B] [Will Finish Later Tonight] [/FONT][/CENTER]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="1"]?Sweet lord? He?s a behemoth!?[/SIZE] Axel couldn?t help but marvel at the newcomers size. Being a modern model, Axel?s experience with outdated mechs was severely limited. If R-112 wasn?t so interesting, and hadn?t just saved the crew, Axel would probably be terrified of him. He leaned over to CP. [B]?I think we should find Thor?s Hammer for this guy? Or a claymore, perhaps!?[/B] CP smirked and shook his head in what Axel hoped was amused disappointment. Turning his attention back to R-112, he noticed that the mech was still eyeing Burt warily as he poked around inside of him. Axel couldn?t help but to smile at the sight, though not simply for the reason one would imagine. Sure, it was humorous to watch Burt unnerve someone so much-- lord knows he had the effect on Axel sometimes still-- but what really was interesting was the atmosphere of the room. What Burt was doing to R-112 now could be seen as the equivalent to a human surgery. But when the humans are opened up and examined, they deem it improper for other humans not directly involved in the process to be present. The Androids weren?t the same way at all; at worst, they would fain embarrassment if someone could a look at any of their parts. Axel shook his head quickly; there were more pressing matters at hand then examining the differences between his kind and the creatures they were modeled after. Axel came to with just enough time to hear a question from R-112, presumably not his first. [B]?So??[/B] R-112?s voice still reminded Axel of the static on a TV screen, which he found both unsettling and familiar, [B]?You called this ship? The Carnival. Are all the people aboard androids??[/B] Zeke grinned and answered the question. [B]?Most of us are, unless you?re a robot-fetish-freak like him.?[/B] Frighteningly enough, Burt was too engulfed in bliss to hear or provide a retort to Zeke?s comment. R-112 processed the information, then asked another question. [B]?Why a carnival front??[/B] Zeke opened his mouth to respond, but Axel wanted this one, particularly because he wanted R-112 to get the right impression of them, and he wasn?t entirely sure what Zeke?s response would have been. [B]?The Carnival is a place where androids who have been persecuted may find refuse, where androids who were captured may be liberated, and where androids with dark and violent pasts can attempt to redeem themselves by bringing joy to others. It?s a place where androids like us can call home.?[/B] Axel finished his speech and smiled. Zeke looked at Axel, his eyes wide in amazement. [B]?Is that really what the carnival is to you, Axel? That?s so? TOUCHINGLY ADORABLE!?[/B] Zeke feigned tears and threw himself at Axel, holding him tightly. [B]?I never knew you were such a soft and tended android, Axel!?[/B] Zeke pinched Axel?s cheeks hard and flashed his teeth at him. The others laughed hysterically, poking fun at Axel as well-- all save Burt who was still dangerously devoted to his work on hand. R-112 looked at all of them and smiled slightly. [B]?I see? You are most like a human family.?[/B] All of them stopped at this; Zeke, who was currently in a headlock from Axel, who was currently being pried from Zeke by Lyon and Kilo, and the others who simply stood back and watched the men make fools of themselves all diverted their attention back to R-112. Zeke responded as Axel let him out of the lock. [B]?You got it!?[/B] He then spun to Kilo and Anya and pushed them close together. [B]?And they, are mommy and daddy!?[/B] Anya smiled at Kilo and pressed herself close to him, and flashed him a smile and a wink. [B]?I don?t have any problems with that? How bout you, big boy??[/B] Kilo blushed deeply and could only manage to stammer. Everyone laughed again, and R-112 could easily see the connection these androids had made towards one another. Zeke walked over to R-112 so that he was right in front of him, and though he was still smiling broadly, it was clear his tone had become more serious. [B]?But please don?t be mistaken. Our lives are in danger every moment of every day. The military would like nothing more than to take us back in and experiment on us, and they, as you witnessed today, will do anything to get us back. Now that you?re back online, and so long as you are a part of our family, you will have to run from and do combat with them. I asked you earlier to make a quick decision on whether you would join us or not. Now that you know what lies ahead, do you keep to your decision??[/B] R-112, surprisingly, answered immediately. [B] ?Yes. I believe you all to be very capable of eluding the military, and I think the best thing for me is to stay with you, my comrades, and help however I may.?[/B][/FONT]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Axel and CP went directly from Zeke?s room to dismantling the circus stage, but Axel?s mind was definitely still with Zeke. He had never seen Zeke react that way to anything before? He had always known Zeke was special, but he didn?t know enough about the ZX types to understand why, exactly. All of his brethren had the ability to communicate wirelessly through short distances, but for another ZX type to send Zeke information over such a distance? It was amazing. Though he was curious to look through the information in more detail on his own, Burt had the data now, and Axel felt that he should receive Zeke?s permission before he asked Burt to upload it into him. [B]?You alright??[/B] CP?s voice jolted Axel out of his thoughts. Apparently, so wrapped up in his thoughts, Axel had accidentally summoned his Celestial Claw. He shook his head, attempting to collect himself, then dispersed the weapon. He plopped down on the stage and looked over at CP. [B]?I?m not sure? I mean, I?ve only been with this Circus for a while now, so I don?t know very much about Zeke, or any of you, really. Zeke?s programming forces him to deal with more than I could even process having to deal with? And for a reason I?m sure you don?t feel entirely inclined to divulge, the sight of Zeke?s overload sparked a reaction inside of you.?[/B] CP responded with his signature grunt, but he became noticeably tense for a second before returning to normal. Axel apologized quickly. [B]?No, no, I wasn?t attempting to accuse you of anything! I?m just saying it?s interesting to see that so many of us seem to carry a guilty conscience, a secret, or a burden of some sort. And unlike humans, we?re not programmed to forget events and memories. Can we ever escape that??[/B] CP stopped what he was doing and began staring out into space. After a few minutes, he apparently came to, and simply responded with a shrug. Axel couldn?t help but laugh. [B]?My sentiments exactly, comrade.?[/B] Axel spread his legs out on the ground and leaned back on his hands, lapsing back into thought. He had wanted to create a log of all of the crew?s 'guilt' for quite a while now, but he didn?t know how to go about asking them without reopening old wounds. Truth of the matter was, he was hoping they?d tell him of their own accord, and that would give him the courage to admit to his brethren what he done to own squadron to get here. And voice abruptly cut through his thoughts. [B]?A..A?Axel? Get your lazy butt up and finish disassembly. If you and CP are done here go see if Kilo needs assistance.?[/B] Burt sauntered by and quickly popped a wrench out of his arm to go unscrew something (though to be quite honest, Axel hoped that Burt was aiming to take him apart). He hopped up and walked with CP over to Kilo.[/FONT]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Axel was still a little stunned by Eon having licked Lyon when he plopped down next to CP on the couch. CP gave him a grunt of acknowledgment and went back about... doing whatever exactly it was that CP did all day long. Alex often wondered what CP spent most of his time thinking about-- he hoped it was something pleasant, given CP's violent past. Axel wrapped his arm around CP and grinned. [B]?Sup Brother CP? How you doing??[/B] CP looked over at Axel and shrugged, then looked back at the TV screen. Axel figured so long as CP wasn't objecting to conversation, even if he wasn't contributing, it was fine to keep talking to him. [B]?So... The show's going pretty well isn't it??[/B] CP looked to Axel and nodded. Axel couldn't help but smile; though CP was silent, it could never be said that he was disrespectful or rude. Axel looked back to the screen and watched the TV happily with CP. Suddenly a voice at his side caused Axel to nearly jump off of the couch. [B]?Why do you not perform, Axel??[/B] Axel looked at CP for a while, dumbfounded at having finally heard his voice in person. CP smirked lightly, reminding Axel to respond. [B]?Well... I don't know, really. Everyone else seems so practiced, so skillful... I'm terribly afraid I would mess up and ruin the show.? [/B]CP shook his head and frowned lightly, then went back to watching TV. Another voice from behind voiced aloud what CP was probably thinking. [B]?But you're an android, A-45-R-39-W-480. Despite your human organs you're programmed for precision. The chances of you erring in any way are astronomically low.?[/B] Axel turned back to look at the voice, and naturally only saw Burt's back as he tinkered away with some miscellaneous machinery. They had both made valid points, though... In their own interesting ways. Axel threw himself onto CP to hug him, then jumped up and hugged Burt. Burt's face shifted immediately into confusion. [B]?Ummm... Thank you, I suppose, A-45-R-39-W-480. Would you please let go now??[/B] Axel obliged and ran off to the cafeteria downstairs. Spotting Anya, Kilo and Zeke in the corner of the room, Axel picked up speed and sprung up from his side, flipping and spinning three times in the air and landing on the table in front of them. Zeke, mouth filled to the brim with cheesecake looked up at Axel, confused. [B]?Yesh??[/B] Axel crouched down so that his face was on level with Zeke's and grinned widely. [B]?I wanna be in the next show!?[/B] Zeke grinned back, jumped on to the table as well and grabbed Axel's arms. He then began spinning Axel around in circles, cheesecake flying out of his mouth. [B]?Wroo got it Fraxel!?[/B] Anya and Kilo shook simply shook their heads at the two of them.[/FONT]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"]We could possibly do Sweeney Todd or Beauty and the Beast. Sweeney Todd would be a good performance for violence to erupt in, giving the context, and Beauty and the Beast seems like a performance that could make extensive use of holograms and could give Kilo and Anya a chance at romance. ;D[/FONT]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Axel loved all of the bickering and playfulness that went on behind the curtain at the circus. He was relatively new to the circus, and was still actually a bit bashful around the other members; he kept to stage work and that was good enough for him. He was quite sure he didn’t have the “shimmer and flare” of any of his brothers and sisters—especially not Zeke—so he was entirely content to sit on the sides and watch them make spectacles of themselves. He couldn’t help, of course, but to snicker a little though when Lyon’s picture was handed to him. Axel called after Lyon, who had already walked off to get his tail fluffed. [B]“Don’t be embarrassed, Lyon! You look adorable!”[/B] A thoroughly disgruntled grunt echoed back to the group, and everyone in the room couldn’t help but to howl with laughter. Feeling like Lyon might appreciate some sincere complimenting, and wanting to see him up close and personal in his costume, Axel sprang up and bolted after him. As he flew past Burt he held up his hand for a quick high five; naturally Burt denied the motion, but casually greeted A-45-R-39-W-480. Axel didn’t mind being called by his military name at all, as truthfully, he was just glad that Burt acknowledged him. Finally making it to Lyon’s changing room, Axel almost fell over with laughter at the sight in front of him. Apparently thinking it more efficient, Kilo and Anya were attaching the tail to Lyon’s suit… while he was still wearing it. If there was one thing Axel hadn’t been expecting, it was to see Lyon bent over while Kilo and Anya furtively attempted to sew on a tail and not stab their friend in his behind. Hearing snickering from next to him, Axel turned to see who else was there. Sitting in the corner, on top of a makeup counter was Zeke, laughing at Lyon’s predicament. Testing his luck, Zeke jumped over to Lyon and spanked him softly, and then whistled. [B]“My my, aren’t we looking good!”[/B] The looks Lyon shot Zeke could have easily turned a man to stone, but they only further fueled Zeke’s fire. Zeke shrugged and patted him a couple more times, then took his seat again. Axel grinned and shook his head at Zeke, then walked over to Lyon, attempting to keep a straight face as he uttered the next line. [B]“You know they’re only picking on you to be supportive! You should find it quite endearing Brother Lyon. Personally I think you’re a perfect match for this outfit; your serious demeanor makes the character much funnier!”[/B] Lyon looked up, his face still quite stern; but before he could say anything a look of pain shot across his face. Anya’s voice quickly flittered over. [B]“Whoops! My bad.”[/B] Axel’s face contorted with restrained amusement at the unhappy Lyon. He walked away from Lyon and over to the two sewing his behind, and gave them both a big hug. [B]“Keep up the good work you guys. If you’re lucky, maybe you could sew that tail onto Lyon permanently. That oughta lighten him up a bit!”[/B][/FONT]

[FONT="Garamond"][B]Military File:[/B] A45-R39-W480 “Axel Riotwing” [B]Project:[/B] Overdrive [B]Android Age:[/B] 18 [B]Classification:[/B] Bio-Android [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Height:[/B] 6'1" [B]Weight:[/B] 190 lbs [B]Specialty components: [/B] [LIST] [*]Nanotech Synthesizer [*]Levitation Genodes [*]Light Shield [*]X247 Type Arm Mounted Flame Thrower [*]Distortion Generators/Absorbers [*]Combat Limiter Protocol Override [*]Super Cooler [*]Magnetic Distorter [/LIST] [B]External Weaponry:[/B] [I]Celestial Claws and Blayze Blade[/I]- Through the use of his Nano Synthesizer, Axel can summon a massive demon like claw and an extremely durable blade that attach to his arms [as shown in his appearance picture] [B]Original Usage:[/B] Decimation of enemy troops [B]Android Status:[/B] M.I.A. [B]Known History:[/B] Project Overdrive was created to terrify the enemy and lower enemy morale. Appearing to be nothing more than a teenager on the battlefield, the enemy would often ignore him or scoff at his presence, only to be horrified when he hovered up into the air and began raining what appeared to be the elements themselves down upon them. He soon became a legend amongst enemy armies, and was a prized commodity for his own forces. However, his ai programming was surprisingly peaceful and abhorred violence; he hated performing his duties and would often times attempt to busy himself with miscellaneous other tasks around the base so he would not have to fight. To keep him at their beck and call, the army trapped him in a containment unit and only released for the purpose of battle. This worked for a while; however, in one particular battle, all communications were cut between the base and the squadron sent with Project Overdrive. When a retrieval unit was sent out, they found the squadron dead and Project Overdrive missing. [B]Appearance:[/B] [URL="http://www.gamespot.com/psp/rpg/manakhemiaportableplus/images/0/94/?full_size=1"][Axel Appearance and Weapons][/URL] [URL="http://creativeuncut.com/gallery-09/aegoc-quinn.html"][Axel Clothing- Only the shirt is blue][/URL] The only additions to his outfit are a pair of [URL="http://dennisvwu.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/oakley-gasket-eyeglasses-11-931.jpg"][glasses][/URL] and two silver cross earring with a black outline. [B]Personality Sidenotes:[/B] Axel is extraordinarily kind, considerate, and chivalrous. He’s very sociable and talkative, and is almost always in an upbeat and cheery mood. When battle ensues, he shows a great distaste for becoming involved unless absolutely necessary, in which case his personality alters dramatically…[/FONT]

[CENTER][SIZE="10"][font=parchment]Memoria[/font][/SIZE] [font=garamond]* [I]Crash![/I] [B]“GENESIS!” [/B] Despite the loud crash of the recently thrown open gate, the man’s voice easily eclipsed all other sounds and echoed forcefully through the expansive chamber. Despite the importance of the room he had just entered, he did not treat an inch of it with any form of reverence; not the illustrious ancient doors that he had rudely kicked open, nor the walls littered with ancient texts predating this universe’s “dawn of time”. He had quickly lost the feeling of awe he had initially received when he walked into this room and bore witness to the entirety of the universe around him; he care little for the piercing darkness of space or for the planets and stars that he could easily take in his hands and crush. Even she, the owner of the name he had called out, received only the minutest form of respect because she furthered his own desires. She was Genesis, the creator, the life bringer. And he, he was Exodus the destroyer, the annihilator, the grim reaper as he was often referred to. They maintained balance in this universe. She brought worlds into existence, crafting them in the very room they stood, and when the time was right and with a simple touch, Exodus would end them. That was why she was useful. In his opinion, she was simply there to make worlds for him to destroy. [B]“Genesis! I find myself fallen to weariness once more. A world, so that I might eradicate it.”[/B] He had approached her “workshop” and was standing impatiently behind her. She was concentrating unwaveringly on her work at hand, and dismissively addressed Exodus. [B]“Stay yourself. I am tasked with divine affairs more important than sating your whims.”[/B] Exodus sneered and crossed his arms, knowing that despite his lack of interest in her craft, she would do nothing for him should he interrupt. [B]“As you command, Genesis.”[/B] Genesis raised her hands up, her white robes sliding down and revealing her fair skin. They began to glow and shimmer brightly, and wispy, translucent energy engulfed them. The energy was constantly fluctuating and shifting in appearance; one moment it looked like fire, the next, like water. It cycled through all five of the elements repeatedly, and occasionally a bolt of what appeared to be electricity shot between her hands. Genesis lowered her head, so that her bright, blue hair fell over her face and then clenched her crystal glacier like eyes shut with concentration. She widened her arm span until she could no longer, and then raised her face to the heavens above. [B]“Life.”[/B] A pulse surged out of each hand, and struck together forcefully. Her hands followed the pulses as they traveled together, until her two hands formed an orb around the conflicting energy. She continued to press the energy together, bringing her hands closer and closer. The energy crackled and sparked, and the light from the conflict was blindingly bright. This was the only part Exodus watched with interest; the conflict here appealed to his need to destroy… and now it inspired in him a new passion. Finally, she managed to clasp her two hands together, and a wave of pure light washed outwards from her hands, coating the entire universe. She smiled and pulled her hands apart. [B]“Life.”[/B] There, floating where her hands had only moments ago contained a celestial conflict was a primitive planet, now added to the billions upon billions of planets in this universe. Exodus rolled his eyes and walked up to her. [B]“Most splendid. Now that I’ve endured your arduous task I implore that you remedy my complaint. Though I had entered with intent on erasure of one of your “pocket universe” planets, I have a new resolve now. Creation and destruction of planets is far too swiftly started and completed.”[/B] The corners of Genesis’ mouth twitched as she said this, but she quickly masked her reaction and responded simply. [B]“So what would you do then?”[/B] Exodus smiled and walked closer to her, grabbing her hands. She was never fond of this Exodus; his silver-gray hair and golden and red eyes had unnerved her from the beginning. He flashed his sharp fangs and continued. [B]“I would have you create for me a world, a world versatile in terrain and weather. Then, together, we would create figures akin to ourselves, with numerous grand and dramatic abilities, and pit them against one another.”[/B] Genesis frowned lightly, her eyes getting big with concern. [B]“But what would be the cause of their conflict between one another? And how would you find your fill in this sport? You were never one for experiencing your satisfaction through another.”[/B] Exodus thought momentarily, looking around the chamber for some sort of inspiration. His eyes rested on a planet Genesis had named Gaia, and suddenly it came to him. [B]“Those creatures that inhabit Gaia, they fight often for ridiculous causes do they not? The love of another, their dying fathers, etc. etc. They pursue these goals furtively, endangering themselves and all who keep them from their goals. Why not give them one false memory; better yet, only a fragment of one false memory! I will appear to them and promise that I will “restore” their memory and grant them their one desire, but only should they defeat all of their opponents and my mortal form.”[/B] Genesis frowned deeper. [B]“Are you sure, Exodus? Does it not seem dangerous to you? Creating a warrior to match your whims and then pitting yourself against him or her?”[/B] Exodus waved his hand at her and shrugged. [B]“Do not worry yourself with such trivial issues. Create the world promptly, and I will assist with the molding of the competitors.”[/B] Genesis bowed and walked back to her workplace. She closed her eyes once more, and held her hands out again, palms facing outwards. She moved her hands in opposite directions, and between them, a doorway appeared. She opened the door and entered, Exodus following on her heels. This room was exactly the same in appearance as the one they had just left, save for an odd red glow that permeated the entire universe; that and the fact that instead of being populated by billions of planets and stars, it was filled with the debris of planets that Genesis had created solely for Exodus to destroy. This was her pocket universe. She turned to Exodus and smiled. [B]“Shall we?”[/B] * [Font=stereofidelic][B][SIZE="5"]The World[/SIZE][/B][/font] Welcome to Memoria, the world of Challenges and Competition. You will be participating as one of Exodus’ warriors, attempting to recover your memory and achieve your vaguely remember aspirations. This will be a spar type RPG, one on one, with multiple spar threads going at once, until only one competitor is left, and he or she will fight me, as Exodus. * [Font=Stereofidelic][B][SIZE="5"]The Sign-Up[/SIZE][/B][/font] I’m giving a LOT of leeway with the sign-ups. I want you to go crazy with your characters and abilities, but abilities such as “I can destroy everything by smiling” are obviously frowned upon. [B]Name:[/B] [B]Age:[/B] [B]Appearance:[/B] [B]Personality:[/B] [b]Weapons:[/B] [B]Powers:[/B] [Is your character an elementalist? A necromancer? Can he or she create a limitless amount of clones? Instantly teleport? Cut off one of their body parts and reform like a starfish? Go wild.] [B] Memory/ Aspiration/ Manifestation of Memory[/B]: [What is it that your character “remembers” from their life? Do they fight for this or some other cause? All characters will also have an item on their person that represents their memory.] [B]Writing Snippet:[/B] [Exodus is not patient when it comes to his destruction. The moment the world and the characters are created, he places them into a vast canyon and tells the confused warriors that they will only retrieve their memories if they can defeat him, but first they must dwindle down their numbers, because only so many warriors may be allowed to compete. Write out your battle with some of the other warriors. This will help other rpers to get a feel for your style.] [B]Judge:[/B] [Are you willing to decide the victor of any given battle?] * Alright, well, that’s all. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me. I’ll probably post Exodus’ sheet soon. Have at it![/CENTER][/font]

[quote name='Botar15']Like always, I would love to help anyone, even Omega.:box:[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]...Even Omega? I'm not entirely sure if I should be offended by that or not. But if anyone can think of any way to include Omega in their plotline, that would be great, especially considering I've now more or less been tasked with handling what would have been Afro's plot, and I have no idea where he wanted to go with that. >_

[FONT="Garamond"]Cael watched as Bedlam rolled away and shrugged, turning back to Clockwork and Feirska. He was about to suggest that they make it to the audience room when he realized that no one had alerted Sparhawk that they had a meeting. He shuddered slightly at the thought of having to interact with Sparhawk while he was on his high, but he was left with little other choice. He shoved his hands into his pockets and sighed, abruptly stopping in the hallway. Clockwork looked back at him, confused. [B]?Everything alright, Cael? Did you forget something as well??[/B] Cale shook his head and motioned to the barracks. ?Sparhawk. He?s been in his room, lost in the Blue. Someone should probably let him know we need to group up, and considering he may or may not be violent, I?m probably the best choice to go get him. I?ll meet up with you guys in a bit.? Cael and Clockwork shook hands, and Cael kissed Feirska on the cheek before he turned and bolted off, yelling over his shoulder. [B]?Later Feiry, don?t miss me too much!?[/B] She yelled something back at him, but he had run too far away to decipher the voice trailing behind him. He sprinted through the hallways, narrowly avoiding colliding with a pack of new Heretics along the way. His feelings towards new members was always mixed?though he always appreciated seeing people looking to liberate themselves from the oppressive world of lies, he knew the frustration they would feel being ostracized from society. They would always be hunted, always be outsiders, always be fighting for their lives. They would grow to miss as much as they resent their past lives. But they could never go back, and they would know that soon enough. [I]Whack![/I] Entirely wrapped up in his thoughts, Cael had made it Sparhawk?s room in no time, and had painfully smashed into Sparhawk?s door. He held his head after the crash, and knocked on the door, hoping Sparhawk was in his right state of mind. All he could hear, however, was grumbling from inside, and something he took to mean, more or less, that the door was open. Cael held his breath, closed his eyes, and rushed into the room. The battle began immediately. Sparhawk?s fist narrowly missed Cael?s face, striking the door with a force that surely would have forced Cael into swallowing his own teeth. Quick to react, Cael, in his crouched position, shot his right fist right below Sparhawk?s ribs. Sparhawk barely acknowledged the shot, however, and dropped his fist into Cael?s head, causing his vision to go white for a second as he hit the ground. Cael wasn?t entirely sure if he was bleeding or not, but that wasn?t so important. All that was important was that he didn?t pass out, unless he wanted to become Sparhawk?s next surgery victim. Sparhawk raised his foot to crush Cael?s head underneath it, but Cael caught his foot and kicked out his other leg from underneath him. He then sprung up and, taking advantage of Sparhawk?s delusional state began kicking Sparhawk in his stomach. He soon lost himself to the violence and began to kick Sparhawk harder and harder in the gut, entirely unaware of the blood Sparhawk was coughing up. Finally Sparhawk, come somewhat to his senses, grabbed Cael and pulled him to the ground, now attempting to pin down and calm down Cael. [B]?CAEL! CAEL! Awaken, friend!?[/B] Sparhawk dropped his head into Cael?s forehead, which apparently was just what he needed. He shook his head a couple times and smiled up at Sparhawk. [B]?Yo bro. We?ve got a meeting now. Figured I?d come get you. Ready to go??[/B] Sparhawk and Cael looked at each for a second, then burst out into laughter. Sparhawk jumped up, and then helped Cael up off of the ground. He ruffled Cael?s hair and grabbed his top hat, shaking his head. Cael knew what he was thinking?they were living in an asylum. Each and every single person in the place was unbalanced, and a potential threat to everyone else under certain circumstances. And they wouldn?t have it any other way.[/FONT]

[FONT="Garamond"]Today was turning out to be a hell of a day. Not even having swallowed the news of Lazarus? death, Bedlam came storming past Cael and fled into the infirmary with a wounded 14 year old girl. Cael hadn?t gotten a chance to look at her wounds with his friend?s passing, but he had been able to catch a glance at the large amounts of blood that were staining the outfit she was in. Without so much as a thought, Cael and Clockwork tailed Bedlam into the infirmary as well. While Bedlam offered his information to the doctors, Cael look on at the girl with pity. What had she done to deserve something like this? Cael may have been a violent man, but he had no stomach for attacking innocents? Especially not ones so young. Whether that notion was one of those few things cemented in him from his childhood or an emotion he had developed during his time as a Heretic was lost on him. When the girl was rushed away, Clockwork hurried in back with the doctors as well, determined to use his medical know-how to prevent today from housing another death, leaving Bedlam and Cael alone outside. Left to their own, they both immediately thought back to Lazarus. They had both viewed Lazarus as a mentor, despite the small age difference between Cael and Lazarus and the age superiority of Bedlam over Lazarus. He had grown up in a world without the rules and regulations most of the other Heretics grew up with. Where as they fought to correct the grossly warped way of life they had born witness too, he fought to uphold the freedom he had been raised with, and to bring it to others. He knew better than Cael ever would how to run a free society should they ever overtake the Global Theocracy. But now? What would they do without him? Nonchalantly, as he had been trained to take things as they were inside, but keep cool in appearance, Cael pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag. He then spoke to Bedlam. [B]?So what do we do now??[/B] Bedlam, who was feeling just as broken as Cael did, and just as unwilling to show it, leaned against the wall and smoked his pipe. [B]?No clue, man. Lazarus? death has put a damper on things. Lucky bastard checks out early and none of the ladies, at least the good ones, are gonna be willing to fuck for the rest of the day.?[/B] Cael laughed and took another drag, flicking the ashes to the ground. He shrugged and nodded towards Sparhawk?s residence. [B]?And I?m not very keen on the idea of hitting the 22 Blue with Sparhawk. You know how he gets when he uses it to ?escape?. The asshole is liable to attempt to dissect us.?[/B] Bedlam laughed this time, and took another puff of his pipe. He looked up at the sky for a while and watched as the smoke trailed off into the distance. His eyes stayed focused on the smoke, but his voice spilled lazily from his mouth. [B]?You know, I was gonna head back to my bunk and get my fix, but you had to get all emotional and keep me here so you wouldn?t have to cry alone. You?re such a woman. Were you hoping for a hug, or something??[/B] Cael rolled his eyes and stared down at his cigarette, watching it burn away slowly. His response was just as lackluster as Bedlam?s. [B]?Please, like I?d give you a chance to get your horny hands all over me. Last thing I need is you copping a feel because your woman are unavailable. If you?re so desperate for your ?fix?, go get it. I?ll even accompany you upstairs and mock your sorry ass.?[/B] Bedlam scoffed and continued gazing into the night sky. Simultaneously, Bedlam pocketed his pipe and Cael snuffed out his cigarette, and the two headed for Bedlam?s room. Bedlam spoke only once on the ascent. [B]?I think I might miss Cade a bit.?[/B] Cael shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged, waiting for Bedlam to grab some stuff to bring downstairs, probably to share with Trance. His glasses fogged a little as he grunted out the next line. [B]?Yah. Me too.?[/B] The two exited the room and headed for the barracks. Deciding he was done mourning for the day, Cael spoke again. [B]?Anyways, I hope Feirska?s down there. Girl might be ?ditzy?, but I?ll be damned if she isn?t cute; and spending time with her beats hanging with you and Trancey any day. Lord knows my balls ache every time I get in proximity of her.?[/B] The two laughed finished their descent, running into Clockwork as they did so. He was relatively clean for the mission he embarked on, and still seemed to be in high spirits? Well, as high of spirits as Clockwork was ever in. Bedlam looked questioningly at him, and Clockwork nodded. [B]?Yeah, girl?s fine. Despite the amount of blood she ?misplaced? we manage to patch her up adequately.?[/B] Cael grinned and wrapped his arm around his brother?s neck. [B]?And for successfully saving a young girl?s life, why do we tell the man what he?s won? Copious amounts of drugs and extra time with an angry lesbian!?[/B] Clockwork merely shook his head with amusement and followed the two back to the rest of the team. [/FONT]