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[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]?okay, no. Moses stared at Dani?s smiling (if you could call it that) face as he was dragged unceremoniously down the roads towards the dock district and frowned. ?You know, this isn?t, like?nice, really.? Dani snorted and his arm tightened around Moses? shoulders, pulling him closer so it looked to anyone who would possibly walk by like they were two brothers having fun. ?And this should matter to me?how? Look, the docks are nice; you?ll like ?em.? The docks, the docks?Moses thought hard, trying to come up with a reason for why he was being dragged to the dock. You could practically hear his brain whirring as it went over what it knew of docks. Ships?workers?crates?Well, he could rule out Dani locking him in a crate, couldn?t he? Yeah. Nothing to be gained out of being locked in a trunk other than scaring him if he was claustrophobic?which he was?but that couldn?t be the reason. He noticed Dani watching him with a half smile on his incredulous face and his forehead wrinkled as he ducked his head and turned back to his thoughts. Why the docks? Why the?docks. Ships! Ships came in by water and?oh. Water. Not good? ?Look, I don?t like the docks and?uhm?I need to get home, ?cause my pare ? Ken and Nance get up to head to work soon an? I need to be home?? He closed his eyes briefly at the pitiful lie but then shrugged it off, pulling at Dani?s arm and trying to duck beneath it. Dani raised his eyebrow and shifted so that his grip tightened even more and Moses stopped twisting. Moses scuffed his shoes against the sidewalk and stared straight ahead as he shoved both hands into his pockets ? nodding at anyone who passed (They weren?t many) and thinking about the docks and, subsequently, the water. So caught up in thinking about the water was Moses that he didn?t notice when Dani guided him down a side street and then along a shaky dock at the end of a long line of docks. When they got to the end Dani pulled them to a halt and looked at the water that was beneath him. ?Gonna jump, or am I going to push you in?? Moses stared down at the chilly looking water and could feel his knees begin to lock up as he turned his gaze back to Dani. Dani shrugged nonchalantly and reached out, planting a hand in the middle of Moses? chest and pushing him off the end of the dock into the choppy waves a good three feet from the dock end. Oh crud. Moses went down?and so did the water that should have technically covered him. There was a two foot radius all the way around him, beneath him and above him but still he went down further until it covered the spot he?d previously been in. The water as it was displaced started to gain pressure and soon it flew up like a pillar, spraying the dock and the surrounding water before settling back down into something that resembled calm. But Moses didn?t come back up and there were no disturbances in the water anywhere nearby. None.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]Okay, ow. That hurt. Moses? hand covered his eye as he held back a pained whimper. The?whatever it was striking him in the eye ? or trying to impale him in the eye, rather ? did little to help them as they were already slightly swollen and definitely black from the blow to his nose the night before. Raccoon eyes, his foster-dad had called them?now would he have a bloodshot eye to add to the?severely unattractive look? Moses suppressed another groan as he struggled to open his other eye. He had been walking for the sake of walking when he?d felt a pri ? okay, he hadn?t felt a prickle on the back of his neck; he?d simply heard the footsteps behind him and felt the need to turn around and find out who had followed him for the better part of a block. No sooner had he turned then some undetermined object had jabbed into his left eye and sent a sharp pain lancing through it. Still suppressing groans he blinked open his watering left eye and looked upwards ? straight into Dani?s severely amused face. The normally taciturn teen swore with fright as he backed away from the subject of his nightmare, eliciting an actual laugh from the other man. ?Hey, would ya look at this?if it isn?t that gullible kid from last night.? He laughed again, stepping closer and closing the space between himself and Moses. ?Don?t you wish you?d given me the key?? Moses thought about it for a minute but couldn?t help but shake his head. ?Not?really??? He moved his hand from his eye and attempted to open it but quickly put his hand back up as the eye seemed to throb in time with his heart racing. ?Maybe a little?I, uhm?I need to, like, leave now! Can I go?? He gave a hopeful smile even though it was the last thing he wanted to aim at the dark man.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]It was a familiar nightmare?black water you couldn?t see through rising up steadily. First it would only be at his ankles, not too bad at that stage as he could pretend it would stop right there. Next it rose to his knees, and that was a bit worse, but still livable; he tried the door a few times but it would remain locked. When it rose to his hips he felt his hands seize up by his sides, but he didn?t continue beating the door, and when the water finally rose to the level of his neck the dream would end. Every time he dreamed it would happen the exact same way, so Moses when the dream began thought nothing of it other than how he would like to be rid of it for good. It was only when the dream began to change that he thought anything of it. Shadows seemed to seep from the walls and slide over the still, almost glass like water like mist on a lake as it floated an inch or so about the depths. Soon, though, the shadows cleared once more and just as Moses though the dream might end, a head thrust up through the water and he fell back into the water, eyes wide and fearful as his head disappeared beneath the surface of the murky black. A voice rang in his ears as he surfaced, choking for air desperately and shaking water out of his hair like a wet dog. ?Heh, lookie here?kid?s afraid of me even in his dreams?? Moses? eyes shut tight at the voice and he willingly plunged himself back beneath the dream water once more just to get rid of the ghoulish face before him. The man from the jail had to torment him in his sleep, even? What would happen next, would the rude woman appear perhaps? Moses hoped with all his heart that the man would not become a permanent fixture of this reoccurring dream ? the dream itself was bad enough without the all-consuming darkness and acerbic comments that dream-Dani seemed to bring with him. When he was finally able to wake himself up Moses knew what he was going to do?go for a walk through the city ? hopefully a completely normal walk devoid of any?strangeness.[/COLOR] ----------- [COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]OOC: After my post, if anyone wants to meet der Moses when he's on his walk it is fine. ^^ And if you don't, 'tis also fine![/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]Moses moved along the wall, avoiding all he could, before he reached the cell Eden was in and bent down. For the fourth or fifth time he wondered what was urging him to help any of these people out, but he shoved it from his mind ? it was usually a bit off, anyhow. ?Um?I hope I?m doing the right thing; here are the keys if you want them.? He set them on the floor and shoved them, sending the pieces of metal sliding over the floor to bump against her feet. Still crouched down he gave a quick glance behind him. It was enough to tell him that the woman ? who like mostly everyone else he met had pegged him all wrong ? still hadn?t really recovered from Dani?s?attack. If she had, she wasn?t showing it anyhow?he shrugged to himself and turned away again, beginning to head toward the door so that he could leave. As he set his hand on the handle, though, it slammed open into his face with a sickening crack. Moses placed a hand to his bleeding nose and looked up into Nance and Ken?s horrified faces. The two began apologizing ? there were people around, after all ? profusely as they grabbed him by his arms and hustled him towards the lobby with murmured remarks on the subject of ice and bandages. Maybe he?d see the lot of them again and get a chance to meet more than some rude woman and a frightening man?maybe meet the people who?d been warning him to stay away? It?was worth thinking about, anyhow?provided it stayed in his mind, he mused, as they left the police office behind. ?it really was, like, deserted today, wasn?t it?[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]The keys in Moses? pocket weighed heavily and felt as if they would burn holes in the denim; he pulled them back out and held them in his cupped palms as he stood in the corridor and studied them. ?maybe he should put them back?before, like, someone noticed them missing. The metal of the keys warmed with the contact with his skin as he turned his gaze on the doorway ahead of him and tried to figure a way out of his dilemma. Through the door he could see most of the others and finally his eyes passed over the young women; he frowned and stepped into the room, headed for Eden?s cell, keys still in his hand. He?d give them to her ? she looked normal enough ? and she could let out those that deserved it?it was, um?a good plan?sort of. ?where were the guards to stop him? Ehn?[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray][SIZE=1]The ?kid? froze at the touch of cold fingers, not blinking, not breathing at the images and the dark that slid through his mind. He pushed them away as fast as he could and moved, turning on his heels and heading back out the door that led to this section of cells without a backwards glance at the other people in the cells. After pausing for the briefest moment to look at the number that was tacked above the door, Moses headed down the hall, shying away from Ken?s cell when the other man lunged at the bars. His feet picked up the pace as his left hand pushed him away from the cell he?d nearly walked into; he walked into the lobby and up to the desk which had been abandoned by the woman who had been ? formerly ? answering the phones and writing things up. In fact, after a look around the lobby, Moses noted that [i]no one[/i] was in the room at all. Odd. He shrugged and moved into the little space behind the fortress like desk and studied the keys hanging on pegs behind bullet-proof glass. He didn?t want more images like he?d gotten before, he didn?t want that man?s blackness in his mind any longer. Maybe if he took him the keys the man would leave him alone?or maybe he would no longer bother him now that he wasn?t in the room? Moses didn?t want to take the chance and have the man find away to send more darkness; He slid open the various desk draws until he found a key and turned, inserting it into the lock that held the case shut. The door to the case swung open easily and, standing on his tiptoes, one hand braced on a cabinet, Moses manage to grab the keys for the cell block and shove them in his pocket. He found paper and pen before leaving and wrote a note for the receptionist, telling her the keys would be returned and ?not to worry.? Before he carefully maneuvered around the desk and began his return journey. ?was he supposed to let out the Dark Guy only, or all of them? He really should be home studying for his test?graduating depended on the grades he got?ah well. Maybe the guards would stop him, take the keys and send him home...[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=SlateGray]Snow. Lots and lots of snow. To explain a bit, I lived off the coast of Lake Erie for about eight years, and the storms to come of that water were [i]incredible[/i] to say the least. I think that was pretty much the only part of it I liked, actually. Well, that and the easy access to Canada/Niagra Falls. I have a fascination with the Canadian accent (Yes, you all have accents) and the waterfalls are amazing. So yes, when I hear "New York" I think Snow, Canada, Niagra Falls. And Kingdom Bound. That festivel rocks so much, if they get the right bands to play. Plus it's in an AMUSEMENT PARK. I love amusement parks...[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]Moses sat beside his mother as they waited to be given the chance to visit his dad. It was not an attractive building by a long shot and he was staring absentmindedly at the water dripping from the ceiling above him, trying to make it stop swerving whenever it got to a foot above him. The noises from the hallways and the few offices that stemmed and opened up off of the lobby sounded random and incomprehensible as they echoed and became to distorted and didn?t really interest Moses as he let his chin drop forward onto his chest and began unraveling the hole in the knee of his jeans even more. When his whole knee could be seen through the hole in his right jean leg, he turned to focus on enlarging the one in the left leg, the thread soon reaching over a foot like plus incredibly tiny little strands that he made into a little pile on the seat of his chair. He didn?t especially want to see da?wait, no, Ken, he?d said to call him lately, and wished he could work up the nerve to tell Nance that. It?d be the simplest thing in the world, he believed, to just tell her that ?Hey, I need to stay home and work on studying for my test?? Even as Moses thought that, he could hear her whiny voice in his ear, answering him as she planted her fisted hands on her hips. ?No, Moses, it?s your fault he?s in jail anyhow. And besides, even if you study you?ll fail the test. You?re coming with.? And it was his fault, too ? his shirt had ridden up his back in gym class during basketball, and a grapefruit sized bruise had become visible just above the waistline of his shorts and when his teacher had spotted it there had been a whole mess as his parents had to be called in. As a first time offender ? Ken had been given a week in jail. Moses slid down further in his seat and stared at the clock on the wall as the minutes slid by. One, two, three minutes and a guard came from a hallway and called their name. ?Marches?? Moses stood up a second after Nance, the threads falling to the floor ? forgotten ? as they followed the guard and his jangling keys down the hallways. Back near the cells it was increasingly depressing, and finally they stopped beside Ken?s cell. The man inside glared at Moses and once the guard was out of sight told him in no uncertain terms that if he showed his face before the visiting time was over, he?d have two black eyes no matter the extra week in jail they would gain. With a sinking heart Moses nodded his understanding and headed off down the hall towards where the ruckus was. As he rounded the corner he came to a sudden halt ? the view was certainly unique, the cells that he now looked at had to be some of the most diverse imaginable.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=SlateGray]By permission of Vicky![/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkSlateGray][b]Name:[/b] Moses Ole?me?hua [b]Age:[/b] 17 [b]Star Sign:[/b] Cancer - Water June 22 - July 23 [b]Powers/Night:[/b] July 14th The night I got changed, there was a flood?the water was coming down in buckets, pouring and soaking anything it could and it wouldn?t stop. I wasn?t worried at first of course, because I figured it was a storm and would stop soon enough. When three hours later it still hadn?t stopped and my bedroom in the basement began to fill up with water I began to worry ? mum and da? locked me in at night to stop my sleep walking, what if I drowned? I tried to stop worrying, but soon my seat on my bed became soaked and I had to move my dresser. Twenty minutes later and the water had reached the top of that, too, and was soaking through my shorts. I wanted the rain to stop as I moved to a new perch on my bookshelf ? I could easily fit on top, as I was even smaller then than I am now ? and curled up on top. The water continued to rise and soon if I dropped my hand over the edge of the bookcase I could dip my hand into the water. ?Please, please stop, don?t come near me ? stay back.? I pled with the water as if it were a cruel god and would listen, perhaps, to a lowly human. ?I do not want to drown,? I told it as it climbed higher. . As the water neared my perch, my mind sunk into blessed oblivion, shutting off from the supposed doom that approached and it did not come back until the morning when I was rescued by my parents who practically smothered me in?strangely uncommon affection in their relief that I was safe and the social-workers would not arrest them for locking me in a basement during such a crisis. It was only a short time before I realized I had changed in a frightening way. ?I think that was what happened?? [i]Moses after the flood incident was cursed to repel water. If he focuses very hard he is capable of getting it near him, but if something startles him the water he is trying to drink or bathe in is repelled like two magnets when forced together.[/i] [b]Appearance:[/b] [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/DeSotoDiceFreak/Moses.jpg[/img] Moses is below average height, coming in around five foot four and his build is just as slight. His muscles are oft made fun of as being ?girl-muscles? which he points out doesn?t mean anything as some girls have muscles like football players, but he seriously isn?t that strong. Moses?s hands are rounded and small, the nails kept short cut and painted black and he has a vine tattoo crawling up the inside of his hand, heading up his thumb. When Moses walks it?s almost like a marionette whose strings have been cut ? not fluid or graceful but rather clumsy and spastic. [b]Personality:[/b] Forgetful, disjointed and talkative, Moses is a confused person who does not know what he wants, let alone what day it is. He?s not set on any one view or another, but yet he is not gullible. If something seems off to him he?ll tell you so and be on his way. Words, places, directions and nearly anything else seem loosely fixed in his mind, ready to float away when something new is introduced. The only sure thing about Moses is that when given a job that needs to be done he?ll work on it, and only it, until he?s done with it. Somewhere deep inside Moses is pretty sure (on some days) that he has a life philosophy and that his personality is a very real thing, though he cannot lay his finger on just what it is. [b]Biography/Sample:[/b] Moses spent the first seven years of his life with his birth parents, but when they died in a house fire he was sent to an orphanage. The caretaker?s sent him to live with many different families, but they all sent him back when report cards came back from school with low scores and notes on his ?lack of attention.? When Moses was twelve he was sent to live with the Marches, and they proved to be the family he would stay with for the years to come. The years weren?t horrible, nor is it horrible now. The Marches never beat him other than the occasion swat to his head, but they did not give him the love children and teens need, either. Moses ate in the kitchen, separate from them, and the only time the social child spent with them at all really was when he was supervised during homework. When it was discovered that he slept walked, by chance of him falling down the stairs and breaking his ankle and an arm, they moved him to a basement bedroom and locked him in at night. Some would say that the Marches just did not know how to be parents, but that isn?t really the case. They took on Moses for the simple reason that the orphanage gave money to the families that foster children and teens. So Moses has a ?family? at the same time he doesn?t and the friends he does have he clings to like a leech and showers them with the affection that he doesn?t get at home.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=1][COLOR=SlateGray]That work for ya, Vicky? : D[/COLOR][/SIZE]

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[SIZE=1][COLOR=Navy]Kannes sat quietly, for once attempting to keep his attention focused on the here and now. But still it managed to wander, to stray from the people around him and to travel to other places, to see, for some reason, if things were in order or if they were heading off track. Everything he was looking at was, indeed, in order...going smoothly the way it was supposed to. With a relaxed sigh he turned his attention to what was happening now and a pressure grew behind his eyes - maybe he should look at this right now...he moved on to the future and relaxed again, letting the pressure ease once more. Everything here that he was looking at was doing fine as well. With a start he pulled himself back into the now, to were he was sitting with...he didn't know anymore. The people, they might have told him who they were but now...now, with the scenes from the past, present and future still in his mind, he could not remember. He smiled at nothing in an attempt to hide his confusion then noticed no one was in the room anymore. ...what if someone had said something important and he'd missed it...[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Mihret?s game wasn?t at her best for some reason. Lately she?d had this wary edge to everything she did, and she had no clue as to why it was there. Nothing seemed to take it away, either, and it wasn?t from lack of sleep ?she knew that for a fact. And now?well, now, during her brief moment of introspective searching she?d let the other team score. ?Fudge!? She muttered quietly; she?d never been one to swear and that was considered by her friends on the team as pretty harsh words to pass her lips. Mihret squared her shoulders and yet again wondered what the coaches had been thinking, having her take this position in such a vital game. She frowned up at the clock, squinting to read it in the pouring rain ? there was?[i]one[/i] minute left in the game?! How?! ?Mihret, look back!? At her teammates call she did ? just in time to see the ball and jump, arms stretched upwards to block it. She sighed in relief as another teammate captured the ball and headed off towards the other goal with it. But ? at the end of the game ? her save didn?t matter and the other team one. Slowly Mihret walked off the field with the others, waving farewell to them as they headed for their dorms and she headed for the apartment she rented from her grandparents. She bounced on the balls and heels of her feet, unable to ? even after losing and though the wary edge was still gnawing at her ? remain anything less than cheerful. She turned and headed up the street her apartment was on and then the one?[i]thing,[/i] she thought with uncharacteristic foul temper, who could ruin a perfectly good mood showed up - Jackie. The tall, blonde haired man came walking up behind her, smiling that smug smile that never seemed to leave his face as he slid an arm around Mihret?s waist and pulled her close. ?Evenin? mon cherie.? Mihret simply glared up at him and prayed someone would come walking by. Her prayers were answered as a figure showed up in the rain ahead. She and Jackie, however, kept at their same slow pace as he continued yammering at her about how much he thought they should get back together. Finally, as they were walking almost alongside the man, about to pass him, Mihret pulled away from Jackie and threw her arms around the rain-soaked man whose black hair was plastered against his face. ?Hey! Long time no see, where have you [b]been[/b]?? She cheerily sang out and the man, to his credit, didn?t seem alarmed and played along with her. ?Oh, here and there?didn?t you promise me dinner last we met?? Mihret nodded and slide her arm around his waist, leaning her head against his chest. ?Yep! I know just the place, too.? The two crossed the road, laughing together and leaving behind a stunned looking Jackie who didn?t stand there long but rather spun angrily on his heel and left them with a snarled insult at the other man?s back. Mihret laughed and shook her head, holding her free hand out towards the man who took it in his own and shook it. Before she could introduce herself, he was telling her who [i]he[/i] was. ?I?m Tala-Taima, it wasn?t anything to help you out back there.? Mahita smiled a wide smile at Taima and steered him down another street. ?I?m Mihret Enslin, Tala, and I still have to thank you. You helped me get rid of that brainless, heartless leech.? She continued on towards the restaurant she was actually going to take Taima to. For some reason she was no longer quite so wary and she wanted to see if he, perhaps, was the reason why. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkOrange]Violent set down the latest issue of the Times and sucked on her teeth grumpily as she looked at it and shook her head. DeWorde had made it too easy, she thought. The latest edition to the paper, that was...the crossword puzzle. Way too easy. Of course, that was probably because he wanted more than one out of a hundred people to be able to complete it...maybe that was it. She stood and headed for the cabinet that took up the majority of her small apartment's living room, searching through a drawer until she came up with a pair of shears. Grinning for once she moved back to the table and sat down once more, pulling the paper back over - time to take out articles that would be useful to have records of! Within a half hour the paper was seperated into two piles - one with articles she was keeping, the other full of articles she was going to mark with red ink and send back to the Times office. She grinned in wicked delight, this week's paper had twice as many articles to ridicule than the last one had had. She was going to have a busy evening ahead of her, that she knew for a fact. Before Violent started work on it, however, she picked up the crossword puzzle and scrawled a large, angry, "X" across the entire puzzle, hopefully DeWorde would get the message and have [i]two[/i] puzzles the next paper - one for the idiots and another exclusively for her. She didn't have that much faith in the genius of Ankh-Morkporkian's... [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=Navy][b]Name:[/b] Kannes Erskine [b]Age:[/b] 25 [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Appearance:[/b] [URL=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/DeSotoDiceFreak/Kannes.jpg]Reference[/URL] Kannes is an average height of five foot nine inches and has a slender, birdlike build. His hands are small and gentle, though slightly bony and his hair just reaches his shoulders and is a dark brown the color of wet mud. He always has a slightly puzzled or dreamy expression set on his face, which only lends more of a childlike look to his fine-boned features. His eyes are a deep sapphire blue, with almost no reflection in them giving the impression that you?re looking into a bottomless pool. Kannes walks slowly, and flowingly ? calmly, almost never in a hurry to get anywhere. He dresses mostly tunics and trousers of deep blues and blacks and his only jewelry is one silver chain. He never wears shoes. [b]Personality:[/b] Quiet. Calm. Dreamy. Kannes does not say much, and when he does he thinks it over thoroughly as he wants what he has to say to have meaning. He is often confused, as if he isn?t all there, and if asked why will most likely supply the seeing of past, present and future all at once for the reason. Kannes likes to be in the company of others, even if he is not conversing with them and does not like to be put on the spot about anything. Even on the rare occasion when his attention is fully on this time he doesn?t talk much but will sit and listen to what others have to say. [b]Weapons:[/b] A fire-hardened [URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_tree]ash[/URL] staff. [b]Pillar:[/b] Kannes is the Guardian of the Pillar of Time. He is The Timestreamer, and as such can see what will happen in the future, what is happening now, and what has happened in the past. And, if he so wishes it, he can step into time itself and travel where he will, seeing what he will.[/COLOR] OOC: Ooops, Meridian is the name of the world. Knew I'd read it somewhere. Kannes last name is changed now.[/SIZE]

[COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1][b]Name:[/b] Brother Enslin (First name is Mihret) [b]Age:[/b] Twenty-two [b]Nationality:[/b] African/English (Born in the town of Ladysmith which is located in the uThukela District of KwaZulu-Natal.) [b]Faction:[/b] The Brotherhood [b]Weapons/Items:[/b] [i]Weapons:[/i] A [URL=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/DeSotoDiceFreak/Longbow.jpg]longbow[/URL] with lion heads capping the ends, and a [URL=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/DeSotoDiceFreak/HuntingKnife.jpg]hunting knife[/URL] whose handle is edged with bronze. [i]Items:[/i] An ancient dinosaur of a cellphone that her parents gave her last time they saw her, an old bicycle that belonged to her grandmother in the 1940s and a army bag from her grandfather that she uses as a book bag. [b]Appearance:[/b] [URL=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/DeSotoDiceFreak/Mihret.jpg]Reference[/URL] Despite her short height of four foot eleven inches, Mihret has a very forceful air to her. Her build is compact and strong, and her hands and feet small and deft. Mihret?s skin is dark beige which lightens on the palms of her hands and the soles of her feet. Her hair is kept short in a dread hairstyle and her eyes are a dark brown that?s nearly black. She has eyes that light up when she smiles, all though they always seem to be lit up, so really they light up [i]more[/i] when she smiles and her smile is so wide it seems to split her face. Mihret dresses in vibrant colored, flamboyantly patterned loose fitting pants and shirts most of the time, and almost never wears shoes if she has anything to say about it. Her jewelry consists of a large bronze pendant that hangs from a leather cord around her neck, two bronze hoops at the tops of her ears and two bronze discs that dangle from her ears. Mihret moves fast and gracefully as if she?s dancing at all times and her hands and face add to her conversation as she uses them to emphasize what she is saying. [b]Personality:[/b] Mihret is not at all quiet and has a fun-loving personality. She always has a fresh outlook on things and doesn?t let troubles drag her down. This is occasionally a problem when a situation calls for her to be serious, as she finds being serious something tough to do. She has an infectious laugh that practically begs others to join in, and you can always count on her to lighten your mood. She will try to make friends with pretty much anyone she can, but she is also a good judge of character and can tell when it isn?t worth trying. She is also no dummy, nor is she a genius. If she knows something she won?t hide it to pretend to be modest, and if she [i]doesn?t[/i] know something, she?ll ask for it to be explained. [b]Biography/Snippet: [/b] [i]January 1st, 2000[/i] [i]It?s much colder here?[/i] That was Mihret?s first impression on stepping from the plane onto the English tarmac. And it [i]was[/i] much colder ? when you compared England?s temperature of negative three Celsius to the seasonably warm twenty-four Celsius Ladysmith had had when she?d left home. Mihret stopped, letting the other passengers move ahead of her as she set her carryon down so she could open it and pull out the winter coat her grandparents had sent down out ? she was going to need it, she saw now. As she pulled it on she smiled, fingering the fabric it was made of ? it was soft and of a dark maroon hue. Once she had the coat fastened against the cold she re-closed the bag and shouldered it, hurrying after the other passengers, catching up with them right at the door into the terminal. As she followed behind them, silent for once, she couldn?t shake the feeling that here ? in England ? she was more at home than she had been down in Ladysmith. She didn?t know what it was, but already she felt like she belonged. As she left the other passengers to head into a lounge she smiled to herself, this opportunity that her grandparents were giving her was one she was now glad she had accepted. Already she was looking forward to starting the new term in the school they had found for her, and looking forward [i]more[/i] to making friends. Mihret settled into the nearest chair ? her grandparents would be along sooner or later to pick her up, she knew ? and thought about her plans. If all went well, she would stay until her years of high school were done. And ? planning more long term ? perhaps she would stay through college as well. This seemed a good place to live?if her instinct was right.[/SIZE] [/COLOR]

[COLOR=Sienna][B]Dire Straights[/B] - [URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000DGUY/qid=1152256827/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-8217022-4346223?s=music&v=glance&n=5174]Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits[/URL] would be my latest CD purchase. You can't get any better than their guitarist, unless, perhaps, you listen to Santana...I was quite pleased that the CD had some of their less heard songs on it, such as [b]Romeo and Juliet[/b] and [b]Calling Elvis.[/b] ...I sound like I'm trying to sell it. >> [SIZE=1]Buy the CD, y'all. Nothing better than it.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=Indigo]Vernacular plopped down onto the grass beside her, grinning widely as she started to pick through the flowers that were in front of her. Soon - all the while listing off names beneath her breath - she had a large pile beside her. She paused for a moment and looked over at Sparks who was simply pulling them out - giving them a cursory glance - and tossing them to the side. After a full minute of watching this Vernacular reached out and caught hold of her hand before she could uproot any more of the flowers. [B]"This is not, most definitely not working, going the way it should, you have no idea what you're [i]doing[/i]!"[/B] She let go of Sparks' hand as she released the flower and closed her eyes so she could think. Finally she opened them again and pointed at the plant. [B]"You pull, uproot and I will name them, the plants, the things you are so carelessly throwing, tossing, discarding over your shoulder. That way [i]you[/i], being the herbologically..."[/B] Here she gave a slight pause, she wasn't quite certain that was a word but...it worked. [B]"...challenged person, human that you are will not throw away what we are searching and looking for!"[/B] Spark pulled a face at Vernacular, crossing her arms over her chest. [B]"I never trained to be a Girl Scout! This isn't fair, considering you obviously were one judging all those plant names you're spouting off."[/B] She picked a small flower up and threw it at Vernacular's head where it hit and bounced off her forehead. [B]"See, there are plant people, like you, who are stuck in the past..."[/B] Sparks twirled another plant between her fingers. [B]"...and then there are technologically advanced people like me, who can see progress in the future!"[/B] Vernacular threw up her hands and poked Sparks in the ribs. [B]"Drop that! I'm just as much in the future as you are, Sparky. And for you information I was [i]never[/i] a Girl Scout."[/B] She sniffed exaggeratedly as she took the plant from Sparks' hand and set it on her pile. [B]"I was too loud for them."[/B] At that Sparks burst out laughing and began handing Vernacular flowers. Vernacular glowered at her. [B]"I don't see why my daughter calls you aunt, you're a regular hyena!"[/B] Sparks shrugged and grinned cheekily. [B]"I'm a very cute hyena, though!"[/B] Vernacular - for once - didn't even answer as she went back to sorting the flowers. A short time later Sparks - who had been lost in her own thoughts - looked up; Vernacular was singing a song quietly under her breath, but there was something...[i]else[/i] making noises as well. Vernacular continued to sing. [B]"Here's a flower, there's a flower, and another little flower...purple flower, yellow flower...flower flower..."[/B] Just as she was about to start over again in her song Sparks knocked her flat onto her back with a loud, yelled, [B]"DUCK!"[/B] Vernacular yelped in complaint but stopped as she looked over to the side - Coming towards them again after its failed first swoop was a large Harpy. She didn't say another word as Sparks helped her to her feet and both women took off running full pelt towards the cliffs. Hopefully they'd meet up with the others and gain some help![/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkGreen][I]Bored, bored, bored![/I] Hardly ten minutes off the plane and already things were dragging down. Lacuna wanted [I]exitement[/I]. Sitting in a taxi-cab was really not something that qualified as fun on her [B]"Top Ten List of Things That Are Fun - List Compiled By the One and Only Lacuna [I](The only person whose opinion you should listen to.)[/I]"[/B] She looked down at her papers again then let a smirk grow across her face until she looked like the cat who had swallowed a canary. Nothing on them said where or when she had to meet the others of the brotherhood...no reason for her not to have a little fun, right? And besides! She was Lacuna, what mattered and interested [i]her[/i] came first. Not some boring group of people she'd never met before! Leaning forward Lacuna tapped the cabbie on his shoulder, smiling as sweetly as possible as she asked him to change his route to head for the shopping district. The cabbie kindly obliged and not long after she was surrounded by shops of all sorts; restaraunts, clothing botiques...stores that boasted the latest in technology and - her personal favorite - jewelers. The next three or four hours were spent quite pleasantly as she wandered through them all - paying for some of what was in now full shopping bags, while walking off with other thinks that she didn't feel inclined to pay for. But - at last - she could no longer hang around the shops as the shopkeepers were beginning to eye her suspiciously. Especially the owner of the diamond rings as she walked through his shop for the third time that afternoon. Waving a cheery goodbye to him, she ran out the door and caught another cab. One that would take her out of the district before anyone could comment on their missing goods. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[COLOR=SlateGray][B]Into The West[/B] [I]Annie Lennox[/I] Lay down, your sweet and weary head. Night is falling. You have come to journey? end. Sleep now, and dream of the ones who came before. They are calling, from across a distant shore. Why do you weep? What are these tears upon your face? Soon you will see. All of your fears will pass away. Safe in my arms, you?e only sleeping. What can you see, on the horizon? Why do the white gulls call? Across the sea, a pale moon rises. The ships have come, to carry you home. And all will turn, to silver glass. A light on the water. All souls pass. Hope fades, Into the world of night. Through shadows falling, Out of memory and time. Don? say, We have come now to the end. White shores are calling. You and I will meet again. And you?l be here in my arms, Just sleeping. What can you see, on the horizon? Why do the white gulls call? Across the sea, a pale moon rises. The ships have come, to carry you home. And all will turn, to silver glass. A light on the water. Grey ships pass Into the west. I love this song, as does my sister, but whenever we listen to it my mother claims it makes her cry. And, true, it is sad...but a beautiful type of sad. Which is okay. ^^[/COLOR]

[COLOR=SlateGray][b]White[/b] - Your piece is good, yes. I like the text at the top, "having no colour," but the text after it seems to crowd together and when I read it it seems sort of stilted...as if you pause before saying each new word. As for the leaves at the bottom, my favorites are the grey leaves, and I think I would have enjoyed your piece more if it had [i]only[/i] been grey leaves. ^^ For the grey leaves are majorly cool. Very nice piece, still. [b]Boo[/b] - I don't really like how the edges of the letters are cut of in "Clockwork" for some reason...I think I like to be able to see the full letter. But the gears...ooh, I love them. And I like how the arrows on them make such a contrast. Another thing I don't quite like is how one of the teeth on the second to bottom gear seems to be touching the bottom gear. But the sheer simplicity of the black and white, as well as the gears, wins out over those two nitpicky details. And your piece reminds me of illustrations from a book. Very good! =D So, I have to say my vote goes to [b]Boo[/b].[/COLOR]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]The young woman closing and locking the door to the apartment looked to be in her early twenties. She pulled the key from the lock and dropped it into the potted plant that sat on the table behind her before she strode down the hallway and out the door. Judging by her slow cautious movement one would suspect she was trying not to draw attention to herself, but going by her vibrant colored dress and the knee-high white boots?it was a moot point ? it was hard to miss someone who dressed like that. The woman ? Woodstock ? continued down the hall until she came to the stairwell and headed down the stairs, moving slower as she neared the floor that the landlord lived on. Nervously she brushed her short brown hair behind her ears and moved to the other side of the stairs. But it was unnecessary as the door remained shut and she made it outside without speaking to anyone. Woodstock grinned widely - or [i]smirked[/i] rather - as she slid her slim body into driver?s seat of her car ? she?d managed to skip out on rent again, this was the fourth time she?d managed to do so. The car once she had the key in the ignition started easily and she pulled smoothly out of the parking lot, rapidly merging into the San Fran traffic and heading for Chinatown were she knew [i]just[/i] the restaurant to celebrate her latest conquest. She was always worried that her powers would fail as she left an apartment but, once again, they?d proven trustworthy. The trip to Chinatown didn?t take long and soon Woodstock was standing impatiently in a long line in front of a counter. She tapped her foot against the floor in annoyance ? she was American! [i]I should be allowed be first at the counter, not these?foreigners with their strange accents.[/i] As the line continued to move forward at a snail?s pace she growled low under her breath and focused ? stopping time. Woodstock grinned for the first time in a half hour as everyone seemed to freeze and she moved to the top of the line after detour to make a quick perusal of the other customers meals which showed that everyone was eating something with meat ? which she wouldn?t eat. Once Woodstock had slid between the customer in front and the counter, she unstopped time and grinned again as the voices of confused customers met her ears. She ordered and received her food quickly before moving to one of the tables in the garden behind the restaurant. As she ate she became lost in the memory of what had led her to living in apartments that she almost never paid the rent on. The memory of her unplanned trip to England ? the one she hadn?t told her parents about and which had led to them on her return telling her, their own daughter, that she was no longer welcome to live in her family?s Beverly Hills mansion and would have to make her own way in the world. After that she?d moved to San Francisco. Woodstock sighed as she slid a forkful of rice into her mouth. [i]At least they let me keep the car?[/i] She swallowed and loaded more rice onto her fork before she stiffened, turning her head to look at the man who had now joined her at the table. [B]?Who are you? If my landlord sent y-?[/B] She trailed off as he shook his head. [B]?No, no one sent me??[/B] He picked up the chopsticks on the tray which Woodstock had ignored, using them to lift a sugar pea from the dish in front of her. [B]"I just wanted you to know I want you in my Brotherhood, Lacuna. There was no landlord, this was a test."[/B] The chopsticks pointed at Woodstock. [b]"That was another of the Brotherhood you froze time for back there in the apartment. I'm Magneto."[/b] He smiled pleasantly and lifted the sugar pea to his mouth as Woodstock tapped the table thoughtfully. [B]?Lacuna?groovy, I dig.?[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkOrange][b]Name:[/b] Violent Jigg, this name is a bone of contention for her and makes her grumpy - her parents thought they?d named her Violet. As it turns out her name fits her personality rather well. [b]Age:[/b] A very grumpy twenty, soon to be twenty-one. [b]Profession:[/b] The only legitimate Ankh-Morpork Historian. Or so she?ll tell you quite loudly at the top of her lungs anyhow. [b]Backstory:[/b] Violent was born to a weaver couple who didn?t know how to spell at all. The day she was born they left her with Granny Mig and went in search of a name for her ? we believe that being left with said granny is the reason behind Violent?s personality as Granny Mig is one crotchety old lady! ?but that?s not what we?re talking about. We?re talking about her [i]name[/i]. Her parents went out into the city to find someone who could (supposedly) read and asked him how to spell Violet since it was Mrs. Jigg?s favorite flower. The man they asked was apparently very fond of practical jokes and spelled V-I-O-L-E-N-T onto the birth certificate for the child. It was only after they?d had it stamped that the judge (apparently [i]also[/i] fond of practical jokes) told them what their child?s name was. Being simple folk they didn?t think to just call their daughter Violet and pretend the name was simply a misspelling, oh no! They called her Violent, and even [i]told[/i] her that her name was a misspelling. So their daughter grew up [i]determined[/i] that she would be a better scholar than her parents and thus never embarrass any future children by thinking she had named one Bart and had instead naming him Brat. So now she?s an extremely grumpy young woman due to a twenty year old grudge (She insists it?s twenty year old, anyhow) against her parents. [b]Personality:[/b] Violent has a, well, violent personality. She hasn?t an agreeable bone in her body and will argue with you until you come around to [i]her[/i] way of thinking ? and if you [i]don?t[/i] come around to it she gets, as her name implies, violent. The only thing that Violent cares for is increasing her knowledge of everything and anything and has set herself the impossible task of chronicling every single thing in Ankh-Morpork that went on before she was born, is going on now, and will happen once she?s dead (Don?t ask how she?s going to do that, like we said, it?s impossible.) [b]Stuff:[/b] Paper, writing utensils and a purse. As to what?s inside the purse aside from the paper and writing utensils, no one is altogether sure ? many suppose brick and cactuses?or something that bites, anyhow. [b]Talents:[/b] Can indeed actually write! A minor miracle, really, considering all her parents know how to spell is her name and even [i]that[/i] they botched up horribly (In her not so humble opinion). Remaining completely neutral - Violent isn't for the UU or for the Painter. [b]Gender:[/b] Female. And she?d like to point out that gender should be up under age, thank you very much. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=Indigo]As Sparks walked off in one direction, Vernacular headed in another, walking slowly through the multitude of flowers. Some flowers were spiky and wild, growing out of control and running rampant over large amounts of land - looking for all the world as if they wanted to rule the island - while others were more controlled and sedate, staying in small clumps dotted here and there across the landscape -and the colours! Purple, blue, orange, green...they were every colour imaginable. But what Vernacular was enjoying the most was the scents, all of them vying for her attention and with so many there it was hard to distinguish one from the other. She stood still for a moment - silent for once - as she took in the sight and the smells. Just as she was about to sit down in a patch of grass she was jolted back to reality by Sparks. [B]"I've found the flower, it wasn't all that hard to do, either."[/B] She walked over to Vernacular, grinning proudly as she held out a flower - a flower which was abundant in the field surrounding them. Vernacular bit her lip for a second before shaking her head. [B]"No, nuh-uh, nein. That is not, most definately not the asphodel we're looking, searching, scouring this field, vista, land for...that's false, fake, not real asphodel..."[/B] She dodged the flung flower and backed up slightly. [B]"We are looking for one, uno, single flower...it will be the absolute only flower of its type, genus."[/B] Sparks scowled at her, arms crossed over her chest. [B]" Do we know what the real, actu-"[/B] She growled slightly and started over. [B]"Do we know what the actual asphodel looks like?"[/B]Vernacular nodded once. [B]"Yes, si. Its a pale blueish-grey and smaller than that."[/B] She pointed at the flower that lay on the ground next to her. [B]"We have to find, discover, root it out of...that."[/B]And on that relatively short bout of speech she pointed out at the field which now seemed even bigger than it had [i]before[/i].[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[FONT=Georgia][COLOR=Sienna][b]Name:[/b] Sigrún Luntdotter [b]Age:[/b] 25. [b]Gender:[/b] Female. [b]Place of Origin:[/b] Uppsala, the fourth largest city in Sweden, located 70 km north of Stockholm. [b]Known History:[/b] Sigrún grew up inside the city of Uppsala with her father who worked as a researcher for a pharmaceutical company. She grew up with constant pressure from her father, who though loving could be a bit pushy, to direct her field of studies on the same area as him ? Medicine and Pharmacy ? and for years she did, acing her science courses throughout elementary and high school. After graduating high school she spent the next several years working so that she could pay her own way through college. After three years and about four jobs, she had enough money. She moved to the university but after about a year there working towards a Pharmacy major, she realized her area of interest was not in that particular field but in the field of biology. Within a month, after numerous discussions with her guidance counselor, she informed her father that she was switching her major and ? surprisingly ? he didn?t complain. Soon after that she moved to Stockholm where she?d transferred into a college. Sigrún settled in easily, making a few[i]very[/i] close friends, apprenticing to various departments and studying hard so that she?d make her father realize that this was the right area for her. Sigrún graduated in the top five percent of her class just this year, has received at least one job offer and is expecting more as she sends her resume out. [b]Personality:[/b] Sigrún is very skittish and jumps at the slightest sound. She can also be very dreamy at times, and can spend incredible amounts of said time just sitting and thinking. She?s wary of almost everything and it takes a lot to earn her trust; you?ll lose that trust very easily if you scare her somehow. [b]Appearance:[/b] Sigrún stands at six foot three in her stocking feet and is, well, built along the lines of a caribou. She?s very, [i]very[/i] bony and gangly, often looking unsure of what to do with her limbs. Her hair is a dark wheat color and reaches her mid back, but she usually keeps it in two long braids wrapped around her head. Her eyes are large and a warm friendly brown. Her clothing usually consists of worn blue jeans, flannel shirts and hiking boots ? comfortable clothing. All in all, she isn?t what you would call ?attractive,? although she does have her moments. [b]Animal Genes:[/b] Caribou, [i]Rangifer tarandus[/i]. [b]Hybrid Abilities:[/b] Sigrún can adapt very well to being out in horrible weather ? rain, snow, sleet and great cold really don?t seem to bother her in the least. She also has increased strength, no one has ever called her a weakling. The last thing she has is enhanced hearing, she often considers this more of a hindrance than a help, as she startles at the slightest thing. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=Indigo]The ferry bumped against the rocky shore and the satyr bowed them off the boat and, at Spark?s questioning look, waved them towards a set of stairs cut into the rocks that led up to the top of the cliff that the ferry was tied at the bottom of. The satyr waved at the stairs again as he spoke. ?Up those stairs, visitors?you will be greeted most warmly at the top.? His eyes glinted as he leaned on his pole ? dismissing them. The foursome took his hint and made their way to the stairs and up them?and up them? There were so many that it took several minutes to reach the top where there was a grassy knoll which was surrounded by a large ring of rocks which were filled with niches and shelves. Once there they were stopped by another satyr and three fauns of varying ages, sizes and colours. They stepped closer to the Legionnaires and looked at them ? the satyr in front was the first to speak. ?No weapons of your type are permitted here in Cerynaea, mortals?? He grinned, and pointed at the watches. ?Watches and whatever means you use to communicate with your fellow mortals are not allowed here either?all do not work.? One of the fauns stepped torwards Sakura, hands plucking the silver guns from where they were holstered at her belt. Vernacular briefly wondered if the guns had special meaning to Sakura before the faun closed his hands around Sakura?s watch and took it and the guns over to a niche, setting them down as another faun walked over to Vernacular herself, pointing towards the watch around her wrist. She slipped it off, setting it on his leathery palm. ?I don?t see, know, haven?t found any reason not to give you it, let you have it, keep it safe for me as it really doesn?t work?isn?t functioning?? she trailed off as the faun turned his back on her and placed the watch in another niche as the third faun stepped up to Sparks ? now Sparks had much more to give the faun than Sakura and Vernacular had. Vernacular?s eye widened as she moved to stand next to Impulse who was exempt from the??customs search? by the fact that he had nothing technological on his person. ?She has?three guns, firearms?two watches, time tellers?some bits, pieces, random odds of what looks like a telephone and?oh?there goes our radio, walkie-talkie?communication with the normal world...oh well, doesn?t work anyhow, right? Now I think that?s a?? She was cut off again at a glare from the satyr who nodded at the four. ?You?re now free to walk in Cerynaea, just take this paper.? He picked a leather case up from a nearby shelf and pulled out a parchment covered in writing. ?It will allow you to move where you will.? He bowed to them and backed out of the stone ring, following the fauns. Vernacular looked at the other two women and the silent Impulse. ?Do we find an inn, tavern?place to stay and make or base of operations?headquarters??[/COLOR][/SIZE]