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[QUOTE=Godelsensei]Hahaha--no. I love stories about giants, little people, and dragon-slaying adventures of magically inclined fellows and ladies...but it's all make-believe. Dragons and other monsters are mostly confused images of foreign creatures, like lions, rhinos, etc... brought back to the homeland and further warped. The assumed their own, fantastical, identity, over time, and are now an essential part of our story-telling culture. 'Sall.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=DarkRed]That is exactly what I think. Especially the part about the way that things can get warped. People might have seen something that frightened them, and then come up with this story exaggerating how it looked to make themselves look braver and the description could just of kept growing... that's my way of thinking anyway. So no. I do not believe in these things. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]The horrendous giggling was back. Ren turned round in a circle, trying to figure out where it was coming from, with all the snow it was difficult to see anything. [B]"Ah-ha-a-a-a-a-a, I see we're having the same problem as last time. Poor Renny-wenny can't find me. Boo hoo-oo-oo-oo. I'm over here!"[/B] Astraela materialized 20 feet in front of Ren, who groaned. [B]"I was hoping you wouldn't show up."[/B] Astraela smirked. [B]"First thing, darling, where's the fun in that? Second thing ,pumpkin, [I]Lupo non mangia lupo[/I]... Wolves don't eat wolves; and as much as I loathe the others, they're wolves too."[/B] She backflipped forward to land right in front of Ren. [B]"And thirdly, last but not least, sweetheart, I need those lovely tattoos of yours."[/B] Ren looked down at the ground. [B]"Ok, I'll give them to you."[/B] Astraela's eyes narrowed [B]"I don't believe you, you're lying."[/B] Ren shook her head. [B]"I'm not! You know that Maoui Chief that's here? He told us a way that we can give people our tattoos without you having to skin us! I can give you them if you'll just hold on a few moments!"[/B] Astraela cocked her head to the side. [B]"Liar, liar, pants on fire, sitting on a telephone wire-er-er-er-er-er."[/B] Her last phrase once again turned into a fit of laughter.[B] "You really expect me to believe that?"[/B] She rolled her eyes. Ren smiled, focusing on her back. Justice began to glow. [B]"Don't need you to anymore."[/B] Justice's sword appeared in her hand. [B]"Kindly leave me be, or, well... I'll hurt you enough that the police can take you."[/B] Astraela bit her lip. [B]"No, I don't think I'll do that... See, I'll dispose of you."[/B] She moved towards Ren, taking off the glove that covered her right hand, revealing a tattoo of a wolfsbane leaf. [B]"Don't worry... It will only burn. Eh-heh-heh-heh-heh."[/B] She jumped forward quickly and grabbed Ren's right arm. Ren gasped. [B]"Let go! You can't do that, you pyscho!"[/B] She shifted her grip so that she was carefully holding the blade of her sword, and hit Astraela's wrist hard with the hilt, there was an audible crack, and Astraela released her grasp on Ren to hold onto her wrist. [B]"That wasn't nice..."[/B] She pouted. [B]"I can still put you to sleep you know." [/B] There was a loud sizzleling noise in the Sound, they both turned just in time to see Nerve dissapear into the water. [B]"But it would seem that today is not our day, I believe I will need some modifications... Ciao, bebè."[/B] She raised her good hand, releasing a large amount of smoke, and dissapeared. Ren looked worriedly over at Dave who was walking nearby. [B]"Do you think I want to what modifications are?"[/B] [/COLOR] OOC: That was fun!

[LEFT]Inna sighed in relief. It seemed as if even though he wanted to get rid of those who were not like the children of INFINITE, he was not willing to hurt her to do it. She smiled. "Thank you so much Cesco! I knew you wouldnt do it!" She began twirling around, the smile still huge upon her face. Francesco sighed. "You do realize that we are the greater beings of this world don't you? Eventually they will have to be taken out." Inna stopped twirling. "Don't say things like that please. I don't want to think about it." She looked upset for a minute but then her face brightened as if what Francesco had just said had already left her mind. "Can we go visit New York City? All the really big stars of the stage live there. Please Cesco, please?" Inna tugged on Francesco's arm, making her face look as sad as possible.[/LEFT] [COLOR=DarkRed]OOC: Inna is giving me the impression that even though she's one of the older INFINITE children, she acts younger. Sorry it's short. Couldn't think well. :animeswea [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Eleanor played with her key-chain and leaned towards Pru, singing softly under her breath. [B]"Bang bang Maxwell's silver hammer came down upon Rigg's head, bang bang Maxwell's silver hammer made sure that he was dead."[/B] The man was boring her to death, he was basically telling them what they had already heard from Araby earlier. She stifled a yawn, twirling her key-chain faster. Except for Lucien's rather amusing outburst, this had been one really boring meeting so far, well, the part about the 60's was interesting, but Riggs would probably make that boring... too. Oh great, her mind had just said that last part exactly like Lennon in one of the Beatles Christmas records. Eleanor started, she'd been off in her own world again. Now Riggs looked as if he was about to explode. She wondered why, then she saw her hammer key-chain dangling from his hand and a really small red mark on his forehead. [B]"Oops?"[/B][/COLOR]

OOC: Sorry it took so long. :animeswea ___________________________________________________________________ [COLOR=DarkRed][B]IC:[/B] Renee sighed, the last four days had been a whirlwind. The attack from Astraela, meeting the others, coming here to Milford Sound. It was all a blur. She sat on the edge of the bed in her cabin. The room was beautiful, even if it was lacking in the plants area. She picked up the phone from the small nightstand at the head of the bed and dialed her aunt's number, waiting for her to pick up. [B]"Hello?"[/B] Her aunt's voice sounded nervous and a little scared. [B]"Tia? It's Ren. I just wanted to let you know that I'm alright, and I found some nice people to stay with."[/B] Her aunt breathed a sigh of relief. [B]"I'm so glad, miele...when you didn't come over in the morning I went over to your house to see if perhaps you had gotten sick or fallen down the stairs..."[/B] She stopped abruptly. Ren finished her sentence for her. [B]"...and found the mess. Well, I'm safe, I can't tell you where I am right now, because there might be someone after me. But you can tell the police to stop searching for me."[/B] Her aunt laughed. [B]"How did you know I had the police searching for you?"[/B] Ren walked over to the window smiling. [B]"Let me see... your one and only niece is missing and many of her plants are no longer on the roof but in pieces on the ground, which you know your niece would never do... That's how."[/B] A thought seemed to occur to her. [B]"How many of my plants made it? I mean, I do still have some of my garden, yes?" [/B] There was no response from the other end of the line. [B]"Tia, please tell me. I would like to know."[/B] Her aunt sighed. [B]"Ren, miele, all of you potted plants are either on the ground, or in pieces on your neighbors roof, and your bushes and trees are all burnt. There's nothing left bebè, I'm sorry."[/B] Ren felt like she had been crushed, but didn't let it show. [B]"There's no need for you to be sorry... you didn't do it. I'll just have to start over, that's all. Well, I just wanted to let you know that I was safe. I love you. Please don't worry about me."[/B] She sat back down on the bed, waiting for a response. [B]"I love you too, miele. Call me when you are able to."[/B] Her aunt hung up the phone, Ren remained seated on the bed for a moment or two before getting up and going outdoors. She walked for about five minutes around the edge of the lake, before stopping under a large tree. Sitting beneath its calming branches, Ren soon fell asleep [CENTER]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/CENTER] Ren woke up to find the sun shining and her clothes and skin damp from a thin layer of dew, sighing she looked at her watch and realized that it was 7:45. She looked up at the tree she had slept under and began talking to it. [B]"Hello, Dominare Albero. I have recently lost all of my babies to an evil jester, do you mind if I take part of you to start my garden again?"[/B] Hearing nothing she took that as a no. [B]"Thank you, old one, I shall take good care of your child."[/B] Ren started laughing as she found what was necessary to start a seedling. [B]"It's a good thing nobody is here to hear me. They'd probably think I was losing my mind."[/B] Holding the seedling carefully she hurried to the common room to get some water to place it in. [CENTER]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/CENTER] On her way to the common room, Ren saw Sakura coming from her cabin. She walked over and joined her. [B]"Mind if I walk with you to the common room? I'm Renee Belezza by the way."[/B] She held out her hand, Sakura shook it. [B]"Sakura Hiwatari. And no I don't mind."[/B] She smiled. When they entered the common room they noticed that the others were all there already. Ren laughed. [B]"Looks like they were waiting for us. It was nice meeting you."[/B] She walked over to the buffet table. After getting a bowl of cherries and placing the seedling in a cup of water, Ren walked over and sat down in one of the chairs by the window next to Rayne and Dave; they both looked as if they had been blushing. [B]"I'm not intruding am I?"[/B] Dave shook his head. [B]"You're not."[/B] The door opened admiting a tall skinny man in the outfit of a punk rocker. Renee got up and went to meet him. [B]"Hi. My name is Renee."[/B] [B]"Dimitri. Nice to meet you."[/B] She smiled and asked, [B]"So, you have tattoos too?"[/B] [B]"Yes, I do"[/B] [B]"Good. You should come sit with us."[/B] Dimitri nodded, and they made their way over to the others and sat down. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][U][CENTER]The Wind[/CENTER] [/U] The wind carries noise, Na had learned that long ago, and now at 20 knew to listen closely. She walked slowly through the marketplace of Hangzhou, listening to all that went on around her. The shouts and laughter of children, the calls of the street vendors broadcasting their wares, the grumblings of people worried about soldiers. The wind did not pay attention to who they were, it carried their conversations without a care, from Lords returning from a hunt, to two urchins plotting how they were going to get their next meal. Na found people's conversations to be fascinating and useful sources of knowledge, and as much as she would have liked to stop and listen to them all, she couldn't. She hurried up the street towards the harbor where she was to meet An-wen, a spy for the Pearls of Winter. She turned into the loading area for the chunk Lin and slowly approached a tall man who was giving orders to some workers and looked as if he were in charge. [B]"Excuse me sir, I am here to visit my brother An-wen on behalf of my honored father who is sick and unable to visit." [/B] Na bowed, making sure to keep her tone respectful and timid. [B]"If you could tell me were I may find him, I will try not to cause any trouble." [/B] The man leered at her and called up to another man who was working on the sails. [B]"An-wen! You did not tell us that you had a sister, and such a pretty one at that." [/B] The man up in the sails jumped down, and came over to Na, speaking exitedly. [B]"Jun! How is father? Come I will take you to the inn where I am staying while we are in port, we have much to discuss. It has been such a long time since I have seen you." [/B] An-wen took Na's arm and began to lead her back out of the loading area, the tall man called after them. [B]"An-wen! Try to convince your lovely sister to come back and visit me." [/B] Na bit her lip. It was not good for someone to notice her this much. Seeing the worried look on Na's face, An-wen hurried to reassure her. [B]"Do not worry about Cheung, he notices pretty faces but is also quick to forget them." [/B] He led Na into an inn and signaled to a woman to bring him tea. [B]"So tell me, how is Father?"[/B] He took the tea-tray from the woman and handed it to Na who began to prepare the tea. [B]"He is not well, he misses you and wishes you were back helping him with the business." [/B] She poured water into two cups. [B]"Tell him if I could, I would send him a thousand men to take my place, six hundred of which would help him in the shipping by sea, four hundred that would help in the manufacturing of arms, especially the shields and bows, I know he has such a hard time finding people to do that."[/B] Na finished making the tea and handed the cup to An-wen. [B]"I will. Oh! Father recently talked to Fa Yu. Fa Yu asked him to request that you tell his son that he is moving to Guangzhou, three days from now, due to the large amount of blossoms near the Baochu Tower where he lives."[/B] An-wan nodded. [B]"I will do so. But let's talk of other things, I only get about half of a hour for myself each day, and that time is nearly up." [/B] Na smiled and they began discussing the poet who of late had become one of the Emperors favorites. When the woman came to clear away the tea-tray, An-wan paid her and they left the inn. Na bowed to him. [B]"I will tell father all that you have said. He will be pleased to know that you still think of him."[/B] An-wan bowed in return. [B]"Our conversation was very pleasing. Be careful on your way home Jun, they're have been more and more riots lately, it's getting dark."[/b] An-wan glanced over his shoulder. [b]"And remember when we would go to the market? There was that man who always seemed to be watching you? Well I've seen someone who looked like him recently. Just wanted to let you know." [/B] Na thanked him and slipped off towards the Qiantang River, opposite from where she had come in earlier that day. An-wan watched her go muttering to himself. [B]"So I've met the Philosopher's Lily..."[/B][/COLOR] [CENTER]----------------------------------------------[/CENTER] [SIZE=1]OOC: For those who care, the majority of the conversation between Na and An-wan is code. "The Business" = a chunk (a huge Chinese ship) "I would send him a thousand men to take my place, six hundred of which would help him in the shipping by sea, four hundred that would help in the manufacturing of arms, especially the shields and bows" = one thousand men, 600 of which manage the boat, 400 of which are shieldsmen, archers and other soldiers. Basically, Na is asking about how many soldiers there are on the chunk. "Fa Yu asked him to request that you tell his son that he is moving to Guangzhou, three days from now, due to the large amount of blossoms near the Baochu Tower where he lives." = Telling An-wan about a load of explosives being shipped from Baochu Tower to Guangzhou in three days time; information that An-wan needs to relay to a different agent. Yes, I am a geek.[/SIZE]

[COLOR=DarkRed] [I]Venice, Italy[/I] Renee was on the roof of her aunt's house where they were having a party to celebrate her 26th birthday. The evening had all been pleasant, good food, wine, company. Ren looked over to her own house, at her own little rooftop garden, beautiful and calm... She looked closer... it seemed as if she could vaguely make out the shape of a person at the end farthest away from her, dancing... kicking her herb pots over the edge?! She turned back to her aunt. [B]"Thank you ever so much for the wonderful dinner, it means so much to me. But I think I need to go care for my plants. Unless you wanted me to stay longer, Tia." [/B] Oh, how she hoped it wasn't neccessary. She wanted to go see who was destroying so many of her plants, her babies. [B]"That's alright dear, go see to your plants, I know they mean so much to you."[/B]She smiled [B]"Just come over in the morning and tell me how your plants are."[/B] Ren nodded and hugged her. [B]"Thank you, Tia, for everything. I'll see you in the morning. Love you!" [/B] With that she went down the stairs and was soon unlocking the door to her house. She was worried, how could someone have gotten up there? Finally getting the door unlocked, she hurried up to the rooftop and stopped. Staring. There seemed to be no one up there with her. [B]"Avere paura della propia ombra?"[/B] [I]Afraid of one's shadow?[/I] Ren whirled around and looked under the bench behind her. Then she heard this horrendous giggling. [B]"I'm not under there, you bobo, I'm over here!"[/B] Ren turned towards her roses where the voice had come from this time, still seeing no one. [B]"I must be going insane... first I see someone dancing on my rooftop... then I start hearing voices..." [/B] She sat down on the bench behind her and put her head in her hands. [B] "Mente sana in corpo sano."[/b] [I]Sound mind, sound body. [/I][b]"You have both. Don't worry." [/B] The singsong voice was coming from right beside her, on her left now. She lifted her head and turned it slowly to see someone, dressed very frighteningly for the Carnevale, leaning with both hands on the bench. [B]"Ah! You see me now! How nice..." [/B] The frightening apparition got up and began to twirl around, the ends of her (for it was a woman) coat flapping. [B]"I...am Astraela; a collector of tattoos, just as I suspect you also are."[/B] As quickly as she had started twirling, she stopped, grabbed Ren's arm and began looking at her rose tattoo. [B]"And my, my, my. Isn't that a lovely tattoo, dahling..." [/B] Astraela suddenly affected a stereotyped, rich british snob's accent. Ren tried to pull her arm out of her grasp. [B]"What are you? And could you let go of my arm? You're cutting of the circulation." [/B] Astraela shook her head. [B]"I'm afraid I can't." [/B] The thing seemed to frown. [B]"You see, I'm supposed to be getting your tattoos. Di due mali bisogna scegliere il minore."[/b][I]Choose the lesser of two evils[/I] [b]"Of course they'll both be [I]my[/I] two evils. But if you choose the [I]right[/I] one, you'll still be around! So be a good ragazza, and come along."[/B] Astraela began pulling on her arm. [B]"Up, up...come on...we are going on a loong journey. You'll have fun.." [/B] The mad laughter began again. Ren started to concentrate on summoning her rose tattoo, the stem and thorns gradually began to rise from her skin. Astraela yelped. [B]"Ouch ouch ouch! You nasty little..." [/B] Astraela's eyes, or what you could see of them, narrowed. [B]"So thats the way you're going to be, eh?" [/B] She sneered. [B]"Listen here, ragazza. I'm gonna take you to my master, one way, or another, so..."[/B] She lifted her hand and a pendulum fell from it. [B]"...sleep."[/B] Instead of doing as told, Ren made the stem and thorns grow more, forcing Astaela's hand open. Jerking her arm from Astraela's grasp, Ren climbed over the wall around her roof, went down the fire escape, and was soon being ferried to the port. Once there she found the first person she could, bought their ticket from them, and was sailing away from Venice. Where to? She really had no clue...but...Il fatto non si può disfare... [I]What's done cannot be undone [/I] ********************************** Ren got off the boat three days later, throughly sick of being on a boat. Disembarking was a little less enjoyable when you knew no one would be there to meet you...she turned in the middle of the departure que, looking back at the boat. She was glad to leave...but also wondering when she'd be able to get ahold of her aunt...someone tapped her arm, and she turned to see four people standing there. One of the men smiled, asking hoarsly... [B][COLOR=SandyBrown]"Can we talk to you?"[/COLOR] [/B] Ren blinked. [B]"Does this have anything to do with tattoos?"[/B] [COLOR=SandyBrown][B]"It might."[/B][/COLOR][/COLOR] OOC: Reiku? Do we get to use our bad-guys later? I find it highly amusing to write mine...I hope we get to...

[LEFT]Inna had walked around town for a while looking for someone to talk to. She didn't like being alone. When she finally found a group of people, they took one look at her and ran off yelling something about mutants. She had put on her best poker face and pretended not to be hurt, not that anyone was around to see anyway, just to stay in practice. Not wishing to stay in the burning city with all the corpses, how anybody could do something like that she didn't know...or rather, she may have...she just didn't [i]remember[/i]. She began walking - she'd seen a river that way...river = water = happy seal. She laughed at the thought. She'd almost made it out of the city when she heard a noise. Turning, she saw Francesco, stalking and talking to himself as usual...the snake-boy scared her a little...but at least he could talk...she launched herself at her fellow project member, latching herself onto him in a hug. [B]"Cesco!"[/B] She yelped, her sentence become run-on and rapid. [B]"Cesco, I'm so happy I found you! I need someone to talk to and the people in the town weren't very nice, they wouldn't talk to me and they called me a freak and they ran away and it hurt my feelings but now you're here and I can talk to you and I'm happy again!" [/B] Francesco had frozen. He seemed to be twitching. [B]"Something wrong, Cesco?"[/B] She didn't wait for an answer. [B]"They're all these dead bodies back there and they scared me an it was icky and...you're twitching again..." [/B] She untangled herself, and stepped away. Francesco began walking out towards the outer edge of the city again. Inna just followed, still babbling. At least she had someone to talk to again...[/LEFT] [COLOR=DarkRed]OOC: Heh heh. I have derailed the angstfest...we need one hyper, happy character, right? It's kind of short...sorry.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]I generally prefer manga over anime, as it's easier for me to obtain, and usually the artwork is better. I like the fact that you can see details in manga that the anime is either too fast or too simply drawn to see. I also like the fact that you can read manga at almost any time, while for anime you have to be near a television or computer. Although I must say the Tenchi Muyo anime better than the manga.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]First movie I ever saw in theaters was Toy Story 2...which is sad, considering I was about 9 at the time...there weren't a lot of theaters around where I lived when I was little. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Thank you! Those are perfect! I'll use the darker....thank you very much. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]I would like somebody to please make me a banner out of [URL=http://server5.theimagehosting.com/image.php?img=Untitled-Scanned-02.1.jpg]this picture[/URL]. As far as effects go, I would like antique-like, the kind you would find in a victorian house, or a government building, but still very clear and crisp. The colors should be reds and golds. All I would like it to say is "Justice must be blind." in cursive text, not too fancy, but still pretty. I do not want my username on the banner. If you could make the avatar of just her head, that would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to seeing the results. [/COLOR]

[U][B]SIGN-UP[/B][/U] [B]Name:[/B] Renee Belleza [B]Age:[/B] 26 [B]Gender:[/B] Female [B]Origin:[/B] Italy [B]Appearance: [/B] Renee looks like [URL=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/DeSotoDiceFreak/Renee.jpg]this[/URL] [B]History:[/B] Renee lives in [URL= http://www.squero.com/images/BigMap.gif]Venice[/URL] were she has the same job that her father and her grandmother and grandmothers father before that have had. She is a spice gardener owning her own own shop along the Canal Grande. She never actually went to school. Her father taught her reading, writing, math, and how to grow her plants. She lately has been volunteering at the local hospital, bringing plants for the patients who would like to garden. Up until now she has led a pretty normal, uneventful life. [B]Personality:[/B] Ren has a very nurturing spirit, people seem to relax more around her. She has basically no temper to speak of unless someone is either killing plants or hurting someone else. She seems always to be calm, and enjoys being with people at all times. She is a bit Obssessive-Compulsive so everything around her has to be in order, even if the things she's arranging aren't hers, which sometimes bugs people. [B]Tattoo/s:[/B] Renee a rose tattoo on her right palm with the leaves and stem curling up to her elbow, and a tattoo of [URL=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/DeSotoDiceFreak/justice.jpg]Justice[/URL] across her her back, with the sword on her left shoulder blade and the scales on her right. Without the words, of course.

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]For all of them I must say I like the soothing colors of the blues and greens and the general theme because I like architecture and skyscrapers are a unique example of architecture. Number 1. I really like the way you can kind of see "daylight" on the buliding that you merged into the building to the left of the center. The "daylight" also is visible in number 2. I think that that minor bit of red takes a little away from the picture though. Number 2. Again. I like the daylight. The green of that one building seems to go better than when it was red in Number 1. I also like the fact that some of the buildings are more visible in this one than in the other two. Number 3. Still very good but I like it less than the other two as it is harder to see the individual buildings. The sapphire shade of this is very beautiful though, and I still like it very much. So all and all... my favorites are in this order: 2-1-3. Good job! Wow! I'm complimenting the enemy... Ozy's my sister. ;) [/COLOR]

[U][B]SIGN-UP[/B][/U] [I]Name: [/I] Inna Radislav [I]Age:[/I]15 [I]Alliance[/I]: INFINITE [I]Origin:[/I] Romainia [I]Appearance:[/I] [URL=http://www.hyung-taekim.org/displayimage.php?album=8&pos=0]Inna[/URL]. She has larger eyes, however, and is covered with soft grey fur. [I]Gene:[/I] Seal [I]Personality:[/I] Inna would like to be an actress, if she were normal. She's very dramatic. She's not a follower. She much prefers to do her own thing. She likes to be with people, but only when they don't try to tell her to do things. She is very affectionate, and occasionally gets on the nerves of the more angsty INFINITE expiriments. Inna loves water, and any time it rains she can be found out in it, running around like an idiot. The others would occasionally tell her that acting like an idiot is not that different from her normal behavior, but she doesn't care. [I]Motives:[/I] Inna was raised in an orphange in Romainia. Due to the wars, the orphanages were practically overflowing. Much like Theodore, she was sent because the orphanage needed money. Now, she just wants to find a way to be normal and become an actress - or at the very least accepted. Inna was actually quite horrified by the deaths of the scientists. She's very soft hearted, and prefers to run rather than fight.

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][I]Looks like Lucien's gonna get get in a fight again.[/I] Eleanor sighed. Yes, tension was high but that was no reason to fight, was it? Lucien always seemed able to get on other people's nerves...she didn't quite understand why...he was normal...to her, anyway... [I]Ok then...for right now I have another mission: "distract people so they don't kill each other".[/I] Eleanor walked over to the electronic equiptment in the meeting room, looking for a certain type... [i]Ah! There it is.[/i] Eleanor turned the volume all the way up on both of the microphones, bringing them together. The speakers emitted a [i]horrible[/i] screech. Eleanor winced, but kept the mics together until everyone was looking at her. She smiled sweetly. [B]"Ok, now that I have your attention...I find I have nothing to say. I will now NOT return you to your regularly scheduled program, due to the potential for bodily harm.Thank you for your time."[/B] She sat back down, keeping an eye on the potential combatants...[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]I'd like to just say that ALL reality shows, thus far, are stupid. None of them have caught my attention - and none of them are "reality". Nobody reacts the way they would in "reality" because there's a camera pointed at them. And it's a proven fact that nobody acts normal when there's a camera around. [/COLOR]

[QUOTE=DeathBug]Hmmm... JUst about every direct-to-video sequel Disney's ever made sucks. Lion King 2, Little Mermaid 2, Aladin 2...ugh. [/QUOTE] [COLOR=RoyalBlue]I'd like to add Stitch 2 and Jungle Book 2 to that list...couldn't they just leave well enough alone? The "sequels" to Star Wars were good. The [i]pre[/i]quels, however, I despise. Mainly because of Anakin, but also because the stories just aren't that good anymore. I am looking forward to Revenge of the Sith, though...bye bye, Anakin...[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]1. Robin Sena's dress. That dress is SO cool. I can just imagine walking around downtown with that dress on...scaring small children...heh heh heh... 2. The Punisher. I don't know how I would pick it up, but it would be cool to have it, anyway...fear me and my machine-gun-missle-launcher of doom... 3. Sesshoumaru's Fluffy-thing. Mainly because it's soft and fluffy and it belonged to Sesshy... Preferably I'd be able to wear the Fluffy with the Robin dress while somehow carrying the Punisher, and REALLY freak people out.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]I cannot eat breakfast. Ever. I wake up all conjested, and eating = oh, watch! I get to throw up! Yay! My favorite meal is usually supper. I like the actual supper better than dessert. Steak (rare) usually is what I want to eat more then cake, pie, cookies, etc etc etc. I also skin my pickles before I eat them. I eat the pickle and the skin, but I have to eat them seperatly. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]^response :twitch: Mines somewhat over used. I'd want to be pyrokenetic...or ice...hmm...maybe you could mix them...incase the fire in ice, and then throw it at someone...like crystal flaming ice balls...ooh...yeah, I think I'd like that...of course, nobody would get in snowball fights with me...[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]I will admit currently my hair is brown-black. If I ever dye it, bleach will have to factor into the act heavily...I want to dye it either maroon or flaming pink... And when I'm old and grey, forget pink...florescent green and spiky is the way to go. ;)[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue] [B]Name:[/B] Ke Na [B]Sobriquet: [/B] Philosopher's Lily. She is called this because of her love for knowledge. However, due to the fact that it is unfitting for a woman to claim to be a philosopher, she added the "Lily" so that those who heard her sobriquet would be misled. [B]Age:[/B] 20 [B]Gender:[/B] Female [B]Appearance/Description:[/B] Na is sort of forgetable. She's nice enough looking, but nothing really stands out, which is helpful. She's five foot two. [B]Affiliation:[/B] Pearls of Winter [B]Brocade:[/B] White Bamboo Forest . Her calling card is ivory brocade with silver eyes embroidered on it. It looks a bit like [url=http://www.celebrationgroup.com/products/linenrectangle/napkinsdeluxe/pic010.jpg]this[/url], except it's not napkins. [B]Weapon(s):[/B] She uses the quarterstaff, and also carries two stilettoes. [B]Circumstances: [/B] Na is the daughter of a silk merchant. Her parents sent her to live with her betrothed's family, another merchant house who they wanted to have an alliance with; but she did not like the Li's, her betrothed (Chen) or his mother (Ling). Not to mention Ling did not like her - she showed more intelligence than was right in a woman, and did not work fast enough and she was "sly", not to mention she was above the usual age for a bride, horrors! So she ran away to join the Pearls of Winter where she figured that her intelligence and "slyness" would go to good use. [B]Introduction: [/B] [I]"The blossom grows The cherry blooms Spring dances in the air."[/I] There. Her poem was complete. Not too complex. Simple. The way it should be. Na smiled. Before she had come to her betrothed's family home she used to sit behind the screen that seperated the women's half of the room from the men's and listen when her brothers were being taught. Her family said it wouldn't do, but Na couldn't help listening, she liked to learn, but oh it was costing her now. [B]"Stop your useless writing, girl!" [/B] Girl... Chen's mother never called her by her first name, it was always "Girl". Make the tea "girl". Take care of the family shrine "girl". Did she not understand that Na had a name? [B]"You will not make a good wife for my son if you do not learn how to cook! Writing will not help you!"[/B] Na got up from the floor from where she had been kneeling to write her poem. [B]"Yes, Mother-in-Law." [/B] Outwardly, Na bowed meekly to Ling; in her mind, however, she was composing a poem about mother-in-laws. [B][I]Mother in law, so not dear to me, your nose is long, please sit on a bee. [/I] [/B] She didn't even bother trying to put any beauty in the poem. Why should she? She wasn't going to repeat it to anybody anyway. [B]"Since I have repeatedly told you not to waste your time writing, you will cook dinner by yourself."[/B] Ling scowled and went on. [B]"And Chen informs me that last night when you were serving him and his friends dinner that you behaved very improperly when they were discussing tactics and tried to join in the conversation."[/B] [B]"I did, honored Mother-in-Law."[/B] Na was trying not to smile, their ideas had been so stupid, most of the young men had never even been out of Hangzhou. [B]"Do not do that again. It is foolish to think that you, a woman, could know better."[/B] With that Ling left the room. [B][I]I have to get out of here. This house is trying to control me...[/I][/B] [i]Some Time Later...[/i] [I][B]"It is right and good that children should be taught, but duty takes precedence over most of life"[/B][/I] Na hurried towards the pagoda that housed the members of White Bamboo Forest. She was going to start teaching some of the children there what she had learned during the many years she had spent listening in on her brother's lessons. She walked into her rooms where she had arranged for the children to meet her...only to find no children and one slightly harried looking Lin Yao. [B]"I know that you were going to be teaching the children today but you will have to wait for a more opportune moment."[/B] She handed Na a scroll. [B]"You are to memorize that and then go directly to Chang'an, to the Teahouse of Xiang, where you are to relay what you memorized to Xiang and Xiang only. You will know she is Xiang by this brocade."[/B] She showed Na a piece of cloth. [B]"Go once you have commited the scroll to memory."[/B] With that Lin Yao left the room; leaving Na to study the scroll. The scroll, she saw, contained what seemed just poetry...but to those of the Pearls of Winter that knew the code, it would tell them that the next shipment of explosives and weapons from the Winter Pine Pagoda would be arriving three days after she relayed the message. But it was better not to be caught carrying it around; which was why she was memorizing it. It didn't take that long and Na was soon on her way to Chang'an. Once there, she wove her way through the streets with the skill that befitted a member of the White Bamboo Forest, and was soon at the teahouse. Na bowed respectfully to the woman who opened the door to her. [B]"I am Na from the House of Wu...my mistress heard that Lady Xiang wasn't feeling well and thought that some reciting of poetry would make her feel better."[/B] The woman nodded. [B]"Follow me."[/B] She led Na through the teahouse to a screen, and pulled it open. [B]"She is in there."[/B] Na thanked her and entered, pulling the screen shut behind her. [B]"You are the Lady Xiang?"[/B] Na waited for the proper response from the lady seated in front of her. [B]"Yes... I am the Lady Xiang. I suppose you need to see my brocade?"[/B] Na nodded [B]"It is required, yes."[/B] Xiang got up and walked over to a chest next to the screen. Na watched somewhat suspiciously, they'd been having trouble with spies other than their own lately. She took the piece of brocade that Xiang offered to her, it was a purpleish colour with a single swan embroideried on it. Na smiled, this matched the calling card that Lin Yao had shown her. [B]"Now that you know I am who I said I was, don't you think you should behave like a normal poetry reader and do what you told my maid you were here for?"[/B] Na nodded and began to recite. [I][B]"'The blossom opens Three days after the moon Late but beautiful In its firey splendor.'"[/B][/I] Xiang smiled. [B]"That's lovely. Already I am beggining to feel better. But tell me, do you have any proverbs?"[/B] She looked over at Na. [B]"Yes. I recently learned this one...[I]'The sharpest child is the one who listens to his elders. This is one of the three great truths.'"[/I][/B] Xiang nodded. [B]"Very true. And which great philosopher wrote this?" [/B] [B]"Feng."[/B] Xiang nodded again. After a few more lines of poetry, a couple of proverbs, and a short snippet of random gossip, much as one would expect from any poetry reciter, the Lady Xiang smiled. [B]"I very much enjoyed your recitation. You may tell your mistress that you did well." [/B] Na took that as leave to go and did so, first bowing as was fitting of someone leaving the presence of a better. She hurried to retrace her steps back to Lin Yao, taking less care of not being seen this time. After all, she was supposed to be seen on the return journey, sometimes it was easier not to be remembered if you didn't try to sneak...and all the more so when the moon was full... [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Eleanor hated having to sit still, and here she was having to, and she didn't even have anything to keep her hands busy so her mind wouldn't wander. As usual her mind decided to take a different course than Professor Araby's, and go back six hours. [I][B]"By the time you see this," the vidscreen said, "I will be long, long gone. As you should've been...as all mankind should have been..."[/B] Eleanor had been standing behind the taller Julia when she had heard that, so she had not really been able to see the screen. But Rathbones' voice had been enough to send shivers down her spine.[/I] [B]Ok...He's a pyscho, mankind was meant to be, you can't just wipe us out like we're a math problem you solved wrong. I mean, you see all the ruins of ancient civilizations, yet we're still here.[/B] [I] Eleanor wasn't so sure she wanted to know how he was going to get rid of mankind. [B] "Bulldog...should I be scared?" [/B] Julia was speaking to Bulldog. [B]"Probably."[/B] Eleanor leaned forward [B]"Well then. If you don't mind, I think I will join you."[/B] [/I] Eleanor was suddenly jerked out of her remembering by her chair making impact with the floor. She had forgotten she had tipped it back. [B]"Sorry!"[/B] She whispered to the few people she had startled. [I][B]Better start paying attention to what he's saying I guess...[/B] [/I] Eleanor sat up straighter and began to actually listen to Araby. [B]"And so, in closing..."[/B] Araby gathered his papers into a neat stack. [B]"Until the cause of this temporal shift has been discovered, I'm afraid all agents will be staying here."[/B] Ugh! She'd tuned in for this? She was supposed to be visiting her parents this weekend. Oh well. Safety of the whole world was more important. Much more important. [B]"Yes, I realize this is an inconvienience for you...but the altenative is much less pleasant."[/B] [I][B]Cor, that was an understatement, I for one, do not want to go out of existense...[/B][/I] Another thought occured to her. [I][B]What if I have to room with Angel Godiva... [/B][/I] Angel had graduated when Eleanor had but they did not gotten along well at all. But since they were the same age and had been in the same year. They might stick them together since they "already knew each other" so well. [I][B]Yuck. If I'm stuck with her I'll be arrested for murder![/B] [/I] Eleanor went back to listening to Araby. It was a good thing she did too. [B]"And I almost forgot...would agents Diamond, Forsythe, Hayes, Henderson, Jones, MaBelle, Maxwell, Rhodes and Stanley please report to Director Riggs immediatly."[/B] Eleanor went through the list in her head. [B]"Know, Don't know, Sarcastic, Grumpy, Don't know, Don't know, Me, Don't know, Talked to her once, this will be fun..." [/B] When was the meeting at again? She looked up to see the same baffeled yet worried look on Prudence Jones' faceas she knew must be on her own... it wasn't very reassuring. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Would any cds or whatever we use in the future disappear? Like, if someone was listening to something the Beatles wrote after 1965, would it just...vanish?[/COLOR]