Retribution

[size=1]Well, I'm reading this psychology book, and it has a topic about 'love and limerence (sp?)' Limerence is where you're infatuated, and you think you love the person, but you really don't. The good news with this is that absense does indeed make the heart grow fonder. In fact, the way to cure limerence is to have alot of time together, when you realize that you don't really like the other person so much. The reason for this is because when you're away, you make up the person's traits (subconsciously), and when you meet them more and more, you realize your idea is completely wrong, and you stop 'loving.' If you actually love her/him, then it depends on what type of love, which comes in three different types. Intimacy, romance, and committment ... I'm assuming you love this person with more committment, since you haven't really been intimate/romantic yet. Which is a semi-good thing, because the other two die quickly without committment. I guess what this whole roundabout post is meant to say is that "Don't give up hope" and "Absense makes the heart grow fonder" in more words. ._.;;[/size]

[size=1]Both of these pieces are [b]horrible examples of what you two are capable of. Horrible.[/b] So here goes the vote. [b]Cheezy:[/b] Wow man. I'm going to be honest - I thought you would have done better than this. This is really a disgrace, and I'd be offended if I were Sean. Someone (who lacks a valid excuse for being late, AND coming with something weak) adds text to an unrelated image, that doesn't even fit the dimensional requirements, and prays that the opponent no-shows. It's poor sportsmanship - your work is poor, and there's nothing to critique on it. The stock has almost no corrolation to childhood, except for the fact Yu-Gi-Oh is a fad, and the font is pretty lame as well. Sorry. Go hard or go home. [b]Sean:[/b] Well, we're getting better. There's actually art here. But I'm also disappointed in you, too, Sean. You're a pretty talented guy, so I was a bit let down. The spiral looks pretty grainy, as I'm sure it was your intention. But it obstructs the flow of things. Thinking about it now, it was probably your purpose (vertical lines and all) to show conflict in a childhood. The "c" at the center, I'm guessing stands for "childhood," which develops into something larger. Hm. As for the side-text, it's actually not half bad, except for the fact it doesn't flow at all with this. I'm not really going to rag on you, since you had like 10 minutes to come up with something AND STILL beat Cheezy. But next round, bring your best. [B]I vote for Sean.[/B] Sorry if I sounded like a jerk throughout, but I'm tempted to say you deserved it.[/size]

[size=1]Thanks for such in-depth critique. Sun and I appreciate it alot. So, here's another concept that'll probably never be applied, but whatever. Here's a splash. [color=teal]Made it an attachment. Things that increase the screen size usually should be, so yeah. -Syk3[/color][/size]

[size=1]So, I've been wanting a messenger bag for like ... half a year now. They look cool, they carry things well, did I mention they look cool? However, there's just one thing that I'm not so sure about. Is it something that is usually assosciated with "women only" (like a purse >_>), or is it more open, since it's a messenger bag? But to open up the topic of conversation, is there something that you think is assosciated with just one gender, when you think it should be unisex?[/size]

[size=1]I have no idea who this guy is before I read this thread. I had no idea it was a special day yesterday. Yesterday I went bowling with my soccer team, because we had the day off (Teacher Planning Day). He sounds very impressive - a marathon a day in and of itself is amazing, but on a prosthetic leg, no less! I hope that yesterday raised a great sum of money for his cause.[/size]

[size=1]I didn't really enjoy this book much - maybe because it was required summer reading entering 9th grade, when I had already read and discussed it pretty in-depth in 8th grade. Yes, the metaphor to Communist Russia is obvious, but the general story line wasn't very appealing to me. The whole thing about how animals run a farm, make laws, and things start to fall apart was pretty ... boring to me. However, I will give Orwell credit; just because I don't like it doesn't mean the book isn't great (and why it's a classic nowadays). I think it pales in comparison to 1984 - so why not have everyone read [i]that[/i] book? Schools these days. >_>[/size]

[SIZE=1]Feedback is always good. [B]Dying with Glory[/B] So this is how you die? Underneath a rock, and scared of life? Like a coward praying to your idol? They won't save you. No one will. But isn't that where the honor is? In saving your own life. Your own two hands pulling triggers and swiping like a tiger Going down with your ship.[/SIZE]

[size=1][B]Name:[/B] Julius Senner [B]Age:[/B] 27 [B]Job:[/B] Journalist for the New York Times, Photographer (for his stories). [B]Appearance:[/B] [Will edit] [B]Why are you here?:[/B] Julius' friend Sonny has always made fun of his poor social skills since they were 12. Julius was always the wingman, supporting his friend at bars, at parties, inserting compliments so ladies would be more interested in Sonny. It was a natural role he picked up, preferring to sit on the sidelines rather than try things out for himself. Two weeks ago, Sonny took it upon himself to register Julius for speed dating. What a pleasant surprise for the bashful, quiet Julius. That is not to say he didn't go down without a fight -- on the contrare -- Julius stopped talking to Sonny for three days, but got over his anger. Actually, he internally wanted to thank him for pushing himself to get a date. So, in all reality, Julius was forced into speed dating, but has decided not to give up for at least a month.[/size]

[size=1]First and foremost, much respect to Rising Sun. We just did another collaboration, and I'm going to venture and say the combination of our styles really came out well. Thanks for Archangel for the quote. This production took about an hour in total, from deciding to start a collaboration (relatively spontaneous) to finishing the borders. I'm so tired I can't begin to explain it, so without further ado, I bring to you: [b]Retribution of the Rising Sun Collaboration[/b] [IMG]http://img400.imageshack.us/img400/614/apicture14cl.jpg[/IMG] Thank you, and goodnight [strike]Brooklyn, Chicago, New York...[/strike] OtakuBoards.[/size]

[SIZE=1]OOC: Seems simple enough. Whee!IC: Alexander opened up his envelope when the Master left the room. He did not take notice of the rest of the world as he saw his name in cursive, spread elegantly across the white paper. The contents were vaguely interesting at best, but felt childish and juvenile. He inwardly shrugged, but was confused at the gasps and ill looks flashing across other people's faces. He didn't really question them, and decided they should have their own privacy. "Well, I'll be off," he said vaguely with a smile. No one really took notice to him, but he remained unshaken. He strolled up to his room, and got the new mp3 player he was provided by the Master, full of hours worth of classical music. He smiled at the full charge, and went back downstairs into the dining room to check on everyone. A few people had left, but others were still sitting, awestruck. [i]Must be something serious. Jeez.[/i] He mentally wished the best for them, and walked out of the massive door, shutting it behind him, and gazed at the star-filled sky. The night was cool, perhaps 60 degrees and getting colder as the night grew older. Inhaling deeply the fresh night air and the sounds of Bach, he set off down the lit path with the envelope in his pocket. At last he reached the bench, and took a moment to observe the excellent craftsmanship. Oak of the finest kind, expertly crafted together, with a laquered finish to preserve its sheen and pristine condition, even through the harshest weather. Underneath he caught sight of another envelope. "This is it," he said, feeling slightly anxious, and opened it quickly to get it over with. He skimmed it once, and got the immediate impression of a cakewalk. However, upon closer observation, he discovered it might be one of the harder tasks presented to everyone. He inhaled slowly with his eyes closed and his head cocked back to the sky, calming himself down. [i]You need to stretch for this.[/i] He quickly complied with his thoughts, performing every stretch he knew, which consumed the greater part of twenty minutes. He sang loudly, in an attempt to expell all laden energy hiding in his body, until he finally gained the courage to lay on the bench, his face towards the sky. His trenchcoat lay on top of his body, so as to shield it from rain or the cold, and his mp3 player was on constant repeat and shuffle. [i]Well, I'm comfy, and I have a great view, too.[/i] All the lights shut off that connected his path back to the mansion. He was now marrooned on a patch of darkness - something that he would have scoffed at and strode through had it been just 24 hours earlier. He remained still, smiling at the stars and connected paths between them. He thought of stories that involved them, and his music's tempo and temper controlled the mood, characters, and plot. He was enchanted at his use of his imagination, filling the relatively dull hours of the night. Perhaps he would fall asleep in such a position that night; he felt relatively comfortable and had no real desire to move around anyway. [i]Quiet. Solitude. Strange, but good,[/i] he concluded, before being carried to another ethereal plane of his powerful imagination.[B]OOC:[/B] DO NOT MOVE ALEXANDER AT ALL. Thank you. [PM me if you want to negotiate something, but don't move him without permission][/size]

[size=1]Now, I'm gonna sound contradictory, but [b]I do not believe in ghosts.[/b] However, I do believe in demons and angels. It's more personal religion than anything else, but... I don't believe a soul can wander the earth. Once you die, you go to Heaven or Hell - that's my idea of the afterlife. I think that, like Ilium said, is a figment of one's own overactive imagination in a dark, dank complex with zero visibility. Then, when there's some sort of glimmer or distortion in what you see, which could be logically explained by any number of things, you think it's a ghost; mostly because you want to believe it is. *shrug* Most people are gonna quote me now and say they're pretty indifferent to the idea of ghosts, but they've seen one. I think it's subconscious. So there. =P Heh. As for demons and angels - demons and angels don't really mess around with human lives too much.[/size]

[size=1]Leonardo looked at the woman dance with delight. The attraction he immediately felt was nearly irresistible. A frightening lust filled his heart to the brim; the feeling was so intense he wanted to jump out of his seat and make love to the woman he had never met before in front of everyone. To tear away the clothes and? and? [I]It?s magic. She?s an enchantress. It?ll die down? I hope.[/I] Feeling no other way to relieve himself from his tension, he decided to speak next. When he noticed the silence hanging, it immediately struck him everyone was feeling the same way. ?Yuri, sir, my name is Leonardo de Medici. I am an Italian man of twenty years. I have trouble sharing my past, please understand,? he said. He tried mustering the courage to continue about his past, but ended up moving his mouth with no sound passing his lips. He tried again with more success. ?My? father died when I was six years old. I prayed to God, but He told me to train to become a Holy Sorcerer in His name. And so I did. I live my life, serving God and following His will. It is all I can do, for He gives me a new sunrise and a new breath in my lungs.? He paused for a moment, when a few in the group remarked that God was false. He restrained his urge to argue, and continued. ?It?s a very ? personal thing. I?m very sorry that I can?t articulate too much on the subject.? He paused, thinking he was going to stop. He was inspired to keep talking by and unknown force. ?Well, I don?t hurt people because of what happened ? to my father. My work is for my father, as well as God. Please understand,? he stopped midsentence in an awkward place, with everyone else expecting him to continue on.[/size]

[size=1]I have a feeling, Boo, that you posted only to spite me. >_< Meanie. Here's more art. Rejoice! Inspired by aes-unleashed of dA. [b]Dying with Glory[/b] [IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/retri_trib/diewithglory.jpg[/IMG] And since the colors sucked on the last one... [b]12 pt 2[/b] [IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/retri_trib/12pt2.jpg[/IMG][/size]

[SIZE=1][B]OOC:[/B] Sorry if it's rushed, but I wanted to post. I've been constrained from my use of the computer.IC: [B]Day One[/B] Leonardo woke up early, but it was not as easy as one might think. He had sustained a fair number of bruises and aches in his body, and using magic to ease them didn't work as well as he had hoped. Instead, he chose to walk it off, and look for food. "So... where exactly is everyone?" He pondered the question until he saw several people who had entered the task yesterday. He didn't stop to say hello to them, though - he had no idea who they were, and he wasn't comfortable greeting random people. Spontanuity was not his strength. He walked past them, and bought an apple and some bread for a cheap price. "Oh. Hello! Were you fighting yesterday?" He was puzzled as to who addressed him. He whirled around to face a familiar looking girl. "Yes, I was. My name's Leonardo," he said, taking the time to introduce himself while who he guessed to be her boyfriend bought food. She nodded silently and looked at his robes. "Wouldn't be a mage, would you?" "Holy sorcerer. Cleansing spells, protecting spells, healing spells, redirection. That sort of thing has always been niche." "Very interesting, Leonardo. Oh! Sorry for not introducing myself - I'm Koinu."[/size]

[size=1][B]OOC:[/B] I'm trying to squeeze a post in, because I have restricted access during the weekdays.IC: Alexander walked through the swiveling gates with poise, containing his excitement until he got into an isolated room. Remaining conservative in front of strangers was always the best idea, to him, at least. He took his baggage up a spiral staircase, and down a corridor containing rooms on either side of it, hearing squeals of delight, and the sound of clothes falling out of bags. "Looks like home," he remarked with a broad smile playing across his face as he saw the luxurious room he was given. His bed was rather unconventional, being circular with soft colored lights pointing at the bed, all of the hues resembling sky blue or navy. He turned his eyes to his dresser, which was of sleek modern design, and then to a huge set of canvas and paint supplies. "I'm no painter... but I can try it out," he whispered to himself, absorbing all the detail. He tossed his suitcase onto his bed, and walked into his bathroom. It was pure white marble, with a large jacuzzi, double nozzle shower, stainless steel faucet, and towels made of silk. He audibly gasped at the accomodations, and then chuckled to himself with glee. Alexander turned back into his room, where he realized he had a massive collection of classical music CDs, with a surround sound speaker system; and the speakers played through his bed so he could listen to it while he slept. The controls were all spoken commands - it was the cutting edge of technology. "Beethoven's 9th Symphony in D minor, if you will. Half volume." To his surprise, the command was followed flawlessly, playing the symphony at a respectable volume. The sound poured from underneath his luscious covers. "Ten percent volume," he said. He inspected the rest of his room with great care, the gentle symphony pouring from around the room into his ears. He was interrupted by a knock at his door. "Sir, time for dinner." Alexander nodded silently at the servant, and followed him into a grand dining hall. He did not need to worry about formal attire, as he always had it on. At the present he donned a white trenchcoat, resembling more of a cloak with red highlights, and underneath he had on white slacks and a matching dress shirt with the top button undone. In the hall, a woman was sitting down with her hands folded neatly in her lap, quietly observing the fine room. Even the table was enough to captivate Alexander for several minutes, and the adornments could last him at least an hour. [i]A man this rich... unfathomable.[/i] He took a seat on the opposite side of the woman, and a few seats away to grant respectable distance. There was a peaceful silence for a time, until he decided to intitiate a conversation. Strictly small talk. "Hello, my name's Allegra," he said, with an accent that interested him. "Pleased to meet you. My name's Alexander. You wouldn't be from...," he pondered for a moment before continuing, "Switzerland, would you?" "Yes, I am. Very perceptive of you. Where might you be from, if I could ask?" She returned his question. She furrowed her brows, attempting to mentally guess where he was from. "Well, I was born in the United States. I moved to England to study at Oxford, and then I moved to Spain," he said. "You seem to have picked up a bit of an accent while over there," she replied with a polite smile. Inwardly, Alexander wondered where everyone else was, when dinner would be served, and what the house would hold. He held in his queries, focusing on the coversation at hand and maintaining his ettique.[/size]

[SIZE=1][b]In my defense:[/b] the typo was intentional.[/size]

[SIZE=1]I skimmed the replies (mostly Sage's, Japan's, Ilium's) and I'm really tired of the "Sh** happens, America, suck it up" mentality. Then you try and cover yourself by saying "Oh, yeah, it was definitely a tragedy, etc, etc." The reason why people were so mad about this was because not only did it hit two very famous buildings in New York City, hit the Pentagon. It killed thousands, and humans did it. It wasn't a tsunami, where there's no one to blame. It wasn't a hurricaine, either. It was hijackers, flying 747s into skyscrapers, being [i]happy[/i] that they did so, and watching the thousands die on screen. I find it sickening that people think the news coverage was "rubbing it in other people's faces" or trying to produce some sort of worldwide sympathy. I would at least respect the passed away by not having the "Ah well, life goes on" mentality. Remember it for a second. Just because you don't remember what happened on other memorial days doesn't make it right for you to do the same for 9/11.[/size]

[SIZE=1]First of all, this is a very interesting change of events. While its not your fault about the hosting, the graphic was well-within your power. Let's get to the voteness. [b]Boo's Piece[/b] Well, I usually love the minimalistic style, but this is not so this time. The texture/pattern of ice really, really throws this one off balance, and you would've done better to leave it just black and white or some such thing. Second is the black background, which I'm not too fond of either. It doesn't feel like... snow... A snow theme should be white and sky blue and icy colored, not black (IMHO). So there that is. [b]Butterfly's Piece[/b] Good choice of stock, I'm going to start off saying. It really works well with the theme you've chosen to concoct. Your typography is headed in the right direction, with the message and the font in unison. However, the one pixel stroke really didn't make it look the best, but that's alright for now. The placement could also be improved as well, but again, it looks fine as it is. Finally, the abstract swirl you placed on the right side is pretty well suited, and flows surprisingly well with the rest of this. Really, it's nearly perfect if it were not for the grid, which really messes with the flowing feel. Very interesting job. To be honest, I thought this would be a one-sided match (No offense/hate to you, Butterfly), but it's enjoyable to see you come with such skill! [B]My vote goes to Butterfly.[/B][/size]

[SIZE=1]Brilliant work, both of you! The two of ye get [B]+300 RESPECT PTS[/B], and a [B]LVL UP[/B] to boot. ^_^ [b]Katana's Piece[/b] was very grungy, dark, and depressing. Very interesting approach to the theme, I must say. The typography placement was definitely there, but the problem I had was the texture of the background, as well as the Arial (perhaps a bit too plain for this). Very interesting way of placing the text though - like you're falling. [b]Revue's Piece[/b] magnificent. Actually, I'm going to say that this is d**m near one of the best pieces to hit to Studio in a long time. The vectoring, the coloring, the typography placement and theme is masterful and well pieced together. I'm not fond of the black color dashes on the border, but it does nothing to diminish the beauty of this. Wonderful. [B]My vote goes to Revue.[/B] Very good show, the both of you.[/size]

[SIZE=1]I'm posting mine now to get it out of the way, as I (for certain) won't have any time to work on it any more. Very sorry if this isn't top notch. v_v So here's my version of what a gun is. A weapon for justice. [url]http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/7375/gunner4dc.jpg[/url][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]This is a writing assignment for AP English III. We had to describe what America means to ourselves. So here it is - a desperate attempt at verbalizing my emotions and ideas. Tell me what you think about it. [b]America to Me[/b] It?s difficult to voice my feelings of my country; it is hate, sadness, anger, love, pride, and happiness welling in my soul. What is America to me? America is a murderous machine that cares not what happens to those who live in the streets. It never stops, it never sleeps, with the wheels of capitalism moving coldly past those locked behind the bars of mainstream society. America?s skyscrapers glisten in the sun, heralding its accomplishments, its strength, its glory. The minutemen walk the street to their destinations, running at a moments notice to their jobs to keep America running. Martin Luther Kings and Abraham Lincolns work the nightshifts, keeping the America glowing with the buzz of industry. We unite, singing of our victory in the future, we are powerful and righteous, fighting World War II, we are adventurous, daring, hearty, delving westward into the heart of America. But we are too good to roll the windows down and give a dollar to the beggar. We are too religious to accept differences. We are too bigoted to overcome the chains of racism. America sits at the top of the Sears Tower, the Chrysler Building, too apathetic to care about the households being torn apart. Too cold to stop the murder of children. Too rich to toss a dollar to the man rotting in his clothes. We twist the lock and bolt the door to homosexuals, to minorities, to the poor. We let them rot and die behind the gates; out of sight, where they will not stir society from its deepening coma of ignorance. By the dawn?s early light may you see those rotting, those shut away, those dismissed from our eyes. America is too beautiful to exclude them. America is too magnificent to keep others away from. May our youth welcome a new day to America, where everyone is truly equal. May our sacrifice be for a higher purpose and greater good. May they be welcomed into the land of the free, and the home of the brave.[/SIZE]

[size=1]Alexander sat on his couch, checking his e-mail in the morning with his daily cup of tea on the stand next to him. Much to his astonishment, he found an e-mail describing a mansion, adventure, money, and desire if he chose to accept. He rubbed his eyes, a thought he might need to switch to coffee to wake up in the morning instead - tea obviously left him seeing things. But he re-read it, and his first notion held true. "I wonder what it'll be like," he said with unusual calm for someone who had just learned he could potentially inherit a huge fortune. He walked around his Spanish house on the outskirts of Madrid, and began packing his bags. An MP3 player with a massive collection of Classical songs, a laptop, various articles of clothing, and a book for the road titled "Psychology and How the Mind Works." He e-mailed his mother and father with the information he had recieved, and strode out the door of his house in his white trenchcoat, despite the balmy winds of Spain currently blowing. His reply to the invitation was immediate, and the limo's appearance was even more punctual. As soon as he stepped out into his front yard and sat down on his outside bench and opened his book, the black car pulled up to him. "Alexander Crowne, I presume?" A man in a crisp business suit asked before getting out of the car. "Indeed," he replied, as the driver got out to open the door. And so the journey began. The limo transfered him to an airport, where he recieved a First Class flight to Scotland. The instant the plane touched down, another driver escorted him to an identical limo, and they drove to the rather impressive mansion. "It's the end of the line," the driver said, opened his door. Alexander marked his page at 204, and exited, striding towards the gates. But not before he delieved a polite 'Thank you' to him. Once at the gate, there were several others waiting with luggage. He carried only a briefcase full of his belongings, but in sharp constrast, some of his counterparts. He took a seat down on a vacant bench, and flipped his book back open,waiting for the gates to welcome him in.[/SIZE]

[CENTER][size=3][b][i]Breaking News![/i][/b][/size][/CENTER] [size=1]Greetings, Graphics Club Members, as well as the rest of the Studio. I address you all tonight (today, depending on where you are) with very important news. The OtakuBoards Official Graphics Tournament is going to begin either tommorow or sunday. The reasoning for the delay is that the Committee has dissolved without notifying Dagger, and a general lapse in communication. Dagger will be shouldering the burden of being the Committee by herself. She will allow you [OB Members] to vote on the submissions with several [two, perhaps] paragraphs explaining your vote. However, she will be the official tally, deciding which votes were unfit (did not clarify their position enough). [QUOTE=OBGT PM]Just wanted to let all of you know that the OBGT is finally going to start. We hit a couple of rough spots and there were some communication problems, but it's been worked out. The main changes you need to be aware of is that there will no longer be a committee; I'm supervising the tournament, but members' votes will determine the outcome of all rounds. The first round will be staggered. The first five matches (as listed in the bracket image, starting with Butterfly aka Princess Ai vs. Boo) are going up tomorrow. You'll have a period of about three to four days to create an image meeting the parameters specified in your match thread. The voting period will be set in stone once we have a glimpse of how fast or slowly people turn out. Don't worry, though; it'll ultimately be the same for all matches. I'll explain more details tomorrow when I create the match threads and update the main OBGT topic. Once again, thanks for your patience. (I never knew one could only send out five copies of the same PM at one time. You learn something new every day, I suppose...) ~Dagger~[/QUOTE] As of now, I believe entries are closed. I'll see you on the battlefield. [B]As for the rest of Graphics Club:[/B] Please! PM me with ideas of what you might want to discuss as far as art goes. Need help? Have a question? Just a general topic of discussion? [B]Don't be afraid to create a thread with [GFX] in it's title, so we know that it's a Graphics Club discussion.[/B] I only want this Club to help the members, so you get what you put into it. If there's a lack of demand, I'll understand that as well -- but I want to be sure the community doesn't need the help before I withdraw it. Thanks.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Leonardo's heart skipped a beat in surprise as he was informed that he might die in the following challenge. As soon as the word "Go" was shouted from on high, he took a moment to focus himself, centering his mind. Magic took quite alot of energy and concentration to have any effect. [i]Will I survive?[/i] People did not ponder the same question, rushing past him, jostling the man amid the crowd. They ran to their deaths. After another minute, he too ran forward with mustered courage into the fray and mire of combat. He heard bloodcurdling screams all around, growls from the beasts attacking, and the sound of swords slitting into flesh. It was enough to make a war veteran sick. He felt death and dark energy flow around him, consuming him - and he repelled it instinctively with a series of minor spells. The death hung thickly in the air, and he inhaled it into his lungs, into his eyes flying from figure to figure, into his ears absorbing the tortured screams. And at long last, a creature presented itself to Leonardo, their eyes locking in a primal contest to see who would live another day. Leonardo had no doubt he would prevail, and the idea was cemented in his mind by the flowing adrenaline. The beast had two heads, both bearing rows of serrated teeth, fearsome scales, and very sharp claws. A crystal crowned the top of the hydra's head, catching the light magnificently. Without giving Leonardo a second to think twice, he was attacked fearsomely with a pair of claws lashing out at his chest. He jumped backwards without thinking twice. The teeth chattered in his skull from the pent up adrenaline running through his veins. He blinked. Venom. Coming from its mouth. Dodge. Stop it. Something. Anything! He panicked, but his practice payed off. [b]"Holy!"[/b] He screamed it, and pointed his open palm of his right hand towards the oncoming black vemon. Immediately, a transparent sky-blue barrier swirled into existence with urgency, and repelled the liquid like a polarized magnet. It went into the crystal on the creature's forehead, instantly killing it. He went over to it, and saw the crystal dislodge itself from the beast, and floated into his hand. "...One," he panted as he stuffed the crystal into his inner pocket of his cloak.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Since you commented in my thread (perhaps a little [i]too[/i] nicely ^_~), I will do the same for you. [b]Unity:[/b] First off, I'd like to commend you on your choice of stock. The background and the colors are nearly perfect. The only thing I can say is that the lamp's light looks a bit... skewed is the best word. As for the typography, I don't think you picked the best ones for this. "World" is fine, but "peace" and "unity" seems like you were trying a bit too hard for cursive, loopy text. The black line up top works fairly well, but I'm not a huge fan of it. The orange line needs to go - point blank. It sort of points to nowhere, which bugs me. Overall, the placement might want to be reconsidered. And I'm also sort of ... wondering about the smilie face. ^_^ [b]Behind These Hazel Eyes:[/b] See Cyriel's review. [b]Play to Win:[/b] Hm. I don't like this, possibly because it feels off balanced more than anything else. The lines sort of feel... undirected, and seem to be crowding the main focus of the picture. The added rain effect (you did add that, right? _O_) feels too obvious. A more discreet effect might be what you want. Or just an original picture of a rainy football game. Finally, the typography. Not a bad idea for the layout, I'll give you that. However it clashes a bit too much, and the fuzzy "PLAY WIN" doesn't seem to be working well with its clear, lower case counterpart. [b]Don't lose your way:[/b] Inventive colors. I don't like the color transitioning in this, but the neons are a breath of fresh air. The stock - pretty good, and the placement feels fine as well. I will say that the font really feels out of place. Either that, or you didn't use it as effectively as you might have wanted to. The Arial doesn't mesh well with this sort of ... Andy Warhol-ish feel. Moreover (heh. smart word), the underlines are somewhat superfluous. So keep it up. And again, thanks for your comment.[/SIZE]