Retribution

[SIZE=1]I'm up for anything well done, as long as it's not a Heaven vs Hell, Demon vs Angel, God vs Devil RPG. I'm really, really sick of those. You have no idea how sick. And I tend to like my action with a drop of romance. PS: Welcome back.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]There's a [B]Rome, New York[/B] my family drove through. The population was in the thirties... and it consisted of a gas station, Denny's, and a small apartment complex.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]To OB Members: [b]Shame on you! Not even commenting on your own moderator's art. Meanie faces. >_

[SIZE=1][b]Fear not![/b] For I have come to comment. *no theme song* Aww... [b]Thug Life:[/b] Actually, it's see through on my monitor, so mission accomplished. I'd suggest making the holes look fewer and more concentrated, like a gun blast of four bullet holes. But they'd have to be fairly large ones. As it stands, it looks pretty good though. The bricks feel natural, and fit well with this piece. The only problem I have with this is the text - it's a bit too small and it feels like it's being swallowed up by the dark wall. Maybe enlarging it (quite a bit) and adding a drop shadow? And besides, I see the elements that you're using, and you're work is moving past only-filters. That's a good sign. Keep that up. [b]Lei-Fang:[/b] First off, the stock is too small. I'd recommend getting a larger, high-quality version of her and putting it on the banner. Text can't fill up all the spaces. Which brings me to your typography; I like the "Lei-Fang" in the corner, but the sentence feels ... wrong in that font. Change it to something a bit more badass, like you're trying to convey her, and it'll be good. Finally, your background seems a bit plain - maybe a white bar going through it to give it some flare would be good (like your current banner). So keep it up, ULX, you're getting better. Seriously.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Cyriel, you rock. ^o^ You know how to make someone smile, that's for sure. Thanks. So anyway, I still have an obsession with this song "China Love," so go search for who made it and read the lyrics and get the song. Or just look at my art. [b]China Love[/b] [IMG]http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/8783/chinalove3gj.jpg[/IMG] Comments are welcome and appreciated.[/SIZE]

[center][SIZE=2][b]It?s Just A Classic[/b][/SIZE][/center] [size=1]?Mother,? he called quietly to the woman sewing in a creaky rocking chair. Her head turned towards the boy, but her eyes were captivated by her work still. ?Why did Romeo kill himself? And why did Juliet kill herself? Why didn?t she just find another husband?? He was shocked, after finishing the thrilling ending to Romeo & Juliet, but his 11 year old mind was not old enough to process the information. ?Romeo couldn?t live without Juliet, he was in love, and he thought that she had died, but she was really asleep. When she woke up, she saw her lover dead, and she couldn?t live without him either,? she sighed. ?Why do we let ya read them things, anyway?? ?So they loved each other very much?? ?Yes. Look, kiddo, put the book down.? ?No! I love Shakespeare! He?s my favorite author,? the boy became frightened, and clutched the tattered copy of Romeo & Juliet tighter than ever. He took a few steps backwards, and glared coldly at his mother. ?Don?t touch it.? ?A man doesn?t need to read classics, he needs to be strong, he needs to know how to ride a horse an shoot a gun an love a woman. What is that teaching ya?? ?All of them. I?ll tell father if you do. He lets me read them,? he said franticly, backtracking away from his mother. She stood up from her sewing job, and looked gently at her child. ?Oh, come now, child. Go swim in the lake like the rest of the boys! Why do you read so dern much?? ?Swimming?s boring. Reading teaches me how things used to be, and how life works, and how people work. It?s amazing, and I don?t want to put it down. I?ll tell father, I swear if you take another step.? They stared at one another, his mother?s warm gaze quickly fading into a stone set expression of hate for the books he read. Dust was internally afraid that she would take justice into her own hands and burn the book without his father knowing, and later tell a lie that Dust had done it. His mother?s thoughts, in reality, closely mirrored the imagined ones. She wanted to steal the book and bury it forever. She took another step forward. Without another word, Dust bolted out of the door, and into town carrying the book, flopping in the wind. His mother was on his heels, slowly catching up with the young boy. He banked off the dirt road, and through a cornfield, franticly searching for his father. [I]The saloon.[/I] The single thought burned in his mind as he dodged through the maize and into town. It appeared he had lost his mother through the field, and had bought himself enough time to make it to the saloon. His lungs burned as he inhaled dust kicked up by passing horses down the dirt road. His sporadic coughs could not slow him down, though, as he pushed into the dingy saloon through two ever-swinging doors. He navigated through the crowded room, around the hips of men until he saw his father sitting at the bar. ?Father! Oh father it?s mother, she?s coming, and she?s going to burn the book. You?ve got to help?? ?Whoa, partner, what?s the fuss all about? Yer mother?s not gonna burn that book,? he said with a calming voice that agitated Dust even more. ?She is! And if you don?t stop her, she?ll get away with it. I don?t want to stop reading. I don?t want to stop, please,? he began crying, began attracting more attention with his frenzied cries. His mother silmultaneously burst through the doors, glaring at her son with anger burning in her eyes. ?Relax, son, it?s just a classic.?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]One could argue that the reason people drink and smoke underage is because it's something they're told not to do. Just like if someone says "Whatever you do, DO NOT open up the refrigerator. I'm not kidding. You don't want to see what's in there," people will want to see what's so special inside, and will probably go to great lengths to open it. Heck, I know people who drink just to rebel against The Man or their parents or the government or whatever. So if you lift the restrictions (Europe) and place them at a younger age, then the hype of getting drunk is gone, and no one will do it. Of course there's always the side of the coin that argues if you do this, people will go crazy.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I got a kick out of looking at these. Even my mom chuckled when passing through the room, reading over my shoulder. I'm surprised at the quality of the faces of the stick figures in certain frames, and I wonder, how long did it take you to do them? It must've taken a bit to figure out what would've been funny. Well, maybe not for you, if you're a naturally humorous person, but for a boring square like me... heh. So good job. Keep making them.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Eh, the scheme's fine, and sure, there can be more words. Makes things more fun. And I seriously can't believe you knew what song I was talking about. You get[B] +100 pts! Revue LVL UP![/B] [IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/retri_trib/perfectblue.jpg[/IMG] I made that kind of quickly. [b]Parameters:[/b] Words: I will not fail you Colors: Dark reds[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]It's looking better already, I'd say. Having link standing on top of the bar looks better than him hiding like a coward. There's not much else to comment on except that gray blobish mass, just floating there. I sure hope you do something nifty with that, because I'm at a complete loss as to guessing what might go there. But I have faith in you, Hittokiri. I'm sure that the current blob is going to transfer into something awesome.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]If you had been following directions, you would have posted a picture that said "China Love" on it somewhere, with a light color scheme. No, I think it's easier if you pick your own images instead of having me force you use certain things. I was vague to make things [b]easier[/b] by giving you a larger degree of artistic freedom. (Note: The parameters are still the same as the first post - no one has made an image yet.)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]This thread's bound to die pretty fast, but I had an idea which I deemed to be 'good.' Let me tell you the rules to this new game. [B]When you post, you must do two things.[/B] 1) You must fulfill the parameters layed out by the person behind you in the image you post. 2) You must lay out suitable parameters. [B]Rule for setting parameters:[/B] - You can only give them the typography (words) that must be on the image, and a color scheme. That's it. So, I'm going to post my parameters, and the next person to post will post their image that they made, fulfillling what I said. Then they will lay out new parameters for the next person. Have fun! [b]Parameters:[/b] Words: china love Colors: a general light color scheme.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][B]Hittokiri![/B] Jeez, it's been a long time since you last posted. Make it more frequent. ;_; The layout feels disjointed, and altogether doesn't flow. Very good elements in there, though. Very good. The [B]top[/B] of it with Link and "Game Prophets" is genious, and the navigation buttons are pretty solid too. However, your problem (IMHO) is that green bar. Perhaps it's the text, maybe it's the color, but it needs a change. It feels a bit too prominent, and draws my eyes in more than the logo itself. The [b]side[/b] with the bubbles housing the video game images feels a bit too spacy. Reduce that, so that you have more room to put text. It feels sort of alone and 'out there,' with nothing else to support it. Maye if you added in sample text I could see how it works? I think you need something central that will unite the entire layout. Maybe a larger image of cell-shaded link would be in order. That way, he could hang over the navigation, and tie everything together, instead of hiding at the top. Keep it up, man. Your art is wonderful. PS - What brush did you use for the black? Or was that a regular brush and a texture on it?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Politics... a game... heh. Anyway. Should Canada strike back? Not as drastically as you're thinking, Ilium. By starting this all out trade war, like Corey said, you lose more jobs than you would sitting back and letting the US do this. However, I do think this is a pretty large injustice to the Canadians, and so less drastic measures would be a good idea. I'm not sure what these less dramatic meastures might be, but you don't want to "shoot yourself in the foot" while trying to make the point.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Sage, I don't think you're understand. It doesn't need to be ground-breakingly innovative, but it has to be up to par. There's alot resting on a group leader's shoulders, alot of which I don't think you're grasping. This is why the posts have been taking so long thus far. I do believe, though, that once people get started things will flow much faster.[/SIZE]

[B][center][size=3]Mission #105: The Children's Army[/size][/center][/B] [size=1][I]?Dust to Saturn, come in Saturn.?[/I] He waited for a few instants, hearing the static idly crack over the line, until a fuzzy voice chimed into his earpiece. [I]?Saturn here. What?ve you got??[/I] It was dark, nearly midnight, and rain dripped down from the black sky into the cracks and gutters of an impoverished sector of Seoul. Soaking clothes, poor visibility, even poorer people. Dust cleared his throat to make the next message plain as day. [I]?You?re not going to believe this, but there?s??[/I] He hesitated for a moment, but snapped back from his momentary shock as he stared in disbelief, watching a line of children scurry down the street towards him. [I]?Twenty, possibly thirty children. Oh, wait. Quiet down, they?re coming this way.?[/I] He pressed his back against the damp brick wall, and rested his hand idly on his revolver resting in its holster. Closing his eyes, he waited until the queue of children had passed him by before snatching another breath of air. [I]?They?ve past. So what are we going to do? I knew there was a lot of them, but not[/I] this [I]many.?[/I] [I]?Why?re you asking me? You call the shots,?[/I] she replied in a dull tone. The static gave her a characteristic drone. Dust?s eyes caught the shadowy figure atop an apartment building in the distance, and called to her via the lightweight headset he wore. [I]?Then move south two blocks, turn left, and immediately right through an alley across the street. Wait in that alley for my mark. It should take me approximately two minutes to reach the entrance to the ?Children?s Army? doorstep. Go. As for you, Vernacular, are you there??[/I] His directions sped up as he casually strolled across the neglected road, moving towards the place where the children had left. [I]?I?m definitely, most definitely receiving your current transmissions, Dust, and what fine transmissions they are.?[/I] [I]?Less words, more meaning. Now, follow me in, but give me some room to maneuver.?[/I] He did not wait for an affirmative from her, and continued his stroll through the thick rain. Picking up his pace was necessary after he caught a child glaring at him through a foggy window. The urge to kill the boy at that moment had been overwhelming, but his gun was not silenced. If it had been, there was no doubt the boy would have been lacking an eye and mass amounts of gray matter. He swung onto the next avenue, then without any further deliberation, dove into the said alley, supposedly leading to the Children?s Army and their hideout. To his astonishment, a teenager, no older than seventeen bumped into him, and glared at him menacingly. His revolver flew out of its holster and was firmly placed against the girl?s temple, the hammer cocked back and his expression completely stoic. ?Vernacular, I presume?? ?You catch on fast! Now, why don?t we kick down the door and see what the fuss is about? So what do say? Hm? C?mon, Dust, stop being so square, start opening that door,? she whined impatiently. It seemed to Dust that when she changed appearance, she took on the personality as well, which proved a great annoyance. ?I?m a man, middle aged no less, wearing a stereotypical cowboy hat, and look rather scruffy at the present. And you expect [I]me[/I] to open that door?? ?Fine, fine. I?ll do it?? she groaned again before rapping on the wooden portal. The rotten wood visibly shook under her knuckles, and water bubbled out of the many cracks present. Dust crouched almost as soon as a slit shot open at eyelevel to examine the knocker. [b]?Would you let me in already, it?s f__king cold out here!?[/b] The stream of Korean pouring from Vernacular?s startled him. It was seldom he heard foreign tongues, and even more rare that they were spoken with such fluency. [b]?Whatever, just be glad the Boss hasn?t locked up yet.?[/b] He heard slower, thicker words coming from the man, and presumed him to be bulky and dangerous. He loaded his revolver before he swung the door open. The fat man?s face was full of surprise, then terror at the sight of a crouched man with a loaded revolver pointed at his face. [b]Bang.[/b] The body flew backwards, and remained limp on the floor of the small, dingy, dimly lit room. Vernacular jumped back slightly, momentarily losing her form before gathering her wits back. ?Let?s go, everyone will have heard that,? he casually told her as he stepped over the body, and into a puddle of blood. She narrowed her eyes in disgust, but followed at Dust?s heels. [I]?We?re in, Saturn. Make your move.?[/I] [I]?I?m on it. Saturn out.?[/I] ?As for us, we need to find a way to kill these children of satan.? He pulled the hammer back on his revolver once more, and pointed it towards an open door across another dank corridor, waiting for something to step there. Vernacular audibly swallowed upon hearing the word ?kill,? and Dust turned to look at her. ?Kill? You mean turn into the cops, right? Killing a child is atrocious and disgusting and vile.? ?These kids can murder the cops, no problem. I meant to say kill, don?t you worry,? he said in a hushed tone to her. A smirk escaped the tight corners of his mouth, but Vernacular could not help but look surprised. He signaled for her to be quiet when he heard Saturn on the line again. [I]?I?m killing them, but the going is slow. I don?t really know much Korean, but it seems they get the general picture. Further instructions??[/I] She was breathing heavily into the headset, but managed to maintain her dull monotone. [I]?If the schematics back home were right, you should be a few halls away. Rendezvous as soon as you get the chance. Follow the bangs. Out.[/I] ?So we run, run, run and kill, kill, kill these poor, defenseless children?? Vernacular was stringing her sentences together faster than usual, and slowly began fusing English with Spanish and Greek. Dust?s pet peeve kicked into gear again. ?That?s enough!? he shouted as loud as he could in whispering tone. ?Speak correct English. That?s an order. Now follow my lead, I might need you to draw some people out.? They were on the move again, scuttling down the creaky floorboards of the rickety complex. The pair stopped in unison after hearing a great deal of screaming and shouted Korean coming from upstairs. ?What the? hell?? The words gave Dust away, and a throwing knife buried its way into his back. Vernacular whirled around, and saw two children, menacingly glaring straight at them, and carrying an array of projectiles. [b]?Stop! He?s with me![/b] she franticly screamed in Korean. Her guise did not save either of them, as he noticed shuriken flying past his body, and embedding into the crumbling plaster. Two gunshots rang out, and the children flew backwards, lying lifeless on the floor. Vernacular began whispering in Cantonese, but stopped immediately after a cold look from Dust. ?You?? ?Shot them both. They?re dead, like I said they would be. I?m telling you, they?re not defenseless!? He grew frustrated, and turned his back to her, showing the knife that was drawing blood and staining his tan clothes. ?Walk around, draw them out. Not too many children can compete with a gun and a quick reload,? he said, then gazed down the dark hall, deep in thought. ?Except? this kid, Speedy.? ?What a girl, what a girl, what a girl! I?m glad we?re here to recruit her from a life of crime,? Vernacular said. ?Yes, I?m well aware she?s formidable, and quite the thief. Make sure I don?t try to kill her; that would be bad. Although, I?m sure she could effectively defend herself?? He stopped talking after realizing he was nervous, and Vernacular?s glib habits were wearing on him. Instead, he forced his reluctant mind back into the moment, asking Saturn about the eerie sounds from a moment ago. [I]?Those screams a minute ago? what was that??[/I] [I]?Me making them gout their eyes out with their own weapons. Some got desperate and bashed their skulls in with loose rocks.?[/I] Dust visibly cringed, as did Vernacular after hearing the same in her own headset. [I]?So since you?re above us, I assume the schematics aren?t correct. Keep following the shots, and we?ll find a way to meet up eventually. Out.?[/I][B]OOC: [/B]I'm very sorry to everyone if it sounded horridly forced towards the end. I couldn't think of any other way to put it. Sorry, Shy, if it's still too violent.[/size]

[SIZE=1]I think everyone is forgetting that [b]these posts are really hard to create. A group leader must set the tone for the rest of the group, inform everyone else of exactly what is happening, and hint at a solution. Please, be patient. Stop nagging; it's getting annoying. No one is going to rush their post just because you want to see another reply. Quality over quantity.[/b][/SIZE]

[quote name='Ilium][COLOR=DarkRed]Maybe it's not so much the music quality as the fans. I'm sure anyone with half a brain can recognize Brit for what she is; a lame shill of a musician. But yet they still manage to top the charts with every single? Why? Is this some terrible message of things to come for our generation? TRUE, there are still some innovative bands out there. But the vast magority are [I]crap[/I'] that build their carreers on MVs.[/COLOR][/quote] [SIZE=1]You make a very interesting point. Yes, the fans, IMHO, are becoming increasingly gullible. Breasts = fans nowadays. I guess it's also partially due to the 12 year old girls who go nuts of N*SYNC and buy five copies of all their CDs. Didn't girls use to squeal over [i]good[/i] bands, like the Beatles? *sigh* Perhaps it's a mix of the two factors, and I'm remaining oblivious to such matters.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Ilium][COLOR=DarkRed] Seriously? You honestly think that the artists (It hurts to call them that) like Spears, and the rest of thoselook-I-can't-sing-but-I-use-cool-effects-in-vids-buy-my-album artists can in anyway compete with, say, Rush or Dire Straits or... [I]anything[/I] from the Golden Age of Rock (Men Without Hats nonwithstanding)? Yes there are some artists that are innovative, but the vast magority of the uber-popular bands out there make their careers because they have a pretty face and can pay for some impressive MVs? [/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Well, considering we all toss Spears & Co into the bin of "Failure," I would definitely say music is moving forward. Again, this is personal opinion, so... the Golden Age of Rock really doesn't appeal to me. I'm pretty content with the newer rock/techno/what have you. Really, I don't judge bands on their music videos. I listen to them, and if I like it, I get the CDs. Radiohead's a good example for me; I have three CDs for them, and I don' think I've ever seen a video. Granted, that's not to say other people are like me, but in general, I don't think music quality is degrading. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I've been kind of lukewarm about this whole thing so far. Really, I don't have much passion for the issue at hand, and I don't know why these bases are being closed. To heighten the ability for our nation to defend herself, I presume? Really, I can only say that Bush needs to get the priorities in order. Tax cuts, money we could've used to pay off this astronomical deficit, then he wages war, and later decides to close bases instead of just upping taxes. And while I don't claim to be a professional in the area of economics, I'm pretty sure that cutting taxes and entering a war isn't what is supposed to happen.[/SIZE]

[quote name='ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet']Seriously music is going downhill.[/color][/quote] [SIZE=1]I have no idea what people are talking about when they talk about music like this. While this is largely based off opinion, I don't think music has gotten much worse in my 15.8 years of life, and if anything, things are moving up. Yes, you hit a little rut, but things are becoming more innovative, artists are branching out, and music is becoming much more diverse and interesting, IMHO. As for rap getting on people's nerves, again, another opinion. A pretty valid one, too. I have to admit, the whole f_cking b__ches nonsense and this gangsta mentality is getting really, really old. I do, however, admire those who are clever with their lyrics (underground). And most of all, I respect the fluency of these people. While they're not singing, or making their own beats, some really have good messages embedded in complex rhyme layouts. Next time you listen to a rap song not by 50 cent or Lil John, think about it.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Charles']It's just something that you have to grit your teeth and bear unless you're willing to dump them into an old folk's home.[/quote] [SIZE=1]Ehh... dump? Sometimes people 'dump' their grandparents into an 'old folk's home,' but other times, people who cannot care for their parents must put them in a retirement home. Granted, I'm sure it happens that people go "screw you, ma, you're going to the retirement home. I'll write. Later." But many other times, people cannot structure their lives around dealing with such a person in their household, and must simply put them in a retirement home. I certainly would put my parents in a retirement home if I could honestly not care for them properly, and they were in turn making my life miserable. Sometimes they can care for them better than you can, too.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I have a question... are we allowed to use a design we've made in the past, or something completely new? I have a good design in mind, but I'm not sure if that would be fair. *shrug*[/SIZE]

[quote name='Charles']She's an old woman. She's not "crying wolf." She's lonely and looking for attention. I know it can be annoying but it's understandable. Her child(ren) are grown up and have lives of their own and she obviously doesn't want to be left behind to die alone. What's left in her life to make her important? She's not needed by her kid(s) anymore. It's depressing to think about. Also, it's a horrible fate to grow old and be pushed to the side like you're nothing but a problem until you finally pass on. In other societies, like Japanese society, for example--the one you're visiting-- the old are revered and shown great respect. Maybe you should show some sympathy instead of complaining about her like she's some nuisance. As it stands, your lack of compassion and understanding, in reducing her to the equivalent of a foolish child, is astounding.[/quote] [SIZE=1]!? Alright, I can see what you mean to a certain extent, however, I don't think they were reducing her to the equivalent of a foolish child. I think Bloodseeker was more frustrated, that their grandmother is acting the way she is. In reality, he/she has a right to be frustrated. Postponing trips, canceling dates you had something to do, rearranging entire schedules around an "I have a rash. Come check on me. Now." Besides, the whole crying wolf thing is actually dangerous for her. One day Bloodseeker's family might say "I'm sure you'll be alright - we're going out of town for a few days. See you then," and she'll actually have something serious, instead of a rash or a cough or a cramped foot. What sympathy should Bloodseeker show? Sympathy that his/her grandmother is old and ailing in health? I'm sure their family already does that, you know, dropping by every so often, a phone call here and there. Aside from that, there's nothing more they should do. Be warm with her, but you can't structure your world around cries for attention.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Molleta][COLOR=SeaGreen']Hopefully we don't have any rogue covert agent to do his bidding. lol Besides, does he think an assassination won't start a war? Has anyone heard of Archduke Ferdinand?[/COLOR][/quote] [SIZE=1]Good luck assassinating Bush. I don't think people realize how tough it is. He's definitely protected, and he's only stepped up security with the whole 'war on terror' jazz. You'll certainly need much more than a rogue covert agent. Yeah, his assassination might start a war, but your comparison to the Archduke is waaaaay out of proportion. There are too many variables that aren't nearly as severe today as they were 100 years ago. The war-economies in peacetime, intricate alliances, troops mobilization before actual war was declared - we don't have any of those. By the time all Europe's economies had switched to mass producing guns, ammo, and other wartime necessities, people wanted a war to get rid of the stuff.[/SIZE]