Retribution

[SIZE=1]Sergio nodded amiably at the newcomers, not really worrying about what they said to him. Some thought they were important, others came humbly, and he liked that. However, most of his attention was still held by Maria. He didn't really have much to talk to her about, though. The silence was there, but not a hanging, awkward one. It was rather comfortable, at least when she just swung her legs back and forth. He inwardly sighed, slightly nervous about all the new people, and if he would get too far behind in his studies. "Well, thanks for the chat. Hope you enjoy the mansion, whatever it may hold." "Thank you, and thanks." His mind still ruminated over the fact that she said that he was handsome, but he didn't dwell to heavily on it. Reading hidden meanings was tricky business, and if done incorrectly, disastrous. He kept his distance, and instead of striking up new conversation with someone else, he opened up his book "Miguel de Cervantes," and started reading once more. It was quiet, but not peaceful. Too many people were talking in the background. Solitude would be welcome, but meeting new people would be fun as well. He hung on the decision, but kept reading his book. He couldn't make up his mind. He'd act when the opportunity presented itself. Patience. It payed off, he remembered.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Heh. I came pretty weak on this one, I must admit. Well ... let's just say that I think I could've done better. Sorry bout not bringing my A-game. I tried though. And I like the effects in the center on yours. Pretty clever. It'll be a pleasure to battle with you, to see how the Studio reacts to it, too. Who knows? Maybe someday, there'll be more of these. And if people could give reasons for how they voted, that'd be awesome, thanks! PS: When's this battle gonna end?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]OOC: I'm going to just post my journey of getting the mail until I get to the gates. I thought it would be a waste if I did that in two. And ditto to Sakura. I'm copying and pasting my first post from last time, with slight modifications. I'm also assuming I'm in this RPG ... since there were no sign-ups. Fun fun fun! IC: Sergio sat down at the computer, and opened up his e-mail. Several messages were there, all of which he over looked when he saw another, more interesting subject like. [i]You've won the trip to my mansion![/i] it said, and he knew it was a spam mail. But something kept him from deleting the letter, and he opened it. He read it quickly the first time, skeptical but still hopeful that it was real. [i]I've taken the liberty of sending you $10,000 to your personal bank accounts.[/i] "Holy shit. This had better be real." he whispered to himself, biting his lips as he opened up another browser, checking his balance. [b]Your current balance is: $110,432.00, Sergio.[/b] "YES!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. It was definetly ten thousand dollars more than the last time he had deposited money. The trip was real. He felt happiness, then urgency. He quickly replied. Short, precise. Just like the letter asked for. [i]Yes. Expect me at your mansion. ~Sergio Alvarez[/i] "Gotta pack... gotta pack now." he said frantically as he realized that the mail said he would be getting picked up when he recieved the message. He glanced outside, seeing there was no escort yet. He ran upstairs, and threw in his favorite clothes, entertainment, and laptop in a backpack and briefcase, and clambored downstairs. He checked his kitchen clock, as if it would tell him if the escort were there yet. Smiling with excitement, he walked out the door, locking it behind him He jogged back to the door, and stepped outside. To his surprise, the escort was there, inside the limo waiting for him. Sergio got in back, dropping his backs in the back as he gave a low whistle. "Dios mio, senor, este coche es hermoso! Hm?" "Si, claro, and just so you know, nostros llegaramos al aeropuerto en una hora. Claro?" "Si, si... just drive." He chaueffer stepped on the gas, as he opened up the book for the ride, [b][i]Miguel de Cervantes[/i][/b]. When he looked up from the book, the driver had opened up the door for him, telling him to get out and hurry to catch his plane. Sergio thanked the man, and left for the airport. He caught the plane, easily, and stopped flight attendant. "When will we get to ... Scotland?" "Only an hour and a half. It's a short flight." She walked off, going to give someone a Pepsi for the trip. He dozed off, in an anxious sleep, waiting for when he would arrive at the mansion. He wanted to meet the other candidates, and get settled into such a rich house. He loved luxury, and this would be his chance to soak it up. The plane touched down, and when he got off, another escort was waiting for him. They wasted to time at all, only driving to the secluded spot in the shortest amount of time possible. Obviously they were told to be swift, and had forgotten their manners. Sergio sighed, contenting himself on the fact that he would soon be within sight of the magnificent manor. Looking outside the window, he saw the Atlantic sea, wondering what it looked like on the other side. America was such a talked about place in Spain, but he had only seen photos of the Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, or the White House. It was supposed to be a well of nation, but he wondered how they behaved, and spoke. He felt like a dry sponge, waiting to be drenched in a river of new ideas, culture, and people. But he was shaken from his thoughts when the car came to a halt. The door opened once again, and he stared at the cold drivers. He stepped out, and got to the gates. Dropped his bags to his side, and grinned fully at such a large and luxurious manor. He desperately wanted to get inside, to take a bath in a hot tub the size of his room, to read in a library with more books than he had ever seen at once, and to eat in a perfectly furinshed dining hall. He frowned with discontent when he realized that he was still on the other side of the gate. "Ahh well. I'll be on the other side soon." He dragged his bags to the gate, which he saw wasn't vacant. Two women were there, both sitting. One looked him dead in the eyes, the other enraptured in her palm-pilot. He sat in between them, and turned to talk to the attentive one. He didn't want to be a bother. "Hello," she said first. She had an accent. She spoke spanish. "Hola." She smiled as well, "Me llamo Sergio Alvarez. Y tu?" He waited for her to reply, happy that someone spoke his native language. However, she didn't sound as if she were from Madrid, like he was. More like... Latin America.OOC: Tag, O-Ren[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I feel like a retard. Thanks for the PM. [B]Name:[/B] Sergio Alvarez [B]Age:[/B] 25 [B]Sex:[/B] Male [B]Location:[/B] Madrid, Spain [B]Appearance:[/B] [URL=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/mechinfinity/fuma.jpg][link][/URL] But nix the clothes he's wearing, as well as his eye color. He has light brown/hazel eyes, and wears a gray long-sleeve shirt and gray cargo pants. His chin is less-sharp than what's shown in the picture... the one there could cut someone! Sometimes you can find him with black jeans and a white dress shirt with the top button undone. [B]Personality:[/B] He is amiable and enjoyable to talk to. He can hold an intelligent, pleasant conversation with you for hours, and it'll feel like no time has passed at all. However with his happy, carefree side also comes his berserker, angry side. This doesn't surface out of the blue and unprovoked, but when you have set off his temper, which is usually very forgiving. He enters a berserker frenzy when his life is in danger, preparing to do anything to save his own life, and he people he loves most around him. [B]Bio:[/B] Sergio was born in Castile, Spain, and moved to Madrid when he was seven. His family raised him well, he coming out as an intelligent young man by the time he was 18. When Sergio was young, his family taught him the value of knowledge and what it can get you in life. His mother and father worked very hard at both their jobs and at home to raise him and his two sisters right. They stuck together, and life got easier for the family. His father got a promotion, and his mother got a pay raise. They sent Sergio off to Oxford for college, wanting on the best for their aspiring prodigy. He learned english at Oxford, making him fluent in both languages. He prefers to use spanish, because he feels allows him to portray his true feelings. He worked hard at Oxford to become an aeronautical engineer, hoping that one day one of his own creations would allow him to fly above the world. He recieved a letter in the mail, telling him that he had been selected to live in a mansion of delights and to earn free money. What could go wrong? he thought, so he accepted. His parents were extremely happy for him, hoping that the extra money would give him a head-start into adulthood and establishing himself in the world. [B]Greatest Desire:[/B] To travel in space. He loves the idea of weightlessness, zero G, and the infinite vastness of space. He even wanted to be an astronaut when he was little. [B]Greatest Fear:[/B] Being killed. He will do anything to survive. The survival instict runs strongly in his veins.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]OOC: I'll take the initiative. Heh. But I'm not gonna take things too far. IC: The silence hung dead in the air, nearly suffocating Orion. The city was dead. Not a single soul was outside, quite strange for the bustling city of Jenova. What was more oppressive than the silence, was the malicious dusk that was collapsing upon the group. It watched them. Their steps were the only sound, echoing a very short distance. Silence. The thing that he welcomed with open arms was now cruel, and he wished more and more to say something to break it. "Let's repeat the plan." Cloud beat him to it. He usually did. His voice was calm, cutting through the air to them. Orion took a moment to process his request, finally finding the words to answer with. By the time he did, Lei and Kai had already spoken their part. He followed suit, repeating his own orders. They kept walking. [i]But can I do it? Kill as many people as he could, so that his party could finish their mission?[/i] His mind quickly arrived to the conclusion that it wasn't matter of try or not, but only success. Nothing else. Do or die. And he would gladly do. As they drew closer to their target location, their steps became lighter, and they spread out in the darkness. The two kodachi on his left hip began to feel more and more friendly, the smoke bombs began to beg to be used soon. He could grant their wishes, killing his foes mericlessly, efficiently, cunningly. Cloud stopped their progress when they were within ten minutes of the building. "Okay, this is it. We're going to do this. No more failed attempts. From here, we're splitting up so that we can fulfill our mission." The rest of them nodded, solemnly agreeing to his words. Any final words before moving into action would be spoken now, or forever hold their peace.OOC: Like it? Well, hate it or love it, here it is... hope it's alright.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Ahh... dreams. Wonderful things. - Being an [B]Astronaut[/B] was my biggest dream of all. - Being a [B]Prince[/B] from one of those Disney movies, and my princess being my favorite "girl-friend" at the time (yes, I was like... 5). Aladdin was my favorite out of all of them. - Being [B]like Jet Lee/Bruce Lee [/B] was another dream of mine after taking karate for three years. Funny. Gotta love those wistful, innocent dreams when little things were on my mind. Heh.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Perhaps. But [B]I[/B] don't stay on the computer just to rebel. I like it here. I'm guessing it's a mix of both, though.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Pretty good. My first sign up got lost from a ... mishap with the computer. Grr. [B]Name:[/B] Alexander "Lex" Crowne [B]Character:[/B] Lost Boy [B]Age:[/B] 13 [B]Appearance:[/B] Lex is 5'5", has curly brown hair and light brown eyes. He wears a brown shirt with the word "Rhyme" in orange letters. It is faded in spots, with small tatters and rips on it. His faded-blue cargo pants now resemble a peaceful shade of sky-blue. Is shoes are in the worst condition of all; a tired pair of black adidas, waiting to be put out of their misery. His frame and body build is thin, light, almost underweight if it were not for the muscles he is slowly developing from always being physically active in Neverland. [B]Bio:[/B] [soon to come. got da-leeted][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Wait... I may be rusty on these website affairs, but I thought that an affiliate image was around 88x31 pixels. Anyway, it looks kinda bland. You want an image that jumps out at people, so that they want to visit the site. A change in background would be nice. Perhaps adding in something to look at would be better too.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Sex? Drugs? Wealth? Haha. It's proven that teenagers/adolescents (sp?) like to stay up later, and sleep in later. I have no idea why, though. I'm guessing something to do with hormones.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]The issue of the death penalty in and of itself is much deeper than just that. There always pops up the other side effects of either killing them or keeping them alive, and then the scenario if you were in their shoes. I'm not exactly sure on this issue. Baron presented quite a good arguement, saying that if you don't kill the killer, you're valuing his life over the victims. I had never thought of it that way. But on the other paw, there's the fact that it costs more to kill the offender than to just lock them up. They would also not get an easy way out if they were locked up, and you don't run the risk of killing an innocent. On top of it all, the death penalty isn't a deterrent ... so it's just senseless violence unless it actually serves to avert coming threats by fear of the punishment. I'll stay silent on this issue. I don't know where my heart truly lies. But I'm pretty sure that it's against the death penalty. And if you're pro-life on abortion, don't come in here and say you're pro-death penalty. You're contradicting yourself.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]When I said I would want to change what I did on a test, I think I meant it differently that what you all are thinking about. I mean to say that while not imperitive or life-altering, it would be a nice thing to have redone in retrospect. I have no insecurity with myself, but rather wish the memory not to be there. I would still be the exact same person I am today. Another good point has been made. Why not change it now? Because somethings that happened in the past, you can't change now. You can't undo an action once you've done it. So, the entire point of changing an event in your life isn't always because you're uncomfortable with your present character, but could also be just to change a bad memory, say a last word to a dead friend, or something of that nature. And somethings just aren't feasibly possible to change. Like someone mentioned, their family was dysfunctional. Really, there isn't too much that can be done about that. Besides, who said being a different person would be bad? Yes, I know the answers I'll get from someone will be things like "I'm comfortable with who I am, and don't want to be anyone else." It's not like you're cheating fate or the gods or even yourself if you do so. Wouldn't you think just like you are now, assuming you didn't know you had gone back to relive time? Wouldn't you have the same mindset, that you don't want to change a thing? I guess this question teeters on the assumption that you wouldn't know that you had changed things.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]OOC: Excuse the lateness...IC: "Oh... shit. Mom? Dad?" The sound of his voice echoed through his childhood home. The house that was full of so much happiness, so many memories, all the good times, was now cold, deserted, alien. He walked around the first floor, desparately looking for his parents. They were not found. They were at Applebees, eating lunch together. [i]Lunch? Now?[/i] Of course. The time zone change was messing with his mind. The flight from the west coast, back to the east coast again set his internal alarm clock horribly off, and his frantic state of mind wasn't helping the situation. Almost automatically, he walked back out the door, and sprinted to the main street. He could catch a cab, then go to Applebees. At the curb, he froze in shock, in anger, in frustration. He had killed the man already. "What am I doing out here now, then? WHAT THE HELL!?" He said, his voice progressively getting louder with each passing word. Shaking his head in disbelief, he instructed the incredulous driver to take him to the airport. He really didn't feel much like entertaining his own thoughts, much less conversation with someone. Brushing past security quickly, he made it to the gate, and was soon back on a flight to the lake. "I can't believe it. I just can't believe it." He shook his head, back and forth, slowly slipping into a shallow, unrestful sleep. In a few hours, he touched-down, and from there, he hurriedly signaled a taxi which took him to the secluded spot. "Christ, I'm never doing that shit again. Ever." He said outloud, getting his bag out of the car's trunk and walking back to his cabin.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]JJ, your sig rawks, but that's aside from the point... (Did Ozy or Naruto make that?) I guess you're right. He did give us a free-for-all session on the posts. But even still, let's not jump the gun too far. We should take the action bit-by-bit, because I hate it when someone else rushes everyone else into a scene and I can't do something I wanted to. I'm a big wuss, so if someone else could initiate the action that'd be awesome. Come to think of it... Sakura, you might have to do it, since JJ just posted and I don't want to.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Thanks, Naruto. Haha. (sounds so funny) Anyway, here's my newest. + or - crit is welcome.[/SIZE] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/mechinfinity/crypto1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/mechinfinity/crypto2.jpg[/IMG]

[SIZE=1]Here goes... The [b]FMA Banner[/b] was alright. I didn't really like the colored, sketchy looking fonts on the clean/semi-tech banner. It does stand out fairly well, as I'm sure it was your point, but it stands out in the bad way. Aside from that, the background is pretty good. I'm still trying to see how you made it. Was it a render? And the image seems pretty clean. The [b]Stewie animation[/b] was pretty good, but it jumps. I guess that's pretty much unavoidable, but it's still not desirable. The grid, I thought, was a pretty nice touch. It gave it a nice look, yet didn't detract from the hilarity of the image. The font, however, could've been more opaque. I don't like how it's slightly transparent. The [b]Brian animation[/b] was alright. I like the background the most of it all, but the animation's kinda jumpy (again). The word "Brian" looks hand drawn, which is a draw back again. I think it would've been better if you had used the same font that the word "Family Guy" is in. The superman icon is a nice touch, but it doesn't match the colors of the rest of the banner. The [b]Brian banner[/b] is just as good as the animation, only less so. It doesn't move. And all the same crit goes for this one too. Pretty good stuff.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I don't think kakashi meant to pose for a girl, but rather what words exactly to say. Hm... didn't quite come across as clearly as I had thought it out... I believe he means that he just needs certain pointers to "lure them in," not with fakeness, but with tact. What exactly to do around a girl. How not to act. Those little things, not really being a complete poser. And did that make any sense at all?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]There's truth to what you're saying, Adahn. But I do believe that your life could benefit from correcting the past mistake, even if you're happy with where you are now. I guess most people will say that "what trials they faced make them what they are today." But wouldn't you still learn the lesson if you could see it coming and redirect the future? Premarital sex, for example. If you have a kid on the way, you may want to go back into the past and change the event. Would you still learn the lesson, not to have sex, since you made a correct, thought out, informed decision. Granted, you wouldn't learn it in the same way, but the lesson would still be there, would it not? Yeah, I see a few holes in my arguement. Fire away. EDIT: I realized that people would like to change minor events, but nothing major. This I completely agree with. Major events are... major. But still, sometimes you might want to change that major event for the better to improve your current circumstances. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Wait... Treno, you might need to post next. I mean, I don't know exactly what to post to begin the mission. This means you might need to take the initiative. If not, just PM me with want you want to happen.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Heh. All nighters? No, not really. But I have stayed up until 4:45am on the computer just talking to friends, making pictures, surfing the internet, and listening to music. The last time I did that though was this past spring break. I really love doing that, but it is quite an art when one's parents begin to nag. Here's the dialogue. [I][at computer][/I] [B]Parent:[/B] Go to sleep, honey, you need rest. [B]Me:[/B] Lemme finish the last post. Real quick. [B]P:[/B] Well, ... okay. Don't stay up too late. [B]M:[/B] Don't worry, I'll get there soon. or possibly [I][doing the dishes][/I] [B]P:[/B] Go to sleep! It's 11pm! [B]M:[/B] I will. Just finishing the dishes. [B]P:[/B] ... okay? Just go to sleep soon. You really need it! [I][once parents exit, return to computer][/I] and the trickiest [I][at the computer, 2:00am. Parent(s) come down for a midnight snack][/I] There's no dialouge. You have to hear them coming down the steps, minimize the windows, cut off the monitor, and break for the bathroom/closet, and remain in there (with the lights off) until they go back up. I've done this many-a-time.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I think that when people say there's not a single thing they'd want to change, they're either not thinking hard enough, or lying. But that's just an opinion. Yes, they make you who you are today, but your life might be better than it is now if you could change the past. If I could go back and change my past, I'd go back to my elementary years and try to be more fearless. I guess I wasn't a risk taker and didn't always stand up for myself which may have changed who I am today. I would also not cheat on the two tests that I did so on. It probably would've instilled a stronger sense of integrity in me.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Here's a few: "Walk the path of life, on the knife edge of death. But please, in your walk to life, do not falter." "... and all that jazz." I think that's a saying from the 50's, though.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I'm really, really disappointed with how this one came out. I was really hoping to do the song justice, as well as the image, but alas. This is the product of a week of no photoshop. It's actually scary how far my skills slipped while I was away for only a week. I guess I don't really feel too motivated to work on it much right now. Regardless, here it be, peeps. [b]Butterfly[/b] -- the name of the song, as well as this piece.[/SIZE] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/mechinfinity/samurai1.jpg[/IMG]

[SIZE=1]Like everyone and their mama has already said, I'm not Catholic, but I am Christian. His death, however, didn't really arouse any emotion. I kind of nodded slowly at my dad when he told me he had died while I was on the plane. I knew he was deathly ill, and that he was going to die pretty soon, so his death wasn't really too surprising. I do [kinda] feel for him, since his mother died when he was young, his father died when he was 20, and then he lived throug Hitler and Stalin. What a nightmare... He was a very strong person, but not very prominent in my life.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I like it better than your abstraction. I like the background, especially the white lines going through it. Perhaps more focus/aesthetic attention on the grunge in the upper areas of the banner. And the typo, again, needs work. The font type isn't very fitting for this banner, and it's placement is lacking. It's a common problem with your work, but easily solved. Just go to [url]www.dafont.com[/url] and pick out a grungy font. I'd also change the color to a darker one, and probably make it smaller. After all, you don't want it being the center of attention on this banner. Good, but it's not an abstract banner. It's grunge. You get a [B]6/10[/B]. Don't take my rating too seriously though.[/SIZE]