Zen

[size=1] In the only martial arts tournament I've ever competed in, I won first place in sparring and forms. I won runner-up in a crowd's choice at a talent show for my solo dancing to a Chris Brown song. Not much else. I'm more of an artist, so I don't compete against alot of people, I just try to improve upon myself. As far as martial arts go, I don't think a life of MMA training and competition is for me, I have too many other passions to dedicate my life to fighting. I just like to improve on my own skill and walk around with the knowledge that I'm a better fighter than the average man, and express myself through that ability.[/size]

[size=1] [b]Zen[/b] [b]Who:[/b] Member for nearly 7 years, joined in the summer of 2003. Formerly Double_B_Daigo, Reflux, Mugen, The Boss. Ghost from the golden days who occasionally haunts OBs with his presence. [b]Where:[/b] Military brat, joined when living in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Has lived in Lexington, South Carolina for about 3 years. [b]What:[/b] OBs has harbored me since my 7th grade summer, saw me through all of high school, my military training, and into what is now college (through several hiatuses). Known some of you longer than ALL of my real life friends. [b]When:[/b] Back when the Theatre was known as the Arena, I frequented the now dead Battle Arena. Participated in some of the first OB rap battles and several RPGs (of questionable/variable quality). Founding member of a clandestine group which filed several complaints long ago. One of many Nifty Fifty circa 2007 (?). Creator of semi-original/successful RPGs War in the Shadows/Dead Diaries and author of OB-fan fic The Hit... [b]Why:[/b] Because I used to be (still am) a big anime nerd, wanted to talk about it, write stories (role play), and learn more. Got into this madness, and its been a part of my life longer than just about anything else. I'm committed. [b]Favorite Things:[/b] The generally creative/intellectual community which cultivated my writing ability from its fanboy roots to what it is now.[/size]

[size=1] [b]Wale[/b]'s song "Nike Boots" has been out for [i]atleast[/i] two and a half years, if not three. I'm a big fan of his remix of Justice's "D.A.N.C.E." called "WALEDANCE".[/size]

[size=1] I usually really get into big sports events like the Winter and Summer Olympics, and the World Cup. So far, I've watched the men's Luge (where Germany kicked the crap out of America), Women's Ski Moguls (where America owned and got its first gold), and currently, I'm watching the Doubles Pair Figure Skating (way more dangerous and scary than I thought it was) and Men's Ski Moguls. I'm looking forward to the snow-boarding events, especially the new race they have, and the other speed-based and trick-based skiing events. Basically anything thats extremely dangerous, haha.[/size]

[size=1] [b]Condemned: Criminal Minds[/b] [b]Dead Space[/b] [b]Resident Evil 4[/b] In that order.[b] RE4[/b] mostly because felt like I was having a panic attack most of the time I was playing it. [b]Dead Space[/b] because it is one of the only games to sincerely make me jump or shout out in shock or suprise from the monsters attacking, and for upping the "panic" feeling of [b]RE4[/b]. [b]Condemned[/b] is genuinely scary top to bottom in every way possible. Anyone saying that Fatal Frame or Half-Life or whatever FPS-style/shooter style horror games probably wouldn't be able to play [b]Condemned[/b]. Oh, you get weapons. But usually you start off with something like "pistol with six shots, piece of pipe you find laying around... board with a nail in it, maybe a crazy person's firearm... maybe." It's not one of those games where random office buildings and wrecked school buildings have bullets and guns laying around for no reason. The enemies aren't ghosts or zombies, or things that are fantasy/superstition based. The average enemy is a mentally disturbed individuals, drug addicts and depraved indiviuals who've fallen under the influence of some "unknown evil". "Boss battles" are generally against serial killers. One such battle takes place in on a farm, in a boarded up house which the killer has killed all the occupants. He's chasing you You have next to nothing to defend yourself with. Pure terror.[/size]

[quote name='boothten'][size=1]Touche good sir, touche. I still love me my After The Burial/Veil Of Maya/etcetcetc loads more though. I'm pretty excited for the fact that the first stop for Warped this year's gonna be here in San Diego! Usually we're last, so all the bands are really drained and don't have much energy. But we're first this year, so: :p haha[/size][/QUOTE] [size=1] Lucky... I'm on the east coast, so... yeah... And don't get me wrong, I love technical bands. I like Veil of Maya and After The Burial, and I love bands like Between The Buried And Me, Born of Osiris, The Faceless, Psyopus, Decapitated, War From A Harlot's Mouth, and what not. [/size]

[quote name='boothten'][size=1]Very true, I'm going to the After The Burial/Miss May I/Emmure show here in San Diego this Saturday night. While I can't STAND Emmure, I have to admit the energy they give off during shows is pretty intense, you can't help but wanna move around and fvck sh!t up hahahaha[/size] [/QUOTE] [size=1] That's why I'm not a big critic of bands who emphasize breakdowns in their songs. While all the arm-chair music critics who only listen to music for technicality and extreme skill hate on those kinds of bands (Bring Me The Horizon, Emmure, Suicide Silence, etc), those same bands are always the ones who put on the most intense live shows. That's why they write with breakdowns in mind, because they don't plan on playing to a person in an armchair, they plan to play for thousands of young fans ready to wreck a venue. They write music to be played live, not to be listend to passively. I understand, love, and respect that. [/size]

[size=1] The Theater has gotten lazy. Not quality wise, but they take forever to write anything much to my chagrin. Apart from the already stated rise in post quality and etcetera, the biggest change I recall, and miss dearly, is the Battle Arena. Its where I cut my teeth as a writer and RPer, and it taught me how to write fight scenes, which I hear are my strong suit. I also miss some of the old members who have moved on or visit rarely. Being a military kid, I moved around alot and lost many friends in my life, but ever since I've joined the OBs six or so years ago, I've felt an obligaton to continue to return. I've known most of you longer than all of my real-life friends. Namely silpheedpilot, Gavin, Dragon Warrior, and many others. You are all my Rosebud.[/size]

[size=1] My girfriend and I will be spending the weekend together. Our one year anniversary is on Valentine's Day aswell, so I'll probably be driving up to North Carolina on Friday or Thursday night, getting a hotel room, exchange meager gifts with what little money we have, and then have alot of sex, lay around, cuddle, watch TV, movies, etc. Maybe go out to eat if we can afford it. [/size]

[size=1] I already had a complex about re-reading and editing my posts, now you've gone and made it worse.[/size]

[quote name='markskarl']Hello friends I wish more of the actual punk groups were on it, though. Bad Religion is not playing this year, which is a shame. Scenesters are starting to ruin this tour for me.[/QUOTE] [size=1] The aesthetic of punk is to be in your face, challenge conventional values and to be generally raw stripped down music. I hate scenesters with no love for the music as much as the next guy, but I think that the current generation of punk and hardcore bands are the natural progression.[/size]

[quote name='boothten'][size=1]Honestly? They have their moments with me. I like a few select songs, none of which I can name off the top of my head due to my serious lack of listening to them very often. I just can't get into them though. I can respect them for having a fair degree of technicality and originality to some of their songs, but it's just not what I'm into. Don't even get me started on some of the other bands playing though. i.e. Emmure, Attack Attack[/size][/QUOTE] [size=1] I can understand those two, but I'm a big fan of Bring Me The Horizon and have been since getting into metalcore and what not. Suicide Silence, they're an off-and-on for me, for similar reasons. I prefer their first album greatly. I'm also a fan of some pop-punk, particularly bands like Set Your Goals and Four Year Strong, so I'm obviously excited to see SYG, Polar Bear Club, Fight Fair, who are very similar. I'm just a big fan of going to shows in general. Everyband doesn't have to be top-notch for me to enjoy the show itself, its just a fun experience. But come on man... Dillinger... they taught all these kids how its done back in '99. You gotta love 'em. And Every Time I Die are freakin' legends man. [/size]

[quote name='boothten'][size=1]The only ones worth going for, in my opinion. Every other band playing there seems to be generic, talentless metalcore bands. The metal/-core scene is definitely going into the mainstream. No good, in my opinion. Nonetheless, I'm still gonna call in sick to work to go to this... ._.[/size][/QUOTE] [size=1] You honestly believe that Dillinger Escape Plan is a talentless, generic metalcore band?[/size]

[size=10][center] [b]PAINT IT BLACK! PAINT IT BLACK! PAINT IT BLACK![/size] [YOUTUBE=Paint It Black - "Pink Slip"]xEksRPxHe3M[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE=Paint It Black - "Memorial Day"]Jmv4LDcHEp0[/YOUTUBE] [size=1]Punk is NOT DEAD![/b][/size][/center]

[size=1] I hope my first post read well. Hopefully my writing has matured, it's been quite a while. Also, I don't want to take too many liberties with the futuristic setting. Please let me know if there's anything I should take into account.[/size]

[size=1][center][b][u] Homicide[/center][/b][/u] Violent murder and sexual intercourse hold more similarities than most people realize. The repeated thrusting of phallic objects, heavy breathing, grunts and groans, penetration, perspiration, the expulsion of bodily fluids... all culminating in that final, satisfying climax to be closely followed by a feeling of either catharsis, shame, or an odd mixture of both. The French have an interesting metaphor for orgasm, [i]le petit mort[/i], the little death, used to describe that spiritual release found in climax, like a brief glimpse into [i]le grand mort[/i]. It is no wonder that the most vial serial killers happen to also be some of the most sexually perverse individuals, capable of finding that same gratifying release in the face of death. It is that same feeling of release that Gan Xingba had become addicted to. Yet again, Xingba had found himself objectified, given as a gift of good will to a visiting business associate from Shanghai by a San Francisco based business. That was all Xingba was allowed to know, all that he should know, and all that he needed to know. Xingba was in luck that it was not one of the same portly, middle-aged executives heâ??d often found himself servicing in the high-rise, five-star hotels of San Francisco. Heâ??d waited, dressed sparingly on the bed when the young business man entered his room, startled at first. It didnâ??t take long for him to unwrap his gift. He mustâ??ve been in his late twenties, pushing thirty. Handsome, a body that had been taken care of, a groomed face for the corporation he worked for. A pure bred, molded to be the perfect, imposing representative for a powerful company. His aggressive nature carried over well into the bed as Xingba was currently experiencing. His customer was strong, the kind of lover that Xingba quite enjoyed. Thrust, grunt, moan, penetration, dripping heat, vigorous motion, thrusting, deep, yes, deeply, thrusting, and then... Ah yes, that feeling, the escape of life, that gasping breathe they both enjoyed as if it were their last, they savored it together. And then it was done. For a moment, both bodyâ??s lay together, Xingba lay with his slender limbs draped over the business manâ??s larger frame, frosted with sweat like blades of grass covered by a thin layer of morning dew. Xingba traced his thin fingers down the length of the manâ??s still heaving chest and abdomen and placed a light kiss on his neck. His breathing settled and soon he fell into a slumber, signaling Xingbaâ??s leave. Slithering gently from the bed, he lightly placed sheets over his customerâ??s damp body, then grabbing his black messenger bag, walked into the bathroom. He began to run hot water from the sink, wet a washcloth, and proceed to wipe the lubricant, sweat, and semen from his body. He then dressed himself in black, low-cut skinny jeans secured by a black-studded belt followed by a darker button-up shirt, which was only buttoned to his sternum, sleeves rolled to the elbow, and finally an all black pair of slip on sneakers. He then produced a vial of cologne from his bag and peppered himself with it, then sprayed a shot onto his right wrist, rubbing it with his left, and then dragging both down the sides of his neck. Xingba placed the cologne back into his bag and then took out lip-gloss and eyeliner, applied both patiently, and then placed them back. Finished with his cosmetic rebirth, he grabbed his bag and quietly made his exit. Prostitution and assassination, like sex and murder, are also very similar. Both are often a thankless job. Navigating through the elegant hallways of the luxury hotel, Xingba found his way to the elevator. When it arrived, he was greeted by a small group of executives, dressed in various ruffled designer suits, returning from a night out. They had the appearance of the same portly, middle-aged customers heâ??d serviced before. Maybe, he thought, one of the men had been one of his customers. One would think they all were, as they ceased their jovial conversation upon laying eyes on Xingbaâ??s androgynous figure. [b] â??Excuse me gentlemenâ?¦â?[/b] he spoke in a whisper, floating into the elevator past their bodies as they all awkwardly exited onto the floor together. Xingba pressed the ground-floor button and waited. The group of men continued to stare as the doors closed, to which Xingba replied with a wink and a coy smirk just as the elevator sealed and began its decent. Upon reaching the lobby, Xingba stepped out and produced his cellular phone and speed-dialed the Lady of a Hundred Paces. It hardly took a single ring for the Lady to answer. [b] â??Hello, Xingba.â? â??My Ladyâ?¦â? â??I take it you have completed your assignment?â? â??Yes, my Lady.â? â??Very good, Xingba. Hurry back home now, we have things to discuss.â? â??Yes, my Lady.â?[/b] *click* Xingba exited the front doors with the visible stares of the door man. His car had been parked across the street, a sleek black sports-luxury sedan. Just one of the many perks of his job. Entering the vehicle, Xingba placed the keys into the ignition followed by a compliant purr. Pressing a button on the stereo system, fast, chiming, upbeat guitars accompanied by blasting drums pumped through the speakers. As Xingba drove onto the road and made his way to home base he shouted along with the first yell of the lyrics. [b] â??Iâ??VE GOT WAR ON MY MIND!â?[/b] [/size]

[quote name='Affliction'][FONT="Tahoma"]Comes in all shapes and sizes, but stinks no matter what?[/FONT][/QUOTE] [size=1] Everybody has one and they all stink.[/size]

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Calibri]I am going to consider my acceptance as 'pending' considering my sheet is as of now incomplete. I am currently having to reconstruct it mostly from memory right now, since my OS has forgotten it exists and anything on my hard disk is inaccessible until I can either reboot with a recovery disc an hour and a half away or find a way to slave it to a functional hard drive and do some file rearranging. It's all very irritating.[/FONT][/QUOTE] [size=1] Excuses are like assholes, Alla. [/size]

[size=1] I'm pretty sure Raiha is looking for all of the characters to be more than just two-dimensional "bad guys and good guys".[/size]

[size=1] My character is based off of the surname and courtesy name of a character from The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Its really not hard at all to find an appropriate name.[/size]

[quote name='ExcelExcel']I edited... i hope it's better. And yes, Allimorph, that's perfect. XD [b]As for her name, don't all asian names sound kind of the same?[/b][/QUOTE] [center][img]http://static.open.salon.com/files/thatsracistgm751224856460.gif[/img][/center] [size=1] I'm pretty sure you just actually put yourself at risk of being left dead in a container of lye by the hands of Raiha. And no. They don't.[/size]

[size=1]Very well, very well. Forgive my rudeness.[/size]

[size=1] Late, but here's a pic from Halloween '09. [img]http://www.e-imagesite.com/Files2/mevsmichael923263.jpg[/img] [/size]

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Calibri][COLOR=DarkRed]Zen[/COLOR], that's gross. [/FONT][/QUOTE] [size=1] Don't be such a prude. Also, not to hate, but I totally feel like Inuyasha Fandom is trying to sandbag me.[/size]

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]It certainly is original. Granted your nickname isn't, but I'll forgive you purely because your character's pictures were just oh so edible.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [size=1] Completely alterable, but I can't really think of one that would describe his character any better. And edible doesn't even begin to describe... [/size]