Zen

[color=darkred][size=1] Regardless of how good your writing is, an unarmed fighter could only dodge so many bullets before being revealed as having bullet proof skin or whatever. I think that either it'd be a good idea to have realistic fighers or having genre-based tournaments instead of lumping everyone together. Or an interesting idea would be like, testing the enginuity of each character. Specialty matches I suppose. Like, if I have a Muay Thai kick boxing champion from the 17th century and I have to fight a Cybernetic super soldier from the 31st Century, maybe there should be two rounds for each match where they intereact in their opponents realm. First match, the Super soldier doesn't have any guns to help him and loses all technological advantages, and has to fight the Muay Thai fighter in the jungles of Thailand. And then in the second round, the Super soldier gets all the guns and cybernetic implants he would otherwise have, but so does the Muay thai fighter. Think of it like, Indiana Jones vs. Han Solo, first round with pistols in India, second round with blasters in Cloud City, ya know what I mean?[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] Ikillion is right, with an exception of the eyes and all the piercings that [spoiler]the Akatsuki's leader looks strikingly like Naruto. Aswell, I can only speculate that his piercings and eyes have something special about them, as everyone else's appearance has had something to do with their powers. Brother, maybe? Uncle? Cousin? Possible. Definetly not the Fourth, though.[/spoiler] Something I have failed to mention, [spoiler] Suigestu is the coolest character I've seen since Hidan. I can't wait to see him fight some more. I love him, and his connections to both Zabuza and Kisame (another favorite character of mine), the story lines should be interesting. Juugo is rather interesting aswell. Kudos to Kishimoto for consistantly creating such interesting characters.[/spoiler] [spoiler] I love how Sasuke survived. I'm loving his ruthlessness more and more, haha. He used Manda as a meat shield, how super-villain-ish is that? Heh. Apparently the biggest news this chapter though, was the revelation of the last two Akatsuki members and the fact that they apparently have a shadowy benefactor. Kishimoto just keeps laying on the mystery characters. Damn it, it's gonna be another three hundred chapters until we find out his identity I'm sure.[/spoiler][/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] [b]Get Buck[/b] by Young Buck. He saved his soul in my eyes with that song, because before it, I couldn't stand him at all. I suppose he's come out of his shell. So dancey while still maintaining a hard, masculine rythmn.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] No. The only way for the virus to end is for either all the zombies to be killed or for all humans to be killed by the zombies and the zombies slowly fade away from decay. Point. Blank. Period.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] My ideas were similar to yours greatly. However, it would start off with teams rather than deathmatches and work it's way to the deathmatches one-on-ones. But I like your idea better. I was thinking maybe we should follow lines of evening out the scales, sense the fights that you have described would be, well, nearly indescribable on an even scale. A samurai verses a bionic future super cyborg seems hardly fair to me. So, I dunno. I suppose we'd have to be allowed to be either very exagerated and unrealisitic, or just limit it to primitive weapons no futher than a revolver or old shotgun. Also, a post limit for the rounds, I'm sure, is something you already have planned out. My only main concern is encountering over-armed or over-powered characters. I would more than likely use a bare-handed fighter, so I don't like the unrealistic aspect of myself fighting a miniature-Gundam and somehow winning. Ya know what I mean? (of course, I could just make my fighter Goku-style from DBZ, but I'd truly rather not do that.)[/color][/size]

[quote name='Aaryanna_Mom'] Though if people prefer to call me by my given name Kathy, that's fine too. :catgirl:[/QUOTE] [color=darkred][size=1] I think I'd have to be a little more respectful. How's Mrs. Kathy sound?[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] My original OB username was [b]Double_B_Daigo[/b] back on what I believe was Version 5 or 6. It was a name I had created for a character I had created for a Trigun sequel that I never created. Double B stands for Double Barrel, Daigo being my bad spelling of the latino name "Diego". It's still my AIM handle. I stuck around for about a year or so with that name, made a small dent in the OBs, and then moved. I soon found I was unable to log in with my account where I moved to due to IP Address errors. After that unfortunate event, I moved onto an OBs-Style Anime-themed message board called "GreyFairy" were I dwelled for a few months and even became a mod of an OB-style RPG area that I masterminded and suggested. It was there that I took on the name [b]ReFlux[/b], after going through a phase where I wanted to be a DJ. Around the time Ver. 6 (or 7?) came around, I made my triumphant return to OB and never looked back to GreyFairy. I created a new account and used the name [b]ReFlux[/b]. For some time, things were good, but then life got busy and I ended up taking a hiatus of several months, nearly a year. Then I returned. I decided to have a new start, so I took on a new name. [b]Mugen[/b], based on my favorite anime character to date, Mugen from Samurai Champloo (it also means Infinite/Illusion in Japanese apparently). Then I made another huge hiatus of several months. During that hiatus, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater came out and became my favorite game of all time. The game's main villain was a woman called [b]The Boss[/b] and she was the first female game character that I ever believed was as awesome as she acted (boo on Lara Croft and Tifa). At the end of the game, [spoiler] she dies and passes on her title, [b]The Boss[/b], onto the game's main character Naked Snake,[/spoiler] dubbing him Big Boss. So, when I returned to OB, I decided to make yet another new start and came with the coolest name I could muster which still had a reference that I hoped some people would get (no body has yet). [b]The Boss[/b]. So, technically, I use the name of both a man and a woman. Regardless, both people with the name are awesome bad-ace characters. I'm androgynous anyways, so I guess it works, haha. [b]The Boss[/b] has been the longest lasting name I've had on OB and I've made a pretty good reputation on it, so I don't plan on ever changing. It's here to stay, and I couldn't be happier. Plus, it's nice to hear everyone call me [b]Boss[/b], even when they disagree with me, haha. [b]The Boss[/b] ftw. On MySpace, I go by the name [b]Mister Asterisk[/b] or a variation of it. [b]Mister Asterisk[/b] is also my yahoo screen name and YouTube handle. The Boss was taken, and like Malkav, I refuse to ever lower myself to using numbers in any screen name. [b]Mister Asterisk[/b] comes from the way that passwords are always blanked out when you type them in, most commonly with asterisk symbols (***). So really, it's like a spy name, a man with no name or a name that is hidden. Mr.******. I plan on eventually changing my AIM handle to that, as my current Skype name is also [b]Mister Asterisk[/b]. Pretty much, anywhere except for OBs and Group Sounds, that is what I go by. [/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] YOU STOLEZ MY'Z IDEAZ!!!1!!1! Totally , I had this idea in my head all week and planned on making it. But heh, this saves me the work, haha. I think it goes without saying I'll definetely be participating. After all, I was king of the Arena for an untold era back when it was still around, haha. Also me and Sakura have a grudge match to take care of.... and a lot more people, haha. [b]EDIT[/b]: Well, if you still don't have a major idea, maybe we can merge ours and come up with something. I don't particularly like the idea of using an established character anyways. Takes away the originality, heh. Lemme know if you're interested.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] Yeah, this is the part I hate the most... waiting to begin, heh. This is worse than waiting to see if I was accepted. Becuase now I'm anxious to write something.[/color][/size]

  [color=darkred] [b]Journal of Michael Kalis[/b] December 4th, 2007 Me and Mary drove many miles down mostly abandoned or congested roads. When the roads were two full, we’d pull off and ride in the median or on the grass beside the roads. Eventually, we came to a bridge that was fully clogged by abandoned cars. With that, Me and Mary grabbed the few possessions we still had and carried them on our backs as we walked on the hoods of the cars across the bridge. We’d take the last car at the end of the bridge and continue driving from there. The weather outside was usual southern winter, dark skies and cold air surrounding us, the wind pushed us unsteadily as we leapt from car to car. Several of the vehicles were filled with dead and undead humans, and we could hear them moaning miserably in the state of undeath, scratching at the roofs of their cars as we jumped from one to another. We were wary of the hands reaching up from some of the rolled down windows, but luckily, the zombies were too stupid and too jammed in to get out of the various vehicles. At the end of the line, we found a few scattered cars, all of them either totaled or wrecked. There was one on the edge though, that was in decent condition. The only problem was that it was occupied on its driver side by one of the zombies. Walking slowly, I readied my crowbar. Looking into the window better, I could tell that the zombie was recently deceased, not by more than a day or two. It was a lucky stroke because that meant that it wouldn’t smell so bad inside. I grabbed the car handle and gave it a wiggle, opening the door slowly and cautiously. Backing away immediately, the zombie slumped out of the car onto the pavement. I took my chance right away and put the wedge-end of the crow-bar through the thing’s temple. It didn’t move. After cleaning off my weapon it the thing’s shirt, I was delighted to find the car was in relatively good condition within despite housing a dead man for what must have been the previous 48 hours. Also, I had saved a big mess by killing the zombie outside the car. Bonus points, hurray. It was a Volkswagen Touareg SUV. I hope that it won’t run out of gas too quickly. After the incident, I gave Alex a call. It seemed through some means of chance that he and a small group of friends had finally found a real safe haven, and that he actually felt moderately safe for the first time in a long time. That brought relief to me, and I told him I would give him a day by day as we got closer. As we continued driving, we came across a small-time gas station. It looked untouched. Something felt right, so I decided to pull up and see if there was any gas left in the pumps. To my absolute delight, there was plenty. I took the opportunity to fill the tank. After that, I gave Mary my father’s saber and told her to follow my lead into the store itself to see if we could grab any food. I opened the door and shouted to attract the attention of any potential bogies. It was safe. Minutes later, we were walking out with non-perishables and a few select drinks. Sure, they may have been warm, but it was better than nothing. Packing the trunk, we left the store with a new wind carrying us. I don’t know why, but a strange feeling has over come me… a strange, unshakable excitement. I feel like I’m finally living, as odd as that sounds. Anyways, it’s time to get some shut eye, set my alarm and all that jazz. We’re out here in this field, as usual. Hopefully it’ll go as good as it has been, I don’t like interruptions. ‘til tomorrow. [center]--------------------------------------------------------------------------[/center] December 5th, 2007 [b]7:23 am[/b] Mary and I made love for the first time last night. We were laying in the darkness and I told her I loved her. As I shut my eyes, she kissed me on the mouth, and continued. Things took their course, and something beautiful happened. I’d never had sex that good, maybe it’s because it was a surprise, heh. Or maybe it’s because it was the first real love I’ve ever made. Things were right. Mary is still asleep in the back. I’m going to start driving in a few. It’s actually sunny for a change, still cold as hell… I think it’s going to be a good day. [/color]  

[color=darkred][size=1] I used to do that as a "courtesy" to the lady's I was 'with'. I am actually over due for a trim now. Use small scissors and cut low. Razors usually spell bad news because the risk of cutting yourself with a vibrating object is too dangerous. It might take longer, but hey, it gets the job done with a lot less stress. Pull hair, snip, repeat. It's that easy. Maybe not as close a shave as you'd like, but atleast you won't be visiting the doctor with any embarrassing injuries.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] Atleast we now accept homosexuals people to be befriended instead of lynched. Things could be much worse. But then again, since homosexuality harms no one, I can't 'dislike' it or find it wrong in any sense. But I do understand how some people can find it wrong and still be friends with a homosexual. Just like I have friends who drink far too much and experiment with hard drugs. I'll be their friend, but I can't agree with some of the things they do. But then I'd be comparing homosexuality to harmful substance abuse, and I really can't do that, it's not even the same ball park. Sandy's arguement makes the most sense. Homosexuality is more than just sexuality, but a way of living, just like being straight is a way of living for heterosexuals. It'd be like me saying in my previous statement that I was friends with crackheads and wife-beating alcoholics, which in reality, I never would be. So how can you disagree with a person's way of life and still be their friend, a true friend? And for people still using the Bible as a reason, I still uphold that the Bible contradicts and argues against itself. For every reason you pull out that is religious, a person could bring up another one and say "well, here it says this". I'm sure there are other reasons that you feel the way you do beyond religion, and you'd find that they are illogical ones.[/color][/size]

[quote name='Gavin'] [size=1]It actually does make sense Mike, and believe it or not, it's very important for that whole "biological purpose". If a man or woman is allowed only one sexual partner for their children, and that couple live in area/time that precludes travel away from their local area then the local village/town survives longer because the children are genetically distinct from those of other couples, leading to the ability to have more children down the line. To tie it down to an analogy, there's an area about fourteen miles away from my called The Commons and it's people must have practiced that idea of having kids with other people when they fancied. The situation now is that everyone there is related to one another, and given some of them people I know from there, are suffering the effects of too close blood relations having children together. Seriously, I could probably show you a picture of the "missing link" by photographing one of them. It doesn't make sense nowadays of course as people travel further a field to meet their potential spouses, but seeing as marriage is a very old concept you can see the logic of it when it started.[/size] [/QUOTE] [color=darkred][size=1] You make a good arguement, but you forget that back back back in the day, people married their cousins, and I'm not entirely sure if there was any ill-effect on the populace. I'm not defending inbreeding, but whenever we read Shakespeare, or anything beyond the 1900's in school, you always get the "Ew, gross" stuff because characters always married a relation. While it may make sense to marry, it would also make sense to simply keep track of who fathered who. Maybe that's why long ago, people didn't go by last names and just went by "So and so, Son of that guy". And even if I am wrong, which is a fact I'm willing to accept, it still doesn't break my arguement that homosexuality is as old as most civilization, possibly as old as the concept of marriage. So while many people argue that it's unnatural, it seems to have come pretty naturally to ancient man.... thousands of years ago.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] [b]DeathKnight[/b], you're my new hero.[/color][/size]

[quote name='Break']lol... Feels like I'm at a psychiatrist's lol. Seriously though, I would not say I am homophobic in the least. I'm not scared of being turned gay - that is ridiculous. Maybe I just like to be controversial. Who knows! I'm comfortable. I think I probably blew out of proportions how I feel about homosexuals expressing themselves in public. I do not like it, but only a little more than I don't like seeing heterosexual couples doing the same thing. That's only in public though. I really don't care for what they do in private. It would have been simpler just to say "I think it is wrong" and leave it at that :animeswea Because I'm a terrible upstart and make mountains out of molehills lol. I still believe what I believe though. I must sound very ignorant at the moment, sorry! Nope, I am a generally quite liberal person, believe it or not. Rights for everyone! But I still think that homosexuality is wrong - it is not the way things should be. If I could find the sources and the evidence I'd write a thesis on why I hold that opinion. There are many reasons that I probably don't even know yet. I'm not uncomfortable around homosexuals, or anyone of differnt ethnicity. As long as they don't plan to insult me, hurt me, or kill me, that's fine. I am so tired. I need to go to bed. Anomaly: I was just being pedantic, it's alright lol. The philosophy of language and rights are bad enough on their own, but when joined together and mingled with sexual orientations I don't think I have the mind to be able to comprehend what I am even saying myself, as much as I'd love to get more in-depth. :sleep:[/QUOTE] [color=darkred][size=1] I'm pretty sure that it's an accepted fact that homosexuality does not serve much "biological" purpose, being that it bares no children. But marriage doesn't make sense either. All marriage does is limit human beings to single sexual partners to bare children with, while in reality, we would have a much firmer population should males be allowed to impregnate any woman he like, one after the other. But for some reason, human beings across the world with absolutely no communicational forms, created the idea of marriage and practiced it. Native Americans, the Japanese, The European, the Ancient Greeks, all of them had the concept of marriage in mind. The Greeks and Japanese accepted homosexual relationships on the side to straight marriage as normal facts of life. So apparently, homosexaulity isn't a new invention or even one that spells "doom" for anyone. If God destroyed Sodom and Gomora, then why didn't he blow up Japan and ancient Greece also? Maybe it's possible that some humans just have the emotional and physical urge to express love (or lust) to a member of the same gender. I mean, come on.... who doesn't wanna do Johnny Depp? (note for humor). While it may not make much "physical" biological sense, I don't think it's out of the park as "the human need to make connections with it's own species" since humans are social creatures. Homosexuality is as old as civilization, and as soon as people stopped NEEDING to have straight sex for the species survival, they started having recreational gay sex. So I suppose it's really not "wrong" just "unproductive". So, if you think it's wrong to have gay sex, then it's more than less "wrong" to masturbate aswell. And Marry. Neither really help to "spread the species", it's just for emotional or physical desire. See what I'm getting at? I mean, it may seem to you that it's logical to not like something that's unnatural, but really, it's not as "unnatural" as you may think.[/color][/size]

[quote name='Break'] Hahaha, far from it. I think you misunderstood me, what I meant is that I [i]feel[/i] that it is wrong, but I don't know why I feel that it is wrong. I'm trying to everything I know, so I can figure it out. Seems I don't know much. But no, unfortunately it's nothing as sinister as you think. [/QUOTE] [color=darkred][size=1] Nah, homie. I never thought that you had it in your mind to "Victamize" homosexuals, but it's more like... hm. A comedian once said "Homophobia is the only phobia that you can be called an intolerant bigot for having... It's like, maybe these people were actually traumatized by homosexuals in their childhood. Like maybe a homosexual fell on them as a baby or something, jumped out of a closet and spooked 'em." I understand the state of your "discomfort" and I know it's not a hostility. I suppose that makes it the truest defintion of "homophobia", heh. I suppose I'm trying to get you to probe your own mind into finding out just why you're uncomfortable about the concept in the first place. I heard the examples that people are scared of "being turned gay". I think that if you are as comfortable with your sexual orientation as I believe I am, that you really won't be so uncomfortable. Maybe it's an issue of knowing yourself better (I'm not directing this directly at you, Break, but all people who have this as an excuse). I mean, instead of finding arguements to defend your reasons why you are against homosexuality, why not look into yourself and find WHY you are in the first place. I understand that it's a personal opinion, but then again, I don't think it's agreeable if your personal opinion on black people or asian people is a negative one. It's a fellow human being, and you shouldn't be afraid of them (unless you're afraid of people or something, haha, then it's understandable). Or uncomfortable around them.[/color][/size]

[quote name='Break'] I wasn't even raised a Christian. I don't know why I'm using religion to support myself, but I suppose it seems the most concrete out of the two things that could argue against homosexuality, the other being my irrational opinion. And I don't [i]do[/i] irrational opinions. I have to have a reason behind things.[/QUOTE] [color=darkred][size=1] So.... your uneasy feelings about homosexuals would be what kind of feelings? Sorry, I shouldn't single you out like that. But really, it can be directed at Japan_86 and a few others as well. I mean, yeah, you can say that you have reasons that you're so uncomfortable around gays/lesbians, but really, what valid reasons? Were you victimized by a group of homosexuals in school or something? [/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] So many people speaking from a strictly Christian stand point, I could almost be insulted that just because a religion says something that it must be true and used in defense of disliking an individual or group. I understand if a person wants to follow religious dogma and follow what is said in their religion, but that is for you to follow, not others. My religion has no stand point on sexual sins other than "Refrain from sexual misconduct" which I can only relate to "No rape". Religion, particularly Christianity, has a way of argueing against itself, so I don't see the point in bringing into the conversation. God seemed to have switched from Bad Cop to Good Cop when the New Testament came around, so, heh. Went from striking Job with diseases to having Jesus cure the blind. On a related matter, if America is truly a religiously-open society, then how can a politician outlaw gay marriage on the grounds of 'protecting it's sanctity'? Seems a bit hypocritical to me. Though I suppose the arguement, "It's the way I was raised" has a valid point, being that you are usually a product of your enviroment.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] I love thread repeats, because after all, there are only so many points that can be discussed, nothing is more saucy than a hot topic or debated issue. I for one am completely fine with homosexuality. Like, even when some straight males will say "As long as they don't try hitting on me or anything, I don't care." Me, I don't care even if they do, I'd just take it as a compliment. Honestly, other people's affairs don't effect me and I don't see why it would matter anyways. Yeah, I do occasionally still get that weird vibe when I see a man kissing another man, but then again, kissing a man is a turn off for me, so I don't see what that would matter anyways. In the end of everything, my entire philosophy is this. If no harm is being done to anyone, then why the hell do you care anyways? It's no longer 'looking out for your fellow man' and it becomes 'your all up in their business where you don't belong'. Mind your own business, and pay attention to your life instead of argueing over other people's descesions.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] What Gavin stated, really is the only time that I am unable to write ANYTHING. Usually I can force myself to come up with something, but when a person's right behind me, I just can't do it. My whole creative process just shuts down.[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1] One hundred push-ups, two hundred sit ups, and a two mile run later, Lt. Vayne was showering off in his barracks. He had an appointment shortly to meet the only crew he would be having for some time. Morrison had worked hard to get a spot on the much-hyped [b]Argo Navis[/b]. It seemed to him that his particular talents were needed to ensure the safety of the crew. As much as he tried to maintain an indifferent and unaffectionate exterior, he couldn’t help but feel honored that he was chosen. Excitement ran wild through his body, and if it weren’t for the water running over his body, his palms would probably be sweating. An hour later, he was walking out of his front door, duffle bag in tow. Dressed in slim black pants and a dark red jacket, he exuded a fighter’s presence despite his otherwise civilian appearance. Catching the rail train, he rode his way towards the space port. Morrison knew that this mission spelt a new chapter in his life, and it caused him to overlook all the major events before him. Morrison wasn’t a cold man, he wasn’t an invincible man, but the act of violence and combat never startled him. Fighting, and often times killing, his enemies never seemed anything but natural. He questioned his humanity often, wondering why he never felt guilty after taking the life of another man, and could never find a respectable answer. He rationalized that it was probably his upbringing. Son of a soldier rose to be a fighter in the halls of combat training and military school. While Morrison was a fairly normal person in his civilian activities. He had women, he had friends, and he had hobbies. But often times he would feel isolation. Like a monster, or something less human. Like a weapon. While he rode the train, he realized that his mind was processing all the necessary information needed in the case should the train's occupants be enemy soldiers. He analyzed each person’s body structure, quirks, movements, and the interior of the train itself. By the time he had realized what he’d just done, he felt even more alone within himself. [i] What’s wrong with me?[/i] The trained stopped in front of the Trans-Galactic space station. Morrison stood up and gave a last look to the train before stepping off. Making his way towards the docking gate for the Argo, he noticed the heavy amount of security around it. He flashed his Military I.D. to the two guards. [b] “Right this way, Lieutenant.”[/b] one of them said, moving out of his way as he passed by. Scanning his retina and I.D., the double doors opened and he entered. The ship amazed Morrison with its clearly well designed exterior and interior. Stepping into the docking door, he maneuvered through various passages and air locks, following the signs across the walls towards the bridge where he was instructed to meet his crew. Stopping right before the final door, Morrison took a final deep breathe and walked forth into the room. Raising his hand, he brought himself to a proper salute, [b] “Lieutenant Morrison Vayne, pleased to meet you all.”[/b] A small group greeted him. Two fairly attractive women and a single military man, the famed Colonel DeSouza. [b] “At ease, soldier… there’ll be no need for that from here on out.”[/b] Morrison brought his hand down, [b] “Yes sir.”[/b] DeSouza simply smirked, while the two women chuckled a bit under their breath. [b] “Calm down, Vayne. Take a seat and relax, we have a few more people to meet before the grand tour is given.”[/b] [/color][/size]

  [color=darkred] ?. The roads on the way to Mary?s house were crowded to say the least. Wrecked, or otherwise abandoned cars littered the way along with several zombies who just shambled around the middle of the road. I tried my best to avoid every obstacle I could, I didn?t need any dents or scratches on my car to worry me. The drive seemed to take an eternity, but soon, I was in her neighborhood. It was a war zone, houses on fire, screams and cries of pain echoing out into the air, muffled by the consistent moans and snarls of the zombies. Upon coming up to Mary?s house, I called her cell. She answered, alive, if not terrified. I told her to hold tight, and that I was hearing. She cried for me to hurry, and I did. Grasping tightly onto my crowbar, I slowly walked into the house and could hear several of the zombies throughout the house. Not many, but there were a few dwelling in the kitchen, who had noticed my presence. I ran up the stairs and saw that there was a group of five in the hallway, clawing at the game room door where Mary took refuge. Luckily, the hallway provided a nice choke point, and knocked each one in the skull with a sickening crack as the bone split open. I had dropped all of them, but I had to hurry. The ones from downstairs were approaching slowly, but steadily, as they struggled up the stair well. I knocked on the door and hollered at Mary that it was alright to come out. She said my name and unlocked the door and moved the pool table away. Opening the door she was in tears, but a huge smile spread across her face. She leapt into my arms and I held her tight for a moment, I?d never felt closer to anyone before in my life. We kissed, but soon the sound of falling zombies alerted me. They were on the stairs. I told Mary to grab some of her clothes and things while I took care of the ones on the stairs. There were four stumbling up the stairs. Coming down, I cocked back and took each one out mechanically. The head shots worked like a charm. From afar through the large windows, I could see a small crowd approaching the house. I called for Mary and she ran from her room to me with an armful of clothes. We ran for the car and threw her things into trunk. Driving off, I avoided the zombies on the road. Mary watched intently until we were on open road. I drove until we were on an open stretch of empty road over a bridge. Parking off to the side, I stopped to breathe for the first time since I had woken up. My heart was pounding in my chest and Mary was crying to herself still. I had shed my share earlier, and I had reached a new level of numbness. The last time I had cried, it was when I watched my grandmother die. After that, nothing seemed as sad anymore. Now, I don?t think I?ll ever shed a tear again. We talked for a minute, asking what we would do next. Neither of us knew what to do, or where to go. We were terrified and scared, and all we had was each other now. My friends and family were gone, my Father could be dead for all I know. Opening my phone, I then noticed the second number on my contact list. Alex. I gave him a call. It seemed things were bad in NY and that he had moved to lower Manhattan were a group of civilians had put up a strong fortification, safe from the zombies, however, outnumbered greatly. I talked to Mary about it for a minute and she agreed. Neither of us knew anything better to do. I didn?t know my way to Manhattan, but I just thought to follow the roads and signs north until New York was pointed out? I had somewhere to go there. I had a destination. Now I had to get there. Mary slept while I drove, she moaned a little in her sleep, nightmares I could only assume. Looking off to a side road, I drove off into the middle of a large field, and set the alarm on my cell phone for one hour later. I got out of the car and opened the trunk of the car and took out the blanket in my back. It was freezing outside in late November. Getting into the back seat, Mary had woken up from noise and decided to join me in the back seat to continue sleeping. Curling together in the blanket, we slept, uncomfortably in the small backseat. We?d make due. I woke up an hour later dead tired from my phone?s alarm. I leaned up and looked around, the moon light shone well over us and revealed that no zombies were around. I set the alarm for another hour. I repeated for six more hours like that before finally getting up at six in the morning. I kissed Mary on the forehead before writing this. I let her continue sleeping. Time to get back behind the wheel. ?til Tomorrow. [/color]  

[color=darkred][size=1] Read, alot. Comics, manga, text books, fiction, non-fiction, whatever. It helps. Also ask alot of "what-if?" questions to base ideas around. Formulate a story around an interesting character you thought of and want to use. Or, my favorite part, just emmerse yourself in pop culture, movies, music, televisions, etc.[/color][/size]

[size=1][b]OOC:[/b] A note to all players. Since all major events have taken place and the zombie hordes are now in the process of dominating humanity, the large time skips will no longer be necessary. Make the rest of your posts as close to day to day as possible and think of what exactly you would be doing during such events and under these circumstances.[/size]   [color=darkred] [b]Journal of Michael Kalis[/b] December 2nd, 2007 I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how I can comment on the unbridled sorrow and hopelessness that I feel at this moment. This page may seem… cold. But I assure you, the feelings I have within are ones of the deepest indescribable abyss. All I can do is explain, reader. Explain how I’ve lost everything within a period of two days. How the old me died. I was up stairs on the internet like I had been continuously for the past several days. I was getting a lot of bad news from Alex (Retribution from OBs, not my baby brother). He said that he was leaving college and going with a small group to a more fortified area in lower Manhattan. He seemed scared, and he even gave me his cell number before logging off, for good, as he put it. That was when my Mom called me. I ran downstairs and she was watching CNN, the live footage of Yonkers. We watched for the whole night and watched as our military failed. We stayed up the whole night watching, and even watched the aftermath reports. Nick and Alex didn’t pay attention, I didn’t expect them to understand. But me and Mom could feel it deep within ourselves what that meant for our family, particularly my father. We hadn’t seen him in a few weeks now, he’d been forced to stay in Jackson and process all the drafted recruits. He called us later that day and told us that the higher ups at Jackson needed to deploy him back into active duty Army, being that his former specialty was medic. He told us that Jackson was going to send an MP convoy through the surrounding area and pick up all the military dependents and put them on Jackson for safe guarding. My father, I knew it must have killed him to leave us here. I’m sure that he only refused to desert after learning that we would be taken care of immediately…. God, I can only imagine the pain of learning what happened afterwards. While my family and I awaited our pick up to Jackson, everything went to hell. One of the barricades surrounding Columbia broke open and the zombies poured out, literally, on top of one another, into the surrounding area. This meant Lexington. Before I knew it, we were locking the doors, nailing everything up with any excess wood and nails we had. Me and mom gathered whatever ‘weapons’ we could find and we all huddled together around the TV in her room upstairs, each of us checking and watching the windows every few minutes. I grasped a crowbar in both hands at most times, my palms sweating continuously. On my belt loop, I had secured my Dad’s steel saber. It was heavy, both were, but they would work. My mom told me that I didn’t need to hold them with me at all times, but she didn’t make a big deal of it when I did anyways. Some unspoken agreement had already been reached. Nick and Alex mostly entertained one another with various games and toys. Me and mom stayed on the look out and watched whatever new coverage we could. We stayed like that for a couple of days. Then one morning, I woke up to the moans. They were faint, in the distance, but I could hear them approaching. Hundreds of them, maybe thousands, you could hear them in mass. Mom was already awake, sitting in a corner, crying. Crying hard. Panicking like I’d never seen before. Alex and Nick still slept silently, and she stared at them intensly, afraid. [b] “Mikey… I don’t want them to suffer… I couldn’t stand it.”[/b] I told her they wouldn’t. That everything would be alright. And we waited. Then the pounding came, the scratching and louder moans. Alex and Nick had woken up. Mom told them to go into her closet and sit still. She locked the bathroom door (which was connected to the closet) and shut it. Mom gave Nick a sledge hammer and told him to break the door down when things became quiet. Me and her stayed upstairs and tried to figure a plan out. Someway to block the stairs, but by the time we decided to use the couch it was too late. One of them broke through the glass window at the backdoor. Mom immediately ran back up stairs and I followed her. We then went back to her room, she locked the door. I turned around to ask her what to do, but I was blacked out on the floor before a single word could escape my mouth…. I woke up underneath my Mom’s bed, wrapped in her comforter from head to toe. At first I freaked out, I didn’t know what was happening, but then I realized I could breathe. Unrolling myself, I peaked from beneath low-to-ground bed and looked around the room. It was a fucking massacre. Blood, gore, everywhere. But there weren’t any zombies… or at least not moving ones. Slowly, I rolled from underneath the bed and was met by a back of wet blood from the carpet. Standing up, I surveyed my area and saw the zombies. All of them had been lobotomized somehow or another, brain matter scattered across the walls and floor along with a healthy amount of oozy-gore. There were dozens of them, literally, piled all over the room. Furniture trashed, including the plasma TV which had been smashed over the head of one unlucky fellow dead beside it. Then I saw that the bathroom door had been broken through. Rushing in, I opened the still closed, however, bloody closet. Opening in, I fell to my knees immediately. My mother sat back across the wall, laying her two deceased sons heads on her shoulder as she lay whispering a prayer. Both of them bled from the backs of their necks, and I noticed the bloody knife laying at my mother’s feet. She herself was covered in bites and blood. And now she lie bleeding, dying. I crawled to her, whelping like a child. Years of raising children, wife of a career soldier, and two decades of waitressing had given my mom all the strength she ever truly needed. To defend her children. As I sat next to her, she told me she loved me, and made me promise her two things. [b] “Survive for me, Mikey…. Live. Don’t… let them get you too. If my life means anything, let one of my children live.”[/b] I nodded and cried yes, and then she asked me to do the unspeakable. [b] “Put me out of my misery, sweetie. Don’t let me become one of those things…”[/b] I cried no, no. Never. I couldn’t, I wasn’t strong enough. She yelled at me. [b] “Michael. If there is one thing you inherited from your parents, let it be our strength son… please. If you love me.”[/b] I trembled to my feet and whipped the tears from my eyes. Looking down on my mother, I sneered in sorrow and unclipped the sabre’s scabbard. Bringing the blade over my head, I told my mother I loved her. [b] “I love you too, son.”[/b] I brought the blade down once. That was it. At that moment, I died. Stepping out of the closet, I fell to my knees once again. Looking at the sword, I thought about disemboweling myself. Putting my life to an end… but I couldn’t. I promised I would live. I don’t know what’s harder. The pain of watching my family die… or the pain of not being allowed to die. I sat silently and contemplated my next move. Then my phone began ringing and I nearly had a heart attack. I answered, it was Mary. She was crying, barely able to speak. She said that she had locked herself in the game room and pushed the pool table against the door. Her family was gone, her mother was one of the zombies clawing at her door that very moment. She pleaded to me to hurry, for me to help her. I told her I’d be to her house as soon as I could. I asked her how long she thought she could wait, and she said [b] “Maybe an hour…”[/b] Just enough time. Looking outside the window, I saw that the zombies outside were still occupied with the houses around the block, next to none of them were on the streets. I quickly changed into my father’s fatigues and tightened on a pair of his boots. Grabbing a duffle bag, I shoved some clothing essentials and blankets into the bag. Grabbing the crowbar, I then creeped down stairs, being careful to check for infected around the corner. Apparently they all left, thought the house was cleared or something went for easier prey…. I went into the pantry and grabbed as much Ramen as I could fit into the bag, and then some bottled water. I had everything I thought I would need for a while. Grabbing my car keys, I slowly opened the front door. The zombies were still occupied with the other houses. There was only one unfortunate soul still sauntering around my front yard…. …by the time I had my senses again, I realized that I was standing over a headless body, the remains of it’s head pummeled into the ground in a crimson puddle. My knuckles were white around the crowbar. Looking around, I soon realized that my little outburst had gotten the attention of a few stragglers. I quickly grabbed my bag and got into my car speeding off as fast as possible, dodging the cars littering the road. Driving like a bat out of hell, I was a man with a mission. I had a life to save. [b]….To Be Continued.[/b] [/color]  

[center] [URL="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/Cybernator/DeadDiaries1.jpg"]Page 1.[/URL] [URL="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/Cybernator/DeadDiaries2.jpg"]Page 2.[/URL] [URL="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/Cybernator/DeadDiaries3.jpg"]Page 3.[/URL] [/center]   [color=darkred] [b]Journal of Michael Kalis[/b] November 24, 2007 Life. I’ll never take it for granted ever again. Everything, it’s gone to hell. School has officially closed for me and the bosses at work have headed back to Nova Scotia. So now all I have to do is sit around the house and wait. Wait for all this shit to blow over. God I hope it blows over. Things aren’t safe anymore. Columbia imploded on itself, all those monsters…. Fucking monsters… How could something like this happen? How? It must’ve been the government’s neglect. They didn’t pay any fucking attention! Get this, Israel? The whole fucking country went under voluntary quarantine a MONTH AGO! Built walls and shit, and everything. Secured the whole country in a matter of months. What did our people do? Gave us a fucking drug that doesn’t even work….. What kinda shit are we talking about now? How are we going to know? I can’t go out, to much a chance that the ZOMBIE HORDES from Columbia migrating to some fresh food. Yeah, did I mention that African rabies shit? Not even real… No, get this shit. Fucking ZOMBIES! Living undead shit, some unidentified virus. Nice work, DHEC… On the news everyday, it shows how the government troops are barely capable of containing the fuckers. Shoot ‘em, blow ‘em up, anything, they won’t even stop! Nobody knows how to fully kill these things, save disintegrating them… They’re slow, that’s for sure. And stupid. But they just won’t stop. It’s night time now. Everyone is asleep in the house. Dad, he’s still at Ft. Jackson, putting in overtime to help the infantry who’re holding Columbia, getting the survivors out and keeping the…. Things in. Luckily communication lines are still open. I stay online all day when I’m not watching for Zeds outside or on the news. I stay in contact with Mary. She’s losing it to. Her Dad… she thinks he’s…. scratch that. No, I can’t think negative like that. I’ll tell her everything will be alright. I love her… I don’t know what I’d do…. Last night, she finally told me she loved me… Finally. Me, Alex, and Joe are keeping regular contact. Joe says that things are actually pretty quite up where he is. Though things a town over are boiling over. Alex says that Manhattan is a hell-hole, but that his college is gated and everything. They already have it fortified like Israel. Leave it to the Ivey League to figure how to run shit. Maybe I got somewhere to run to if shit goes down. Wouldn’t that be some shit. The first time I meet Alex being under these circumstances, hah. Like my Ma would even let me outta her site. I haven’t left the house in days. I’m rotting here, going fucking NUTS! I’m holding on though. My friends keep me sane. Mary keeps me sane. My family keeps me sane. Hope, I got some left…. Just enough. I think I’m gonna get Dad’s saber outta the closet and keep it under my bed along with my hunting knife. Let them come. Let them fuck with my family! See what befalls them… shit, I need some sleep… ‘til tomorrow...[/color]