Ezekiel

[CENTER][INDENT][FONT="Trebuchet MS"][COLOR="DarkOliveGreen"]Zeta was aware that some of the students would be unhappy about this demonstration. Hell, there were members of the staff who had never liked the idea either, but she stood firmly by the point that it was still magic. You might as well complain about chaining Thestrals up to pull coaches in the same way. These creatures weren't hurt; they were spirits. The only one in danger was the summoner, and the sooner the students understood that the better. [B]"Professor Corvidae believes this spell should be used for defence, but I disagree. Any of you who have watched me duel will have noticed that I've never been one for hiding behind shields and disarming charms, foolish as that might be."[/B] She steadied herself as the Basilisk flicked out its dusty pink tongue, ivory fangs glittering in the morning air as it swerved tiredly, bored already. Zeta stroked its cool head again and whispered soothingly, watching as one large eye fluttered closed happily. [B]"Now, we're not going to hurt each other, and any of you who believe this is cruel and unnatural should know the beasts won't be hurt. If this were a battle, they probably would be, and it would be down to a responsible summoner to send them back where they came from to heal. It's much like owning a pet, only one that doesn't fit in the house and may eat your neighbour?s cat."[/B] She grinned darkly and watched Alexander as he rolled his eyes, flicking her sleeves back again and flourishing her wand, slipping one booted foot back on the flat head of the Basilisk in a typical attack position. [B]"Observe."[/B] She pressed down with her heel against one mighty, dark scale and the snake shot forward with terrible speed, Zeta's hair blowing back off her pale face and cloak rippling with the force of the wind. She let out a joyful laugh and Ifrit swerved to the side, throwing up a wall of fire to shield itself and its master. Alexander grunted and held onto a fistful of hair, swinging his wand out to the side and firing off a spell directly at his opponent. An advantage Zeta always had with her summon was its shape. A creature like Ifrit had magic and immense strength, but it was all in one place, at one time. The Basilisk, however, could swerve and undulate and carry on attacking with a relentless speed not many other summons could match. Little and often was Zeta's approach, and she shouted the same mantra over the rush of the wind and blood pounding in her ears to Alexander. He simply sneered in return and flicked off a stunning charm that hit the Basilisk square between the eyes, not doing much to actually knock the beast out but confusing the poor thing. Zeta pouted as the snake let out a growling whine of displeasure, hearing a few laughs from the students as it reared up and went cross-eyed. [B]"Alexander, you know the poor darling gets easily confused. He?s old." "I do, Zeta, which is why I take advantage of its stupidity. It's your own fault for having a beast that can be easily outsmarted."[/B] Zeta's face twisted into a frown and she clenched her fingers around her wand, taking a good look at Alexander and getting a deep satisfaction in the way his eyebrows rose at the sight of her anger. She raised her wand arm back before remembering where she was, lowering it again and tracing it along the back of the snake's mighty head, watching as it lowered her to the ground before starting to disappear before her eyes, like shadows and smoke, until it was as though the creature had never been there at all. She waited with her arms crossed for Alexander to do the same, hearing a slight murmur of annoyance from the gathered students as the demonstration ended without much of a proper duel. She raised her wand to her throat to magnify her voice once again, turning as she spoke to look at everyone, picking out some of her more treasured Slytherins. [B]"And that was just some friendly rivalry, boys and girls. Now you've seen the magic, the speed, and the ability of our creatures you can guess why it's something we both feel you should be learning. With arcane magic such as this more prevalent in our world today, and trust me, I know, it's been used against me far too often, it's only right we prepare you for what's to come. I'm not saying you'll ever have to use it, but by the same token I'd hope you wouldn't have to stun another person, either."[/B] she drew in a breath and looked sideways at Alexander as he landed, a little ashamed of letting herself be gripped by the rush of battle. [B]"Precaution, students. Everything is a precaution."[/B][/COLOR][/FONT][/INDENT][/CENTER]

[SIZE="1"]^ My thoughts exactly. I haven't used MyO for years but have never been able to find a way to detach this account from that one. I can't see a point in it being there if there's nothing to look at any more, anyway. I think a simple tick box in our options would solve the problem if people are really annoyed about it. Saying that, though, it doesn't bother me a lot. I guess I'm just so used to it by now I don't ever give it a second glance. [B]EDIT:[/B] DB, your custom title is from the FFXII OST, right? That gives you minor cool points in my book. Well done.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]So, just wanted to know if any students wanted to write up a post for their response or if I should carry on with the demonstration? I need to chat to Gavin about which directon he wants to take it, but I'll have something for you all a little later on.[/SIZE]

[CENTER][FONT="Trebuchet MS"][COLOR="DarkOliveGreen"]Zeta sighed and looked across the stadium at the slowly shifting mist, a heavy black cloak wrapped around her shoulders to keep away the cold. Her gaze turned to Alexander again, but he looked away. She must have shown pity in her eyes, which she was sure he didn't need to see. [B]"Consider it...done, then. I'll get started tonight. But, Alexander,"[/B] she paused, reaching out to touch his shoulder lightly and get his attention again. [B]"You say you need two[/B]?" He simply nodded his dark head and looked out across the pitch again, starting to see a black mass of students flooding in. [B]"Ah, Zeta. It seems our audience has arrived."[/B] Zeta smiled, her attention distracted as she saw her students filing in, easily picking her darling snakes out from the crowd from their green scarves and, she was surprised to see, a few banners supporting her. She laughed softly and waved as her and Alexander began to walk down to the centre of the pitch, jumping off the stand elegantly so she landed neatly on the wet grass, leather boots leaving marks as she walked to the centre of the oval playing field. She pointed her wand at her throat and muttered the spell [I]'Sonorus'[/I], seeing that the stands were filling up nicely, voice booming out across the excited babble of the students. [B]"Welcome, everyone, I'm so glad so many of you have turned up for this special occasion. Hopefully those of you who aren't already in the Duelling Club will change their minds after today, hmm?"[/B] She smiled and waited for a few more stragglers to be seated, hearing Alexander holding a conversation with some of the older members who'd snagged themselves front row seats. [B]"I've heard many rumours going around about what we'll be doing today, so I suppose there's no better way to quash them than to just show you this powerful magic. I must warn you all, however, that there are risks, and if you feel in danger please feel free to leave. We won't be offended."[/B] She looked to Alexander who nodded and pulled out his wand, standing opposite Zeta quite a distance away. She flicked her wand and drew red lines on the grass, marking out the area for their duel. Rolling back her lace-trimmed sleeves with an expert flick, she gave Alexander a haughty smirk. They walked toward each other and stood three feet apart, bringing their wands up to their faces as they bowed, as all students in the Duelling Club were instructed. [B]"Good luck, Alexander. I look forward to seeing what you can come up with."[/B][/COLOR][/FONT][/CENTER]

[SIZE="1"]Yeah, I'm sorry, I thought we'd already thown enough ideas around through the first batch of PMs for you to pick one from. I didn't think we needed another long descussion. I do want to get on with this, so yeah, I agree with Shy. Let's just do that.[/SIZE]

[CENTER][INDENT][FONT="Trebuchet MS"][COLOR="DarkOliveGreen"]She had barely been in Hogwarts for an hour and already the news every teacher dreaded hearing had reached her. During the summer Zeta had gone to visit her pupil, a girl who had been particularly talented at Potions and always keen to do more. It was a sad day when an adult lost a child they had been close to. It never seemed fair. Still, they said that the good died young. She was sitting in her office when the owl arrived; the seal of St Mungo's a damning sign. With a forlorn frown Zeta had slipped the envelope open, only reading the first few sorrowful lines and understanding, before she'd even seen the girl's name, that it was Drucilla who was the subject of the letter. Zeta lived everyday with a small amount of fear, whether it was when the Prophet delivered or when post came for her. With her parents still Aurors actively seeking out dark wizards, of which there were still enough around the world to be a threat, the dark cloud of [I]what if[/I] hung low. She placed the letter down and slipped off her glasses, placing them back in her robes and picking up her wand without even thinking, striding the short way down a few winding corridors to get to the Slytherin Dungeons. She muttered the password in a voice that came out sounding much more aggrieved than she had thought it would, quickly moving up the stairs to the girl's rooms and pushing open a door slightly, the sight of two quivering, sobbing girls breaking her heart all over again. [B]"Professor..."[/B] Medea spoke up, and Zeta knew they'd found out sooner than she had. [B]"I'm so sorry, girls. I've only just found out, or I would have been here sooner." [/B]she sat down on the edge of the bed, far enough away so as not to seem invading on their own grief. [B]"I'm going to ask the Headmistress if I can go and visit the family this weekend. Would you like to come?"[/B] Her voice was slow, gentle, but strong enough to try and lend them some of her strength. She had seen enough death from her previous job to understand the grief at losing a close friend, and part of her was saddened that she didn't quite feel the same pain any more. [B]"I'll leave you to yourselves. You know where I am, if you need to talk. My door is always open for you."[/B] She stood as though to leave, waiting a few moments to see if any of her students would ask her to stay, part of her wishing they would so they could talk through the horrible event together.[/COLOR][/FONT][/INDENT][/CENTER]

[SIZE="1"][B]@ Sandy:[/B] Kaaaay~ I knew I was being picky, so thank you for understanding. And keep Junior as Goyle's kid, maybe it's just the idea of him adding to the gene pool that frightens me, lol. [B]@ Sakura:[/B] I think there are tryouts each year. When Harry's made captain, he tells Katie Bell she won't need to try out again, but she says something about it being only fair to the new hopefuls. Which makes sense, really. [B]@ Gavin:[/B] I AM EXCITED, MY FRIEND. And I feel special knowing what you're talking about. That duel will be quite something, indeed.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]This might seem a little silly of me, but... Sandy, I'm a little bothered by your portrayal of Scorpius. I know I'm probably biased, because I adore the Malfoys, but I got the impression from the Epilogue that Draco had changed considerably. I can't imagine he would have his son be the same snob he once was. Arrogant and proud, maybe, but not nearly as awful. Also, I find it difficult to believe Goyle would have had a functioning child. He was a Death Eater, or at least in league with Voldemort, so he's probably in Azkaban or, even, dead. I know I'm being nitpicky, but you're dealing with my favourite boy so I tend to get like this. I'm sure you understand.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]What do you mean teachers can't play Quidditch ? If he has to, Alexander will use a polyjuice potion to ensure Ravenclaw takes the House Cup this year. Or can we have the Dueling Club be worth points too ?[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]I agree! I think the school should hold a match between the teachers for a bit of fun. It would be amusing to see Alexander and Zeta go head to head. If not, we have the Duelling Club to amuse ourselves, Gavin. Perhaps a little demonsration is in order for the first years?[/SIZE]

[CENTER][INDENT][COLOR="DarkOliveGreen"][FONT="Trebuchet MS"]Chairs and tables whirred around the great hall, Zeta and a few other teachers flicking their wands to get everything into place for the students, who would be arriving in a matter of minutes. She stood at the head of the Slytherin table and pointed her wand at the ceiling, green and silver banners bursting from nowhere to show the students just where to go, even if they already were so used to it. Mr Filch hobbled into the doorway and cleared his throat, Mrs Norris slinking around his feet. [B]"Students are almost 'ere, Headmistress."[/B] McGonagall nodded and clapped her hands sharply, the teachers all getting into their places at the table. The ones who had been on the train came in shortly before the students? carriages and the boats would arrive, Zeta nodding curtly to her colleagues, waving to Emily before she sat down. Alexander took his place next to Zeta and she gave him a strained smile. [B]"Alexander. I trust it was a good journey?"[/B] [B]"As always, Zeta." "I'm ever so glad to hear it."[/B] And then the students started filing into the hall, the first years lead up to the stage where they would be sorted. Mr Filch brought out the stool and Sorting Hat when McGonagall faced everyone, a small but strong smile on her ageing features. Zeta leant over as she clapped softly, whispering to Alexander so no one else would hear, [B]"Fifty Galleons says that we win the House Cup this year, my feathered friend."[/B][/FONT][/COLOR][/INDENT][/CENTER]

[SIZE="1"]Just jumping to say I have been reading along, but won't be posting until the train reaches Hogwarts. I never thought that teachers got the train as well, not all of them anyway, so Zeta will have made her own way there earlier in the summer. Besides, as head of house she probably needs to check that things are in order and her stock cupboard is full before students arrive.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"][COLOR="DarkOliveGreen"][B]Name:[/B] Zeta Conroy [B]Gender:[/B] Female [B]Age:[/B] 37 [B]Staff Position:[/B] Potions Master [B]House:[/B] Head of Slytherin [B]Wand:[/B] Ash, 7 and a half inches, Dragon Heart String core [B]Appearance:[/B] Zeta was a pretty girl when she was in Hogwarts, though the type of attractiveness that requires a certain taste. She has a slim face with heavy-lashed green eyes and a few light freckles covering the bridge of her nose. Her pale skin is in stark contrast with a mop of red curls that fall around her shoulders and down over her back for a few inches. Just starting to show the signs of age, both from a stressful job as an Auror before becoming a teacher, and from her time during the war, she still manages to hold onto a certain youthful grace. Students seem to warm to her, her smile a rarity but bright and cheery when she does show it. She can appear nervous at times with the older students, still relatively new to her position as Head of House and Potions Master. When nervous, small spots of colour rise along her cheekbones and she has a terrible habit of chewing any unfortunate strand of hair that wonders near her lips. Always seen with a green ribbon in her hair to show house pride, and dark green robes under her long black cloak, she has a certain gothic taste when it comes to fashion, not deviating too far from her Slytherin roots in that respect. [B]Personality:[/B] Zeta is liked by both students and staff, though it has been known for certain Slytherins to have a certain dislike for her and how kind she is to everyone, regardless of background. Though racism within the school has been near wiped out, those proud pure blood Slytherins find it odd that one of their own should be so indifferent when it comes to those of not quite so grand a standing. While she puts on an outwardly kind demeanour her gradually building confidence with her lessons and new environment means she’s slowly showing her true colours. When in Hogwarts she was cocky and brash and more crude than most of the boys she knew, crediting her much more favourable personality to a quick slap from reality when the war came. Once she had a problem with a weak heart, pining after one Draco Malfoy for most of her years as a student and over compensating with her outwardly fiery attitude, now however she regards any who annoy her with mild, cool disinterest. Though it’s no secret she has a certain fondness for the Malfoy boy, she tries hard not to let that show. Admiring students who break from the norm and forge out bravely on their own, Zeta is a sort of confidant for any who find themselves unable to fit in, or who can’t quite match up to standards set by either peers, teachers, or parents. It’s because of this she has a certain amount of distaste for fellow Professor Alexander Corvidae, always telling him that he’s pushing his students too far and not listening to them enough. [B]Bio:[/B] Dear [I]Diary[/I], It has been a year to the day that I began teaching here at Hogwarts. I’m quite impressed that I’ve hardly had to attend any detentions with students, as they all seem to have taken to me quite well and behave as they should. I try not to give them terribly hard assignments, at least this way they actually hand them in. Alexander is constantly badgering me about this, saying I’m not stretching his Ravenclaws hard enough, but I’m at the point now where I just tell him to stick it, It’s stopped breaking my heart now every time Scorpius walks into my classroom, which is a gift. He’s certainly a better student than his father ever was, and that’s for sure. I’m trying hard not to lean too far toward one group or the other, but it’s awfully hard now that I’ve been made Head of House, and so quickly! Minerva seemed to think I was right for the job and that an ‘understanding, open woman should have the job of looking after students’. I suppose she’s the authority on that, really, though it seems a break from tradition. I still keep comparing myself to Professor Snape, I guess I was one of the few who really liked and trusted him. My dreams are still fuzzy and painful, but they aren’t bothering me so much now. Memories of the war aren’t as strong as they used to be after all these long years of peace, though I can’t help but wonder when the next bad thing will come along. Something always does, after all. Mum and dad say not to worry, and if they’re still around and refusing to retire after all this time I guess I should listen! I miss working alongside them as an Auror, but we have to move on. Hogwarts is quickly feeling more and more like home, with a reluctant, strange family to go along with it. I never thought I’d enjoy teaching as much as I do, but I always did like Potions. I suppose it seems almost natural to slip back behind a cauldron and enjoy the wafts of smoke and fumes, even if they sometimes are deadly after what some of my students end up doing. Time for me to start marking these essays, I suppose. Not good to leave them ‘till the last minute or the students don’t really get a good indication, not when I’m being lazy. Bed early tonight, the Duelling Club is on tomorrow and I’ve been invited to take part in a demonstration. I really hope they let me stay on; I hardly ever get to use my wand these days. Love and best wishes to myself, [I]ZC[/I] [B]Notes: [/B] -Zeta used to play Chaser in Quidditch and still enjoys flying as a hobby. When the pitch isn’t being used she can be found out there, usually getting up early to have a workout before breakfast. -She enjoys friendly duelling very much and was quite handy with it in her student days, taking any excuse now to help out in the Club, as her position as Potions master leaves little time for using actual magic. -She has a flaw when it comes to people who overwork themselves in her eyes. She has been known to try and convince Ravenclaws or particularly hardworking Gryffindors to give themselves a break and live a little, regardless of effects on their grades. Naturally, Alexander came down on her like a ton of bricks and she’s been much more subtle since. -Her Patronus is a Cheetah, going back to when she had a great lust for excitement and speed and anything seemingly dangerous when she was a teenager. Probably get an image of her done. I have plenty of her as a student, though none when she’s older. Also, Gav, I hope you don't mind my inclusion of your character~[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]I so sorry, guys, I misread the rules as we had a [B]limit[/B] of 500 words, I wrote 494! >< I feel really stupid now, I won't be making that mistake again. If we'd have lost because of that I would have really been kicking myself. But thankfully we didn't, and we live to fight another day. Well done everyone else, I'm amazed at how many cliches you came up with. My knowledge is limited to shounen anime/manga, so the romance was the best I could come up with. [COLOR="Red"]GO GO ACES.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]I've decided to my judging as thus: I haven't read Sandy's post, so as not to be swayed by him, and I'm reading each story with a gap in between, like I would read a book. I read Beth's first, so I'll give my opinions on that immediately after finishing it. Once I've let my brain have a rest, I'll read BK's, and edit in my final judgement. I think this will be better for myself, and more fair. I have a short attention span when it comes to reading, so this way I'll be bale to devote myself equally to both pieces, and won't be influenced by one or the other. [B]The End of Beginning:[/B] My first thought was that I was being introduced to a fantasy story, what with the names and the rain that seemed quite...earthly, or very LotR. I know this might sound silly to judge on immediately, but given that these are Sci-Fi stories, I would have liked something a little more fitting to tell me this was not of our world. Perhaps talking about the rain hitting the stark metal columns, or something as such. I enjoyed your story, it was original, and it had a nice, clear ending. However, there were many sentences that I felt awkward reading, not just with grammar issues but the wording of them. There were repetitions of words (I believe 'bizarre' was one of them, and while I love that word it is a very harsh, unique word, so having it in the same paragraph more than once makes it stand out more than others.) I also felt the bit about 'all forty seven ships' failing at the same time was a little silly and unnecessary. You put it in there and I expected to see why, that maybe the creatures beyond the puddles had been responsible for it. If they were, that didn't jump out at me, and I think it would have been better that, seeing as you were bringing this to a conclusion, to have simply stated that there were two ships that failed, or one large ship that crashed. It would seem more believable. The creatures seemed very Dr Who to me. Fantasy again, but the steel collars and little metals wires were a nice touch to bring it back to being more technological. With regards to general critique--I felt your description was a little weak in areas, not so much of the scenes but of the actions. The imagery I was bombarded with was fantastic: I had a clear image in my mind of Lareth's head bowed in the rain, his daughter falling, and his pain. That was beautiful. However, the words used to take me through his lurching away from the robed creatures, for example, seemed forced. I think it's my own preference, but I prefer not to be given everything in a story, as a reader, I like to be able to fill in some gaps myself. Overall, I enjoyed the story and thought it had a nice conclusion with a reasonable explanation as to [I]why[/I] they had disappearances. My problem though, is that I should have felt sad for Lareth, but finished reading without much of a thought on what had happened to him. I'm guessing, however, that your restriction on length didn't help with this. I'll read BK's before I go to bed and have my final critique up then. I know I sound very harsh, and I'm sorry for that, but it's how I critique even my own writing. ^_^; [B]Alpha and Omega:[/B] I realise you went with a different approach to Beth, and I don?t mind the fact that you left it open for more development. However, I think it went against you, Matt, with regards to how the characters were put across. First of all, your writing style was a little messy. Your first paragraph alone appeared to switch between tenses, which I noticed happening throughout the writing. While the words themselves were fine, they seemed a little jumbled and I was focussing less on what information I was being given and figuring out what tense you were writing in. I have to compliment you on sticking quite loyally to what we know as typically sci-fi. A good reason for being in space, names that seemed to fit the military purposes, and the ships names as well as your subject specific language was all used very well. However, part of me is afraid you stepped too far past this and into the realm of stereotypical genre. Lots of it was predictable, and this is where I see, again, you may have shot yourself in the foot by choosing to do more of a chapter of one larger story rather than something self-contained. I liked Ben; I thought he was a nice guy. It adds more emotion to have a family left behind and the letter to start everything off with was a nice touch. However, Jenna frustrates me. Not because of her personality, but because of how she seemed too two-dimensional. It was as though she were there to simply have a female lead. I enjoyed the story, it had a quick pace and flowed well enough, leading the audience through each series of events. However, you suffered the same as Beth did when it came to describing actions. Telling me that Jenna looked down at the table, looked up again, and other such things I find unnecessary. The reader should have the freedom to picture those little things in their mind; otherwise it feels as though we?re reading stage directions. Overall, however, I liked it. I think it has good potential and if I were judging for the long term I?d say I?d have less to pick at. Most of these criticisms come more from the outline of this competition. [B]In Conclusion:[/B] It?s very hard for me to decide a winner. Both of your had faults when it came to the way in which the story was written. Beth, I found your story more unique and far more imaginative, however, if I didn?t know this was supposed to be a sci-fi themed contest, I would never have put yours in that category. Matt, you clearly stuck faithfully to the genre but weren?t quite as original, sticking to your generic basic plotline of humans vs aliens. When it comes down to it, my vote goes to [B][COLOR="SeaGreen"]BK[/COLOR][/B], simply because I feel he managed to represent the genre better in an enjoyable way. This really was very hard, though. (Sorry for writing so much, both of you. This is what comes from studying English Language Analysis in college) (Also, if I've repeated what anyone else has said, my apologies, but I didn't read other replies because I didn't want my opinions changed because of them)[/SIZE]

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][COLOR="Red"][SIZE="2"][B]"There's only one thing left that can defeat this type of evil, Sasuka."[/B] Fuzzers said, his voice low and thoughtful as he cradled his chin in one paw, looking knowledgeable. Before he continued Sasuka felt the ground tremble and fell with a scream to the floor, her hands over her ears for protection as she screwed her eyes shut. The mindless drones were moving as one into her house, all seeming to rush forward without any of their limbs moving, only with a terrifying roar rising from the crowd. The background flashed red before going back to Sasuka who held onto her sword for dear life, switching her head back and forth to look from the drones to Fuzzers. [B]"Well then tell me, you stupid animal!"[/B] she cried, still terrified of the drones even if they didn't seem to be getting any closer despite their persistent roaring. [B]"The ancient prophecies of your race tell us that for evil to be defeated, true love must be found. Sasuka, only the power of your true love can ever hope to win this battle. If not, all hope is lost!"[/B] Sasuka looked shell shocked, her eyes wide and trembling as she stared at Fuzzers, who just gave her a stern look. [B]"You can do it, Sasuka. It's always been in your heart! Look inside yourself!"[/B] Sasuka looked stern suddenly despite having seemed like the weak, crying heroine for the entire battle so far. Suddenly, she knew what she had to do. At this final moment when all seemed lost, when Sasuke was so powerful, she had to do what was right. She had to look inside herself for the answer...Kenji. She clenched her fist and once again the flames of passion and determination flared up behind her, her fist trembled as those same daring flames danced in her eyes. She looked into the drones, still rushing forward, and in the crowd she saw him. Her love. Kenji. [B]"Kenji!"[/B] she cried, jumping forward with a sudden effect of slow motion. Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes and glistened like diamonds in the air, falling like gentle rain onto Kenji's cheek. He suddenly stopped as the other drones rushed around him, seeing Sasuka as though with new eyes. [B]"Sasuka..."[/B] he sighed, reaching out to grasp her hand and pull her to him. The drones seemed oblivious to this until the pair embraced one another, when the crowd suddenly remembered what they were there for, turning on the love-struck pair. [B]"Oh no!"[/B] Sasuka yelled, turning so her hair whipped behind her and her sword shone in the daylight. Her free hand gripped Kenji's and his back pressed to hers as he looked at the encroaching circle, his brows knit and his teeth bared in a determined snarl. [B]"We can beat them, Sasuka. I won't let them hurt you! I?ve always loved you!"[/B] And light shone out from between their hands, it seemed the battle was near an end.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT]

[SIZE="1"](Funny, you must have sent that PM just after I finished reading this! Irony!) I'm so impressed by all the work that's gone into this, especially with the profiles and class system. MMOs are a joy for me, so taking part in something like this would be brilliant. I'm happy to help out in any way possible, and now that I'm officially on my summer holidays I have plenty of time on my hands. Also, with regards to your questions on playing either side: I'm not sure how many people here play GW: Factions, but I can see this Spammers vs Good Citizens turning into a situation akin to Kurzicks vs Luxons. As in each side think they're doing it for the greater good. That would be interesting, so players can change sides and have different sorts of armour/weapons open exclusively to them.[/SIZE]

[FONT="Arial"][CENTER]I woke with a terrible tingling burn running throughout my body, every limb and joint seemed to ache with some sort of dull pain. My eyes (well, one of them) fluttered open to take in my surroundings, glad for the moment that I wasn?t actually dead. I saw weapons along the walls, the ones that weren?t covered with bookcases, and a large oak table stretching out alongside where I was lying. I smiled immediately before damning this pain to hell. I was home. I really was. Somehow I managed to prop myself up on one arm, the other held against my chest by tight bandages, no doubt broken, even shattered. I didn?t think about that for the moment, though, only quirked my lips up in another pained smile at the young man walking toward me, a tray in his hands carrying bread and soup and water. [B]?Onix??[/B] I croaked before flicking out my tongue to wet my slightly cracked lips, the coppery taste of blood still faint in my mouth. [B]?Yeah, it?s me. You got yourself beaten up pretty bad, didn?t you? Took all I had to get you off that beach without bleeding to death,?[/B] he paused and I hadn?t realised until now how soft and wonderful his voice was to me. I almost asked for him to carry on speaking before he did. [B]?Such a silly girl, Zeke. I told you he was too much to take on just yet.?[/B] I frowned at that and looked away from his handsome face, knowing his stormy eyes always had a way of drawing me in and making me forget what my troubles were. [B]?I should have been strong enough. I just wasn?t expecting to be thrown off a bridge or fighting on top of a car. Even you wouldn?t have been prepared for something like that.?[/B] He chuckled softly and reached out to stroke my hair, combing out the tangles and grains of sand that were sticking to red strands. [B]?I guess not. But I would have known when to quit and come back to think of another strategy.?[/B] I snarled and batted his hand away, reflexes still quick even if I was injured, rolling off the couch only to step on my injured ankle, immediately crumpling to the floor with a shriek of pain. [B]?I should have been strong enough!?[/B] I cried, ashamed, feeling weaker than I ever had done before. Weaker now than when Onix had first found me, alone, bruised, half naked and crying in the rain where a group of drunkards had left me. I had thought I?d never feel that way again. I felt him kneel down next to me and cradle my head, holding me against his broad chest as I sobbed and sobbed and eventually trailed off into a pitifully weak wail of despair. When all I did was tremble in his arms he lifted me with ease, taking me upstairs to my bedroom without a word. When he placed me on the mattress I opened my useable eye, wondering suddenly what had happened to its twin. [B]?My eye,? [/B]I muttered, reaching out to grab his sleeve so he wouldn?t leave, [B]?What?s happened to it??[/B] He sighed heavily and sat on the bed next to me, pushing back my dirty fringe as if to reinspect the damage. [B]?I?ve had to stitch it closed. You should be able to use it again, but??[/B] [B]?But there?s a chance I won?t be able to.?[/B] I finished, surprising myself with how calm my voice was. Considering I might have died today the loss of an eye wasn?t something I would be mourning over in the morning when I was in less pain. At least I had a spare one. [B]?Thank you for saving me. Again. I don?t know what I?d do without you looking after me.?[/B] I reached up and stroked back his bangs, the dark brown broken up by occasional streaks of premature silver, brought on by a life of stress. Now I had calmed down I was glad to look into his eyes, ones that always seemed to intoxicate me after mere moments. He just smiled and leant down to place a chaste kiss to one of my cheeks, resulting in another dull flare of pain. Was there any part of me that wasn?t some way injured? He bade me goodnight and left, leaving the door open slightly so that only a sliver of artificial light from the corridor could get in, snaking across the floor. I groaned and tried to work my way under the covers, realising only now that he?d dressed me in a white gown to match the colour of my bandages. How quaint. I could only lie there as morphine worked its magic, caught in the purgatory of sleep and dreams when the image of that bastard?s face seemed to materialise before me. The Boss. He was so strong, and yet seemed so helpless, as though he could show a part of what I always felt when going against someone relentless. Someone stupid, really, like I had been. I grit my teeth and closed my eyes, determined to banish him from my mind until I saw him next. And the next time I saw him, I would split that face in two.[/CENTER][/FONT]

[SIZE="1"]Some of us have been a bit unnecessarily snippy, haven't we? Apart from the recent silliness, which I'm glad I wasn't here for, I'm very pleased with this new challenge. The only thing we have to worry about is Mary Sueing up our characters, and we're good to go. I don't mind what place I go in after The Captain, and I'm now online every night in the evening. If you want me on AIM just send me a PM and I'll hop on.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]So, I'm not sure if the new challange will be posted tomorrow or on Sunday, so I'm letting you all know I'll be away Friday and most of Saturday, as I'm staying over at a friends then going to Birmingham NEC for a sci-fi convention! Woo! So, if our challenge involves speed, or something, I'm really sorry you won't have me tomorrow. I just can't possibly get online as she doesn't have the internet. If it's posted on Sunday...well, then I'll be fine. GO GO GODZILLA ACES.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]Currently I have two major addictions: One is Belgian Chocolate Cheesecake from good ol' M&S, which is so light and fluffy and deliciously fattening I can't get enough of it. The other, which is my biggest addiction, is a light lunch my mum does for me when I get in from college; fried courgettes, mushrooms, bacon and potato squares on toasted ciabata bread, sometimes with Brussels?s Pate. It's just completely wonderful and I love it. And I love my mummy for cooking it for me, too.

[SIZE="1"]Being English, there is only one type of tea for me: [B]Tetley Tea[/B]. [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E22PvBxtALM"][[B]link[/B]][/URL] for one of their ads if anyone is interested, which makes me smile for some odd reason. Stuff all that European rubbish, I'm very happy with a teabag dipped in water for about ten seconds, before drowning it with milk and about three sugars. In an interesting contrast, I have no milk or sugar in my coffee, and a large spoonful of granuals. Usually I drink Columbian, but Arabic has a certain aroma about it that I just really like. If I have sugar in my coffee it seems far too sweet to me, and I really like the bitter taste it has.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]Well done, Tiana. While I don't think I'll be adopting your mod strategy any time soon, I'm really proud of the effort you put into that reply. The Aces live to fight another day! Let's have a terribly British huzzah, shall we? HUZZAH![/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Time for a new spam? I think so! Had my hair cut and restyled on Saturday. Glad not to have it straight anymore. By the way, Raiha, I love you and your self confidence.

[SIZE=1]"It's a trap!" always makes me laugh. It reminds me of 4chan, which is full of them. What else can be said about you, DB? I'm pretty sure you've had more people analysing you in this thread than any others. One thing that hasn't been said, though, is that your sig gives the impression of you being organised/like showing off things you're interested in. Because you think you're interesting? (Honestly, I just want someone to write something about me yaaay bandwagon!)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I had hope for this thread, what with the first whiny 'I are so ugly' post arriving past the third page. However, those hopes were all dashed when Premonition started thinking he was funny. Alas.[/SIZE]