Ezekiel

[CENTER][SIZE=1][U][I]Character[/I][/U] [B]Name:[/B] Fayth Archer [B]Age:[/B] 18 [B]Gender: [/B] Female [B]Appearance:[/B] [URL=http://www.psycko-manga.com/gallery/babe/51-1.htm][I]Fayth[/I][/URL] A girl raised by parents with very deep routes, Fayth has grown used to formal evenings and hunting trips, usually seen around her house and parties with the kind of dresses as shown in the picture. When she is in school or socialising with the few friends she has, she wears long skirts and button up blouses. Very plain colours like black or brown, despite her shocking hair and eyes. She never wears any makeup, only a little mascara, and deeply wishes to go unnoticed, an impossible wish considering her natural appearance. Fayth stands at 5?3??, not aided by heels, seeing as she only wears flat shows. Despite the fact she spends most time outdoors, the young woman does not tan easily and will only burn, hence the reason for her unhealthy, pale complexion. [B]Personality:[/B] Fayth was raised with parents that didn?t show much affection, only striving for perfection in their only daughter. They clung tightly to old traditions and the roots of their family?rich English nobles that had dealt a lot with France and Spain during the time of Henry VIII. They wished for their daughter to be a well educated, beautiful woman who would marry an equally rich and beautiful man who would bring wealth and pride to the family name. Thus, Fayth was home tutored by only the best and she learnt many sports and dances since she learnt how to walk. A very quiet but self-confident girl, Fayth has not grown used to socialising with people she does not know. She tends to slip away at any given opportunity when faced with a group of people who she knows nothing about. Despite her quiet attitude, Fayth is a very polite and exceedingly kind girl. She has the ability to tell when others are feeling bad, despite how hard they try to hide it. This comes from many years of listening and not speaking, she has learnt to read people?s eyes very well in the last couple of years. Ironically enough, Fayth finds it very hard to show her emotions and things like love and fear are things that she has never felt. This puts her at an obvious disadvantage, another reason why she is not good with large groups of people. [U][I]Weapon of Faith[/I][/U] [B]Appearance/Weapon Specifics:[/B] A spear that stands at six feet tall, the bottom rounded off with a silver sphere, the top of it sharpened to a fine, but strong point, tipped with silver to make it stronger. In the centre of the spear there is a black leather grip with etching on two sides for a better grip. The weapon is light, but because of it?s length, is hard to handle. Someone not experienced would find that they became unbalanced with a hard thrust or swing. The spear is very good for close combat because both ends are deadly if used in the right way, but because of it?s lightweight and streamlined design, the spear can be thrown a long distance. There is another advantage to the spear. If Fayth so wishes she can undo the sphere and leave it. Inside there is a chain (the, [I]kusari[/I]) made of a material so light yet extremely strong, said to be enhanced by holy magic. This chain can be attached to a bracelet that Fayth always wears around her left wrist. When the spear is thrown she can easily pull it back, as the chain will retract back into the spear?s body. This chain also makes the weapon useful so that it can be swung around or, in desperate situations, used like a rope for scaling walls or strangulation. (The ?transformation? will be described when it happens in the RP, providing I get in of course, and if I am accepted I?ll draw the spear and attach it to one of my ?in-play? posts.) [B]Technique:[/B] Fayth?s technique is known as ?[I]Sune-Kudansu?[/I] or ?Snake Dance?. While by no means a perfected or exact technique, the [I]sune-kadansu[/I] is, like a provoked serpent, wild and unpredictable. Using an intricate combination of quick footsteps and long, fast spear thrusts, Fayth is able to not only deflect and dodge many blows but also deal fatal damage. If perfected, [I]sune-kadansu [/I] would be an almost unstoppable technique. The user must be small, flexible and fast. Fayth is all of these having studies dance for a number of years. She is able to manipulate the [I]kusari[/I], using that as a weapon on it?s own or attacking hard with the thrown and swung spear. Her feet are light and she is a very nimble dancer, able to carry out fast and difficult routines whilst attacking her opponent. [B]Weapon Power[/B]: The [I]kusari[/I] is an unending chain, able to extend to any length and hold any weight. It will never run out and will never break, but is made out of a magic enhanced metal that adds little to no weight to Fayth?s weapon. This lightweight material also makes the body of the spear, which means that it?s one of the lightest weapons to handle, giving Fayth more freedom in her complicated ?death-dance?. History [B]Bio:[/B] Born, and still residing, in a beautiful thatched cottage just outside the town of Ilminster in the County of Somerset, Fayth has only known good fortune and impeccable living since she was brought into the world. Her life, as such, has had no significant occurrences, seeing as she was shut off from the world. However, there have been recent goings on that Fayth has not been aware of?things that her parents are involved in that are, indeed, dangerous and illegal. While these events are not known to Fayth at the moment, her aunt has been trying to get time to tell her. Eventually the results of her parent?s misdoings will catch up to Fayth and it will be her who is left to deal with the consequences. * [B]Character Snippet:[/B] A soft dawn lit up the dew-covered grass in front of a large thatched cottage. A half open window allowed a gentle breeze to enter, stirring the curtains on the other side of the glass. Slowly the young woman inside began to stir, opening her eyes to the early morning lightly filtering through into her room. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, turning over in an attempt to go back into a blissful sleep. But it was no use, she was awake now and getting back to sleep would be impossible. Sometimes Fayth hated the sun. She rose from bed and crossed to her dresser, her feet padding lightly on the floorboards as she went. There was no need to wake her parents, so she trod lightly and carefully picked her hairbrush up from the glass tabletop. Brushing her flaxen curls to get them into some sort of style before tying them back with a black bow, Fayth watched her reflection in the mirror and sadly sighed as she lay down the brush once again. This house, this life, was like her prison. She knew she had to get out?do something, but there was always her training? Two weeks ago, Fayth had stumbled across a very old spear in the shed at the bottom of her parents? garden. Having more sense than to ask them what it was, the girl had taken it upon herself to figure the weapon out. For some reason she had a great attraction to it and was compelled to see it in action. It?s feathery weight and pinpoint accuracy made it a joy to ?play? with and she found herself being occupied for hours out on one of the old horse paddocks, practicing her dances. Deciding that she wanted to know more about this weapon, Fayth went back to the old shed and found, after a long time of searching, some old books detailing the spear and it?s origins. It was Japanese, made from a material that Fayth did not recognise. She didn?t care what it was?it was real and it was powerful, and she promised herself to master its fighting form even if only for her own enjoyment. Fayth stood from the small chair in front of her dresser and crossed to her wardrobe, pulling out a summer dress that reached her knees and gloves to only came to just above her wrist. She quietly stole downstairs and pulled on her shoes, opening the back door and crossing out along the still damp grass to fetch her spear where she had hidden it. Today, seeing as it was a Saturday, would be fine. The sky was clear and the air was fresh, Fayth?s parents didn?t really care where she went as long as she stayed on the grounds, so her being caught was not likely. She set out, spear on her shoulder, to the furthest horse paddock, hidden behind some old trees. She set down her weapon and pulled off her shoes before beginning what she had come to call her ?dance of death?. (*= I added this, even though it may come to nothing, I thought it might be interesting to either have a character know what is going on with Fayth's parents o for some delicious little plot twist come into play later.)[/SIZE][/CENTER]

[QUOTE=Howlingvampire4]yup it does, thanks, i'm gonna check it out. :animesmil How exactly do I join this club? Can I join? And does it cost money?[/QUOTE][size=1]Hey, Howlingvampire4, how about you read the Graphics Club thread and find out? I'm up for this, mainly because I want to hone my skills as a graphic artist. I haven't been very active lately and my thread is very, very dead. Lately I just haven't had the inspiration nor motivation to do anything to do with Paint Shop Pro...so entering this would be great as it'll get me back into making graphics and I'll be able to learn from my opponent. (And other battles, of course) Also, I didn't get into Graphica, which I was rather annoyed at. I was looking forward to having a GFX Battle with someone of my own standard, if I entered this I know I would get just that. ^_^[/size]

[SIZE=1]Lore, I see the point you're making and I know you can't judge someone purely by what it says about their name...I was merely stating something I had noticed with myself and with a couple of friends. I guess I wouldn't like to be judged purely on my name, either, but I've had a great interest in meanings and origins of names for a while now, not everyone reads the Baby Name Book out of boredom, haha. One thing I dislike about certain names (this may be going slightly off topic) is when they are assumed to be of a certain gender. Like my name, for example, when I started my French class my teacher was looking for a boy and I had to shout, "I'm Jamie!" before she realised her mistake. Things like that annoy me, especially when I have people going "Jamie? Isn't that a guys name?"[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][CENTER][B]Name:[/B] Hikari Nozomi [B]Age:[/B] 17 [B]Gender:[/B] Female [B]Appearance:[/B] [URL=http://www.naimoka.com/image.php3?image=arts2/abe/texhnolyze/02.jpg][U]Nozomi[/U][/URL] The clothes she is wearing are what she wears in battle; usually she is seen in her school uniform or jeans and a T-Shirt. [B]Weapon:[/B] A bow that manifests from a cross that Nozomi has around her wrist constantly, it is made purely of Spirit Energy, but if used too much, Nozomi runs the risk of shredding her hand or arm. Nozomi is an anomaly amongst the Quincy, acting like a sponge for surrounding Spirit Energy. It?s as if she connate control the flow of Energy into her weapon and her superiors fear that if she is exposed to too much energy, her whole weapon could explode, fatally wounding or even killing her. [B]Alliance:[/B] Quincy [B]Title:[/B] Quincy Archer [B]Personality:[/B] A girl who seems to be constantly in ?battle mode?, Nozomi only considers her Quincy family as friends. She doesn?t socialise in or out of school and sticks by herself no matter where she goes. Her parents, having both been killed in Hollow attacks ten years ago, left her all they had and now Nozomi lives by herself in a medium sized apartment a few blocks from her school. Even though she can act cold and is always serious, she is well liked, seen as being ?quiet? or ?shy?. She?s a hard worker and puts a hand in anything that needs to be done; she?s helpful, especially to the older people who live in her apartment block. With almost no sense of humour and very dry wit, Nozomi only tends to get on well with adults because of her grounded and mature attitude. She finds it very hard to tolerate immature or silly people who don?t act their age. She does not get on with children. At all. [B]Biography/Character Snippet:[/B] A quick glance around the corner showed Nozomi that the coast was clear. She heaved a heavy sigh of relief and let her bow dissipate, the effort from that battle showing clearly from her sweat damp hair and bleeding fingertips. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall, she hadn?t even got to school yet. Something was definitely wrong. Lately there had been multiple Hollow attacks and Nozomi was sure she had seen a Hell Butterfly near her apartment. Only once in her whole time as a student Quincy had Nozomi witnessed a true Hollow, and that was when she was only young. The peace seemed to be broken, and once again the Shinigami were being slow to react. Sending out Hell Butterflies to scout for Hollows? What use was that when those monsters could do so much damage in a matter of seconds? Nozomi clenched her fist around her cross, the chain now slightly bloodstained from her battle. She cringed a little as the hot metal burned her palm, but she ignored that pain, knowing that it was nothing compared to what her parents went through. The girl continued her journey to school, remember what her master had told her when her parents had been killed. She was gifted, he had said, her powers had been awakened by the presence of the Hollows as well as the Shinigami that had arrived too late. She had been curled up in a corner, seen the carnage because of these powers, and it haunted her for years. The cross her bow was summoned from once belonged to a very powerful Quincy and had been given to her master so that he may find a child with enough Spirit Energy to contain it. Nozomi had more than enough, in fact it baffled most Quincy how she could be so powerful. Nozomi shook her head to clear it and arrived at the school gates. She checked her watch [I]?Five minutes early?what luck?[/I]. She ducked inside the gates and checked to see if anyone was around. They weren?t and so Nozomi dropped her bag to the floor, digging inside of it for a roll of bandages. She pulled them out and started to treat her wounded hand. The burning had subsided but the bleeding continued, though not as bad as it was a few minutes ago. She flexed her fingers once she was finished and nodded in self-approval, heading once again to the school, arriving in her classroom just as the bell rang. No one paid attention to her, as usual, though she did get some funny looks because of the bloodstained bandage covering her right hand. She looked up as someone skidded into the room, Yamagata Bishamon. Then, something happened. She coughed, as her chest seemed to tighten, a shocked expression on her usually calm face. Someone in front of her turned around as Nozomi started to wheeze and thump her chest. She looked up at Bishamon with a confused expression, seeing an aura of red around him. [I]?Such power??[/I] she thought, her vision beginning to get hazy. Before she knew it, she had blacked out, only to discover later why she had felt so bad. He was a Shinigami, one with great Spirit Energy unlocked by an unknown key. Because of Nozomi?s?abnormality, she had started to unconsciously absorb Bishamon?s Spirit Energy, which had caused an overload. As her friend and mentor, Ashisogi Jizou, had exclaimed with some humour[B] ?She?s lucky she didn?t blow the school up! Good thing her bow was worn out from the battle.?[/B] Nozomi hadn?t exactly appreciated that, but the man had a point. She had to find out where Bishamon had got this power from and most of all, how to obtain it. If he leaked that much energy without knowing, and Nozomi absorbed it, the results could be both terrifying and magnificent. Allying with a Shinigami was last on her mind, but with the increasing amount of Hollow activity, the Quincy may not have a choice. ****[/CENTER] [B]Well, I?m hoping to start this either tomorrow or tonight. Revelation is signing up as the guide, which is wonderful. If Pumpkin can finish her sign-up by tomorrow, that would be great, if not?well, I know you?re good enough and at least your personality is done, so that?s okay.[/B] [B]This is one of those rare times I?ve had great fun writing a sign-up, so I just hope this RP lasts. Thank you all for your sign-ups, if anyone else wants a go before tomorrow when I start the RP, you?re welcome to. But no more Quincies, I think we have enough. x.x[/B][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I, most certainly, find it easier to draw boys...though it used to be the opposite way around. There was a time when I couldn't draw boys to save my life and girls were all I done...then I got into manga and anime much more and discovered the 'bishounen'. I hardly draw girls these days because of it. Most of my boys are pretty anyway, and it's because of this I don't have a problem with female faces, but because I'm so used to drawing broad shoulders and a more 'solid' chest and waistline, it's hard for me to draw nice, curvy girls. But, practice makes perfect, and I?m using Negima (the manga) as a bit of a guide to drawing girls, eh heh. (Nice pictures, by the way, very Furuba-esque)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][quote name='deathsangel101']I fall in goth why you ask Frist of all I wear black secondly I have the deperssion I am also maniac and bi polar[/quote] Ah, you have succeeded in making me very angry... You are such a typical "I'm a goth because I'm depressed" person. Being depressed doesn't make you a goth, wearing black doesn't make you a Goth, either. God! It riles me so much to read a post like this. My mother can get depressed because of all the **** she's been though, she likes to wear black, but does that make her a goth? No! I wish people like you would stop clinging to stereotypes and labels like that, you only seem foolish and totally unoriginal. Don't you want to be unique? (Raiyuu, if this is out of order I humbly apologise but I'm sick of reading these kind of posts in this thread.)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Maybe I was a little too harsh as I have only seen two episodes of Elfen Lied, both of those episodes only showing Nyuu instead of Lucy. I know (now) that Lucy and Nyuu are like two different people, but still...Seras still seems to come out on top. I'm going for looks as well here, even though Lucy seems to have a more intersting side, her design is something that doesn't catch my interest. I'll make sure I know all the facts before flaming other characters, but thank you for clearing it up, Dagger. ^_^[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Well, I think you're being a little harsh, sakurasuka, as it is a known fact that names do share qualities with the person. While maybe not all the qualities, you'll be sure to pick up a couple. Ever heard the saying "What's in a name"? My name is Jamie, and I have a photo frame (haha) somewhere explaining what my name means. It hits all points--clever, confident, extrovert, artistic. I am all of those things; therefore I can say my name suits me. It isn't a common thing for names to mean something totally different from the person. Maybe saying "I know two Jacobs that are annoying and fat, therefore they all are" is going a bit far...because I know a Jake who is a great guy and has arms like a freaking tree-trunk. (In the ?POMG! Look at his muscles!? sort of way.) In conclusion--names mean something, but not everyone is the same.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I have to go for Seras, for a couple of reasons. ?Nyuu annoys the heck out of me and I'm sorry, but she doesn't look any different from a whole host of other anime girls. I think a true "anime babe" should have that little something that makes her stand out for the others. ?Nyuu's personality is far too innocent and boring, Seras has attitude (and she's English!) ?Seras has a full figure instead of just big breasts, and she has awesome hair. ?Seras is a vampire! But one who doesn't like blood, come on, it's cute. ?Seras doesn't act like some stupid, helpless creature. She carries a bloody big bazooka and can wipe out a whole group of men in seconds. Let's face it, she pwns. Yup. Seras definitely gets my vote....and now I have an urge to watch my Hellsing DVDs.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]A soft beam of sunlight filtered through a pair of lush, velvet curtains, falling on the pale face of Nozomi Hikari. She preferred to wake up this way and was glad that her quarters were far away from where the main early morning "traffic" was. Her light green eyes flittered open and she yawned, stretching in an attempt to wake herself up from a peaceful sleep. By the strength of the sunlight she assumed that most of Soul Society would be up by now and that annoyed her. What if she was presumed to be lazy? That wouldn't do. The lieutenant stood and dressed in black robes with crimson butterflies going up the right side. She looked to her Zanpaku-to and shook her head; it wasn't needed in the court now. Stepping out of her room and stretching again, Nozomi failed to remember the art of "look before step". She walked straight into her taicho, Abarai Renji, with a loud 'thud' and a cry of shock. [B]"Kisama!"[/B] Nozomi threw her hands back to steady herself on the frames of her sliding door while Renji stumbled back and hit the wooden railing on the other side of the walkway. He laughed softly and rubbed his chest, opening his eyes to look at Nozomi. She bowed her head in apology and grumbled, trying to wipe the sleep from her eyes. [B]"Tired, Nozomi-chan?"[/B] Renji asked, he was far too perky for this time of the morning, and Nozomi was not in the mood for his humour...or lack thereof. [B]"I was."[/B] she replied, before turning the other way and leaving Renji, muttering to herself in her annoyance. She headed down to the hot springs, hoping to rouse herself from sleep, when she heard two familiar voices. One was Sakura's, a woman who had to be pretty strong to put up with her taicho, Utamuro. Then of course, the captain?s voice was heard, loud and confident as it always was. It riled Nozomi and she would have left if she had not bumped into Akuma. [B]"Ah, Akuma-taicho, happy birthday."[/B] she said in an off-hand way. He had come to Soul Society only a short while before she had and the two of them had got to know each other through training and fighting. He wouldn't be considered a friend, but a strong ally, for certain. At least they shared one point--neither of them liked the Tenth Division Captain. Akuma looked shocked that Nozomi had remembered his birthday but pushed it aside, instead replying with, [B]"Ah, Nozomi-chan, you look like you could use a pick-me-up, the hot springs are hardly full...if you can ignore certain people."[/B] Nozomi sighed and nodded in thanks, walking towards the hot springs and heading to the one Sakura was in, ignoring Utamuro who obviously hadn't seen her from the other side of the grass screen. [B]"Ah, ohayo, Nozomi-san!"[/B] Sakura said cheerfully. Nozomi cringed as Utamuro splashed in his spring, letting out a laugh. [B]"Nozomi-cha~an! How are you on this fine day?" "I was fine before I heard you, Utamuro-taicho..."[/B] [B][U]OOC:[/U][/B] "Nanao-cha~an!" XP I'm so seeing Shunsui-sama in Utamuro.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I believe in fate...somewhat. I do believe there is a set path for our lives to run, but there are different options along that path determining how things happen. Like one of those books where you turn to one page, and die, or turn to the other page, find a shotgun and kill the monster chasing you. Destiny, something different than fate, is something I believe in. I think about it like this: [I]If[/I] I hadn't joined the OB, then I wouldn't have met Trevor. [I]If[/I] Trevor had actually carried on coming online, we probably would have split up. [I]If[/I] I didn't get together with John because of that, I may not have realised how I still had strong feelings for Trevor. Sappy, I know, but it's just [I]my opinion[/I] and how I feel on the situation. Someone is probably going to come up with 'coincidence' to counter my example, but I believe it's too much of a coincidence for it to be just that.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Sakura, that's fine, you're worth waiting for and, knowing ULX, I won't be able to start for a while anyway. *innocence* Just to let any others who are thinking of signing up know, I really want a balanced proportion of Shinigami and Quincy. So far, we have three Quincy including myself and no [I]real[/I] Shinigami. If the next couple of people who sign up could go as Shinigami that would be lovely. :3 ([B]Kamuro[/B], if you have already written your sign up as a Quincy or human, that's fine, don't worry about changing it. I'm doing your background now.)[/SIZE]

[CENTER] [SIZE=1]The now cold and wrinkled hand of my master fell out of my grasp; his lifeless face relaxed into a small smile?the smile I so hated for its peacefulness when I was left in such torment. How could he give up like that? How could he leave me?how could he?. when I was so lost and unprepared. I stifled a sob and stood quickly from the table, ignoring the sympathetic glances from the guards and doctors surrounding the bed. Not so strong now, am I, sensei? I quickly left for my quarters, where I sit now, writing down my thoughts and memories in the untidy hand that I?ve kept since I was young. Sensei always used to badger me about it? ?A powerful warrior should at least be able to write instructions so everyone can read them.? A short laugh, then more tears?memories are no good when they make such unhappy feelings well up inside me. Dabbing my quill in more ink, I carry on with this writing?trying to fill the pages with as much as possible in the hope that someone will read this and know what I was like, however long that may take. This scroll and the box it was found in holds more power than anyone can imagine?so let me explain this now, whoever you are: The pendant you found in this box belonged to my master. He was a powerful man, a [I]taicho[/I], a [I]Shinigami[/I]. These words you must remember as soon enough you will be associated with them in ways your mind cannot comprehend. I don?t want you to put this letter down now, and if you do, then it is clear you are not up to the task that destiny has set for you. This pendant, a small but horrifyingly powerful thing, must be worn at all times if you wish to survive. Having read these words it is up to you to leave now, or carry on. Choose your path: justice or cowardice. It is simply impossible to describe the power of this pendant to you, and if I tried, the information would simply mean nothing to you. To see just how serious I am, put on the pendant. Focus deep inside your heart and see a red glow. Reach out for that glow, let it take you in?now feel the power coursing through your veins. Feel that rush of adrenaline heating your blood to the boil. This is a power that has been entrusted to you; soon you will be hunted by three forces, as the pendant acts as a homing device for powerful spirits. The one you must go with is not a Shinigami, not now, anyway, but you will know it is him when you see him. You will sense it inside. The other two groups that search for you are ones to be avoided: the Hollows, and the Quincy. Hollows are beasts intent on seeking powerful souls, such as yourself. With this pendant now around you neck you must realise that your power has been released, unlocked. The Quincy are more powerful than Hollows, and while they may not seek to destroy you they will surely destroy the pendant. [I]You must not let this happen.[/I] Find the man, your guide, as soon as you can and she will further instruct you from there. I cannot give you any more help now, as I have not the knowledge of where and when this letter will be found. Just know that you have my blessing and my prayers for your safe journey. We will meet soon, that is, if you don?t die.[/SIZE] [SIZE=1]Over a hundred years ago there was a great war between Hollows and the Shinigami. The war resulted in the deaths of many powerful warriors from both sides and the near complete annihilation of the Shinigami. Near the end of the war, the Shinigami with their forces almost wiped out, called upon the Quincy for assistance. The Quincy, not forgetting their history with the Shinigami, refused, believing it to be a ploy to destroy them once again. The Shinigami somehow managed to pull themselves from the brink of defeat, partly for their re-instated anger towards the Quincy and partly because of the Hollow?s arrogance. For years the Hollows seemed to have disappeared and it seemed that peace was near. The Quincy, not wanting to have anything to do with the Shinigami, went into hiding during this time of peace on earth, and it seemed that they were no longer needed. However, a renegade Quincy, said to have ties with the Shinigami on a more personal level, went out of his way to track down the Captain of the First squad, at that time a man known as Shiban Yuki. This young Quincy, out of an act of rage and cowardice, attacked the old man in his sleep, leaving him with a fatal wound. The Captain lived for a week after his attack, then gave up on life, leaving his head strong and distraught Lieutenant behind to pick up the pieces. She took his pendant, a pride amongst the Shinigami, and hid it away somewhere on Earth, knowing that a human child with strong Spirit Power would find it. This woman, trusting her instincts, knew that the peace would not last long and hoped that the pendant would be found in time before the next Great War erupted on earth. She never admitted it to anyone but herself, but she loved humans and to see their planet destroyed would, in turn, destroy her. Now a teenage boy has discovered the hidden treasure, curious enough to follow the letters instructions. Whether or not he will live long enough to save his home and all he loves is up to him and his determination to cling onto life, even when it seems so lost. ***[/SIZE][/CENTER] [LEFT][SIZE=1]Okay, if anyone has seen the anime Bleach you?ll know that I?ve based this RP on the story. While I haven?t used any characters or plot lines, I have borrowed certain concepts, such as The Shinigami, Quincies, and Hollows. If you don?t know Bleach, have no fear! Because you don?t really need to know much about it in order to play a character in this RP. If you do wish to swat up on certain aspects, however, just so you don?t make any mistakes, a very good site to visit is [URL=http://www.bleachportal.net/bleach/][U]Bleach Portal[/U][/URL]. Of course, if you have any questions, then just send them to my inbox. If you request for me to put up a more detailed description of the main aspects of this RP then I?ll gladly create an Underground thread. Now, [B]sign up[/B]: [B]Name:[/B] Japanese, please [B]Age:[/B] I don?t want anyone below the age of 16, if you?re a Shinigami you don?t need an age, just what you appear to be. Quincy are humans, so have normal ages. [B]Gender:[/B] Normal stuff [B]Appearance:[/B] Picture or detailed description. Shinigami wear custom robes, which are black. [B]Weapon:[/B] This is where it gets a little complicated. ?The Quincy have things like bows, swords and stuff?.I think. So something along those lines would be good, but the key thing with Quincies is that they use their spirit energy in their weapons. (Like Ishida Uryuu, for example. He shoots arrows of energy from his bow.) ?The Shinigami have swords known as Zanpaku-to (Soul Slayers). I think it would really be best for you to refer to [URL=http://www.bleachportal.net/bleach/information/zanpaku-to][U]this page[/U][/URL] to see what I mean. Please, I want good descriptions of Zanpaku-to. ?If you are another human, as I will permit that, but have a strong spirit power I will allow you to use your imagination here. Think of Orihime from the series to get an example of what I mean. [B]Alliance:[/B] Quincy, Shinigami or human. The boy who finds the pendant is not a true Shinigami, he will gain Shinigami powers but still have his human body. All will become clear as the RP starts, don?t worry. If you are a human with spirit powers you are automatically on the side of the boy, [B]Title:[/B] This is for only the Shinigami and the Quincy. I don?t want a lot of captains, but I will allow one or two. There are 13 squads in the Shinigami rank, each with a Captain and a lieutenant. There are also seats going down for each squad. (example: 10th Squad, 4th seat). For Quincy your title depends on your weapon. I know there was only one Quincy in the series (ie. Quincy Archer-Ishida Uryuu) But from this I?m assuming your title will go depending on the weapon you use. So you?re allowed to be a little inventive here, if you choose to be a Quincy. [B]Personality:[/B] Simple stuff, I?d like to know how your character would act in battle, especially. [B]Biography/Character Snippet:[/B] If you are playing as a human, all I really want is how they found out about their powers and got to use them, maybe their first experience with a Hollow. If you know the series well, then adding a little bit of history for your character would be good. Please remember, only those with strong spirit powers can see Hollows. No normal human can see or sense them, but they can be hurt by them. ?[B]Quincy Archer[/B]-Imi ?[B]The boy[/B]- ULX[/SIZE][/LEFT]

[quote name='apiekind']Well, i come from a small litlle town called Oudtshoorn, in the western part of South Africa. The town is well known for Ostriches (yes the big bird), we have like dozens of leather export business.Other then that this place is as hot as hell during the day and at night, well hell freezes over. O yea and this place is like a Ghost Town, well lets just say this place is infested with old people!!![/quote] [SIZE=1]Hey! I went there on a school trip when I was a wee child (actually, it was only about 4 years ago...eh heh). It was good, but like you say, a little quiet. I used to live in Somerset West, don't know if you know it? It is quite a ways away, I suppose.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][B]Name:[/B] Esther Range [B]Age:[/B] 26 [B]Gender:[/B] Female [B]Species:[/B] Human [B]Appearance:[/B] [URL=http://www.psycko-manga.com/gallery/babe/50-10.htm]Esther[/URL] [B]Side:[/B] Helping Azrael [B]Weapon:[/B] [URL=http://world.guns.ru/handguns/sw-m64.jpg][B]A Smith and Wesson M64 .38Spl[/B] [/URL] , usually hidden in Esther?s hipster bag that she always has belted to her side. She also carries a [URL=http://www.mosquitohammock.com/images/picSnapBlade2.JPG][B]switch blade[/B][/URL], though this is usually only when she knows she'll be in a crowded place with people who she does not know. Esther[I] never[/I] leaves home without one of her weapons. [B]Personality:[/B] Esther, an only child to a single parent family, has always grown up knowing that she is the only one going to look out for her and has even got to the point where she doesn?t want someone to look after her any more. She is a highly intelligent young women with a sharp mind and quick wit, though she prefers to stay back and listen when a discussion is going on, throwing in a few comments only if she deems it necessary. By now means a shy person, though some would perceive her to be so, Esther is very confident and for a few years dabbled in theatre acting, mingling with a few well-known Thespians. She enjoyed this time and picked up many friends, though still prefers to be alone rather than socialise. A kind and good-hearted woman, Esther is one who people can trust their lives and darkest secrets with. She?s always there if someone needs advice or a shoulder to cry on and is happy to help with any situation. The only fault of her personality is thus: over the years she has grown increasingly paranoid and it is part of the reason why she prefers to be alone. The fact that she always carries a weapon makes her wary about meeting new people or even going into crowded areas. [B]Biography:[/B] Esther never knew her father and still, to this day, doesn?t know much about the reason why he left for good. The only thing she knows is that he left soon after she was born and from that day, Esther?s mother seemed set on drinking herself to an early grave. Constantly coming home drunk, angry and depressed, Esther?s mother paid her crying child no attention and would on the odd occasion take her frustrations out on the toddler. This kind of behaviour carried on for three years, but Esther, being only a young child thought that this was what she was doomed to for the rest of her life. She learnt to hide when her mother arrived home and how to cook for herself. Eventually Esther was doing most things around the house and tried to keep it in the best condition she could. Soon, however, without her mother paying attention to the finer workings of the house, it begun to literally fall apart. In a rare sober state, Esther?s mother packed a suitcase of clothes and few belongings and took herself and her child away to live with her sister, who was willing to take the two in on the condition Esther?s mother stopped drinking. That, however, was stopped soon enough, as Esther?s mother was found dead one month later outside a club, a bullet hole in her forehead. Esther was raised by her aunt for the next ten years, by which time she was sixteen and was sent away to a college of performing arts. This seemed like a good idea as Esther?s confidence and faith in the human race had suffered greatly due to her traumatic time as a child. The memories still haunted her nightly and she often woke up in cold sweats. It?s this mounting fear and distrust that has lead Esther to her current state of paranoia. She has, however, from her time in college, learnt that people are not all bad and is now happy to at least have friends outside of work. She met another girl during her time in college that had made an attempt on her life but had been ?saved by God?s love?, as she put it. This girl suggested that Esther come to mass one Sunday with her, just to see how the warmth of God?s love would touch her, especially after all she had been though. Esther agreed, being a curious person, and soon found great interest in the workings of the Church. Esther is, by no means, an overly religious person. In fact, she isn?t even quite sure of her belief in God but still goes to Church every Sunday. She is very much a ?have to see it to believe it? person, but deep down truly wishes for something to happen to her for her belief in God to be sparked. After play-acting for four years, Esther decided it was time for a career change and is currently taking night classes in criminology, hoping to further that education when she has built up sufficient funds. Currently, Esther works four times a week and Sunday?s in a nice little café buried in the more residential part of the city. Occasionally she will perform in plays, though usually only during the winter. She lives alone in a medium sized apartment and frequents the shooting range where she has met quite a few of her closer friends. Not long ago, on a Sunday morning when the church she frequents had no one but herself inside, Esther felt a certain...presence. At first she ignored the feeling, believing it to be another bout of paranoia...but then it became stronger, like a pleasant warmth in the pit of her stomach. She lifted her head and turned to see a man at the Church door, something about him told Esther that he was no normal human. He immediatly crossed to her and sat right next to her, not uttering a word. Esther simply stared and, forgetting her manners, launched straight into speach, [B]"My name is Esther Range...can I help you?".[/B] [B]"Perhaps..."[/B] was all he said in reply and his story, along with Esther's awakened belief in God, followed soon after. [B]Most enjoyable sign up I have written in a [I]long[/I] time. ^_^[/B] [COLOR=Red]Edit:[/COLOR] This okay now, hon?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Correction, ghostchick, it isn't Muslims as a whole. Do not label a religion under any circumstances for a situation such as this, it is the groups operating behind this that should be blamed. I watched the news just over an hour ago, it was live from a meeting with journalists and it is the 'The Secret Organisation of Al-Qaeda Jihad in Europe' who have claimed the bombs to be theirs on their website, but there isn't apparently any conformation of this yet...or there wasn't when I was watching. Considering there were 8 bombs set off, I'm surprised that more people weren't killed. The worst was at King's Cross, if I'm not mistaken? It's quite ironic, really, as soon as the fact that London had the 2012 Olympics was announced, I think quite a few people knew that something would happen. Any city to have something like this would have been made a target. Maybe that's just my opinion, though. My sympathies to those families who lost their loved ones today, let's just hope these attacks don't continue.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Thanks a lot for all the nice comments, all of you; I have been neglecting this thread even though I have loads of things to post. No more mini banners for now, I want to do another batch before I post them and currently I've only done two more. Anyway, here's a few more things. One CG, a photo manipulation, one VERY random graphic and my first graphic that was almost all vector. [B]?Hitchhike[/B] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/forest.png[/IMG] [B]?Post-Apocalypse[/B] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/blarg_blarg.png[/IMG] [B]?Renji[/B] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/renji.png[/IMG] [B]?Nozomi Hikari[/B]-This was done for ULXs Bleach RP (check it out if you like the anime) [URL=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/Nozomi.png]Click[/URL][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Yeah...just commenting on those last two pieces, mainly because they're my favourite but also because typing is seeming to be a little difficult right now O_o;. [B]?Orange Sunset.[/B] OMIGAWD!! I saw this on devART and it rocked my face off. Really, I think this is one of your best pieces yet. It's totally professional and something that a person would [I]pay[/I] to have done for their website. The colours are gorgeous and the effect you used on the background it just lovely. The text is perfect and all the colours just blend wonderfully. I wish i had Photoshop, that way you could teach me how to do that! Oh, love the little "girl and boy" icons, they add a wonderful touch. [B]?Blood on the Ground[/B] Also saw this on your devART account and loved it. Again, very sharp and very professional, I'd love to know how you do this stuff without having any mistakes in it at all. It looks like a promotional poster or CD cover to me. Retri, my friend, you could certainly make a living out of this >>[/SIZE]

[CENTER][SIZE=1][B]Name- [/B] Nozomi Hikari (Desire Light) [B]Gender-[/B] Female [B]Rank- [/B] 6th Squad Vice-Captain [B]Appearance-[/B] [URL=http://photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/?action=view¤t=Nozomi.png]Nozomi[/URL] And, as is the way, in Shinigami robes. Except where white is on most of them, Nozomi has crimson trim. [B]Zanpaku-to-[/B] Kashoku (Bright Light) [B]Shikai Call-Out-[/B] Saekagayaku (shine clearly) [B]Shikai Form-[/B] What starts off as a simple katana transforms into a long spear, roughly 6' long, with two spikes coming out at the top making it look like a large crucifix. It looks heavy and bulky but is actually very light; Nozomi has trained for years to use it with expert skill. The end of the 'spear' is sharpened as well as the three tips at the top. In the middle there is a black leather grip with the kanji for "Peace" scratched into it. The katana itself is simple in design, but it is the saya that is very unique. With elaborate patterns running over the surface and gems embedded near the tip, the saya itself is a beauty to behold. It is jet black with silver dragons, dashes of gold running over like gleaming scales. The gems at the tip make the dragon's eyes and they sparkle magnificently in the sun. The hilt of the katana is silver and has a crucifix carved on the side. [B]Shikai Power-[/B] The Kashoku has immense holy and light energy trapped inside of it. If Nozomi desires she can shoot massive bolts of this energy at her foe though doing so leaves her open to attack. [B]Bankai-[/B] N/A, but Nozomi is trying to master it. [B]Personality-[/B] Nozomi is a woman of class and elegance, she know who she should show respect to and who should show it to her, which has actually grown to a good many people over the years. She knows that she has not gained her high position in the Shinigami ranks by making friends and socialising and has earned herself a reputation as a cold person who refuses to talk to those she doesn't need to. Nozomi is focussed and bitterly sarcastic and sometimes heartless. She has a very short temper which burns down easily especially with the younger recruits. She has great problems with handling the younger spirits and prefers to just fight Hollows instead of saving those wandering spirits. A woman with almost zero sense of humour, Nozomi is not one that should be made angry in any situation. The only person she ever seems calm or happy around is her [I]taicho[/I], Abarai Renji, who is also her closest friend and a man with whom she trusts her life. [B]Character Snippet-[/B] Nozomi sighed as she sat on the edge of a fountain, the cold water gently splashing against her cheek. She paid it no heed and instead watched the other Shinigami mill about, going about their daily tasks. The [I]taicho[/I] had been called to a meeting, one about this [I]?Hollow-Faced Shinigami?, [/I] no doubt. Nozomi still wasn?t sure if she totally believed the story, a Hollow/Shinigami mix? It just didn?t seem possible to her?though, if you had spoken to her a few years ago, she wouldn?t have thought it possible for a Quincy to be so powerful either. Back then she held the fourteenth seat in 6th Squad, a position she was not proud of and dearly wanted to build up on. She remembered quite clearly the times she had spent with that Quincy, Uryuu Ishida, and remembered some of the things he had said to her, [I]?Power corrupts, but it also heals?become powerful, and help those you love.?[/I] She scoffed and stood from the fountain, that piece of advice had been spoilt by the mere mention of love. What good was love to a warrior of her level now? She had power and she had reason. That was all that was needed, especially in the time of war and need. The heavy sound of wood being beaten signalled the end of the meeting and Nozomi looked up to see Renji leaving the meeting room. He looked down and nodded to his lieutenant, Nozomi returned the gesture with a small smile. Up until a year ago, Renji scarcely knew her name and had only seen her in Squad meetings, but she had trained and fought and steadily risen to the high level she was at present and he respected her for that. Her [I]taicho[/I] hopped off the bottom step and walked over to her, Nozomi resented him walking too close to her because of her small stature compared to his height, it was quite comical to see the two together in combat. Renji grinned down at Nozomi and she raised an eyebrow questioningly. [B]?I don?t like that grin, Renji?you look insane, stop it.? ?Aie! Nozomi, just because you?ve forgotten how to look happy??[/B] Nozomi scowled and walked slightly faster with Renji laughing behind her. He reached down and took a swipe at the dark makeup around her eyes, smearing it down one soft cheek. Nozomi glared coldly up at him and rubbed her cheek, only smudging the makeup more. Renji chuckled and walked ahead as his lieutenant struggled to make herself presentable, nodding to certain captains that passed him. [B]?Utamuro, Hiwatari-chan.?[/B] He said, almost cheerfully, as the tenth Squad captain and lieutenant passed. Nozomi shot Sakura a short smile and scowled in Utamuro?s direction, she wasn?t very fond of that man?he was too cocky and brash for her liking. But, as a Vice-Captain, she had no right to comment and instead hurried to Renji?s side so she did not have to look in the other man?s direction. [B]?Are you going to tell me why you?re so happy??[/B] she questioned, still sounding sceptical. Renji looked down and patted her on the head patronisingly, tapping his nose with his free hand. [B]?Captain stuff?you wouldn?t understand.?[/B] Nozomi sighed and gave up in the end, it had been a long day, and her [I]taicho[I] had a bad habit of annoying her when he was in a good mood. [B]Hope that was okay all of you, I know I made Renji rather happy?but I?ve just watched ep. 32 and I see he really isn?t such a serious, angry man all the time. Raiyuu, be warned, you?re dealing with a rabid Renji fangirl here. ^_~[/B] [/SIZE][/CENTER]

[SIZE=1]My story is kind of the same as Goddess'...without the sexy Australian ^_~ I joined theOtaku because I wanted somewhere to put my fanart; I think I'd actually searched for "anime fanart" and the site popped up. That was about a year and a half ago, so the site has gotten much better since then, obviously. I joined the OB about two months after I joined TheO, because I was curious at seeing it in my backroom. I signed up and didn't post for ages and my first topic was locked because I asked a stupid question (even if it was in the questions forum). ^_^;; Glad I joined the OB--it has brought many happy times with more to come, I'm sure.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I'm not going to comment on all your pieces individually, because I'm lazy =D. But all of them are really good, and it's nice to see that you're branching out from the usual and testing your skills in other areas of graphic designs. But my favourite out of your latest pieces is most definitely "This is not beauty". Mostly because I totally agree with it, but I've been wanting to do a piece with that kind of emotion and statement behind it, I just couldn't find the right pictures :/ You done a gorgeous job, though, well done as always.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Thanks Retri ^_^; I told you on AIM about the blood, next time you come online I could send you the pictures I used, if you'd like? I went on a mad "mini-graphic" making splurge. I like them, they were fun to do... not too bothered about high levels of critique on these, and I know the typography sucks on some, there wasn't much I could do. Anyways, these are all dedications to some of my best friends here, I'm still making more, so if you're not there at the moment, don't worry ^_^;; [B]Rising Sun[/B] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/sun.png[/IMG] [B]Unborn Lord Xion[/B] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/Xion.png[/IMG] [B]Sean[/B] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/sean.png[/IMG] [B]Retribution[/B] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/retri.png[/IMG] [B]Goddess[/B] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/goddess.png[/IMG] [B]Boo[/B] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/Boo.png[/IMG] This was another random graphic, I have a load more, won't bore you with them though....yet. ^_^; [B]Butterflies[/B] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/butterflies.png[/IMG][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Well, Sun just contacted me on AIM and said he had to catch a flight, so I've been trusted with posting this piece of artwork for him. Personally, I'm saddened that his thread was so far down in the forum T_T but this piece is awesome, so...yeah: [B]Indestructible:[/B] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/Indestructiblecopy.jpg[/IMG] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Thank you both for your comments ^_^ I really appreciate it. 'Suka-chan, I see what you're saying. I wanted him to blend in with the background, but I should have gotten rid of the majority of the white stuff covering him. I may go back and edit it again. I've just finished this one, and I know it's simple and not the kind of stuff I usually do...but it has more of an emotional meaning to it and there's a long story and reason behind it that I'm sure none of you want to hear, heh. [B]?Please forgive me, I carry too many scars.[/B] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/AzureImi/scars.png[/IMG][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I find it funny that you think that learning a new language should be easy for everyone, because it most certainly is not and people aren't stupid if they can't pick up languages. English is one of the hardest languages to learn, because of all the rules, similar spellings, use of homonyms etc. I think Finnish is one of the hardest, though...I forget why but it has a shat load of language rules that need to be followed. Then Japanese has the huge amount of Kanji, which is hard to get your head around if you weren't born there. Am I getting my point across? I lived in Thailand for two years when I was three, went to school and learnt Thai and English. It was hard, I couldn't speak Thai, of course I couldn't because learning a new language that you don't speak at home usually is[I] hard[/I]. Stop acting so haughty by saying that it shouldn't be hard and go out and teach yourself Dutch or something. [B]Edit:[/B] I re-read what you said and only because of what you've said to me on AIM can I see that you are saying you find it difficult too. You must understand that online, wording in posts is very important as people can misunderstand your feelings on things. As your first post stands, it still seems that you are saying "I found learning English difficult because I was little, why do other people find it so hard?"[/SIZE]