Mykul

Vicky, if I ever run into you on a dark and deserted street, please don't be offended when I flee for my life.

[B]"May I join you?"[/B] Kai hesitated only a moment. [B]"Yeah- yeah of course."[/B] He motioned for Nico to sit opposite him, and he did so. [B]"Can I get you anything?"[/B] Nico chuckled. [B]"No thanks, I'm not much of a drinker."[/B] Nico paused, wondering where to begin. He faced the task of explaining to a complete stranger that he had tracked him down for no good reason besides a strange instinct. As he was thinking, Nico was studying Kai from the corner of his eye. What seemed most odd was the fact that he, like Nico, was wearing sunglasses at this hour and indoors. This gave Nico an idea. He reached up and removed the shades from his face. Kai froze, shock apparent on the portions of his countenance that were not hidden behind his mirrored aviators. Slowly and with purpose, Kai exposed his own eyes. Nico let out a breath and leaned heavily against the back of his chair. Staring at him from the other side of the table was a pair of crimson eyes, exactly like the ones that had been greeting him in his mirror for weeks. [I]Well,[/I] Nico thought. [I]At least now I know why I felt such an urge to find him.[/I] It was obvious that he and Kai were somehow connected; somehow united through this abnormality. [B]"Has... has anything strange been happening to you lately?"[/B] Kai asked hesitantly. Nico raised his eyebrows. [B]"I mean, besides the red eyes, that is."[/B] Kai added. They both laughed, and Nico felt the fear and uncertainty he had been feeling over the past weeks slowly drain away. It was as if he had been reunited with an old, good friend after many years of separation. [B]Yeah. Check this out,"[/B] Nico said. He reached across the table and wrapped both of his hands around Kai's glass of coke. [B]"Ready?"[/B] Kai looked up at him, puzzled. The next second, Nico illuminated the glass, making it appear as if a 60 watt bulb had been placed inside the amber liquid. Kai gasped slightly. Grinning, Nico cut the light and withdrew his hands, glancing around to make sure no patrons had seen this display. [B]"Pretty crazy, huh?"[/B] Until this very minute, Nico's new powers and eye color had frightened him. Now, in the presence of Kai, these fears and doubts were completely forgotten, replaced with excitement. Kai's face was full of bewilderment at the meeting's events thus far. [B]"I've got a trick of my own,"[/B] he said, lowering his voice. [B]"But I'm not sure I can show you here...it's not very discrete...[/B] [B]"It's late. I bet an empty street won't be too hard to find,"[/B] Nico suggested. Kai readily agreed. He signaled the barmaid, paid for his drink, and the two men exited the establishment. They walked in search of an uninhabited street, talking amiably. Nico told Kai about the sunny paradise from which he had ventured, and Kai in turn described his life as a musician. It suddenly occurred to Nico that there was something very important that he should mention to his companion. He told Kai the story of his ferocious attacker. When Nico finished his tale, Kai was visibly worried. [B]"You say he moved like an animal. Was there anything else strange about him?[/B] Nico nodded solemnly. [B]"It happened so quickly...I'm not sure, but I think he had eyes like ours."[/B] [B]"But you were able to blind him and get away?"[/B] [B]"Yeah. I jetted out of there. Man, my shoulders are killing me,"[/B] Nico said as he attempted to stretch his scapulae. [B]"So are mine!"[/B] Said Kai, now utterly perplexed at the seemingly endless stream of coincidences. [B]"This just keeps getting weirder and weirder."[/B] Minutes later, they arrived on a block that was perfect for their needs. Nico took a step back from Kai, bowing slightly. [B]"Maestro."[/B]

Nico sat at the bar of the dingy tavern, draining his glass and thinking of everything that had transpired in the past months. It had taken him all of one day to decide that he needed to track down Kai Gabriel. Some unknown, powerful force compelled him to seek out the musician. So, taking nothing with him but money, clothes, and a pair of sunglasses to hide his new ocular abnormality, Nico left his sunny paradise and arrived in the city. As soon as Nico had purchased a small city apartment, he retrieved a phone book and began to search for the name Gabriel. He called, but there was no answer. Feeling more and more uneasy, he left a hasty message and hung up. Nico scribbled down Gabriel's address, and was ready to leave in search of the man to whom he was mysteriously drawn, but suddenly stopped. He didn't know how or why, but Nico suddenly knew that what he was doing was [I]wrong.[/I] [I]He has to find...me. And I...have to be ready.[/I] These words rang in his mind as purest truth, even though they toed the line of nonsense. What did he have to be ready for? Who was this Kai Gabriel, anyway, and why did Nico feel this urge to seek him out? And so Nico sat at the bar, drinking, waiting. He had not deviated from his routine for the last several days: explore the town, go home, check to see if Kai had called, sleep, repeat. He glanced at his watch and decided it was time to go. He payed and thanked the bartender, who grunted in reply. Despite all the weirdness of this city, apparently people who wore sunglasses indoors at night were thought to be transients. Nico walked out into the night air, orienting himself in the direction of his new home. After a quarter mile of trekking, a sudden, frightening feeling made Nico stop in the middle of the street. His heart was pounding in his chest. He glanced up and down the deserted thoroughfare, as if some unseen assailant was waiting to pounce on him from the shadows. A restaurant door opened fifty yards down the street, and Nico's head snapped around. Emerging from the burger joint were two young people; one a pretty girl and the other a solid-looking boy with shoulder-length golden hair hidden by a cap. Nico could hear their conversation from where he stood. [B]I know, Caleb, I know. But do try to come down then, ok?[/B] But the boy didn't answer. He had stopped in the middle of the street and stood rigid, staring straight at Nico. Slowly yet determined, as if diabolically curious, the boy started towards Nico. The girl with whom he had exited the restaurant looked terrified. Every particle in Nico's body was screaming: Flee! But it was too late. The young man let out a snarl and broke into a run, teeth bared and fingers flexed like claws. Now Nico could see his face; thick skin and his abnormally sharp teeth. Nico yelled, held up his hands, and concentrated with all his might. He still didn't understand the nature of his new, strange ability, but over a short time he [I]had[/I] learned some control. The new strangeness didn't fail him. A brilliant flash bathed the street in light. Nico saw keenly and naturally through the brightness. The young man had fallen to the ground, hands over his face, and was thrashing blindly. With all the speed he could muster, Nico ran, not daring to look back for his unknown attacker. [B]OOC:[/B] Hope you don't mind me giving you a cameo, Mr. 10. Feel free to treat it like it never happened.

[quote name='Knuckles' Girl'][COLOR="Navy"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"] I'm stating facts not making statements. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] Wh-what...? Moving past that. I think the point is that the Baal clan is feral, not lupine, even though the sign-up page's art exhibits an image similar to an earthly werewolf. It is sort of silly to predict the behavior of an [I]alien[/I] race based on the nature of an [I]earthly[/I] creature, wouldn't you say? Of course you would. You [I]should,[/I] at any rate. Besides, conspicuously absent in Baal character descriptions are oaths that state, "I vow to henceforth follow the laws of the wolf pack." So arguments for Baal clan stability based on Lupine nature should end. Oh, and I just saw your signature. I like your catchphrase. "Nature is calling." The best part of that idiom is that it is [I]totally[/I] intimidating, and doesn't sound at [I]all[/I] like you have to pee. [No hard feelings disclaimer] :animesmil

[quote name='The 10th'][FONT="Book Antiqua"] [FONT="Book Antiqua"]You make a valid point indeed-- you could plunge me into a world of darkness, one where I couldn't use my refined eyes or ears to find you. But guess what I [I]can[/I] use, friend. My [B]nose[/B]. Just how powerful is the smell of a Baal, you ask? Come and find out Mr. Overconfidence. Sure it'll be less accurate than using my other senses, but you Chronus probably reek of feathers and such. And don't worry, I won't need my "intense empathy" to feel your arrogance fade into fear. :animesmil[/FONT] [/FONT][/QUOTE] You seem to be getting ahead of yourself. We Chronus are not clumsy, lumbering animals that you can track easily. We are not your wounded prey. We do not thrash about the forest, leaving a trail of blood and broken branches. We are the lords of speed, kings of velocity, and [I]masters of the sky.[/I] I wonder- when I am circling thousands of feet above you, when I strike from the air faster than lightning, faster than anything you can imagine- how helpful your nose will be. And yes, Phill wins the catch-phrase game.

The fact that the Baal clan claims superior numbers is a trivium; nothing more than a joke. Their feral and aggressive nature will have them tearing at one another's throats. And the Sin clan? Sin blood carries with it no sense of loyalty. Those united by the blood of Sin will be torn apart by their thirst to singularly dominate all life. Only the peacekeepers are wise enough to unite into one, immense power.

[quote name='Darren'] P.S. I just realized I was the 777th reply. Bow down to me![/QUOTE] Sure, you're the 777th [I]reply.[/I] But the post emblazoned with a beautiful [B]#777[/B] belongs to...ahem. *Points to name tag*

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Arial][COLOR="DarkRed"]Mr. Maul[/COLOR] has fun with photo stretching.[/FONT][/QUOTE] Yes he does. I thought it was pretty well done. [IMG]http://i43.tinypic.com/oj065s.jpg[/IMG]

Whenever sounds good to you, miss Vicky...:shifty: you tricksy skunk...

I have but one question: [CENTER][COLOR="Red"][SIZE="4"][FONT="System"]WHEN DO WE START?[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/CENTER]

[CENTER][URL="http://img2.cdn.crunchyroll.com/i/spire4/05082008/2/f/2/4/2f24db0a2bd7e0_full.jpg"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]For Starters[/COLOR][/URL][/CENTER] The sun was shining, the ocean breeze was blowing, and the waves were swelling in Nico Stanley's favorite surf spot. Board tucked under his arm, he closed his eyes momentarily and let the sunlight soak into his skin. He took a deep breath and dug his toes into the sand, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of contentment growing in his heart. It was times like these that he almost forgot why he was here. Yet he couldn't forget, and he [I]did[/I] remember. The sound of the crashing waves became the cacophony of afternoon traffic, and in his mind he was once again in that damned city. He could clearly see his family's large, expensive downtown apartment. He still remembered what it had smelled like when he had returned from running errands on that day. It had been two years since his parents had been murdered in their home; two years since he had found them, bound together, their throats cut. When they had released him from the psych ward, his uncle James had advised him to get away. "Leave this damn city," he had said. "Take the money they left you and go. Your thoughts need room to wander; they need space so that they can travel away from this nightmare. These skyscrapers and noisy streets will keep those dark things trapped in your head forever." And so Nico, native New Yorker of age twenty-two, decided to accept his uncle's advice and begin again in a not-so-commercial area of Southern California. Here, in the sunlight and the blue sky, he finally could let go. Snapping out of his reverie, he grabbed his board in both hands and charged into the water. He caught the first wave that came his way and easily rode it out. Sometimes he was surprised at how quickly he had mastered surfing. In fact, over the last few months, his body had been behaving in many strange ways. His exercises were becoming easier and easier to finish. He was setting new personal records every other day, it seemed. Why, just the other week he had jerked 800 pounds over his head. Such was his surprise at this that he accidentally threw the barbell down on a leg-press machine, effectively breaking it. Luckily this strange event had occurred during one of his 3AM I-can't-sleep-workouts, so Nico was able to flee the scene undetected. After three hours of riding waves, the sun began to set on Nico's fun. He trekked up the beach and over a few large rocks to reach his small, oceanside home. He had left the tv on. The nightly news was winding down with their strange stories, like they always did. [I]Yesterday in Britain, during a performance by Reverent Power, an amplifier exploded, injuring several people. Investigators are clueless as to how the medium-sized amp generated so much energy upon explosion. They have not ruled out the possibility of some sort of sonic bomb. The following video was taken with a camera-phone by a fan. [/I] Nico turned off the television, but the story wouldn't leave his mind. Something was bothering him. It felt as though there was a piece of the story that he knew...something he should understand...suddenly a word formed in his mouth. "[B]Chronus[/B]! Wait, what?" He shook his head, laughing at himself. He thought he had something for a second. [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] An explosion of thunder wrenched Nico awake in the middle of the night. What he saw in his room made him gasp. [I]Light.[/I] Nico's room was completely illuminated, as if it were noon. He leaped from his bed and looked out the window. The ocean was a black mass that merged seamlessly with the equally dark sky. He turned back to his bright room and checked the lamps. They were all off. Where was the light coming from? Were the walls themselves glowing? Nico opened his bedroom door and stepped out into the hall, meaning to check the rest of his house for this strange phenomenon. However, he had not taken two steps when he realized what was happening. The dark living room was growing brighter with every foot closer he traveled. The light was coming from [I]him.[/I] Breathing hard, he dashed sideways into the bathroom. Out of habit he flicked the light switch, though he did not need to. The tiny washroom had lit up the second he stepped in. Nico examined himself in the mirror and yelled in shock. Not only was he generating light like a fluorescent bulb, but there was also something wrong with his eyes. They were a bright shade of red. "Fuck me!" Nico exclaimed, bewildered and frightened, as his hands reached up to touch his face. [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] [B] Nico is a member of the Chronus clan, and his power is given to him by light. His power [I]is[/I] light. He absorbs it into his body, and the sunlight grants him great strength, speed, stamina, and agility. Also, as his Chronus blood develops inside him, he will gain more and more control over the light energy. Currently it only leaves him in the form of an aura, lighting dark places. However, with time he will be able to concentrate the light stored within him into violent flashes and even beams of terrible intensity. Nico is at a disadvantage when fighting at night, because if he uses up all of his stored energy there is no way to replenish it.[/B] [B]OOC:[/B] I would like to point out that I'm [I]not[/I] saying the character is invincible when fighting in the sunlight. The rate at which he absorbs sunlight is much slower than the rate at which he spends it in combat. I'm merely saying that, during the day, the presence of the sun keeps him from losing all energy completely. [B]OOC2:[/B] Hope you don't mind me stealing your swear, DeLarge.:p I was going for some parallelism.

[quote name='Dragon Warrior'][size=1]Probably not for long, Mykul. I dropped my Death Star on my own head today when organizing stuff in my closet. I'll surely be dead by the end of the week :P[/size][/QUOTE] At least it only [I]fell[/I] on your head. You were lucky. It could have turned you into an asteroid field... So does anyone know anything about this live-action TV series that's rumored to be in the works? It has a page up on IMDB, but I was completely unaware that anything like this was being planned.

I sent her the file, but I don't think she's asked Desbreko to add it yet... :rolleyes:

[quote name='Dragon Warrior'][size=1]Phew. It's been some time since this thing has seen some life, eh? Well, I'm moving to the city, so I've been cleaning a lot and I finally got around to cleaning out my closet (quite the task, let me tell you). What I found were all my old Star Wars toys and treasures. I had some Collector's Series figurines still in their boxes and a lot of those little heads of the characters that open up into scenes from the movies. Haha, please tell me you people know what I'm talking about. Here's one of them... [img]http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/1436/head1.jpg[/img] The outside of the Stormtrooper one, which I conveniently sat on top of the Episode 4 DVD and I didn't even realize it. Haha. Either way, as you can see it's the Stormtrooper's head. [img]http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/2905/head2n.jpg[/img] Then you open his head up and it's part of the Death Star so you can play out scenes, particularly from Episode 4. Everything from the hole they blow into the side of the wall to escape to the trash pit below. [img]http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/8405/head3x.jpg[/img] And here's a fun close-up of the trash pit. There's a little turning wheel so you can close the walls in and out (so you can crush your favorite childhood heroes just like in the movie!). There's also the weird one-eyed monster (alright, kids... calm down...) in the water you can make pop up and such. I have quite a few of these, as Star Wars was a huge part of my childhood. Does anyone else remember them? haha. [/size][/QUOTE] Sure enough! I had Boba Fett's head, which was a miniature Cloud City on the inside. It even came with a tiny cloud car! Choking hazard my Aunt Fanny. You and I are still alive, DragonWarrior.

Well, it was a heck of a trip, guys. I can hardly believe it lasted [I]months[/I]! To officially put an end to this contest and this thread, I would just like to say thank you to all of the voters and contestants. This contest was extraordinarily enjoyable to put on, and your participation was very much appreciated. Now go check out the fresh new "prose master" badge by Anomaly's custom title.