Mykul

[quote name='Drizzt Do'urden']I haven't seen him on in awhile...Hope everything's okay.[/QUOTE] Better than ok, Drizzt! Sorry for the delay, everyone. I've been very busy with finals. I'm sure most of us have. I'm designing the final match immediately after posting this sentence.

The votes are in! Competing for the title of prose master: [SIZE="4"][FONT="Impact"]ANOMALY AND VICKY[/FONT][/SIZE] Once I think of the challenge, I'll have the match posted!

[quote name='Aaryanna'][COLOR="DarkGreen"][FONT="Tahoma"]Hmmmm, I'll vote. It's hard to pick since they both have nice tones of hope, love and expectation. There was only one thing I didn't care for and that was the bit of despair in Shy's. It just distracted a bit from the happy ending. So since that threw me off a tiny bit, I'll be giving my vote to [B]Anomaly[/B]. They were both fun to read guys. :catgirl:[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] My savior :) The winner is [SIZE="4"][FONT="Impact"]ANOMALY[/FONT][/SIZE]

Tic-Tac-Toe post. Alright. It looks like either Anomaly or Shy is going to be facing Vicky in the final round! Speaking of Anomaly and Shy, their match is open to voting until Tuesday morning, which will hopefully break the tie. Please note that I'm not extending the voting period for one little vote; any amount of votes within that period would be wonderful. If not one lousy vote has been cast by then, I'll break the tie myself, and we will see once and for all who will fight the battle of the prose master.

Really? A tie? :animesigh Here's what's going to happen: [COLOR="Red"]I'm going to leave this thread open to voting until Tuesday Morning.[/COLOR] If the tie isn't broken by then, I'll cast a single vote and break it myself.

[CENTER]And the winner of this match is [SIZE="4"][FONT="Impact"][B]VICKY[/B][/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER]

Hopefully we get some more votes in by the deadline. If not, I'll extend it to see if we can do any better. 3 is pretty weak!

Thanks for getting those submissions in, everyone! I knew if I just sat back and didn't bother anyone (too much), you'd all come through for me. And that's all there is to say. Vicky said it best: Let the voting commence!

I just received a request for longer entry deadlines. I'll be pushing back the due dates for both challenges. Be advised!

[quote name='Vicky'][size=1]OMG I LOVE YOU SO MUCH WILL YOU MARRY ME?! .... As you can tell I'm dead excited. Oh yeah.[/size][/QUOTE] You're a lesbian, and I'm often emotionally unavailable.... Yeah, we'd make a pretty good married couple. :p

It took me some time to get around to it (koluj iz hard), but round 2 is now on the boards! Oh, now would be a good time to mention the prize. Thanks to Haku, the winner of the contest will receive a token of their triumph.

[CENTER]Hello again, and welcome to the [SIZE="4"][B]GREAT OTAKU PROSE CONTEST[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE="3"][B]Round 2[/B][/SIZE] [FONT="Arial Black"][SIZE="4"][B]ANOMALY VERSUS SHY[/CENTER][/B][/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE="1"] [CENTER]Voting is open to all Otaku members except Anomaly and Shy. Voters, please state your vote clearly. Also, please provide information that shows why you voted the way you did. [COLOR="Red"]The deadline for voting is Saturday, March 28.[/COLOR][/CENTER][/SIZE] [FONT="Courier New"][B][U][SIZE="4"]The Challenge: Joyful and Triumphant[/SIZE][/U][/B][/FONT] This challenge is meant to be the antithesis of that given to Vicky and DeLarge. Each contestant will write a piece between [SIZE="3"]400[/SIZE] and [SIZE="4"]800[/SIZE] words. The goal here is to lift the spirits of your reader. Voters, choose whichever story elevates your mood the highest. [SIZE="1"][COLOR="Red"]All submissions should be in by Saturday, March 21.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[CENTER]Hello again, and welcome to the [SIZE="4"][B]GREAT OTAKU PROSE CONTTEST [SIZE="2"]Round 2 [SIZE="4"][FONT="Impact"]Vicky VERSUS DeLarge[/B][/FONT][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE="1"]Voting is open to all Otaku members except Vicky and DeLarge. Voters, please state your vote clearly. Also, please provide information that shows why you voted the way you did. [COLOR="Red"]The deadline for voting is Saturday, March 28.[/COLOR] [/SIZE][/CENTER] [SIZE="4"][FONT="Courier New"][B][U]The Challenge: Sick and Twisted[/U][/B][/FONT][/SIZE] Vicky says that she and DeLarge both think in the same odd, dark, and twisted way. With that in mind, this challenge should be fitting. Each contest will write one piece containing [SIZE="3"]400[/SIZE] to [SIZE="3"]800[/SIZE] words. The goal of this challenge is to see exactly how disturbed you can make your reader feel. Voters should choose which story is more likely to instill in them an overall feeling of uneasiness (or dementia, if the authors are up to the task). [SIZE="1"][COLOR="Red"]All submissions should be in by Saturday, March 21. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

Triple post for the win. Alright! The round 2 match-ups are as follows: [SIZE="4"]Anomaly versus Shy Vicky versus DeLarge[/SIZE] I'll have the challenges up soon. Any trash-talking is encouraged. :p

I'm very glad that someone enjoyed a thread of my creation! Hopefully I'll make one or two more before my untimely demise. _M_

Alright, Who's ready for round 2? I know you guys have all been waiting patiently for your next matches, and I thank you for the Xteenth time. The opponent list will be up soon, followed closely by the actual challenges. Oh, and congratulations to Anomaly.

And with that, [FONT="Arial Black"][SIZE="4"]ANOMALY[/SIZE][/FONT] (who is a she) advances to round 2!

Seeing as how there isn't an abundance of votes, the opportunity to voice opinions shall remain open until midnight.

Well, we have the submissions up, now all we need are some more votes!

[B]OOC:[/B] We seem to have frittered off into the evening without me acquiring my toy. Never fear. I always come prepared. Nick was bustling about his apartment, making sure that everything was looking great for his dinner date. He had already swept the entire place twice and dusted all of the furniture. Panic had even driven him so far as to put a nice cloth and two candles on his dining room table. However, once he realized how pathetic this setup looked in his small apartment, he quickly stowed these items away again. Now nick stood in the middle of the small living room, hands on hips, nodding his approval. He made his way to his bedroom, stripping off his clothes as he went. As he threw his jacket onto his desk chair, he heard a strange clunk. Slightly confused as to what hard item had made the noise, he picked up the jacket and checked the pockets. A small moan of embarrassment and exasperation escaped his throat. He had taken the toy soldier from Mr. Grinner's store without realizing it. He was an unwitting shoplifter! Nick groaned again, rubbing his eyes with his palms. [I]This has not been my day.[/I] Nick took the small tin soldier from the jacket pocket and held it in his hand. The feeling of electricity that he had experienced earlier was still there. It was a bit disconcerting, really. [I]Has it gotten stronger?[/I] Nick wondered to himself. Just as these words entered his mind, a sudden and extreme pain shot up his arm and overtook his body. Nick yelled and threw himself to the floor. The pain was coming from the soldier in his hand! Screaming, he tried to fling it from his hand, but the soldier seemed glued to his skin. It was killing him, it was maiming him. His body thrashed. Spit flew from his mouth as his head jerked from side to side. His skin was on fire. His bones were turning in their sockets. Finally, when he could take no more, when a wordless desire for death entered his tortured mind, the soldier relinquished its grasp on Nick's poor body. Panting, practically sobbing, Nick threw the trooper against the wall. It came to rest in a pile of dirty clothes. Completely at a loss for any rational thought, Nick succumbed to gravity and spread himself on the bedroom floor, feeling completely drained of energy. The release of pain had left his body in a deep state of fatigue. Then there was a knock at the door. The previous scenario had completely wiped away the memory of his dinner date. [I]Shit! I'm not even dressed, for God's sake![/I] There was another knock on the door. [B]"Coming!"[/B] nick called. He raised himself off the floor, only to be further astonished. Either his muscles had been turned to mush from the toy soldier's surprise attack, or his bones had turned to iron. His limbs were like weights. Standing uneasily, Nick examined his arms. They seemed fine. He exited his room and made his way to the living room door. As he walked, he tripped over a loose power plug and hurtled headlong into his armchair. He held out his arms, expecting to catch himself on it. Instead it splintered like a Popsicle stick beneath him. Nick found himself once again lying on the floor, atop a heap of broken wood. [I]Shit.[/I] Another knock at the door.

Alright, Anomaly and Lrb both have their pieces in. Let's get on with the voting, everyone, and then we can [I]finally[/I] move on to round 2!

[B]OOC to Steph:[/B] :animeblus Embarrassing. I think it was the comparison to the dolls that threw me. I have changed all offending items. I'm sorry. [B]OOC to Korey:[/B] Stop winking at people who aren't around. It's off-putting. And why do I get the feeling that you and I are destined for another RP skirmish? The red-haired girl snatched her hand back from the thug. Nick's heart was racing in his chest, and his knees felt weak. This is what the adrenaline always did to him when he was brought into contact with conflict. He was fully awake now; the lethargy of just moments before had been replaced with anger, indignation, and shame. [I]I'm just standing here,[/I] he thought to himself incredulously. [I]I'm just standing here, letting that jackass do whatever he pleases![/I] The girl, having freed herself, stormed away from the rude man and Mr. Grinner. She knelt down, picked up one of the boxes she had been studying, and stomped over to the counter. There she sat at a stool, visibly angered, trying to calm herself down as she waited to be served. Nick decided to take his chances. Carrying with him the revolutionary soldier, which gave him the appearance of actually having business at the counter, he positioned himself behind the girl. She looked up briefly to see who had walked up behind her, and quickly looked back down again. Her breathing was still rapid from her altercation with the man. [SIZE="1"][B]"mynamenick."[/B][/SIZE] The girl looked up, clearly perplexed. [B]"Excuse me?"[/B] Nick was so embarrassed that he could have kicked himself in the face.

*Deciding not to write in first person like mistress Steph or master Korey.* Nick stumbled out of the student learning center, the largest building on the Benista University campus, and into the morning air. His hair was a disheveled mess, and his eyes had been used to capacity. He had just spent the entire night in that damn building, finishing a Spanish composition, a history essay, and two pages worth of calculus. Now his legs carried him semi-consciously in the direction of his little apartment. Nick's dwelling was mercifully close to campus; only a ten minute walk or a fifteen minute stumble. He passed people on the quiet downtown sidewalk, only slightly aware of their existence. He was halfway to his apartment when he came upon Mr. Grinner's Toy Shop. Had he not seen a beautiful face inside the shop, he would have passed without a second thought. However, he [I]did[/I] see a beautiful face, and he stopped dead in his tracks. She was a petite red head, and the expression of intrigue on her face as she searched the shelves of the shop captivated Nick. Without any tact or regard for his dignity (probably due to sleep deprivation), he entered the store. For a small shop it was slightly crowded. Nick almost stepped on an energetic ten year old who was scampering about underfoot. There were also two other men in the store. One, oddly enough, had a dog on a leash. The other seemed just as out of place, his rugged countenance not quite fitting in with the toy store's aesthetic aura. Nick spotted the girl he was looking for. She was looking at what appeared to be small wooden boxes. Nick couldn't analyze what she was doing any further than that, really. His brain screamed at him to go home, to rest up. He pushed these thoughts aside and strode towards where the girl was standing. Before he had taken two steps, the old man who ran the shop had cut right in front of him. [B]"Hello son,"[/B] he said quite calmly and warmly. His voice, surprisingly enough to Nick, didn't agitate his tired mind. Rather, it calmed him like a breeze. [B]"Can I help you find anything?"[/B] Mr. Grinner's kind eyes stared into Nick's, almost as if the old man were searching for the answer himself. [SIZE="2"][B]"Nn, just lookin', thanks,"[/B][/SIZE] Nick mumbled sleepily. He skirted around Mr. Grinner. [B]"Well, if you have any questions, you ask me!"[/B] Grinner called behind him. Nick barely heard the man. He was trying to seem busy in the shelves behind the pretty girl. He thought of things that he could say to her as he pretended to examine toy soldiers. However, nothing was coming to him. [I]Shit, I'm bad at this,[/I] he thought to himself. He was momentarily torn away from these thoughts by the sight of a small revolutionary war figurine. He stared at it perplexedly. He had seen this toy somewhere before, he knew it. The strangest feeling of Deja Vu was overcoming him. Slowly and cautiously, almost reverently, Nick picked it up and held it in his hand. It was small, barely filling his palm. A strange electricity seemed to seep into his fingers as he held the little fake man. Nick was so entranced by the unshakable feeling that he had seen this very same figurine at some point in his past, he walked backwards a few steps and bumped into the lovely stranger, who was now kneeling on the ground.

The best part will be seeing who decides to destroy the source of his or her curse, and who decides to kill...:o [B]Name:[/B] Nick Niffin [B]Age:[/B] 20 [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Appearance:[/B] Nick has thick, dark hair that sweeps down over his eyebrows and curls around his ears. In stark contrast, his eyes are bright blue. He is six feet tall and has a thin frame, but he is not scrawny. The length and sharpness of his nose give him a slightly hawkish appearance, while his high and defined cheekbones make him seem arrogant, even regal. [B]Curse:[/B] [B]Rigor Mortis Chalybs[/B]. Nick's body- all parts of it- are slowly solidifying. His bones, intestines, and skin are all hardening to an almost steel-like state. If this curse is allowed to go unchecked, his body will collapse under its own weight. His blood will not be able to flow through his veins, and he will not be able to move his limbs. [B]Curse Toy:[/B] A toy soldier, five inches high, dressed in revolutionary war battle garb. [B]Ability:[/B] Given enough time, Nick's curse will cause him to die a slow, painful death. However, in the short-term, the curse has benefits. The curse seems to be solidifying skin in small patches, and delaying its attack on the skin around Nick's joints. This allows Nick to move freely, while having patches of tough-as-metal epidermis. Also, the portions of Nick's bones that have hardened are very close to unbreakable. Basically, until so much time elapses, Nick is like a tank peppered with soft spots. [B]Personality:[/B] Nick is quiet, shy, and good-natured. He spends most of his time alone, in his single apartment, studying for his classes. He avoids large gatherings and social situations as well as he can. He is not a misanthrope, he simply prefers the solidarity of his own thoughts. And even though he prefers to spend his time alone, Nick is not incapable of caring for others. When a neighbor has a problem, he timidly asks if he or she would like any help. Nick has a very close relationship with his family, which consists of his mother, father, and little sister. [B]Background:[/B] Nick's family lives in a small town north of Benista. At school there, Nick graduated high school at the top of his class. Unfortunately, due to an injury that cost his father his job, Nick had no money to attend a far-off university. The best his family could afford was to send him to college in a Benista. Now Nick lives in the middle of downtown, in a single-room apartment. He earns extra money by tutoring and selling notes. Everyday on his walk to campus, he passes Mr. Grinner's toy shop, and feels a twitch of curiosity. Everything looks so interesting, so old, so historical...

[CENTER][SIZE="1"]Hello, and welcome to the [/SIZE] [SIZE="4"][FONT="Arial Black"][B]GREAT OTAKU PROSE CONTEST[/B][/FONT][/SIZE] [SIZE="3"][FONT="Arial Black"]Round 1.3[/FONT][/SIZE] [SIZE="1"]Our first contestant has defeated Chibi-Master to be here today. She also crafted a masterful piece that no doubt would have flattened Mr. Maul, who fled from the challenge of competition.I present to you the artful, the applaudable, the amazing [SIZE="4"][FONT="Century Gothic"][B]ANOMALY[/B][/FONT][/SIZE][/SIZE][/CENTER] [SIZE="1"][CENTER]The second contestant topped Sabrina by a single vote in his last match. He brings confidence and heart into this round, declaring to Anomaly, "you goin down dolskeez!" Obviously I speak of the lion-hearted, the lordly, the legendary[/CENTER][/SIZE] [SIZE="4"][FONT="Impact"][B][CENTER]L r b[/CENTER][/B][/FONT][/SIZE] [CENTER][SIZE="1"]Voting is open to all Otaku members except Lrb and Anomaly. Voters, please state your vote clearly. Also, please provide information that shows why you voted the way you did. [COLOR="Red"]The deadline for voting is Tuesday,March 3.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER] [FONT="Courier New"][SIZE="4"][U][B]The Challenge: Hush little baby, don't say a word[/B][/U][/SIZE][/FONT] Contestants: write a short story between [SIZE="3"]200[/SIZE] and [SIZE="3"]600[/SIZE] words. You may write on any topic you wish, but you may not use any dialogue. This prohibits you from using both spoken dialogue and unspoken monologue (thoughts). [SIZE="1"][COLOR="Red"]All submissions should be in by Tuesday, February 24.[/COLOR][/SIZE]