Aaryanna

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][quote name='Venom][b][size=1] With that being said, as usual, I'm into the action type, but I'm leaning forward to trying a few new genres. Romance, like anime, is still no exception. It's not my type. [/size'][/b][/quote]Well if you are looking to try something a little different and if you enjoy mysteries and detective work, then you would enjoy the Case Closed manga. Their isn?t a lot of action, but it does have a little comedy and a hint of romance. But it primarily focuses on Conan solving cases. Here?s a summary: [INDENT][SIZE=1][B]Plot Summary:[/B] High school detective Kudo Shinichi, (they change his name to Jimmy Kudo for the English version) is infamously known to the people of Japan as "The Modern Sherlock Holmes." Yet things will changed as he is assaulted by two mysterious men in black when investigating some unusual behavior. He is then drugged by the two mysterious men in black and instead of dying as they intended, it instead shrunk him to the size of a kid. In order to track them down he changes his name and ends up living with his childhood sweetheart Mouri Ran (Rachel in the English version) under the name of Edogawa Conan. He then searches for clues about the men in black through clients and cases of Ran's father--a pathetic second-class detective who quickly became well-known through secretive help from Conan.[/SIZE] [/INDENT] You don?t really have to worry about the romance aspect as it?s not the main focus of the manga. Solving mysteries and hunting for clues surrounding the mysterious men in black is the main focus. Anyway, that?s what I would recommend if you really want to try something completely different. Some of the cases do have action in them, but it's more along the lines of chasing down criminals and bringing them to justice. So it's a different type of action. ^_~ [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][QUOTE=SunfallE][COLOR=RoyalBlue]Jason smiled and said, ?[B]It?s okay, thank you for being concerned about me. And please stop blaming yourself okay?[/B]? Celestia nodded and said, ?[B]I?ll try. It?s just that,[/B]? she paused as her face turned red, ?[B]the thought that he might..[/B]? Jason placed his hand on her mouth indicating she should be quiet. ?[B]Don?t worry over something that hasn?t happened yet, and if it should,[/B]? Jason choked a bit at the thought before he continued, ?[B] Lets not worry or blame ourselves over things we can?t control. Okay?[/B]? Celestia hugged Jason even tighter before she replied, ?[B]Okay.[/B]? Jason just held her tight while she composed herself, he was appalled that Celestia knew about Jared and yet part of him realized that Nathan was correct. Celestia didn?t need to find out the hard way what Jared was capable of. [/COLOR][/QUOTE]I really like how you expanded the conversation here. ^_^ Before you didn?t have the part where Jason let her realize that nothing had really happened yet. I didn?t like it where he left it up to her own imagination as to whether or not he had been raped. >_< So definitely an improvement that I like. And though it?s a bit sappy, it brings out how they care for each other better as they are being more open with one another in the revised version. ^_^[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][quote name='DarkFactor']It is possible to delligate censorship carefully. But as you stated yourself, Aaryanna, it's your duty to block it out.[/quote]Yes, but I was also attempting to say that if we did away with censorship I could get in trouble for censoring things. So in a sense it is my right to choose to censor things. [QUOTE=DarkFactor]In the U.S. we're very protected. You can be fined or arrested just for inciting someone to violence. That means if you say something so hateful that it made me want to do bodily harm to you, then you could be arrested just for upsetting me that much. You can get introuble for disturbing my right to peace. In that case the law almost unequivically sides with the accuser, how ever it is hard to establish that you were wronged verbally in our civil couts. You would have to prove that the person intedended to incite you or knew that that might, and that you were infact that upset. If that were the case you may even get some compesation for the trama. Our system is one of penalties, not prevention. [/QUOTE]That?s not entirely correct either. In any case a person is considered innocent and it must be proven that they deliberately said things to cause others to be violent. Even if you accused me of doing such a thing, the law would not instantly side with you as I would be given the chance to prove that such was not my intent. Our society is also a case of blaming others for their own actions and saying I did this because this person said this doesn?t necessarily mean the person will get out of trouble or will be compensated for what they did. Such things are considered influence and even then ultimately the person who does the violence made the choice to do so. Those cases aren?t as easy to do as you are implying. Just watch some of those TV judge shows like Judy to see that people trying to blame others for their actions often do not get away with it.[quote name='DarkFactor]The amount of smut on the web does repoulse me, but believe me, its not the gov't wealthy internet owners, or the people choice to have it there. Its there because sex sells, and the criminals selling it don't care who they hurt. Clearly that could be discounted by the fact there are those who desire to expose and exploiit themselves as form of self expression. And for them they can have their perverse good time and the more perverse amongs us can revel with them. But they comprice about 1% of all the people in the sex industry. It may be good money, but alot of women are in a very negative cycle. Some porn is just prostitution with a camera... The internet is a very hard things to govern. especially by a government who doesn't understand it.[/QUOTE]I was only using porn as an example of why having censorship choices was good as it gives me the power to decide what I want to see and what I don?t want to see. [QUOTE=DarkFactor']The dark ages were a result of censorship not a lack of it. People were forced to swear oaths to generational land owners who did not care about their well-being. People's lives were severly controlled by their government and by the church. What destroyed the tryanny of the dark ages was expression, art, and culture.[/quote]The dark ages were a result of [I]uncontrolled[/I] censorship. I was also trying to say that by doing away with it we would be just as guilty as those who went overboard by censoring nearly everything. I could have been clearer on this, but it would still amount to the same thing, chaos and suppression of the innocent. On this time it would be one of forcing things on people instead of denying them the right to choose altogether. Still a form of tyranny, only flipped. Also? and I?m putting on my moderator cap here. You need to do something about your poor spelling in your posts as they are littered with misspelled words. Please use something like Word to double check your spelling or if you don?t have word, get a hotmail account as it?s free and it has a spellchecker. I always type up my posts in word and then simply copy and paste them. I?m not trying to be mean, but a quick look at the rules will explain why. [INDENT] [b]Incoherent/Sloppy Posts:[/b] At OtakuBoards, we greatly emphasize the concept of having clear, easy to read posts. This includes correct use of spelling, grammar and punctuation. If a member is posting with very poor quality, they will be asked to clean up their future posts. If the member persists in posting poorly, they will be banned from the site.[/INDENT] So please work on that as it?s required for all members to put more effort into their posts. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]I?m all for censorship. Why? Because if you stop and think about it, if there were people who weren?t irresponsible in that they deliberately force their views and opinions on you, then we wouldn?t need censorship. It?s one thing to have an opinion on something and another to attempt to force that on others. Especially when the person doing the forcing would be upset if someone was trying to force their views on them. All I have to do is turn off the filter on my internet browser and then my searches are littered with all sorts of porn and garbage. And even with the filter some of it still gets through. So obviously censorship is needed. I know it?s my responsibility to have the filter on to keep it out, but if we didn?t believe in censorship in some form then my browser wouldn?t even have that option because it would infringe on others right to put whatever they want up on the net. Obviously there is going to be the question of too much censorship and keeping it from getting out of control. But the day I see censorship being removed from society is the day I will see as humanity taking a huge step backwards into the dark ages. Where instead of everyone being able to on some level choose for them selves what they want to read and see, they will be flooded with stuff whether or not they want to hear it or see it. And if you think censorship is an invasion, just imagine anyone being able to broadcast what ever they want into your homes, or even come to your home and put banners on your lawn saying whatever they want. I can pretty much guarantee that it would get ugly real fast. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][quote name='indifference][COLOR=DeepSkyBlue']Anyway back to attempting to beat the hardest level of the game. I think you challenged me to play that Aaryanna, just to drive me nuts. I?m not that far into the game and I?m totally getting clobbered. I can?t recall the last time I had my party wiped out completely. And the sad part is it isn't the first time.[/COLOR][/quote] :D I?m almost ready to start my assault on the last area of the game. ^_^ I?ve been doing what the guide suggested and upgrading my weapons, armor and making the necessary food and potions to help me with the upcoming battles. What?s really fun is I finally got enough battle trophies to unlock the second costumes so I loaded the battle data and now I can have everyone in their second costume! :catgirl: And let me tell you..Albel the Wicked is deliciously smexy in his second outfit! I also like Fayt?s second costume, but I don?t care for them making his [spoiler]hair brown[/spoiler] so I switched him back to the original one. Also I decided on Pepitta Rossetti for my other character. She?s wonderfully spunky and has really cute sayings in battle. Much better than the annoying Roger Huxley. >_< Pepitta also has an adorable second outfit with [spoiler]purple hair and purple clothing.[/spoiler] Once I beat the game I?m looking forward to doing all of the bonus dungeons and such. ^_^[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][quote name='cancer] So I'm curious to know what people on here think of astral projection. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Aaryanna][COLOR=DarkOrchid]So how does one go about detaching their spirit from their body? They don?t. [/COLOR][/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Retribution][size=1']That sounds more like a statement of fact than the presentation of an opinion. It's the only reason I posted in this thread. Sure, there is a "But that?s just me" tossed on at the end, but it's a mere afterthought. The entire point of my subsequent post was to say that you can't say that "They don't" astral project.[/size][/quote]Retribution, the original poster asked what I think of astral projection. Since I do not believe in it then it?s only natural that my opinion is going to be that a person?s spirit doesn?t detach from their body. To be frank, you are splitting hairs here when the whole point of this thread was to simply say what you thought of astral projection. Not to nitpick others because perhaps their English isn?t perfectly clear. Though I thought I was being clear in answering with [I]my opinion[/I] on the suject. Of course I'm going to say, ?[I]but that?s just me[/I]? because my entire post was just that; me and my opinion only. I was saying that I spoke only for myself and no one else. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][QUOTE=Retribution][size=1]Can you offer any counterproof aside from "I don't believe it"? Considering spirituality and religion are usually not grounded in scientific principle and/or logic, there is no way we can confirm or disprove the existence of astral projections. I have a friend who claims he can astral project. I'm skeptical about it, but that doesn't mean anything.[/size][/QUOTE]Yes as what I?m saying is more than just an opinion. It?s also based on what I read in this book: [B]LUCID DREAMING[/B] by Stephen LaBerge. In the book he describes what a Lucid Dream is and to put it simply, it is a dream state in which one is conscious enough to recognize that one is in the dream state and which stays in one's memory. So the conclusion in part of the book is that Astral projection is just another form of a Lucid Dream. And they aren?t just basing that off of a speculation, but off of actual research that was done. Here?s a bit of the section of the book.[quote=Stephen LaBerge]Are there any scientific data that might allow us to arrive at a verdict on the claim that OBE vision is valid? There is in fact a good deal of relevant evidence available and there have been a number of studies of OBE vision that meet the standards of rigorous control required by exact science. There are two ways of broadly viewing the results of these studies. First of all, we have the summary of Karlis Osis, Director of Research at the American Society for Psychical Research (A.S.P.R.). This society, in an effort to produce evidence for survival of death, undertook an extensive investigation of OBE perception. [13] In the course of this study, approximately 100 subjects, all of whom believed they were proficient in inducing OBEs and possessed paranormal perceptual abilities during these OBEs, were tested under controlled conditions. While confined to one room at the A.S.P.R., the subjects induced OBEs and "visited" a distant target room, attempting afterwards to describe in detail what they had "seen" while there. A comparison of their reports with the actual contents of the target room revealed, in all but a few cases, absolutely no indication of any correspondence whatsoever. In other words, in the great majority of these cases, there was no evidence supporting accurate OBE perception, nor for the validity of the subjects' convictions that they had actually left their bodies. Moreover, these subjects were described by Osis as being "the creme of the claimants" of OBE. I believe the results of this study strongly supports the "OBE as misinterpreted lucid dream" interpretation offered above.[/quote]So in the end they couldn?t reliably produce anything that supported the theory that astral projection or Out of Body Experiences were real. If they were real, then one would think that the experiment would have had a high rate of success. And further in the book it explains that though a few did describe some of the things in the room, not one could reliably do it every time they thought they were out of their body. And even among those, none of them could accurately describe everything in the room, leaving them to believe that it was more of a case of guessing what was in the room, or seeing something in their Lucid Dream state that was also in the room, a coincidence and nothing more. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][quote name='cancer']I've heard a good deal about astral projection, but most of it comes from articles and other untrustworthy sources. So I'm curious to know what people on here think of astral projection. Also, have you ever experienced this phenomenon, and how does one go about detaching their spirit from their body?[/quote]To be honest, I think it?s a bunch of nonsense. And to answer the next question, no I have not experienced it. And since I think it?s not possible, I doubt I ever will experience it. So how does one go about detaching their spirit from their body? They don?t. If it was something that was really possible I think it would be something that pretty much everyone knew how to do. Since if it were really possible I would imagine that lots of people would want to do it. I?m sure that?s part of why people believe in it. They want to think that it?s possible for their spirit to roam freely. But that?s just me. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]My geekiest purchase, at least recently would have to be this: [URL=http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/8320/aaryannabarkrangerblueio4.jpg][COLOR=DarkOrchid][B]Bark Ranger![/B][/COLOR][/URL] When I saw that in Yellowstone, it was so adorable I just had to get it. And to make it even more geeky. There was a pink one so I got both. Usually it's my family who likes to dress up my dog and not me. [/COLOR] :animesigh

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][quote name='Mistral'] Do you think someday they might come up with a set up that'll just make it harder to vote down?[/quote]It would certainly be a nice improvement. Since the previous system in my opinion really did nothing for the artist. I mean I have a few submissions I put up that in all honesty aren?t that great since I did them on the computer. But I still did at least try and for first attempts I thought they weren?t too horrible, and yet within seconds of one going up it was immediately voted down and the person couldn?t even be bothered to explain why or what they thought I could improve on. I think the way it was made it all to easy to bash others work by down voting it instead of giving feedback on how they could improve. And it was even more easy since they didn?t know who had voted no or even yes unless the person left a comment. I ran into all sorts of nasty comments left by other members who seemed to delight in voting no and telling the artist they sucked. Even when though they were fairly new, it was obvious they had put a lot of work into their pieces. If the person couldn?t vote no without leaving a comment then it would be a better system as they would have no choice but to provide some form of explanation. And even then I think a no vote is pointless when you think about it. Most artists that I know are looking for two things, comments that others like what they have done, and comments with tips to help them improve. So I don?t see how voting no is even necessary as you can leave a comment, where you point out what you like and then point out what they could improve on. And the other thing that never fails to amaze me is, if you don?t like it, don?t comment or vote. There is plenty of art that is a bit on the more dark side that I don?t care for and it seems stupid to let my personal preference get in the way of commenting on fan art. So if I truly dislike a piece, I just leave it be, unless I see something I think they could have fixed. Everyone had different opinions as to what they like and I think it?s stupid to vote no because you don?t like say the series it?s from or the person who drew it.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][quote name='Mistral'] And who said I was complaining against the 'weaker' people? Weaker, being new people, mind you. Everyone started somewhere, if I'm old somewhere I started their new (weak) too. It's fine being nice to newer people, I'm not complaining about that.[/quote]You did, in your own words: And by the way being new doesn't mean you are weak. [QUOTE=Mistral]//snip// But what happened to the vote down option on art? I mean, for [b]sissy-candy people[/b] it's alright. But I'd rather get a bad rating than none at all. Now the people who genuinly think that that person has no talent, cannot express it. Maybe leave a comment, but if it's too mean, like "You should practice more" (sarcasm), then all their little friends will come at them like man eating fish. And there's no post counter to put some people above others! ): [b]Why is the site so into being nice to the weak now?[/b][/QUOTE]If you really weren?t complaining then you wouldn?t have brought it up and turned around and implied that the only reason it was changed was because newer artists are [I]weaklings or sissy-candy people[/I] as you put it. And who says you can?t express that someone needs improvement? Again you are implying that if their picture is bad that they have no ?talent? You?re completely ignoring the fact that many artists do it just for fun and even for those who don?t, it take time and practice to get better at your drawings. You also seem to be implying that those with talent never have their art voted down. Plenty of people who are talented had their art voted down on a regular basis by others who were just being jerks. The vote down option meant that they could say no without saying why. Removing the vote down options means that now you have to put effort into your comment explaining what you think they need to work on instead of a simple you have no talent comment which is not only rude, but does nothing to help the artist improve. I would imagine that the vote down option was removed to stop all the idiots out there who assume that others who don?t draw as well as they did have no talent. Or to stop those who would vote no on those who did have talent just because they could. As for your own post count here, as others already said, just click on the my profile link on the left sidebar of the forum and you will find the information you are looking for. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][QUOTE=Raiyuu][FONT=Trebuchet MS]Also, can we keep the discussion on the specific bill Retri pointed out, rather than descending into generic Bush-bashing, please? Oh yeah. This line really caught my attention. Unfortunately the US [b]isn't[/b] following the Geneva Convention. They're using Guantanamo Bay, and replacing the term 'POW' with 'detainee' in order to rip open loopholes in the Convention. And this bill, if I've read it right, effectively means American heads of state can't be punished for breaking the Geneva Convention, so even more human rights violations can be carried out in the name of the War on Terror. Torture can't be considered an accurate means of information-gathering anyway. I'd probably admit I was a terrorist to, if I was getting electrocuted every time I denied it.[/FONT][/QUOTE]Awww...But Bush bashing is fun! (kidding) :p On the topic of the actual bill I think it's sick how it's leaving it open so the people in charge can't be punished for breaking the Geneva Convention. And using torture? That's just sick and wrong. >_< And like you said, after a while you would end up saying what ever they want just to make the pain stop. I guess the whole thing that bothers me is how they can on any level think hurting another human being like that is okay. The change leaves things open to so much abuse. If the people in power can't be punished, they could have pretty much anyone they want detained and tortured just by saying they think that they might be a terrorist. I'm sure I'm not the only one who sees the potential for this change to be abused for other political and financial gains. It reminds me of the witch hunts in our past history. I saw a special on it and it was surprisingly easy for someone to claim someone was a witch and have them killed as result. It was amazing how many times those accused of witchcraft often had land or material items that another person wanted. In it's on way, I see this change as the modern day witch hunt in that they are using the war on terrorism to justify it. And you just know that sooner or later, or perhaps it has already happened, this will be abused and used to harm innocents for other gains and not to stop terrorism. And those stupid people in charge who can?t be punished will get away with it. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]I think Bush is an idiot. >_< Seems like every time I turn around he?s doing something stupid again. But I would have to say this one tops the rest. It?s just sick that he can even think that using torture is acceptable. It?s wrong. Especially since there are probably people they have detained who are completely innocent. Even if they did confess, when it?s torture, I would imagine that after a while they would say anything to get them to stop. So a confession obtained in that manner is unreliable. It?s also sickening as he?s turning the US into a police state and all he is doing is making others in the world hate us. It?s frustrating since I and many other Americans had no say in the matter. I know if I had any say I would not have approved of what he has done. I wish he was kicked out now instead of later when his term is up in a year. Who knows what other idiotic decisions he will make that will just cause more problems. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]Welcome to OtakuBoards [B]ElAlo4321[/B], If you are looking to discuss Digimon, then just check the official threads directory at the top of the Anime Lounge and join the discussion in the already existing Digimon thread. If you are looking to create an RPG based off of what you have posted then the correct place is the Adventure Inn, just be sure to read the rules for that section before creating a thread. If you wish to discuss a Digimon game then we also have a Play It section for games. Also it?s a good idea to review the Rules and FAQ located on the left side bar of the forum as well. Also, a reminder to you as well[B] Kredion[/B]. Playing moderator is discouraged here at OtakuBoards, if you find a thread or member that requires being dealt with by a moderator, and no moderator is currently available, do not take the liberty of dealing with the problem yourself. If you happen to come across this scenario then please use the ?Report bad post? button at the top right hand corner of a post, or you can PM a moderator and alert them of the problem, and when a moderator is available, they will take care of it. Thanks for looking out for us, though! If either one of you has any questions feel free to pm myself or another member of the staff. ~Aaryanna [B]Thread Closed[/B][/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][quote name='Aaryanna_Mom']If they weren?t trying to molest children in the first place they wouldn?t even be caught. It?s interesting that many will cry about entrapment, never mind the fact that many of them are planning on entrapping the child in question and doing as they please with them. Very hypocritical if you ask me. On the predators part that is.[/quote]I agree, seems to me that they got what they deserved. If they didn?t want to be humiliated then they shouldn?t have been preying on children and teenagers in the first place. They knew what they were doing was wrong. I?m just glad that it was a TV program and cops that they met instead of some unsuspecting kid. People who do that are losers. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]I?m not sure where I stand when it comes to the Death Penalty. On one hand it seems that by killing others or committing terrible crimes they deserve to die and on the other, making sure they aren?t free to commit more crimes seems like a possible solution as well. So I don?t know if I favor it or not. I really don?t know enough about what crimes could get the Death Penalty. I suppose that if the law is going to insist on giving others the Death Penalty then I would want it to be the most humane way possible, and from what I?ve read it sounds like lethal injection is the best way as the person is put to sleep first. I just wish we didn?t need it but it seems that there are those out there who don?t care if they hurt other people. So obviously something needs to be done to keep them from hurting other people. Interestingly enough, in the brief time I read about it online I discovered lots of arguments as to why the Death Penalty is not a deterrent. But their argument seemed flawed to me since when you think about it, though the law doesn?t stop others from killing people in the first place, it does keep them from killing again. So in a way it really does save lives as those who murdered others are kept from doing the same thing again. And like my mom already mentioned, life without parole isn?t a definite sentence as criminals have been released even though they were originally sentenced to stay in prison for life. So in that respect the justice system is failing the public by letting them free. Which got me thinking about another point. If the Death Penalty is more expensive than life without parole, then isn?t it even more expensive to let them go anyway and end up with more murders and time spent convicting them for new crimes? I wonder if the figures for deciding how expensive it is take that into account or not. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]Well this site doesn't have a complete listing, but it does have over 300 pictures of different types of jellyfish. And if a picture looks familiar you just click on it for a slightly bigger picture and some information about the jellyfish. Just type in the word jellyfish at the bottom where it says search and it will bring up the pictures. You have to scroll to the bottom to click on the next page number as it doesn't always display it at the top though. So even if it only says there is one page of pictures, I've found that often if you scroll down to the bottom you will see that there is actually more pages you can view. Anyway, here's the link: [URL=http://www.imagequest3d.com/photos/jellyfish/index.htm][COLOR=DarkOrchid][B][U]Image Quest Marine[/U][/B][/COLOR][/URL] Hopefully it has what you are looking for. ^_^[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]I guess for me it would be the two most recent games I bought since I got both Star Ocean: Till the end of time and Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King at the same time. Both of them are wonderfully addicting and I?ve been playing both of them a lot. I?ve yet to beat either one though as I?ve also been playing Final Fantasy VIII and Yu-Gi-Oh The duelist of the roses as well. Dragon Quest VIII is done in a cell-shaded style that has character designs similar to Dragonball. The storyline and different paths you take (paths being different weapons proficiencies as you can choose different ways to go) make the game a lot of fun and very enjoyable. It also has excellent voice actors. Well other than the hero who has no voice actor. The only thing I found a bit off was that the town characters look the same in every single town. Literally. Star Ocean: Till the end of time has turned out to be one of my absolute favorite games I?ve ever played. In addition to a nice science fiction storyline, it?s got lovable characters and a really fun battle system. You can choose between using various techniques or using spells (known as symbology in the game) when in battle, and though there aren?t a lot of side quests in the main storyline, once you beat the game it opens up a lot of bonus dungeons and stuff that you can do. Though I?ve yet to actually beat it. It also has a system of customizing and inventing as a means to get the better weapons and armor. I really like that part as well as it?s fun inventing stuff or simply making what you need for you party. It?s fun in that there are a lot of things to be made so you have lots of options for armor, and other usable stuff. Anyway, my next purchase is going to be Kingdom Hearts as I haven?t played that game yet. ^_^[/COLOR]

[COLOR=SeaGreen][quote name='Mariskah][COLOR=Navy']So my only question is are you still writing this? [/COLOR][/quote]Yeah, I am. I'd like to say I got busy with school and stuff, but the truth is I've been addicted to some of my new video games. >_< But I've already got a full story outline and sections of each chapter are already written. I just need to actually finsih it. ^_^ Thanks for all the comments though. I really appreciate it everyone. [CENTER][IMG]http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/8812/theemeraldguardianbanner06mk5.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] In spite of her promise to explain about the tokens Briana was strangely quiet for the first part of their patrol. It was mid morning when they stopped for a moment at the same pond where she had healed the human several days ago. Briana took off the slippers she was wearing and after carefully putting them in her pouch she got a drink from the cool water of the pond. She sat down on a moss-covered rock and gazed at the stream that trickled down from the hill just behind the pond. It was steep enough that in time the erosion from the water would turn the stream into a waterfall, but that was hundreds of years away. But for now it made a pleasant and relaxing sound as the water gently flowed into the pond before the overflow continued on another path towards the main river in this area. Briana waited until Aries was done getting a drink as well before she spoke. ?[B]You wanted to know about the token Mersis wore. I?ll tell you, but you have to promise to hear me out[/B].? Aries thought about it for a moment and then spoke. ?[B]Very well, so just what is it that Mersis was wearing if not a token for a vow?[/B]? ?[B]It would be easier if I were to show you,[/B]? Briana said as she reached into her pouch and pulled out her token from Mersis. Aries gave her a strange look but said nothing. Briana walked over to where Aries was sitting and knelt in front of her. She placed the token on her as if it were a collar. Then she got up and sat back down on the moss-covered rock. ?[B]Alright, now that it?s inside your personal shields, scan the item.[/B]? Aries did as she was told, her eyes widened in surprise when she realized what the token really was. ?[B]What have you done you fool?[/B]? She cried out in dismay. Briana reddened a bit in anger, ?[B]You promised to hear me out[/B].? She reminded her. ?[B]That was before I knew what you had done![/B]? Aries yelled. ?[B]Are you out of your mind? Not only is the use of tracking magic forbidden in the human world, you have foolishly woven part of Mersis?s own hair into the token! What if a human who is skilled at magic got a hold of it? They could use it to locate Mersis at any time![/B]? Briana reached into her pouch and pulled out another token and tossed on the ground in front of Aries. ?[B]Don?t you think I would have thought of that?[/B]? She said irritably. ?[B]Try to trace Mersis with that and see what happens.[/B]? Aries reached out and placed her front paw on the token. A split second later it disappeared in a brilliant flash. ?[B]See! I made sure that unless you are keyed to the magic, any tampering will result in the token being destroyed. Did you really think I would be so foolish as to allow something like that to be used by humans?[/B]? Briana said scornfully, she got up and began to pace back and forth. ?[B]I keyed the one you are wearing so you can use it, go ahead, it only takes a passive scan of the area to get information.[/B]? Aries gave her a strange look but did as she was told. She scanned the area and then turned to Briana, her eyes wide with shock. ?[B]You see? Mersis?s token is still intact. Which means he?s probably still alive. When he first vanished, the trace to his token vanished as well. I thought that it had been destroyed, but several days ago the trace returned, but only that of the token. If Mersis was still wearing it you would have gotten a sense of how he was. I don?t know if he?s still alive or not, but now that the token has popped up again I intend to find out.[/B]? Briana sat back down on the moss-covered rock and waited for Aries reaction. It didn?t take long. ?[B]Briana, why did you do this? You know that magic of this nature is forbidden. Why did you and Mersis break your oath as a guardian? Damn it! You know better![/B]? ?[B]I know better?[/B]? Briana said, ?[B]The ones who don?t know better are the foolish elders who think that by restricting the use of magic we will be safe from the humans! Aries, humans are clever! They don?t rely on magic like we do! If we don?t become more skilled and stronger the time will come when the combination of their magic and technology will be strong enough to possibly destroy us[/B]!? Briana paused for a moment and then continued, ?[B]We can?t afford to rely on past knowledge, we need to be seeking new paths and new magic?s to not only protect the forests but our own world as well![/B]? Aries opened her mouth to protest but Briana ruthlessly cut her off. ?[B]I know our history Aries, every time we have come in conflict with the humans we have suffered terrible losses. Each and every time it has been because they have had either new magic or new technology with which they nearly destroyed us. The old policy of hiding and doing nothing won?t work anymore! Mersis agreed with me, so the two of us have been working on ways to improve the use of magic here in the human world. The token was a result of that work. I suggested researching magic to the elders several years ago but they ignored my concerns.[/B]? ?[B]Maybe they ignored them because they know how dangerous it is to experiment with the magic![/B]? Aries said angrily. ?[B]This is unbelievable! If I had known I would have sealed off your entrance to the human world until you came to your senses![/B]? ?[B]Damn it Aries! You said you would hear me out! Mersis and I were careful! We took every precaution and then some! We?ve been doing this for over a year and yet not once did you even notice that we were doing it![/B]? Briana got up and began to pace again. ?[B]I intend to hunt for Mersis whether you decide to help me or not.[/B]? Aries once again opened her mouth to reply, but this time a loud splash startled both of them. Startled they turned towards the pond only to see the human that Briana had healed several days before sitting in the water his expression a mixture of surprise and fear. ?[B]Lovely,[/B]? Briana said sarcastically. ?[B]Nice of you to tell me he was here after the fact Aries! You?re the one who?s always boasting on how your passive detection is so much better than using regular magic.[/B]? ?[B]Don?t you dare blame me for this![/B]? Aries said angrily, ignoring the human. ?[B]You didn?t notice he was here either![/B]? Alan started to stammer out an apology but the two of them ignored him and continued arguing as if he did not exist. [I]What is going on here[/I]? He wondered.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]I really like this chapter as you get a little more insight as to how both Celestia and Jason feel. The only problem I see is this statement here:[quote name='SunfallE][COLOR=RoyalBlue] It just didn?t make sense that they wouldn?t allow her to see him.[/COLOR][/QUOTE] Although it is fine, you later contradict it a bit here: [QUOTE=SunfallE][COLOR=RoyalBlue'] It explained why her and Jason had been kept apart. If there were inconsistencies in their stories it would give them a place to start investigating. [/COLOR][/quote]I think a little re-wording would help to make it clearer. For example you could change the second part to ?[I]If there were inconsistencies in their stories it would give them a place to start investigating. Perhaps that was why her and Jason had been kept apart since they were captured.[/I]? See what I mean? I think it would flow a little better if you clarified that part. Anyway, keep up the good work and keep the chapters coming! ^_^[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][B]MR.CO[/B], please be aware that we have a rules page that all members are required to read before posting. These Rules and FAQ can be found on the left navigation menu and it?s a good idea to also read the Sticky: Important: How to post in Anime Lounge, which can be found at the top of this section. Seeing that a quick search shows that Magna Carta is not only a music album, a historical document that was issued by King John?s chancery in 1215 and a video game I am going to close this thread since you haven?t specified which one of these it is that you want information on. Also when posting it is a good idea to use proper grammar and that would include not typing everything in caps as on the Internet that is the same as shouting. Once you have clarified just what it is you are trying to get information on feel free to re-create this thread in the correct area. If you have any questions feel free to pm myself or another member of the staff. ~Aaryanna [B] Thread Closed[/B][/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][QUOTE=Split Keyblader]Back to the game itself. When I found that the [spoiler]universe was a computer program I nearly crapped myself.[/spoiler] i kind of agree with the review. And that other guy was named Beelzabub. Luther was origanly Lucifer. I like the new avi and banner SunfallE has. It's so cool. ^_^ I give the game 5 well deserved thumbs up: out of 5.[/QUOTE]I agree that the game is doing what the review states, what made me laugh is that they got offended by it. I mean no matter how you look at it, it's still just a game. ^_~ I guess since I'm not very religious to begin with I'm not bothered if something seems to poke fun at it, and in this case I think it was just a creative idea of what if? A way to make you think since in the end we just might be [spoiler]a computer program![/spoiler] I actually like that twist better than the first one as it made it more intestering. ^_^ Oh and I agree about SunfallE's new avi and banner. They look great! Especially since Fayt is soooo cute! :catgirl: That's what I love about others avi's and such as I can get my anime/video game fix and yet still keep the one's of my dog up. ^_~[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]Yesterday was Mariskah?s birthday (yes that?s a shameless way to say Happy Birthday in a thread even though the day is done) and it got me thinking about the things people do on their birthdays. So naturally I started taking a look online to see a bit about the history of birthdays and associated traditions. And since a quick search showed that the last birthday thread was over a year ago..It?s time for another one! ^_~ What I found online was rather interesting. ^_^ [INDENT][SIZE=1]The tradition of birthday parties started in Europe a long time ago. It was feared that evil spirits were particularly attracted to people on their birthdays. To protect them from harm, friends and family would to come be with the birthday person and bring good thoughts and wishes. Giving gifts brought even more good cheer to ward off the evil spirits. This is how birthday parties began. At first it was only kings who were recognized as important enough to have a birthday celebration (maybe this is how the tradition of birthday crowns began?). As time went by, children became included in birthday celebrations.[/SIZE][/INDENT] Now I?m sure that many countries have different customs as to what they do, for example, here in the USA it?s fairly common to have cake and candles and then once you light the candles sing happy birthday to the person in question. They are then suppose to make a wish and blow out the candles and if they get them all the first try then the wish will come true. This is something my family has always done. We always have friends over as well and have a great time. Sometimes it?s a movie and pizza party, sometimes we take off somewhere up in the mountains and have a outdoors picnic, and other times we?ve had a dress up party if it?s near a holiday like Halloween. ^_^ I?ve been to a number of those and it?s great fun to dress up! So what traditions do any of you follow or do you have any fun or interesting birthday stories to share? I think the funniest story for my birthday was last year when I got a stuffed animal for a gift. It was a black dog that was as big as my own dog and when I opened that present she mistook it for a real one and went nuts barking and growling at it. Even when I offered it to her so she could smell it, she ran and hid behind a chair and kept growling. She?s since gotten use to it, but every know and then she?ll look at it sitting on my shelf and growl as if to remind it that she hasn?t forgotten that it?s there. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][quote name='Azarath']I have the game.But I haven't played it much.It's pretty hard.Which did you choose?Red or White rose deulist?I forgot which one I chose.But the game is pretty difficul.Even on the first level.[/quote]I started off as the red the first time through. And considering that most of the starter decks are pretty pathetic, it?s a good idea to immediately save it and then reset the game and choose custom duel the next time so you can duel against the system. Not only did it get me use to how the game works, but by watching what the system did I could see the advantages to the deck I did have. Especially since when it combined two cards to get a new one I could look in the graveyard and see which two cards were in it so I would know which cards could be combined together. Once I did that it became much easier as not only did I get cards from battling as you have the option to save before you exit to the main menu, but I gained experience for my cards which is important as the higher up your deck leader is the more support abilities they have. For example, mine is a plant deck and my leader has the ability of support for same type friendlies. Which means any plant card that is in a square next to my deck leader gets a 500 bonus in support and defense. ^_^ I?m sure other cards get similar abilities once they get high enough in rank. Considering how many cards there are and types of decks, I could spend quite a bit of time leveling up cards and finding out just what they do. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][quote name='Tatsubei Yagyu][COLOR=Navy][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Well, this thread's gonna be closed[/FONT][/COLOR'] ;)[/quote] You are correct. [B]Joshelplex[/B], if you are looking for pictures you can put a note in your signature asking for people who know where good ones are to pm you. But as a topic of discussion it doesn?t fit the guidelines as OtakuBoards is not Google. A simple search pulled up the very site Tatsubei Yagyu so kindly provided. Please take a moment to review the Rules and FAQ located on the left sidebar of the forum. And it?s a good idea to check out the stickies at the top of each section as each area has rules that apply to that section alone. If you have any questions feel free to pm myself or another member of the staff. ~Aaryanna [B] Thread Closed[/B][/COLOR]