Starwind

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marcus gave a quick smile as a single insincere word crossed his lips [B]"Sorry."[/B] Marcus lets his right hand drop as the rocks in the window just behind him come rushing forth. The first crashing into the terrified mans knee cap, causing his knee to shot back with a sickening crack. The second colliding with the mans sternum followed by another sickening crack. And finally a third striking his collar bone. The man tumbled to his one good knee and let out a horrible scream. Marcus let his left hand drop and the second barrage met with his back and shoulder blades, letting out another cracking chorus. The man laid on the ground in a crumpled mess as Marcus let out a light chuckle. Dumb sap just got wrapped up in the wrong business. With any luck this knocked some sense into him. The hallway was in shambles. Many of the rocks had shot through the paper thin walls. It was as he turned to leave that Marcus heard a strange whimpering noise coming from just down the hall. He could've just left it at that, but something beckoned him to go and have a look. Marcus walked back to the last door on the left. There was a large hole in the door and the whimpering was becoming more and more human the closer he got. With a soft push on the door it slowly swung open. Lieing on the floor was a young woman, maybe 23 or 25. She had a large bleeding wound on her head, presumably where a rock had struck her, but that wasn't what had his attention. Rather it was the two small children on either side of her, beckoning there mother to get back up. They looked up at Marcus with a mixed expression of sadness, fear, and confusion. Marcus couldn't bring his eyes off of them. He stood there for how long he wasn't certain, but it felt like hours. He finally turned and walked back down the hall. Before he realised it he was downstairs and walking out the door. He saw Trent was standing outside waiting for him, but he said nothing. He just walked off into the night. That was the last time he saw Trent. That was also the last time he used his power. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marcus jumped from his seat in a cold sweat. The plane engines still screeching. Marcus laid back in his seat as a single tear drop rolled down his cheek.

This sounds like it could be kinda dark. I'm in. [B]Name:[/B] Thomas Kiel "Tommy" [B]Age:[/B] 20 [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Personality:[/B] He has the outward appearance of being reserved and shy, but the truth is he loves to draw attention to himself. If he finds a situation either boring or akward he is often quick to act in an unusual way( either telling an inappropriate joke or just acting randomly) to break either said boredom or akwardness. He seems to always be smirking and its hard for those who don't know him well to understand what he's thinking. [B]Appearance:[/B] [URL="http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c384/GeneOutlaw/anime.jpg"][U]Tommy[/U].[/URL] [B]Cell Phone:[/B] Motorola T-mobile. With all the comforts you'd expect from a phone, to include a camera with photo and video feeds. [B]Barcode:[/B] Palm of right hand. [B]Snippet:[/B] Another day, another lame excuse to be dicking around on his cell phone. Not like there was awhole lot to do in this town anyway. People are just so boring sometimes. But Tommy was looking forward to tonight. Tonight he was going to finally get to meet some of his favorite people from one of his favorite games. This was his chance to have some real fun for the first time in a week. As Tommy made his way into the club he could already feel the energy. Music playing and people moving. Tommy threw himself right into it [B]"Now this is what I call one hell of a party!"[/B] Tommy flew across the room and was either making a nuisance of himself or just going wild. Either way, eyes were on him wherever he went. He finally found his way to dancing out on the floor with this cute little thing. She started swaying kinda odd. Tommy thought she was just doing something different. He was so focused on what she was doing he didn't even notice that he was starting to fall out too, until it all went black. When Tommy finally came to he was in what looked like a dentists chair. He was completely sprawled out on this chair, just staring up into this blinding white light. He brought his hand up to block the light and rolled out of the chair. He was still feeling a little dizzy, but he didn't feel like he was gonna black out again. All he could think about was why the hell did that happen in the first place. Once he had finally gotten his bearings back he realized that the room he was in definitly was a dentists office. It looked like something out of some old horror story. The walls were bare concrete with that wierd chair sitting in the middle of the room. Tommy looked back down to his hand and realized that there was something on it. Upon closer examination he saw a bunch of little black stripes on palm of his hand. It was a like a barcode for something. Tommy shook his head and looked about the room [B]"Now fucking what!?"[/B]

Marcus fixed his gaze out the window, it wouldn't be much longer now. He was already starting to bob again. He kept telling himself that just had to hold out for just a little bit longer, for all the good it did him. And he soon realized there was nothing he could do as he drifted off once again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Trent and Marcus stopped outside of a small red brick apartment building. Trent turned to Marcus and bobbed his head toward the building [B]"They're inside. The third floor."[/B] Marcus gives a nod and begins to walk passed Trent. As he passes him he looks over his shoulder [B]"You're not coming with?"[/B] Marcus says with mock surprise. Trent laughs[B] "Sorry, I like my bones in one piece."[/B] With those words in his head and devilish smirk on his face, Marcus enterd the building and began to make his way to the third floor. As Marcus reached the thrid floor his saw a lone man standing in middle of the hallway. [I] 'He must be the man'[/I] Marcus thought to himself as he walked over toward the man. The man was shaking and recognized Marcus as soon as he reached the floor. Marcus stopped a few feet south of him [B]"I take it you know who I am. And if you know that, then you know what I'm hear about."[/B] The visible terror in the mans eyes was becoming more and more apparent. He was a scrawny looking man. He probably had a hard enough time feeding himself, never mind his debt to Marcus's clients, but business is business. Marcus dropped his hands to his waist, turning his palms upward and slowly lifting them up. In the window at either end of the hall, numerous fist sized rocks began to appear. Marcus smirked as the man began to shake [B]"You should of just payed!"[/B] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marcus's head was begining to feel heavy. It bobbed and swayed as the plane carried him to New York. He was tired and wanted nothing more then to sleep, but he knew if he feel asleep that girl might see his dreams. Those days were gone, but he still saw them at night. He prayed for nights where he saw nothing. Fight as he might, he couldn't keep it together for much longer. His head bobbed one last time and he was gone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It was another warm night on the Los Angelos streets. Marcus was waiting for his partner. It had been almost an hour and Trent was still gone. Marcus was only going to wait 10 more minutes and he was out. He had better things to do then wait for this joker. Finally he heard Trent call to him [B]"Sorry, bro! I had a hard time finding them. You ready?"[/B] Marcus smirked [B]"You ask like you don't know the answer. Let's get this thing done with."[/B] Trent took the lead, showing Marcus the way. Marcus followed Trent with a smirked plasterd on his face. This was what he did. This is what he was good at. And he loved every second of it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marcus awoke to the bump of the plane. A pocket of turbulence bumped the plane and snapped Marcus back to reality. he noticed he was in a cold sweat, though he couldn't remember what it was he was dreaming of. That was probably for the better. Marcus cast his eyes back to Symphony who seemed to be otherwise preoccupied. Marcus hoped she wasn't watching. Marcus looked out his window and looked out into the evening sky. At least he was some what rested now.

Marcus didn't really have a room here. He just had an old army green duffle bag that had all the neccesities for the mission to come. So they were to first meet the Vampire Queen. Marcus only really knew of her by rumor, but he didn't really know anything for certain. The possiblities were really quite intimidating. Marcus stood at the front of the large building and awaited the arrival of the others so they might set way for New York. Marcus had never been before so he was a little nervous, but this was nothing different from how he felt about coming here in the first place. Thinking about the idea of fighting was also kinda putting an edge on Marcus as well. The next figure to exit the command building was Symphony. Yet another uncomfortable topic. This whole experience was starting to seem like it was going to be one long stress test. She walked along side him and said nothing for a moment. Marcus did his best to do the same. He didn't want to let on how nervous he was and he didn't think he could speak right now without stuttering.

The group seemed to keep growing and the ever rising number was begining to upset Marcus a bit. He didn't like being surrounded by all these unfamiliar faces, but at the same time, he wanted the kind of closeness that this group seemed to have. He couldn't remember such a time in his own life and he hoped this would be the begining of somthing new for him. This new girl, named Symphony, seemed like she would be a nice addition. Though he didn't like the idea of a dreamseer. He didn't like the idea of being around someone who could see his dreams. There were somethings he wanted to keep to himself. The unconscious man was in good health, but still smelled like charred skin. He must have burned himself pretty badly. But he seemed well now, and sleeping peacefully. What happend that he had to do this thing now? Why did they all have to do this? It worried Marcus. Not the idea that he would be put in danger by going, but rather the idea that he might really have to kill someone. This thought flooded him with all those harsh memories. He quickly flished them away, afraid that Symphony might notice. It's not that he didn't trust her, he just didn't know her well enough to know if she would peer at his mind like that. Without even noticing when it started, he realized that he was walking after the group as they made there way into a large room with a long table lined with chairs. A large screen at the far end of the room. Red motioned for them to sit [B]"Well begin the brief momentarily, please be seated and relax until then."[/B] The group nodded and chit chat ensued amongst the more familar members. Marcus sat back and watched them go about there way. The scene made Marcus smile, but it was also kinda sad for him to watch. He looked to Symphony, and then looked at the case she had been carrying with her. He realized it was a violin case [B]"I see that you play."[/B] He said pointing at her violin [B]"Sorry I missed your perfomance."[/B]

If were going for controversial than I'm going to have to follow the flow in naming Evangelion. Not so much because of the religious references, which as earlier mentioned, was only really done for the simple fact that it was so alien to the regular japanese mind, but because it was, if interpreted in the right way, a metaphor for a child growing up. To really kinda of see this you have to watch the show closely and more then once. This does not comment on the movie, which is one of the most disturbing pieces of cinema I've ever bore witness too. The story also kinda reflects the writer/ creator, Hideaki Anno alot in the later part of the series as he kinda falls into depression. Anyway, to those who pay attention, you quickly notice it's not a religious story, it's a growing story told through metaphor. What's more, it actually makes the story kinda funny to watch once you realize once the characters are really talking about alot of the time.

I look back at some of my early posts and it makes me want to hang my head in shame. They are brief, lacking of any real content, and have no kind of structure, I had no idea where the enter key was, and both spelling and grammar hurt me physically. I'd like to think I've improved over most of these, but I also know that I don't exactly offer the best comments most of the time. That's the problem being a poorly spoken out speaker. Even if you have something worth saying, it's hard to word it in a way that people actually pay attention. Whatever, I'm working on it. And as long as I'm welcome here, I'm gonna keep posting my thoughts and making a general menace of myself.

Marcus watched as Nayomi dragged off the two men named Damo and Sin. They seemed awfully closed. [I]'It must be nice to have such close bonds'[/I] Marcus thought to himself, smiling involuntarily smiling at them as they walked off. He suddenly heard a voice [B]"Hey new guy, don't just stand there, we need to get going!"[/B] Marcus turned, his goofy smile still plasterd on his face. He determined that it had come from the man named Duke. Duke then cocked an eyebrow at Marcus's odd smile [B]"What are you smiling about?"[/B] He then looked off down the hall to see his new wife dissappearing into the bathroom to change. He then followed with [B]"Don't get any weird ideas."[/B] Marcus picked up on what he was talking about pretty quickly and shook the smirk off his face [B]"Sorry. It's not that. I was just thinking it was kinda funny watching her drag off two grown men, whining all the while, like a couple of children."[/B] Marcus says, as another goofy smile coming across his face. Duke just nodded his head [B]"You'll get used to it."[/B] He then proceeded to walk off and motioned for Marcus to follow who quickly followed suit.

I am formerly obsessed. When I was in high school I ate it two to three times a day. Yes, I was eating ramen for breakfast. But I've long since gotten over that and now only endulge on the occasions that call for a quick meal. I like the beef myself, but I like to add my own flavors as well. I've been known to add soy sauce, steak sauce, hot sauce, mushrooms, eggs over easy, whole shrimp, chicken strips, lemon juice, and so many other things I can't even begin to remember them all. What can I say, it's good.

Marcus was standing outside, staring off at the building before him. He had only recieved a the letter two days ago calling him back to service. He had done his best to stay on the down low since he left the academy and had hoped he would simply fall forgotten in time, but it wasn't meant to be. He looked back down to the letter clenched in his right hand. It was addressed to him from a Red. Marcus couldn't recall anyone he knew named Red, but that didn't mean he didn't know him. Just that he didn't remember. Marcus marched his way up to the front door and began wandering about looking for the briefing room where he was to recieve this "mission". He had no idea what they wanted of him and what he would actually be able to do. It was while he wanderd about aimlessly in the halls of this unfamiliar building that he heard a few voices from down the hall. They sounded jovial and rather excited. As Marcus rounded the corner to face a group of people, all men were dressed in black tux's and a woman in what appeared to be a wedding dress. Marcus suddenly felt very under dressed. They all seemed to stop at once and turn to face him. This caused his heart to jump a bit. He didn't like being the center of attention like this. Finally one of the group stepped forward [B]"Mr. Fenix, thank you for making it so quickly."[/B] Yet another person he didn't know who seemed to be familiar with him. The man continued to approach [B]"My name is Red. I'm the one who called you here. If you'd please follow us I'll introduce you to the rest of the team."[/B] Marcus nodded as the man turned about [B]"This is Marcus Fenix. He is one of the new team members who will be accompanying you on this upcoming mission."[/B] Marcus was kinda uncomfortable with the situation, but he did his best to bear with it and hoped that all things would go well. He finally spoke for the first time trying to break the tention he was feeling "Hello. I feel as though I've interrupted something." He says while pointing at the woman in the wedding dress.

I am far from an academic. I don't like school work, I don't like classes, and I hate homework. Needless to say, I only did moderately in high school, C's and B's mostly. But I'm okay with that. Because at the same time, I had fun. I have alot of memories I enjoy and I met alot of people who are still important to me there. I knew alot of people who threw themselves into it and spent almost all there time studying or going about some school related project. They always used to tell me that they still had fun, but I also know that they never had the experiences they did. And in the end I watched what happend to happen to many of them. It was like watching a train wreck. They became inconsoleable, like a part of them had died. I know it may have been wrong for me to pity them for this, but I did. I watched them fall apart and as I left to begin my military career. Most I have lost touch with and I have no idea whatever came of them. My life hasn't been the best and I probably don't have the brightest future. Probably not even as bright as most of yours, but I can atleast say that I'll be happy with it. So long as I have my friends and family with me I know that even if I end up sweeping the halls of some high school, I'll be alright. There are worse things to be and worse places to be. The most important thing is not school, or even your job. If your president of the united states and still unhappy, then what was all this time you've spent working for about. I guess that's all I'm really trying to say. Just be happy, that's all you really need. Trust me, I'd be thrilled to get into a state college with my school track record.

Well they pretty much did to Sasuke what they've been doing to all of the old team 7. They turned him into Orochimaru. Sadly he's still a puppet and I'm just hoping someone will just kill him soon, because I'm just tired of listenting to to him. I've never been a very big fan of Sasuke in general, but enoughs enough. I'm kinda curious about the whole issue with Kisame. The biggest question I have is where did he go? He was suppose to be fighting the rest of team snake, now team eagle, but suddenly they all just kinda reappear without any mention of what happend to him. It's possible that Kisame knew going in that Itachi planned to die in this fight, but there's no way to know that for sure. What I really want to see right now is the aftermath. Alot of big things have happend in the last several chapters, some we still haven't addressed since there occurence. I'm eager to see whats going on in the wake of Jiraiyas passing and just what is really going on with Pein. What's the new team 7's paln of the future? I think it's still pretty obvious that they'll keep tailing Sasuke (ugh), but what do they plan to do now that Itachi is gone and they obviously can't possibly know how to find him this time. Plus, with his new vow to destroy the leaf, what will there next confrontation with him be like. So many questions that I'm looking to be answerd, but I still have a feeling that it will be a while yet til Kishi offers any kind of answer.

I just put up a post and I hope it's all right. I just kinda winged it a bit, but since I'm new to the story I wanted a chance to kinda introduce my character a bit. If there's anything I need to change just let me know. I would've liked to have been in the first one, but I've been busy as of late, what with the whole war in Iraq thing, but I'm home now and I hope to play a role in this new one.

[B]Name:[/B] Marcus Fenix [B]Age:[/B] 28 [B]Ability: [/B]Earth bender. The ablility to manipulate non-organic natural materials. e.g. rocks, natural metals, etc. [B]Appearance:[/B] [URL="http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c384/GeneOutlaw/punk.jpg"][U]Marcus[/U].[/URL] He stands about 5'9 and weighs 175 lbs. He has three scars on his right forearm like arm bands that reach all the way around his his arm. Marcus wanderd through the crowded streets of New Los Angelos. He had no where to go, but he didn't feel like going back to his empty apartment. So he kept right on going, wandering about the sidewalks and streets. Enjoying the feeling of all those bodies beside him. He finally shuffled to a stop and looked down the far alley way to his right. At the far end he could see what looked like a mugging in progress and what sounded like some kid calling for help. Guess no one told him this is the city. Everyone can hear you, but no one cares enough to put themselves in the line of fire. Even so, Marcus can't feel right if he just watches this happen. He begins to walk toward and down the alley, the voices and screams becoming louder and more clear. The kid couldn't have been more then 14 or 15 and the three guys beating on him looked to be about Marcus's age. Once he was close enough for them to notice they turned to him. The first one, a blonde man a few inches taller then Marcus spoke up first [B]"What do you want, hero?"[/B] The second, a red haired man of about the same height as Marcus [B]"Just turned around guy!"[/B] The third, a brown haired man, just stared at him, as if trying to say the same thing with his eyes. Marcus stood still, unmoved by the threats of the three thugs looked down to the beaten, bloody mess that was the young teen that was being beaten. The desperate look in his eyes told Marcus just how badly he needed him. Marcus turned his head back to the three thugs and he finally spoke for the first time [B]"I think you've done enough. Whatever you want, I'm sure this boy will give it to you now."[/B] All four pairs of eyes on him looked confused. Like what he had just said wasn't registering. Finally the blonde man walked over to Marcus and cocked his head down to meet Marcus's eyes. He man pushed out his chest to seem as intimidating as possible. Still this did little to move Marcus. The blonde finally cocked back his fist and smashed it across Macus's face, knocking him to the ground. The other two quickly moved in and proceeded to pummel him in much the same way they had the young boy earlier. And as he was being beaten the boy quickly gatherd himself and ran away, leaving Marcus to take his place. After several minutes the gang finally stopped and walked away, leaving a beated and bloodied Marcus on the ground. Marcus laid there for a moment, honestly hoping this would be the end for him. It was at this point that he heard a voice coming from the direction of the street. It was a voice he didn't recognize, but the person belonging to it seem to address him as if they were so how familiar. It said [B]"You know you could've ripped them to pieces. Hell, you could've brought down both these buildings on either side of us."[/B] Marcus remained silent, trying to figure out who this person was and how they knew about him. He heard a light chuckle as the person drew closer. Marcus hadn't, nor intended to look up to meet this person. They spoke again [B]"I guess you don't like to talk about IT. You know, the thing that makes us different."[/B] Marcus still didn't know who this person was, but they seemed to know him. He could hear footsteps fading off toward the streets again [B]"Take better care of yourself. Otherwise your gonna end up dead without having achieved anything. And that's really the saddest thing of all."[/B] The footsteps continued to fade until he couldn't hear them anymore. Marcus pulled himself up to his feet and looked around. The person was gone and the street to where they had retreated was still crowded with people. The same cold people who would walk by while a young boy was being beated without looking twice. Marcus walked back out into the streets, beaten and bloodied and decided that it was finally time to go back to his empty apartment. OOC: I hope this works. This sound like it'll be fun.

This thread sure has taken a hell of a spin since I first posted here. I gotta say that some of the recent discussion has upset me quite a bit. The notion that those of us in the military are warmongers and violent killers is simply unfounded. True, you are trained to use weapons of lethal force, but the fact of the matter is, that neither myself or any of the other 400 soilders in my unit have fired a single bullet since we arrived here. That's not to say we haven't had to fight. We had a riot just this morning. So we went with standard procedure. We used a simple show of force and standard riot control. Which is basically form up a front line to block rocks and other things they might be throwing and lob tear gas at them til they fall back. I do carry a rifle, but I also carry pepper spray, a baton, and a tazer. Of which, I can only use my rifle when the first three fail to work. And trust me, I've never had to go beuond the pepper spray. Truth is, off all the jobs you can do in the military, very few of them require you to fight and possible kill someone. More then 3/4's are whats called combat support. This is things like transport, medical, communication, engineering, and other such things.

Sadly I can relate to the feeling. I'm convinced it's something genetic, but it seems that all the men in my family feel the need to serve in some form of public defence. Be it the military, the fire department, or the police. I myself am in the army and I've had my fair share of friends die. I know it's kinda sad to say this, but the truth of the matter is that I'm kinda cold toward it now. It's kind of a fact of my life. As far as your story goes, I'd have to say that seeking legal counsel is a good idea. Whatever happend to him, or whatever caused him to get sick is irrelevant if they can't help him, and to take so long for a case, that from my stand point anyway, seemed that dire, there was definitly something wrong. I don't know what to think as far as what happend, but it sounds like he was poisoned to me. And considering how progressive it was, it was probably more then once. I understand the feeling of expecting someone you've just lost so suddenly to just...appear, like it never happend. There are days where I still expect my grandfather to just pull into the driveway in his old station wagon, and he died 4 years ago. It's hard when we lose someone so close to us and I hope you never have to live through it so many times that it stops meaning something to you like it has me.

This sounds like it could be good. Count me in. [COLOR="Red"][B]Name:[/B] Jake Warren [B]Age:[/B] 38 [B]Physical Description:[/B] Jake stands at a little over 5'9 and weights about a 175 lbs. He has a rough outward appearance and has an aged and road weary look in his eyes. Like a man who's too much death. He's a barkeeper by trade and as such can almost always be found wearing his, what was once white, beer stained apron. Underneath he wears a light blue button down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows. Usually prefering denim pants and a pair of tan boots as his lower body attire. His hair is usually a mess and face are usually a mess. His hair is brown with a few graying streks in it. He keeps his face fairly shaven, shaving it maybe once a week or so. His eyes are an emrald green, but despite the vibrant color they seem almost dry to look at. He has a scar on the right side of his chin from where he got caught a broken glass mug in his own bar. Looped through the belt on the left side of his pants can be seen a large bowie knife he keeps for trouble makers. He also has a winchester '73 lever action he keeps tucked under the bar for the most part. [B]Personality:[/B] Being this small towns only bartender, he is also the town "psychiatrist". He usually plays this role well enough, listening to the troubles of those who stumble into his bar and he knows just about everyone in town, so he knows when someone new crosses his doors. He is both gruff and direct, which usually isn't a good combination when dealing with angry, drunken "clients". He's a strictly no BS person and is not one to hesitate to toss some drunk troublemaker out on his ass for the sherrif to deal with. Desipte his rough nature and appearance, he is of the just sort. Maybe not always in the eyes of the law, but he has his own form of justice that he follows. He's meet every kind of person conceivable and those who have committed crimes of the most heinous kind. He knows how to spot a man deserving of punishment. [B]Biography:[/B] Born in Oklahoma, Jake was raised by his grandparents. His father was on run from the law, for what his grandparents wouldn't say and his mother died giving birth to him. His grandfather along with about five ranch hands herded cattle for their living. He spent much of his childhood watching over the herd and mending broken fences. It was a simple and poor life he lived, but Jake found his way well enough. His grandfather passed away when he was 14. His grandmother passed away about a year later. Instead of staying by the farm and continuing on like his grandparents had wanted, he took up a horse and left. He started to make his way west and wanderd from town to town. He quickly found that he had very few skills that could help him in his journey to wherever it was he though he was going. I guess you could say he followed in his fathers footsteps as he took on a life of crime himself. He spent 5 years roaming between Colorado and Arizona, hitting lone travelers and anyone else he could along the way to make his living. It was more often then not that he found himself holding a smoking gun. By the time he was 23 he was sick of his life and sick unto death of all he had done. He could feel the weight of the dead on his back. There was many a time when he considerd ending it on his own terms, but he could never pull that trigger. He has lost his purpose, his will to live, and his nerve to keep on living by the gun. He became a vagabond. He spent most days sleeping in the woods, far from any towns or people. When he was 28 he found himself in Arizona once again. This time he stumbled in to an old saloon. He had maybe 30 cents to his name and felt as though he might die of thirst. He approached the bar and asked the keep for a something to slack his thirst. The keep took his money off the bar and slide him a tin cup filled with water. Jake took the whole thing down in one gulp. He then set both the cup and his head down on the bar. He laid there like that for seemed like hours til the bar keep finally spoke [B]"I've never seen a man that excited and depressed over a cup of water." [/B] He said in a dry and tired voice. Jake turned his head up and looked up to the man. And then something happend that Jake didn't expect. The old barkeep went back washing out the empty glasses at the bar and said [B]"How would you like a job?"[/B] It's been 10 years since then and Jake has been tending bar ever since. He worked for the old barkeep, a man named Charlie, for 3 years. Then one day, just like when he left his grandparents ranch, he saddled up a horse and left with barely 5 words to remember him by. He bounced around for a bit til he found his way to the little town of Lore about 3 years ago. He opened his own saloon and has worked there ever since.[/COLOR] Let me know it anything needs changing.

It had been a long trip, but finally this little plane touched down on the narrow runway for this little tropical island. Tommy had slept much of the way. Or at least tried to when his sister was bouncing up and down like a caged monkey. I suppose this was to be expected from a small child going to some new and exciting place for the first time. Both of their parents were all worked up, and admittedly Tommy was a little intrigued himself. He had never left the states before so coming all the way out here was kind of exciting for him. As the plane slowed and came to a stop everyone began to get to there feet. They reached for their bags that were stowed overhead and began to wait impatiently for the door to open and let them all out. Tommy sat quietly, not moving from his seat, waiting for the crowded walkway to clear out a little bit before bothering to get up himself. Sarah grabbed hold of his arm and began trying to pull him to his feet. She wasn't allowed to go anywhere if he didn't come with her, so she was rather upset that he was still calmly sitting in his seat. After much pulling and whining from his little sister, Tommy finally stood and pulled his black backpack out from the overhead compartment. He then stepped out and into the walkway and headed for the door, Sarah pulling him all the way. As he got out the door he was hit with an almost blinding flash of light. Tommy didn't know that the sun could be this bright. He didn't really like it to be honest. The aired was filled with an array of smells he had never known. the only one he recognized was the smell of salt, which he knew must have been the ocean. Sarah was already at the bottom of the stairs, jumping around on the runway. Tommy, with his parents closely behind, stepped off the plane and on to terrafirma for the first time in several hours. Tommy reached into the cargo pocket on his pants and pulled out a pair of deep black sunglasses and put them on his face. This helped bring down the intensity of the sun, but did little to help the heat. He was starting to think he should of worn shorts, but it was too late to worry about that now. While he family went to get there luggage out from under the plane, Tommy took some time to look around a bit. The sky was a clear and vibrant blue, the air was filled many different aromas, and the area surrounding the airport was litterd with white sand and palm trees. This was unlike any place Tommy had ever been in his life. But he wasn't quite sure that he liked it yet. That would have to wait for a while til he had seen a bit more. His mother finally called him over to help with the bags. As he walked over to her she asked [B]"So what do you think, Tommy?"[/B] She asked in the most pleasant of tones. Tommy just smiled and said [B]"It's different, mom. It's definitly different."[/B] His mother sighed, probably a little dissappointed he wasn't more excited, but at this point she knew what to expect from him. Tommy took up a large black bag with wheels on the end and began to make his way toward a small terminal at the far end of the airport where a bus was suppose to come and pick them up. All the while, his sister still bouncing about like a monkey in a cage, his parents positivly glowing with excitment, and Tommy simply looking off into his own little world again, thinking [I]'what's gonna happen next?'[/I]

I AM in military service. And I AM presently in Iraq. Trust me, it's a hard road ahead of you and trust me it's not easy. I'm not even talking about the physical end either, you'll get used to that after the first few weeks of basic. It's that emotional and psychological that usually gets to people. Of the 260 people I went to basic training with, 200 of us left there as soldiers. And I think only 4 were held back because of lacking in there physical fitness. The mind games and almost constant abuse are what get to people most of the time. But in the end, if you can endure all those things and some how make it out, you'll be all the stronger for it. It's all done to you for a reason and trust me, your grateful for it after the fact. This is a scary place to be sometimes and if you can't deal with the stresses then your gonna get yourself or someonelse killed. And don't think that you've got it figured out yet either. My plan was the same as yours, but before I could even get back to school, I was on a plane and on my way over seas. They ship us out by the boat load. Expect your first set of orders within 2 to 3 months of getting home. Hell, sometimes it can be less than that. I had a friend of mine I went to basic with. He got home to find his unit had already mobilized and had 2 weeks to prepare before they sent him off to join them. I won't BS you like I'm sure your recruiter did. And yes, recruiters do lie alot. When you hit the ground at basic training, wherever that may be, be ready for hell on earth the likes of which noone can fully prepare you for. And once you get out, you will be stronger, but it will not be any easier. The way you see the world will be forever changed, trust me on this one. You'll look a people different, respond differently to questions, work differently, you will be a very different person. But, despite all the hard things I've had to go through with the army and all the hard times I know lie ahead, I would trade it for nothing else, and this is something you'll learn about in time as well. I leave wishing you good luck. And who knows, the army is not as big as it seems and the two of us might very well meet some day if your joining the medical ranks. Til then, see you down range, Starwind, Private First Class, camp bucca Iraq

[B]Care: 6 Justice: 3[/B] What can I say really? I'd say it fits me well enough. I believe in rules and laws and do my best to obey them, but I also see where there are times when they casue more harm then good and should be over looked for the greater good. Weather that's wrong or not is up to interpretation.

There's nothing wrong with being a little perverted, as long as you don't go overboard with it. Some of the best conversations I've had with my GF are a little on the perverse side. But if nothing else they always prove to fun to have and to laugh at after the fact. I suppose more then anything I'm a romantic at heart. I know it's kinda sappy and a little pathetic at times, but I can't help it. It's the way I am. I like to doing little things for the girl I love and I like to see her response, regardless if it's awe or just amusement. What with it generally tending to be the latter and all in her case. Sometimes this causes me to question my own masculinity. Again, kinda pathetic, I know, but still. I also have a high tendency to be kinda affectionate at times. I'm not neccesarily fishing for sex or anything, I just like that kinda closeness sometimes. Oh god, I think I hear someone coming to revoke my gender. Anyway, it's just the way I was brought up. I have a very close family and I'm used to being close with people I care about. I'm not uncomfortable with it, even if some people are.

It's weird for me. I don't really check for rings, but I can kinda sense when someone isn't on the market, so to speak. Since I myself am not really on the market either this doesn't really matter, but still, even when I was in high school. Now I'm finding that I can't find other female soldiers sexy. It's not that I don't find some of them attractive, it's just that it's hard to see them as women when they have the uniform on. It's kinda hard to explain. Anyway, I find that people tend to have a different feel about them when they're single and when they're not. I've never taken up looking for a ring though. I've always kinda thought that at my age getting married was just a little impulsive, but from the way my family has been pushing me and my GF to get married I'm starting to understand the situation a bit more. As it stands, I don't want to get married right now, and I still think that it's one of those things you should put off til your old enough to make rational decisions and, lets face it, 20 is not that age.

I came up with this idea after a conversation I had with one of my dumber friends... [CENTER]"Don't worry, dogs love me." He was mauled to death.[/CENTER] This is based off of an actual conversation I had with a friend of mine as we were walking past the MP (Military Police) K-9 training ground. We could hear the dogs barking over in the kennel there and my buddy turns to me and says "Ya know what? I think I wanna run over there and go play with those dogs." I looked at him, a bit confused at the moment because that had nothing to do with what we were talking about only a moment ago. I then followed up with "Are you an idiot? Those dogs would tear you up." He then looks at me and says "Don't worry, dogs love me." I looked back to him and said "Yeah, I'll make sure they right that on your tombstone, just above the line that says you were mauled to death." I swear to you this all happend. And no, he didn't jump the fence to go "play" with the dogs.

[B]Name:[/B] Tommy Marks [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Age:[/B] 17 [B]Real world appearance:[/B][URL="http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e200/wallpaperboi/Male/RPC.jpg"][U]Tommys' real appearance[/U].[/URL] Tommy has a fairly slender build with a rather average outward appearance. Usually unkept and ungroomed, with the exception of the rarest of occasions. He tends to wear T-shirts and pants as his usual attire, usually of drab consisting of drab colors. He can sometimes be seen wearing a crucifix, but he himself is not a religious person. [B]Year and Class:[/B] Year 11 class 4 [B]Personality:[/B] Tommy is what many refer to as a "lone wolf". Truth betold he dosen't always like being alone, but at the same time he doesn't feel comfortable around others either. He seems completely isolated within his own mind. He is a fairly open person and is willing to talk to just about anyone, provided they approach him first. He's not one to establish first contact in any situation. He prefers the night to the day and the moon to the sun. Despite being quiet in nature he is far from submissive. He believes in doing things his own way. he doesn't like being told what to do and that is one of the few things that can truly upset him. He has no tolerance for bullies, regardless of who their target might be. he often gets in fights that have nothing to do with him and has made quite a few enemies with some less then savory people in his school. [B]GPA:[/B] He holds about a 2.5, getting just enough work done to keep him passing at a decent level. [B]Character history:[/B] Tommy never knew either of his parents since he had spent much of the early part of his life in the child welfare system. He was found in a trash can near a fire house and that's all he knows. The idea of his real parents just leaving him like that never really botherd him all that much. He spent his life essentially bouncing around the system from one foster home to the next. When he was about 9 he found himself with the Marks family who decided to legally adopt him. They consisted of Andrew, the "man of the house", Stephanie, his wife who really ran the house, and their dauther Sarah who was only a year old at the time. His life went by rather uneventfully with the Marks family. He was happy with them, but when you've lived in the system as long as he had, it's hard to feel like you belong. Still, he always kept up apperances and always seemed to be happy. They sure felt like real parents. There for him when he needed help, scolding him when he got into trouble, which happend quite a bit these days. In an attempt to help relieve some of this stress, and hoping it would calm him down, the family has decided to go on a family vacation. Tommy doesn't know much about where he's going, but is still interested in the idea of going some place different none the less. [B]Significant item:[/B] Tommy has an old pocket knife he carries with him just about everywhere. The handle on it had a fine polished wood and gold trim, that sadly had begun to fade with time. The blade is very rusty and he probably couldn't use it to cut paper, but it was first gift he ever recieved, so he keeps it anyway. (I'll get into that story as the RP progresses.) [B]Inner Universe:[/B] This is land that has neither name, nor order. Nor needs if for that matter. It is a world where the moon shines and the sun never rises. A world of perpetual night. The trees and foliage seem to almost glow in the light of the moon in this world. No one could definitivly say that there was good and evil in this world. Rather, many shades of grey, some darker and lighter than others, but still. The creatures that inhabit this world live freely and move throughout this wilderness landscape that has almost no sign of human existence. There are the shadowlings, creatures that live in the shadows of other lifeforms. they have no definite forms themselves, but make for rather intersting compainions to have. They are wise and ageless, so they tend to be an asset for those who will bother to listen to them. Then there are the lycanthropes. When most think of this powerful race, they think wolves, but truth be told they can come in virtually any kind of form or style. As mentioned earlier, they tend to be neither good nor evil, they all simply do what must be done to survive, nothing more. Lastly, of out dominant races we have the Reapers. If there was truly a ruling class of this world, they would be it. They are large behemoths wrapped in thick and heavy armor, some standing over 15 feet tall. They physical strength and short tempers make them a bunch to definitly be feared. They are only known to associate with other Reapers and are very secretive. Even the shadowlings know little about them. Recently, much unrest has begun to stir up in this world. The Reapers seem to be moving toward something and seem to be becoming a more and more common sight, which is odd considering since they were once considerd a rare occurence. No one is certain of their intentions, but most remain weary of there presence and try to avoid them as best as possible. [B]Inner Universe Appearance:[/B] [URL="http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k318/Jinsoku_Akai/WC3/Final%20Fantasy/81aac885.jpg"][U]Tommys' inner appearance[/U].[/URL] Tommy is of the lycanthropes and, as such, can shift between appearances. In his human appearance he has jet black hair that hangs to his mid back. He stands a a little over 6 feet tall. He cloaks himself in a red garb that covers him down to his ankles. Under the cloak he wears only a pair of black pants and no shirt. [URL="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd39/its_me_101/werewolf13pe1pk.jpg"][U]Tommys' transformed state[/U].[/URL] In this state he takes on the appearance of a wolf. Both his physical strength and agility are increased sevral times in this state. In this state he has gone from 6 to 8 feet tall. While he appears quite dangerous, he is still quite sane and very in control of his own actions. [B]Inner Universe races:[/B] As mentioned above, Shadowlings, lycanthropes, and Reapers. But there are also, vampires, shadow birds(a race of bird people essentially), and humans, but humans are raely seen and rarely live long. There are a number of other species, but they are usually little more then prey for the larger, above mentioned species. [B]Inner Universe age:[/B] In a world where there is no day, it's hard to say exactly how many years old he is, but if he were to roughly guess, it would have to be around 20 to 25.