kalon

Congratulations, my dear Mr. Fury, you have been granted the most un-lame summer ever. The Apocalypse takes place on the first day of Summer, and you find yourself leading a rag-tag team of survivors fighting against the Apocalypse brain-eating zombies (there are always zombies in the Apocalypse, as everyone knows). The Earth is filled with death and fire and destruction. The good news? You and your gang just defeated all the zombies by blasting through them Resident Evil style. You even managed to find a shelter that had clean air and food and water. The bad news? You were bitten and become a zombie yourself. Your team mates are forced to kill you. No brains for Leon Fury. I wish I were a phoenix.

I live in Tennessee. At my school, we're still basically segregated. The black students usually don't mix with the white students. It is not as though we aren't allowed to sit together; we are all doing it the ourselves. We restrict ourselves from talking to people just by the color of their skin, which makes us all ignorant morons. Luckily, I haven't seen too much outright hatred, but I am basically a hermit who never leaves the house. Sometimes being a recluse is not such a bad thing. The world can be pretty ugly. I do not think racism will end, sadly. Even if we let ourselves see past the color of some one's skin, there will always be differences. Hatred can form from the stupidest reasons. [B]Incredibly stupid example:[/B] If some one was fanatic enough, they could start a cult based only on the type of shampoo they prefer. You use Shampoo A, and I use Shampoo B. We each think our shampoo is better. You get Shampoo A people on your side while I get Shampoo B followers. We start arguing over which shampoo is superior, and it leads to a fight. Neither side gives in, and it escalates into full-blown war. Now does that not sound like the stupidest thing you have ever heard? Thing is, I think hating some one because they look, act, or believe differently is just as stupid, if not moreso. As I have said, I like to stay inside. I have never been in a real situation where some one hated me for my skin. There has been a problem with being an otaku before, though, and not just the usual dislike of it you see in school. My love of anime crossed over into a love of Japanese culture. I love hearing about Japan, so I always want to watch or read anything involving the country. Why she said it at the time, I don't remember, but my mom jokingly called me a "***-lover." It feels pretty pointless to be hurt over that since she was not trying to be mean, and it's miniscule in comparison to real persecution, but I was a little shocked and actually hurt. It's such a disrespectful, horrible phrase, and I never expected my mother to direct something like that at me. Edit: You should do as Tical says. [I]To Kill a Mockingbird[/I] is one of the best books you can read. It'll stick in your head.

[SIZE=1][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]Name:[/B] Hypatia Archimedes Plutarch Pythagoras Euclid Nostradamus Elliot Descartes. Alas, only one female name! No matter, you may call her Hypatia or Happened, whichever you prefer. [B]Age:[/B] Physically: 7 years Emotionally: 7 and 3/4 years [B]Profession:[/B] Official Maker of Mischief is the title she has given herself, although most would call her a Delightfully Whimsical Street Urchin. [B]Backstory:[/B] Hypatia "Happened" began life as a baby, which is a good place to begin. She happens to have irresponsible parents plagued by memory loss. One day they left her sitting under a tree and forgot where she was. She was surprisingly quick for a two-year-old. She said to herself, "I am lost unless I am found. Being a street urchin would be delighful, though." She began to live as a beggar of sorts, taking whatever people gave her. She would also take what they did [B]not[/B] give her. It is not stealing, just borrowing for a really long time with no intent of returning whatever the item may be. At age three Hypatia found a bag. Although she did not find it as much as she took it from a wizard who turned his back. Hypatia Happened named the bag Leonard. Leonard turned out to be a good companion, because he has many wonderful and cheery items inside of him. She found out that Leonard's items were very fun if placed into a hat or basket or shoes or... you get the picture. She has wished she was many things and tried to be them through various costumes. Once she wore cabbages because she thought it would be nice to be cabbage, but she got hungry and ate her costume. She then wished to be a chicken and stuck feathers to herself, but the feathers came off. Currently she wishes to be a butterfly and has made wings out of blue sheets taken from a washline sewn onto a wicker frame. Her hair, however, does not know what color it wishes to be and therefore changes. She spends her time wandering. Hypatia Happened would be the [B]painter's ally[/B]. If she met him, that is. Painting is fun. [B]Personality:[/B] Hypatia likes things to happen to people, so she wanders spreading her cheer to all she sees. Unfortunately, her cheer often comes in forms some consider to be undesirable, such as a hat filled with pudding or tarantulas or both. Why wouldn't you want that? Pudding is tasty and tarantulas are cuddly. Hypatia is fairly book smart but has the logic of someone seven-and-three-quarters. She can be unreasonable if you do not like her "cheer," often acting out with violence or having her eyes cry literal waterfalls of tears. As long as you laugh, she will like you. [B]Stuff:[/B] The clothes on and around her back, front, sides, namely a tattered cloak, patched pants, and patchwork shirt. One tarnished silver monocle, although it has no legs, sits on her left eye. She carries a bag of cheer. The bag is named Leonard. Leonard does not speak, but he does enjoy giving Hypatia Happened many fun and cheery things to play with. Even she does not know what she will pull out. Leonard is one-half plaid cloth, one half silent sarcasm. [B]Talents:[/B] Knows how to properly spread cheer, obviously. She can also make people start bashing their head against the wall if she is locked in the room with them for about five minutes. Also very good at "borrowing" things. [B]Gender:[/B] Female, although it would not be difficult to believe her into being something else entirely.[/COLOR] OoC: PM me if change is needed (not the nickel and dime kind, though).[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]"You and I will be in a group, and the Lucky Devils should all watch each other's backs. Other than that, I want no one else involved. This party isn't exactly secret, so there will probably be other mercs," Soma explained. She was thankful that Snake Eyes had not used her powers. The thought of someone seeing any of her thoughts without permission was a little unnerving. "Will that be okay with you?" "Yes!" Snake Eyes agreed too loudly, causing Soma to wince. "Sorry again." In the back they heard someone come in and head up the stairs. "It's just Roll. What's your guy like?" "Mark Lewis. Thin build, gray hair, brown eyes, and a piece missing from his left ear. Two Fate's Children as bodyguards. And that is all I need," Soma said. "Well, some vodka might be useful. Or whiskey. Or something strong like that." "Awww, I'm not that bad. Don't be mean, it's not like I'm trying to annoy you," Snake Eyes whined. "You should think about what you say, Judgement. It isn't nice to--" "Not because of you," Soma said with a roll of her eyes. "I don't drink, although you might drive me to it after a while. Cheap, strong alcohol makes a very good Molotov cocktail, which is a very good distraction. It's easy to make them work when you have fire powers. I need liquor, but there's probably some in the house. If there's anything you need, we can go get it."[/SIZE]

Sprite New Scramble: vain Hint: "Listen, listen!" at really annoying times during the game.

[SIZE=1]"What's the scoop on your guy, then? Is it juicy?" Snake Eyes asked. Soma looked exasperated at the younger girl, but Snake Eyes kept smiling. "Yes, I found out something nice. Do you want to know what I found out?" Soma asked teasingly. "Yes. Tell me, tell me!" Snake Eyes waited for an answer but Soma remained silent. She took a guilty pleasure in making the girl wait. As much as the fire user loved all the Lucky Devils, Snake Eyes was to fun being teased. "Come on Judgement, what did you find out?" "You... really... want to know?" Soma inquired again, drawing out her sentence. "Yes, for cryin' out loud!" "Fine, I'll tell you," Soma conceeded. "My bounty has two Fate's Children as guards. One has ice powers, one uses paralyzation." "If he uses ice, aren't you going to get frozen and be useless 'cause you can't use your fire?" Snake Eyes asked bluntly. Soma narrowed her eyes slightly. "I can take them on fine as long as-" She broke off and smirked at Snake Eyes. Soma valued wise decisions over all else. She could get annoyed at Snake Eyes sometimes, but the diviner did do well on missions. "Well, maybe that is just a little hard to handle. Want to be partners and work on our bounties together? I'll forgive you for skipping the meeting."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Ceyla tried to keep the smile of her face but was unsuccessful. Since she had run away from her home, she only saw Felix once or twice a year. He stayed in Thornrow for two weeks every six months, knowing Ceyla would be pleased to see him if she came. "I missed you, Ceyla," Felix said as he ruffled her hair. "You lead a dangerous life. I would ask you to find a different career, but you'll probably ignore any advice I give you." "Of course I will ignore you. If I don't listen to my parents, why would I listen to you, big brother?" Ceyla asked with a gleam in her eye. "But I will no longer speak of them this visit. Is Isaac here?" "He'll be here shortly." Ceyla's second brother Isaac was Felix's twin and younger by four minutes. Throughout her childhood not once could Ceyla remember him being on time. "What have you been up to sister? You seem happier than usual." Ceyla recounted the adventures since she was first hired for the king. Felix listened in mild disbelief, but took his sister's word as true. At the moment she had finished her story, a blond identical to Felix came into the tavern and sat down with them. She glared at Felix as she told the story for a second time in a row. "Sounds like you've been having fun. Your companions sound... interesting to say the least," Isaac laughed. He looked to where Neko sat at the bar with a drink, smiling at the elf. Ceyla followed his line of vision. It was then that she saw while most of her companions were still here, Dalanius had left. She cast her gaze downward, silently berating herself for missing his departure. "What is it, Ceyla?" Felix asked. "Dalanius left," Ceyla mumbled. "I don't think he'd do anything stupid, but I just wish I had noticed him going." "Sister has a boyfriend," Isaac teased, unknowingly repeating the earlier conversation. "You mentioned his name several times." Ceyla glared at her second oldest brother. "Ceyla, you like him. I can tell. You're too shy to make a move, aren't you?" "Shut up, Isaac. Since when have I ever been shy?" Ceyla demanded. Both of her brothers shrugged. She brushed off the words, but knew he was right. Relationships had negver been her strong suit. She had half a mind to start searching for him, but settled back into talking with her siblings.[I]Stay out of trouble, Dalanius. I get the feeling you aren't being very smart right now,[/I] Ceyla thought grimly.[/SIZE]

Dark song. I really love the "Your clear blue eyes Turn to cold black" part. It's very good imagery. It would be really good once it got set to music, either sad and slow or fast and dark. I hope you feel better about the relationship that got you to write this song, Nomura. It always seems like the best artists are the ones in pain. :(

[quote name='xliquidousx][COLOR=Purple']Does everyone understand this rule?[/COLOR][/quote] Do you think we can't read?

I think both sexes have their faults on a general level. Under no circumstances would I want to be a guy. As ChibiHorsewoman said:[quote name='ChibiHorsewoman][color=#9933ff][font=lucida calligraphy]Well boys are dumb, throw rocks at them.[/color'][/font][/quote] Just kidding. Most guys are okay, but they can be hard to understand sometimes. I think on very general level, men are taught that they are better than women and see themselves as such. It's common in American culture for women to objectified and men encouraged for women to be this way. Which is wrong and misguided. If I can comment on my own gender, though, I dislike most things associated with girls. I hate make-up, high heels are absurd devices of torture that ruin your feet, and I see no reason to have 20 pairs of shoes. I really hate when girls wear short shorts that say "Porn Star" and shirts that are small enough for a two-year-old and then complain about guys looking at them like pieces of meat. You cannot have it both ways. EDIT: For the original question, if a guy is hot, then he's hot. I could care less about the outside. All I need from a guy is a good personality, a love of Nintendo and gaming in general, and for him to be as nerdy as I am. Any guy with good programming skills is hot to me. If I find someone attractive in terms of personality, I just let things flow naturally.

[QUOTE=Zero]*Dramatic music plays, big flash of light* You now are a bis shot film director. However because of your fame and fortune your rivals are jealous and send an assasin out to kill you. Anyone elase can take my wish and use it how they see fit.[/QUOTE] Fine. I wish everyone would choose their own wish like you're supposed to do.

[SIZE=1]Soma fitfully slept for a few hours before getting up again. Looking at her brightly glowing clock, it was a little after midnight, still early compared to most of the jobs she did. Her stomach let out a soft growl, and she realized she had not eaten anything. She quietly crept through the silent house. If anyone else was there, they were probably sleeping, and she did not want to be blamed for waking them. As she turned a corner into the kitchen, a younger, pink-and-blue-haired, electric-blue-eyed object collided with her. Soma landed on the floor with a soft [I]thump[/I]. "That hurt," said Snake Eyes as she rubbed her head. "No kidding. Are you okay Snake Eyes?" Soma asked as she extended her hand to the girl. Snake Eyes did not seem too happy, but accepted Soma's hand. "I'm getting something to eat. Want to go with me?" "Sure," Snake Eyes answered, looking a little happier. "Where did you go earlier?" "Somewhere interesting, but I'll spare you the gritty details. I found out some good information, though." Soma grabbed the milk from the fridge and a spoon. She filled her favorite blue bowl with sugar coated cereal. "I went with Roll, and saw Bust as I came home. I think she's with him now. How as your day?" Snake Eyes lost her happy face again, and Soma regretted the question.[/SIZE]

Congratulations, you can no longer [I]vaguely[/I] predict the future; you can [I]fully[/I] predict the future. Visions of all the horrible things about to happen fill your head night and day until you run screaming off the Empire State Building to make them stop. I wish Latharix was already back from Alabama. I miss you, La-chan!

[SIZE=1]OoC: I wasn't sure if the banquet hall was still a club atmosphere. If I got the setting wrong tell me so I can change it. Soma's first impression of the club was not the best it could have been; even so, she valued any information she could get. Her former mentor Garet had kept the worst contacts from her, so there were still places in the city she had yet to find. She picked up Roll saying the name [I]Tony[/I] and wondered who that was, but before she could ask they were ushered to a swanky silver back room. "This is the perfect place to learn anything and everything you want to know about the underground. Just don't cause trouble til we leave," Roll told her. Soma nodded, relieved that at least they were away from the open sex tables. The people here were obviously richer than the patrons of the regular club. She felt underdressed in just her jeans and t-shirt, but a handful of others had dessed like her. She pulled her hair out of the usual braid, ran her fingers through it, and took one last glance at Roll before heading by herself into the crowd. The music pounded in her ears as she moved closer to one of the casually dressed guests, a young man with dyed-green hair and dark eyes. He stood talking to two women with fake smiles and slutty clothing. Soma heard the name "Lewis" and decided she had found a source.. "Mention my name and Lewis will be gentler with the price," the man said. Lewis was wanted for illegal weapons sales. "I'm his right hand man, after all. He values me more than any man in the organization. 'cept maybe those two freaks he calls bodyguards..." The last part was muttered with bitterness, so quietly that the women did not hear it. But Soma did, and decided the guy was a good choice. The man went up to a waiter and grabbed a drink. Soma chose to play the "shy girl" routine and get him while he was alone. She quickly but unobtrusively glided up to him, glancing shyly from side to side with a small smile barely at her lips. "Umm... I'm Lindsey," Soma offered, taking the alias from part of her surname. She twiddled her thumbs and looked off to the side. "I do-don't really know anyone here. It's my first time and..." The man looked at her with a lewd smirk. "Call me Colt. Who are you here with?" "My cousin has worked with Miss Tarense," Soma lied. Roll's target was the first that came to mind. "But I think he left with another girl, and everyone else here looked sort of intimidating, and I thought you looked pretty nice." "You don't look that bad either," Colt said. "Tarense is a weird one. Doesn't have any one guarding her." "Well, at least she doesn't use--" Soma had the sudden urge to cut out her tongue. "--those freaky Fate's Children. They aren't even human." This was said very quietly, because it there were definitely other Fate's Children in the crowd, some flaunting their marks around the people they guarded. Soma felt the bile rise in her throat for saying it, even though it was just to keep Colt talking. "My boss uses them. They [I]are[/I] freaks." Colt replied, and downed half of his whiskey. "One can paralyze you, and the other likes to freeze things. Bastard set my entire car in ice once." That last part of news was unsettling; her powers would not work as well if she got too cold. "But on to better subjects..." Soma was even more unsettled when Colt placed his arm around her. His hand was [I]definitely[/I] straying too low. She kept her face perfectly calm, but was consumed by an intense urge to burn him to a crisp right there in front of all the other guests. "Would you like to have a more... private talk somewhere?" Colt asked, the lewd look back in his eye. Soma furtively scanned the room for Roll but could not find him. [I]I wish I had Snake Eyes's power right now,[/I] she thought. [I]Roll said not to cause trouble until we leave. I guess this means I'm leaving.[/I] "Alright. Where do you want to [I]talk[/I]?" Soma asked suggestively, dropping the fake shyness. In answer, he brushed his hand someplace he definitely should not have touched. That was the biggest and final mistake he would make. Soma fought another urge which told her to rip his arm off and beat him with it. Colt led her to a back exit and outside into a deserted alley. As soon as they were out of every one else's sight, she pushed him hard against a wall, forming flames centimeters from his face. Fire is very useful for interrogation; she learned that Lewis's bodyguards each had their markings on the shoulder, the one who used ice liked to draw out fights, and the one who could paralyze people hated the other bodyguard. Soma usually reserved killing for jobs that required it, but Colt had thouroughly deserved it. She focused the bright hot flames over his heart and burned a hole through his chest. She was neither upset nor was she particularly happy; her expression remained one of utter serenity as she moved his corpse into a dumpster. [I]I hope Roll isn't upset that I left early,[/I] she considered. [I]Then again, I don't even know if he can get upset. I've never seen hm without a smile.[/I] Soma returned to the house, scrubbed herself in the shower until her skin was raw, and went to bed.[/SIZE]

~[COLOR=DarkOrchid]Super Neko Sugar Sprinkles Magic Go[/COLOR]~ The wish gods send you to Spirit West Coast. However, they don't fully understand what you mean by Spirit West Coast, so they make their own version. You are turned into a ghost and forced to forever haunt the shores of southern California. I wish I had a five inch, non-lethal plushie of Faust from Shaman King to huggle.

[SIZE=1]They took only a few hours to reach the city. The undercurrent of disease that had plagued the party dispelled somewhat. Ceyla went to Thornrow at least every six months, but great changes happened in the city every day. From the outside it looked no different than any other: buildings of timber and stone, farmland on the edges, streets filled with people. Looks are deceiving. As they neared the entrance, Neko stopped. "Are you sure about this?" Neko asked. "Don't forget there are prices on my head and Vincent's." "Vincent looks different, so he'll be harder to recognize. We should all hide our appearances going into town anyway," Ceyla said. "There are honorable spots in this town where every thief, assassin, and charlatan have an unspoken peace agreement." In any other town it would be unusual seeing a large group of people wearing hooded cloaks in warm weather and looking around warily, especially since they could not fully hide Hashi's wings. Not one person in Thornrow spared them a second glance. They reached a quarter of the town where every edifice had a dagger with the blade towards the sky above its door. This meant that the house was part of the truce. The crime network established in the city was allowed to go on with the condition that some places be "off limits." The truce pertained to violence and nothing more, which meant you could still hire a mercenary or buy stolen goods in this area. Ceyla showed them to an inn nestled deep within the nonviolent area. Ceyla seated herself at the bar, cheerily warning the others, "It's safe to go anywhere in this area, so feel free to explore. Just be prepared for your throat to be split the second you step an inch outside the boundary." "This idea of yours is going downhill fast," Vincent commented. The others held a look of agreement. "Trust me, there's no better place to find information. Wait until late this evening. I know the best place to--" Ceyla broke off and her face lit with a smile. A blond man wth dark eyes walked towards the group. Ceyla ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck. He swung her around and set her back on the floor. Ceyla, now giggling, said, "I have some catching up to do with Felix. I promise it won't take too long. Enjoy the city." With that said, she walked to a table with Felix, leaving behind slightly confused companions.[/SIZE]

I get addicted for a while, and then my Harvest Moon craving will suddenly disappear. I've had A Wonderful Life for the Gamecube and Friends of Mineral Town for the GBA, and both of them were pretty good. The one I loved most, though, was Harvest Moon 3 for the GBC. It was more limited in character interaction and events, but I spent most of my time on that game. That one was the most addicting farming sim I ever played. I loved the snowboarding mini-game so very much. There was also that fun little glitch were you could gain huge amounts of crops by messing with the shipping system a bit. I lose my dedication to virtual working after a few game years pass, so I loved that glitch. ;) I tried to do it in real life by calling the bank, but my account didn't get 55 golden eggs in it. Oh well. The new ones set to come out on the Gamecube and the DS look promising, so I'll probably pick them up if I can get the cash.

I hate the perverts who prey on underage MySpace users, but some blame has to go on the parents and the kids. You should not post real information about yourself unless you are ready to deal with all possible consequences. To the kids out there, when your parents ask you to delete your MySpace account, do you think they are doing it because they hate you? Of course not. They just want you to be safe on the internet. It annoys to no end when my mom asks ten million times a day, "Are you staying safe?" but I know she does it because she worries about me. You see, I can accept the fact that she annoys me while still understanding her. I have no idea what is wrong with the twelve-year-olds who [B]try[/B] to attract internet perverts. It's usually a sign of a deeper problem, though. If you are a child with a MySpace account, please be careful about what information you show. Anyone can make their own account with fake information. The nineteen-year-old college student you talk to might be what he says, or he might be someone who wants to harm you. It isn't that you cannot have online friends, it is just that you need to practice caution. Regarding the "kids wanting to be older" part, that, in my opinion, is merely a manifestation of American culture. We have some generally contradicting values. Personally, I have no clue about why everyone wants to mature so fast. (Actually, I have no idea why people do most of the stuff they do...)

Paul Wall New Scramble: ynaegedm leeyg Hint: Session 10

Otaku is a Japanese (what else?) term derived from an honorific referring to another family's house. Its more current Japanese adaptation comes from an anime obsessed serial killer, but modern Japanese slang has its meaning as any fan over-obsessing on one topic. The female term is otome. Click [B][URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku]here[/URL][/B] for the complete wikipedia entry. It's very fascinating, actually. The meaning has been further adapted by us English-speakers in the Western Hemisphere to mean more specifically anyone who is crazy over anime/manga.

I [B][I]adore[/I][/B] the pillows and any music involving Yoko Kanno (who may or may not be Gabriela Robin). Hearing the Cowboy Bebop music literally wakes me up and spurs to go into my living room and watch the show no matter the time. I would kill to have the complete Bebop Sound track. My latest attraction to her music is the stuff she wrote for GitS. The pillows are my favorite band bar none, but it's really unfortunate I can't get any of their older CD's. My favorite song varies, making it an equal tie between the dark song [I[STALKER[/I], the softer, slightly sad sounding [I]Carnival[/I], the stirring [I]Last Dinosaur[/I], and the "give me more love" song [I]Moon Margeurite[/I]. Actually, I should just list every song as my favorite. They have such a good range of style. Even their lighter, more "pop"-ish stuff sounds good to me. Sawao Yamanaka has a good voice. I even love the songs tht make no sense whatsoever in English. [I]RUNNERS HIGH[/I], anyone? Others include L'Arc~en~Ciel, Asian Kung Fu Generation--favorite from them is Re: Re:--and most anime music. BTW, does anyone know who sings the opening on Serial Experiments Lain?

[SIZE=1]OoC: I'm not doing anything big until at least Monday. Latharix_sama is out of town and probably can't post until then. IC: Soma had let everyone else have first choice, leaving her with a man named Mark Lewis. Lewis's name was familiar to her. She knew he was a black market dealer, but needed specifics. His penchant for womanizing was well-known, so she knew exactly which contact to use. Roll came up behind her. "Going out for a good night?" he asked. Soma turned to Roll with a grin to match his perpetual one "Maybe. Care to join me for a night on this dirty little town." Roll looked up and down the grey street as the dim street lights started to flicker on. His smile leaned to his right "Why not. Your just as interesting as anything else in this little burg." Soma continued to smile as they headed through the city. "I have one stop I need to make, and then I'll go wherever you want. Do you mind?" she asked. Roll shook his head no. "Good. When we get to where we're going, don't call me anything but Wylind." Their wandering lead them to building more towards the city's center. All the black-shuttered windows were closed, and a red lightbulb illuminated the doorstep. Soma rang the doorbell, and a voluptuous woman with bright red lipstick and mascara-heavy eyes answered. "I want Jolie for for an hour," Soma said, flashing three one-hundreds in the madam's face. Roll continued smiling, but raised an eyebrow. "It'll cost extra if he comes with you," the woman replied. Soma held out another two-hundred. The woman let them in the door and said, "You know where it is, Wylind. Top of the stairs." The inside of the house was decorated in every shade of red. After the head prostitute was out of ear-shot Roll commented, "I didn't know you swung that way." "I'm straight, and this is business," Soma said as she knocked on the first door to the right of the stairs. A doe-eyed redhead answered, her eyes flashing worry then relief. Soma and Roll stepped into the dimly-lit room and seated themselves on two maroon chairs. "This is Jolie," Soma explained, "one of my best contacts. Jolie, last time I came you said one of your newest customers was a man named Lewis, right?" Jolie nodded. Soma showed her the picture, which confirmed it was the same man. "I don't know much firsthand since I've only had him a couple of times, but he's used the other girls before," Jolie offered. "But I did hear that he has two Fate's Children as bodyguards." She shivered slightly. "And he's really cruel. The last girl he was with... That's all I can say." "Thanks, Jolie," Soma said. Paying six hundred dollars for just five minutes with a hooker was suspicious, so Soma and Roll waited until the hour was up before leaving. As they walked out Roll said, "That was not what I expected. I had no idea you did that when you went out." Soma laughed. "There are contacts everywhere, Roll, you just have to know how to find them. Anywhere you want to go now?"[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]The sun shone down on Arcrith, but it only served to show how dreary the city really was. he small section towards the city?s center where the rich and the politicians lived was extravagant, but everything else was falling. Soma walked into the plain stone house carrying several papers in her gloved hands. It looked the same as the other buildings in the outer city: worn, practically crumbling, and abandoned. Inside, however, they had managed to fix it up nicely. She went to the living room and plopped down on a beanbag chair next to Snake Eyes, who was lovingly cleaning her pistol Caldera. ?Didja have fun going out?? Snake Eyes asked. ?You could say that,? Soma smiled. ?Who is in the house right now?? The younger girl?s eyes glowed as she focused her power and replied, ?Everyone. Most of them are in their rooms, but Roll just came back. He?s?? ?I?m right here,? Roll interjected as he came into the living room. He was smiling; Soma had never seen him without a smile. She briefly wondered whether he had been out ?having fun? again; he and Bust usually had more ?fun? than the other members. Not that Soma minded. ?Snake Eyes, would you mind getting the others in here? I would really appreciate it. And if they?re unhappy about it, tell them it?s my fault for getting them up.? Soma smiled fondly as Snake Eyes nodded and went to fetch the others. ?Lucky we?re all here.? ?Lucky is in our name,? Roll said. ?You don?t usually need all of us here. Did something happen?? Soma waited to answer until the other members of the household had joined them. A few of them looked disgruntled at having to get up, but they would not be mad for long. She spread out the ten pages she had been carrying. Each one held a portrait of a man or woman and a dollar amount. A [I]large[/I] dollar amount. Soma explained, ?I received some information. In two days, one of the biggest mob bosses is having a party. I was hoping we could crash it together. It?ll be safer if we go in a group, and we can get several big payoffs at once. They are all wanted dead or alive, so no one has to hold their power back.? Soma knew that would please the more? intense Fate?s Children. ?Just try to cover your tracks at the end of the night.? Soma watched everyone choose a bounty head, hoping they would all be able to cooperate since they usually went on solo or two-person missions. ?Let?s watch each others backs, okay? We have two days to fool around. I?m going out.? That said, she turned out of the living room and left the house. [I]Let?s see what else is on the streets,[/I] she thought. OoC: Whew, lots of typing. O.o You can either follow Soma, stay at the house, or go somewhere on your own. Take a few posts to get to know each other since we have so many people. I thought I would let you make your own bounty to catch/kill, just because I don't want an argument about who gets who and who gets the kill. I might split us into groups for some parts, just so it?s easier to manage. xliquidousx, you can either meet up with everyone at the party, or you can go ahead and meet someone who is walking around.[/SIZE]

I like everyone. :animesmil We have more than people, so I'll tell you all now that no more sign-ups are needed. Thank you all for joining.

[B]Regicide.[/B] I had to do that one. It was one of my last Latin derivatives this school year. New Scramble: aroinca Hint: To play Zelda's lullaby on it, it's Left, Up, Right, Left, Up, Right.