TheResplendent

[FONT=Tahoma]Alrighty, I will be making my post tonight (so everybody can stop picking on me :animecry:), lol. I kid. Interesting things so far, thankfully not too much to read to catch up with recent events. Plus, i'm sure the list will get less confusing once the deaths start happening ;P.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma]He spoke calmly to me, as I would to him. In this kind of situation, accusations back and forth would be counter-productive at best. I took a sip from my mug as well and placed it down shortly after to speak. [b]"Doubts, of course. If you were in my position you'd think the same. Doesn't mean we can't...get along though."[/b] I said, shooting him a return grin. [b]"Friends close, enemies closer?"[/b] he inquried. [b]"It's a good theory, but as long as you have the name Sanguinius, you're an anti-terrorist freedom fighter. Maybe I can trust you...just as much as you can trust me."[/b] I added, leaving off a little cryptic. He seemed to have the same appreciation for it as I did. Either way, more than likely we had a sort of mental understanding of each other. I decided to re-stock myself after jumping right into the fray in the Hentai and Bigger Stuff thread. It wasn't nearly as rough and tough as I had expected it to be, but either way when your a professional doing a job that multitudes of people rely on you for, you make sure you're at one hundred percent no matter what. What was next? Mother had been elected it seems, now it was up to us to call out the terrorist and make sure we have the better showing. After a trip to my newly appointed room which Gurt took the liberty of preparing for me, she always was a sweetheart...but anyway, after a trip to my newly appointed room to unpack and maybe even take a shower, it was time to pull the already wavering ranks of the terrorist even further apart. [/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma]I was rather hoping the more artistic feel to your diarama would win Sandy over Zeke, since the characters were made beautifully and looked like a lot of time was put into the detail perfection of each of our characters. I did like Aaryanna's though to be fair, it was rather cute. Indeed both were the shining stars of this challenge so far. Good work Zeke, no matter what anyone else says ;). Looks like it's up to White to take us to victory to keep us in there for the last round. I have to admit, i'm feeling pretty good about this one as well since it involves something I know from experience White works rather well with. So go grab us another victory already, :p.[/FONT]

[quote name='Aaryanna_Mom']Either way. This for me is no longer fun at all. :animesigh[/quote] [font=tahoma]It is a shame, I too feel that certain members are letting the elements of this debate pierce a little too close to home. This debate has been very one sided for a while now though, with the terrorists arguably losing faith in their once seemingly adamant convictions. I have my own opinions about a lot of the posts here made by members of both parties, but i'm sure the last thing this debate is meant to do is cause tension between people outside of the challenge.[/font]

[quote name='SunfallE][COLOR=goldenrod']No, but I was sort of stuck by being the last one to post. So I had to wait on the rest of you to get going! :p And now *pokes BKstyles and Allamorph* You two are the only ones who haven't posted in this round yet. [/COLOR][/quote] [font=tahoma]*sits in corner drawing lines in the sand* Yes ma'am :animedepr. Heh, my apologies. I'll have something up rest assured, things have gotten a bit busy as of late over here and this RP isn't the only thing it's slowed down for me. Believe me though, I'm itching to get to the killing :p.[/font]

[FONT=Tahoma]Hm, I thought I mentioned my desired area...i'm too lazy at the moment to go back and check though, lol. I figured freelance might be ideal since I would like to write about whatever interests me and what I think would be worthy to write about but I will most likely stay mostly within the range of creative works and video games (mostly reviews). I don't mind restricting my range for the certainty of articles making it in for certain categories, though I will probably spend more time on CW articles. I notice you have reviews up there as everybody as well as an entertainment section, so i'm not sure if you'd classify games with one of those, so if it's included somewhere then you can toss me over there then :p. [/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma]Killed eh? By his own comrades...that's how loosely the bond between the terrorists is, how can they even expect to stand up to the cohesive unit that is the CTU. When Agent Mother broke the news, all that ran through my mind was that they are even more foolish than I thought. Dissension, mistrust, and misunderstanding within the ranks of an already disreputable group. This may be even easier than I thought. Agent Mother, not someone you'd typically associate with our position yet at the same time it's hard to envision otherwise when considering how naturally and seamlessly she acted around HQ. What a spokesperson of sorts she might make one day if the situation ever called for one. The way she spoke was filled with confidence, conviction, and sincerity...and I had only heard her say a few words at most. She was indeed trustworthy. I looked back at Gurt and Peacock who were having a brief chat while I advanced over to the coffee table and stood beside another member. [b]"You must be Throne. Welcome to the team, you can call me Shades."[/b] the man said, stirring a half-filled cup of coffee. [b]"Glad to be aboard. So tell me, Shades. I've been filled in on quite a lot of the most recent happenings. How sure can we be that we've truly gained ourself an ally in this terrorist prisoner?"[/b] I asked. I was greatly curious in what his answer would be, this would be a good chance to get an idea on the mindset of many of my allies. Everything seemed like a well oiled machine but achieving a certain level of connection within your allies was important in this line of work as well.[/FONT]

[QUOTE=Shy][size=1]DigitalWhoever: If your posts are in any way representative of the the maturity level of these boards, then I think you've probably made the strongest argument so far [i]against[/i] adding a hentai forum. Keep your personal attacks to yourself. This is a discussion forum, not a workshop for fledgling insult comedians. Perhaps her virtual spanking was out of line, but no moreso than anything we've seen in this thread so far. You are the last person who should be able to speak about overstepping boundaries. Her point about the potential legal conflicts of adding a hentai forum are valid. Certainly there are a million ways that youngsters can be exposed to adult material, but I don't see why OB has to be one of them. Open a seperate window and fap off to that, heh. As for my challenge: In the anime hentai thread the most thorough and intelligent posts regarding the subject have been made by members who don't support the creation of a hentai forum. If the members most likely to post in a hentai forum don't support the creation of one, exactly what audience is this proposed forum catering to? I've yet to see any evidence that there is a significant demand for something like this. -Shy[/size][/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]That pretty much summarizes it up. I think the terrorist cell needs to start looking at the holes in their own arguments before they decide they think they're up to the task of attacking actual logical ones. It's beyond me why people still think there's more to be posted in this thread, the amount of arguments means little compared to the more valid and stronger arguments of what's already been said and established by those opposed to these proposals. The hentai thread in the anime lounge i'm sure has not been going the way the in favor had expected. [/font]

[QUOTE=Nonentity]...what the **** is wrong with you? What kind of terrorist are you? Get the hell out of here! An OB without porn is a forgettable wasteland of a website! These boards are dying, and porn can save them!!! Also, BK: Not true. Even intelligent people follow Charles' name. Why do you think this is so big?[/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]I certainly think someone is confused as well...or it could just be he sees how senseless the argument [i]for[/i] is. In reference to the latter part of your quote, I believe that was explained already...go take a read before ya quote and post :p. As for me being ignored, they do say that ignorance is bliss...*shrug*. Works for some.[/font]

[QUOTE=Charles] Furthermore, your side lost complete credibility when Nerdsy said that I am irrelevant. I could post a suggestion about toilet paper and it would get over one-hundred replies and change the boards in some way.[/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]It is rather unfortunate that this is somewhat true. I know you tend to rest a lot on your name because you've managed to coax many members over the years (you'll have to forgive me i'm not looking at your profile right now to see exactly how long you've been here, fairly long i'm sure) who don't know better themselves into the idea that regardless of what the content of something is, if it has a certain name on it then it must mean it's instantly credible and intellectual. Whether it's true or not, the formula isn't reliable because it becomes susceptible to manipulation once you've gained a certain amount of miscontrued trust. Though now that actual words are needing to be said, you'll find that the actual intellegent members involved here won't be swayed by the past laurels of your name or contributions solely. This is the most civil and straightforward way of saying it in order to let you know it'll take a little more then claiming who you are and then expecting a flock to your argument however effortless it is. I know a lot of us on both sides have been reiterating a lot of points, but the more i see the points in favor of these proposals the more and more weak they seem. Not to mention in your last one specifically, you are relying in the fact that you will be degenerating the atmosphere of OB in order to induce change on the user whether they are willing or not. It takes away from the kind of community OB is for you to say "If you have 56K, too F***king bad, go get cable or DSL". Sometimes it isn't about not wanting to keep up with the times, sometimes it's about money. Once upon a time I had to wait several years to get my cable modem when 56k was starting to become obsolete. I don't see why members should be put in that kind of situation. [/font]

[quote name='Nonentity']there's no way in hell I'm reading through the 5 pages that mysteriously appeared in my 24 hour abscence, but i will say this: An anime board with no hentai. WHUDUFXUP![/quote] [font=tahoma]This has been one of the best arguments in [i]our[/i] favor in this entire thread.[/font]

[FONT=Tahoma]As it's been stated a number of times, the disagreement with a Hentai section of the boards being offered seems to have little to do with the acknowledgement that those arguing against it have seen or even enjoy it. When considering such a suggestion as it pertains to the masses and the addition of something that seems unnecessary to the equilibrium of the community, it's best to take into consideration the ramifications of it's acceptance into the board. As much as hentai is to anime, as the traditional meaning of media pornographic movies is to television, there are places on the web in addition to many other institutes where this type of material can be seen. Many free sights, many paysites, many sites specific to many sexual-philias, fetishes, and preferences. Including a section to encompass some or all of this on OB is not only extraneous, but it will hinder the basic harmony of the community, as members will inevitably join for this section and despite the increased traffick, OB will soon enough become associated with this too strongly and will have it's established reputation transformed. I have seen it happen with forums with normal pornography. Much can be argued to protect little children or those offended by such material, but the simple fact of the matter is...why should such tactics need to be thought up in the first place? It isn't needed for OB, OB does not need the help from this section and certainly does not need to rely on something like this in order to increase it's value or name. As i stated already it isn't necessary to keep equilibrium here and isn't necessary to salvage a fictitious sinking ship. The old saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". If something is to be added, it should be something that the masses can enjoy and that can make contributions to the board taking all ages into consideration since we already have specific sections in those that appeal to gamers, anime fans, manga fans, RPers, artists, writers, etc. There's so much that already appeals to a specific type of person, with the Otaku Longue being the off-topic forum where people can come together. Even the community events section lately have been geared toward a specific type of community member and with fastidious restrictions. With the most recent being a short attempt at an anime themed event, and those before it involving types of RPs and a game with limited members. Not to mention, if somewhere down the line it were to somehow be instated...if something goes wrong and it's shut down, the launch sequence has already been triggered. There was something back in history during the time of Henry IV in France called the Edict of Nantes, where religious tolerance was granted to those who would choose against the catholic religion. Then it was taken away, and those who appreciated the religious freedom were broken and feeling at loss because of their religious liberties being cut short. Because of the taste of equality they had, going back to the old way of living seemed even more unbearable to the point where it caused those to convert in order to once again know peace. To make a slant comparison on a much lighter scale, though with the overall concept being in tact, if this section is implemented, there's a good chance that once taken away to deal with a possible problem with it, the rest of what the community offers will decrease in credability in the eyes of those primarily here for the hentai section and it will spread. People will seek elsewhere and OB will be back to square one from the moment the section was added. Meanwhile, this route is what those who would come here for that reason should have taken in the first place. The difference is OB doesn't have to suffer for it this way. Why potentially sacrifice what we already have and know for something that could deface it with not only it's presence but it's lingering image. [/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma]Eight on the dot, if I was ever late for something it was due to traffic or a bad case of the munchies. I received the call from the CTU, I couldn't believe the voice I heard on the other end. I hadn't seen or spoken to her since...since the artemis job. Her voice never changed, it was a joy to hear. It's been a while but it seems I gained enough trust with the CTU leader known as Grape Ape thanks to my feats with the other unit. Things are about to pick up, I've been filled in as much as I could over the phone. I knock on this door, not only does my life change, but I will implement the greatest change known to this world. Terrorists, the scum of the earth. I will take them all down for the greater good. I knocked on the door three times as i glanced at my watch, then surveyed my surroundings. I adjusted my sunglasses for a brief second before a pair of blue eyes with strands of red hair dangling and swaying like a pendulum appeared in the eye slot of the door. I tilted my head and shot a brief grin before the slot closed. The door opened and I was greeted with a smile and two arms motioning for me to enter. I walked by her and the door closed behind, I turned around after a few steps down the hallway. [b]"Zeke...no, Gurt...right?"[/b] I said, trying to remember the code name she had told me she went by for these operations. She walked over to me slowly and with her arms crossed. [b]"Yes, I'm afraid you'll have to call me that as long as you're here. When you meet with Grape Ape momentarily, you'll choose your own code name as well. Have something in mind?"[/b] she inquired in response. [b]"I might. You know, it's good seeing you again. Can't wait to meet all the other devotees."[/b] I mentioned as she passed by. She looked back for a brief moment. [b]"Hope you havn't lost your touch. Things are going to get pretty hectic."[/b] I let out a facetious [i]Hmph[/i] and followed behind her. Through the next door I was greeted by bright lights and a bit of 007 meets your luxary hotel lobby. It looked pretty cozy and accomodating but I kept a mental note taped to the back of my head that reminded me as many times as I needed it that I wasn't on vacation here. There were some other people in the room, before I could meet any of them I was required to speak directly with Grape Ape. I followed Gurt to another room located toward the back of the room. As the door opened I saw the man standing there with some other members around. [b]"Grape Ape, the man you asked me to contact has arrived."[/b] Gurt alerted him as he turned to face me. He reached out his hand and I took it, after a firm shake I placed my sunglasses in my shirt collar. [b]"Glad we get to finally meet in person."[/b] I said. [b]"As am I. Before we continue I'll have to ask that you present me with a code name you will be known by from now on for the future operations. Afterwards, Gurt will show you around and introduce you."[/b] he told me. Straight to business, but that is how I expected it. I gave it some deliberation on the trip here after Gurt told me I'd have to select a code name. I was always leaning toward one despite keeping my mind open for further self-proposed suggestions. But now that the time is here, It actually strikes me as rather appropriate. [b]"Call me [i]Throne[/i]."[/b] I responded. For those who understood the source of my name, they could easily see what the two sides of my coin held in terms of my reputation and my personality. What a clash, but there was little time to enjoy the intricacies of it. Terror was still on the loose, and I am here to extinguish it. That is the CTU's primary function.[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma]Another papercut. Through all the rough and tough fights he had been through in his life, Sai disliked papercuts more than any bruise or broken bone he could ever sustain. Not only did they tend to sting more but it reminded him that he was stuck in an office doing tedious paperwork and not beating someone's face in, out chatting with friends and having a drink, or with Luyii doing whatever their imaginations could think up in as many places as they could. Sai sat back in his chair and tossed the latest inanimate finger assailant to the side and pulled his cell phone from his belt. He began dialing Luyii's number for the third time that night, hoping that she'd pick up so he could atleast kill some time hearing her sweet voice instead of the commotion outside his office and Kwan's incessant cursing on the phone with someone who had apparently found the front windshield of his car shattered in the parking lot of the building. The joy of hearing Luyii's voicemail was again what Sai had to settle for. A normal man would have gotten suspicious by that time. Sai knew better though, he could trust her with his life even if he couldn't trust every other man around her. That's what made being her man fun though, being able to smile everytime he breaks the arm of someone who refuses to accept that she was taken. He swore that she had told him about an appointment of some sort sometimes today, but he couldn't remember the time for the life of him. He decided to take a break, his third of those as well for the night. He walked over to the door to his office and opened it, startling Kwan at the same time. He gave one last [i]"Fuck you dickless prick!"[/i] before hanging up and turning his attention to Sai. [b]"Kwan, how much is a fucking windshield? Two hundred dollars?"[/b] Sai said sarcastically, pulling out a cigarette. Kwan eyed him a little oddly. [b]"I thought you quit?"[/b] he said, taking a cig from Sai's pack as he offered it. [b]"I havn't been this swamped with work for a long time. Also for some reason I can't get the idea that there's too many things out of place lately. One cig isn't going to kill me."[/b] Sai responded, leaning against the wall as he looked down over the barricade where the stairs from the back entrance led up to. [b]"Not like you to be preoccupied by hunches."[/b] Sai laughed a bit to himself and pulled out his phone again, searching through his phone book for Dead's number. After a failed call he noticed that he neglected to add in his new number to his book. [b]"Kwan, do me a favor and get Dead on my office line."[/b] Sai asked Kwan, who hurried inside and did as requested. Sai pulled a folded up piece of paper out of his jacket pocket and took a few moments to look at it. [b][i]''If the shits gonna hit the fan, i'll be damned if it happens on my turf'[/b][/i] Sai thought to himself. Moments after, Kwan came walking back out from his office with a confused look on his face. [b]"It seems like Dead's phone is off, it just goes straight to voicemail."[/b] he reported. [b]"I see...looks like everyone has been quite preoccupied for the day. Guess that means I better get my ass back to work."[/b] Sai said with a sigh and flicking his cig into the standup ash-tray.[/FONT]

[quote name='SunfallE][COLOR=goldenrod']If I understand you correctly I could choose to report the section called Community that houses the Comunity Events, Otaku Lounge and Suggestion & Feedback areas right? If so then that's what I'll apply for the Community section. ^_^ And I'm also working on some graphics as well. I'll put them up in the other thread once I get them ready. :catgirl: [/COLOR][/quote] [font=tahoma]Well hurry up on the GFX, i'm tired of looking at my piece of junk >.>, lol. I will have my trial article(s) in within the next couple of days, A_M. If you prefer one then i'll cut it down since I planned on doing an example of a general article and an example of a review.[/font]

[QUOTE=Nonentity][COLOR=DarkRed]Not to mention Moatilliata, Kayrel, Desmond, and the one hacker girl who's name escapes me. Not my fault I get too attached to characters >_< It's okay though, I like most of the remaining characters. All of the current group one and two as well as Delita. [/COLOR][/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]You grew so attatched to her that you even forgot her name, ;). Hehe, I kid. Interesting post Sandy, couldn't help but have The Matrix pop into my head as i was reading it at first.[/font]

[QUOTE=Nerdsy][color=deeppink]I walked in one day, and just threw down with one of the bullies. I walked away much better off than he was, too. [/color][/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]That's one usual way friends are made over here. Back in high school I made two of my best friends after we got into a big fist fight. One i saw the next day, we gave each other a pound, said our beef was dead and jus started hanging out after that. The second one, the guy I fought walked by while someone else was getting in my face. One of his friends came in and cheap shotted me and the dude i fought before came in and evened the odds for me. Hardly ever did you see grudges held if it was a one on one fair fight, almost always there was respect between people afterwards. Though I typically do what I can to avoid fights. [/font]

[FONT=Tahoma]My god o.o, SunfallE you ruthless little sunflower you. lol Very good reason for usage though, looks like you've cut the cast down before the chapter even started. My special card is a nice little "throw em off" card, so i'll have to think about how i'd like to use it ;).[/FONT]

[font=tahoma]1) [b]What grade are you going into after this year? Are you graduating? Or did you already graduate? If so, what year?[/b] -I shall be entering what would be considered my fourth year of college after the summer. Ideally I will be graduating by next summer. College has been a bit rocky for me only as it pertains to the preservation of my credits since my transfer. I received less then what I had hoped upon transferring to my first choice college, though it shouldn't be a problem considering I can take a couple of summer or winter classes to fill up my requirements. 2) [b]Are you, or were you, worried? What do you plan to do with your life or are you just as confused, (and in some cases, scared) about the future as I am?[/b] -Confusion is something that I thought myself devoid of since my first year of college. It's always been a fork path between whether i wanted to enter into film/media to enhance my knowledge and chances of someday in the future to put my written creations on the screen in some form. Writing is my true passion and I've always wanted nothing more then to see my stories and ideas brought to life. This is my dream goal. The other path is to my aptitude in Psychology, which I already have 16 credits in. This is more of a fullfillment of my greatest intellectual interest, I love the ideas and methodical thinking of psychology and the theories that dare to explain that which normal thinkers dare not touch. This path yields a greater reliability for financial success, yet not the lifestyle I wish to live, one that would come with my primary goal. It also does not come with the kind of recognition I want for my name, it may seem foolish to a lot of people but my ideal career has me in the spotlight and I can't ignore that. I know Dragon Warrior especially understands the way I feel when it comes to this, as his aspirations are similar. Ultimately, I want to be known and remembered for my intellegence, imagination, and ingenuity. Otherwise known as the Three Is (no relation to Kurt Angle's, for those who know what i'm talking about). Writing and Creating are my true passions, this is how I want to make a difference in the world. Lately though, this has been seeming more and more further away from reality. So saying that I am devoid of confusion like i once thought I was would be an utter lie. It seems almost childish to me that I can't seem to make up my damn mind, especially considering that i'm already at the end of my college years. Coming out of high school and not knowing is another story and perfectly understandable. I suppose my standards for myself and my desired way of living is just exceptionally large. 3) [b]Did everything work out in the end? Or was there some sort of hinderance that kept you from going or doing what you wanted to?[/b] -See above. All it really is, is a conflict of how I wish to live my life and what i wish to be known for. If i wanted to walk the more definite path for my financial future and for my family, then i'd most definitely choose to pursue a degree in psychology. I could make as much of a difference in people's lives this way i'm sure, but not on the scale that i truly want. The main conflict is that of listening to my brain versus listening to my heart. The ideal solution to this is to get them on the same damn page and have my brain start supporting my heart. 4) [b]What sort of advice can you give to someone like me? (Someone in high school who is freaked out of his mind)[/b] -Stop freaking and slow the pace. That's my advice. It doesn't seem like it to you, but from someone who has gone through high school, and is almost done with college, the transitional period as well as your first couple of years of college is an extravagent amount of time to figure yourself out. Spend your time deliberating and figuring out all the sides of what you want, how you want to live (your lifestyle, where you want to live, family, etc), what's in your best interest (money, fame, recognition, making a difference, etc), how you want to be seen in the future. All of these are important. My problems stemmed from my refusal to believe there was dissonance between what wants to drive me to succeed, whatever you do, do not assume that you are immune to change. Form your resolve and let it be tested, don't decide you want to do something without knowing that you enjoy doing it unconditionally. The hardest part about a person making this kind of decision is trying to get all of his/her priorities straight and on the same page. [/font]

[FONT=Tahoma][color=darkslategray][b]"Al...Alcuin. Where am I?"[/b] Alcuin answered as Delilah turned her head to Brittany. [b]"We stopped knowing for sure a while back. There was a third person with us...but she dissapeared."[/b] Delilah answered in an accent that Alcuin thought was just absolutely adorable. He smiled a bit but tried to hold it back for fear that she might misunderstand his reaction. [b]"Well, I guess anything is better than fighting off mechanical spiders for a long period of time...if you two have been through half of what I have then keeping ourselves moving might be the best course of action."[/b] Alcuin suggested, Brittany and Delilah nodding in agreement. The path infront of the group led them down a winding corridor with torches lining the walls. The stagnant air of each connecting corridor of The Panopticon never seemed to change no matter where they were. Alcuin recognized it, Delilah recognized it, Brittany as well. It was a lingering fear in the back of the showgirl beauty's mind that the scent would follow her forever as a result of this horrific experience if she did manage to make it out alive. She wanted to see her friends and family so bad, she had forgotten all about the argument she had with her father before arriving in this terror of a hell hole. He never approved of her chosen profession, all her ranting about the glamour, the money, and the confidence it gave her never seemed to get through. She was about ready to swallow her pride though for even one more moment she could have to hug her father and tell him she loves him. Light eventually broke through the end of their path and the three arrived out on what seemed to be a balcony sans the barricade. It was a rather large one, a square shape that would have been able to fit about ten more people. Alcuin walked as close to the edge as he could and just glanced down. What an interesting sight, it was a floating island it seemed. There wasn't much water between the edges of the island and the walls encasing the room. It was an exceptionally large mass of land, but there was a single example of architecture on the island in the form of what seemed to be a temple of some sort. Around the temple were large flaring torches and pathways leading from all four sides where there were statues and stairs up and down the strips. [b]"The room itself looks like a dead end, if there is a way to go further it must be inside there."[/b] Alcuin said, pointing down to the temple. Just as Delilah and Brittany inched closer to the edge themselves though, a loud screeching noise came from above them causing all three to clutch the side of their heads to try and deter the sound from their ears the best they could. As the sound decreased in intensity, the next sound heard was Brittany's scream as she was picked up by a large black and gold bird, its talons tightly clutched around her shoulders. The bird swooped down toward the temple and dissapeared with Brittany into the northern most entrance. [b]"What in the hell was that?!"[/b] Alcuin exclaimed, finally recovering fully from the bird's screech. [b]"It took Brittany! W..what do we do?"[/b] Delilah asked, looking up from her kneeling position. She was scared out of her wits, but this wasn't like some kind of heroic action movie. She felt no real obligation to charge down there and try and save her...it wasn't something they were required to do. The way out could also be down there but after seeing the bird too many ideas of what other horrible things could be waiting down there ran though her head. [b]"I...i don't know. If we want to keep moving...that's where we need to be. It would seem a little too messed up if we didn't atleast try to help her, wouldn't it?"[/b] Alcuin inquired, almost rhetorically. Delilah lowered her head. She didn't want to seem like she was the type of person to abandon someone just because she didn't know them that well. She did care a lot about her own survival though and trying to regulate the war in her head between self-preservation and selflessness seemed to occupy a lot of her brain power. So much so that she had already forgotten what Alcuin has said. [b]"Delilah...i'll protect you the best I can if your worried. I really think it would be best if we both stuck together on this though."[/b] Alcuin said to her, breaking her out of her train of intense thought. She looked up again to see Alcuin extending his hand to her. She was reluctant, but something about Alcuin being so willing to go down there whether it was for Brittany or for themselves made her feel comfortable enough to take his hand. [b]"She had the easy way down...now we have to figure out how to get down."[/b] Alcuin said. It almost sounded like a joke, though Delilah wasn't able to really tell if he was trying or not. Alcuin surveyed the edge again to see if there was some way they could climb down. It wasn't long before the edge that supported both Alcuin and Delilah began to crack and finally give way underneathe their feet. The both of them fell without warning and plummeted into the surrounding water. [b]"G...god! This water is c....cold!"[/b] Delilah complained as she was just barely able to swim herself to the edge of the island, as she already started to lose feeling in her legs. Alcuin felt it as well, his scrambling to the edge met the pace of Delilahs, they both knew they wouldn't be able to stay in the water for too long. They climbed over the edge of the island, a few feet from normal arms reach, the few broken pieces of the marble on the side of the island allowed for makeshift rungs. Delilah sat on the edge and hugged herself as tightly as possible trying to get warm. Alcuin walked over to her, shivering himself as well. [b]"T...the torches...we can warm up by them for now..."[/b] Alcuin said, helping Delilah up and walking over to one of the large torched surrounding the temple. They stood around it, though the flame was weak it was most certainly better than nothing. As they warmed up, Alcuin began catching the scent of something in the air. It was getting increasingly stronger, or more like getting more obvious as his senses began to recover. [b]"Geez...you'd think with all this gasoline they could make these torches a little stronger."[/b] Alcuin said after finally recognizing what the smell was. [b]"Gasoline? Wait...I do smell it...very faintly."[/b] Delilah realized, though neither one of them could figure out the source of it. Suddenly the torch they huddled around flickered and went out. Alcuin rolled his eyes and began relating to how ineffective they were. They tried to find some flint or any materials they could use around the area to relight them. Chances were who or whatever inhabitied the temple lit them whenever they needed lighting, and materials were probably only inside. [b]"How annoying. I suppose we could walk around to the other side though and use one of those."[/b] Delilah suggested. [b]"Hey wait...there's a button on the side of the torch. It might be some kind of igniter. Let's see what it does."[/b] Alcuin replied, as he pushed the button. Almost as soon as it was pressed, a spark flew out from the torch and a stream of fire shot out toward Delilah, setting her entire body ablaze. She screamed unrelentlessly as Alcuin watched on in horror. He scrambled, nearly tripping over himself from what he had activated. [b]"My god! Delilah, hold on!"[/b] was all he could say. He had to act quickly, but what could he do? Delilah fell to the ground and was rolling and flailing, still screaming as the flames emblazoned her clothing and skin. She began to rip off pieces of her clothing, but that did little to put the flames out. Alcuin watched on and was hit by a sudden idea, he ran over to Delilah and rolled her into the water beside the island. [b][i]'Of course! Why wasn't that the first thing i thought of!?'[/i][/b] Alcuin wondered to himself as Delilah fell into the water with a splash. The result however, came as a complete shock. The water erupted into an inferno, a sea of flames with Delilah now being turned into a human napalm. Alcuin watched as the surrounding moat like body of water was set on fire all around the island. It was then that it hit him...the scent of gasoline. He brought his arm up to his nose and sniffed himself...it was all over his clothing. The gasoline, there were traces of it in the water...not traces, there was enough in it to do THIS! Their senses were dulled by the temperature of the water that they couldn't tell right away. Delilah cried and screamed for only a few more moments, the last thoughts going through her head was the shattering ideal of hope. She wouldn't leave, she would never see her family again...she would never do anything again. Her body lie there completely charred, she hardly looked human anymore as she floated along in the fire inhabited water. The sight was surreal, like something out of a movie. Alcuin just dropped to his knees and let out a moan of anguish, he couldn't believe how intricately something like this could have been put together. Even if they had known, they could have avoided it. But something as unpredictable as a blast of fire from a simple looking torch has ended Delilah's innocent life, and Alcuin's intentions to help only placed the final nail in her coffin. Her body was now floating along in this moat of death, lost in the dancing flames atop it's deceptive vessel of supposed protection and preservation. [center][img]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b269/MetalSonic700/deathcardpanopticon.jpg[/img] [img]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b269/MetalSonic700/80034809jt9.jpg[/img][/center] [/color] [/FONT]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff]I don't think she was suggesting that we only use reviews from theOtaku, or that we couldn't write our own. And I see no reason why we couldn't include it in the news section that is as the title put it [B]Beyond OtakuBoards[/B'] Though it would probably be a good idea to have more than just reviews from other places for the part that comes from other sites. [/quote] [font=tahoma]You'll find little to no trace of such accusations in my post, but rather an expressed deterrent of my indicated issue. This is what I meant by i don't know how the comment will be taken, but i assure you I did not misunderstand the post toward the direction of thinking that she meant that we would [i]only[/i] take reviews from TheO, and i especially did not condemn the idea of using it for the [b]Beyond OtakuBoards[/b] section. My apologies if my concern was taken the wrong way, I just wanted to make sure that we do not become reliant on these reviews as primary source since it would cut down on the options for the OB writers to write. Also yes Gail is Panda I believe, but i was pointing out that they were written [i]for[/i] TheO, not by a member of just TheO. [/font]

[QUOTE=Darren]Okay, I posted. I thought that since two of our groups' numbers were getting pretty low that I would just have them meet back up. However, I realized that they had just been switched, (Lucia and Julian) so I didn't want to just have them meet. They have a nice obsticle blocking their path... So ultimately, it's up to you guys if you want to have them meet up... You could even go a really sadistic route and make the two pathways (that generate after a key is used correctly) get really close and then go in opposite directions forcing them to seperate again. That would be fun! :animeswea Or I guess BK and Allamorph could kill them off if they really didn't want them to meet up. Either way is fine with me! I'm just excited for the third round to be approaching quickly! :p Now, I will explain their trap: Both sides have 10 keys and 5 key holes, but they keys they have are for the opposite side... So they have to overcome adversity and relate the matching symbols in order to get out. If they use a wrong key, it effects the opposite platform. If they teleport a wrong key, it effects their own platform... Sorry if that's not clear... Let me know and I'll try to explain it better. :animestun Now, I must get sleep! :sleep: Oh, I just wanted to say though, should the two groups meet, they will merge to form the new Group 1, and the others will shift up to form Groups 2 and 3, respectively. Have fun with your list now, SunfallE :D[/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]The post is a bit of a mess in terms of how you wanted to convey the methods for the path to survival and the connections, though not totally incomprehensible. I'll continue off of it with the general idea. Though i'll be spending more time with the other group since I wanted to put a particular idea into effect. Off I go to post land. Edit - ok NM, I seem to have completely forgotten in my growing frustration of the night's events over here that group three existed. Since there are two more groups out there still i'll go ahead and get them caught up with the action. Edit2 - Posted, boy what a way to go. A grandiose enhancement of a simple theme, and the pain seems so intense when you really think about it ;P. Anyway, I hope to be able to employ my many more ideas in the third round. Been saving a few.[/font]

[QUOTE=indifference][COLOR=Indigo]Seems to me that a good place to get reviews that are fairly current is straight from theOtaku since Gail does them of new DVD releases. So with that in mind I have gone through the past month at that site and got names and links to all of the ones she has done for the newspaper. It could go under either the Review section or the News section of the paper. [URL=http://www.theotaku.com/news/view/afro_samurai_(dvd_review)/2402/]Afro Samurai (DVD Review)[/URL] [URL=http://www.theotaku.com/news/view/black_cat_vol._4_(dvd_review)/2381/]Black Cat Vol. 4 (DVD Review)[/URL] [URL=http://www.theotaku.com/news/view/case_closed_vol._3.1_(dvd_review)/2415/]Case Closed Vol. 3.1 (DVD Review)[/URL] [URL=http://www.theotaku.com/news/view/demon_prince_enma_vol._1_(dvd_review)/2389/]Demon Prince Enma Vol. 1 (DVD Review)[/URL] [URL=http://www.theotaku.com/news/view/full_metal_panic:_tsr_vol._4_(dvd_review)/2380/]Full Metal Panic: TSR Vol. 4 (DVD Review)[/URL] [URL=http://www.theotaku.com/news/view/gunbuster_2_vol._1_(dvd_review)/2390/]Gunbuster 2 Vol. 1 (DVD Review)[/URL] [URL=http://www.theotaku.com/news/view/peach_girl_vol._1_(dvd_review)/2368/]Peach Girl Vol. 1 (DVD Review)[/URL] [URL=http://www.theotaku.com/news/view/trinity_blood_vol._6_(dvd_review)/2369/]Trinity Blood Vol. 6 (DVD Review)[/URL] [URL=http://www.theotaku.com/news/view/tsubasa_reservoir_chronicle_vol_1_dvd_review/2401/]Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle Vol 1 DVD Review[/URL] And there you have it. The nice thing about these is that even though they are for a single DVD they are newly released as well. Making it a good choice for people to take a look at if they are looking into getting a series. And since you were talking about a back issue of May as a starting point I searched through that month for the DVD reviews that Gail wrote. ;) I put them in alphabetical order instead of by date though. I can do more if you like. I'm not the best at writing up articles and such, but getting information is something I can do on a regular basis for the paper.[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]I don't know how this comment will be perceived but as great as each of her reviews are (and i mean that, I read all of them when i have the time) they are reviews for TheO. It's been a bit since the direct ties between OB and TheO have been severed, and this is our newspaper. I guess what I'm saying is that it would be redundant to constantly take such written reviews and articles from TheO because they've been written already. I'm sure there are plenty of people who wouldn't mind undertaking the task of writing up DVD reviews for the animes that interest them as they come out or as they get them her on OB. It gives people more options to write and that way it's like our own contribution since it's the OB news, not TheO news. I'm not saying we couldn't use some reviews every now and then, but not to fill up our review section with already written ones from another source. [/font]

[QUOTE=SunfallE][COLOR=goldenrod]*bows* You're most welcome oh fearless game creator! Besides, I'm not kidding, I hate characters that kill kids. It's like a pet peeve of mine when I'm reading. Any character or villain like that needs to die. So in a way you can see it as Darren's fault since he's the one who posted indicating she killed a child. :p [B]EDIT:[/B] In that case DB you should be glad that Rachmaninoff wrote her death, what I had in mind wasn't anywhere near as 'peaceful' as what he did. I intended to make her suffer before she finally died. [/COLOR][/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]*inches away slowly from SunfallE* Keep your cruel nature away from any of [i]my[/i] characters >.> Or I shall be forced to bring back the spirit of Katar and sick him on yours. Mwahaha.[/font]

[FONT=Tahoma]Well I'd just like to say first and foremost that I am in no way a talented GFX artist nor am I someone pretending to be. I wanted to give this a try though and see what I could come up with. Hopefully more people submit pieces of their own work so we don't get stuck using this one :animeswea, heh. [img]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b191/Bklynstyles/OBD.png[/img][/FONT]