TheResplendent

[FONT=Tahoma][color=darkred]Syrus sat on a bench beside the training ground and thrusted his broadsword into the floor, just hard enough to keep it standing in place. Sweat emblazoned his muscles and face, as he wiped his face down with a towel. Class would typically still have another 10 minutes left, in which Professor Shavers made very ample usage of making each student usually work their assess off until the last second of the last minute. It wasen't the first time Syrus was dismissed early. Other times in the past however it wasen't always for the same reason. Syrus has a small history of injuring his sparring partners. Even despite the field of magic surrounding the grounds that made sure nothing was fatal, it was very possible to draw blood, leave bruises, and even break a bone. [b][i]'Heh, well it's about time I suppose. Strom Vanguard, huh? Least this academy isn't completely filled with pansies. Wait until next week though, it won't end in a draw then.'[/b][/i] Syrus thought to himself as he reached into his bag to check his own schedule. [color=black][center][b][i]Avanced History of Magic II[/b][/i]: [i]Inst. Morris, Arnold (M) (W) 8:00-9:30[/i] [b][i]Advanced Combat II[/i][/b]: [i]Inst. Shavers, Guy (M) (W) 9:45-11:15[/i] [b][i]Advanced Fire Elemental Mastery II[/i][/b]: [i]Inst. Piro, Alfred (T) (F) 12:15 - 3:15[/i] [b][i]Advanced Blue Magic Mastery II[/b][/i]: [i]Inst. Terep, Uri (Th) 12:15 - 3:15[/i][/center][/color] He noticed he had two classes with Strom, he didn't really notice though since neither of them really ever spoke out in Instructor Morris's History class. He was glad he was done for the day. He intended to take a shower and then promptly get something to eat at the cafeteria. Syrus was constantly hungry, he could eat like his stomach was an endless pit despite the fact that he was still able to keep himself in top shape somehow. Syrus threw his bag around his shoulder, still only in sweatpants and his black muscle tank top. His dorm was fairly close so he didn't bother changing every time. Though it was normally not permitted to roam the halls during class hours wearing anything other then the academy uniform. Before Syrus walked out the door another student came running over from the grounds. She was dressed in some mesh shorts and a white tank top. Each student was pretty much given free range on what their training clothing could entail, so long as it wasen't completely inappropriate. [b]"Syruuus! Hey wait up!"[/b] yelled the girl, grabbing his attention. He turned around and saw Monique. She lightly jogged toward him, waving her hand. About 6 inches away though she managed to trip off the elevated piece of ground and fall violently forward. Syrus dropped his bag and stepped forward and caught her in his arms. [b]"Owiee...uh, thanks...again."[/b] she said, alluding to other instances where Syrus had to clean up her clumsiness. [b]"No problem hot stuff, what's up?"[/b] he replied, focusing his eyes on her legs which were plentiful showing from the length of her shorts, and only gazed enough upwards to her tight white tank top. Monique grabbed his chin with her right hand and guided it upward to her face, giggling a bit inside her head. [b]"If your going to eat, wait up for me at the cafeteria. A few of us are going to get together to study for Morris's history exam next week."[/b] Syrus took a few moments to absorb what she was saying and then snapped to the realization. He brought his hand up and slapped his head. [b]"Man, I forgot! I haven't studied the least bit!"[/b] he said, shaking his head. [b]"Heh, i figured that. I'll see you there, ok? There's still 6 minutes left and you know what that means..."[/b] Monique couldn't even finish her sentence before the loud voice that never needed a microphone came from the direction of Professor Shavers. [b]"MONIQUE! GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE AND START SPARRING! WEAPONS DON'T FIGHT BY THEMSELVES YOU KNOW!"[/b] [b]"Heh, better get back. We'll meet up later"[/b] Syrus said, picking [color=blue]Aludra[/color] and his bag back up. Monique trotted back over to the training ground for the now remaining 5 minutes. Syrus turned his body but his eye caught view out of the corner of something else. He looked over as a rather fragile looking green haired girl who just hurled a javelin with deceptive strength toward her sparring partner. [b][i]'Damn...nice throw. This class is just full of surprises lately, huh?'[/b][/i] Syrus said to himself as he left the training room and headed for his dorm.[/color][/FONT] [center]* * * * *[/center] [size=1]OOC: KW, sorry if the word fragile is being misused, i'm just going based on the picture you provided, heh.[/size]

[font=tahoma]Ooooo, a dance class! *checks to see if Syrus is enrolled*......damn, oh well. :animeswea But anywhoo, I figure i'd just use some past name for minor rolls like references and stories and whatnot. Also unless you have something strongly against references back to the first class of CAF (simple stuff like if i had Syrus overhear some people talking bout Kyosuke or just simply using them as scenary or even classmates) I'll probably use a few here and there in my posts.[/font]

[QUOTE=Sandy]*nods* Agreed. But I'm so happy that you finally show your support my Event Mastership! :D *writes DeadSeraphim to his List of Supporters* I love it how you compare me to a toddler who's getting his hands on a missile launching button. XD Trust me, I'm not [I]that[/I] bad.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=DeadSeraphim][COLOR=Indigo][SIZE=1][FONT=Arial] Hey, don't read into it too much. Let's not go nuts here.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]I think that's the closest to a reconciliation we're going to get from these two, lol. [center]* * * * *[/center] -Anywho, offering feedback now that we are deeper into the game i'd like to say that that I actually do find it surprising that people outside of the event are into Labyrinth as i thought we would have lost a few people by now. The story definitly could be flowing smoother but we have worked out quite a few interestin and fun mini-storylines between some characters thus far. Someone already mentioned in this thread that being one of the writers for it entails more then just fun, which couldn't be more true. Now in round 2, things are heating up as everyone is trying to figure out what moves to make to ensure their survival and how to properly use all of the cards they have (whether it be teleport, life, or death). Alliances may have been made, enemes as well, but the best part about it for us i'm willing to say is the combination of the tension and exhiliration of secrecy mixed with the play-through of the thread itself, which gives us practically 95% control of everything that goes on to anybody. Whether or not any of the progress has cleared up whether it is still worthy to be recognized as a [b][u]Community Event[/b][/u] I do not know, it depends on if you count member interest in reading it. It still may not seem like the best example, but considering Labyrinth in comparison to the other events, it is seemingly doing best. -With White's Mafia, it definitly seems to have slowed down (note the word [u]seems[/u]) and though the concept itself does seem like a simple one, it is less than thrilling for people to follow along with it. That is one thing i thought would be best about it, but it seems to be only that in the eyes of those involved. Concerning the sign up, i recall White creating a deadline with no specific time within that deadline (i.e a day without a time), and he closed the sign-ups rather early in the day considering he had not even received the max amount of sign-ups he could have. I for one intended to sign up, which i didn't see as a problem since it would have been by the designated deadline [u]and[/u] would have added to the amount of players. Had the sign-ups remained open, he might have also received more sign-ups other then myself and could have possibly gotten the max amount. So the sudden start of the game puzzled me, as well as the failure to clarify a definite deadline. -Concerning Gavin, the reconstruction of Kumite looks great and i do actually intend on signing up to show my support if nothing more. If it is just myself and Death Knight then the silver lining is it is a better turn out than nobody. I don't know what the source is for the remaining lack of interest, it could be because of holiday hectics or simply because those already involved in the other 2 events have their hands full. Either way Gavin's refusal to go out silently is admirable. [/font]

[FONT=Tahoma][color=darkslategray]Ayame and Kalas stared each other down as Lita looked on trying to figure out a way to get out safely. She still thought about Kalas but it seemed like she was now more concerned with her own safety. Ayame charged at Kalas no questions asked and swung at him with her fingernails extended. Kalas dodged and saved himself from hitting the floor with his hands, and started to make his way through the stone maze. Ayame chased after him, forgetting about Lita who was left behind. [b]"Come back here! I'm going to show you what it felt like to be in an even worse place the this hellhole!"[/b] Ayame yelled as she made her way through the maze. Lita took the opportunity to scurry off the other way and hoped she'd be able to make it on her own. She dashed through a field of high grass that resembled a corn field, the opposite direction of the maze. The wind began to pick up in the direction she was going, her hair flailed in the air and soon the breeze became a cool sea breeze. [b][i]'Why did it get so cold all of a sudden?'[/b][/i] she thought to herself as she continued running. Her momentum however lead her too far off of a cliff, as she reached her left hand up and gripped onto a rock as hard as she could. She screamed at the surprise of falling out of nowhere and glanced downward at the violent rapids below. The water not only seemed rough but polluted as well, with dirt and debris everywhere. [b][i]'Ugh...I can't believe this...I gotta hold on'[/b][/i] she told herself over and over. She reached up with her right hand with all of her strength, so much that her arms began to numb from the strain put on them. She grabbed hold of a stray branch sticking out of the earth and gritted her teeth as she pulled herself up slowly. Inches away from the top of the cliff she felt her strength begin to leave her. [b][i]'Just...a little...closer...'[/b][/i] she told herself. Just then, a large crash came from the other side of the mountain's split. Rocks flew out from a now opened area in the wall across from where Lita was hanging. Into the opening walked 2 figures. [b]"*cough cough* Man...I guess that sword really did come in handy for us afterall"[/b] Callisto said, waving his hand and coughing from the debris of the rocks Joachim just blasted through with the power of the Kusanagi. Joachim shook his head to get the dirt and sand out of his hair and peered up to notice the dangling Lita. [b]"Callisto! Look!"[/b] Joachim yelled, pointing in Lita's direction. Callisto looked over and noticed. Lita's balance was thrown off by the crash and was now back at square one. She struggled even more, but felt as if her grip could give out any second. She closed her eyes and looked down, hoping to open them to find her awake in her bed...hoping that this was all a nightmare. Her short lived tranquility was interuppted by a loud voice calling to her. [b]"Heyyyyyyyy!"[/b] Callisto screamed out to her. Lita turned her head to see who it was. Her eyes distantly met Callisto's, but his intention for calling her would never be known as the branch she held on to with her right hand snapped, forcing her body to pull down from the weakened grip she had with her left hand. Her body plunged down below as her scream served as a mere decrescendo. [b]"Lita!"[/b] Joachim yelled. He felt terrible, even after she tried to take the sword from him back at the graveyard. He couldn't help but feel bad. No matter what deeds any of the people in this place have done, he couldn't believe it was bad enough for them to be deserving of death. Callisto placed his hand on Joachim's shoulder and looked down to him. [b]"Joachim...be greatful that it wasen't you. We have to accept that we're in this to survive on our own. It's a long way down from where we are as well...we have to find another way."[/b] Callisto said, walking back into the cavern in hopes to find or make a new exit that leads somewhere. [center][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Labyrinth/labyrinth-deathcard.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Labyrinth/labyrinth-lita.png[/IMG] [/center] [/color][/FONT]

[size=1]OOC: Kyosuke won't be forgotten, but wanted to relive the story through the eyes of a new character this time around. Edit: Added Snippet. Syrus is ready to roll.[/size] [center]* * * * *[/center] [font=tahoma][color=darkred][b]Name[/b] - Syrus Cainun [b]Age[/b]- 18 [b]Student Template[/b] - [u]Free Spot[/u]: The Dedicated Soldier - Works hard for 2 main reasons; recognition and improvement. He understands the importance in teamwork and solo ability, and dedicates time to them both. His attitude can lead him to be over-competitive at times and will often make judgement calls based on success rather then survival. In battle he prefers to act as the "spearhead" but is easily tempted by the acquirement of glory. Perhaps the area needing of the most improvement is his comprehension of restraint. [b]Weapon[/b] - [URL=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v143/Doublehex/RP/CiAlFo/weapons/broadsword.jpg]Broadsword[/URL] - [color=blue]Aludra[/color]. The name of the sword derives from the great blue supergiant of the canis major. Syrus named it this because of a dream he had, in which he achieved something he is currently attempting to make a reality. [b]School of magic[/b] - Elemental: Fire [b]Minored school of magic[/b] - Blue Magic [b]Abilities/Spells[/b]: -[b][u][color=darkorange]Flame Viper[/color][/b][/u]: Syrus presses his hand to the ground and manifests fire using his magi shard into the shape of a large snake. The flame viper boroughs in and out of the earth to attack and can reach far into the sky as long as it's base remains burrowed within the ground. The viper's attacking methods can range from spearing Syrus's enemies through, wrapping itself around them, or entrapping them in a circular barrier. -[b][u][color=blue]Assimilation[/color][/b][/u]: This ability emphasizes Syrus's Blue Magic capabilities as it allows for an increased chance of learning a magic used either against him or beside him in battle. Syrus worked hard with Instructor Andrews to master this ability, but it still isn't flawless. Despite the chances of acquirement raising by 25%, the duration of the enhancement is still uncertain so it is best used closely prior to when the particular spell that is meant to be captured is used. Syrus is still currently working hard to improve the spell in both duration regulation, and percentage. [b]Personality[/b]: Syrus came to the academy with intentions of working hard and climbing the ranks one by one. Not one to lack common sense and indulgence however, he also enjoys the company of the friends he makes. In contrast he also enjoys engaging in several rivalries with people he views to be as strong as he is. With a knack toward physical combat over magic, he prefers to battle in the fray using his custom forged broadsword. His tactics in magic include using his fire aptitude to intimidate and crush foes and using his blue magic to fight more subtly, standing by as he quietly assimilates the abilities of others to gain the element of surprise and induce confusion. Syrus isn't particularly hard to talk with, but may seem intimidating to most people at first. Clearly a rough and tough exterior but really just wants to leave his mark on history by becoming the best the academy has to offer. His temper may be quick, but overall he's level-headed when not being antagonized. [b]Physical appearance[/b] (picture wanted) - [URL=http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b191/Bklynstyles/picm50.jpg]Syrus[/URL] -The outfit shown is his casual outfit, minus the upper body plate which is worn underneathe the uniform. When out of uniform he also sometimes wears a black unzippered jacket with two lapel pockets. [b]Snippet/Background[/b]: Syrus ruffled his hair a bit and wiped away the sweat from his forehead. The training sessions in his weapons class was always his favorite part of the school day. His only real problem was finding someone who could keep up with him, most people preferred to avoid partnering up with someone who had a history of accidently injuring his sparring partners in the past. Syrus stood up and threw his empty water-bottle into the trash. He tossed his jacket over his shoulder and began to walk out of the locker room, until another figure stepped in the doorway. [b]"Syrus, right?"[/b] his voice said. Syrus narrowed his eyes and instinctivley reading his hand by his broadsword's hilt. [b]"Yeah, who are you and what do you care?"[/b] Syrus responded in a serious tone. The figure walked into the light and leaned against one of the lockers. He adjusted a pair of goggles strapped around his neck and smiled at Syrus. [b]"Tomorrow, i'll be more then happy to be your sparring partner in Instructor Cavalier's class."[/b] the young student said with a confident grin. [b]"Oh? Is that so? Haha, well alright then. Your proposal is accepted."[/b] Syrus said, easing his hand away from his sword. He was thrilled to hear a challenge issued to him for a change. Syrus and the other student gave each other a common nod of acknowledgement. [b]"Gotta warn you though, I have a little problem with going easy on people."[/b] Syrus warned, catching the other student before he walked away. [b]"I understand, but don't worry...I'm not asking you to go easy."[/b] he replied, continuing on his way. Syrus smiled and went on his way as well. He glanced at his watch casually when all of a sudden he remembered... [/color][/font] [size=1]ooc: hahaha, cliffhanger on a snippet. *flex*[/size]

[font=tahoma][color=darkslategray]Callisto glanced over to where the pillars they had crossed not a few minutes ago had once been. The vision of that giant bird still embedded in his mind. He shook his head and snapped himself out of his trance. He then turned his attention to Joachim who was resting with his head cushioned by Callisto's leg. [b][i]'What a fragile boy...his physical appearence suggests being at least a little more durable than this.'[/b][/i] he thought to himself. Ayame watched on from the corner of the small opening she had fit herself into. Her physical size may have been small, but the rage flaring up inside of her was extravagent. [b][i]'The boy...he seems to be knocked out. Ha, what an easy kill. I'll take him out and surprise the hell out of Mr. Biology Teacher'[/b][/i] she said to herself as she stood ready to fly in toward the downed Joachim. She narrowed her eyes and brought herself out into the open. She took aim and readied to enter through Joachim's mouth and give him the ol "Constance Treatment". In the blink of an eye she readied herself and b-lined for Joachim. Just as she was about to arrive however, a flash of light and a gust of wind seem to activate on cue as Ayame now found herself flying uncontrollably backwards into a crack in the wall. The reaction's physical form caused a loud crash and several rocks to cave in the walls surrounding Joachim and Callisto. Callisto jumped up from his place wondering what the hell had just happened. He turned his attention to the sword beside Joachim, it all of a sudden had a flourecent golden glow to it. [b][i]'The sword...? Was Joachim in danger just now? I don't get it.'[/b][/i] Callisto thought to himself. He thought further about if he would have had any intentions besides noble ones when he sheathed that very sword. What would have happened to him? Ayame sat up in her place and shook her head, releasing debris out of her hair. [b]"What in bloody hell!"[/b] she screamed out loud. She then took notice to where she was, and looked forward to see the openings to where Callisto and Joachim were was now caved in by rocks. [b][i]'Dammit! What in the world just happened? What am i doing back out here? Arrrrgggggghhhh! Guess I have to go somewhere else.'[/b][/i] she thought as she jumped out from the crack in the wall and reverted to her normal size. Back inside, Joachim began to stir as he he opened his eyes and looked up at Callisto, who was still standing with a confused look on his face. [b]"Ca...callisto? Where are we?"[/b] Joachim asked, sitting up. [b]"Oh? Joachim, so you're awake."[/b] Callisto explained what had happened after he was knocked unconscious. Joachim looked down at the sword that had now stopped glowing and picked it back up. [b][i]'I wonder...if a time will come where i'll have to actually use this sword. It seems i'm already in it's debt twice now.'[/b][/i] Joachim thought to himself as he and Callisto started on their way again.[/color][/font]

[font=tahoma][u][b][center]In To Deep[/b][/u] His knees soaked in the moist ground beneathe him. As he looked on, everyone's suspicions we're confirmed. The search lights shone closer to him. [b]"Terry, he was right! Pull back!"[/b] [i]'No, I won't let him be right! Damn you Leon...'[/i] It was too late, he was in too deep to come back now. [/font][/center]

[QUOTE=di.fm][COLOR=DarkSlateGray][SIZE=1]I like to think of myself as a benevolent soul so when a band sends me a friend request I actually go and check them out, rather than deny them or just accept them for numbers. The latest band to send me a friend request is Edges of Seven, some rad band from Canada. (Wow, something good came outta Canada afterall.) Since I like them so much, not only will I buy their CD (I support the music industry. Down with piracy.), I've put one of their songs on my MySpace. 'I Hide' by Edges of Seven. Oh, and it's more rad than your song. [url]www.myspace.com/joefett[/url][/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]^ I'm about the opposite. The few bands i actually have on my list i have known of before adding them. I typically don't use any of their songs however. Mine: [url]http://www.myspace.com/mjbklyn45[/url] People have heard the song i'm sure, but they won't get this particular mix unless they follow the independent wrestling scene. There's a jukebox player lower down on my page as well with a bunch of my favorite songs (rock, j-pop, vg remixes etc). So I got about....21 chances to win :D . Haha. *looks around and hears crickets*[/font]

[font=tahoma]Ha, it dosen't seem like all that long ago to me. I can remember further back before I started even watching my first animes or playing pokemon. I wonder if anyone else used to watch a cool little show called [b]Pirates of Dark Water[/b]. It showed on CN for a couple of years, yet the series never finished. I loved that show, along with a bunch of other oldies but goodies like [b]Transformers[/b], [b]Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles[/b], and [b]Thundercats[/b]. That's the good ol days to me (I guess that makes me feel pretty old, eh?). I was in Junior High School when CN first started showing stuff like Sailor Moon and DBZ, though I guess since I have pretty close to a photographic memory it dosen't seem as long ago as it actually is. [/font]

[font=tahoma]BK was confuzzled but now he understands :animestun . Would have looked weird too because I was about to post following Indif's scenario.[/font]

[QUOTE=Allamorph][FONT=Arial]McDonald's. Their new chicken sandwiches actually aren't half bad. Woud you rather be forced to sit through every last episode of... ...[I]The Simple Life[/I]? or ...[I]House of Carters[/I]?[/FONT][/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]Ugh, i suppose Simple Life since Paris Hilton is atleast better to look at then any of the carters. I'd take neither for $1000 though, Alex. Alright, lets go with would you rather : [b]Live in a habitable city on a magical floating continent in the sky[/b] or [b]Live in a habitable underwater city in the ocean [/b][/font]

[color=darkslategray][font=tahoma]The hedges and apparent nature like setting began to fade into a more enclosed mountain setting...Leon and Keene didn't take notice to it, with only finding a way out on their minds. Maya's mind however was in pain for the entirety of their trek. No matter what the surrounding were it seemed like she knew that there was something out there, something overseeing this maze land playing god with their lives. Keene turned his head back slightly and noticed Maya with her forehead sunk into her hands as if to quell a headache. She was navigating by watching the ground infront of her feet. [b]"Maya? Are...you alright?"[/b] Keene asked in a concerned voice. Leon stopped and turned around to see what Keene was referring to. He observed her flowing purplish hair as it encased her head. He lifted his eyebrows and began to start guessing in his own head what Maya's age was. [b]"Here, let me help you. I don't know if we're getting any further to the exit of this place...but we've undoubtedly been descending. If we're unlucky...we may find outselves in a worse place than the graveyard we all woke up in."[/b] Leon said as he took Maya's arm and tossed it around his shoulder and began to help her walk. She looked up slowly and met his eyes with hers. He put a smile on to assure her, but she seemed unimpressed. [b]"I'm older then you think, sir."[/b] she said as she brushed off his arm and walked ahead of them. Leon stood dumbfounded, wondering if it was a coincidence. [b][i]'Heh...well, she's looks a lot younger then she actually is...it makes sense, she probably gets asked that all the time! Yeah...that's gotta be it...'[/b][/i] he thought to himself as he slowly began to follow. Keene followed along as well, not wanting to be left behind. The declining ground began to lead into a cave like atmosphere, the trees and bushes were now completely gone. The rocks started to close in like the throat of a beast who just swallowed his dinner. The darkness would have been overwhelming if the walls weren't plentiful with torches. [b][i]'Torches? I wonder if somebody lives here...maybe they can help us.'[/b][/i] Keene thought to himself as he sped up his pace. The sounds of waterdrops were added as they progressed further. Clearly they were in a stalactite cave, seemingly feet below where they had started. There was a wide opening of rock shaped like an oval in the middle of a shallow moat. Leon stopped for a few seconds, then leaped as far as he could over the water. Keene followed with a running start, leaping with the grace of a childhood olympian. Maya watched them and just simply walked across the water and joined them. [b]"It isn't deep, you could have just walked through..."[/b] she said. Maya took 2 more steps before dropping to the ground on her knees. Leon and Keene watched with a startled look wondering what had just happened. A loud shriek escaped Maya's mouth as she clutched her head with both hands. [b][i]'T...the child...no! Not the child...I don't...don't understand!'[/b][/i] she said to herself as she gripped her head even harder. Keene walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. [b]"Maya? What is it?"[/b] Keene asked, before being grabbed by Maya and tossed to the ground with her body covering him. [b]"NOOO! YOU CAN'T!"[/b] she screamed as she covered the boy with her body. Leon looked on, not knowing what the hell was going on. A gust of wind blew through the cavern taking Leon by surprise. He spun his body around and noticed a group of sharpened stalactites barreled forward at a sharp angle toward where Maya and Keen were. He widened his eyes and instinctively dashed forward. A large roaring was the next thing Maya and Keene heard, much to the surprise of Maya. She had expected something to befall them, with her intention being to protect Keene. She turned her head and saw a bloodied beast with shards of rock piercing it's skin, the bulk of the stalactites crumbled around them. Maya looked on with a frightened face as she grabbed Keene and frantically scrambled backwards. [b]"W...what is that!? This, is not what i felt..."[/b] Maya said as she brought herself to a full vertical base. The beast looked at them and walked slowly into the middle of the wide opening. He extended his head forward trying to make contact, but it seemed difficult to communicate clearly. Maya stared at the lion-like creature's face and looked deeper into it's eyes. [b][i]'Can it be...?'[/b][/i] she thought to herself, as she felt a new myriad of things race through her head. Her attention was drawn above the beast where a large opening in the ceiling was. She gasped and ran forward suddenly, as Keene watched on more clueless then ever. [b]"STOP!"[/b] she screamed as the the lion turned his attention to the sky as well. The last thing it saw was a giant pillar of stone fall from above, crushing it's head and compressing it to the ground. Maya stopped short and place her hands over her mouth after seeing the extravagent sight of their savior crushed underneathe what seemed to be tons of rock and stone. The creature struggled for all of 10 seconds before laying still. The ground around the impact was upheaveled, with the exact point of impact delving into the ground. It's head was sandwiched, his thick skin seemed to fend off the sharpness of the stalactites, but the weight of the pillar proved too much. Maya approached the side of the lion and placed her hand on it's side. Keene looked up from his knees with his mouth opene, a scared look on his face. [b]"M...maya? Wheres Leon?"[/b] he managed to utter between gasps for air. Maya closed her eyes and dropped to her knees as well. [b]"He protected us...I understand now. It is most upsetting. I wish I could have made sense of everything sooner."[/b] Maya said to herself, but loud enough for Keene to hear. [b][i]'This is unreal...what's going on...why are we here!? This, this isn't normal!'[/b][/i] Keene screamed inside his head, unsure of what else to do. Maya stood up and walked toward Keene, and extended her hand. [b]"Come, Keene. We have to keep moving. Try to pull yourself together."[/b] she said as Keene looked up with tears in his eyes. He took her hand and the two ventured further into the cave, leaving the still body of the transformed Leon. [center] [img]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Labyrinth/labyrinth-deathcard.png[/img] [img]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/Labyrinth/labyrinth-leon.jpg[/img][/center][/font][/color]

[QUOTE=Gavin][SIZE=1]The Hulk, definitely the Hulk. Being the big green giant means that at least when you're not angry you're able to fit into normal society, with the Thing you're strong 24/7 sure, but your definitely not getting a sighted woman with a mug like that. Jessica Alba as your maid ? Or Angelina Jolie as your maid ? Heh, OK definitely one for the guys.[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]Jessica Alba, no question. In one of the skimpiest damn maid outfits I can find, and plenty of fluffing.........my pillows. :p Hmmm, lesse: Would you rather: [b]Fight Scorpion from Mortal Kombat in a match to the death[/b] or [b]Fight Kratos from God of War in a match to the death[/b][/font]

[color=darkslategray][font=tahoma][b]"You need to calm down, I'm just as puzzled as to what just happened as you are, alright? A short temper isn't going to get us anywhere!"[/b] Ayame yelled as Lita fumed with anger infront of her eyes. A few of the people who have made their way out of the graves have already split up, others were still questioning things in their own minds and the weaker minded were still too scared to make a move. Lita however seemed to have the temper of the hot italian blood inside of her. [b]"I plan on gettig out of here like everyone else, but your clearly a danger to everyone's well being...I'll take care of that..."[/b] Lita said confidently as she turned her head to see Joachim with his hands gripped around the hilt of the sword he had picked up upon climbing out of his grave. [b]"You, boy! Give me that sword!"[/b] Lita yelled as she walked over and reached her hand down to grab it. Joachim snapped out of his trance and clutched the sword to his body, not really out of not wanting Lita to have it, but more so out of instinctive self-preservation. Lita reached down and tried to grab the hilt, but she was met by a flash of light and found herself promptly seated on her bottom, feet away from the boy. Lita dug her nails into the dirt and looked toward Joachim wide eyed as the only thing Lita felt was a subtle gust of wind circling her body...she felt as if she was blown back by some unseen force. Joachim wore a surprised look on his face as well, not really knowing what had happened. The sword however, was still glowing a very faint light...as if it had protected him on purpose. [b]"Huh...you! What was that?"[/b] Ayame yelled, also stunned by what had happened. [b]"I...I..don't know, really! I don't know what's going on here at all!"[/b] Joachim said in a frightened tone as he started to back up toward the hedges. [b][i]'The sword...protected itself? It couldn't have possibly chosen that boy to specifically be it's wielder could it?'[/i][/b] Lita thought to herself, as if it were something inconceivable to fathom. She got to her feet and walked toward Joachim. He quickened his pace of backing up afraid that she was going to try to hurt him. Backing up soon turned into a full fledged turn around and running, as he made a way for himself through one of the hedges. [b]"Wait! I don't want to hurt you!"[/b] Lita yelled, trying to calm Joachim. It was too late though. With the sword still sheathed clutched to his self, he ran as fast as he could until he felt himself tumbling and found himself face first in the dirt. The veins in his ankle pulsated as he turned his head to see a stone embedded in the dirt that he had tripped over. He clutched the dirt with his bare hands, realizing he had dropped the sword. He frantically looked around but when he tried to get up, a pain shot through his ankle forcing him back down to the ground. [b][i]'Argh!...it hurts. Just my luck, what am I going to do now?'[/b][/i] he thought to himself, before feeling his body lift up with the help of somebody's hands. [b]"You alright, kid?"[/b] the voice of his helper asked. Joachim looked up at him, he was clearly an adult. Medium length dark hair and tan skin. He stayed silent, eventhough he was helped up by the stranger. [b]"My name is Callisto, you don't have to worry alright? I'm a biology teacher."[/b] the man said. He looked down and saw Joachim's sword. He reached for it, intending to pick it up for him. Joachim noticed as well and darted for it first and grabbed it, forgetting about his ankle as he once again found himself kneeling on the floor. [b]"No!"[/b] the boy shouted, giving Callisto a scare. [b]"Whoa, relax kid...I was just going to pick it up for you."[/b] he assured Joachim. [b]"Even so...I don't think anyone else can touch it. Sorry I didn't mean to be disrespectful."[/b] he said as Callisto once again helped him to his feet. [b]"It's alright. So what's your name?"[/b] Callisto asked. [b]"Joachim...Joachim Gale."[/b] Callisto cleared the way of branches and what not as they made their own path hoping to find some more answers as to what was going on. Or even better, a way out of this place.[/font][/color]

[QUOTE=Tekkaman][font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]Tis a shame you're not playing Mafia, [color=indigo]BK[/color].[/color][/size][/font] [font=Century Gothic][size=1][color=gray]...Tis a shame indeed...[/color][/size][/font][/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]Eh, I'll follow along anyways since i've never played it before. I'll hold make a bet with myself over who's who each round, lol.[/font]

[font=tahoma]Hm, it's started already? I was going to sign up tonight because I thought the deadline ended by the end of the day. I didn't think 13 people had signed up yet either.[/font]

[font=tahoma][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]A young women, appearing to be in her early twenties rubbed the back of her head as she turned to the first outward speaker amongst the group. Nothing had really settled in yet except for the pain in the back of her head, the tedious climbing she had done to bring herself out of the hole she had mysteriously found herself in, and the voices of other people...which was the only comfort at the time. She shakily brought herself to her feet and looked down at the gravestone infront of the hole she had just come out of. Needless to say, the name on it was hers as well. She read it to herself, [b][i]'Ayame Hisa'[/i][/b]. [b]"Oh god...I have no clue what IS going on here but I don't like it"[/b] Ayame said in a nervous voice. She then looked over at another hole where she saw a young boy climbing out, looking not even old enough to be a teen. His blond hair had dirt in it from the hole and it seemed like he had yet to look up at the tombstone. She thought to herself it would probably be best if he didn't. [b][i]'Children too...what in the world IS this place?'[/b][/i] Ayame quickly tried to recall what she had done before retiring to bed, but she could think of nothing out of the ordinary. Everything was so unclear, it really did feel like a dream. She was used to her sweet and serene dreams, where she could walk freely along the banks of a river or even in a secluded forest surrounded by mountains. Something quiet and nice, nothing like the grim nature she stood within now. She walked over beside Kalas and Constance and peered down at the star with the word [i]Nexus[/i] written on it. [b]"Nexus? Is that where we are?"[/b] Constance turned to her, now more aware that they were joined by others. [b]"I...I don't know...I'm just as clueless as you I'm afraid. My name is Constance by the way."[/b] she said, hoping a formal introduction would help ease the atmosphere. [b]"Ayame is my name"[/b] Ayame answered in a still uncertain tone. Kalas, Ayame, and Constance turned their attention from the stone plate they had been looking at and took notice not only to the diversity in the ages and looks of the other people, but their surroundings. The hedges, the stones, the darkened sky with only lines of red as if the sun were being suffocated by the density of the clouds. A dream...no, a nightmare would be the most reasonable explanation for all of this. But the truth indeed was that nobody, not a single one of them were dreaming.[/COLOR][/font]

[FONT=Tahoma]I don't really recall the [b]very[/b] first gifts i ever wanted, but i remember going nuts for the original power ranger action figures. I got 3 of them for one christmas because my mom couldn't find the pink one or the black one. My dad ended up getting me the two i didn't have a few days later, lol. Even earlier than that though, i do remember wanting the Startropics game for NES for a while before I actually got it. I did get it on a christmas, and let me tell you i still remember that game like the back of my hand, it was friggen awesome. I played 2 as well, but it was nowhere near as good as 1.[/FONT]

[QUOTE=Bláse][size=1][color=slategray]Actually, I only got about 160 hours of gameplay on Oblivion. It was an amazing site, but lacked in length. But, then again, it depends on how long you sittings are... 160 hours could be a long time for people. Ah well. Now you know. [/color][/size][/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]Well i'm taking into consideration replay value as well, i may wanna go through it with different chars and what not. Assuming it can captivate my interest in that fashion. But i pretty much won't be playing it for very long hours at a time, least not until i find out what my days off are :cool: [/font]

[font=tahoma]Well lesse...me and my friends are chipping in for a Wii, and i'm buying LoZ: Twilight Princess for myself (I'm the only LoZ fan of the group). So that's a done deal. I have a PS3 plan going for christmas where i've just told everyone who wants to get me something to simply chip in money or gift cards so i can get it...I have 200 in the fund at the moment, so the only thing i'd pretty much have to pay out of my own pocket is the first game i'm going to get. Which will be the game i've been dying to play since it came out but haven't been able to, [b]Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion[/b] :D . That will definitly hold me over for a couple of years, let alone until MGS4 and FFXIII come out. 3 games that make purchasing the system worth while for me (despite everyone's lost faith in Sony). Other then VG stuff, I guess i'd like a new ipod...since mine broke :animecry: Though i'm only really expecting to get the Wii, LOZ, PS3. Luckily the only dent in my wallet will be less then $300. I'll end up spending more than that on gifts for people.[/font]

[QUOTE=Gavin][SIZE=1] The sparring section however was something I added simply because I considered it to have been a major part of the Arena at one stage. What I had originally hoped was that people would understand that the sign up for the spars was genuinely meant to be vague in that I had hoped to be able to give people the opportunity to create characters that really reflected their own skills and attributes. However I can see there was also a lot of room for god-modding so I'll have to go back and see how I can change that. Which I suppose leads on to the following question: [b]How could the over-all application to Kumite be made more user-friendly while keeping the competitive nature of the competition intact ?[/b] Any and all response to that would be most welcome.[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]Alright, on to this. I just wanna say the last thing I want to do here is sound presumptuous, or make it seem like I'd rather run the event because it isn't true. It's simply meant to be a few suggestions which can be heeded or not. Concerning the general sign up, it may appear very demanding as it's already been said...though I personally can deal with it. But perhaps it would be more productive to allow the members a choice between either a piece of poetry, an RP post, or a story from the anthology. With a keen eye, many aspects of someone's writing style can be told through a single piece of writing so long as it's wisely chosen by the members. After all, poetry is the flow of words together to convey a story in consolidated form where as a story is such in more detail. Concerning an RP post, that is pretty much conveying a part of a story as well...so if inclination can be seen through one of these, it's safe to assume that they are somewhat proficient in the other areas as well. I can think of a few examples from my past RP posts i'd use as a single example to show off my talents which I think would cover all of the categories amply. This would serve to make choosing the examples for the sign-ups easier and quicker and it would make the selection all the more careful because it IS being chosen to represent an apparent knack for multiple categories of writing. Concerning the character creation for the SPARs, it's good to give an element of freedom and i personally like the idea of an OB self as if "jacking in to the matrix" (just using an example since i think it portrays the concept the best, my apologies if i'm not doing it enough justice). But guidelines should be set, as you've already realized to prevent god-modding and such. Though i think the problem is more so about what i said previously, which is people not knowing what kind of character to create in order to fit in to the mix comfortably. The people who would sign up for Kumite i imagine would not go the "god-modding" path anyhow since that itself would take away from the feel of the competiton. It should be a competition, not a potential slaughter as portrayed through would-be convincing spars. Anyhow, the guidelines can be general and still allow for a good amount of freedom. Such as merely stating the overall theme a character should follow, such as "Think medieval mages and warriors" or "Strong monstruous mutations" or "Martial arts experts with typical japanese or chinese styled weapons". Something that gives us an idea on how we should elaborate on our personal skills so not to overpower (of underpower) our characters too much. Even my aforementioned examples may seem a bit more specific than what you could make them, but the point i'm trying to get across is that we simply need a spectrum of how our characters should be created so we don't have people differing so much that it just appears unconvincing for certain characters to match up to others, regardless of how much control each person has in writing a spar. Like an example I used earlier, someone with menial skills in comparison to such powerful ones like creating powerful blasts and some types of invulnerability wouldn't really flow as well. For an example taken from anime, something like Byakuya from Bleach vs Ryoko from Tenchi. Both have powers and skills, but one clearly outmatches the other. So again I hope you don't take all of this the wrong way, Gavin. I'm not trying to tell you how to run your event. Apologies if anything i've said seems offensive.[/font]

[font=tahoma]Something I posted in a previous Dynasty Warriors thread: [url]http://www.otakuboards.com/showpost.php?p=721505&postcount=7[/url] In addition though I'd like to say that even now, I still play the games. I can honestly see where people come from when they call it mindless hack and slash and how it can get redundant...but for some reason I can always enjoy playing them, more so with the empires games. But I still love ROTKX, I just wish they had a scenario that mixes the areas up randomly like in the DW: Empires games, rather then just create your kingdom in one of the open areas for each scenario. [/font]

[font=tahoma]Actually, I own 13 Dead End Drive...I used to play it all the time (my personal favorite was the chandelier drop). I was actually under the belief that it was a fairly popular board game back when it came out so it surprises me that it hasen't been heard of. But anyhow, back to the topic at hand. To Gavin's question I will post my opinions for later today since I have work in an hour. But since I'm the one who brought the issue up I feel it obligates me to give my input as well. I don't want to seem like someone who is just discouraging without trying to help out (if my help is accepted). [/font]

[font=tahoma]My view on this is pretty much this: [b]White:[/b] It's been said already, what appeals the most about [u]Mafia[/u] is that it's pretty much universal, anybody can play it and it appeals more so to a wider crowd then both Gavin and Sandy's because theirs is primarily aimed toward the Arena inhabitants. Being one myself, they appeal to me (I will explain my hesitance in signing up for Kumite after this) but i know the importance of appealing to the masses when it comes to a [b][u]Community[/b][/u] event. The reason i have not signed up is because I don't want to commit myself to more of these 3 events than I can handle, since things with me are about to get pretty busy for me starting next month. [b]Gavin:[/b] Contrary to most people that have already given their opinions, [u]Kumite[/u] was my favorite of the 3 on paper. While in places it can be a bit obscure, that has never personally bothered me but as I said above it's important to take a general audience into consideration. Yes the sign up is demanding, but the general part of it I don't mind much. When it comes to the spar character however, very little is provided for how this character should be formed. Now hear me out before any conclusions are jumped to: Normally when a character is created for an RP, the story [b]or[/b] guidelines specified by the RP creator set the standard for how the participants should form their own characters. For instance, in my RP Sinister Nation...it was clear that characters would have to fit the model of the modern day mercenary, where as in Doublehex's CAF it was clear that our characters were to be versed in various types of magic. That made sure to pan out the acceptable sign-ups from the ones that wouldn't fit in. Concerning Kumite, you say that the themes of the spars would be specified later by yourself as well as the character is meant to be based off of ourselves...but this could be interpreted so many ways for different people. When it comes to our skills and abilities, it's hard to envision what fits best or even what's fair. For instance, someone could create a character who's abilities are creating supernovas with his eyes and super speed. Someone else could simply be a gunslinger and have skills like sharpshooting, etc. This is clearly a mismatch, while it may not matter because writing will be in the hands of people who's character are the participants, it would prove to be more difficult and possibly awkward to write a believeable spar with the character at the collosal disadvantage holding his own. I think that has been what has kept most people from jumping at the sign up. They are waiting to see what other's are creating first so they know how to fit their character into the mix to make things more convincing. There are no real restrictions, and while in most cases this may be a good thing...it creates difficulties with even the beggining parts of this event, meaning the sign-up. But again, I like the idea of a writing contest (in fact I thought Otaku Idol 2 itself was going to be one) and the idea of claiming "Best in the Arena" as a prize...it's just difficult to get into. [b]Sandy:[/b] I believe [u]Labyrinth[/u] is a great concept and it most definitly appeals to me personally. But it's weakest point is White's strongest point...it appeals specifically to one type of person...the role player. As for the claim that an empty thread due to private sign-ups sets an undesireable atmosphere, that may be so in terms of visuals...but it is as you said, it's essential to the event's concept. Those who understand fully what Labyrinth has to offer will know why it is essential and will not be turned off by an empty thread. Labyrinth's strongest point I believe is it's mysterious atmosphere and may appeal to more possibly because of it, but ultimatley it is an event for the Role Players. That's how I see it, sorry if it offends anyone.[/font]

[QUOTE=Doublehex]So we just do a bunch of one liners? @_@ Meh, whatever you saw, Master Sandy.[/QUOTE] [font=tahoma]It's pretty much an open deal when it comes to formulating each character's personality and such. It's part of the survival game to allow your character to be controlled by others, lest you subtly (or not so subtly) reveal which ones are yours. So if you created a char with a particular personality in mind, chances are the way they will be portrayed through the story will not match up. At least that's to my understanding. I could be leaving some details out, only Sandy knows for sure.[/font]