2010DigitalBoy

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Way I figure, we done cured that lil' problem in the past 3 days. I know that personally I have always absolutely hated the franchise forum system. It's ugly, it gives too much to only certain franchises, and it keeps people from experienceing more. That's why I created the already spastically popular 'what are you watching/reading now' thread (and Revy happened to get the other two in my planning stages of the anime one). It allows for discussion of the minor details of your current anme obsession whereas the individual major details of a series can go in a seris thread. OB isn't a huge site - it doesn't need oh-so-many forums, and creting something like a 'Naruto Forum' s like utting up a sign that says 'Place Spam Here'.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Indigo"][CENTER][B]Chapter Two[/B]: God In An Alcove[/CENTER] [U]Shinigami DREAM[/U] was the story's title. It was to detail the events of a god of death occurring in a certain town. The story was inspired by another novel that I had been a fan of, and i felt too much like I was ripping off the original concept, so I never ended up writing it. [B]"But I never thought I'd end up LIVING it!!!"[/B] Yume frantically examined himself, taking in the fact that he'd been somehow transformed. Even though his thoughts still sounded life himself, his voice had taken on a new high pitch. His body had shrunk both in height and weight - his clothes had become a white gown and his hair dyed to same ghostly color. Truly, he'd been turned into a girl. [I]...And the scythe... a girl god of death? [/I] [B]"So what do I do?"[/B] Yume changed her grip on the scythe and gave it a swing. It seemed strangely light, and she found that her skill was amazing. It felt as if the scythe had not merely moved through the air but cut it clear in half. [B][I]"Sugoi..."[/I][/B] With a swift movement she careened the scythe in a semicircle around her body, twirled it over her hand, and slashed horizontally through the air. As the blade neared the ground, she twisted her body in a twirling motion, swinging the scythe around her back and into another horizontal cut. As the scythe came to a stop, Yume noticed the bounce in her shirt as she moved. A splash of pink illuminated her pale cheeks. [I]"Does it make me a pervert if I look at myself?"[/I] Just as Yume was contemplating the wisdom of opening one's shirt while on the roof of a building, a song suddenly pierced the air. [I][CENTER]~~Beyond~the~anthills~of~the~dawning~of~this~plague~~[/CENTER][/I] [B]"Eh? My ring-tone? My cell phone!"[/B] Quickly grabbing for his pocket, Yume produced a little blue phone and snapped it open. [B]"Y~ello?"[/B] [B]"2:40, downtown, alleyway between a liquor store and a convenient stop on Greenday Road. 17 year old female Adia Lyn."[/B] Click. [I]What the hell was that?[/I] Yume wondered. [I]Secret meeting? No, wait, in Shinigami DREAM, the death god's received information about those about to die via cellphone! This must be a mission! [/I] Yume looked over the side of the building. [B]"I could probably fly there..." [/B] [I][CENTER]Based on how you've experienced things in life, your dream will conform to the rules you are accustomed to.[/CENTER][/I] [B]"...On second thought, I think I'll take the elevator..." [/B] [CENTER]***[/CENTER] [U]2:40 AM, Greenday Road, Downtown[/U] [B]"Is that you?" [/B]A small, scared voice echoes over the brick walls of the dark back alley. Sight is barely permitted - even the street lights have no influence on this piece of space. The clouds obstruct the stars, and the moon is new. Further along, the eyes cannot penetrate the darkness, so the girl stays on the fringe of the death-like black. She's heard an approaching series of footsteps in the darkness and called to it. It replies. [B]"I'm glad you came. I have what you desire."[/B] A deeper, male voice responds. His body is not yet revealed - the girl still quivers lightly at the unknown. At twenty feet above, a young girl in white stands on the side of a building, looking down into the alley. She wonders what is going to happen. [B]"Give me the money first,"[/B] The male voice beckons. [B]"O-okay..."[/B] The girl has never done this before. She is too trusting. Slowly she retrieves the wallet from her purse and opens it to look through. The very moment the money is visible, a hand suddenly lunges from the darkness. [B]"Ah!"[/B] The hand grabs onto the girl's wrist and yanks her into the darkness. [B]"AAAAAHHH!!!!"[/B] The girl's horrified shrieks are cut short with a cracking sound as a fist crosses with her jaw. [B]"No!"[/B] The girl above speaks to herself. She becomes tense. She can't stand by and watch. She springs into action and jumps from the roof of the building. As her feet hit the ground, she realizes that her eyes can easily pierce the darkness. She is lucky - the man has only so far torn the girl's shirt and hit her in the face. The shinigami materializes. [B]"Get away from her!"[/B] The girl in white yells. In retrospect, her voice has no ability to be menacing, but it is not the time for nitpicking. [B]"The hell?"[/B] The man turns to see what is at least a disturbing sight. A young girl coming from nowhere in such peculiar clothes, and with that weapon. He is prepared to make a dash past the girl and away, but he doesn't get the chance. In one swift motion, the shinigami arcs her blade in a ferocious crescent, and the blade slides cleanly into the man's chest. With his heart destroyed and blood pouring from his chest, he falls to the ground. For a moment, Yume stands still and breathes heavily, in awe of what she's done - or rather, how it is possible. [B]"Having fun?" [/B]Yume nearly jumped from his skin as a voice suddenly cut the tension with it's arrival. She turned around to see another person in all white. It was a boy, looking to be in his early teens. He had a pretty face and wavy hair. The boy also carried a black scythe, though his was longer than Yume's. [B]"You know you killed the wrong person just now, right? Doesn't sound like something you would've written."[/B] Yume turned his eyes away. [B]"What's going to happen now?"[/B] The boy laughed slightly, [B]"Well, according to the rules of this particular dream, I am supposed to kill you now." [/B]Yume looked up at the boy. [B]"B-but you're not going to right? Cause you know it's a dream? So you'll just let me go, right?!" [/B]The boy smiled. [B]"Well... I think it's fun to play along."[/B] And before Yume could even comprehend what happened, the boy's scythe whipped through the air and Yume only heard a thump as his consciousness disappeared once more. [CENTER]***[/CENTER] [B]"Uh...huh?" [/B]Bright sunlight filtered into Yume's eyes as they slowly opened.The scent and soft breeze of summer danced on her skin. As she looked around, she found herself to be surrounded by a field of high grass. She sat atop a massive stump that must have once been the base of a mighty tree. The air was vibrant with the sound of life - the chirps of birds and rustle of grass. Yume looked down at her own body. The body of a young woman wearing a ragged robe. She was shoeless and her hands and feet bore cuts all over, but the cool breeze felt great against her skin. Her light brown hair stretched to her legs. [B]"What a beautiful day..." [/B]she whispered to herself. Just then a whistle became audible in the distance. It seemed to be coming her way. [B]Who could it be? A friend of mine? Maybe I was to meet someone here?[/B] The whistling was right on top of her before she knew it. A pair of hands appeared to part the grass into the clearing. The whistling came to a stop.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Oi. In light of the fact that season 2 has been announced officially, my brother and I are maathoning season one of [B]xXxHolic[/B]. I had read the first 3 manga borrowed from a friend and found it nteresting, so I thought, why not. We're currently passing ep 16. So far, it's been really good. It suffers from the problem of most manga-turned-anime in which stuff takes a lot longer to happen then I'd like, but the medium works well for the style of the series. Oh, and the show has the worst sound effects ever XD[/COLOR]

[quote name='SunfallE'][COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Lets see... In my ps2 is Tales of the Abyss, Its great fun since it's very similar to Tales of Symphonia and yet it's got elements about it that I like a whole lot better. For starters, the battle system though similar with how it's in real time and you have special moves that are accessible via shortcuts, is a bit more complex than Tales of Sympohnia since it has a whole range of special button combinations that your character eventually learns to protect against certain types of attacks. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]Years ago I was obsessed with ToS but I was always afraid the next games wouldn't live up to it. From what you describe, though, it might be worth it. Anyway, thought you might like to know that [B]Tales of Symphonia 2[/B] is currently in development.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]^^;; Even I find myself a little confused by the conversation with himself, so I agree I shouuld probably go back and try to work the conversation better at some point. I'm glad you like the beginning - I've always had a really hard time with beginnings, but I was particularly proud of this one. It's one of the first times I've managed to show struggle without sounding whiney.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]Nothing wrong with it! Mo' creativity is mo' betta! Oi, and I put the graphic up. Don't diss the graphic. Took me 5 hours to make >_> Also, on the computer i'm using, for some reason the main thred post is all in red. Anyone else see this?[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"][B]Panty Shot [/B]- [B]Mindless Self Indulgence[/B]. Child pornography? This song serves to remind me how much of a freak I am XD My life gains meaning when she spreads her leeeegs! segway into [B]Futures [/B]by the same band. I love the trobbing techno-rock and Jimmy's microphone orgasms. Always great stuff, though I actually like their industrial-esque first album most.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="darkorange"][B]The Light Before We Land[/B], opening theme from [B]Gunslinger Girl[/B]. I am an absolute sucker for English lyric anime songs FWR. [B]The Sore Foot Song [/B]and the opening from [B]Shinigami no Ballad [/B]are also some of my alltime favorite anime songs. I don't know what it is about those vocals, but they suck me right in. I love the soothing nature of the song, though the parts where it picks up are also masterfuly done. An absolute gem of a song. [url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=3Qg-qH4BuyQ][B][COLOR="DarkOrange"]Linkage.[/COLOR][/B][/url][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"][B]Opeth's[/B] album [B]Damnation[/B], specifically [B]In My Time of Need[/B]. Mostly I'm listening to it because my guest dislikes Opeth, but I doubt he'd recognize any of their music XD This is an amazing album and I havne't heard it in a while, so it's nice to revisit. The song in particuar is very similar to my life in the recent past and probably in the near future. It's beautiful and amazing, but sombber and depressing.[/COLOR]

[quote name='Korey']If you know what gets you overwhelmed, then take steps to go against that. Cut down on things, whether it would be clubs or other organizations....that would lighten the load a tad. Even though it sucks to tell those people in charge, you are doing what's best for you...I'm sure they'd understand...if they don't then it's not your problem.[/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]^^;; I wasn't in any clubs or on teams or anything las year. Most of the trouble I have is emotional. I get what you mean, though. I will definitely try my best.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Go read [B]Boogiepop and Others[/B]. The book has imspired my life wholly, and is easily my favorite book and the one that has had the largest effect on me. The story is told from the perspective of five teens who go to the same high school in Tokyo. Each of them plays their own role in the mystery of Boogiepop and a string of disappearances occuring lately. This story is unbelievably well-told. It is emotional as well as adressing societary issues and ultimately hits really hard. The story is very surrealistic. From the existence of Boogiepop and the Manticore to the alien messenger hiding inside the school, everything has a sense of something that doesn't belong but blends right into the story. Not once for a second did I think, well there's tha alien character, and there's the monster, and there's the superhero - they were all realistic characters who just happened to be a part of this grander scheme. I feel a definite connection with the author when I read this book. I know what it feels like, and I see what he means. The best part, though, is that the messages are never forced on you. The book tells a story first and sends a message second. Really, it's not as if it were written to send a message at all - it just says that that's how the world is and it honest about it. I'm sorry - even when I say it I realize that much of that made very little sense XD Either way, this book is a definite 'buy now'. I encourage multiple readings, since more and more become clear every time you read it. Personally, I'm the type who very rarely rereads or we-watched something because I usually get it all the first time around, but I've read the book I think 5 times, and the 2-volume manga based on the book at least 3. (The book is better than the manga for a lot of reasons, so I only reccommend the manga for the sake of fanboyism.) And then, of course, after you've read the book, you should go watch the anime sequel [B]Boogiepop Phantom[/B], then go read the second and third book and avidly await the fourth book to be translated :D[/COLOR]

[quote name='Korey'] [B]DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY[/B][/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]Well, I could have told myself that, really, cuz that is the way I live anyway, so in some ways I was kind of wanting people to direct meIn the end, though, I can't bring myself to do something I don't want to... I don't know how things will go. Really, in some ways, it actually will work itself out, because I'll find out whether or not I'm happy with the way things turned out the minute I start all these classes. After all, if I suck at it, I'm sure it won't take long to get kicked out, XD. My biggest worry is in the fact that I am very easily overwhelmed. I spent the whole of my last school year completely depressed and I don't want to possibly make it even worse >_>[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]The story begins! I'll put the graphic up as soon as I switch computers. Anyhow, here's how things should go. To start off, everyone gets one post to introduce their character. Only one! After there are 6 posts of intros the story will get started. If you haven't guessed yet, it's because I thought [B]Esper Jam[/B] took too long to get into the action, so I'm kicking this off with speed. If you want another player's character in your intro post, I have no objections, though that person will still have to introduce them theirself of course. Also, make sure you ask permission from that person ^^;; Also, if you want to start your post off with something like [B]"Figment B: Sideswipe"[/B] or [B]"Story Quest Two: The Blue Man"[/B] I'm totally cool with that XD[/COLOR]

Banner by SunfallE Shinigami Dance Chapter One: Death Wears a White Dress and Carries a BLACK SCYTHE Figment A: Death Rides a Horse The tension in the room was overwhelming; the shadow of death looming over like a hideous beast stalking the frailest wounded prey. All around the boy, worried family held their breath in suspense of what would come. In the boy's own head things were tense but quiet. He told himself that he was ready. He'd come prepared. Readied himself for whatever might come. He had rested his mind and tried to embrace his destiny. Still, he couldn't help but quake lightly in fear of the unknown. It was a dark fear - a heavy burden to try and bear. A weight that would crush the mind of a weaker person and send them sprawling into fear. But the boy was fighting this fear. Like a fight for his life in the face of death as he awaited the imminent loss of his life. Indeed, while no one spoke, the tension of thoughts bounced off the walls and radiated throughout the room. Then there was a gasp. The boy's breath clenched in his throat and his face twisted in agony. Though they had known this would happen, the family was tormented by the vision. Tears were abound as all were forced to face the death of their family member. The choking lasted only half a minute, but anyone could have sworn it lasted hours. Then the boy, who lay in his own bed, in his own room, surrounded by his own family, no longer tried to breath. A scream burst the silence as a mother planted her face into her husband's chest. The boy was dead. *** "Hello there." Aeru chimed as she appeared beside the boy. The child sat up to greet her. The room was empty except for the young boy and girl. "Hey Aeru. It's time for me to go, right?" "Yes. I hope it wasn't too painful..." "It was... not so bad. I had episodes that were worse when I survived. And besides, now I feel better than I can even remember!" Though he said this with enthusiasm, the boy turned his head down. Aeru came to his side, placing her gentle hand on his shoulder. He bent her head down to his ear and spoke softly. "...Are you sure you're ready?" "......yeah....." Aeru closed her eyes. The boy began to gently glow - a soft white aura around his body. The aura grew brighter until the boy was no longer seen and then faded away. Aeru opened her eyes again. They were full of tears. "You're crying again? Even though he was so at peace?" Joe, the furry black cat with bat wings, floated above her shoulder. "So young..." "Everyone dies sometime. They say that the longer you live, the more you have to loose." "..." The room was quiet again. The tension and fear washed away. The echo of cries faded into nothing, The chokes and gasps came to a stop. The room was quiet. "It's nice today!" Aeru sang as she hopped along down the road. She laughed and twirled, dancing in the warm summer breeze. "I dunno, I'm rather bored. And we need to find a TV - I don't want to miss the next episode of Kanon." "Don't be so boring! You can't stay inside on such a nice day! Besides, it's rare to have so little work, and all so easy!" Aeru giggled like a young girl. Joe sighed, wondering how he'd become partner to such a child. "Do as you like, then. You said yourself that there was little work, so I'm going. If you need me, you'll find me in the nearest electronic store..." "Hey! For real? You don't want to play outside on a day like this?!" Joe ignored her as he flew off to go do as he pleased. Aeru puffed her cheeks. Guess I'll go have fun on my own. I'm sure I can find someone else to play with. *** *** "What the hell?!" A man holding a shopping bag gaped at something on the shelf. "Dude, Marty, check it out! This TV is changing channels by itself!" "What?!" His friend also turned in awe toward a large TV that was going on it's own switching through channels. "Curse these paws..." joe mumbled as he pushed the fat button a painful amount of times. "Here we go..." "It stopped... on the anime network?" "Oh my god, we were about to miss the new episode!" "The TV was giving us a sign! How much is that thing?!" "Ugh..." Joe sighed as he thought of how silly humans could be. "Hey, do any of you guys recognize that girl?" A kindergarten boy asked his friends. "I don't think though... we should let her come play with us!" A girl with pigtails remarked. She turned to the girl in question - she looked to be a second or third grader, the same as the oldest in their group. The girl had long white hair and wore a white t-shirt and shorts. "Heeeeeeeyyyyyy! You wanna come play with us?!" "You sure?" A first-grader asked, "she looks strange... her hair's all white like an old lady." The girl with pigtails turned to him angrily. "Don't be rude!" She turned back to see the white haired girl coming their way. "Um... hi! My name's Aeru. What's yours?" "I'm Rebecca, and these are my friends Johnny and Yuno and some of their friends. We're playing kickball, okay?" Aeru smiled brightly. "Sounds like fun!" *** *** "...And there's no way we can talk you down just 50 bucks?!" "I'm telling you, it's sticker price or bust, sir. This isn't a bazaar." "But that TV is important! It's magic!" Joe growled. "Sir, I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do..." "grr...." "Please!" "I said no!" "GRAAAAA!!!!!!!" WHACK! For a brief moment, there was confusion among the group, but it was quickly apparent what had just happened. The new girl had gone up to plate, and with a kick that could shatter bones, launched the poor kickball far into the sky. For thirty long seconds, the other kids stood with heads aimed upward following the beautifully devastating arc of the newly created projectile as it soared off into the distance. All the while, the oblivious girl making her round of the bases. "All right! Home run!" VWOOSH! All at once, a group of daggers turned to Aeru. In one of them, presumably the boy who owned the ball, tears were forming. "Uh... oops!" Aeru scratched the back of her head. What do I do?! "Erm... gotta go!" And with that, she disappeared into thin air. "Whoa!" "Where'd she go?!" Aeru and Joe found themselves once more walking down the sidewalk, now with heads down. "Hey Aeru... um... I don't think we work really well apart..." "Agreed." Just then a chime cut through the air and Aeru's head shot up. "My cell phone." 2 quick flips of the hand later, it was at her ear, and 32 seconds after that, it was in her pocket again. "Work?" "Yep." "We should get it done as fast as possible. I..." Joe turned his head aside, blushing slightly, "don't want to waste all of this pretty day..." A smile spread across Aeru's face. She quickly snatched up the kitty and hugged him tightly. "I'll be sure to do as much as I can as quick as possible, then!" And with that, she danced off to her destination. *** ***

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]I believe it's Re-I. I have the first DVD of [B]Ergo Proxy[/B] and thought it was pretty good, but I'm not sure if I want to keep going. It doesn't seem like my kind of show. I mght try and catch it on [B]Fuse[/B] sometime, but - meh.[/COLOR]

[quote name='Premonition'][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]Finally, I've been waiting for another DB story for ages. And I really like what you got so far. And by the way he looks, and what he's holding, he must be a shinigami now, right? Anyways, you gave us a good story. Well, I liked it anyways.[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]Right. As I said in another thread, I plan to incorporate a lot of my own unfinished stories into the story. As well as new stuff. And weirdness. I chose Shinigami DREAM first for a reason though... will see later ;P[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"][B]Kanji[/B]: You could say it captures the adult themes, but not in a unique way, just in a more obvious way. you could say it pronounces that part of the story more. If you're looking at the art, though, the writer of the [B]FLCL[/B] manga also did the unique manga [B]Project A-Ko[/B], which is pretty cool. They sell a thing where you can get both volumes in one, which is nice, cuz it's only two volumes. It's got a very strange story with possibly the weirdst ending ever and te same art style. I will probably check out that [B]Mononoke[/B] thing now that you both have said good things about it. Also, regarding [B]Le Chvalier[/B] - I read the firsst chapter of the manga and rather liked it, but I have some questions about it. Firstly, is the plot very linear, or more about just killing random baddies? Also, is it as much like Hellsing as it seems? I'm not a fan of Hellsing, so I don't want to reinvent the experience. Also, from the pics I've seen, the anime has a completely different art style from the manga, which was my favorite part of the manga.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]The [B]FLCL [/B]manga is boring as hell and not worth it. I love the surreal art style, but it ruins the story of the anime. Unlike it, it is not only not hyperactive but simply not active at all. Totally monotone. I don't recommend it at all. I also forgot to mention that I was starting to check out [B]Gankutsuo[/B]. The absolutely superbly magical artstyle is a definite draw, but I feel like not much was explained from the first episode. I want to watch a few before I decide on purchasing the DVDs.[/COLOR]

[quote name='Dagger']If you've got the Funi channel, you can also watch [b]Revolutionary Girl Utena[/b], which [i]is[/i] the most amazing shoujo ever. :p The dub in the earlier episodes isn't up to par, unfortunately (and some would say that it never gets particularly good). [/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]Ah. I'll try catching ep 1 on it's next circulation, though they play this show so many times a day I may not be able to keep up with it ^^;; I saw a bit of an episode and wasn't all that interested - it looks like it takes itself very seriously, which I'm not sure about, but with your reccommendation it can't be bad. In the episode I saw the green haired guy slaps the purple haired girl (I've seen this in an AMV as well, how often does this happen?!) and I kept rewinding it so my brother and I could do our own captions. "where my money?!" "THIS IS SPARTA!" and "Iron reaver soul stealer!" were my favorites.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Well, for English 11 advanced I was given 2 novels. Huck Finn and 'The Awakening.' Every 2 weeks was a set date that I was supposed to email the teacher with interpretive questions about each story. I have yet to even start reading the Awakening, and huck finn I read about 40 pages before school ended and never touched again. I think I'm also supposed to write a report on one and do a packet on the other. I don't care - I have no plan to do it :p. Didn't do any homework last year, don't plan to start now.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]While I would like this thread to stay open for everyone to share, I came up with an idea that might help me round up some of these plots. For a long time I've tooled with the style of vignettes or erratic plotlines to try and keep my attention, but I've never been abe to form a story I want to do out of it. So I was listening to this CD that has the concept of sleep paralysis, and I came up with the idea of using the dreams of a writer who is based on myself to experience many of my own works that I decided not to do for various reasons. For instance, the first story is Shinigami DREAM. If you can't guess, when I wanted to do a story on Shinigami, I thought it would be too much like the show that inspired it. Instead, I created the rp Shinigami DANCE and thought I might make an accompanying story called Shinigami DREAM. I found every way around doing it, though. Now, I can icorporate it into a larger story as well as many of my other ideas. I also had the maiin character actually trying to write the story that I consider to be the best idea I've ever had and written several chapters of more than once, never settling on a final idea. And since it's a dream world, it's not unnatural for things to change quickly. It should be and interesting method.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Oddly enough, I was planning this before [B]Revy's[/B] threads in the other categories ^^;; This one's different, though. Let's talk about what we're watching or reading. You can make a list or just talk about a thing or two. My main goal with this is that we will discuss all sorts of series outside of what we normally discuss and to open more people up to more shows/manga. This is a place for postin every time you start a show or watch an episode or buy something. Many of the shows I was watching last month or am supposed to be watching now, I haven't gotten to yet this month ^^;; since the list would be enormous if I went for all them, I'm only conting the ones I've watced since the first. Firstly, I just marathoned [B]Genshiken[/B] two days ago with my brother. I wasn't sure how good it will be since the first two episodes weren't nearly as good as their mnga counterparts, but the show really picked up later and wound up being completely amazing. There were some absolutely hilarious scenes and some that were just fun to see. I definitely look forward to the second season starting this fall. I got to see the first DVD of [B]Gunsinger Girl[/B] yesterday, which is interesting. The first 2 episdes seemed rather disappointing, but then the net three were great. I like the humble feel of the anime where the manga sometimes seems less relaxed, even when it tries to be. I watched [B]PaniPoni Dash[/B] first 10 episodes, and it's good enough that I might go for the rest of the DVDs very soon. I'm mad that [B]Bestbuy[/B] only ever has volumes 2 and 4 >_> I also started with DVD one of[B] Coyote Ragtime Show [/B]- the only of [B]UFOTable's[/B] magic trio to have made its way overseas. It's managed to be consistently entertaining thus far, so I'll definitely buy te rest. The only problem is finding somewhere that carries the vol. 2 + box. I've also got the first volume of [B]Mushishi[/B] which I will be watching later today, though I already saw this part watching fansubs. The pacaging of the box and the DVD are breathtaking. Probably my favorite box beside Haruhi. Rounding off DVDs I will be buying [B]Air[/B] in a cople of days. I might also be rewatching some of my other complete series like [B]Boogiepop Phantom[/B], [B]Lain[/B], or [B]Kino's Journey[/B]... About 4 days ago, my house was equipped with cable to replace our satellite and we now get the [B]Funimation Network[/B], so I've started leaving it on at all times and watching some of the stuff making the rounds. The only show I've been recording and making special effort to view at it's times is [B]His and Her Circumstances[/B], which, within 3 episodes, has proven itself to be to most amazing shoujo ever. I can't wait to see it through. Oddly enough, both of my brothers' favorite anime are being shown on this channel: [B]Hare + Guu[/B] and [B]Detective Conan[/B], so those should keep them busy at times. I managed to record the first episode of [B]Kiddy Grade[/B] when it came around, so I'll be checking that out as well. I've also found some of the random episodes of shows I've seen to be entertaining. [B]Kodocha[/B] seems like a hilarious wacky comedy that I'm willing to let stay on. Finally, there's the fansubs. I haven't had time to get to this much at all this month, what with having bought so many DVDs right after getting internet back. The one show that is a definite is [B]Zero no Tsukaima[/B], which my brother and I have been watching together and he's a big fan. I've also been, of course, watching [B]Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei[/B] - the best show evar. Baccano! I watched the first episode of and I'm not sure if the second is around yet, but I'll check it out when I can. I also absolutely need to hurry and find time to finish [B]Hidamari Sketch[/B]. Not only i it one of my favorite shows, but it gets some kind of special this fall! I'm also trying to get time to watch [B]Manabi Sraight [/B]with my brothers since I never finished it myself, and it's a truly amazing show, not to mention one of the three magic OFUTable shows. For manga, there are several things I am simply waiting for the next release of [B]Hayate the Combat Butler[/B] needs volume 4 out, and [B]Gunslinger Girl[/B] needs volume 5. Gunslinger Girl is currently my favorite manga - the brand of storytelling is simply superb. Also, Mushishi volume 2 came out just recently, and this time had a couple of stories I hadn't watched yet in the anime, which is nice. I've also picked up [B]Venus Versus Virus [/B]volume one, which is one of those that you really need two volumes to decide, but volume 2 hasn't come out yet. There's also [B]Welcome to the NHK[/B] which I'd be buying a lot faster if I was 18! Also, I'm thinking of ordering all three volumes of [B]ROBOT[/B] which were on sale at this website for 10 bucks apiece. A monster deal... Oh! And [B]Grave of the Fireflies[/b] comes on at 8, which I've only seen half of.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Indigo"]This is an idea I came up with out of my own lack of ability to write. I quickly took hold of it and absolutely love what I'm getting so far. Hopefully you all agree! [CENTER][B]MindWriting[/B] [B]by[/B]: Conrad (21st Century Digital Boy) C. [B]Chapter One[/B]: Digging the Dredge Deeper[/CENTER] Always with music, soda, and an empty room. That's how the writing must be done. Try not to sing the lyrics - try to concentrate now. This is the story you've been writing in your mind for so long. Start typing. You know what it looks like so put it into words. Look at that image and describe it to the keyboard. There you go... [I][CENTER]I am dead? No... what happened? And where am I? Kiala sat up and looked around from the mat of a bed on which she sat. Her location was instantly evident - a jail cell! With quick inspection of her own she found herself to be wearing black and white striped pajamas. This was without a doubt jail... but why was she here? Suddenly there was a crunch of someone biting into an apple. Kiala turned quickly to the bars that made up a wall of her cell. There was a man sitting behind a huge, cluttered oak desk. He was wearing a light blue police uniform and biting into an apple. The first thing Kiala noticed about him was his size - the man was very thin, but looked to be about 8 feet tall! [B]"E-excuse me,"[/B] Kiala meekly begged. [B]"Sir?"[/B] The man turned to face her. He had very kind features - she felt warm just looking at him. [B]"Am I really... in jail?"[/B] The man smiled. [B]"Hm,"[/B] he rose to his feet, standing so tall that Kiala had to look up to see his face,[B]"While you are awaiting trial, this is not a regular jail. Missy, you're in Heaven's Jail-house!"[/B][/CENTER][/I] [B]"No, dammit! That doesn't sound right at all!"[/B] Yume Bokkaku slammed his finger on the delete button, holding it until every word had disappeared and then a bleeping sound began sounding from the speakers of his computer. He gripped the sides of his keyboard and slammed them on the desk, growling in rage as he did so. With great ferocity he snatched up his cup and stepped from his chair, cross the room, down the stairs, and straight to the fridge. [B]"I'll never finish a novel before graduating high school. Two more years of bullshit lies ahead and I can't even finish the first damn chapter..."[/B] Yume continued to crumble to himself as green liquid poured into his gavel of a cup. As he plopped back down in his rolling chair he let out a massive sigh. A soft but powerful male voice radiated from the speakers and filled his body. His nerves gradually calmed and his body seemed to slump with the same depression he was feeling inside. Sighing once more, he reached behind his head and pulled his long dark hair out of it's ponytail. [B]"Here we go... down that same ol' road again..."[/B] he whispered along with the all-too-fitting lyrics as he doused the lights and flicked off his computer monitor, taking to the stack of mattresses he considered his bed. Eternity itself seemed to wash over him as he gazed into the blackness and softly spoke the tune he knew so well. He felt the need to cry [CENTER]*** [I][B]"Excuse me..."[/B] Kiala spoke softly. [B]"Sir?" [/B]A grinning face turned to her as the man revealed very kind features that made Kiala feel warm in his presence. [B]"Am I in jail, for real?"[/B] The man almost giggled as he rose to his feet. [B]"Not quite there, deary. You're waiting on trial in River Styx Jail, Courthouse, And Penitentiary. Odd as this may sound - you've died!"[/B][/I][/CENTER] [B]"AUUUUUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!"[/B] Rather tan hold it down, this time Yume pressed the key individually over and over watching closely as each character disappeared, placing a distinct rage into each press. [B]"It's the best concept I've ever had, so what the HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!"[/B] As he stood up, he added, [B]"And what guy says DEARY?!"[/B] He rushed from the room, storming out into the living room where his younger siblings were sitting glued to the TV as the Saturday morning toons played. [B]"Where ya' goin'?"[/B] 14-year old Joey inquired excitedly. [B]"If you follow me I'll cut your freaking throat!" [/B]The younger sibling retreated his questioning in favor of poorly translated Japanese entertainment. Equipped with hat and sandles, Yume stormed out into the warm summer's outdoors. After a moment to take a breath of fresh air, he stepped from the porch down to the sidewalk and began a directionless journey into the neighborhood. [I]What am I going to do with myself? I hate this place. This place where one must be unhappy to be happy. There's only one way I can live my life the way I want to. I have to get rich quick. I have to be a success before I even graduate high school. The only way I can live with myself is to live the way I want to. I'd rather die... I'd rather die than give in! So I have to fight! I have to do this![/I] Yume's walk became a run as determination charged through his veins. In his head a mantra bled through every corner of his thoughts. [B]Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight![/B] Many other thoughts came to shoulder it. [I]Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! But I'm too weak! Fight! I can't do anything! Fight! Fight! No, I can really become what I want to be! That's the only thing worth living for! Fight! Fight! Fight! Do you believe that?! Fight! I HAVE TO! Fight! Fight! Give in! You can still find a way to live! Fight! No! I'd rather die! Fight! Fight! Fight! Aren't you too weak to even end your own life?! Fight! Fight! That's only because I know I can do it! Fight! Fight! Fight! FIGHT![/I] Then all at once, the battle was over. A squishing sound filled every recess of Yume's head as he lost consciousness. There was a swerving sound in what now seemed to be a far distance and even further away a door like one on a car slammed shut. There was one final thought as his mind slipped away... [I]...Fight....[/I] [CENTER]*** Am I dead? No... what happened? And where am I?[/CENTER] [RIGHT]Hey, hold on. I wrote this, right? This is the part of HEA I was trying to write.[/RIGHT] [CENTER]Yume tried to sit up, but his body wouldn't move. The lace he laid wasn't very comfortable - a mat of a bed. He couldn't survey the surroundings, nor could he open his eyes. A darkness was all around him.[/CENTER] [RIGHT]That part's different. I guess that means I might not wake up in a cell...[/RIGHT] [CENTER]...[/CENTER] [RIGHT]...Though I guess it couldn't be the same, 'cause I'd already know where I was...[/RIGHT] [CENTER]...[/CENTER] [RIGHT]Dammit, what the hell is going on?![/RIGHT] I'll give you a hint. It's not sleep paralysis, you're not on drugs, and you aren't physically here. [RIGHT]So it's a dream, then? A lucid dream perhaps?[/RIGHT] You could say that. While you are aware of yourself, you don't have any control over anything else. Even if you know it's a dream, it's too realistic. I get the feeling you'll apply the rules your accustomed to subconsciously. [RIGHT]But aren't I unconscious?[/RIGHT] Hey, don't ask me. I only know as much as you do. You'd have reasoned it all out eventually. Were you to keep a level head, that is. [RIGHT]Then who are you?[/RIGHT] Very excellent question! I'm kind of like a personality you've developed. Seems going into a coma brought me out. [RIGHT]I'm in a coma?![/RIGHT] Well, I don't KNOW that we are. Just reasoning. I kind of don't know for a fact that I'm another personality anyway, I'm just basing this off of how it looks. [RIGHT]How come you act like you know so much, then? Are you a concentrated form of my reason or something?[/RIGHT] Oh, no, none of that. I've just been here all along. I'm the dream you. Ordinarily, when you dream, I am the version of yourself that interacts with the things in your unconscious mind. You and I would be the same person, so it makes no sense that we could be turned into separate people. I know that we must be, though, because I have memories of both your waking experiences and my own dream experiences. The only reasoning I can come to is that something happened to separate you into yourself and yourself as you would be in a dream. [RIGHT]...I understand. If that's the case, though, then this isn't a dream, right? Because otherwise I shouldn't be here. [/RIGHT] I'm going to ignore how confusing that sentence was, but actually, I believe that this is at least some kind of dream. It just isn't a normal one. [RIGHT]... What did you mean, saying that I would apply my own rules?[/RIGHT] Well, because this is a dream, you have control over it in some way, though since you are also in the dream, a part of you will consider it a real experience. Based on how you've experienced things in life, your dream will conform to the rules you are accustomed to. Things like sight, smell, and other sensory actions will be incorporated, as well as gravity and a sense of mass. Basically, it will be like... living a dream. As for me, I am not bound by the rules of consciousness. As a result, I will experience far more in this strange dream than you will. I'm afraid that we will be separated throughout many of the dreams we have here. There may be some, though, that feature both of us on the same plane of existence, ad we'll be able to meet up there. [RIGHT]What are we to do here, anyway? Are we subject to these dreams until I wake up?[/RIGHT] For now, we'll probably be carried by whatever comes our way. If we look, though, it's possible that there's a way out of the dream to re-emerge in the conscious world. I'll put my mind to it in the meant time. That's all I have for now. You're about to be sucked into an image. [RIGHT]...wait, what? What do I do? Oh crap!!![/RIGHT] [CENTER]***[/CENTER] All at once, Yume was atop a building, overlooking a quiet city. There was no wind - no humidity. Just the calm air of two hundred feet above ground. A surreal feeling was instantly overtaking, and Yume nearly gasped in the beauty of the moment. The sun had only just climaxed in it's descent, falling behind the hills and trees that made up the boundary of Yume's sight. While he took in the atmosphere, he also noticed something in the grip of his right hand. It was something large and mildly heavy. He turned his head to examine it. His grip was on a smooth metal shaft. A pole almost the length of his body with a blade affixed to the top that stretched outward from the shaft by several feet. The blade was dark black and glimmered with the setting sun. As Yume examined it he also took note of his own clothing. A long-sleeved white gown... he even felt a wind around his ankles... Yume quickly realized that not only was 'he' not a 'he' anymore, but 'he' wasn't even human! From deep within the bowels of his soul a voice he didn't even recognize cried out. [B]"Oh my god!!!"[/B][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Oh dear god... I'm proud of my brain above all else. Proud of the fact that I'm far smarter than anyone I've ever met and that I can compreend things with ease and can see the full scope of things. I'm proud that I know who I am and what I want to be and that I'm willing to die for my beliefs. I'm proud of myself for being a good citizen and a good person. But far more than that, I'm proud of being a good son and a good brother. I am proud of my ability. I have a gift of writing - a skill. I have the spirit of a competetor and iron will. I may have a short attention span, but I have the patience of a damn saint. I'm proud of having a smart family and I'm proud of my brothers despite their shortcomings. I'm proud of my possessions. I keep my collections organizd and shown-off for a reason (that reason is mostly OCD, but pride also has to do with it!) I have pride in my ability to always push forward despite the innumerable hardships I face. (okay, there have been times when that wasn't my doing, but there have been others where it was totally my own awesome willpower). I'm proud of my ideas and proud of my legacy. I will go on in eternity.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]Since I'm stalling so much with the rp iself, I figure it's only fair to answer your questions. To Rach: Much like the anime Shinigami no Ballad, I do not really want to touch on that sort of thing. I figure that's a level above our guys' heads or something. On the other hand, since it's our job to make sure the souls are ready to pass on, I'd imagine that there really isn't a hell to go to since they should be at peace when they move on. Sins in life should have no effect on death really. Think of it as "The Great Equalizer" To Prem: That will come into play just a smidgeon later. Also, lulz at Allamorph secretly being an Esper.[/COLOR]