Allamorph

[quote name='Revolver][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"']Who me, Allamorph? You were actually worried about me?! *Laughs* I feel loved.[/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial][I]*BUZZER*[/I] Wrong!! I think [COLOR="DarkRed"]SunfallE[/COLOR] has/had somewhere she wanted to go. Check with her to get things straightened out.[/FONT]

X.2 Information or Deception? After they'd moved some distance away from L'Envers's building, the shinigami took off; Nathan extended his senses to find Lucia and Alex's direction. He felt Shalua Hibikime a good ways to his right, but he decided against detouring to find her. She hadn't been noticeably active thus far, so he wasn't sure whether or not she was even involved with the situation. If she was, she surely couldn't miss picking up the auras of four shinigami, especially clustered so close together. It bothered him that he didn't recognize the aura of the person she was with. Unfortunately, he wasn't entirely sure what to do about it, either. Once he knew where he needed to go, he let his body drive itself, focusing his consciousness on determining exactly how informative his gamble had been. Victor was no slouch; he'd always played a very hot game, and Nathan knew his talents certainly hadn't atrophied with time. Victor knew how to keep himself fresh. The alacrity with which Victor had relinquished the information about the Count bothered Nathan a great deal. Nathan had assumed that Victor would have already been aware of whatever this Count was up to, but he?d been certain that more probing would have been necessary. Victor had spoken of it almost off-hand, though, so most of it was probably reliable. More than likely he wanted to see how the shinigami would respond once they knew something of the Count's true objective—but that could wait. He had known of Aeru's abduction as well; Nathan had seen through the surprised act as soon as the spoon had hit the bowl. Victor didn't drop things. Ever. That could mean that Aeru's selection had been deliberate, or it could be nothing. Not enough information to decide now, but Nathan leaned towards the deliberate. Knowing vampires in general, the clue that the Count had sent was most likely a road map to either Aeru's point of capture, the location of the next clue, or the location she was being held at. Once Isen returned, Nathan would be able to decide how honest Victor had been concerning the Count?s location; still, considering how quickly Victor had divulged the rest of the information, it was probably accurate as well. –Damn Victor for a cretin! Nathan thought in aggravation. It had come too easily to be true, and yet it was all probably true. Such generosity was uncharacteristic of the vampire; what could he be up to? What was his game this time? Did he want the Count thwarted? Was he throwing smoke in mirrors? Or was he only trying to make Nathan nervous? If he was, it was working magnificently; Nathan's mind was churning in harried circles on the problem. Nothing made sense unless Victor was out of the equation, and there were very few times Victor allowed himself to be out of the equation. Unless.... There was truth somewhere. Nathan just needed to dig for a while.

[FONT=Arial]You know how sometimes you'll walk into a classroom and there'll be this really strange, kind of unpleasant smell lingering around the air? And you know how after you stay in the room for a while, the smell kind of goes away? It hasn't. Your brain has simply been processing the same identical information for so long that it chooses to no longer acknowledge it. Same thing here. The more you expose yourself to extremely graphic material, the less it affects you. It's why I dislike gratuitous violence; such stuff only serves to placate and numb the audience, and never does anything for the actual story. It's also why I do not watch horror flicks. The same stories can be told without the incessant graphic content, which should be used for effect and not as a mainstay.[/FONT]

[quote name='SunfallE][COLOR="DarkRed"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]o_O Somehow I don't find that comforting at all.[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Oddly enough, I'm actually a bit reassured. And since that's the case, I think I'll run a go-ahead with the sinister scythe idea I had a couple of days ago. This just keeps getting better and better. [B]Edit:[/B] Whoa! [I]You're[/I] back? I thought we'd lost you for good. Hurry and catch up, dangit! Quick! Quick! Quick![/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]And he uses two of those things? Dear God.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Two things just occurred to me. First, I forgot to mention last post that Victor tagged the boys' phones. He's a sneaky S.O.B. like that, and and damnably nosy to boot. Don't ask how he did it. I'm still working that part out. :animeswea Second, what exactly do Adrian's scythes look like ? length-wise, I mean? Or did I miss something a while back?[/FONT]

[quote name='James][color=#606060']This description looks as good as any to me. At this stage I don't think we should even have to say "play nice" - that should be a given.[/color][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Yeah, I was just trying to think of a way to say 'you still need to observe the rules' without saying 'you still need to observe the rules'. Not that I'm disagreeing with you, mind.[/FONT]

[quote name='James][color=#606060']Edit: And yes, to agree with John...I don't think there was anything uptight about this thread. Seems to me that it's intended to be funny/random more than anything, lol.[/color][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Oh, but don't you see? Now we're being all uptight again. Humbug. Actually, what about: [QUOTE][SIZE="1"]Come on in, kick back, and join the conversation. Strike up your own if you feel like it. Topics are fair game, but remember to play nice.[/SIZE][/QUOTE] It just kind of occurred to me, but it feels decent.[/FONT]

[quote name='Boo][QUOTE][size=1]Kick back, [B]have a joint[/B] and discuss off-topic stuff right here. Remember to keep to the rules.[/size'][/QUOTE][/quote] [FONT=Arial]What about sake? This [I]is[/I] [B]Otaku[/B]Boards, after all. Other than the joint part, I agree. Right now, it does seem a little on the stuffy side.[/FONT]

[quote name='Revolver][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"']I just didn't want to brag in my last post.[/color][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Bull. [QUOTE]Originally posted by [B][strike]Revolver[/strike] Premonition[/B] [COLOR="DarkSlateGray"][I]I know I won't win cause I'm going up against SunfallE, Rach , and all of those people.[/I][/COLOR][/QUOTE] You so wanted to brag. You were practically wetting yourself for the poll to close. Good job, man. :animesmil[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Well, I had planned on drawing someone up based on my own universe, but since the lot of you guys seem to be slap-happy for cyborgs and what, I'm reworking the profile. Hooray for diversity. Unfortunately, that may mean the actual sign-up may take slightly longer than anticipated, though I'll be attempting to have her ready sometime tonight. (It's like the "too-damn-many assassins" problem we had in the P. Jays, people. Ruin all my fun. :()[/FONT]

[quote name='indifference][COLOR="Indigo"']Awww, but that wide-eyed look is cute. :p[/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]I did mention something about 'creepy' a while ago, didn't I? [quote name='indifference][COLOR="Indigo"']As for Adrian giving Nathan grief, that's going to be fun since as I said, right now he's seriously annoyed. Heh.[/COLOR][/quote] You think that's something? Just wait 'til Nathan gets pissed. Jekyll and Hyde, baby. [B]Edit:[/B] 'Aight, I'll be working on something tonight and tomorrow. Whee-haw. [B]Edit #2:[/B] Sorry that took a while. Stuff happened. Like it does. Anywho, Nathan is moderately suspicious of Victor L'Envers's information at the moment, especially since he didn't appear to know the specifics of the abduction ? the legitimacy of which Nathan heavily doubts. At present, he wishes to regroup and compare/contrast, thought now that he's thoroughly ticked Adrian off.... Victor L'Envers is a Hidden, I believe, though he may be connected to the Seras Valkyrie. Time and our whims shall tell us. For now, I move that the Hidden not be included in the information Lucia dredged up. Not only does that throw more suspicion on Nathan's character and background, but it also keeps them...well, hidden. I mean, it's kinda hard to hide if everyone knows you're hiding, no? If any of my words are running together, blame my spacebar. It's being temperamental.[/FONT]

Nathan was honestly impressed. Adrian was handling himself much better than Nathan had originally hoped; perhaps they’d manage to conclude the evening without incident after all. He’d need to hurry, though. His associate was starting to get noticeably edgy. “Children, you say,” he continued, giving Victor a curious look. “Sounds like a pedophile to me. I wonder if that’s why he chose Aeru….” “What?!” L’Envers started, dropping his spoon into his bowl with a wet clatter. “Iz tsat true? Why, tsat – tsat is despicable! I am tsorry, Nassan; I had no idea. I don’t know what to tsay.” “Mmm,” Nathan assented. “Poor girl. I do hope he has not done anytsing…ungentlemanly yet.” “As do I, Victor. Unfortunately,” Nathan apologized, “we have other business to attend to this evening, and I am afraid it cannot wait any longer. We thank you for your hospitality thus far—” “Please, tsink notsing of it.” “—but we really must be going now.” “Of course; of course.” Victor stood magnanimously and clapped his hands together. “Phillip!” The pair’s earlier captor reentered the room carrying their personal effects, which they quickly collected and replaced. “Shall I provide you wiss an esscort outside?” the vampire inquired. “Thank you, but I don’t believe that will be necessary,” Nathan replied. “We know the way.” “But of course.” L’Envers swept an elegant bow, which Nathan politely returned. Adrian ignored the gesture, heading for the door without waiting to see if Nathan would follow, brushing angrily past the guards outside. One of them flinched; Adrian locked eyes with the other, daring him to come closer. As Nathan made to follow his companion, Victor spoke again. “I like your new partner, Nassan.” The shinigami halted in the doorway. His smile faded, and he turned halfway around, looking sideways at the vampiric host. His right hand, which he had kept until then in the pocket of his blazer, strayed free, hovering near his right hip. “Nathan, what’s your deal?” Adrian barked from the foyer. “Let’s get out of this hell-hole already.” Now it was Victor who wore the calm, knowing smile. He inclined his eyebrow slightly. “He suits you, I tsink.” Nathan said nothing. Victor’s smile broadened, as if he’d won a small victory. "I would hang on to tsat one, if I were you," the vampire went on coolly, clearly enjoying his new control over Nathan. His soft voice barely carried his words past the door. "It would be tsuch a shame to let anytsing...happen." Returning irritably to retrieve his companion, Adrian faltered mid-stride as Nathan's aura pulsed over him, just as it had back at the apartment. The vampire guards around the hallway tensed, and Adrian immediately called out his scythes, his expression reading Come on, just give me an excuse. Nathan held L'Envers's gaze for a few labored, silent seconds, at last turning his back deliberately to the undead and crossing the threshold. "Good night, Victor," he said, his tone devoid of emotion. His right hand brushed over the door's handle, and it swung to with a final click. Victor sucked his breath in through his teeth. "Did you feel tsat, Phillip?," he asked rapturously. "Dat–" Phillip stammered. "What—what was dat?" The thug obviously did not share his employer's thrill. "Tsat, my boy, was tse most delightful, terrible feeling I have ever known." L'Envers glanced slyly at the shaken vampire. "Tsat was Deass itself, knocking on tse doorstep of our soul." He shivered. "Oh! I am so excited, I am getting tse goosebumps!" He turned to face his subordinate. "Did you do as I instructed?" "Yes, Mr. Il-envers, sir. I don't quite understand what it's gonna do–" "Tsat is fine," Victor interrupted, waving his hand as if it meant nothing. "I do, and tsat is tse important tsing. Continue to follow my instructions, and inform me of tseir movements. I wish to know how our friends intend to 'handle' tsis situation, as tsey so put it." Phillip bowed and left Victor alone in the dining room. The vampire stared absently out of the room's single window, lost in thought or memory. "You must come by again, Nassan," he murmured to the air. "I have missed our...relationship...tso much. I wonder – will you finish tse game tsis time?" ------------------ "What the hell is wrong with you?!" The shinigami was furious. He strove to cut in front of the path of his blue associate, whose face had once again returned to the frustratingly unreadable calm smile. "We had them right there! We could have taken them out at any time! Why did you let them live?!" "Because," Nathan replied, "it wasn't the right time." Adrian stopped. "And just what is that supposed to mean?" he demanded. "Exactly what it says. Besides, there's no good in eliminating valuable resources just like that." "So you do know each other." "I told you that already, didn't I?" Adrian's scowl deepened. "What are you hiding, Nathan?" "Exactly what I want to hide," he answered. "That was a foolish question, and you're making me be redundant. Now are we going to rejoin the others or not?" To borrow the phrase, tag indifference. Have fun.

[FONT=Calibri][align=justify]I hate this place. I'm not sure why, really; after you spend so much of your life here, it kind of grows on you. Either that or you just get numb. After all, it's not like we really have a choice. I've seen the people who didn't get used to it. They never lasted long. Even the nice days somehow manage to drag your spirit down. You'd think that a warm spring day, with a clear blue sky and a cool breeze, would make you happy to just be alive, but here it's as if nature mocks us, taunting us with visions of what the world should be, what it is outside the walls of the city. Inside, it's the same fight as it always is: the strong fight to dominate, the weak fight to survive, and the rest of us fight to stay out of the way. It's easier for people like me, I suppose. We were born here, so we never had anything else to compare it to. My first memories of my mother are of me clinging to her skirts in fright, listening to the screams of a woman below our apartment as a local gang raped her. I don't even flinch when I hear them now. I didn't understand until much later the complete unfairness of our lives. It was my grandparents who'd been sent here first, the last subjects of a Canadian genome project that never worked. Somewhere amid the scramble for cybernetic super soldiers and mankind's next level of evolution, someone got it into their heads to attempt splicing human and animal genes together. It didn't work, at least not in the way they'd hoped. In their first attempt, the only attribute that transferred over was an almost uncontrollable feral nature. They kept trying, though, despite repeated failures and the deaths of many of their subjects, and towards the end of the project they had almost perfected the procedure, partially enhancing a few of their subject's senses in the best cases. But then the war was halted, and the project scrapped. The few remaining subjects, my grandparents among them, were immediately imprisoned and shipped to this glorious cage they call Septu; though their 'treatment' had been finished, they had yet to be released at the time of experimentation, so their capture and relocation had been a simple process, allowing the governments involved to put a face of successful action on the situation while simultaneously continuing to search for those earlier 'projects' that were no doubt striving to remain free. When I was old enough, [I]Abuela[/I] would tell me terrible stories of their transition to Septu; of how day after day they had faced fear-inspired persecution from their fellow man for crimes that they had not committed and could not hope to atone for; of how her best friend from the laboratory had been captured, raped, tortured, lynched, and burned by a mob of 'Pure-Bloods', as they so unimaginatively called themselves. The only times that had been reasonably safe for her and the others to venture outside for food had been around midday, when the police were out in droves, or at night, when no one was supposed to be out at all. But my grandmother was a strong woman, and the wolf in her only amplified that strength. She'd been the one that had begun rallying our kind secretly for protection, and she'd been the one to organize the first safe houses. It had been she that had held her family together, and later, after my mother had conceived us, she'd held us together as well. Something strange had happened as the rejects had come together and bonded. The children they produced were more balanced genetically then their parents had been, becoming closer to their animal counterparts in almost every attribute. It is possible that reproduction was a facet of the blending process that the scientists in charge of the experiments had either forgotten or neglected to take into account. Either way, though it served to solidify our kind's independence as species, it also drove us further away from our human brothers, and the second generation had their own trials of persecution to face. My mother, for whatever reason, did not share [I]Abuela's[/I] strength. She couldn't cope with the constant derision, and the notion of inferiority, of sub-humanity, that the rest of society screamed relentlessly at us became firmly rooted in her mind. She couldn't manage to become completely independent of Grandmother's roof or protection. I never knew my father. I doubt I ever will. He was one of us, or so my mother claims, but he was a stray, here one night and gone the next. My mother says that he loved her, but both my brother and I know better. His abandonment drove my mother into the depression that society had prepared her for. She almost killed us at birth, but [I]Abuela[/I] mercifully intervened and somehow found in her daughter the resolve to become our mother, and so I owed my grandmother my life before I was yet a day old. Now, almost twenty-five years later, I owe it to my brother as well. It happened as I was coming home from my job at a local restaurantâ??even us 'Half-Breeds' have to earn money somehow, and there are certain people who gain great pleasure from gawking lewdly at a tamed animal. I don't mind anymore, of course. Whenever they drop comments about my chest, I think about caving theirs in. It had been more crowded than usual on the streets that day. I had tried to avoid a knot of people by sidestepping into an alley, as one does when one is numbered among society's rejects and wishes to avoid causing unnecessary scenes. But someone had stepped in after me, shoving me harshly to the ground, further into the alley, and before I knew it I had been surrounded by large men with leering faces. I don't know where my brother came from, nor do I know how he got to me, but I had blinked once in terror and Alejandro had been there, between me and the men. I have never seen him so angry; he defended me furiously, snarling and snapping, his body a blur as he fought off my assailants. At some point they must have realized that sheer numbers were not enough, because they brought out their guns towards the end. I confess now with no small degree of pride that my brother took twelve bullets from them before they dropped him to one knee, but it tore my heart open when he at last went down. I wish that I could have stood beside him as he fought, but the unexpectedness of the attack had stunned me, and I could only lie on the ground while he'd absorbed all the punishment intended for me, and then some for interfering. The police, summoned by some blessed passerby, had saved him, arriving and dispersing the mob before they had beaten him to death. The rest is a fog for a while; I can't remember any of it clearly. The article hidden in the recesses of the newspaper says that I lay across his body, screaming, until the ambulance had arrived. [I]Abuela[/I] says that I didn't leave his side until he'd been released, and that I'd even forced my way into the emergency room, despite the vehement protests of the doctors. My mother says that I'd brought him home, which is probably true, though how I managed such a feat is also lost in the fog. I don't think they would have released him as early as they did had he been just another human. They said it was because he healed abnormally fast; I think it was because they were afraid of keeping one of us for too long. But he is sleeping now, his head resting in my lap, his long body stretched across our couch. I run my fingers through his thick hair, my nails scratching gently across his scalp, because he says it feels good. Sitting like this, I can't help but shove my anger at what has been done aside. But I will not always be able to sit here like this, and my anger will return. I am Elena de Mercado, and I hate this place.[/align][/FONT] [CENTER]--------------------------------[/CENTER] [FONT=Arial]Well, the face seems a bit young, but the personality is right.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Quick, important question, though it might not seem that way. How large about is Posopia compared to Septu? I imagine that there are a few other cities, but there's still a good bit of free-ranging open country, right? (Fine, so that was two. Sue me.)[/FONT]

[quote name='James][color=#606060]The key is consistency and realism. "Realism" doesn't mean absence of the supernatural, it simply refers to consistency within the chosen universe. // It just mean[s] that your character ha[s'] to be consistent with that environment.[/color][/quote] [FONT=Arial]This is exactly what I meant. I was also looking at it from the stance that the character must be consistent [I]with itself.[/I] I.e., don't have the character act or react in order to further the story unless the character would actually do so. That doesn't mean that one has to roleplay characters with the personality of a Puritan all the time (although that might be interesting), just that one should be aware of what their character would and wouldn't do. [quote name='James][color=#606060]So although I think you can either have a more tightly or loosely controlled RPG, you have to allow all players to be virtually equal members of the story - [I][U]you have to give up some control and allow people to inject their own back stories and situations into the plot[/U][/I']. If you do that, the other writers will feel that they have some ownership over the project...and it will also make for a more interesting story to read, I think.[/color][/quote] I'm sorry I didn't make that clear. I was not intending to say that the players shouldn't use any of their own plot ideas; if the creator wanted to have complete control over the story, then they should have just written it themselves. What I wanted to warn against was not utterly usurping the story. If you have a nifty direction you want to go in, find a way to integrate it into the story, and also the other players into [U]it[/U]. You signed up to play with other people, so don't play by yourself.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I can't say whether I should pop my head in here and say anything, what since I've basically just started RPing and all, but I did have a few thoughts, so here goes. [U]Note:[/U] This is directed at no one in general, but at anyone who wants to listen. [B]1. [U]Keep It Real - characters[/U][/B] In the almost year that I've been browsing around in the Inn, I've noticed that a lot of the people who sign up for RPs (people of [COLOR="DarkRed"]Vicky[/COLOR]'s and [COLOR="DarkRed"]The Boss[/COLOR]'s caliber aside) unfailingly submit carbon-copy profiles. I realize that there will be some element of similarity inherent due to inexperience – I, for instance, tend to play dry characters who grin a lot, since I am dry and grin a lot. Still, when I see sheet after sheet that says, [indent][I]"She's quiet and doesn't hang around people too much, but she's really kind underneath...."[/I] or [I]"He's a gentle person, but get on his bad side and watch out!!"[/I][/indent] ...then I think to myself, [I]—They really don't know who they're playing. They're just using who they think they are or they think they want to be.[/I] The Player and the Character are not the same person, and the Player needs to know exactly how their character would react to any situation, because chances are the reaction is going to be different...but probably not drastically so, unless the Player is just phenomenal at characterization. Knowing why they are who they are helps. I find a history is essential, especially since our experiences define our personality. So if your character is incredibly shy, ask them why. Maybe you've got a half-feline who can't stand crossing water even in human form. Maybe your mercenary chick balks at fire because of something that happened in her childhood. Maybe you've got the most whacked-out set of triplets ever. ([COLOR="DarkRed"]4815162342[/COLOR] knows what I'm talking about. ;)) Whatever and whoever you've got, know them. They're human, too. ...unless they're alien. But the concept still applies. [B]2. [U]Keep It Real - story[/U][/B] I haven't actually tried to run an RP yet, so I can't say anything to that effect. Instead, I'll focus on following...([I]*poked by Vicky*[/I])...which I still feel I need to work on. Don't be afraid of being creative. You [I]are[/I] crafting a story, so there's no reason to hold your muse back. But don't get so involved in your own thing that you lose sight of the Main Author's plan. Doing your own thing is fine to a point; how else are you going to introduce your character unless you flat make it up? But still try to head in the same direction as everyone else, and don't randomly introduce and eliminate copious amounts of Non-players. Not only do you make it easier to isolate yourself that way, but everyone else probably has no clue what you're doing, and so they'll avoid you even more. But you need to remember that it's not your story. You're just helping. It's the creator's story, and it needs to go where [I]they[/I] want it to. They most likely don't want to spend time incessantly heading you off and pulling you back into their plot. It feels a lot like trying to work with an undead chipmunk; after a while, you just get tired of all the time going, "Heeere, buddy. Focus now. Right here, right – [I]there[/I] ya go." Try to stay with the direction and feel that they set, and if you aren't sure what to do, ask. [B]3. [U]Keep It Real - posts[/U][/B] You're going to get a truckload of ideas while RPing, but that doesn't mean you have to use them all right away, or even at all. Throwing in twists is fine, but make sure they fit with the story; you're probably not going to all-of-a-sudden encounter fire-wielding sorcerers in a sci-fi thriller, or cyborgs in D&D-style. Stay true to the situation. As an example, I'll use the Panopticon – more specifically, that post of mine that everyone raved about afterwards. (Which, to be perfectly honest, felt rather odd.) I'll [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/showpost.php?p=778560&postcount=90"][COLOR="Blue"]link it here[/COLOR][/URL], but for those who don't feel like reading three pages worth of material, the general gist was that I took the environment, got rid of it, made a new one, godmodded a bit, and made a large gratuitous battle out of the whole thing, culminating with a massive explosion of light that was basically completely ridiculous. The whole reason for the post was that weeks earlier, one of the characters had finally been released from her imprisonment, having been imbued with some sort of dark presence in the process. I saw the massive explosion of light after reading that particular post, as well as the seraphs I used, but I put the idea on the back burner until I could figure out a way to make it feasible and until the story permitted me to do something that absolutely ludicrous. The post itself took me six hours to put together, but I probably spent only an hour of that time actually typing. The idea wouldn't have worked unless I played everything just right, and transferring this massive visual into writing not only required accuracy, but also a good set-up and multiple timing issues. I also try to write everything as if, given the scenario, it could actually happen, so that took a while to figure out as well. All that rambling to say: don't rush your ideas. Vomiting a scene onto a page is fine...if you're doing basic notes. Take your time, thresh it out, and make it work. It may take a while to accomplish, but once you get it up, I guarantee you'll sit back at your keyboard and say to yourself, "Hell, yes!" (That, and apparently you get lots of accolades, which is always a welcome ego-booster. :p) Hope that does something for somebody. Later, -A[/FONT]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy][COLOR="DarkOrange"]I'm too lazy to read any s[t']ory other than Prem's, and I only read his cuz I'm in it. // ...he didn't take my advice and do the really cool idea I suggested that would have guaranteed his victory![/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]You realize how lame that sounds? Jays, man. ([COLOR="DarkRed"]Hitsuzen[/COLOR]'s isn't any better, though.) Oddly enough, [COLOR=DarkRed]Premonition[/COLOR] had the best written sense of humor. Pleasantly surprising. I think your writing is improving, buck-o.[/FONT]

[quote name='indifference][COLOR="Indigo"]Snidely speaking, no I could not. [[SIZE="1"]or more accurately, I don't want to[/SIZE]'] English and writing is the devil's spawn and stuff like that annoys the hell out of me so I tend to avoid it. It's fun to read, not to write. ;)[/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Fie, Crystia. For shame. [QUOTE][I][COLOR="indigo"]Also Allamorph, you worry too much about getting someone's character perfectly. It's not necessary.[/COLOR][/I][/QUOTE] [CENTER][B][SIZE="3"]O_O[/SIZE][/B] (This is twice today. Stop it. :p)[/CENTER] Seriously, though, I am trying my hardest to avoid the personality "gray area". I dislike writing actions/thought for a character that they ohhhhhhh, [I]maybe[/I] would have done. That's not them, then. That's someone else similar to them. See, some scenes'll be fine from just Nathan's perspective, but others might require me to jump between people, and if I don't keep them differentiated, what's so different from me just flat out godmodding them? Add to that that they're not my characters, and you see the reasoning behind my neurosis. :animeswea [QUOTE][I][COLOR="indigo"]So roll with it and have Nathan drag the conversation out, if anything that will annoy Adrian and make him more inclined to clobber several vampires on his way out.[/COLOR][/I][/QUOTE] I intend to – "inclined" being the operative word in that last sentence. :animesmil (Now I just need to see how much Adrian will blow up at Nathan. Hmmm....)[/FONT]

[quote name='r2vq][color=#007520']I haven't seen a bank in Canada yet that lets your debit card tie in with Visa/Mastercard/AMEX companies.[/color][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Ah. I admit that Canada is outside my experience. That bites for you guys, though. I paid an online transaction two weeks ago with a debit. :animesigh[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][CENTER][B][SIZE="3"]O_O[/SIZE][/B][/CENTER] I am so sorry about that. I got busy this week with band camp and rectifying all the ridiculousness that occurred because I got locked out of the registration system (been that way since May; much anger), and I completely forgot to coordinate with you. If I do that again and you aren't sure what's going on, PM/whack me and I'll make sure you get answers. [quote name='indifference][COLOR="Indigo"']Also, you'll have to live with my attempt to do a fake accent. I tend to avoid that since I'm no good at it.[/COLOR][/quote] Hey, I was just making up the dialect bit. (Snidely speaking, you could have just copied my format, but eh.) That's why I made direct mention of the disappearing 'R's ? I have no idea how to accurately write that sound, or even the thicker 'ch' syllable. In case you're wondering, I'm using the accent of the main villain in [I]Johnny English[/I]; it's the best one I've heard, so I mimic it as much as I can when I do faux French. [QUOTE][I][COLOR=indigo]That's part of why it took me so long to get around to posting. Since I wasn't sure how to have Victor respond. :p[/COLOR][/I][/QUOTE] Actually, I was going to handle that end and let you have at them some once they'd left, but I haven't had much time to write here in the past few days, and I really wanted a few more posts in edgewise first. I'll roll with it, though, so we're cool. I'm honestly afraid that I'm not getting Adrian right. I kind of stopped sensing him there towards the end of my post, I think, and that made me worried.[/FONT]

[quote name='Premonition][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"']Roosters don't lay eggs gunious.[/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=arial]Isn't he great, folks! Let's give him a [I]big hand!![/I] So there's these two muffins, right? And they're sitting in an oven baking, right? And one turns to the other and says: "Good L[SIZE="1"]ORD[/SIZE], it's hot in here!" And the other says: "[I]AHH!![/I] A talking muffin!" P.S.: genius :animesmil[/FONT]

[quote name='indifference][COLOR="Indigo"']One other thing, I will disagree with what Allamorph is saying about having no credit history not hurting you. Sure it won't right now, but later?[/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]I was referring to now. Also, I did mention that there are other ways to create/improve your credit [I]history[/I] besides using a credit [I]card[/I]. The former doesn't necessitate the latter, unless I misunderstand the concept of credit history.[/FONT]

[quote name='Dragonmanm2][COLOR="Blue"']I think you got Chuck Norris confused with David Carradine.[/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial]No, my friend, it is [I]you[/I] who are confused. Because when God said, "Let there be light," Chuck Norris said, "Say please." [quote name='Lunox][font="trebuchet ms"']*brick'd*[/font][/quote] Speaking of nerd-jokes: One evening, C, E-flat, and G go into a bar. The bartender says: "Sorry, but we don't serve minors." So E-flat leaves, and C and G have an open fifth between them. After a few drinks, the fifth is diminished and G is out flat. F comes in, tries to augment the situation but isn't sharp enough. D comes in and heads straight for the bathroom saying, " Excuse me, I'll just be a second." Then A comes into the bar but the bartender isn't convinced that this relative of C isn't a minor. He notices a B-flat hiding at the end of the bar and exclaims, "Get out, you're the 7th minor I've found here tonight." The E-flat, not easily deflated, comes back the next night in a three-piece suit with nicely shined shoes. The bartender (who used to have a nice corporate job until his company downsized) says, "You're looking sharp tonight, come on in. This could be a major development." ...which proves to be the case, as the E-flat takes off the suit and everything else, and stands there [I]au natural[/I]. Eventually, C sobers up & realizes in horror that he's under a rest. The C is brought to trial, found guilty of contributing to the diminution of a minor, and sentenced to 10 years of da capo without coda at an upscale correctional facility. On appeal, however, C is found innocent of any wrongdoing, even accidental, and that all accusations to the contrary are bassless. The bartender decides, however, that since he's had only tenor so patrons, with the soprano out in the bathroom, and everything has become alto much treble, he needs a rest, and closes the bar. [I][strike]*shot*[/strike][/I] [I]*rim-shot*[/I][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I know what you mean about having no credit history. I recently split a cell-phone plan with my sister; she wanted something to use with her friends (:therock:) and I needed an emergency contact device. Because she wasn't yet eighteen I was the one who signed for the transaction, but since I had no credit history we were charged a $250 security deposit to make certain we'd pay our bills and what. Providing we haven't defaulted (and we shouldn't), we'll get the money back in January, which isn't so bad when you think about it. Still, that [I]was[/I] an extra two-fifty up front that a person with a good history might not have had to pay. The only thing I dislike about credit cards is the type of money it uses, and I know that sounds a little odd. What I mean is, a credit card doesn't actually pay with money you possess, it pays with money [I]you plan on having[/I], which is money you do not have. (Excepting James' method, of course. That's a right spiffy idea.) The credit card company isn't just gifting you with an extra two-, three-, ten-thousand dollars ? that's their money, and they expect you to come up with it should you use it. The thought that occurs to me is: if one is spending the money one plans on having, why doesn't one just wait until one has it before spending it? If you know you'll have the money later, buy later. There isn't much to be gained by purchasing sooner that I can see. This is, of course, discounting the emergency scenarios where one happens to need immediate temporary access to funds like this. That's understandable, and in my mind for what the whole credit system should have been designed ? that, and small business ventures. I am only talking about everyday common usage. You said something else that caught my attention, though: [quote name='r2vq][COLOR=#007520']Besides building a credit history for the future, having a credit card gives me access to things that may have been blocked off in the past. Online shopping is a good example. Renting hotel rooms or cars would also become available to me, though the latter would probably happen only if I got a driver's license. I also wouldn't have to carry around much cash with me.[/COLOR][/quote] You can do all of these thing with a debit card, I believe, which is nice in that it ties directly into your checking account and is still under the Visa/Mastercard/AE label, allowing you to use it for online or over-the-phone transactions. Also, using it means you're still spending your own money, not someone else's. I think the main issue with companies giving or not giving you access to credit is mainly due to your age. It falls in with the why of higher insurance rates for young drivers. Because younger drivers or borrowers tend to be more prone to costly mistakes [I]on average[/I], banks and credit and insurance companies are significantly more wary of that age group. I agree that having no history can't help you in such ventures, but neither should it hurt you, since it is, after all, an absence of information rather than negative information. I know that the powers-that-be look kindly upon those who show that they can maintain a house or job for extended periods of time. I also think that it looks good if you have credit and simply don't use it ? it looks responsible of you. I'm not sure, but can you also make your report more favorable by paying rent and utility bills on time consistently? I can't seem to find out if that kind of bill applies....[/FONT]