Allamorph

[FONT=Arial]Oh, man, [COLOR=DarkRed]Gavin[/COLOR], that's some real fine craftsmanship that just got dredged up in the Theater down there. Man, I think I wrote like that when I was what, six? I'm serious. I have this little journal thing filed away so I can remember where I started. Now we can see the same of you. Except you were significantly older. And criminy, that [I]font[/I] color! :p[/FONT]

[quote name='chibi-master']He probably has cameras in there doing the dirty work for him. Can't risk getting caught.:p[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Actually it's more like extremely high levels of intuition and empathy filtered through logic. Ask [COLOR=DarkRed]Indi[/COLOR]. She knows.[/FONT]

[quote name='Gavin][SIZE="1"']Sleep deprivation over a 72 hour period drastically increases one's desire to kill loud, dirty housemates.[/SIZE][/quote] [FONT=Arial]On a related note, prolonged living on the same floor of a concentrated mass of collegiate societal rejects who have parties at two, fights at four, crap in shower stalls, and pull fire alarms in the middle of the night also tends to increase murderous desires. Shall we form a coalition?[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]All I could find was something about Alabama changing the value of pi to the Biblical 3.0, and the founding of a really cool-looking resort called San Serriffe, on the Caisse Islands. Says they have really good beaches on Lower Caisse.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]You mean there's something special about April 1st? Man. Maybe I should Wiki it and find out.[/FONT]

[QUOTE=chibi-master][QUOTE=Zen][color=royalblue][size=1] Immediate Self-Termination.[/color][/size][/QUOTE] You want to die a virgin?:confused:[/QUOTE] [CENTER][IMG]http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z158/Allamorph/Misc/lolz/urpwned.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[quote name='James][font=franklin gothic medium]Anyway yeah about the rollercoaster thing...this one was a bit of a pain, because [B]even when your head is pressed back against the seat,[/B'] it still moves left and right on turns.[/font][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Well there's your problem. I leaned back, I didn't press backwards. :p I think you're right about the involuntary thing, though. It's natural instinct to tense up when you're constantly feeling like you're about to crash spectacularly into the ground at ninety miles an hour in a ball of fire. I actually make a [I]conscious effort[/I] to relax. And really, there's so little space between the sides of the coaster and your head's natural position that a bit of flopping around isn't going to cause any serious pain. At the worst, it's about as annoying as skinning your knee. Get off the ride and give yourself a good shake, and you should be perfectly fine. For experience's sake, I've been to Six Flags Louisville and Georgia, though last time I was in Georgia I wasn't really in a coaster mood. Been on The Batman (hang below the track), Chang (standup), Georgia Cyclone and Thunder Run (both woodens) . . . oh, and The Cannonball at Lake Winnepesaukah (also wooden). Wooden coasters are nuts. You think you feel sore after getting off one of the modern ones? Those are smooth, man. The wooden ones will beat the ever-loving snot out of you. Cyclone even doubles back on itself and goes over/under at spots, and there's one section where I [I]swear[/I] you will think you're about to be decapitated. Ridden it three times and can't shake the feeling. Thunder Run is this rickety thing that basically goes in a loop, and every time you go 'round a turn you're thrown against the outside. Sit on the inside for that one. People make better cushions than do sides of coaster cars. Also my dad has a lot more mass than I do (in a muscle-predominant way), so I got off feeling decidedly thinner left-to-right. :animestun [I]*wobble*[/I] And actually, [COLOR=DarkRed]Nerdsy[/COLOR] standups are quite safe. Unless something goes horribly wrong. And if that happens . . . well, then it happens. No use worrying about whether it'll happen. I mean, the park staff and engineers go out of their way to make sure it [I]doesn't[/I] happen. It's what they get paid to do, ya know?[/FONT]

[quote name='Gavin][SIZE="1"]I laughed, [strike]felt bad[/strike], then laughed again [B]louder[/B'].[/SIZE][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Fixed. Honesty is the best policy, [COLOR=DarKRed]Gavin[/COLOR] (^_^)[/FONT]

[quote name='Gavin][SIZE="1"']Times New Roman is the ugliest font in existence, doubly so when one if forced to do a project entirely in said font.[/SIZE][/quote] [FONT=Arial]So write the project in Calibri, and then convert right before you print so you don't have to look at it the whole freaking time. 'Cause I agree. It's terrible. [quote name='Shy][SIZE=1']Please don't post stupid cat photos in this thread. There is a separate thread in this forum for that crap.[/SIZE][/quote] Man, why you gotta be such a hater?[/FONT]

[SIZE="1"][B]Name:[/B] Robert Cephas [B]Age:[/B] 27 [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Appearance:[/B] Medium height, medium build. Cephas keeps his light-brown hair short and neat, having never felt the need to change it. His attire varies from button-down shirts, slacks, and a blazer to mangled black t-shirts, black jeans and leather coats. Sometimes chains dangle from his hip pockets, sometimes not. His H is on the right side of his chest, just under the collarbone, and his left ear is pierced with a diamond stud to balance the mark. [B]Personality:[/B] Laconic, forward, and dismissive. If it doesn’t concern him or need his attention, he doesn’t care. Give him an assignment, a set of conditions, a request, and he’ll ensure the best result possible. Only the best can get you the best, and if Cephas isn’t the best, then he soon will be. Ask whatever questions you want; he’ll answer them if he feels like it, and if you have your stuff and are happy with it then what the hell are you still hanging around for? [B]History:[/B] Robert was raised in a provincial family, in a region where enforcement of the Faith was little more than token. Cephas learned quickly how to go through the necessary motions, drifting through most ceremonies and rites on autopilot, and he emerged from it a solid atheist. What had no meaning could not kill you was his thinking, and so he had no trouble keeping his spiritual indifference concealed when he moved to Salvation City. Though not a warm person, Cephas is known for his solid loyalty and for never breaking his word. He forged many contacts this way, several of whom turned out sympathetic to the Heretics after he approached them and was recruited. His decision to seek out the underground was made when he decided the Theocracy had violated his personal code long. Since then he has steadily been making a name for himself as reliable support. [B]Weapon(s)/Skill(s):[/B] Cephas carries, and is skilled with, a Glock .22, which he conceals under his left armpit. He is also proficient in aikido, but avoids situations where he might use either. He prefers to be a supporting figure, and his major skills lie in information, negotiation, and supplies. [B]Vice:[/B] Pride. He is the best at what he does, and there is no two ways about it. He isn’t bound by the lusts or the greed or the vanity of his counterparts. He doesn’t do sex or drugs because he doesn’t need them. He doesn’t drink—though he can hold his liquor if the occasion arises. He is above that. He is better than that. He is better than you. [B]Sample:[/B] Cephas lounged against the edge of the club’s bar, arms spread to the side, resting casually on its surface. His aloof gaze swept slowly over the black-lit room illuminated sporadically by the blue and white pulses near the stage. The hard music had long since ceased to register in his consciousness; he only remembered it was there by the continuous thumping in his chest, and even that was diminishing to a drone. In front of him, the mass of people surged and throbbed to the music, some few for actual enjoyment and the rest because it let them forget that they no longer knew who they were. Such an easy lot to exploit; give them a goal, the barest hint of a purpose, and they grasped at it as if drowning. They followed the crowd because it was easier than to try and understand themselves. He raised the glass in his left hand to his lips and took a lingering sip of French liqueur, letting the sweet flavor of black currant roll over his tongue. The booths lining the wall to his left were all full, most of them taken by youths using the darkness to feel more secure in their fondling, though one was occupied by a group of Heaven’s Lace junkies, locked in their rapturous hallucinations with their eyes lolling back into their skulls. Cephas thought one of them might have overdosed, but it was hard to be certain until they stopped breathing. More than likely they had tried mixing the drug with cheap drugstore shelf brands to see if the trip was any better. Though he had no experience personally, Cephas didn’t recommend trying any combos with Heaven’s Lace. It was a potent hallucinogen, and when taken impure the results weren’t very pretty. A young girl with long, unnaturally light hair stumbled past him on her way to the bathroom. Cephas guessed it was a dye-job, silvery-green, and self-done. He also guessed the drinks and the motion had gone to her stomach, and the organ was attempting to rebel. Gazing thoughtfully into his drink, he amused himself by wondering whether she would make it to a toilet, grab for a sink, or be found later in the floor. Or maybe a combination. She’d been a bit glassy-eyed. Glancing back to the curtained entrance, Cephas finally saw his mark approaching: Castar Roubik, nineteen years old, drafted blindly into the Inquisition and very much one of the sheep. And not even a particularly tasty mark at that. Just another stepping stone to get leverage inside, and expendable once used. The boy’s eyes darted nervously back and forth as he pussyfooted his way through the crush, towards the bar. He kept glancing in Cephas’ direction as he approached; Cephas doubted his coming job would be all that difficult. Finally making the bar, the boy ordered the preset beverage and waited apprehensively until it came. Cephas considered breaking the palpable tension hanging over Roubik, but decided against it, taking another sip of his [I]crème de cassis[/I] and refusing to even look at the boy. How the kid waited would help dictate how Cephas played him. The kid fidgeted. Admirably, he kept up an attempt at a nonchalant front for about a minute before finally caving and breaking the silence between them. [B]“Mr. Kaplan?”[/B] [B]“Hyman, please.”[/B] God, did no one read these days? Might as well have called himself James Bond for all the kid would have caught on. And so much for the contact phrase. [B]“Hyman, sir,”[/B] the kid agreed, nodding a little too fast to be natural. He paused. [B]“They . . . umm, they told me to come see you.”[/B] Cephas’ mouth split in a sardonic grin. [B]“Did they, now?”[/B] [/SIZE]

[QUOTE=James][font=franklin gothic medium]I actually have a question for anyone here who has been on a rollercoaster - especially a very fast one: Have you felt discomfort afterwards because the whole time you were trying to hold your head still to avoid it moving side to side?[/font][/QUOTE] [FONT=Arial]No, not really. I always lean completely back in the seat and relax. I figure even if I try and hold my head still, it's still gonna move around, so I don't feel like clenching up for no reason. I do grip the safety-vest-thing-in-front, though. Force of habit; more from exhilaration than fear. :p[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]So, Hellspeed. There you have it. And now Lucia's findings should make a lot more sense.[/FONT]

[center][b][u][font=arial]Double Vision[/font][/u][/b][/center] [font=calibri][b]â??Boy, you should have seen the look on your face,â? [/b]Chris told Adrian when the group had drawn closer. [b]â??Like someone had dropped a half-melted ice cube down your back.â?[/b] [b]â??What were you doing just now?â?[/b] asked Alex, as if he hadnâ??t heard Chris speak. [b]â??Iâ??m sorry?â? â??You werenâ??t here a minute ago,â?[/b] he said. [b]â??I didnâ??t feel you anywhere around, and then youâ??re just there. What were you doing?â?[/b] Chris shrugged. [b]â??Some of us older shinigami are capable of shielding our auras from others,â?[/b] she began, but Alex shook his head. [b]â??No,â?[/b] he said, [b]â??you disappeared again for an instant after you went in front of Adrian, and then came back, like you decided to stop. Iâ??ve seen Nathan move like that before, so I recognized it now.â?[/b] He looked at Adrian. [b]â??You felt the same thing, right?â?[/b] Adrian shrugged. [b]â??I was half-dead at the time. I could barely tell who was even in the room.â? [/b] The younger reaper looked a little crestfallen, but pressed on, undaunted. [b]â??I know you were doing whatever Nathan does. I asked him to show me how once, but he wonâ??t tell me anything about it. Other than he does it â??very carefullyâ??.â?[/b] Chris laughed. [b]â??Sounds like him,â?[/b] she said. [b]â??And youâ??re right; good eye for detail.â?[/b] She paced to her left, idly spinning her daggers through her fingers. [b]â??A long time ago, maybe about a millennia and a half after the War, my little brother came up with a way to move very fast from point to point. Heâ??s always been curious about how we use our energy and studied it a lot after the vampires were defeated. He was the one who figured out how to alter the shape of our scythesâ??â?[/b] [b]â??You can do that?â?[/b] interrupted Adrian, surprised. [b]â??Yes. Originally our scythes were . . . more, umm, scythe-like,â?[/b] she answered. [b]â??Bigger, and more like what Alex uses. Except without the little,â?[/b] she made an obscure gesture in his direction,[b] â??things on the back.â?[/b] [b]â??Yeah, he doesnâ??t know what theyâ??re for, either,â?[/b] said Nall. Alex glared at him; Chris smirked. [b]â??So what this ability boils down to,â?[/b] she continued, [b]â??is us making use of the energy needed to summon our scythes from the ether. He first figured out a way for us to capture it so it accumulates over time, and whenever we need to use it we have a reservoir to dip into. â??With the right kind of concentration, we can use it to augment our movement or flight speed tens of times beyond our normal capacity. It has its limits, but itâ??s very useful in the right circumstances.â?[/b] [b]â??So itâ??s basically a type of super speed,â?[/b] Adrian hazarded. [b]â??Not quite.â? [/b] Chris stopped pacing and looked at him. [b]â??Here, Iâ??ll give you an example. Pull one of your scythes out.â? [/b] Adrian complied. [b]â??Good,â?[/b] she said. She stepped back and flipped her daggers back against her forearms. [b] â??Now use both hands and take a big old swing right there, like youâ??re hitting a baseball. Hard as you can.â? [/b] Adrian gave her a strange look, but stepped forward and swung. Chrisâ??s outline blurred. Adrianâ??s scythe jerked back halfway through as if it had collided with a solid wall of air. The shinigami stumbled backwards and almost sat down. [b]â??What the hell was that?â?[/b] he cried. Chris relaxed. [b]â??I just kicked off of your blade,â?[/b] she told him. At their blank looks, she went on. [b]â??This speed boost is basically only a straight-line ability. We can move in one direction as far as we can faster than eyes can follow, but if we want to change directions we have to strike something and use it to alter course.â?[/b] [b]â??So you can only use it against one person at a time, or as an escape tactic,â?[/b] Adrian said, openly disappointed. [b]â??Itâ??d be insane indoors or in a closed space,â?[/b] added Alex, musing to himself. [b]â??You said you can both do this?â?[/b] Chris cleared her throat. [b]â??Heâ??s better at it than I am,â?[/b] she admitted. [b]â??Right now, I can only take about twelve steps or so if I push myself. Concentrating is very hard, and the strain on you if youâ??re not used to it can be nasty.â? â??What about Nathan?â? â??He . . . I donâ??t know, really. It seems like he can use it as long as he wants. But then again, he was the one who came up with it, and heâ??s had centuries more practice at it than I have.â?[/b] [b]â??What do you call it?â?[/b] asked Astera. [b]â??Oh gosh, do they name techniques these days?â?[/b] Chris grinned; Alex was struck again by how much she looked like her brother. [b]â??We never named anything we did. He doesnâ??t even have a name for those blue firebolts he uses. He just shoots them.â? â??Oh.â? â??We used to joke about it, though, when weâ??d meet. I made him think up a name, just for fun. Told him when he left on an assignment one day that he wasnâ??t coming back until heâ??d thought one up. He didnâ??t find it as funny as I did until a few years later, but I guess he came around while he was wandering.[/b] [b]â??He called it Hellspeed.â?[/b] Adrian gave her a funny look. [b]â??Hunh. Did he ever tell you why he chose it?â?[/b] [b]â??I never asked,â?[/b] she said with a shrug.[/font] [center][font=calibri]----------------[/font][/center] [font=calibri]The pair of shinigami touched down in the middle of a deciduous forest in full summer regalia. Nathan felt his companion's werecat following closely behind; he was uncertain what to make of the man's seemingly servile attitude towards his shinigami partner, but brushed it away from his thoughts as he gazed about the shade of the trees. [b]â??So,â?[/b] he started, [b]â??why are we in New Zealand again?â?[/b][/font]

[quote name='chibi-master][B']What would you tell your 10 year old self?[/B][/quote] [FONT=Arial]"Pay attention to your first instincts. They're usually right.....awkward though it may be." [QUOTE][I][B]What would you ask your 10 year older self?[/B][/I][/QUOTE] "Did it pay off? Or did you wave at yet another one as it sailed over your head?" "Also why haven't you started that doggone book yet?"[/FONT]

[quote name='Boo][size=1']Did you just make those screenshots and awesome red circles and arrows yourself?[/size][/quote] [FONT=Arial]No, actually I outsourced. Had them done in Kazahkstan.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]All right, lemme see what I can do here. First thing, AxelC, is on the main page (and on whatever page you're viewing on TheOtaku, actually), you should see this box on the right with four links in it. [CENTER][IMG]http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z158/Allamorph/Misc/Sub/Guide1.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] I'm using ADBlock, so unless you're using it also, you'll probably see an ad window above the box. Click on the [COLOR="Red"][B]Backroom[/B][/COLOR] link, circled above. This link should take you to your backroom. If you look up under the big blue banner, now, you should see two bars of menus. The second one should have an option towards the left marked [COLOR="Red"][B]Post[/B][/COLOR], which when you hover over it, lets another menu drop down. Click the [COLOR="Red"][B]Add Post[/B][/COLOR] button. [CENTER][IMG]http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z158/Allamorph/Misc/Sub/Guide2.png[/IMG][/CENTER] Now you should be in your post window. [CENTER][IMG]http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z158/Allamorph/Misc/Sub/Guide3.png[/IMG][/CENTER] In order to make sure the post goes to the right place, select the appropriate world from this box: [CENTER][IMG]http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z158/Allamorph/Misc/Sub/Guide31.png[/IMG][/CENTER] Next, fill out a title. You have to do this, or else you won't be able to post. [CENTER][IMG]http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z158/Allamorph/Misc/Sub/Guide32.png[/IMG][/CENTER] Scroll down the window. [CENTER][IMG]http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z158/Allamorph/Misc/Sub/Guide41.png[/IMG][/CENTER] This big box is where you write your stuff. Go wild. After that, one last thing before you post. If you think your world would look better if the post were shortened before people read it (they'd click the title to go to the rest of it), check this box: [CENTER][IMG]http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z158/Allamorph/Misc/Sub/Guide42.png[/IMG][/CENTER] Once you've made that decision, the [COLOR="Red"][B]Add Post[/B][/COLOR] button is right here: [CENTER][IMG]http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z158/Allamorph/Misc/Sub/Guide43.png[/IMG][/CENTER] That's really all there is.[/FONT]

[CENTER] [IMG]http://www.mows.com/mows/strip817.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER]

[CENTER][FONT=Arial] "Shut up, you're not supposed to have fun." [/FONT][/CENTER]

[FONT=Arial]Barrel rolls solve everything.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I am in the "This Isn't Any News I Really Care About" camp. If they were in my town, maybe that'd be different. But as it is, this story has utterly nothing to do with me, and I'd much rather hear news about the latest medicinal breakthroughs. Also I feel no desire to participate in any massive gross-out sessions. Got my fill of that with the kid-parents in Britain. :p[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I find it amusing that at least 26 of the total entries (which does not at present exceed 32) are images with a prominent focus on one character in the foreground. Hunh.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I would like to bring something before the court for consideration. We know now that the goal of Fei Wong (son of Downs Syndrome-afflicted Sum Ting Wong) was revival of Yuuko, who has been frozen between life and death for goodness knows [I]how[/I] long wong. It is my suspicion that Yuuko is Fei Wong's wife?which means that although he's a bastard, he's also one ridiculously devoted husband and should be the envy of every main character of shōjo manga drivel. Or at least the desire. Something. (Yuuko also now has butterfly wings. wtf) So Yuuko has been frozen between life and death for an unspecified period of time. Because of this, she was basically granted the status of the Dimension Alchemist. (Equivalent exchange and all that-wong.) She has also gained access to basically any dimension of her choosing, has contacts spread across the whole of creation, . . . . . . . and lives in a shop somewhere in some Tokyo or other. Or something. My first item for consideration-wong: is the dimension that contained her shop actually real? Something I've noticed about CLAMP's style, I think, is that their background scenery are incredibly detailed, and yet in xxxHolic, unless the action enters a house or centers on something very important, most of the backgrounds there are plain white. There is at most one building in the foreground. Was this intentional? Second-wong: If Yuuko has indeed been stuck in a dimension that doesn't really exist except to house those people who don't really exist, then what does that make Watanuki? Third: In the same context, what does that make Doumeki and Himawari? Maybe [COLOR="DarkRed"]Megiddo[/COLOR] was wright. Maybe we [I]should[/I] combine the threads. Shamalama-ding-dong. Wong.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]You mean a thousand pounds of family can't live on twenty-two thousand pounds of money? Lol.[/FONT]

[quote name='Aberinkula][FONT="Tahoma"][SIZE="1"]Id wish for the ability to persude anyone to do what I want.[/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote] [FONT=Arial]I already got it. If you really want it, though, you should also wish for the wisdom to know how to use it. Otherwise you will ruin a great many things. 1.) I wish you would no longer grant wishes. My wish is not retroactive.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Awesome, [COLOR="DarkRed"]CHW[/COLOR], but we actually had a thread for this one already. :p So I'll just plop you over there. Hopefully I'll be hitting my third Asimov this week. I'd take a run by the library since I'm on break, but for some reason I doubt I'll have much time to get to anything beyond [U]Foundation And Empire[/U].[/FONT]